ZX2 Squared

In reply to slowbird :

I have unwritten rule I never do a thumbs up on my own thread, I just broke that rule!

Since it is kind of cool out, 39 degrees, I decided to catch up the spreadsheet, fmv word document and work on the book.

Special notes, I decided to keep the new battery in it for the Challenge, if I need it there is $121 I can use by swapping the core battery in. I dropped the poly grease but need to add the regular grease I am putting on the bushings. I also haven't used a can of spray paint, or finished off the can of black paint / chip brush I have listed, but plan to use those for touch ups etc. Other than those its up to date.

Friendly advice -- IF YOU HAVEN'T STARTED YOUR BOOK, YOU SHOULD! It takes more time than you think!

$982.00 (I just noticed its even money! lol)

In reply to Bent-Valve :

My only question regarding the build book is the fair market value supporting documents. do we just find something for sale and use the price for reference? Because i have a few things that i have not been able to find a price for. Examples: i used 3 almost empty bottles of nail polish from the wifes collection, about 5 cans of half empty spray paint cans i got from a yard sale for 3 bucks. (paid 3 bucks for a lot of 15, but dont have reciept) 

and i have a set of used 1 inch spacers. that one i can probably find proof for. but i have been trying to keep up on the spreadsheet as i go. 

My first event also, so anybody can jump in and help if this is wrong.

I found a similar item, took a picture of price, if I didn't use the complete item I calculated its value by percent, 1/2 a can. To be safe I rounded up on everything.

For example this is my very first FMV calculation page, I explain to the judge or whoever how I figured stuff, other pages don't have the lawyer crap, just the first.

(dotted line to indicate picture)

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I highlighted the item and increases its font to make it easy to read and added a brief explaination.

I went to the store I would get it from if I could, if not I would indicate that. In this instance, I have no clue, I didn't even remember I had it, also this was before I was going to compete.

But I used a small amount, got a price, over estimated its value slightly and should be golden. People could fudge things and nobody would ever know, but I try to be accurate because I am sure I goofed on something or just plain forgot some little thing I did at some point. 

Oh and finally I did a few screen shots of web pages when I wasn't going to be near that store or what ever.

Hope it helps.

Edit --

Looked thourgh my fmv stuff, 2 more examples, I am spoiling one for the judges, but maybe this helps? Try to have a sense of humor....

oh man i have some work to do. this is good because i will save some money in the budget by pro rating what i did and did not use. electrical connectors, rivets, sheetmetal screws, etc. woohoo!

In reply to Bent-Valve :

I noticed sandpaper and tape in your budget, those technically don't stay on the car and are more like tools so I think you could take those out as well.

Unless you taped the sandpaper onto the car as part of your theme. lol

slowbird said:

In reply to Bent-Valve :

I noticed sandpaper and tape in your budget, those technically don't stay on the car and are more like tools so I think you could take those out as well.

Unless you taped the sandpaper onto the car as part of your theme. lol

Cool, and no there is no sandpaper taped to, anything. Right now I'm fixing the headlights and I may need that money.

One word explains the harness, p r o t o t y p e. LOL!

In reply to Bent-Valve :

Nice. Oh and to clarify in case anyone questions it, I see you have gorilla tape in there too, that could be more permanent, my previous post was in regards to the blue painters tape.

In reply to Bent-Valve :

Nice! I've been really wanting to take mine just haven't been motivated enough to do it!

I lucked out mine came with the S/R tokico's but on stock springs. Mine handles really good, has great rebound. Although letting off in a corner makes front end push. 

I've had day dreams of taking mine to the challenge. I'm all in, inc TT&L, for around $1250. But life..

Not my best work. But I now have headlights.

I thought I had it made when I popped the hood and looked at the wiring, I thought "hey its just disconnected." It was taped up and just needed put back together.

Much later:

There are at least 5 harness ends, and none of them match each other, or anything. I am guessing since it was a prototype they just grabbed what ever was on the shelf and put it in there. On the bright side there was power to the fuse box and relay, it was controlled by the switch on the steering column. I pulled the fuse and used it as a tap and wired the lights from that. I don't have high and low beams because I bypassed the relay, but heck I have headlights.

A little scary ain't it?

No worries mate! I have electrical tape!

Ta-Da!

I think the rules say one headlight but this way if one of the 21 year old bulbs fail I have the other. I also ran the wires for the high beams, a quick change of connector and I can use the high beams.

slowbird said:

In reply to Bent-Valve :

Nice. Oh and to clarify in case anyone questions it, I see you have gorilla tape in there too, that could be more permanent, my previous post was in regards to the blue painters tape.

With that clarification in mind I went back and looked at my budget. Things like the paint brushes are tools, so if I remove them its fair. Electrical tape stays with the car so its counted.

I cleaned out the expendable tools type stuff and my budget looks better. I still have to add the stuff for the lights (tape, connectors, wire, solder) but I am not done yet.

Currently $957.95. $42.05 for what ever I need keeps it in the $1000 class. I may have to look at what I need to finish the lights. Dang, this may involve a run to Pick and Pull, bummer.

Mostly autocross footage:

The Journey to the $2000 Challenge Part 2

I got a ride in Kent's Orange BMW, it has a LS swap. It was my first ride with anyone else at an autocross and I learned mucho just seeing what he did. Besides, it was a fun ride!

The black S2k is Matts and I got to ride along in it too, every ride I learn more and more. Supercharged motor. We almost spun on the back curve, nice save by Matt.

I envy your budget ceiling. Add about 900 bucks to yours and thats where j am sitting. Not much room for failure lol

surfshibby07 said:

I envy your budget ceiling. Add about 900 bucks to yours and thats where j am sitting. Not much room for failure lol

But I didn't build nearly as much as you did. I started with a running complete car. That Mustang is work to be proud of.

Don't get me wrong I'm gonna have fun but I know how much work I dodged. 

Oh and I'm gonna smoke you on the autox. Wait, wrong thread.... 

Lucked out on tail lights. Looked wiring over, checked bulbs, looked up the fuse diagram.

Pulled the wiper fuse stuck it in the empty tail light slot.

Ta-Da!

So now anything I do is because I want to, not to meet requirements.

Redid the spreadsheet, ordered it to match the FMV calculations in my build book.

It includes the electrical stuff and the vinyl for the decals.

Decals?

I ordered some vinyl from Amazon to put numbers on the car for auto cross. The first auto cross I had to tape the flex paint back on and if there was another flood or what ever I didn't want to do that again.

Car is mostly done (for now) so I wanted a little bling? 12 x 12 black vinyl is $1.40 a sheet. and I did this with it:

First I found a ZX2 emblem picture on the interweb, I used Gimp to pull the ZX2 out and dump the rest of the image and had a black and white image I could print:

I cut the excess off and used clear tape to tape it to the vinyl, You will cut the tape and have to replace it to keep the image in place.

Using scissor and razor blades cut out the letters.

Remove the paper pattern so all you have is the vinyl.

I cut the inside parts except a very small tab in 3 corners to keep the vinyl stable.

Placed it on a plastic board and taped it down with blue tape.

Pull it up and flip it over, remove the backing  of the vinyl carefully.

Place on car and carefully peel the blue tape back.

Other uses ?

Nice work on the vinyl! I used a razor blade to cut mine out, it didn't end up quite as smooth.

In reply to slowbird :

That project makes me want a vinyl cutter. But I don't know what I would do with it after I made 4 stickers.

I used the razor blade for the insides of letters. I think an exacto knife would work better.

At some point this 150hp car will be safe.

Harness, check.

The battery was good, I thought. Then I find a thread that if it's not original, it needs to be held down with 3/8th rod. So I made a metal hold down and used 3/8ths inch bolts, I finished it off with locking nuts.

If that ain't safe, well, crap.

In reply to Bent-Valve :

You could make dozens of ZX2 stickers and sell them on eBay! 

(I seriously want to make my own custom stickers, so I will probably buy a vinyl cutter someday.)

Nice battery clamp!

Only 2 hours behind schedule. Excellent! I will actually make it.

Camber changed, a little negative now. Alignment was way off, 3/4 inch toe in. So that blowout messed it up. Got it set to almost zero toe in. Loaded back on the trailer. 

I added a fire extinguisher then found the thread slow cars don't need it. I figure it's like a wing on the back or stickers, it makes ya faster. 

You can do all sorts of horrible things once you have a vinyl cutter including shirts. Alternatively, the software is generally free allowing you to do the design yourself (the hard part) and then you can just send the file to a buddy who has a cutter. 

mazdeuce - Seth said:

You can do all sorts of horrible things once you have a vinyl cutter including shirts. Alternatively, the software is generally free allowing you to do the design yourself (the hard part) and then you can just send the file to a buddy who has a cutter. 

Ok, but I'm a little hairy, pulling a vinyl shirt off, that adhesive really sticks, well I just don't know about this idea.

How much can I change this car for next Challenge? I mean would a Ford V6 / MTX-75 transmission swap be ok but a Cadillac FWD engine / transaxle stuffed in the rear not be cool? I have $1000 on the budget to work with, more if I sell some parts.

Ideas? Thoughts?