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I think the magazine is going to have a moment of pause when they get the bill So they broke the only NLA part in the entire drive train.....
Now that "new" is not an option, the "real" problem is finding a pressure plate, an intermediate plate, and a flywheel without any "hot spots" to start with.
"Hot spots" have a different coefficient of friction than the original cast iron material has (less.)
People have these items "resurfaced", which simply hides the hot spots for a few miles. The hot spots are actually a change in the hardness of the cast iron, which goes very deep into the metal. All of those hot spots come back visually, in the first 20 miles or so.
The "Wow, that is like new" is usually people fooling themselves. It "looks" new, but in reality, it is almost exactly the same as it was before it was surfaced.
There's very few substitutes for "new" in the clutch world.
I have an intermediate plate in my garage if its needed. I think its an early version
Fortunately, I had a complete virgin squirreled away, waiting for the proper home. Pressure plates are still available brand new. Flywheels are an issue....all I've seen, recently, have lots of hot spots.
In an email with Jim Corenman, I think I have a slim clue of how this happened. The clutch ( was) relatively light and easy to depress. Also it was a full throw, meaning that engagement is from the floor to all the way up. Many cars with big motors have a short clutch ( lack of a better term) so the grab early. Race cars are like this often and it's the reason we stall them the first few times out. I'm thinking that the driver in this case never let the clutch completely out so it was maybe mid distance as he was trying to do his burn out launch. Rev it to redline in 2nd gear not knowing it's a dog leg, let the clutch half way out and this is the result....I'm guessing because he didn't stick around for a debrief. He got he hell out of there while we watch the car smoke.
I think it was totally chickensh!t of the 'journalist' to simply disappear after wrecking your car. Mistakes happen. Having the ***** to own up to them is part of being an adult.
This whole situation does make me wonder a bit...
Is that car cursed? I don't normally buy into that sort of thing, but the continuing saga of that car and the catastrophic incidents that seem to follow it around are more than 'just a bit' odd.
Van was in Tucson last year visiting family and stopped by. He threw me the keys and off we went. If anyone is on the fence on purchasing a GB stroker and has the funds....go for it. To wrap it up in one word: "Thoroughbred" Look forward to seeing your beauty again at SITM Van. T
Joe,
It's funny you say "cursed". I look at it as a car that is very entertaining and always has a story to tell. The big question is what will be the next story? Almost all the cars I have owned in my life, and there are lots for I'm beyond old, I have had very few mechanical issues. I put about 50k on my '80 928 and it only failed to proceed once and that was a fuel pump at 105k. I was going to change it out at 100k and forgot. The most problematic car I have ever owned was a 535 BMW. However I do understand where you are going with this.
Just recalling, I raced a Lotus Cortina for 13 years and it never broke, and Alfa and it never broke, ( hood flew off once, because I forgot to strap it down. I think we all know people that have huge thumbs and they can break anything including a fork while eating pizza.
BTW....that "trigger" ring on that brand new factory Porsche flywheel had 1mm of runout out of the box...and virtually fell off. (Gently tapped off with rubber mallet and no heat.)
Just because it's new, we can no longer just assume it's ready to go.