go z racer, go

I just, well actually, me and my best friend just finished dropping in my rebuilt L6...polished and painted it up real nice too, and then...... We both do a once over. Everything looks good to go. I wipe my filthy hands, grab my keys and turn her over, nothing! Okay, no problem. I look again at my starter and battery...looks good. I have my friend try while I look on. I notice now that it wont even turn! I checked my connections. I check them again. To my horror it all checks out. I was hoping to find a loose connection, a frayed wire, anything. My friend removes the spark plugs, ALL 6 cylinders are filled with coolant!....Now, after spending boocoo hours (and bucks) I slipped into a zombie like state...my best friend then offered to take me out for a beer, I said no, but he said I owed him since he sacrificed his Saturday to assist me with my Z, so I took a shower while he watched TV; so I thought. He was on my phone laughing his head off to his girl friend. I was pissed. He then tells me he just heard the funniest story. I was in no mood. He insisted. I started to lock the house up. As he followed me he told me about this guy who had secretly filled coolant into cylinders of his unsuspecting friends Z while he was gone-in mad dash to return the cherry picker. It took me second or two, but when the lights came on I was on the floor in tears, that was the best dirty trick. The best ever The best trick in our twenty-two years of friendship. Needles to say, when we removed the plugs this time, I turned over the engine and watched the coolant shoot some thirty feet across the yard, yup, all over my house. No biggy though, as I was grinning from ear to ear, once my Z came to life! So, how was your day?

I just, well actually, me and my best friend just finished dropping in my rebuilt L6...polished and painted it up real nice too, and then...... We both do a once over. Everything looks good to go. I wipe my filthy hands, grab my keys and turn her over, nothing! Okay, no problem. I look again at my starter and battery...looks good. I have my friend try while I look on. I notice now that it wont even turn! I checked my connections. I check them again. To my horror it all checks out. I was hoping to find a loose connection, a frayed wire, anything. My friend removes the spark plugs, ALL 6 cylinders are filled with coolant!....Now, after spending boocoo hours (and bucks) I slipped into a zombie like state...my best friend then offered to take me out for a beer, I said no, but he said I owed him since he sacrificed his Saturday to assist me with my Z, so I took a shower while he watched TV; so I thought. He was on my phone laughing his head off to his girl friend. I was pissed. He then tells me he just heard the funniest story. I was in no mood. He insisted. I started to lock the house up. As he followed me he told me about this guy who had secretly filled coolant into cylinders of his unsuspecting friends Z while he was gone-in mad dash to return the cherry picker. It took me second or two, but when the lights came on I was on the floor in tears, that was the best dirty trick. The best ever The best trick in our twenty-two years of friendship. Needles to say, when we removed the plugs this time, I turned over the engine and watched the coolant shoot some thirty feet across the yard, yup, all over my house. No biggy though, as I was grinning from ear to ear, once my Z came to life! So, how was your day?

I just, well actually, me and my best friend just finished dropping in my rebuilt L6...polished and painted it up real nice too, and then...... We both do a once over. Everything looks good to go. I wipe my filthy hands, grab my keys and turn her over, nothing! Okay, no problem. I look again at my starter and battery...looks good. I have my friend try while I look on. I notice now that it wont even turn! I checked my connections. I check them again. To my horror it all checks out. I was hoping to find a loose connection, a frayed wire, anything. My friend removes the spark plugs, ALL 6 cylinders are filled with coolant!....Now, after spending boocoo hours (and bucks) I slipped into a zombie like state...my best friend then offered to take me out for a beer, I said no, but he said I owed him since he sacrificed his Saturday to assist me with my Z, so I took a shower while he watched TV; so I thought. He was on my phone laughing his head off to his girl friend. I was pissed. He then tells me he just heard the funniest story. I was in no mood. He insisted. I started to lock the house up. As he followed me he told me about this guy who had secretly filled coolant into cylinders of his unsuspecting friends Z while he was gone-in mad dash to return the cherry picker. It took me second or two, but when the lights came on I was on the floor in tears, that was the best dirty trick. The best ever The best trick in our twenty-two years of friendship. Needles to say, when we removed the plugs this time, I turned over the engine and watched the coolant shoot some thirty feet across the yard, yup, all over my house. No biggy though, as I was grinning from ear to ear, once my Z came to life! So, how was your day?

Interesting indeed. Helio Castroneves won the Indy 500 today; a repeat victory in fact. As he entered the Winner's Circle I heard him say he was out of fuel. Out of fuel. Think about it, Helio just won the worlds fastest race on fumes.

My Sister just bought a new Honda. There, I said it. She spent the last two months looking for that new car too. To me that's like taking two months thinking of clever names for your new puppy and decide on "Spot," or "Rex." I guess purchasing a new car is a difficult task for most people. Although I cant figure out why, since they all seem to look alike these days. Having said that, I'm not to sure I could have made a quicker decision either. I'm guessing I would start my search by looking at cars with performance. Not the ones with Space Shuttle like dash boards that only a top MIT grad can figure out. Even after a year your still lying about their functions when asked. Do we really need live street maps? If you can read street names displayed in 6pt. text from your center dash mounted GPX monitor while driving down the freeway (Mr. eagle eye), how did you miss those huge green signs written in eight foot text, with reflective tape no less? I know I would stay clear from cars offering personnel climate control LazyBoy seats too, even if they are endorsed by four out of five Orthopedic Doctors. Ever notice they target families promising adventure and quality time with your children if you buy their SUV or mini van? Then why do they have multiple-individual-personal TVs, VCRs and CD players with head sets? They all brag about their computerized suspension guaranteed to make potholes (and the occasional possum) a distant memory. Commercials showing SUVs taking short cuts, disregarding orange hazard cones, narrowly surviving a Monster Truck course so little Billy can make it to his soccer game on time. Come on now people. Read the disclaimer warning you this was accomplished in Hollywood on a closed course by a top professional driver and should otherwise never be attempted. Think for a moment, a professional driver (wearing a helmet and fire resistant suite), on a closed course, and don't try this at home...hummm? Would you buy an outdoor gas grill after being warned by the company not to attempt actual cooking unless your a professional Firefighter in a non residential zone? Small cars are "hip" and girls dig em, that's what their commercials say. Yeah well, a couple holding hands while skipping thru antique stores wearing matching rainbow sweatshirts somehow missed the target for me. Then there's that all new state of the art vehicle, the Q45 with a camera mounted in the rear (I guess so they can see the on coming Z car, before it passes). I mean, if your bothered by driving, take a bus, a plane, a train, take a nap. Sheesh! As for me and my Z, I feel every imperfection on my tax dollar roads and my dash mounted high tech clock died ten years ago. I guess having all those luxury items would be nice, but Hell, I'm too busy driving to enjoy them. For me, just getting to my job takes work. I'm usually running late, half asleep, shifting gears with a scorching cup of 7-11 coffee (lava isn't this hot) between my legs with one eye on the tac needle and one eye in the rear view mirror to watch a shrinking Q45. Say, maybe that rear mounted camera isn't such a bad idea after all.---go z racer, go

Still have the KYB struts?...F1apex@aol.com

After reading your response to my less than favorable profile on Car Show Guys, to say I'm relieved would be a gross understatement. I was preparing for the worse. I banged out this pulp on my lap top early in morning while at work. I'm a FF and had just returned from one of those 911 wake up calls that leave you thinking way too much. Writing pulp, or doing anything else that can redirect my thoughts long enough to fall asleep again, helps. Well, to make a long story longer, I did not proofread this particular post; as my head cleared a bit, fatigue set in. However, today I reviewed my post and it seemed a bit abrasive; not my usual "tongue and cheek " style. So, I assume you will not appear at my home as an angry mob, waving medieval torches with barking dogs, and cast stones through my windows, while branding me as Satan? No? Not even a good ole toilet paper hit? You guys are great!

As the time grows nearer to the start of the much anticipated annual MSA extravaganza, I get this feeling like I'm unappreciated. I own an early 71 with the original "great pumpkin" paint scheme, that would hardly warrant a second glance. I mean it's lowered, and handles like a go kart from Hell, but no one except my local Honda owners can appreciate the time and pain staking research invested I have invested in my Z, I favor road racing, so all my efforts are primarily focused on tuning the suspension and brake upgrades. For the most part, you cant see it. I can't picture myself dropping mirrors under my car for the public to take notice when I park. I can hardly tolerate mounting my "Club" on the steering wheel. So, I didn't make it a point to insist my undercarriage parts be chromed, or finished in (fake) "carbon-fiber weave." What I'm trying to say is, I do not "show" my Z at events. Even if I were to enter Daisy Mae (my Z's name, it's a long story) those Armoral loving Judges wouldn't even so much as slap a Jack-antena-Ball on it. They only seem to recognize a cars value when there're parked, you know, the cars that arrive via a trailer, boasting a zero to negative read on the odometer, the ones with children that panic if they so much come within an arms reach of their parents "Show Car" as if it were electicly charged, the ones with the unmistakable "Toon Town" look. I have a hunch these are the very same people who dress their dogs with a cute sweaters right before they step out to walk them. Someone, please fill me in here? I'm not an art critic by any measure, but I can probably figure out which car will win a parking lot contest. I don't need a self appointed Judge with an eye for Mother's Stage one hundred and forty something wax to confirm what everyone who arrived at an event without aid of an eye-dog, or a white cane (or an NFL referee) figured out in five minutes. Don't get me wrong though, I do enjoy gazing at the show cars, and I'm always impressed by clever or, witty modifications. Some are truly unique works of art reflecting their respective owners courage to drive his, or hers, "Parade Float In Heat" through their own neighborhoods, and are elevated far beyond my simplistic imagination; and what you should do with your 401K. Still with me? Now, should anyone ever approach me, and ask me what I think a beautiful car looks like, I'd tell them this; "Any motor vehicle, exploding through disfigured asphalt, in a state of controlled chaos, with the confidence of Ron Jeremy strolling through an Asian nudist colony, while inflicting shame to Honda owners, is nothing, if not breath taking." BTW, for those of you who consider yourselves (proud) Show Car Guys, and feel that I have somehow crossed a line, (I never used that four letter word , RUST), I apologize. In fact, I couldn't care less if anyone were to ever come up to me and tell me I have the best looking urethane bushings in town. I just felt like writing something to elicit a smile from my fellow Z'er. On the bright side, you can all line up and poke fun at my ugly car at the up coming MSA event , that is of course, after you have successfully sterilized your parked novelties for public viewing.

Motorsports represents about an hour drive up from San Diego for me, so yeah, I'll be there for sure and, of course, lend a promotional hand. BTW Mike, is that your Gray? I'm referring to your member icon. It appears to be in very good health (bright colors). I once spoon fed an African Gray Congo. She was very intelligent, but high strung. Sadly, I had to let her go, as my work (24 hour shifts) drove her to start plucking herself. Happily though, she is now enjoying life with her new owners and has quite a repertoire (vocabulary) to include my laughter---Jerry

I feel with this most recent wave of interest over the 240Z has yet to peak, and for good reason. When you consider the 240's bang-for-the-buck, you have one of the best deals on four wheels! It's definitely a standout amongst the uninspiring "cookie-cutter" vehicles littering our malls and roller rinks today. Now, I have never picked so much as two super lotto numbers, so needless to say I cannot afford a 1963, Ferrari Lusso, SWB 250 GTO, so for me the 240Z is the next best thing. I mean it is the best thing, in my case anyway. No sour grapes here. I couldn't push a $850,000 Ferrari through cork screws and enjoy it. I certainly couldn't sleep at nights with a Ferrari parked in my garage, not in my neighbor hood, and I live near the beach! My sex life would do 180 cruising downtown's night clubs in a Ferrari, but then my girl friend would castrate me, so that's out. Sure, it's 30 some odd years old, but the 240 was born in an era that still boasts a long list of all time-best-ever-sports cars. It has a certain sophisticated look about it. Sexy curves outline it's torpedo body. It's Mercedes inspired straight six, lets out an unmistakable tone of pedigree, a warning to those armed only with designer mufflers. Even at rest, especially when parked on a wet night alone, under a single street lamp, it screams thoroughbred. An added bonus, as the years go on, 240Z ownership seems to only get better! Simply put, she has style! Yeah, my 240Z is the car for me all right...now where did I put that lotto ticket?