Conference vmsnet::drag$note:drag_racing

    Ho Ho... I'm twisting wrenches again on the Z.  I don't know what
    happened, but I'm kicking butt on the Z and the cavalier too.
    
    I'll have the suspension done, plus the gas tank in by sunday.  I hope
    to fire it up sunday.
    
    Then I gotta do the brakes & brake lines.  Then triple check everything
    and make sure I didn't screw up somewhere.  The rest of the stuff
    is trivial (secure battery, detailing, etc...)
    
    Other stuff to do, eventually:
    Install my Mallory Hyfire 4.
    Get a new driveshaft.
    Fix the carburetor (needs to be done before going to the track).
    Do the front brakes.
    Get a fiberglass hood and lexan windshield  (the window in the Z
    can go into my other camaro that's busted up).
    Put a cage in it.
    Hit the lottery
    build my 509
    back half the thing.
    
    MadMike  

    
    Mike,
    
    What happened? Is the bug gettin ya? you were fairly quite for a spell
    :^)
    
    Are you planning to run Super Chevy in June with the Z car?
    
    rich
    

    I guess the bug is getting me.  For whatever reason I'm back
    working on the Z again.  
    
    } Are you planning to run Super Chevy in June with the Z car?
    
    We'll see how march & april go... oops, we're having a baby around
    that time.  Well, we took danny to watch daddy when he was 4 months...
    Anyway, if I can get my car to run well AND I CAN LEAVE THE DANG
    THING IN RUNNING CONDITION OR REPAIR IT QUICK, I should be able
    to make some decent races.  Like Super Chevy.
    
    I think the major stuff is sorted out.  I have aquired a bunch of
    tools that have made fixing stuff quickly a snap.  No more
    getting frustrated and stuck and letting the car sit for months
    at a time.
    
    The major thing now is the rear brakes.  How hard can that be?  Put
    the brakes on and make a line.... do this and I could drive
    my car down the street.  Since it's so easy, I probably won't have
    this done until next month.  :^)
    
    MadMike

    I'm going to have my driveshaft rebuilt, spun balanced and new joints
    put in.  I did a couple minor things...  I tried starting my car and it
    won't run, I gotta figure out what's up with the carb.
    
    I shot my wad and got the stuff to finish the ignition, a mallory coil,
    so I can hook up my mallory rev limiter and 2 step, that I bought about
    a year ago.  I'll finally put that in AFTER I can make sure my car
    will start/run now.  I just took the carb off and changed fuel bowls
    and mighta goofed up something (probably) in the process.  Fuel level
    or something.
    
    I wired up the battery into the trunk and am hooking it into the
    kill switch.
    
    As part of my wad shooting process, I'm rebuilding the front end of my
    car.  During lunch I almost finished removing the lower left control
    arm.  I got the spring out.  I'm gonna clean all that up real nice and
    redo the brakes (ain't got the rear ones done yet either).
    I ordered the moroso superstock springs and good control arm bushings.
    My front end was WASTED.  Corrosion, rust, gunk, junk... whata mess.
    
    MadMike

    Clean clean clean....
    
    Wow, my suspension a arms and frame are looking nice and black,
    the extreme temp black paint is looking nice on the headers.  Red
    painted springs and polyeuretane bushings....
    
    You can eat off my engine (but don't try it cause I'll clobber you).
    Soon you'll be able to eat off my chassis too.  This whole deal
    is turning into a complete rebuild.
    
    To bad I ain't stopping anywhere long enough to race my car.  I suppose
    I'll be ready to go by May.  By then the car should be done, the baby
    will be here and I should be able to see what's going on.
    
    MadMike

    I ordered a lexan windshield for the Z, the old windshield from the
    Z will go into my other camaro with the mega-cracked up windshield,
    that is if I don't break the windshield getting it out of the Z.
    
    I had my driveshaft inspected.  They went to balance it, and whoops...
    it was TWISTED up pretty bad.  They had to cut it apart, fix it, and
    then balance it.  
    
    My cavalier is coming along... I should have it down on all 4 tires in
    a day or two... minus engine/trans.  I have almost everything I need
    to put a short block together.  
    
    The baby's due date was yesterday...
    
    MadMike

    Trey Mitchell got the green light yesterday. 
    
    The aluminum waterpump, race seat and 5 point harness will be here
    today.  Good thing the boss is sitting in the hospital.... I get a
    chance to hide some of the boxes.  :^)
    
    MadMike

Congrats on the new crew member !!

        ...so how many in the crew now?  :^) 
    ........
    -rb

    5 or so.
    
    Me, Laura, Kyle (4.5), Daniel, (2) and Trey, 2 days.
    
    I may have scored the assistance of a master mechanic yesterday.
    He's trying to restore a car, and I need a hand rebuilding some
    of my stuff.  Sort of a reciprical deal...  This would help a TON.
    
    The SouthernNationals are this weekend.  Supposed to rain from
    thursday to saturday at least.
    
    Thanks a bunch for the support. 
    
    MadMike

    Nevermind the merlin heads, or the edlebrock heads....  I'm going with
    the Service replacement LS-7 heads from chevy.  Ordered the valves and
    the rest of the valve train, plus a victor jr. manifold.   Of course,
    this will necessitate "fixing the hood".  Fixing in this case means
    getting a scoop, and since I don't want to ruin my nice Z/28 hood, I'll
    have to either put the scoop on the old red camaro hood (not prefered)
    or on a fiberglass hood (prefered, but $180.  Plus the scoop = $200).
    
    I'll drop the top end of the engine on next week, and wire up the
    ignition.  Hopefully in 2 weeks I'll have everything put back 
    together.
    
    MadMike  
    
    

    Ho Ho... Nevermind anything...
    
    I got a 3rd Camaro!   and I'll be picking up my LS-7 heads tomorrow.
    Plus my lexan windshield showed up today... and my wife saw the
    "new seat" in my car with the 5 point harness.
    
    "HEY.... WHEN DID YOU SNEAK THAT IN!!!!".  My wife luvs me.  :^)
    She's feeling freight trained.
    
    MadMike

    Quick update:
    The Z/28 will have:
    Brand new front suspension:  poly bushings, Moroso front springs
    nice and detailed.
    A linelock, with completely new front brakes/lines/hoses/fittings.
    Solid motor & trans mounts
    LS-7 heads, 118 cc, 2.19/1.88 stainless valves, 7/16"ths valvetrain
    stuff. victor jr. manifold, moroso aluminum waterpump, mallory hyfire
    4c proportional revlimiter, 5 point harness and racing seat...
    
    the heads ruined my compression.... so, out comes the block and some
    LS-7 pistons go in....  12.5:1 compression, on big rods, big meaning
    from 3/8" bolts to 7/16" rod bolts.
    
    I've gone from tinkering to going nuts... as soon as I get my Z to
    roll again (install control arms,springs, steering/rotors) it gets
    rolled back so I can pull the block out.
    
    MadMike
    

    
    
    Mike,
    
    ...so is it going to be ready for Super Chevy :^)  I'm still planning
    to be there with the 57'....maybe by then I'll have more seat time and
    can get a bit more competitive...but whatever, I will have a good time
    even if I'm 1st rnd loser :^)
    
    rich
    

    } ...so is it going to be ready for Super Chevy :^)
    
    Yes & no.
    I'll be at super chevy as a vendor in the swap meet.
    The Z/28 will still be in the garage.  The LS-7 heads make it
    necessary to remove the block and change the pistons.  
    
    Hopefully I'll make enough $$$ to pay for some of the stuff I bought
    lately.
    
    I got all sorts of stuff for sale.  Transmissions, engines, wheels...
    lots o stuff.
    
    MadMike

    
    Mike,

    I'll be there probably Wednesday (before the early checkin on Friday)
    .....maybe I should bring a few of my swap meet items I need to move
    and have you sell them for me :^)   email me a lit of what you
    have...Heck - I might be a buyer for something before you take it out
    there.

    PS: where's the track from the ALF site? just curious....