KKtrips Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 My god Brad - I love what you've done with the interior - I really hope you are going to stack the gearlever up 6 inches on spindly ass mounts.. Also those wheels are more boss than a 400ft launch with a helicopter landing pad - it is going to suit this so well.. Please get straight cut diff gears or at least run it out of oil long enough so the gearbox whines like the first time a schoolgirl takes a dry one.. Was I imagining it that you said you were going to lean the engine and gearbox onto its back to lift the driveshafts higher? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikuni Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 I've been talking to a guy at work about how the cars in his series are starting to run alloy floors - just braced with steel. I'm not sure whether I'll head in this direction yet, but I need to cut the floor out to put a flat floor in to mount my seats where I want them anyway. This got me thinking and I actually found and example of what I'd like to do. Because it's a silly FWD car, theres no requirement to run the tunnel through the centre. The above is pretty much exactly what I'm thinking, but I may even look into changing the firewall also, depending on what I find in the MSNZ rulebook. I don't think there are any rules around this. The above picture is a 1998 ST Primera. I still want to have the option of scaring a passenger, but I'm sure I'll be able to make something work. Doing this I then might have the option of running an exhaust system similar to the 1995 spec (BTCC winning) Cavalier pictured below. Tilting the engine over was one silly idea I had kk but the issues with oiling mean it isn't really an option. Dry sump sure, but the gearbox would be another story and so it would just open a can of worms. Because of the super low ride height though, raising the engine slightly, shifting it backwards and tilting it forwards to retain CV alignment but lift them up to straighten the angles a little bit might possibly be an option. I'd like to modify the mounts and make them solid anyway. And a custom steel sump would be good, as these stupid alloy ones seem impossible to seal reliably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truenotch Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Those extractors are awesome. RWD style in an FWD shell . What class do you want to run with when this is all done Brad? If you're planning to go SS2000 then the floor needs to stay in sheet steel. Everything else you're doing will be legal for the class, so seems like the best option to me (for summer anyway... come and race it at manfeild in Winter ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaver Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 What class do you want to run with when this is all done Brad? do you even have to ask? OSTCC of course..... but seriously, this is so sweet. I know nothing about setting up cars etc but its so awesome just to see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikuni Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 Those extractors are awesome. RWD style in an FWD shell . What class do you want to run with when this is all done Brad? If you're planning to go SS2000 then the floor needs to stay in sheet steel. Everything else you're doing will be legal for the class, so seems like the best option to me (for summer anyway... come and race it at manfeild in Winter ). Cheers for that. I've been keeping an eye on the SS2000 regs as well but hadn't picked up on that. I'd like to build the car to SS2000 regs so I have the option of doing that eventually. Probalem is they are all running F20C and K20A's in their cars now, so I know I won't ever be anywhere near the front. Not a problem though, if there's a fun race at the back of the field still/handicap. Next question is do I brace the floor and the seat mountings and run an extremely thin sheet metal or only brace the tunnel/no braces at all and run a thicker, self supporting sheet metal? Perhaps I'll do some calcs to see which is likely to be the lighter option. I'm thinking something like 20mm box or tube bracing and thin sheet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truenotch Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Needs to be self supporting really. Braces where the seats mount is a good idea but make sure you keep the chassis rails there. Rags say they must not move more than 100mm. I'd be thinking .8 or 1mm for the floor - but for what you're doing, I'd keep it simple and only replace the floor where your seat mounts. There's a lot of strength in a factory floor and a roll cage won't solve all of your issues with flex & rigidity. And there are a few quick SS cars, but you'll be able to compete with the majority of the field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brocky41 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Hey dude - great work - heres a pic of my old boss's targa vectra - genuine 16v with the independent rear end. The rear arms are very similar to vr vs commodore ones and you can use the holden adjustable bush kit in them. I no you have a solid rear but are the mounts etc in the body so you can bolt all that stuff up??? this one handled and gripped like you wouldnt believe - he has also done alot of head work etc and it runs a quaife LSD ( just point and nail the gas and it goes). We did the Vectra B brake upgrade - calipers bolted straight on and have a way bigger pad / brake surface area and just had the disks redrilled to 4 stud. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikuni Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 Cheers Brocky. I actually drove down to Hastings to have a look at that car before I began this one, as I was going to buy it. Nice car, but it was built to a completely different focus to what I wanted. It was very solid and heavy, full glass, solid cage not tied into suspension points, etc. He wanted a decent amount for it too. So much that I genuinely think I and maybe only one or 2 others int he country would even consider paying that for a Vectra. I Understand the car has been stripped now (as no one wanted it) and is used only as a billboard essentially? I think he was going to use the running gear in a road going Vectra 2000. Markku that's really good advice. Glad I read that before getting trigger happy with the sabre saw. Will try and decide what the best option is with retaining as much floor as possible if I do decide to remove the tunnel and weld in either something else, or the original tunnel. Another question regarding SS regs; Inspired by the FT-86 (or whatever they are calling it today) I'm thinking of just using plastic in front of my strut towers like this Towers will be tied into the cage and diagonally back to the firewall, so hopefully flex/strength won't be an issue but I am aware that SS regs focus a little bit on inner guard modifications. The regs don't explicitly state that inner guards must be steel, only that they can only be modified for approved suspension changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xsspeed Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 you could also tub like Markku has with the trailer guards - also looks so sweet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truenotch Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I asked special permission to do my tubs and they said it was sweet, but that it should either be steel or riveted aluminium. Current technical officer is quite vague on the whole thing. He's relatively new to motorsport and often needs to check things. I wouldn't get trigger happy yet. Jump on the forums at www.ss2000.co.nz and ask away - you should get good replies. I already have a thread about inner guards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikuni Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 Cheers man. I've already cut mine so will just stick to original plan of riveting some plastic in there in a tidy fashion and run with that. Realistically I'm unlikely to ever make it to SS2000 level, or if I do it wouldn't be for a couple of years, so I can just tweak it then. Plan is pretty much low key trackdays once I get it running, which will probably be late winter. Then something like Fiat Waikatos events next year to gain a bit of competition experience and actually commit to something (in the past drinking and being lazy has always gotten the better of me), then see what happens from there. you could also tub like Markku has with the trailer guards - also looks so sweetI have Markku's other trailer guard that I bought off him, but its quite a thick guage steel so I'm reluctant to use it if I can get away with next to zero weight plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drtdvl Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 You wouldn't try and make it road legal to do hillclimb events? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truenotch Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I doubt this will have a chance at staying legal... Get one of these http://www.eliteracingtransmissions.com ... fwd-series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xsspeed Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 It would appear the cleaning soon turned into weight reduction, so the theme continued. Glad I read that before getting trigger happy with the sabre saw. I've already cut mine On the topic of favourite tools, my reciprocating/sabre saw is my new favourite tool I chuckled, they are so sweet though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truenotch Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Just reading the tech regs again, inner guards do need to be steel. RX7's etc get away with it because they're not there standard. There will be no problem with you running for no points to start with though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikuni Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 Just reading the tech regs again.Sweet. Will be piece of piss to chuck something in there anyway, just good to know where I stand with legalities. I've already cut mine I chuckled, they are so sweet though I meant glad I haven't cut anything that really matters yet.. yet... You wouldn't try and make it road legal to do hillclimb events? I doubt this will have a chance at staying legal...Pretty much what Markku wrote. I don't mind sacrificing road events to build the car how I want it and save a stack of money on cert, authority card, wof and reg. Ohakune 1000 would be awesome, but my car would fall to pieces going across one of those grates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drtdvl Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Ohakune doesn't need to be road legel i thought? i don't think that bluebird that ran out of gas was road legel.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikuni Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 Ohakune doesn't need to be road legel i thought? i don't think that bluebird that ran out of gas was road legel....I didn't think so either tbh, but just thought that's what you were refering to when you said it and thats the only road going event that I've ever really wanted to participate in (other than FCCW's events, which don't require road registered vehicle). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truenotch Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Why would it need to be road legal for hill climbs anyway? It will have a fairly extensive cage and be up to schedule A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKtrips Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Pretty sure Johnny Mines radical is not road legal and that competes in hillclimbs down here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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