Teh Official "Dude Where's My Forum?" Thread, Brought to you by the minds of Box, and her fiancée, Lorelei Options

[Bitter]

I never understood the 2+2 hate, I think they look better.

F I N A L L Y got to re-align the Celica. -1.3 front camber, zero front toe, caster still in spec at 2.6 each side, rear camber -1.5 (no change) and got the rear toe back in spec at .10 each side. I can feel a MASSIVE difference in the amount of grip and confidence around corners and turns, doesn't feel like it wants to dance and slide, just grips like it should.

Front camber had been set at -.5, wasn't enough, but had settled to about -.7 camber, rear toe somehow got knocked out on the right rear just a little bit, front toe was still at zero but pushing camber in to -1.3 pushed toe to -.45 each side! That's why when you change ride height or camber (and they both go hand in hand) you HAVE to fix the toe! Unless you want a bunch of negative toe cause it's a turning track car, but on the street that would be pretty darty and really chew tires bad.

This post has been edited by Bitter: Jun 23, 2017 - 7:20 PM

[Box]

My brother thinks the 2+2 looks better too. I'm undecided. I think the quarter glass and the section behind the doors being longer makes the 2+2 look better, but then the shorter rear makes the 2+0 better. I think had the 2+2 had a shorter rear like the 2+0 it'd be perfect. Which if you want true JDM status you get the 2+2 since that's what's popular over there. For me looks are a wash, the weight difference is almost negligible with the 2+2 being only 120 pounds or so heavier. They say the 2+0 has sharper turn in with it's 96.5" wheelbase but the 2+2 is more stable with it being 101.1", being the Celica was like 99.8" and the Firebird is 101" and that seems to be the wheelbase I like I'm actually leaning towards the 2+2 somewhat. Though that'd mean T-tops definitively since only 2+0 came as a hardtop, but there are so few hardtops anyway I guess it really shouldn't matter. That said I think a 2+2 with the earlier turbo spoiler looks pretty good:


I look forward to owning a car again where you can adjust things in the rear. Which I guess technically you could bend the axle, but yeah... Maybe the weather will be decent tomorrow and I can get pictures, ughhh I really don't want to go through the whole selling and buying nonsense again but knowing that nothing I'll do short of an expensive IRS conversion will make me happy I guess there's really no other way about it. I've always seen on most cars you want 0-1/32"+/- of toe, generally a little bit of toe in on the front of RWD cars so when you accelerate it splays the front out to 0, then a little bit of toe in on the rear for stability. Then FWD you generally want a little toe out on the front to counter the turning in under acceleration, and then a little toe in on the rear for stability.

[Bitter]

With poly bushings things don't move around much, oddly zero front toe is dead middle of the spec on the aligner for my car. I figured I should try to get something set in the green :lol: How caster is still in spec I don't know, I nearly doubled the camber and it didn't change caster so that's odd.

[Box]

Hmmm, could just be how the suspension geometry is on the Celica maybe the caster really doesn't change no matter what you do. That's interesting though. Whatever I end up getting after getting used to it and taking care of any maintenance I want to dive into doing suspension bits, I held off on the Firebird since even though I knew it'd make it better I just felt it'd have been futile with what I want from a car. I guess I just don't like muscle cars as much as I thought I did, I mean I still like them I guess but not as an only car. Then again I wasn't wild about sports cars without power either. I just need it all in one vehicle.

[Box]

Found a nice picture comparing the 2+0 and 2+2:

Hmmm, I think with the earlier duckbill spoiler I might like the 2+2 more. Still not entirely sure. The backseats would be nice if they're like the Firebird's and are actually remotely usable, plus they fold over to increase storage space. Which being like 5'9" I don't think the extra room to tilt and slide the seat back in the 2+2 would really matter like it might for others, but that was the one thing I really hated about the Miata was having that bulkhead that limited seat adjustment so on the other hand it might since it looks like the 2+0 bulkhead is pretty close to the seats which really doesn't make sense given the size of the car. Then again I think the C4 Corvette is the same way with having the bulkhead close to the seats even though it's even bigger than the Z. Which after thinking it over I think I'll go with a '94-96 Vette or '94-95 300ZX, obviously the Vette would give me everything I like about the Firebird but in a smaller and lighter package with IRS. Though I won't hold my breath on finding a daily driver 6-speed near me, so I think the 300ZX makes for a close second. The more I think about I just won't be happy with the performance of any four cylinder unless it has forced induction, and I did have it narrowed down to the Vette, 300ZX, or F-body the last time around for a reason I suppose. I think I'll like the Z though, 222 hp 198 ft lbs of torque should be enough power and with some minor suspension work should do everything I want in terms of handling.

[Bitter]

Having driven a 2+2, I think you'd like it. It's a nice touring car.

[ClevelandGaint]

I personally loved the 2+2 because I am 6'3 and love the extra room. Plus with the comparison photos of each, i still believe the 2+2 looks better

[Bitter]

That's cause it does look better :lol:

[Box]

The more I look at them I think I like the 2+2 more, especially if it has the duckbill spoiler. The only time where the rear of the 2+2 looks too long is if you look at it from an angle, like you're on the front corner of the car and then looking towards the back since then the length gets accentuated. The duckbill helps with that though which is why I like it I guess. Plus if I ended up falling in love with how the Z drives and feels and everything else about it aside from the engine it's easy enough to do a LS swap where everything still works; gauges, A/C, and cruise etc... The 2+2 would be better for LS swapping I think having the longer wheelbase. Only 2,060 2+2 made it to the states from '94-95 though, versus 5,447 2+0 in the same time frame. I want pillar mounted belts so that rules out prior to '94, then stupid emissions got rid of the variable valve timing in '96.

[Bitter]

LS swapped 2+2 would be a nice car. Except you don't like the firing order.

[Box]

You're right, I should do an all aluminum SBC with MPFI since that weighs even less than a LS motor. Actually that's the one nice thing about the LS swap is you actually take some weight off the front of the car and you shift the center of gravity lower down, so in some ways you could consider it a handling mod just as much as a power adder mod.

[Box]

So even at dealer cost +10 looks like it'll be a little over $400 just in parts to do timing on the 300ZX. That and looked around and aren't any '94-95 for sale at the moment, well except for one '95 2+0 but it's red and the cats have been removed so that ruled that one out. Plenty of NA8 and NB1 Miatas around though. *sigh* This is why I just want to say forget it and not even bother, I don't want to sell the Firebird and then not find a 300ZX to my liking. I'm flexible on colour(so long as it isn't red) and seating configuration since I am nitpicking the years, but for good reason since side-pillar mounted belts and having dual airbags are important to me.

Oh and for whatever reason all the 2+2 I found on eBay and etc... were automatics, so that's nice... Maybe fabricating IRS into the Firebird would be easier...

This post has been edited by Box: Jun 27, 2017 - 6:13 AM

[narly_charley]

Got my new to me 1987 JD maintenance and it's ready for the winter too. c:

[Bitter]

IS THAT THE HORIZONTAL SHAFT KOHLER 'THUMPER' ENGINE? LOVE THOSE THINGS!

Oh yea, you'll need some lights for at night.

[Box]

I'd feel compelled to mount some Hella H1 ECE lights on it.

[Bitter]

I don't think the charging coil would support that, those are 35W halogen trapezoid lights for a tractor. Simply what was on hand and free. Worked pretty darn well! Not sure how clean the charging is so not sure if HID or LED would work, and you want to absolutely keep the total light draw as low as possible. I think that the battery would smooth it enough to run LED's, but a simple check for AC ripple would confirm.

[Box]

Hmm could run just one 55W H1 and that'd be more than enough. SEE ALL THE THINGS.

[Bitter]

Maybe. But she had two and I didn't want to block the view over the hood any.

[Bitter]

3M windoweld is awesome stuff but also terrible stuff. It gets on EVERYTHING like grease or peanut butter. I put some squirts of it at the hood bracing to hood skin glue points, seems to have re-attached the skin to the bracing so hopefully no more highway hood wobble that's been annoying me. It sounds nice and solid when I tap on it, should sound good when closing it, just so long as it doesn't wobble!

[Box]

I can't remember what car it was now but the bracing had popped away from the hood skin and it was terrible. Maybe that first '95 Maxima my brother had. Also I've never had a problem with peanut butter getting everywhere so what're you doing to accomplish that, you know on second thought never mind.