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Thanks guys! The only things left to install are the engine and transmission, then custom headers and exhaust, then All fluid plumbing, electrical after that, and then Seats and Lexan are last. The trans is done and ready, but the motor has some money parts left to be bought and installed, or custom work to be done. The Brake system has some custom lines and fittings to be made and shaped, but will be finished within a week or two after I make one more T-bar Delete this week.
Motor still needs an intake manifold, Throttle body, new oil pan, Headers made, starter mount, Electric water pump mounting, and a lot of misc odds and ends for wiring and fuel plumbing. Radiator isn't custom mounted yet. (kinda easy in a relative sort of way) This is going to make the project stale for about a month until all that is done.
So, unless I get the red accents painted soon, I won't have much to post for a little while. I might add some more pics of the car outside, but I'll just edit the last post and not add a new one.
This is the car from a local guy here in Cleveland that I put in touch with Bruce for the tbar delete setup. He had a pretty good shunt at Mid-O last fall and bent the front frame rails pretty good. He had the front end cut off and a new one grafted on and is just finishing it up. It is one of the nicest race cars you will ever see. It is immaculately prepared and always is concourse clean. He was a crew chief for a late model stock car team back in the day and brought all hsi fab/car prep skills to bear on his own car. Great guy.
Here are a couple more pics of Bruce's tbar delete installed on the same car. Outstanding fabrication on Bruce's part.
I'm almost too embarrassed to post pics of my car after that one!
I did not paint the underside of my car. AND tons of paint over spray coated many of the cleaned shiny stock stuff. SO it's all dulled out. I tried to scrubb off the spray, but it was a big job. Frustrating to try and clean everything.... a second time.. So I didn't.
I was sick Monday and didn't get a whole lot done yesterday from lack of energy. So today, I decided to steal a day just for myself and my car. I'm still behind in making T-bars. - not so bad now. Just waiting on a terrible Vendor issue on the turnbuckles. They're killing me.
I made some Brake caliper adapters for the '87+ offset and the 996 TT rears. Not much room for error on that combination. But I got it done. - One off custom pieces only. I didn't record any of the measurements or put it in the CNC mill computer. Just old fashioned elbow grease. It's nice to see Red Brembos at all four corners. I buttoned up the rear brake lines. (Finally.) I also installed the Fuel pump and filter.- Very simple set up, close to stock. New Tank to pump hose is on it's way.
I bought the Escort Cup Suspension from Skip to run while I test and tune. 500lb Fronts, 750lbs Rear. This will allow me to have good information on corner weighting and all that before I buy the Motons. It also gives me time to save up for those expensive bastards.
I have a severe problem modifying and I don't think I will stick with these shocks very long. I might buy a different suspension that should hold me for maybe a year before I buy the Motons. SO if anyone wants this Escort suspension, It's yours. (Front struts not pictured, but included) I Paid $1250 for it a month ago. First $1100 + shipping takes them. I'll get around to posting a for sale Thread again anyway. I have found a lot of stuff I need to sell while I was looking for the stuff I needed to install.
SO, here she is with most everything connected in the underside rear of the car.. I still need to install the axles and the carbon Fiber shift rod. (needs more curing time on last assembly piece) Wiring won't be for a while.
Next will be my new rear wing mount and a redesigned set of engine mounts.(Bushed instead of solid) But I don't foresee a day for just me and the car for a little while for that to happen anytime soon. Maybe next week?
Got very sick, got better. T bar issues for everyone. Trying to fix now. Nothing else was done on car. It collected dust. Not much more to say on the lost 5 years, but lets move on from that.
I might actually have time to continue this project.
I've completely redesigned the T bar delete and should be testing it out and installing it this weekend. This will help myself and everyone else involved. Hoping this latest design cures all issues.
I also had those rear 996 caliper adapters designed in solid works and recently cut out and tested. Pretty damn close. The axial and radial holes are in close proximity to each other and required some fancy work, and some good ole elbow grease. I had to grind some material away from the outside of the stock caliper bolt holts on the aluminum arm. Not much, but just enought to make the two bolts live close to each other. I now have to cut about .250" off the pads of the caliper to help it "sit" closer to the centerline of the disc. It's not a direct bolt in affair with the adapter. Which is probably why no one makes them. But it will work and hold strong. I'm overall happy with the final piece and result.
What's next? After I cut off the pads of the calipers, and do the final caliper install, I guess i will finish the brake line plumbing. I will then have to make pedal stops for the Tilton Pedal assembly. I don't have much extra time lately so It might be a while before that gets done. But any progress at this point is great.
09-10-2012, 08:55 AM
