xcarguy

Welcome to the group and to Seven ownership. :seeya:

I guess this video had slipped through the cracks for me; first rodeo. Thanks for sharing. :cheers:

I wonder if that body would fit a Storker? :smash: :jester:

Ah, toedrag, you've made the move to the humorous side. Very good. . . . . . . :cooldude:

Z, :iagree: Somebody in the world of Storkers needs to pave the way. Here's a good starting point: http://www.tanksinc.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=84/category_id=61/mode=prod/prd84.htm

100/10 micron setup: Pre-pump: 100 micron filter from Summit Racing, http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-230118 Post-pump: 10 micron filter from Summit Racing, http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-230116 The Summit Racing filters have been used on my car for seven years with no issues. I changed out the filter elements this year for no other reason than peace of mind:

Skip, thanks for sharing. Over the years, I've done several parallel approaches into SFO with other aircraft . . . . but never with a spaceship. That's sommething you just don't see everyday.

Well, guess I may as well post this here since the Minehearts haven't (don't think they will mind:jester:). It's a video and photo of the new Stalker M-Spec AXR with Scott Mineheart giving it a maiden voyage. Also, here are a few excerrpts from the Storker forum regarding the car: . . . . . We just completed our new M-Spec AXR model. Design to be optimized for autocross, but a capable track car, and of course, awesome street car. We have tucked the rear wheels behind the passenger compartment, instead of being along side it, so we can use really wide rear tires without making the car any wider. Standard street tires are 315/35/17, and the racing slicks are Formula Atlantics from Goodyear, on 14" wide, 13" diameter wheels. . . . . . The car has 4 piston Wilwood calipers on all corners, and power assist. That coupled with the large rear tires gives grip never before available on a Stalker. 10"rotors for the 13" racing wheels, and 13" for the 17" wheels. Awesome braking without lockup. First time ever. Maval electric power steering with the Coleman racing rack. . . . . We didn't have a big budget so we stayed with a 2004 GTO LS1 engine, and the 4 speed automatic that came with it. We had never tried an automatic before, so we knew there may be challenges to overcome, but figured we would give it a shot anyway. If we didn't like it, we could spend the money and get a new T56 Magnum. Our engine tuner was able to tune the trans to shift nearly instantly and lock up the torque converter so you have engine braking like a manual. For autocross, you put it in 2nd and go!. 2nd is good to around 85. 3rd around 130, I think. Frickin' awesome. Sweet on the street also. Yeah, we loved it. The first autocross weekend was definitely a success! I can't believe we actually like the auto trans! No slush bucket by any means. . . . . . The 4L65E trans came with the '04 GTO engine. . . . . an android tablet (used as a dash, my commment) connected to the OBDII port with a $6.29 Bluetooth adapter and $5 Torque software. Gets any info that is available to the ECU, plus does 0-60, 1/8 mile, 1/4 mile times. And check engine codes. It is velcro'd to the dash. My android phone will also pull the same gauges and info from the ECU. Cheaper than buying gauges. It doesn't show well with the GoPro camera, but is easily readable by the driver. The dash has an overhang over the tablet, so it is always in the shade - like in your daily driver. . . . . My wife drives this car, also. In the previous two Stalkers my wife, being 5'-1" was right up on the wheel, and she slammed her elbows on the tunnel and side of the chassis,when she autocrossed it. This works perfectly for her, and since we have electric power steering, the Coleman Racing steering rack, and improved steering geometry, it is quite easy to steer. You can see from the video that Scott doesn't have any problem moving the wheel. Neither does Krista. You guys that have not driven an M-Spec don't know what you are missing. Tell 'em Wheeler!! I want to get you in the new AXR and get your impressions. We'll bump into you at an autocross soon, I'm sure. . . . . Oh, one more thing. The new cars have a chassis that is 1 1/4" taller than the old cars. Puts the wheel that much taller than before. We don't have a hump in the hood to look over either. Krista had a bit of a hard time with the other cars and the hood scoops, when it came to seeing the cones. . . . . :lurk:

Add says the engine is from a Ford Focus and, on down in the add, from a Ford Fusion. I'm thinking . . . . Con-fusion. :rofl:

Steve, That's an awesome shot! Looks like you guys had a blast. :party:

Listed on the Wirewheel site: http://wirewheel.com/1967-2009-Birkin-S3.html

Sure is great to see 'more' Stalkers being built on the forum. Looking awesome, jevs. Between you and toedrag, I feel like I'm watching an automotive version of biker buildoff. :smash:

Steve, Welcome to the group!

Looks like Busa's car.

Tom, Excellent write up. And yes, I absolutely think you should keep both. Shane

Jesse, Congradulations and welcome aboard! Great group here. Ah . . . first year for the Z3 was 96?

You got it! :cheers:

Brit, The lifter valley port (PCV outlet) is routed through the oil / air seperator and then to the intake port. See the yellow arrow in the photo link. It's an older photo (pre Jaz catch can) but the intake port is still in use on my current setup: http://www471.pair.com/stalkerv/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=23930

Brit, With the lifter valley PCV line routed back through the oil / air separator and then to the intake, the ambient lines (valve cover ports) actually have a vacuum (at idle and up to ?? rpm) and now draw air through the filter on top of the small Jaz catch can instead of the throttle body port. However, as stated earlier, NJMP revealed a different animal. During sustained high rpm's, this positive crankcase pressure became so great that crankcase pressure (and, unfortunately, oil vapor) back-flowed through the ambient lines to atmosphere. After two tracks days at NJMP, while the amount of oil vapor that back-flowed through the clean air lines wasn’t enough to migrate past the small inline (now removed) filter, it was enough to completely saturate the filter with oil, thus the reason for the Jaz catch can redo. Personally, I don't think you'll have any issues with corrosion regarding gases being vented to atmosphere under the hood. Again, my system does have vacuum during normal driving. I really think that you will find that you are pressed for room between the hood and the filler cap on the valve cover. Another example of this is my filler cap. The factory extension had to be removed (clearance issue) and the stock cap fitted directly to the valve cover. This minor mod required removing a bolt from the coil adjacent to the filler cap and slightly canting it so the filler cap could fit; again, no issues here with a loose coil pack or oil residue. Here's a link to a photo: http://www471.pair.com/stalkerv/gall...2_itemId=26669 The Jaz catch can I have for PCV inlet air is small enough to fit on the fire wall and I have ample enough room to drain the can if needed. To give you and even better idea of the hood-to-engine clearance (or the lack thereof) that I have to work with on my car, notice in the above photo link the LS3 dip stick on my car. You can see in the photo that I had to a) slightly bend the top of the dip stick tube inward (toward the top of the valve cover) and b) modify the yellow dip stick handle to get it to 'fit' under the hood. Again, no issues here with this mod. As for how well the small Jaz catch can will actually work with my current setup, COTA in mid-November will be the test bed for the redo. I'll report back after COTA with the results.

Very nice fab work! . . . . And . . . . . What's that sitting next to the Seven? Boattail?

Could be another scam.

Brit, The car is looking great! Can hardly wait to see it finished and on track at Cresson. Since the LS6 and LS3 PCV systems are essentially the same, I thought you might be interested in learning what I’ve experienced with my PCV system over the last couple of years. At the very least, it’s food for thought. First of all, a resounding YES!!!; the debated opinions regarding ‘the use of’ vs. ‘the deleting of’ the PCV system on the LSx engine is are exceedingly strong on both sides of the argument. My personal opinion on this topic would be this; RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH and then decide for oneself what one would want to do. I, just as you’ve done, made the ‘informed’ decision to retrain my PCV system (although, with some slight modifications). This conclusion (keeping the system) seemed the most logical choice with respect to adequately expelling positive crank case pressure during high sustained rpm driving such as that which would be experienced when running on a closed road course or track. Just as the LS3, the LS6’s nonstandard (compared to the PCV valves of old) PCV valve is located in the lifter valley (underneath the lifter valley cover). For evacuating positive crankcase pressure, I plumbed a hose from the PCV valve to a port on the intake. To help minimize the amount of oil vapor that enters the intake, I installed an oil / air separator on (in line with) the PCV hose. The link below shows this setup: http://www471.pair.com/stalkerv/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=23806 In addition, I ran both valve cover ports to ambient via a T-connector and then through an inline filter (again, see the above link). This setup worked well at MSR Cresson on the 1.7 course where WOT applications were of relatively short duration compared to some other tracks with exceedingly longer straights. One such track is the Lightning course at NJMP. Running on Lightning at NJMP in July exposed the Achilles Heel of my setup. During extended WOT runs down the front straight, positive crank case pressure was high enough that it essentially overcame the ability of the stock PCV system to adequately evacuate the crankcase properly which resulted in the engine evacuating pressure through the valve cover clean air inlets. The end result was an oil soaked inline filter and a flawed design on my part. This, in turn, gave rise to my revisiting the clean air side of my system with the end product being the addition of a second (smaller) catch can for the ambient air source (see link below): http://www471.pair.com/stalkerv/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=27158 The results of my setup to date are this; after a day at the track (approximately two hours of track time), I’ll be down approximately ½ quart of oil with maybe 25-30% of that oil collected in the oil / air separator (see video link below). While my video claims an oil loss of 4 ounces, it’s actually closer to ½ quart: Having said all of this, I think you are on track with the idea of using a couple of catch cans with your PCV system. Also, FWIW, here is a link to a photo of my steam vent line setup. My understanding is that the steam vent line needs to be routed to a pressurized portion of the cooling system (mine is plumbed to the thermostat housing; zero issues). http://www471.pair.com/stalkerv/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=23528 A final note; as for using anything other than the 'factory' oil filler cap, I would use caution, and again, do my research regardng this mod. Of those folks I have visited with who have actually modified / replaced/ etc. their oil filler cap in the name of an 'improved' PCV system, the majority admmitted that they usually end up with oil residue under the hood when this mod is paired with high performance driving. . . . . . :cheers:

Bob, Another good read is Ross Bentley's Speed Secrets. BTW, your M-spec was the first I ever saw up close and personal. Here's a link to a photo I took of your car back at the beginning of the year: http://www471.pair.com/stalkerv/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=24565

Hey, Bob, Again, welcome to the world of Sevens. If you get a chance, you and Mario need to get together. He's over in Longboat Key and owns #142 with an LS1. X

I would soooo write LOTUS 7 on the toes of those shoes. :jester: