Jump to content

Gordo takes over the Peter Mac Build.


Recommended Posts

My good friend Dimitri was enlisted for the technical wiring of the ignition and other stuff that was beyond me.

    It was time for the engine and gearbox transplant . A few things need attention hear. Peter had modified the gearbox mounts to take an RB box. I was running FJ 20 internals in the standard box. So I fixed the mounts and all was good.

  Also the tail shaft was the wrong length.  Running an R32 diff. So a new tail shaft was in order.

  Then lots of wiring, sorting the throddel cable to pull the triple carbys linkage . Re fitted the alloy radiator.

Small LED head lights were fitted under the front edge of the bonnet.

 

    Engine lifted from the donor car and into the new race car.

post-2078-14402379803_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023798035_thumb.jpg

post-2078-14402379804_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023798045_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Tom. Les Collins has fitted the motor with a custom sump, adding 2lt.

  It was time to put the windscreen in. Before I got the red zed club plates I had a new windscreen fitted. I asked the guy to bring 2 screens out. Knowing I would need one for the race car. I bought enough lexon for the rear hatch, door windows and small quarter windows. The rear hatch was Sickerflexed in and side quarters screwed with rubber washers. The door windows were a bit more involved. I wanted a sliding window in the drivers side. So after resourcing on the Internet I nutted it out. Then I fitted the fiberglass doors and the car was fully closed. No more dust inside.

post-2078-14402379872_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023798727_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023798733_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now that the engine was in, it was time to do the exhaust system . I had the full exhaust from the red zed that was trial fitted. But the 3" all the way was a bit low under the rear diff section. I wanted to run the car real low, race car style . Also in the near future I want to fit a rear defuser. Home made of cause.  So the exhaust had to be as high as possible. So I used the old exhaust  up to a new straight through 3" muffler then split it into a twin 2 1/4 with hot dogs just before the diff. This kept it nice and high, and not to loud. It was a full weekend in the shed , cutting and tacking the bends as I went. Was a real rewarding job doing it myself. So many times I would take a car for a custom exhaust and it never ended how I wanted it !

  Here are some pics from that weekend in the shed. 

post-2078-144023798795_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023798799_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023798802_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023798805_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Was a real rewarding job doing it myself. So many times I would take a car for a custom exhaust and it never ended how I wanted it !

 

 

Great job Gordo, couldnt agree with you more on the exhaust!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great job Gordo, couldnt agree with you more on the exhaust!

 

Yep, they always think they know best.  lol.

  Now the fuel tank need some attention .  Peter had taken out the spare wheel well and covered the hole with 3.5mm alloy sheet. Half in half out. One of those after market square 30lt tanks. After doing some research , I could not race the car with an exposed fuel tank. It would have to be completly sealed. But first I wanted to centre the tank and lower it another 70mm. So I cut a new sheet of alloy and re mounted the tank.

  Trackart in Bayswater was called upon to do the custom tank cover and fuel filler into the rear hatch. Great work Andrew.

post-2078-144023798837_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023798848_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The zed was getting close to start up. I could now put the high volume, low pressure Carter fuel pump in.

Dimitri  (Zedman). Was again called upon to finish the wiring.  We hooked up the powersteering and fuel pump, along with all the switches and ignition stuff. Filled the radiator with coolant.                                                          And with a few pumps of the pedal, she fired up and ran fantastically . Not to loud, and still that old zed note.

  So I took bait of time to set the ride height . Low. And played with the tow and cambers. Ready for a few quil dashes up and down the driveway.  lol.  Man, cold slicks are slippery!  Bit of sideways action.

post-2078-144023798886_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023798896_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all your help Dimitri, I couldn't of done it with out you.  I have a  local auto electrician that I use when needed, you know alternators etc. I asked him if he would wire up my race car. He say yer about $2000.00 . Ok see you later.    I knew enough to get most stuff sorted, and was great to get  Dimitri in on the car. Thanks again mate.

      Now that all the wiring was  done. The plan was to vinyal wrap it in the Carbon wrap.  So all the dash and switcher had to come out. Wow. What a job, I taped and marked every thing. The Vinyal wrap made it look better than I thought. After it was all put back together it was starting to come together.

  The shed time was going through the roof, not just weekend but after work.

 

I even painted the door trims I cut out of thin MDF like plywood . Fitted up my light weight mirrors from eBay .

post-2078-144023798906_thumb.jpg

post-2078-14402379891_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023799231_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023799235_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023799238_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023799245_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With the zed nearing completion, it was time to go over the suspension and bleed brakes etc.  the rear wing had been tested on the red zed and worked really well. Maybe to good. It gave instant under steer. I dialled most of it out with some carpentry work on a front splitter. This set up was to assist me when making the race car aero add ons.

  I also wanted to get the car log booked through Cams.  On the Web site there is a list of scrutineers, . The idea was to get someone to look at the car before it was ready to race. After getting in contact with John. We made a time and he came out after hours to have a pre inspection. A few things were noted.  Front tow hook, fire extinguisher . And the main thing was, he wanted a diagonal roof bar in the rollcage . From front driver side to rear passenger side.

Not much head room in the Zeds at the best of times. Passengers head room has lost about 60mm now.

Anyway all this was done. And John came over and gave it the OK.  So now I have the log book.

    Some pics of the red zed and added aero.

post-2078-144023799341_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023799347_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the complements Guys.  I've enjoy sharing the build with you guys. I wasn't going to do a build thread, but a few people had asked me what was happening with the car, so this was the best way to tell the story.

      The engine bay was now complete .  And a picture of the dash and console .

    Regards Gordo.

post-2078-144023799466_thumb.jpg

post-2078-14402379949_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023799498_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was happy with how the zed looked. But it was always a plan to give it a bit of bling. With road cars its better not to attract unwanted attention from hoons wanting a drag or the police pulling you over to take a look.

  But been a race car I wanted to ad some Datsun type stripes.  Sifting through lots of pics on the web I found bits of stuff I liked , but not a full car I would copy.  And some stuff was Awsome , but way beyond my capabilitys.  So the red and blue strips got the go ahead. Finding the centre of the car and useing a pencil to Mark the edge of the centre stripe was easy.  But getting the stripes to follow the contours on the bonnet required patients and a little help from a heat gun to stretch the  vinyl .

  There's a picture of a Porsche rear wing that inspired my up rights.

  And the strips been done.   

post-2078-144023799512_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023799523_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023799527_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023799532_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023799536_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Time to try and balance the front of the car with a splitter. With the race car about 150mm wider ( flared gards) than the red zed a new splitter would have to be made. It was important to find the finished ride hight with the car so I could determine the splitter hight. I recently went the the Australian GT champs at PI. Looked at all the splitter for inspiration . Wearing my work boots I would slide my tow under the front lip of each car and found most of the cars were between 60 to 80mm from the ground. So this was my starting point.

    The front spoiler was 140mm from the ground , that left me a 70mm gap to fill. I found myself looking at all the cars on the road that had a rounded front bumper bar that I could cut down to fill the gap from spoiler to my plywood splitter.  A trip to pick apart found the VT Commodore had the most suited curve. $20. 

  The black is the bottom of the VT bar upside down. and the red is cut from the VT bumper.

      I used alloy flat bar mounted on the factory bumper bar bolt holes for external front supports.

  The pictures tell the story.

post-2078-144023799586_thumb.jpg

post-2078-14402379959_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023799594_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023799597_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023799601_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So now with the zed as good as finished. It's time to give it a shake down and find out what works and what needs work!  A PIARC sprint was coming up with a Saturday practice , and if its still running a Sunday sprint. Sounds good to me. With my entry excepted , I would have two weeks to give the car a final going over.  The car would not go on the trailer with the splitter fitted.. But I already knew that. I made it so it was easily fitted and removed.

 

    The last thing I wanted to do was put some vinyl decals on the side of the car. I had always liked the stripe on the Porsches . As per pic. So I bought a small roll of vinyl and cut every piece . Marking out the side of the car with pencil and ruler.

    I also put a spares package together for race days.  Stuff I might need.  Like Brake fluid, assorted rubber hoses and hose clamps, nuts and bolts , plugs , leads, coil, race tape, tie wire, etc.  The  car would use between 10 and 15lt of fuel , depending on how long the session went. So 3 Jerry cans were requid.

post-2078-144023799992_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023799996_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023800002_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First Aussie S30 I've seen with a letter box slot for the radiator air intake, that should reduce drag and lift. More good thinking there Gordo  :)

Thanks Richard, I tried this last year.  It was only about 25deg, but didn't affect the car temp.

post-2078-144023800008_thumb.jpg

post-2078-144023800021_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...