Kimjon

@Muncie or anyone else more techo than me.

Would fault codes hold a history i.e. a date stamp when the fault code was triggered on the cars computer? There was a check engine code that the seller dismissed as a false alarm that he'd had looked at and told not to worry about. After googling all day long...I suspect this may be related to the slippage in the transmission. If I could download The fault code with a date or length of time it began on...I would have a much better case.

I'm lodging my case tomorrow, as I was mislead by the seller.

Al's blowers in auckland sell a kit for about $7500

http://www.alsblowers.com/theblowershop/completeblowerkits/tbs_completeblowerkits.html

Then you'd need 2 carbs or efi at another couple grand to add on. So probably be looking at min 10k plus...plus...plus. it wouldn't surprise me if you ended up closer to 15k.

It would be fucking cool though!

Here you go, this is an SS Commodore as you described. 

That's a 2L ice cream container on its side, and it's above the string line. I measure it to roughly be a maximum of 150mm at the firewall you could have sticking out. So sorry to bust burst your bubble...But those dreams of that methanol blower with the huge bug catcher scoop like a top fuel dragster aren't a reality if you want your car to be street legal sorry.

As I've learnt the hard way, a rebuilt auto that's upgraded to actually handle ls1 type power will be about $4500 fitted.

Ls1 has all the bolt on parts you'd ever need. Lots of kits available. Even conversions to carburetor.

As for out the bonnet. Rules are very restrictive. Basically you find the dead centre of the front window (both x and y axis). Now run a string line to a point in front of the car on the road.

<250mm wide = 15m

250-400mm wide = 12m

>400'm = 8m

Basically any car you see with a big blower isn't even close to been compliant these days.

Buy yourself a copy of nzv8 issue 159, this has an extensive write up on this.

Thanks guys

I've called him each day for past three days...But we're just going in circles. I've text him today to get a written record...But he's not replying. I realistically can't see him coming good on this.

I hope so. I feel sick inside for being such a dumb cunt by taking someone at their word...But that's how I've always been. Just got fucked over this time.

Only thing on trademe add is he's written reliable vehicle.

Unfortunately, I called him to ask questions. So no record of conversation.

Yes, I totally accept my part in this - but I did expect some honesty from him too. Lesson learnt. 

Hi

So, I brought a vehicle (ls1 Commodore ute) sight unseen. Yes...dumb move.

I didn't have time to go look at it, but did call the seller and chatted about the vehicle. I said something along the lines of "as long as there's nothing major wrong with it...it'll be fine". He replied along the lines of, it's fine, reliable vehicle, no major issues...etc etc.

Well...as soon as I drove it away, I could tell the transmission was slipping. I stopped at the nearest petrol station. It took 2L of transmission fluid to get it on the dip stick. But still slipping really bad on 2nd and 4th gears, basically if you put your foot down...it immediately drops 2 gears then bounces on the rev limiter!

I got it home and called the dude up asap. Of course he denies all knowledge of any problems, and refuses to let me return the vehicle. Next day I look under the vehicle...about a 200mm circle of engine oil on the concrete, looks like the rear main seal on the motor is also fucked.

Now I accept I'm a dumb cunt for taking someone else's word. But is there any come back on the seller for not disclosing these issues - when I asked if there were any major problems?

In my mind you don't get any more major than a totally fucked transmission and a leaking main seal. I took it to a transmission shop and they said $4500 just to fix the transmission alone...fuck!!!

Anyone else had something shit like this happen. Did you get any resolution? Disputes tribunal? Help?

Come on...at least write something funny on them?

Finally; this part was covered in flakey paint and old rust. I hit it with a flap disc until it all looked shiny...But it wasn't the best of jobs I'll admit. However according to por15 it would just about stick to anything and prevent further rusting...so this was overkill preparation.

Interestingly enough, if it was black colour...I'd think it was doing it's job. The por15 looks perfect from the outside, no cracks, no chips, no hazing...nothing at all to show it's defective on the outside. It's only because I used clear, that I can see the rust growing underneath. If it was black...I would be totally unaware of any issues.

Next up is some metal that was prepped much the same way, but obviously no as well. You can see the rust growing underneath the clear. It's like a spider web....and each month I see it spreading further.

I'm prepared to be shown the errors of my way, but here is some photo's I thought may entertain you all.

Why por15? Well online it's touted as the best thing to use on the likes of chassis, fuel tanks, engine mounts...all those places that rust really easily under the car. It's said to love rust, basically stick to it and protect it from deteriorating further etc. Apparently you don't need to put a lot of effort into prep work which is another big plus.

This bike fork is looking mint, about a year on from clear coating in por15. This was sanded back with a flap disc to bear metal...then painted in por15. Looks mint, but so it should. I'd expect the same result from any normal paint too.

It's kept under a cover, so no uv light can get at it, as I was told por15 doesn't like sunlight.

I didn't really expect this to last in all honesty and always had my doubts about doing it like this with no etch primer...But thought these results may deter anyone who's thinking of brushing this on their chassis (in the same product, but probably with black tint in it) and calling it job done.

There's heaps of information online with some pretty good rules of thumb to follow. I basically use these to get attributes I'm looking for i.e. low end, or mid range, or top end. Hard hitting...or soft but wide power band etc...

I've tried a couple excel spreadsheets/calculators that I found on websites. They require very specific information, so only good if you've got all your port timings and areas recorded etc...which you'd have if tearing down and porting the motor anyway. But no good if you don't know the numbers. The design it popped out wasn't all that good, so I added more mid area into the pipe based purely on an assumption (It just didn't look right to me) and instantly gained a huge improvement! So like with everything online...take it with a grain of salt.

I guess I like to experiment, and build a basic knowledge by actually making and trying things out for myself. Trying to learn along the way from both successes and failures.

I'd call this an epic fail (red goped pictured above). I brought a tuned pipe for this motor...made to fit in an RC car. Had good reviews online, but wasn't very impressive. I ended up making my own and trashing the store brought tuned pipe...and the difference was night and day! My pipe turned it's performance from "sad"...to "wild"!!! So I learnt that even when you pay good money for a "tuned pipe" built for a specific application, it's still very hit and miss what you'll actually get.

These pipes all added huge improvements over a stock muffler. I'm sure there's a better design and/or way of doing this for all of them, but the results have been well worth the effort in terms of power increases obtained. Not just little improvements...massive power gains.

1 hour ago, KP_wag said:

When you build these custom expansion setups do you know how sensitive they are in terms to sizing and the dynamics of the motor in question? ie is any chamber a good thing or do they need to be tuned proper? They look cool for sure just wondering if it's possible to design something that sucks in terms of exhaust timing (or other extreme get lucky and have something that rips)... 

There's a bit of luck accompanied with some crude upper and lower sizes I work within.

I have a lot of off the shelf items that I own and have used. This gives me a guide. Some have much better traits than others...so I can try replicate the better traits. However, I'm somewhat hamstrung by what materials I have on hand...so that's where the luck comes into it, as I obviously can't do an exact copy of the store brought ones.

These expansion chambers are all factory made (some slightly modified). This is where I can test and get a fairly good baseline from.

I've filed them all with water to figure out the volumes of each. I even did it in stages to figure out volumes of each part of the pipe using an inspection camera. The funny thing is that the best factory pipe by far is the most fucked one, with a heavy restriction on a badly welded on 90° (header) after crashing and repairing it. It's on the red goped. It's the identical pipe to the one on the blue goped...exactly the same make and model, except the blue one has a nice factory mandrel bent free flowing header. 

I've made a heap of these and I'm sure there's always room for improvement...But for the most part I seam to be getting good results so far in terms of performance. Cosmetically...yep...lots of room for improvement.

Decided to use the first expansion chamber for another project as it was better suited for that one.

So I had to make up another one...like this:

Pretty happy with this. Should bring out the beast within the little motor!

I'm a huge fan of putting the exhaust around the motor. Doing it this way has saved so many of my little motors when you crash. The exhaust may get a ding or worse case senario destroyed...but that's cheap to fix. Unlike the motor hitting concrete and going from 19,000rpm to zero in an instant! No motor survives that.

It may be lacking in the carburetor department now, with the radical porting I did. I've pushed the port timing to the limits and it's going to draw a lot more air now. But that's just a bolt on part...so I'll try it like this first, then go from there.

Coming together nicely. The metal flake looks awesome in the sunlight.

Okay, I'm full of shit and did a huge u turn on the colour.

When at powder coaters I saw this new colour with green, gold and black metal flake all mixed up together...yes...I like it. So as usual the guys did a fucking great job at the powder coaters and worked their magic with the application of this colour.

Awesomeness!!!

9 minutes ago, tortron said:

"Modified in such a way that would effect the vehicles braking performance"

That's pretty open. Unlikely to really improve braking performance. ..but a heap easier to service and get parts for.

The disc brakes...do they need to be certified too? Or because you've used stock spindle can you get away without cert?

So I learnt how to do epic wheelies on this thing. Basically go half throttle to just touch on powerband...back off...hit it hard again...and fuck yeah!

Did this all day long until...fail!!! Yip, no rear brake means no way of saving it once you go too far. Managed to fuck myself and the goped up pretty well.

The brake caliper = total right-off, buy another one.

Exhaust = do it all again...fucked!

Front brake disc = badly buckled and miss shaped.

So I bent the disc roughly into shape...then did this to get it pretty good:

Finished it by mounting wheel back on and then rotating it inside the new brake caliper and taping it over little by little until no rubbing sound occurred within a nice tight gap. Mint as bro!

21 hours ago, 63Ragtop said:

Damn son, where do you get the time for all this!

Saw you're a certified shed Barry now. Nice work.

I'll rest when I'm dead 

3 hours ago, stillway said:

Y THO?!?!!?

Yes, I agree with you. But then why would you put 1200hp into a nicer looking one that can't use the power? I think I'm just getting too old and just don't get it?

I watched an all rotary drag clip on youtube, Australian based. There was no lack of power...but basically none of the cars could put it down and hold a straight-line. It seams that once you get below the 9 second mark this platform is too unstaunstable to deliver that power. The narrow and short wheel base is fundamentally flawed for racing.

Now getting into the sub 9's would be a great problem to have. And it shows the potential of the engine. I've heard that the Curren brothers in nz have a 6 second car now which is unbelievable! I wonder what these could do in a better platform?

Road runner by the looks? The toughest car ever to roll!