Zeppelin

Lowered the rear today. My first attempt was to see what the heater hose mod would accomplish. This entails replacing the spring perches with a 1 1/2' length of heater hose. I used 5/8" heater hose for the project. Here is my starting height from the ground to the top of the fender wells. About 28 1/2" http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/loweringrear1.jpg Got the car up on jackstands, removed the lower shock bolts, and let the rearend down all the way. Pulled the springs out. Here is the spring with the spring perch. http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/loweringrear2.jpg Next I removed the spring perch and replaced it with the length of heater hose. http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/loweringrear3.jpg Reinstalled the springs, re-attached the shocks, and let the car down. That got me here. About a 1/2" drop. http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/loweringrear4.jpg http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/loweringrear5.jpg While allot better, I still wanted to go a bit further. So back up on jackstands the car went. I pulled the springs back out, removed the heater hose mod, and proceeded to cut a coil out of the rear springs with a Dremel and diamond wheel. Once cut, I re-installed the heater hose mod. I got another 1" drop cutting the coil out. http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/loweringrear6.jpg http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/loweringrear7.jpg http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/loweringrear8.jpg So, with a total of about a 1 1/2" drop this is what I got. I'll leave the car settle a bit, and after driving it will take another measurement. Total cost: $3.79 Currently the passenger side sits about 1/4" higher than the driver. After settling I will re-measure and may end up taking a little more coil out of the passenger side. Here's the car after the drop. http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/loweringrear9.jpg

Got the fronts in and on today. Still need to lower the front a little and definitely lower the rear. Got some black chrome lugnuts coming next week from Jegs to finish the rims/tires off. Still waiting on the adapter brackets to get the Z06 brakes on. http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/new_rims.jpg

^^

http://www.smssupercars.com/620.html More pics here:(dialup beware) http://www.smssupercars.com/media.html First the SMS Mustang, then the SMS Challenger, and now finally the SMS Camaro. Up to 715 hp package available. I really dig their signature air induction hoods. Would love to have a couple of those butterflies fitted into the nostrils of the WS6. Very unique supercharger also.

Setup tenatively sold.

Ya, just kick in the 3.5% they will tag me for. PM me if you want to swing by and take a look at them.

This is the setup coming off my '02 Trans Am. I'd like to get $900, or real close, for the set of 4, complete with Center Caps and lug nuts. The only imperfection is where the driver side fender came in contact with the one rear tire. Sliced it a bit about half way or so around the tire. Doesn't effect the tire at all though. I drove it 70 mph from here to Sandusky in November with no issues at all. Other than that they are in pretty much new condition. I dont think the dude had the car to the track more than a few times before he quit driving it. Here are a couple pics. Fronts are still on the car until probably this weekend. 2- 15 x 4 Centerline Convo Pro rims 2- 15 x 8.5 Centerline Convo Pro rims 2- Mickey Thompson ET Street Drag Radials 26 x 10.5 2- Mickey Thompson skinnies. Rears-next to my new rims http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/rear_tire5.jpg Setup look on car. http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/2002-ws6-4.jpg http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/2002-ws6-2.jpg $900 complete.

Yep.

This is something you should have reported to the main BMV. This agency would have been investigated. These subcontractors can lose their contract for doing this. ...And here is the link to the selection process. Its currently going on for 90 deputy registrar contracts. http://www.bmv.ohio.gov/rfp.stm BMV does not accept credit cards because the legislature hasn't passed a law allowing it. The independent contractors use a cashless ATM because its the only profitable way for them. Debit/Credit cards take a % of the transaction and they only make $3.50 per transaction. On a dealer/commercial fleet transaction, the DR makes $3.50 and the credit card fee would be $100 or more. They would lose money on every fleet transaction. There is allot that goes into the process. Not near as mindless as some think. The main focus is customer service, tempered by what the laws in place allow or restrict. Contrary to popular belief, BMV does not look for intentional ways to make life difficult. Everything they do is governed by state law, or administrative rule.

Got the rears on today. Here are a few pics. Before and After comparison. Drag Radials and Convo Pro rims Before, Nitto Invos and C6 Z06 rims After. This pic also shows how nice and tight the Kooks headers fit on these cars. No hanging down whatsoever. Us f-body owners with headers can appreciate all that clearance. And thats with this thing sitting as low as it is with the skinnys on the front. http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/rear_tire3.jpg A couple side by side comparisons http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/rear_tire4.jpg http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/rear_tire5.jpg And the new look. Hopefully when the 18s get on the front it will shift the geometry a bit and sit the rear down a little. Might still need to lower it a bit. http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/rear_tire6.jpg Working on getting the front spacer/stud kit from Jegs, and I'll be about ready to start the fronts.

Its got HAL QA1 fully adjustable suspension in the front. I've already raised it up a bit and will probably have to adjust it a bit more once I see where the front sits with the 18s on. The rear has stock shocks. The main reason it sat so high in the rear was because the previous owner had the front SLAMMED on the ground and the suspension geometry just raised the rear. Now that I've raised the front a bit, the rear sits a bit closer to the tires than it did. I'll just have to see how it sits with the new rim/tire combo with the front adjusted and see if it looks like I need to lower the rear or not. Brandon, I'll definitely keep the front wheel comment in mind if the convo pros dont fit the front with spacers, once the new brakes are on. Thanks for the comments all.

Well, the rims and tires came in. 19 x 10 rear rims were good. Front rims.......they sent 18 x 8.5 instead of 18 x 9.5, so I have to get that corrected. Had the rear Nittos mounted for now. Hope to get them on in the next week or so. Here's a few pics of the rears. They are a slight bit shorter than the drag radials, and a little wider. They should tuck under the fenders better too. I'm digging the tread pattern. http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/rear_tire.jpg http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/rear_tire2.jpg http://www.zeppelinsreef.com/images/war_eagle/rear_rim.jpg

Ya, I definitely need to find the secret to black. Paint is in very good shape. I have always had black cars and to this day dont know the secret to keeping them scratch free.

Very Nice!

Just an update. I just ordered the adapter brackets and braided front brake lines for the front calipers, 19 x 10 and 18 x 9.5 C6 Z06 Comp Grey spider wheel reproductions(with correct f-body offset) from 6 Litereater Designs, and 305/30/19 and 295/35/18 Nitto Invo tires. Still need to grab up the front hub spacers and longer lugs to get the front rims to fit. Decided to leave the nose alone for now. I'll get some pics of the brake swap up when I get into it.

I swapped out LS1 front brakes on the '94 Formula I had. If you can get the spindles too, that makes it a breeze. Just pop the upper and lower ball joints and unhook the brake line at the frame, and swap out the whole assembly. Just be sure to get the brake lines too. Did the swap and had the tires back on in less than an hour and a half, not working very hard. Its a pretty straight forward swap. $50 is a STEAL. I think I paid $200 or so back when I did it.

Looks good.

+1 on the Rhino Liner. Got mine done over in Reynoldsburg. I've dropped stone in the bed at the Quarry, mulch, dirt, etc. Use it fairly hard and love it. Just be sure to make sure they put it in thick. First round right after it was done a couple weeks, I hit mine with a shovel getting mulch out and went through it at an inner fender corner. They resprayed it thicker and its been great for the last couple years.

Well, you can bet these community organizations meeting will be getting with their local government officials about what BMV is trying to accomplish. Be sure you guys do the same. We need to have a louder voice than they do. Let them know you support the BMV's efforts regarding illegal immigration issues and ohio driver license and vehicle registration issuance. Only those in this country legally should be able to get either issued. Below are the links to the Ohio Senate and Ohio House of Representatives websites if you want to e-mail your state government representation. http://www.house.state.oh.us/ http://www.ohiosenate.gov/ Sorry if this turned a bit political. Mods, move thread if you think this should be moved.

This is kind of related also. BMV recently sent out letters to about 45,000 vehicle registration holders because they could not be referenced to a valid Ohio driver license number or social security number. This, along with the new residency requirements here http://www.publicsafety.ohio.gov/links/MR2009/10_01_09ProofofResidency.pdf are aimed at curbing illegal immigrants getting, or that already have, vehicle registration and are driving both illegally and without insurance. Well, this morning NBC4 reported that, at Westland Mall, at about 11:00 am TODAY, Hispanic groups are meeting to try and come up with a way to have these procedures changed because they feel Hispanics are being targeted. As you can see in the article above, BMV is targeting ALL illegals, not targeting any racial or ethnic group. They are just trying to make sure that if you have a vehicle registered in Ohio, that it is done legally and the vehicle is being driven legally. Would be cool to see a nice CR group, and others, show up at Westland Mall too and let them know we do not want illegals driving on our streets!! Hopefully ICE/INS/USCIS is aware of this meeting also.

I just think of how it used to be. Scraping up enough cash for gas money for the week, and still having enough for a few drinks on the weekend too. BARELY making it to work on Friday, running on fumes, because I was cruising around a little too much the previous Saturday night buzzing the ave in Norwalk until 2 am (a 20 minute drive from where I grew up). Then getting layed off from the welding shop not too long after I got married, and having to work at a meat cutters spraying the equipment off after they left with scolding hot water to melt the fat off the equipment. Had to pay the rent, ya know. Now I have a daughter graduating high school this year, and have been married 22 years. Even on the bad days, life ain't so bad now.

Driver Licenses being issued at the Parma Ohio deputy registrar. From http://www.fbi.gov For Immediate Release October 29, 2009 FBI Cleveland Contact: Special Agent Scott Wilson (216) 622-6611 Members of International Criminal Organization Arrested C. Frank Figliuzzi, Special Agent in Charge of the Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), for the Northern District of Ohio, announces the arrests of Pavlo Mostranskyy, age 45, Ukrainian National from Cleveland, Ohio; Sonya Hilaszek, age 45, of Cleveland, Ohio; and Vitaly Fedorchuk, age 40, of Cleveland, Ohio on October 29, 2009. Mostranskyy, Hilaszek, and Fedorchuk have been charged with a Federal Conspiracy to Commit Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Identification Documents and Information. Mostranskyy, Hilaszek, and Fodorchuk were charged and arrested after a lengthy investigation conducted by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Department of Public Safety-BMV Investigations Section, Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigative Division, Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General, and the Cleveland Office of the FBI. Also charged in connection with this investigation are Johongir Masudov, age 27, Uzbekistan National from Cincinnati, Ohio; Azamjon Asodov, age 43, Uzbekistan National from Cincinnati, Ohio; Valentina Denisova, age 30, Russian National from Cincinnati, Ohio; Artak Serobyan, age 25, Armenian National from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Petro Vytvytskyy, age 45, Russian National from Newark, New Jersey; Galina Dobrova – Volochiy, age 49, Ukrainian National from Newark, New Jersey; Dmytro Karabinovych, age 47, of Newark, New Jersey; Ivan Volochiy, age 40, Ukrainian National from Newark, New Jersey; Roman Matveev, age 32, Russian National from Newark, New Jersey; Vasyl Yatskiv, age 30, Russian or Ukrainian National from Chicago, Illinois; Michael Slepyan, age 41, Israeli National from Chicago, Illinois; Hennadiy Vaskevych, age 43, of Chicago, Illinois; Bohdan Borsuk, age 48, Polish National of Chicago, Illinois; Zdzislaw Kowalczyk, age 52, of Chicago, Illinois; and Martynas Bojarcius, age 29, of Chicago, Illinois. This investigation started in December of 2007 when information was received that individuals in the Cleveland Ukrainian community were involved in a scheme to bring foreign nationals to Cleveland, Ohio and help them fraudulently obtain real Ohio driver’s licenses for a fee, issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) by a Deputy Registrar working for this criminal organization. The investigation focused on Vitaly Fedorchuk who was identified as the leader of the criminal organization; Sonya Hilaszek, a corrupt employee at the Deputy Registrars Office in Parma, Ohio; and Pavlo Mostranskyy, who acted as a middle-man bringing the foreign nationals to Cleveland. Other members of the organization were based in several cities throughout the United States and worked with and for Fedorchuk and Mostranskyy to identify and facilitate customers through the operation. An undercover FBI agent was able to fraudulently obtain a real Ohio Driver’s License in August of 2008 for $3000 from this criminal organization. The investigation showed that this criminal organization operated for at least four years, charging foreign nationals, most of whom are unlawfully present, between $1,500 and $3,000 for Ohio driver’s licenses, and Ohio state identification cards using either fraudulent documentation or none at all. During the course of the US-based investigation, the investigators here in Cleveland discovered evidence that the criminal group in Ohio were working with criminal counterparts in Ukraine. Together, they fraudulently obtained United States non-immigrant visas for Ukrainian nationals who then traveled to Ohio and other points in the United States. The visas were obtained from the United States Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, allegedly through corrupt Ukrainian national employees of the US Embassy. The investigative team from Cleveland, the FBI’s Legal Attaché’s Office in Kyiv, and Diplomatic Security Service Special Agents assigned to the US Embassy in Ukraine investigated the Ukrainian criminal group jointly with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Organized Crime Department over the course of many months. The criminal group allegedly charged each visa applicant $12,000.00. As a result of the joint international investigation, seven members of the Ukraine-based criminal organization, including two Embassy employees, were officially detained today in Ukraine by investigators of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs for violation of Ukrainian laws. Fedorchuk, Hilaszek, and Mostranskyy will appear today in United States District Court for their initial appearance on these charges. Any questions regarding this news release can be directed to SA Scott T. Wilson at the Cleveland Office of the FBI, 216-522-1400.

I just went through Hagerty myself with the '02 T/A.

Nice article Mark.

Ya, I know. The plan is to put Z06 Comp Grey Spider wheel type rims all around. Might cost a slight bit of time at the track, but a way better overall rim for the car. If I can possibly fit the drag wheels on with spacers, I will keep them, for when I hit the track. I also have to use a spacer for the rims I am looking at, so the spindles will be getting longer lugs anyway. I know Mark Carlyle is using some kind of lightweight wheel on his Z06, so thats another option if need be also.