1 month $2013 1988 Lancer Shelby build

Im gunna bring extra parts for you guys as well.

Stefan, HD only sells 48" bars. Is that all you use? I was going to pick up a 10' bar and cut down to the full axle length. also, do you use 4 brackets spaced or 3, with one at each end and one in center?

Yup, 48" I think you have to trim it slightly anyway to about 36 or 38 if I remember correctly.

I usually used two, one at each end with the option of adding more or sliding the clamps towards the center to increase the torsional resistance if I needed more oppo.

The length for the plates i weld to the axle is 52.5" anyway so 48" is close. Although that doesn't leave you with extra length to cut off and make the plates for the clamps unless you buy an extra.

I need to go out there and work on car. Slow getting going today..

I think I made it fit just the center beam and not the entire axle width. Figuring that adding an extra plate or a clamp or two if necessary to get a bit more stiffness.

The L-bodies are a bit less wide though, so measure what you've got and go from there :)

turboswede wrote: The L-bodies are a bit less wide though, so measure what you've got and go from there :)

Which I should have done when the car was up. Douh!

In reply to hobiercr:

Don't you hate when that happens? LOL

So i guess after working on the car all day sunday and most of the day monday i was ready for a break because i couldnt bring myself to TOUCH the car today. My subconscious was being pretty forceful about taking a break today.

Which leaves... a LOT of work and packing to do tomorrow. Supposed to leave here around 5, head over to Matt's for some last-minute tuning attempts, and then hit the road about 10 pm.

It's CRUNCH time.

Good luck!

Well, guys...

Sorry to disappoint. My team just fell apart.

The 3 of us had initially worked out a deal about who would contribute what to the Challenge effort.

Unfortunately things have changed for my teammates and the original deal is no longer in force. I was never in a position to make this trip by myself and i'm not in a position to be able to take up the slack financially, or expose myself to any further 'surprises' that would drive the cost up even more.

So, pending any GOOD surprises today, i will not be making the Challenge.

I will continue to update this thread with car content until i get to a kind of stopping point. I hope to post some timeslips or vids in the coming weeks to give everyone who was interested in the car itself, an idea of how this crash build ended up. Maybe if i'm lucky i can bring it around next year.

If you can get there we've got a room for you, the hotel has free breakfast and meals are covered Friday and Saturday nights. Drive the car out! You only have to get there by Friday AM. I'm bringing tools so you don't have to bring a ton. I want to see this unicorn of yours.

I'm sad that we nor the car will make it. We'll get it out to SAR and Spokes/SASCA events though.

This thread title is a bait and switch operation!

Bryce

Well, I've got the trailer now, so next year should be no problem. You make it to Houston and I'll get us the rest of the way.

Thanks Mazdeuce, i would love to take you up on that.

I'd have been pestering you about this year if i didn't already know your RX7 plans. Can't wait to see it!

Bryce: Sowwy..

Nuts, so close!

I have a date with the dragstrip Dec. 11. LOTS of tuning to do before then.

I'll update this thread later with the "finished" pictures of the car as it sits right now.

Pokemon!

PREPARE YOURSELVES!

So......it's headed to Florida?

Nope. The 'in progress' pics are from last Monday. All i've done to it today is spend like an hour rigging up a very peculiar shim system from a big cotter pin so my front dome light will stay popped in.

A couple of great guys here on the forum (Fastasleep and hobiercr) stepped up to try and make it possible for me to go, but in the end i wasnt willing to spend 40 hours in the car towing by myself there and back or add days stopping along the way. Regardless of me being a sissy, their help and offers are GREATLY appreciated!!

I am feeling the GRM love way out here in Texas!

You might've done it if the whole build-n-go scenario didn't just happen like one long blur. So it's not just the 40-hour tow. It's the month-long build-and-tow that got you.

At the very least, you have a whole year to sort the car. Someone once said finishing a build means the job is half done. The other half is the development time. Oftentimes I think many Challenge competitors shortchange sorting out the car. I see a lot of cars that leave a lot of potential in the garage because fuel maps aren't worked out or wastegates aren't working or suspensions are way off. Having a year to dial it in will probably move you up ten or fifteen places.

It was a noble effort but it wasn't for naught. When you do make that 40-hour tow, the end result may be more rewarding.

Well, im not trying to nitpick but THE reason i am not there right now is because my remaining teammate changed the deal mere hours before leaving. At this point i'm not interested in making hay about it and just hope that no lies are being told about me at the challenge. As far as the car running and driving I definitely could have made the event and participated.

BUT, what you say about sorting the car is definitely right. It would have been a lot of last minute tuning to make it go fast on the dragstrip. I don't think i would have changed much at the Autox other than tire pressures. Now that i have all this time to work on the car, im fighting off thoughts of 'project creep' and telling myself to just get what's already there working at 90+%.