I bought a Rolls Royce and want to build it. (Page 21 of 33)

Yeah the axle mount was welded to the axle properly, but the part was just made shitty, it seems stout as hell now so hopefully that's behind us. The last 2 laps we started stretching her legs a but and the car was really working well. Hoping this new engine allows us to get some laps tomorrow. New engine is going in as we speak!

This is truly one for the history books...
If they made a coffee table pictorial book out of this thread, I would buy it...

So I guess Class C Win trophy is off the table, but there is still IOE, Org, choice, I got screwed, Heroic Fix trophies left on the table...!!!
And maybe a Made For This Race trophy...

They need to make a good showing tomorrow to get an IOE but another award is not out of the question.

Thanks! In 5 min., I'll have $20 on: #37 for the powerball, all combinations of 7, 8, and 9 [for the car's number], and random #s for the rest... Wawa convenience store is 1/2 mile  right down the road. This'll pay for the cage!

Well, ...   ...  ... , it wasn't a completely wasted trip - coffee's $1 [for a limited time], it's my coffee vendor of choice, and I picked up some milk while I was there.....

Race monitor has the Rolls Viper in last place of the cars that started (not counting a few cars at the bottom of the list that apparently got lots of penalty laps).  #111 passed the Dodge Royce Silver Shadow R/T a while ago and how has 6 laps but they seem to be stopped again so if the Silver Shadow R/T can get back out there for 4 laps they could get to 103rd place!

However, I'm pretty sure that 3 laps is a world record for a Viper powered Rolls.

INTENSE WEEKEND

We get there late Thursday and get a room, wake up early to get the track when the gates open at 7:00.  We have a lot of things to finish up on the car, and we get them all ready by around noon and take the car out for the first drive ever.  After a lap or two the power steering hose fitting cracked and car needed a tow.

TOW 1

We head to a speed shop and buy all the fittings and attempt to get it all back together.  Power steering pump was making noise, so I swapped it with a spare I brought and button it back up at the last minute to get it to tech at right around 5.  I put fluid in the pump and it starts pouring fluid out of the pump from a pinhole in the nipple of the tank that was basically impossible to see.  I say screw it and pull the belt and drive it to tech.

There was a huge crowd, and it sounded like mostly everybody loved the car. I brought a ton of car high end car emblems and a bottle of Booze for bribes.  They really liked the car emblems!

Got Class C 0 laps.  That was a huge relief after having worried about it for quite some time.  I'm happy that they saw the amount of hard work that went into everything and were merciful. Hopefully they let us run Class C next race!

Saturday morning we get there at gate open and get the car prepped and ready as best as we can to head out.  We get out on time and are doing laps.  They wave the checker and a lap later this happened.

TOW 2

The lower control arm bracket I bought had a crappy weld and ripped right off the mount.

We borrowed a welder and welded the bracket back together, I re-welded the other bracket, and we added some bracing. The heim on the watts link was really really bent, but luckily the neighbors had a vice and I didn't rip their cabinet out of the wall getting it straight!

We get the axle buttoned up and complete two more laps.

https://youtu.be/9DGkrTSkSEE

Then this happens.

TOW 3

I called my Brother and he grabbed another viper engine from work and started driving our way.  He was 3 hours out.  We got the engine out by the time he got there, had to swap all the custom parts over (wiring harness, power steering pump, oil pan, throttle body, exhaust manifolds, etc)

There were many challenges, but I do not wish to re-hash those bad memories.

Got the engine in Saturday morning and last thing was bleeding the clutch.  It started pouring fluid out of the bell housing. 

That is not how that is supposed to work.

I pulled the trans [for the 4th time(multiple issues), with no trans jack]

I find the throw out bearing case has a crack in it.  I was going to bring one as a spare...but didn't! HA

Go to the local store and the camaro throwout bearing is too different to make work, There is no welder anywhere, and I'm not giving up.

I put it all back together with no throwout bearing and asked the Organizers if I can get push started to drive in without having to stop since I'm not racing with no clutch.

Back on the track!

I lose power steering and pull off

TOW 4

Get back and see the belt shredded since the Viper Car pullies are not the same as the Viper Truck pullies.  I brought a spare belt, cut 2 ribs off, and eyed the spacing.  Score!

I literally beat the piss out of the car for the next 2.5 hours. We have a huge problem with the brakes, someone told me its pedal knock back.  We bled the brakes probably 10 times, and have a firm pedal, but when you're driving you basically have to keep tapping the brake pedal so it doesn't go soft and spongey. It's kinda sketchy.  I have no fuel gauge and I felt a stumble so I came for more fuel with 30 minutes left.

Head back out there and there was a bunch of cars that braked suddenly so I went off on the grass to be safe....I could have just driven out, but NOOOOO says the lack of throwout bearing.

TOW 5

I get towed to the pits, I have the driver drop me, get push started by random cool drunk dudes and head back on the track

FINISHED

There was a long line of cars on the way back, but since I had no clutch I had to stall the car 3 times to not hit the car in front and have the people standing on the rail help push start.

Organizers Choice Trophy

81 Total laps

1:53 best lap WITH ONE GEAR (best that weekend was 1:44)

I need a vacation.

Take that vacation.  It should not have gone any other way!  Nice work.

That car was really quick...All I saw was taillights in the distance

Welcome to the "I wanted to use a chrysler engine and it bit me in the ass" club, we have a support group.

Congrats on getting through the first race with the car and the never say die attitude that got you there. Now you've got a considerable amount of time to sort though all the little issues you found and make it solid. Keep the updates coming, that car is going to be insanely quick once it's sorted out and has a few more gears.

I'd agree with knock back being your brake issue. When you're mentally ready to deal with the car again, try something out. Drive it down a long straight somewhere and see if the pedal goes soft. Then take some corners hard and check again. If the pedal stays fine going straight but goes soft after some hard turns, check wheel bearings. It's a common sign that one might be going if the pads get pushed out under hard turns, basically the hub is being allowed to flex and push on the pads. If it's going soft just going straight it might be a warped rotor or a rotor with build up on it. But I think you'd notice that under heavy braking as a pulsing pedal.

I am glad to see you got the car out there. I don't think you'll have a problem staying in class C for the near term. Once you get it sorted out, it may be a different story but for now you should be safe.

This does not accurately represent how alarmingly quick this car is.

1:43 is what we call a "statistical anomaly" set by Lemonaid racing (trust me, their car isn't overly cheaty... they're just 'that' good of drivers) Most of the faster A-class cars were ripping ~1:50 laps with a half dozen teams running 1:49-1:48 laps.

1:53 in a fricking Rolls Royce with just one gear is amazing!

I'll admit, I was quite skeptical when I first read about this project, but this car and guy (Darko) is the real deal. Watch out! This will be a car to follow for some time to come.