Captdistraction's ST2/GTR build thread Build Thread

[THRAPY]

I suspect there is a slight difference in price.

 

[Grant 302]

I suspect there is a slight difference in price.

Mine were $72 with the center hood stripe. I think it would have been $53 for just the sides and R's

 

[THRAPY]

Wow! Will be giving them a call.

 

[steveespo]

Competition Graphics makes the sets for the race teams, they are $350 a set including the rear window banner 'Ford Go Further" or such.
knock offs are probably just as good, just check what vinyl they are using. 3M or Oracal are preferred.
Steve

 

[captdistraction]

I definitely recommend the CG sets as they include lots of alignment bits and the vinyl has held up very well.

So overdue for an update, not much going on. Car has had all the harnesses stripped out of the interior and cage install has begun. We've lowered the drivers seat mount and adjusted the pickup points for some of the driver controls.

On the engine side no real movement. I received my old heads back and the scoring in the cam journals wasn't as brutal as I had expected to see. That being said the carbon and oil coating for what was effectively 20k street miles is unbelievable. The combustion chamber looks like it had 200k on it. "They" said the rings had lost their tension which would explain that. As far as the low idle oil pressure, I'm not convinced the cam journals were the only issue. I want to see the Mmr oil pump gears but I doubt they'll give me that insight. While my cage builder is very communicative, I have to pull teeth over with the engine side and I hate being a pest that has to always track down status of items . I know they haven't started in my build yet but I'm not in a rush there. I just want to be informed once they do but not a promising start. I'm probably slighted just due to the history of the motor stuff with them. Some pictures of the head from the running but poor condition cylinder heads (1-4)

Lastly I've put some work on the intake kit, ordered a ford racing front bumper beam, Hans ready belts, etc.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Very excited to see what your CJ setup puts to the ground when you finally get all that back in.

@Budget Boss check out that seat lowering...

 

[Budget Boss]

ArizonaBoss

I saw that. Gonna save the pic. If the Wedge doesn't work out I may need to get this done.

captdistraction

Car is looking good. Can't wait to see it completed. I am sure you can't either.

 

[Roadhouse]

The initial fab work is looking good.

 

[captdistraction]

I have some better pictures of the seat mounts if needed, that was one the builder sent me.

What happened there is removal of the factory "seat bridge", one of the front mounts was removed. Then simple fabrication and then the bracket (a wedge or similar) had its tabs removed and welded to match the new floor. Drop is roughly 2", but now I barely see over the hood with the seat at bottom mount. However, I can raise it up via the side posts, and I'm reserving judgement until the car is configured at race weight as its somewhat pointed in the air right now and in a garage.

 

[captdistraction]

I lied about the pictures, I'll have some taken without the harsh sun cutting off half.

 

[captdistraction]

Not much happening with the summer. Cage is in process, the a pillar bars came out great and are super recessed.

I've worked on some more parts, cleaned up he very ugly casting of the cobra jet intake, finished the airbox, and ordered some more bits (Watson racing Howe ball joints and solid motor mounts).

Some pictures:


Completely out of money so updates will be slow for a bit. No word from MMR on where the motor repairs are but I can deal with the pace for now.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

RE: Bottom of seat pic...so THAT is what the springs that occasionally roll around my floorpan are from. Would also help explain why my seat cover has a tough time staying on the passenger side :-/

 

[captdistraction]

Should be an easy fix with a spring (if you need replacements I have some throttle springs that may work).

Did some other research today:

I'm roughly $5,200 to race ready in costs (that covers finishing the cage options, paint, remainder of motor costs, and all the parts, brake pads, miscellaneous bits, fluids etc). On that note, I followed up on my spends and timing: I sent the motor off on 3/18, and so far its only been torn down. I'm hoping to hear more on that this week, and I'm still hunting a local resource to check the work once I get it back.

 

[Roadhouse]

Cage is looking GOOD!

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Should be an easy fix with a spring (if you need replacements I have some throttle springs that may work).

Did some other research today:

I'm roughly $5,200 to race ready in costs (that covers finishing the cage options, paint, remainder of motor costs, and all the parts, brake pads, miscellaneous bits, fluids etc). On that note, I followed up on my spends and timing: I sent the motor off on 3/18, and so far its only been torn down. I'm hoping to hear more on that this week, and I'm still hunting a local resource to check the work once I get it back.

Uh, well if you want to just go out there and GET it with the truck one of these weekends or something just let me know.

 

[captdistraction]

Another update:

Slow going here. Wedding plans and financial pains are slowing the build

Motor is MIA, who the f* knows where it is, what MMR is doing or not doing or if they're going to do a good job on the build. I get more nervous as time goes on, but I hate pestering them with updates as I feel like that's how you get a rushed motor out of them. who knows, maybe I'll be the lucky one, but likely not. I may sell off the motor when I get it back and just get an aluminator shortblock to bolt my new heads to. Anyways, I'll cut out the rambling there.

On the cage and chassis side, lots of progress:

-chinese kooks wrapped (these things have been rock solid for me for the couple years now I've had them), the X pipe was welded to remove slip fits that sometimes leaked on me (not at any factory joints, just where the "cat" pipe sections would go)
-bought a driveshaft (DSS aluminum)
-bought a boss 302r kitty litter scoop and another whiteline trans mount
-watson balljoints are being installed
-may also pick up a bob's diff overflow and the blowfish bracket (not decided)
-made decision to go with a optic armor rear window, lexan sides and glass front
-cage is progressing, settled on 10 points of contact to the body (which should cover me in rules). There may be a couple gray-area violations here, but we have a plan for those and will see. I chose more safe over strict compliance, we'll see how that goes. Cage 100% meets the minimum requirements in design for PASA, NASA, etc.

Some pictures:


Its amazing how tucked the a pillars are, and how unintrusive the whole cage is. This fits way better than the otherwise proven watson cage (albeit at a higher cost)


Tons of head room which makes me very happy





We are still cutting up this part of the dash for the column mount, I won't have those lower parts to allow more leg clearance


The small bars here are mocked up, and are very light. The whole cage build uses 4 sizes, the largest being the required size for all the main bars required by CCRs
















Cage should be done in the next few weeks, and then off to paint. The paint work will be a very light gray throughout the interior, and we've already powdercoated everything that was bare metal before. While it doesn't look it now, this car will end up being very, very clean.

Goal is one event in 2015. Just have to find a lot of money between now and then.

 

[DGRacing]

Great work man. We're all pulling for ya to get'er done. I saw someone selling a stock GT motor for like $5000 on FB. Don't expect anything from MMR....unless you go there in person.

 

[302 Hi Pro]

Nice work on the cage, and stripping the interior sealants, etc. will you shoot the bare metal bits with a soft etching, self sealing welder so primer to prevent surface rust on the bare metal bits?

I saw the welder's primer in use on a spot weld application and it allowed weld penetration then floated back in to surround and seal the spot weld. Slick stuff.

Perhaps not your application but also very useful with mig, tig and stick applications like yours.

Good luck with your engine build, but I agree with DG56, it might be time for a field trip to inspect what you expect.

Regards,
Dave
2HP

 

[captdistraction]

Field trip may be in the works. I have a wedding on September 5th, then out of the country until the 21st, and before that I have a bachelor party weekend with another couple BMO'ers. So I'm pretty booked but I agree, at some point I'm going to have to go in person and see what shakes.

We will use a self-etching primer, but I'll defer to the painter on what will happen there. Thankfully in arizona, we have a long working time on those tubes before rust becomes an issue. The cage should be done soon, just have to cut the doors, install door bars, the harness bar should be in today or so, and then just some minor assembly.

I do need to order the wing soon, going to be interesting to figure out how to get that in budget as we will need to mock it up with the trunk and build the mounts for it.

In the end, I just have to tell myself: its just money.

 

[DGRacing]

I have a wedding on September 5th, then out of the country until the 21st, and before that I have a bachelor party weekend

What is all this crazy talk?