78 Track Car Aussie
07-22-2008 | 09:43 AM
#1
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From: Sydney Australia
78 Track Car Aussie
I purchased this car in September 2007, it is fairly well developed, but more work has been done, including improving the driver skills.
These photos are "as delivered" after traveling from the West Coast to the East. In each series of photos, you will be able to see the development and tidy-up taking place.
A fully welded roll cage had been put in and the material that had been wire brushed off the welding points had left a snowstorm inside. There was still a fair bit of remaining wiring as it was still theoretically possible to turn it back to a road car.
These photos are "as delivered" after traveling from the West Coast to the East. In each series of photos, you will be able to see the development and tidy-up taking place.
A fully welded roll cage had been put in and the material that had been wire brushed off the welding points had left a snowstorm inside. There was still a fair bit of remaining wiring as it was still theoretically possible to turn it back to a road car.
07-22-2008 | 09:50 AM
#2
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From: Sydney Australia
Over the next few months I took it to the track a few times and had a substantial amount of work done, including new radiator and S4 fans, new suspension setup and painted the roll bar matt black.
07-22-2008 | 10:10 AM
#3
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From: Sydney Australia
In these you can see that the interior is a lot tidier. The belts are too long for my liking, but I fitted 4 inch wide ones with 6 point mountings. I rigged up a mini swich panel to hold a few switches and got the fan working after removing the fan switch from the hivac unit. The new radiator and S4 fans and shroud presented a challenge which was overcome with some specialist ingenuity.
With so much black inside, I added a few yellow highlights to the door handles and handbrake lever and have carried this theme through to other parts. The car came with the interior in a pallet, so I still have access to all the odds and ends.
The very observant may notice a few LHD touches, as the car was imported to Australia by its original German owner in the early 1980s. The conversion used all original parts with the only obvious legacy being the hood release on the LHS and the use of the LHD coolant expansion tank and some tortured plumbing to accomodate it.
With so much black inside, I added a few yellow highlights to the door handles and handbrake lever and have carried this theme through to other parts. The car came with the interior in a pallet, so I still have access to all the odds and ends.
The very observant may notice a few LHD touches, as the car was imported to Australia by its original German owner in the early 1980s. The conversion used all original parts with the only obvious legacy being the hood release on the LHS and the use of the LHD coolant expansion tank and some tortured plumbing to accomodate it.
07-22-2008 | 10:34 AM
#4
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From: Sydney Australia
The car has a fully welded roll cage, but I have been able to have it road registered under the "rally car" classification. This way I am able to drive it too the track, without a trailer. This is fairly daunting, as it is hot and loud inside.
ABy now a lot of the interior wiring has been removed and I have used split tubing to keep the remainder tidy.
The car has Motec M48 ignition and there are a few foreign bodies in the engine bay including the distributor and a few other components including a vacuum sensor and the Bosch unit welded to one of the intake runners.
I removed the big washer bottled and cruise control from under the guards and replaced the original 78 coolant tank.
It is very reliable and rarely needs attention on a track day where I sometimes cover 200km
I have had a few conversations with Troy Stapleton who built the car and ran very successfully with the PC of Victoria. One day I hope to do as well in NSW.
ABy now a lot of the interior wiring has been removed and I have used split tubing to keep the remainder tidy.
The car has Motec M48 ignition and there are a few foreign bodies in the engine bay including the distributor and a few other components including a vacuum sensor and the Bosch unit welded to one of the intake runners.
I removed the big washer bottled and cruise control from under the guards and replaced the original 78 coolant tank.
It is very reliable and rarely needs attention on a track day where I sometimes cover 200km
I have had a few conversations with Troy Stapleton who built the car and ran very successfully with the PC of Victoria. One day I hope to do as well in NSW.
07-22-2008 | 12:40 PM
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Nice to see the progression - a lot of work for sure...
Are you confident that harness bar is strong enough - seems like a corner plate reinforcement at the welds and some mid support for the bar would be a good safety. You don't want those welds to lets go...
(they would see lateral, tension & some rotational stress in an accident if the bar bends...)
Alan
Are you confident that harness bar is strong enough - seems like a corner plate reinforcement at the welds and some mid support for the bar would be a good safety. You don't want those welds to lets go...
(they would see lateral, tension & some rotational stress in an accident if the bar bends...)
Alan
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07-22-2008 | 02:50 PM
#9
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From: saratoga, ca
Thats a '78? why does it have Ljet fuel injection
Lower the car about 1" min. if you cant do this, cut a spring. it will be the best mod that you can do for this car being a track car. that front fender should at least, ride right at the top of the tire, and the rear should be mid tire sidewall. the G holding capabilities go up in a BIG way.
mk
Lower the car about 1" min. if you cant do this, cut a spring. it will be the best mod that you can do for this car being a track car. that front fender should at least, ride right at the top of the tire, and the rear should be mid tire sidewall. the G holding capabilities go up in a BIG way.
mk
07-23-2008 | 05:58 AM
#11
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From: Sydney Australia
Alan, you have valid concerns. The roll cage was built to the local Conferation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS) standards and has a certificate, but the design could have been better. I will be having the car CAMS logbooked in the next few months, so it will be interesting to see what the scrutineer thinks.
07-23-2008 | 06:24 AM
#12
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From: Sydney Australia
Thats a '78? why does it have Ljet fuel injection
Lower the car about 1" min. if you cant do this, cut a spring. it will be the best mod that you can do for this car being a track car. that front fender should at least, ride right at the top of the tire, and the rear should be mid tire sidewall. the G holding capabilities go up in a BIG way.
07-23-2008 | 12:01 PM
#13
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From: Double Oak, TX
Paul,
What no yellow painted tow eye swinging from the rear roll over frame - I am disapointed 8>)
Great looking car and I bet she flies.
Well done.
Roger
What no yellow painted tow eye swinging from the rear roll over frame - I am disapointed 8>)
Great looking car and I bet she flies.
Well done.
Roger
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Does it have the "Do It Yourself" manual transmission, or the superior "Fully Equipped by Porsche" Automatic Transmission?
George Layton March 2014
928 Owners are ".....a secret sect of quietly assured Porsche pragmatists who in near anonymity appreciate the prodigious, easy going prowess of the 928."
Does it have the "Do It Yourself" manual transmission, or the superior "Fully Equipped by Porsche" Automatic Transmission?
George Layton March 2014928 Owners are ".....a secret sect of quietly assured Porsche pragmatists who in near anonymity appreciate the prodigious, easy going prowess of the 928."
07-23-2008 | 01:23 PM
#14
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From: saratoga, ca
The suspension is set UP aweful for any track use. corner balancing and having stock ride hight is not worth anything. lowering the car blindly from where it is now, could give you 1-2 seconds a lap at most ANY track.
look at the spring purch that I have. you see i have a lot lower purch, as well as the spring coils being a little closer together and 6 vs your 5. you either need a shorter spring, or a lower purch.
if you dont want to do a change, lower the car as far as the adjusters can go up front and give the same amount of turns in the rear.
mk
look at the spring purch that I have. you see i have a lot lower purch, as well as the spring coils being a little closer together and 6 vs your 5. you either need a shorter spring, or a lower purch.
if you dont want to do a change, lower the car as far as the adjusters can go up front and give the same amount of turns in the rear.
mk
Hi Mark, it is using Motec M48 ignition, there is no MAF and the fuel hoses are non standard. The fuel injectors are individualy fired by the Motec software, which aparently has a whole bunch of fuel maps, triggerd by all the extra sensors. The fuel rails look familiar, I am not sure what injectors are there, but they do look a standard 928 style.
You might want to ask 928MS why they have the adusters in such a position, as clearly, that you are at the bottom of the adustment range and the car is at stock ride hight
mk
The suspension came from 928MS and has been professionally set up with stock heights and corner balanced. The fronts look as though they are at the lower part of the 5 inches of adjustment travel, while the rears are about half way. The setup uses the standard Hypercoil 2.5 inch springs which is part of the attraction. I am running 600 front and 400 rear springs. I will explore how I can get it lower, as I feel I could be faster through the corners. The weight of the car is 1340 kgs (2950 pounds) down from the 1870 kgs on the nameplate, so this may cause it to sit a little higher.
You might want to ask 928MS why they have the adusters in such a position, as clearly, that you are at the bottom of the adustment range and the car is at stock ride hight
mk
The suspension came from 928MS and has been professionally set up with stock heights and corner balanced. The fronts look as though they are at the lower part of the 5 inches of adjustment travel, while the rears are about half way. The setup uses the standard Hypercoil 2.5 inch springs which is part of the attraction. I am running 600 front and 400 rear springs. I will explore how I can get it lower, as I feel I could be faster through the corners. The weight of the car is 1340 kgs (2950 pounds) down from the 1870 kgs on the nameplate, so this may cause it to sit a little higher.
