scathing

FYI We're up to about half a dozen guys from 350Z-Tech.

I know someone who had DUZ18S on a paddock bashing Pulsar ET Turbo.

What's it built for that makes one of the best "affordable" turbo sports coupes released this decade slower than a normally aspirated hairdresser's car with a slushbox? It didn't have custom paint and giant chromies so it's not exactly sex spec (thank God).

Yeah, I overtook him at Wakefield in a stock auto MX-5.

Why is it confusing?

Mark - they look very similar to my Roadholder bars, down to the clear plastic wrapping. Mine used the stock bushings, though. I also get the feeling they're thicker, but I'll have to measure to be sure. That said, if you're going to coilovers with higher spring rates, that's not an issue. I found my bars to be great with stock springs / Koni dampers (I had them set to full stiff), but even with them dialled down to full soft the car is a bit skatey.

Why did they hire a blind man to choose the offsets though?

I've heard the RT215s have more grip than the RT615s. The UTQG for the 615s is higher, which says something. Still, if you're comparing it to your typical "lots of grooves" street radial, the RT615s are still a very grippy tyre. They're just not the same bargain S-Comp they used to be. Especially since there's actual competition now, from Bridgestone, Federal and Nitto.

Offset isn't remotely legal and not particularly good for the suspension if you're going to drive on them, if it matters.

He's looking at doing an engine conversion, not just pulling the snail off. The FD gearing in a FI diff won't suit NA though. You can leave it in, but just expect it to be sluggish.

Bald as in worn, or bald as in not many grooves? I really liked my RT215s, but I've heard from people who've used both that the RT615s are not as good.

Here's some speculation on my part. Here's Motor Trend's full test They raced the car at the Las Vegas motor speedway's "road course" (which is normally the twisty stuff in the infield) and the ZR1 still came out on top. If this layout is the one they used then the high speed section would put the advantage to the ZR-1 but they could also have joined corners 5 and 15 to make something much tighter. Most of the info I've found says that there are two road courses, at 2.5 miles or 1.3 miles. If they're lapping at 58s (lets say 1 min) then I'd guess that they're doing a 1.3 mile course. A 124km/hr average speed with that infield is more believable than a 240km/hr average speed. The oval itself is 1.5 miles, so it seems likely that the "course" described with the top part of the oval is the 2.5 mile layout. The 1.3 mile layout probably doesn't use the banked oval at all. For the ZR-1 to beat the GT-R without that massive expanse of high speed road is still worthy of credit.

Yeah, I keep some Meguiars non acid wheel cleaner in the car, which I use whenever I go to Carlovers. Its still not as good as treating it with wax, and then using the wheel cleaner. I just hate waxing it.

Maybe he just comes from a long line of black magicians, and he's the 88th.

Even if you didn't, the fact that you're not wanting to celebrate the killing of another person, unlike these bombers and their supporters, is a part of what makes you better than them. They thought they were justified in killing all those people in those night clubs, too.

Yeah, my mate had a similar experience. Bought used coilovers, rear shocks were dead. We'd gone on a trip to go watch Targa, and around corners with bumps the car was an absolute mess. He had to ship his stock suspension back down and get it installed.

The problem is that all that extra revviness up top is replaced with sluggishness down the bottom, for the reasons given above. So if you can keep it high in the rev range you should be OK, but let the revs drop and it'll run worse. In the end, a car with a wider spread of torque will probably be quicker than a car with a narrow powerband. Just look a Hondas I haven't looked into RB25DEs specifically, but if everyone is saying that a 2.5" is the best exhaust to get good gains across the entire rev range then, seriously, that's what I'd be doing.

Zu-Tsu-tsu-tsu-tsu-tsu. It goes by a variety of names. Flutter (mostly used by import drivers), dose (VL Turbo drivers of the world, unite), "pigeon sound" (uninitiated). Block off the blow-off valve, and read the dose bible for extra hecticity. Google for VL and Dose to find lots of videos. The main thing that separates dose from flutter is that guys will modify their inlet piping specifically for the sound.

What numbers are you aiming for, max? A weekday track day at $220 a head should be about 20 people off the top of my head. If that's the case, then this day is definitely going to guarantee plenty of track time as you can narrow the field down to 2 sessions. Even with a 25 headcount (which is the maximum number of people you can have without incurring the extra cost of having an ambulance on standby, and increasing costs) that's still plenty of track time for your money. I'd love to come, but unfortunately I'm booked around that time.

Asian stereotypes are so 90's. Didn't you get the memo that we now pick on Middle Eastern people?

Have you noticed how, with a stock exhaust, the engine feels strong and the revs climb well at low to medium positions on the tacho but it really feels strained as the engine revs continue to go higher? A free flowing exhaust will make the engine more willing to rev up top, as a restriction is removed. Have you noticed how you hardly ever rev the engine out to redline every time you go for a drive (I hope)?

Don't even f**king start me on CAN bus f**kups. I've got an Autowatch 446Prem (with integrated turbo timer) on my Z33 and, coming off the Brant, its a great piece of kit. Since I don't have my OEM fobs anymore I got Autowatch ones. I'm pretty sure the installer says they can integrate with the factory items (he also fits alarms onto V35s for compliancing).

I've been using a wheel wax. I will give giving this stuff a go. A spray would be much easier to use than having to wax on, wax off.

Exactly. You don't need a massive engine to tow. One of my mates used to tow a HQ race car with an E30 BMW 323i. Old 6 cylinder Falcodores will tow something well enough. Diesels are exempt from the turbo restrictions, so you get an old 4WD or something as well. And the 540i was meant to be "sporty". It's not meant to be a HSV competitor, but in BMW's lineup it would be akin to a V8 Calais.

Yeah, near stock for sometihng I wasn't going to thrash too hard I'd take the Legnum over a Stagea. At that point all the problems described above don't really apply (aside from the fuel economy) and people don't think you're driving a Volvo. With anything more than the lightest of bolt-ons I'd take a Stagea. Whether it's RB or VQ powered, there are plenty of bits available.