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Andyjames Supercharged Silver Pheonix Rebuild


andy james

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Managed to get an afternoon in the garage today for the first time for a few weeks.

Properly bolted on the front wings which will need a final fettling by the body shop.

Also drilled the holes ad trial fitted the 370 side repeaters.

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Also bolted the extension plate,clear reflectors,mesh grill in the front trout mouth onto the V3 bumper before fitting to the front end.

Starting to look like a car again!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I had a bit of a set back last weekend as I discovered that the rear wheel bearing got crushed in the accident so I had to strip down the the drive shaft/carrier/hub unit!

Many thanks to Ewan at Clark Motorsport for shipping super fast a new bearing on Thursday so I could re assemble today.

During the week I had a sneaky few hours due to the rain(builders don't work in the rain) to fit the Z speed under tray courtesy of Tarmacsportz which IMO looks amazing,but what a shame it's hidden under the car and will be covered in crud within minutes of driving the car! Lol.

Spent all afternoon in the garage today and fitted the new bearing and with the help of the ever patient Katrina we bolted the bonnet back on.

Bearing in mind the car has Been on Axle stands since September it was quite a shock seeing how low the car sits when I put the wheels back on an lowered her down!

Took this pic in the garage tonite but will take another in the daylight tomorrow.

Finnish post in sight!

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Thanks Graham.

After nearly 4 months it will seem weird/ exciting to get her back on the road with the new mods.

It's cost a few bob and the progress has at times been bloody depressing but one thing I do know is I've missed driving the old girl.

There is no cure for Zeditis....

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One good thing Andy is that at least the accident was not at the beginning of the Sprint season, so will be good to see you out again early this year.

 

Big credit to you for going through the pain of a rebuild, but it is so looking worth it!

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What are your season plans Andy? No consideration to getting cage or even half cage?

 

I had wondered that after the 'incident last year but perhaps the fact he competes events where there others are generally not around to worry about, is a factor.......?

 

But then ZMANALEX has done thousands of laps at Knockhill in his roadster on track days over several years and that is pushing out over 660bhp, as well as his two GTR's, and they do not have roll cages perhaps, you wonder how he ever manages to sit down ;):lol: Mind you having enjoyed several laps with Alex in his first GTR at Knockhill I would not be surprised to hear he had driven the track blindfold such was his precision through the corners lap after lap and often the quickest driver.......

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What are your season plans Andy? No consideration to getting cage or even half cage?

 

I had wondered that after the 'incident last year, but perhaps the fact he competes events where there are not others are generally not around to worry about is a factor.......?

 

But then ZMANALEX has done thousands of laps at Knockhill in his roadster on track days over several years and that is pushing out over 660bhp, as well as his two GTR's, and they do not have roll cages perhaps, you wonder how he ever manages to sit down ;):lol: Mind you having enjoyed several laps with Alex in his first GTR at Knockhill I would not be surprised to hear he had driven the track blindfold such was his precision through the corners lap after lap and often the quickest driver.......

 

Accidents happen, i have had caged and non caged cars, but, would always prefer to have one, just in case. I keep my eye open for a 350z half cage, but doesnt seem to be many options over here.

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It is a valid point for sure and a ex girlfriends husband to be died in a car accident (Porsche) from what the investigators believed to be the direct cause although there was no visible damage to his head. Absolute freak accident though and sure roll cages/half cages/ roll bars have saved way more lives than they have taken, road or track. A half cage is no more dangerous than the 100's of convertibles out there with roll hoops or bars imho.

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Well, not really, no.

 

The point I'm trying to make is that if there is a risk of any roll cage coming into contact with your head in an accident, then you need to be wearing a helmet. I do not know if the GT3 cages are designed so that they sit far enough back that it's not an issue or not, and I'm not saying that the 350Z cages definitely sit close enough. I simply suspect they do, given the enclosed nature of the cabin.

 

Convertibles with roll hoops/bars almost always have them situated so far back that contact is impossible, or at least if it happens you've got bigger issues i.e. complete deformation of the car. They need to be that far back to make a pivot point with the windscreen so that if the car is flipped, any head inside will not be able to touch them ground, hence the incredible strength in windscreen frames in droptops. That's 101 in OEM car design. If people choose to fit aftermarket hoops/bars to their cars that could bring the head into contact with the bar in a roll, then my point is equally valid for that.

 

 

 

Really, it's all about common sense. If you've added a shed load of metal tubing inside the car, you'd better be damn sure that it's not going to come into contact with your head when you roll the car, else all you're actually doing is making the car more dangerous. Certainly if helmets are not going to be worn then harnesses absolutely must be: Caged cars with no helmets and just seatbelts is an incredibly dangerous combination. That much is plainly obvious.

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Thanks for all the kind comments guys.

Hoping to get her into the body shop by the end of Feb so looking at getting the car home,interior boot trim refitted and them some shakedown miles done by Easter.

In answer to Jetpilots question re roll cage I already struggle with headroom and I know it's a risk not having one but I still want to keep the car as an all rounder so I can still tour round Europe without my head banging on a 2" tube when I go over a speed hump! Lol

As the rear quarter is the only panel I can't mend myself i had the torturous task of taking a 2kg lump hammer and some g cramps to bend it out so that I could fit the rear wheel!!!!

Drove her out into the light today for the first time.

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It is alive.... Why don't you take the lump hammer to the other rear wing, could claim some sort of downforce improvement....

Like your thinking Olly.

Could reinvent the rear canard/ diffuser/upper ground effects thing.

Not sure if could match all those strategically positioned dents again! Lol

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