3rd gen Z28 track day build

[83rdracer]

We're happy to see it running!! Its giving off a mad max feel with the raw metal and missing body panels, which is pretty cool.

I appreciate you following along and the comments. It is definitely still a work in progress. A buddy of mine thought it would look cool if I attached all the body panels with large head pop rivets and carry the theme into the interior as well. I am not a big fan of the rat rod aka "unfinished project" look so over the winter I'll be tearing the car all back apart and painting it top and bottom.

I want to give you props on the dual friction clutch. For the little I have driven it it seems to have a very smooth engagement. I have seen plenty of comments about clutch chatter from a dead stop. I haven't experienced any of that even when driving back onto my service ramps.

[Centerforce]

I appreciate you following along and the comments. It is definitely still a work in progress. A buddy of mine thought it would look cool if I attached all the body panels with large head pop rivets and carry the theme into the interior as well. I am not a big fan of the rat rod aka "unfinished project" look so over the winter I'll be tearing the car all back apart and painting it top and bottom.

I want to give you props on the dual friction clutch. For the little I have driven it it seems to have a very smooth engagement. I have seen plenty of comments about clutch chatter from a dead stop. I haven't experienced any of that even when driving back onto my service ramps.

We're glad to hear you like the DF so far! Sometimes you can get a tiny bit of chatter when the clutch is brand new, but after the 500 mile break-in period its completely gone.

Keep up the good work!

[qnitro]

Living the dream.. keep up the good work

Now the car should start, stop and steer, so its finally time to get it out of the garage after nearly 6 full years.

1st get it off the ramps. Slide the lift bar into the rear of both ramps and raise them up to clear the triangle stands.


lower the ramps to the ground, remove the jack and slide in the ramp extensions


The ramps are only at an angle of 4.5 degrees so even cars with low ground clearance and long overhangs can get on and off without scraping.


I coasted the car down the ramps and out of the garage. I fired up the engine and let it come up to temperature. Finally the moment of truth as I pushed in the clutch, slipped the TKO600 into reverse and with a little gas and clutch backed the car up. IT MOVES UNDER ITS OWN POWER!!!!!! The exit out of the garage is tight, requiring some back and forth to get out onto the concrete driveway. All the turning and stop and go helped settle the suspension. Ground clearance on the ramps was 5"F/6"R but now was 3 3/4F and4 1/4R.




Thats really low but it looks cool sitting down on the tires a little.






I had some friends come over and help put the doors on. They weigh about 95lbs each so we used the engine hoist to lift them up. Now its starting to look like a car again!


My friend Devan is the big guy in the red shirt. He is about 6'3" and makes the car look really low. I got out my 4' level and set it up on the highest part of the roof. Devan measured the car height at 47 1/4". Once I get the ride height reset I should be right around 48".

a few more driveway pics.






I couldn't wait any longer and had to take for ride around the block. The body is nearly sitting on the tires and the bottom of the front fenders are held in with C-clamps but I have to drive it. I tell my other buddy Craig to hop in and off we go. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfbSnug0F9g That little drive made 6 years of effort all worth while. The engine ran great, the steering felt real good and the brakes worked very well, not needing any extreme effort to stop. I am sure there are plenty of bugs to work out the more I drive it but the fact it made its maiden voyage with no real problems was very encouraging. WOOHOO!!!!

[83rdracer]

Kevin D, Thank for looking in. It feels great to have it actually drive down the street. With all of the suspension and steering mods I have done anything could have gone wrong, but it actually drove "normal" except for the exhaust noise and amount of power available.

[83rdracer]

I have had a hard time getting out to work on the car due to medical issues but have managed to get a little done. Working on mounting front fenders in proper position for tire clearance. I made an upper and lower strut for the front of the fender and tied the back half of the fender together and made lower mounts.

Upper front strut


Strut bolts to bracket welded to inside of fender.


Bottom strut bolts to lower radiator mount


and bottom of fender


I tied the spliced fender back together with 3/16 dia wire from campaign yard signs...gotta love election time.


Also made lower mounts from the same wire.


As I have shown before the front half of the front fender is pulled out quite a bit and I extended the factory flare out about 1 1/2". In the rear I decided to stay close to the factory contour to better match up with the OE gfx.

Front view...


Rear view


rear of fender aligns with OE gfx but will have to extend .309.photobucket.com/user/83RDRACR/media/DSCF3373_zpsb1nqmy1r.jpg.html][/URL]

I am hoping to be able to get out and drive this thing a few miles if the weather holds out. I want to shake it down and find any problems with the design or construction that needs to be addressed when it is disassembled for paint this winter. After 6 years I can't believe the car is getting this closeii

[83rdracer]

I have had the car out twice over the last couple weeks. Big problem with fuel delivery. It seems that the Mallory/Aeromotive 11103 fuel pump I am using requires a very high flowing supply side. I guess if the pump can flow 110gph then you have to supply 110gph. I had planned to run -8 line for both supply and return lines but due to financial constraints ended up using -6 for both and also a 40 micron prefilter. Aeromotive says this pump reqires -8 or larger supply line and an 100 micron filter. My smaller supply line setup has resulted in cavitating the pump and causing the carb to run dry. Luckily I was able to limp the car home and avoid an expensive and embarrassing tow.

Since I won't be switching over to EFI anytime soon I am going to install the tried and true Carter P4070 pump that will allow me to retain all of my current plumbing.

On a good note, for the few miles I have been out on the road the car seems to work very well. The steering which was my biggest concern seems tight and responsive. The re-valved power steering pump provides just the right amount of assist, not too heavy or too light. The brakes seem to be very balanced and pedal effort is little more than what the power brakes were. With the ride height reset and the fenders bolted down and lips rolled there was no more tire rub. And despite there being only 4" of ground clearance at the front crossmember and oil pan nothing has bottomed out. So all in all pretty pleased with the car. It does not drive or feel like a jumbled mess of mismatched parts but rather more like an OEM performance car, fast, responsive, and sure footed.

There are a couple warm dry days in the forecast for next week. I will get the fuel system straightened out and hopefully give the car a good shakedown.

Dave

[83rdracer]

I replaced the big Aeromotive pump with the Carter P4070 and closed off the return side of the regulator by running the adjustment screw down till it bottomed out. The Carter pump is preset at 6psi and at 72gph is plenty of fuel for this carb fed motor. With the fuel problem fixed I took the car out monday about noon. The weather was a brisk 36* but dry. I was able to run the car for about an hour along the back county roads with no real issues. On the way home however while making a sharp, low speed, second gear, left turn, the engine stalled. After restarting I soon realized that I had no power steering assist. Not seeing any smoke ( I don't have the hood on the car) I figured I threw the belt. When I got home I discovered the belt still on but no fluid in the pump. I didnt see much oil around the pump, lines or rack. I put some fluid in started it back up and turned the steering shaft above the rack. The fluid started spewing out of the input shaft of the rack. I figure I probably damaged some seals when I installed the P/S lines backwards when I first plumbed the rack a couple months back.

I guess I will call the car a success for now. My biggest concern was the steering geometry and my one off rack extensions. That all seems to work quite well. If a person were to drive the car they would have no idea that the steering or any other part of the drive train was modified or re-engineered. It really feels that all the systems are integrated and work well together.

Its time to strip the car down for body work and paint. I have been making list of small things that need to be corrected or finished while it is apart and when being reassembled. Postings will be sporadic while this goes on but I will update from time to time.

Thanks for following along,

Dave

[83rdracer]

I got the grille and duct work finished.

made grille frame from 3/16 mild steel wire.


grille material is extruded mild steel diamond mesh from tractor supply. Tack welded to back side of frame.




Finished grille.


inlet duct work for radiator is .030 aluminum.
side panels


bottom panel


riveted together


and installed




duct work encloses main grille and lower vents, forcing all incoming air into the radiator core. I left a small gap at bottom rear to allow water and small road debris to fall out. Total open area of grille and vents was about 230 sq.in. but diamond mesh blocks nearly 30% of main grille so total open are is about 180 sq. in.



Also mounted battery box in spare tire well. Bolts through lower inner panel and also supported by two short straps of 1x1/8.

[83rdracer]

I have just ben dealt another serious medical setback. On 01-12-2017 I was diagnosed with stage T3c colon cancer. Doctors removed about 20% of my colon and I am home and recuperating well. I will start Chemo in about 4 weeks. I plan to get back working on the car as soon as possible and use its completion as motivation to get through the chemo and beat the cancer. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I will continue to post as work progresses on the car.

Dave.

[mert.celet]

You have all my prayers Dave. We car guys are the worst patients for this disease because we are too tough to get down. We have all the motivation in the world, smell of gasoline it is.
Looking forward to hear your recovery.

Mert

[83rdracer]

Mert thanks for thoughts and prayers. Also thanks to anyone else who whispered a prayer in my behalf. I did manage to get out in garage to help my 7 year old grandson build a pinewood derby car. I taught him how to use the drill press and also had him sand and paint the body. We had a great time.

[Centerforce]

Dave, we're very sorry to hear that news, and wish you a speedy recovery so you can get back to doing what you love.

[83rdracer]

Haven't posted for a while. If anybody doesn't know yet CHEMO SUCKS!!!!!!!!

I go every 14 days and am pretty sick for the next 8 or 9 so only a few "feel good" days. I go out and poke at the car for a while but get tired after an hour or so. Still, I have finished the battery mount, recurved the top of the dash for better visibility, secured the shifter access cover, made a front tow loop, and designed a cold air cowl intake. I have a few pictures I'll post later.

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers,

Dave

[mert.celet]

Keep strong my friend. Life is not all about steady ups or downs. This will pass and then You'll rise again.

[83rdracer]

Thanks everybody. Feeling better today so posting a few pics. Even though track days are probably a year off still, I am anticipating having to be pulled out of the sand traps. Since I had the material and it was a simple job I made a front tow loop from 1/4 plate, 3" wide with 2"dia. hole. I cut a slit in the valance just to the right of the left parking light opening, and this let it line up with my bumper mount.







I trimmed some excess material off the insde part and tack welded to bumper.


and final position. It fits pretty tight to valance so hopefully I wont bang my knee on it very often.

[83rdracer]

Another small project, but netted positive result. I was bothered by how high my fabricated dash pad/top cover sat up. It was probably higher than a 3" cowl hood. A simple fix would have been to make a simple, flat top from sheet aluminum, but I didn't want a thin edge facing the driver and passenger. In one of my more lucid moments I had the idea to just bend the rounded edge down as originally it just angled up from the windshield. I don't have a "before" pic handy but it lowered the rolled edge of the dash over 1 1/2", almost as good as a flat dash top, and I still have unrestricted view of all gauges.


Its hard to see the bend crease about 4" back from rolled edge, but the top flattens out right there. An added benefit is it added some needed stiffness to the top. WIN-WIN.

[mert.celet]

It is so good to see You working on it. You are an inspiration my friend. Please keep up with the joy of life!
Looking forward to see your progress everyday!

[83rdracer]

Mert, I just noticed you live in Turkey. I guess hotrodders are the same no matter where they are from. In my past job as a commercial sales rep for Summit Racing Equipment I had many customers from Dubai, Egypt, Bahrain and Qatar. Hot rodding, modifying cars to maximize their performance transcended politics and religion. We were all "car guys" and spoke a common language. As businessmen, maximizing customer service, providing value and maximizing net profits were our common goals.

I really appreciate you concern for my health and your interest in my project. It is people like you who keep me motivated to finish it despite the many setbacks I have encountered. I have just finished resealing the rack and pinion after blowing out the input shaft seal on my shake down test drive. Also found out I had pressure and return lines attached backwards at the rack, causing the seal failure. While I had the rack out I added extra bracing to the rack mount as I worried about flex.

So I am still plugging away even though at a much slower pace than I want. This project WILL get finished and I will scare myself silly driving it on track days.

[mert.celet]

Whether it will be cars or bikes or something totally different. We all seek to be present in the exact moment. Think about no past, no future, just be present. Don't live in the moment of Cancer my friend. You have already passed that. It is only You who can keep it in Your present. It is Your choice only. What do You want Your life to be? Just pick the dream You want and hang tight to it. I mean REALLY TIGHT. Everything is made up of vibrations in this life so as thoughts are (and they are proven as to be the strongest of vibrations). So pick Your Dream NOW and make it REAL.



Never forget, I will be always here whenever You need someone to talk to.
And don't forget to put pictures of Your progress! Car season's already here...

Also today I will be getting my way with the car all day with Hp Tuners. Needs TLC big time. And there's something really loose on the back end. I think somewhere around where the ridetech 4 link resides...

[beater65]

So I am still plugging away even though at a much slower pace than I want. This project WILL get finished and I will scare myself silly driving it on track days.

I just read through your entire build thread.

Holy crap. What a fantastic example of a well thought out/executed build on mindful budget. I've seen lots of "hack" budget builds. but this is impressive imo. Well done.

And I am very sorry to hear about your health struggles. Get well my friend, and get this thing ripping around a track asap