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Since I always see posts about my car, I thought I would like to makes some comments to dispell rumors about it and answer some questions that I see pop up frequently. I just wanted to unlurk here and talk about myself and the car a little. I am an automotive engineer by profession full time and write for SCC part time for extra money. I am not an employee of SCC but a freelancer. I hang around the SoCal TT, and the Nor Cal Club Z guys occasionaly. Most of the Socal and Norcal guys know me and I consider many of them friends. 1. The car is being built some way that is not good because the sponsers demand it. Not true, I am building the car the way I want it built. I pay for many of the parts out of own wallet because of this and have some parts custom made at great expense to me because nothing on the market is the way I want it to be. If you don't like the way my car is coming out, then it is my fault, not because JWT or whoever dictates to me what goes on the car. I have refused sponsership on some parts because I did not like them and took them off, not writing about them. You can build a car like this for free if you are a magazine guy if you are not picky. That is not me. I think that this car will be one of the best all around street Z's ever built. It should be able to go, stop and corner better than most. It is tricker than the Escort World Challange and IMSA Supercar Race Z's were i nthe early and mid 90's. 2. Why are JWT Sport 650's being used, they suck? This is a dumb statement. Since I study turbos a lot from an engineer's perspective, as you might be able to tell if you have been reading my turbo tech series in SCC, I can say (I don't mean to sound fat headed) that I know a little about turbos. The Sport 650 is perhaps the best turbos avalible for the Z32. The compressor is 77% efficent accross a broad range and is capable of flowing over 35 lbs per minute at a 2.7:1 pressure ratio. The turbine can flow 19 lbs per minute and is 70% efficent. What does this mean? The data shows that this is a damn good turbo that has slightly more peak compressor efficency than a GT2530 and a large bit more exhaust flow. Although it does not have ball bearings, it is capable of producing more power than the GT2530. Ball bearings give about the equvalent of about 3% more turbine efficency. This is actualy quite good. From a power and lag standpoint, Sport 650's have slightly more lag and can make a bit more power than the GT2530. As far as the TDO5-16G goes, the Sport 650 is slightly more efficent but has slightly less flow. The tubular greddy manifold and the divorced external wastegates are superior for performance, but they are prone to cracking, even when welded up and open wastegates sound like ass to me. Since it is a bitch to service around the turbos and mainfolds, I chose to stay with stock manifolds. This is all my personal opinion on the best way to build a STREETABLE Z and other experts will surely disagree with me which is fine by me, but I do have good qualifications and the above was my design intent. 3. If the car does not make 700-800 hp then it sucks. I guess it will suck then. I am building the car to have about 550 wheel hp, be very streetable and easy to drive around town and to be able to be beat around a road course all day or run the Silver State Classic (which is way tougher than the 1/4 mile) without blowing up. Reliabilty is what it is all about. The rod bearings on the VG30DETT are not to relaible after this power point without a major redesign of the crank. I mean you can build a 700-800 hp motor but it will not be what I want it to be. It will be just a sprint type motor. This is more of an endurance motor. It is funny how those who make that sort of comments have no idea just how hard it is to get only 550 hp and be reliable. 4. It this car does not run a 9 or a ten then it sucks. Again, I guess it will suck then. I am not building the car to be a quick class drag racer. It has the full interior and all the power goodies which means it's heavy. No matter how much traction and power you have, it is hard to push a 3600 lb tank down the 1/4 mile fast. No I am not out to beat Kyle or whoever. I suck at drag racing this car. Mike Menhart kicked my ass in his 96 with the old bolt on motor. My car makes more power, he just drives better. I am figuring that with drag radials and some practice, then low 12's or high 11's are in order and are very realistic. I am not going to turn the car into a drag car. It is an all around car. 5. SCC's project Z was stolen and burned because SCC is afraid to show how there project cars all suck. This one scared me and I ran to the garage to make sure she was still there! I don't think that is SCC's idea of good journalisum but is some SCC secret police guy tries to steal or burn by car, he will be looking down the business end of a G19! 6. Mike is an asshole because he said the Supra is better than the Z, the Z has lousey brakes, the Z overheats, etc! I am tired of reading that crap. Well you gotta admit, like it or not, the Supra is an awsome car and can be made faster than the Z for less money. The Z's engine layout is worse for an efficent induction and exhaust system, the Z does have shitty brakes for Track (not street)use and the Z does overheat on the track. Ask any z guy that actualy goes to the track and drives his car hard instead of driving a keyboard! Like it or not the Supra is probably a better car than the Z in some very important ways. However the Supra in my eyes is butt ugly and less refined so I keep the Z. Some Supra guys also seem to have interesting personality traits. Grow up the Z is not the best car ever made. It is a damn good car though and God drives one. Anyway, all of my mistakes and good things are all avalble for the public to read about. My friends will probably post the dyno numbers here once I finnish tuning the motor. The car might not be the fastest Z ever built but it should be what I intended it to be, one of the fastest street Z's all around, capable of winning the Ultimate Street Car Challange, which I was not allowed to particpate in by the way. If you want to ask me questions, I will try to answer them. I don't post here often but I am around looking for information frequntly. Mike
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