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Duncan's Race Car - The Most Overdue Build Thread On Sau


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yeah man that my favourite track for sure....launching the car over the curbs at suttons, heading blind over the flip flop....ahhh.....kids these days don't know what they are missing

anyway, back to the story......

Yup.... It's called OHS, can't build a cool tracks any more...... Lakeside built back in the day...... QR built for safety.... Enough said

  • Like 1

So, that was more like a 12 year history lesson than a build thread, but I intend that the thread will change a bit from here. I’m not worried about saying what actually happens, both the wins and mistakes that comes with doing pretty much everything at home.

The plan from here is to do a pretty big overhaul on the car, and the target (although not essential), is the NSW Production Car round at Bathurst in April. Upcoming jobs:

Replace the PowerFC with a Haltec including dash and flex fuel sensor

Strip the interior and properly prepare it, eg removing tar

Remove unneeded wiring (I’ve only ever added, not removed)

Replace all bushes and balljoints, they are a bit shabby after 10 years racing and 15 years on the road

New fuel pumps, hoses and FPR

Rebuild calipers and booster, replace ABS

We have now done two complete rear cradles and two front ends and what looks easy is simply not fun when you come to attempt it.

Some of the factory bushes are such a pain to remove (even with a good press) that it was easier to pay Pedders to remove them.

Installing new aftermarket bushes or replacing old aftermarket bushes with new ones is a piece of cake by comparison.

Good luck with this job.

  • 1 month later...

umm yeah, nah.

no updates from me, especially not on the new national holiday, "Nismo Day".

I have been working on the trailer mostly, added solar panel, battery, invertor, compressor, winch, cameras lights etc. Pretty big job but all sorted now and should be nice and convenient at the track

trailer1.jpg

trailer2.jpg

trailer3.jpg

trailer4.jpg

And now that's done, I need to sort the spares Neil and I brought back from the container the other week.

spares.jpg

Then...back to this old girl!

  • Like 2
  • 1 month later...

Yeah mate the trailer is awesome, been quite a step up from the death trailer that we used for so long.

An interesting sideline from the weekend.....

At the Federal tyres tech night Mick Hart pointed out that the width of tyres are not always the same between brands, and that semi slicks in particular vary a lot.

So here's an example.....some Dunlop 245 and Federal 245 next to each other on the floor....

tyresize1.jpg

tyresize2.jpg

The pair of Federals are at least 15mm wider than the dunlops

tyresize3.jpg

As far as actual race car work, I've got this de-pressing pile to get to (you are dead right Charles!). Actually spent a fair bit of time trying to remove some 25 year old studs from a hub and had no luck; neither bashing nor pressing up to 5tonnes....the damn things were not about to fall out.

de-pressing.jpg

And some actual car work....I've been running standard sized wheels all this time, 17x8 which has plenty of clearance inner and outer to the standard guards. But Targa rules allow +2" so I'm looking to fit some 18x10s to allow rubber that will last longer....

Interestingly, what everyone says "fits" doesn't really....ie what looks good does not provide much clearance. I bought a set of light and strong rays in 18x 9.5 +12 but even with 245 tyres on and rolled guards there is less than 10mm clearance to the outer guard at full compression, but at least 25mm to the tie rod end and over 40mm to the inner guard.

So, stuffed if I can see the point of a 2" wider wheel that has to run the same 245s I put on 8" rims.....sadly that means these purty rims are up for sale and I'm looking for 18x10 +25 to +35 offset in a similar forged rim

In any case, rolling one rear is done, I'll get the other side and the front done next weekend. As you can see I took the spring off but put the shock back in so I could easily check the wheel over it's full movement. BTW if you ever do it, remember to disconnect the sway bar too :whistling:

rolled_guards.jpg

  • Like 2

ahh, you mean the "good news you can have certainty there are no rules changes for the next three years" rules? Thanks for mentioning because that would save me a heap of trouble....I can just run 33 gtr wheels and everyone comes back to my size :)

hang on, do you mean:

"along with the return of the previous rule in relation to Classic competition wheel sizes, which will come into effect immediately after this year’s Targa Tasmania. "

because that wouldn't affect early modern?

detail from the regs:

59. Wheels

Wheel make and construction are free provided they meet the load carrying capabilities of the vehicle. The

following size allowances apply to the standard wheel size available for the model of vehicle not including any

options or variants.

Modern SS and Showroom

Wheel diameters may be varied by a maximum of plus or minus 1”

Modern LMS and M

S

Wheel diameters and width may be varied by a maximum of plus or minus 2”

Classic SS and All Specifications from 3rd May 2015

Wheel diameters and width may be varied by maximum of plus or minus 2” to a maximum size of 17” diameter

and 8” wide unless the original wheel is larger in diameter and/or width in which case the original wheel size

shall be the maximum size.

Classic LMS and MS until 3rd May 2015

Maximum wheel size is 17” in diameter and 8” wide unless original wheel size is larger in diameter and/or

width in which case the original wheel size shall be the maximum size.

So I think it hasn't changed for me.

BTW looks like Steve may have a problem:

The following vehicle types will not be granted entry into the Modern or Showroom category:

• Vehicles made by one manufacturer and then modified and re–tuned and released as a

derivative of the original car under another name are not permitted.

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