1997

Motor:

Removed the 9 inch ADC motor and replaced it with a much larger, race-modified 11 inch Kostov. (178 lbs.) The left photo shows the beefy motor being lowered into the car. Right photo shows the fat motor nested into the motor bay.

Drive type:

Datsun 5 speed (from '81 Datsun 210 fastback). Reused the shaved & lightened Datsun flywheel by machining a new motor hub adapter mimics the ICE's crankshaft bolt pattern) to fit the larger diameter Kostov output shaft. Reused the Nissan racing clutch.

Driveshaft:

Custom made heavy duty type drive line with stronger universal joints.

Rear axle:

Heavy duty Nissan from '67 Datsun SSS 411 sedan, chopped and narrowed, 4:88 gear set from a '66 Datsun pickup.

Wheels & Tires

Front - 13 x 5.5 classic American Racing 4 spoke with 175/50-13 Pirelli P7

Rear - 13 x 7 classic American Racing 4 spoke with Firestone PTR-165A 8.5" slicks Rear - 13 x 7 classic American Racing 4 spokes. Rear tire change from the Pirelli street tires to 9" wide 'Hoosier' drag slicks. 1/2 inch spacers were used to push the wheels out so that the slicks would clear the leaf springs. Stock Datsun 1200s came with skinny little 560 x 12 inch tires that were only 5 inches wide, so cramming 9 inch wide tires back there wasn't easy. hoto on the right is from the '97 Woodburn drag races. You can see how the Hoosiers really stuffed the little Datsun's rear fender arches full!

Batteries

5 extra batteries added for 20, 12 volt Optima Red Tops @ 240V nominal, 780 lbs. total pack weight.

Controller

Installed newly released, high voltage-high current Godzilla 1200 amp programable controller (serial #3)

The business end of this high current controller.

Cool decal warns other electric drag racers of what's under the Zombie's hood!

A small single faucet type RV water pump in conjunction with a windshield washer water tank provides liquid cooling for the controller

12 volt system

To offset the weight gained with the larger and heavier Kostov motor, removed the 45 lb. Optima Yellow Top 12V system battery and installed a light weight protoype 'baby Optima' 15 ahr battery to power 12V system External charging required.

Other Mods

  1. 1/2" thick flat plate steel traction bars added for wheel hop control and to raise rear suspension so wide slicks would clear fender arch lips.
  2. Added special longer lug bolts and 1/2 inch wheel spacers to push rear wheels out further to make room for a tire change from the 7" wide low profile Pirelli P7s to 9" wide, 13" diameter drag slicks.
  3. Second aluminum battery tray added in trunk to hold extra 5 batteries.

Car weight

2360 lbs. (weighed on scales)

Races and EVents

6-7-1997 'REV97' Canadian EV show...White Zombie performs burnouts and is on display. Check out one of the stunts we pulled.

7-1997 Enviro type newspaper 'Auto-free Times' uses White Zombie to scoff at burning rubber!

8-30-1997 1st Woodburn Drags 'Optima Drags'...best ET of 19.194 @ 62.96 mph

Carnage

  1. Pot box misadjusted (above 5k) & shut controller down five times during 1st run
  2. Last minute home-made traction bars bent under torque & allowed rear suspenison to droop, causing wide drag slicks to rub against the rear fender arches for blistered paint and unique breaking effect!
  3. Three bad batteries caused deep pack sag, even under light loads.
  4. Had loaned Godzilla controller to a school racing team prior to Woodburn, they turned down the battery current limit to just 500 amps... I ran the only 2 runs at 1/3 power not realizing the controller was not at full power :-(

Plasmaboy Quotes

Optima Woodburn Drags..."At the first NEDRA drags in Woodburn, as those who were there will attest, the Zombie fell on its face pretty bad and performed well below everyone's expectations, especially mine! To say I was frustrated, is an understatement! Yeah, it managed to squeeze out a low 19 second run, smoked the 9" drag slicks pretty good, and somehow made it to the end of the quarter mile just twice, but the Zombie wasn't even close to being the car it was that Friday night in Phoenix two years ago, where it ripped off a 17 flat with a smaller motor and only 180 volts. With that big 11" Kostov, a Godzilla controller, and 240 volts of Optimas, we were all looking to see low 15s or even high 14s, but alas, it seems that everything that could have gone wrong....went wrong at Woodburn."