Everyone should go to like us on Facebook. We do dailey quick updates on Facebook, sometimes 2-3 times a day.

-Brian

Update 2/20/11
 

Hot new rig front

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...opupdate/1.jpg


Hot new rig rear

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...opupdate/2.jpg


Front of the rig workshop

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...opupdate/3.jpg


Office/lounge

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...opupdate/4.jpg


The downstairs workshop in the rig

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...opupdate/5.jpg


Workbench space

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...opupdate/6.jpg


Seam welding getting finished on chassis #2

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...opupdate/7.jpg


Kurt up to his eyeballs with wiring harness

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...opupdate/8.jpg


Mocking up the door bars

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...opupdate/9.jpg


Cage rear

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...pupdate/10.jpg


Detail of gorgeous cage foot

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...pupdate/11.jpg


Cage front

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...pupdate/12.jpg


Pretty welds

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...pupdate/13.jpg


Nice looking door bars, feel safe behind those!

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...pupdate/14.jpg


Test fitted body work... this car's going to look sweet!

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...pupdate/15.jpg


Graphics guys making templates for vinyl

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...pupdate/16.jpg

So so so nice!

Thanks. I took a look at that. Well done!

Check out our Facebook page, just posted some pics of the grahics going on the hauler, and some beautiful cage shots. Well... the shots are crap but the cage is awesome!

Looks great. It's really insane how much work goes into these cars. Any info on the engine modifications? or is that top secret stuff?

Nothing in Grand Am can really be "top secret". The ruleset does not allow for a lot of interpretation for cost control. All the specs of the car will be online for anyone, including our competitors, to see.

The engine spec is still coming together but it will be a 370Z bottom end, with 350HR heads, and custom Nissan Motorsports cam's. We will post all the details about the internals of the motor, but will probably keep the actual wheel HP numbers confidential ;).

Unless you're driving a Mini Cooper. Lol!

Saw the vid of the motor starting up on your Facebook page. Sounds awesome :)

Hey everyone! We're working on another big update, and have all sorts of cool stuff to show you guys, but wanted to give you a little something in the meantime so that you guys don't forget us. Here is a quick little video from last weekend, it's Brian driving our 350Z (The Mule) which we are using to develop parts while we build the race cars. This car has an early test motor which we used to make some decisions about our race motors, and it also has the headers we have developed for the race cars. They sound pretty good to our ears! They're also a direct fit on all 350 and 370Zs.

Hope you guys like it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L4U3coPR8U

Mike

the wind picked up from the camera kills most of the video, but from what you can hear it sounds pretty nice.

ditto /\ had to turn volume down to watch.

Very nice rig !!! ...really appreciating all the pics, so cool to see all the hard work you guys are putting into the Z, thxs.

Yeah, there are a few spots that it comes through nice and clear, but the wind noise is definitely a buzzkill. However, the good news is that the reason it doesn't sound great is because it was recorded with our new Flip Cam we were using for the first time and we didn't know how it would pick up sound. We'll use something over the mic next time. What's good about that is that we got the Flip so that we can be uploading video updates ALL THE TIME, so you guys will see what ever cool stuff we're doing, from the track, the shop, on the road, whatever!

Mike

Brian did a good job of trying to keep up with Mike Bonnani in that Berk 135i, but that car is damn fast, and Mike is an excellent driver as well. Congrats, it was an excellent showing.

he did a damn good job considering the 350 only has a set of headers on it.

Yeah, he'll be in trouble when we put the real engine in! We will be running the actual Grand Am cars later this year, and then I'd have to say the smart money is on us... :tup:

Mike

Subscribed. :excited::driving::excited:


YouTube - amperformanceracing's Channel

Yep, I'm looking forward to that for sure. ;)

The A.M. Performance team for the past couple of weeks has been in a crazed frenzy trying to complete the builds on time for their public revealing and Grand-AM's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Barber 200. Fighting against a crazy time schedule, numerous potential problems, and a seemingly endless to-do list, the team has shown their determination to complete the builds on time and are rapidly pushing toward their goals. They have made astounding progress on the cars and the litany of other necessary objectives that create a truly professional team. We have gotten some great media form them for this weeks update that includes an interview with Mike Sweeny, pictures from the past weeks, and an awesome video!




Brian driving the GORGEOUS sounding 350Z development mule last weekend at Willow Springs!

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1L4U3coPR8U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>




Mike Sweeny's interview with Grand-AM radio http://bit.ly/GAULep26






Check out the great pictures from the previous couple of weeks below.




Cool new look for the rig!

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...3_894570_o.jpg


http://amperformanceracing.com/site/..._1835227_n.jpg


http://amperformanceracing.com/site/..._1022587_n.jpg



Dropping off #04 at the powder coater's place.

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...opupdate/2.JPG


http://amperformanceracing.com/site/..._2739120_o.jpg



Caging the bejeezus outta Car #05!

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/..._3203478_o.jpg


http://amperformanceracing.com/site/..._6426125_n.jpg


http://amperformanceracing.com/site/..._7753614_n.jpg


http://amperformanceracing.com/site/..._7804448_n.jpg



Finish welding the halo on car #05. Awesome!

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...opupdate/4.JPG



Used a rotary punch and arbor press to make the gusset plates!

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/..._1537189_n.jpg


http://amperformanceracing.com/site/..._2898945_n.jpg



Recieving first test engine!

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...opupdate/1.JPG



Test engine installed in the 350Z test mule and on the dyno. It made somewhere between 100 and 1000 horsepower.

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...opupdate/3.JPG



Busy day at A.M. Performance.

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...ate/9-vert.jpg



Sexy.....

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...te/10-vert.jpg



Everyone checking out the powder-coated chassis after unloading it. Thanks TNT Powdercoating in Cameron Park!

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...te/12-vert.jpg



Chads old 350 motor going in the recently finished chassis on #4 for plumbing. Just a place holder until our next Grand Am motor is done.

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...te/11-vert.jpg


http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...te/13-vert.jpg



Plumbing the chassis on #04. Going back together!

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...opupdate/5.JPG



Did we mention the quality of the work here? Check the welds on our exhaust!

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...opupdate/7.JPG



Prototype (not plated yet) of our A.M. Performance caliper mount with provisions for our integral brake cooling ducts.

http://amperformanceracing.com/site/...opupdate/8.JPG







Keep checking this thread and sign up for A.M. Performance's Facebook page to receive more great updates!

Brake ducts! He said brake ducts! Please make these work generically so that they work with any caliper. There is nothing in the market right now, very sad.

So will the 3.5 and 3.7 engines swap between both the 350 and 370 with no modification? Specifically do you know what would be required to get a 3.7 into a 350?

this thread is amazing! sub for updates! and seriously thinking of making the drive to barber!

The engines are exactly the same size, only difference are the heads and a longer stroke. It is a pretty straightforward swap as long as long as the ECU gets swapped with it.

This is some amazing stuff... makes me sad I live in the frozen north, nothing remotely this awesome anywhere close to me... keep up the good work! and like everyone else, i can't wait for more updates
and when you decided to sell some of those stock parts, let me know, i kinda want your wheels

I'll be stopping by in a couple weeks after my trip to Texas. Road trip anyone? :)

if they are keeping the vvel there is a few more modules that need to move other than the ecu, the two motors are the same but very different. but being a race team they might be throwing in a mocal and saying screw all the nissan BS (thats right i'm going there) that comes in our f'n cars, slap in some some 4000-9000 cams up the redline with stiffer springs say F the vvel throw in a 350z hr timing set and covers with the quad cam adjustable timing, a regular high ratio steering rack instead of the adjustable one, there's no way they are crazy enough to use the stock fuel system, throw the GOD DAMN factory transmission in the garbage in favor of a quaife sequential with a real 7.25inch twin disck race clutch and hydraulic throwout bearing, pitch the rear vlsd for a good 1.5 way, or gear type, rear adjusters instead of eccentrics on the suspension arms, replace all the rubber body, suspension, and subframe mounts with aluminum or urethane, brace the rear cover of the differential to the chassis mount a real underbody diffuser, a proper set of race headers and single exhaust, real adjustable link sway bars, raise the suspension pickup points, and a few other things off my wish list for a race car... but i doubt it would pass inspection. Should just race Rolex GT when done with grand am

Edit: damn got on a roll there

LOL, sounds like your dream race car. Yes, they already said they plan on running the 350 heads with the 3.7 block. You're right that VVEL doesn't do anything for you if you spend all your time in the upper RPM range.

Those welds on the cage and exhaust are beautiful.

One question...who is doing all the funding?

They sure are. :iagree:

LOL, I did say brake ducts. We're going to need them, so we've got to make them. We cannot guarantee they'll work with calipers we don't deal with, as they are engineered to work with our Brembos. However, we may be able to develop custom mounts for other brands further down the road.

It sure wouldn't pass inspection for Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge! You read our minds though on the Rolex GT stuff... stay tuned for more on that!

We are fortunate to have been provided with start-up capital from private investors, and the company is on it's way to slowly but surely becoming self-sufficient through corporate partnership and service and retail. If you guys want to see Nissan's competing at the very highest levels, you can help by choosing to put our parts on your cars!

Mike

oh man the hr heads really? Hybrid vhr heads with rear block off plates for the vvel, 2 oil passages blocked off, hr lifters and intake cams and the hr pulleys and timing cover. revised combustion chamber cooling and intake and exhaust port geometries are where it's at. it would take so little work it's not funny. biggest thing is the revised spark plug area on the casting, smaller plug, the coolant is closer to it, they removed the big boss in the coolant jacket eliminating the hotspot between the valves....

Can't wait to see what kind of performace parts you guys come up with. Keep the quality high and the prices within reach so us working folks can get a taste.

Only a few more weeks till you guys race. It must be chaos in the shop.

You have no idea... :)

Very interesting!
Subscribed.

How are you guys dealing with the fuel starvation issue?

:iamwithstupid:

Grand Am and most other wheel to wheel racing bodies require a fuel cell, stock tank will be gone.

true...forgot about that.

In the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, we are permitted to run either a cell or the stock tank. We have gone the fuel cell for several reasons. First and foremost, it gains us rearward weight percentage, which is advantageous for handling. It also addresses any starvation issues whatsoever in that we were able to carefully design and engineer the cell so that it will pickup fuel with no stumbles down to about 4 oz of fuel. You will get a warning light with about four miles of track driving left (one lap at Road America, the highest fuel consumption per lap place we go). For any of you building track Zs who are interested in such a setup, let us know and we can make them available.

Mike

actually it's first and foremost your cars won't shut off in the middle of a turn at 3/4 of a tank or less that is a hell of a lot worse than weight distribution.