Another simple 'update' drove it a few blocks to a friend's place and back just to test her out. Has some GO for sure, and I also tested out the line lock. Never had one before...

Too much fun!

 

Sweet !!! Now that should have been a video! I can't wait until my car is rolling. Congrats.

 

Well... With the nicer weather I managed to get a few things done to where the car was 'ready' for the streets. I want to work the bugs out of it before I paint it so I decided to license it last week. I've been driving it. Hard. I've worked my redline up as I check to see how the fueling is doing. 5000, 5500, and now 6000. Not sure I want to go much higher as it already breaks traction shifting to 2nd and 3rd. First car I've ever had do that!
Here's some recent pics:


Anyway, with the hard driving, as to be expected, I found my first 'weak link'...

My 'cheapish' triangulated four link gave out. It's the axle bracket that holds the lower link. All the other tabs/mounts look fine. No idea how it managed to twist like it did without anything else twisting. The upper link mounts still look fine but I'll know better when I pull the rearend out tomorrow.
Curious if you guys have any recommendations on four links? I'm thinking a set of axle brackets from Welder Series? Also may go with their full kit as I suspect the bar themselves must've bent too or something but again I'll know better when I can throw a straight edge on them.
The rear end is a Ford 8.8 without stock four link mounts. I have a hard time justifying the $1000+ price for the brand name setups that I'll have to customize to fit my frame/setup. Just need some thick brackets and strong links.
Open to suggestions/people's experiences.
TIA

 

Love your project! I know you plan on painting it, but I like the patina look.

Anyway. I think you might post up a few more pictures and get better suggestions. It is hard to figure out what we are looking at (at least me).

 

Not real sure but that looks like the lower driver side. I have a triangulated 4 bar setup on a Ford 8.8 also and don't like the way it mounts. Can't really get the proper angles for the upper mound due to the cast center section. Find it very odd that only ONE mount has twisted. Of course with twin turbos you will be able to find one weak link after another! By the way, nice work getting the whole think under the hood. Keep us updated on the mounts please.

 

Okay. Got the rear axle dropped. Here's a couple clearer pictures.
Passenger side (as installed):

Driver's side (after 600hp):

And a couple other pics:


That's the only bracket that appear to have bent at all! The bushings are a little on the soft side so I'm wondering if that was enough to allow the system to flex. On the plus side, I'm happy to see that my welds are stronger than the brackets!

I see on the Heidts kit the two metal pieces that come down to connect to the lower link have a brace across the front to keep it from doing this exact thing. Maybe whatever brackets I go with, I'll brace the same way. Also, I'm thinking I should look into replacing the stainless links with stouter ones.

Still looking for suggestions/preferences on kits other have had good luck with.

 

Also, FWIW, here's a picture of the four link right after I installed it:

 

One thing I'm glad to see is you found it this way and not by the car taking a hard right turn while you were driving it.

 

Well... Kinda... I got on it as I was leaving a right hand turn, and when this twisted it essentially shortened the link on that side pulling my 315/35/r20 tire into the frame. Caused a good bit of smoke and I pulled over and found it. Got a friend to bring a trailer over and trailered it home. So it was while driving, but not as scary as it could've been.

 

Maybe it's just the pic, but to me the passenger side looks a little bent too. Those brackets look kind of wimpy for a rear 4 link, especially with 600hp. Find someone with a plasma cutter and remake those out of 1/4" cold roll and you probably won't have another problem.

 

Yes, I definitely think I should go bigger, and I was gifted a plasma cutter, so it's tempting to make a se, just hoping to find a set that's tried and true so I don't have to bend them, etc. With the body on the frame now I'm not sure how I'm gonna be able to reinforce the front brackets. Maybe box them in a bit and brace them better.

 

Well... Ordered brackets from 'Paul Horton's Welder Series' and the brackets are great. Very quality pieces at great prices. the downside was that I ordered on Feb 28th, and I didn't get the brackets until March 17th. During this time I had 0 updates until I got a call from a fella in Texas with the same name as myself. Turns out they found his information (ordered their catalog years ago) and added my order to his information. I called them the morning after this call and they said they'd finally packaged up the brackets to send, well they were about to head to Texas, but we straightened it out.
Anyways... brackets received, had them welded on the same night, and the axle back under the car 6 hours later.
New bracket vs. Old bracket (I did drill out the 1/2" holes to make room for my 5/8" bolts)-

Here's one of the brackets welded in along with a brace across the front to box it in-

The next day I went to a Shinedown concert and stayed up til 4:30 AM. Got up at 7 to drive back home and check out an open house, by the time I was back to my place I was pretty strung out. All I can say is don't adjust axle geometry on < 3 hours of sleep...

The axle shifted with my finger in the bracket/bushing (poor decision making). Almost cut clean through my finger!

All stitched up-

Anyways, after that I called it quits for the day, the next day I finished lining up the axle and a couple days later I took it out for a few pictures:


And a couple of my favorites-



I also got a GoPro for my birthday, so I tested out getting a few videos driving around town. This was a fun/short one where I get on it a bit. Car sounds good IMO. I don't think I can embed the video, so here's the link:
I'll get one of a burnout eventually.

 

It sounds good! I don't know if your lucky for not doing more damage to the finger or unlucky for having it happen to you. Take care of that finger, I hope it heals up quick.

 

Had the car on its (and my) first ever dyno run today. Drove over the mountains and back to get there. Made 510 WHP on the second pull. Didn't have any time to tweak the fairly conservative timing because there were other people ready to go. I made 2 runs and found the driver's side turbo burnt a hole in my silicone oil return line on that side. So I called it good. Replaced the tube and watched some other runs, including a diesel truck put down 1098 HP and 2141ftlb of torque as he blew his head gasket. It was a lot of fun!


Also won a trophy at the local car show last week!



Here's a few pics of dad and I's Cuda and his Vette too!

 

VEry cool. Sorry to hear obout the bad luck. Do the DRs' seam to thing the fingernail will grow back(together) For your sake, I hope so. Not having a fingernail is painful. At least a whole one. The tissue under it is VERY sensitive, You don't realize how much you will bump it.

Anywho…….. Glad to see a update. Keep up the great work. Very cook build !!!

 

I lost the nail, as they had to peal it up to stitch my nail bed back together, but a. New one eventually grew in its place. It finally was long enough to trim it last week and is looking nearly normal at this point!

 

Very nice, much respect.
But most importantly does the little woman have a ring on her finger yet?

 

I knew it would. (been there, done that, LOL) its just annoying having to be so careful with putting your hand anywhere. I always had to stuff my hands into my pockets at work and hurt like hell.

 

I love Sudden Delivery and you guys have some beautiful cars. Nice numbers, it must be a blast to drive.

 

It's been almost a year since I've updated, but haven't done much with the drivetrain so I didn't feel it was too relevant. I drove the car 1800 miles last year working the bugs out of it. No major problems since I replaced the axle bracket. Late last fall I decide it was time to tear it back down to do bodywork. Did a number of "custom" changes to the car like a rear roll pan, a front air dam (scoop for more cooling air) where I needed a bumper filler, carbon fiber hood scoops, deleted the vent windows as well as cut a huge hole in the roof for a sunroof. Then I finally started body working the car in March. Man did that take a while. Did some design work for a friend's addition a couple months ago and in exchange he insisted I use his paint booth to paint my car. Sunday I finished with the paint. I couldn't be happier. There's a few flaws, but it was my first ever paint job and was a tough one considering the amount of pearl and the design I wanted. Here's some update pictures. Hope to have the car fully drivable again in a week so I can make it to the local car show again this year (July 1).

Here's the sunroof fitted in the car, it's a panoramic out of a Mini Cooper.


Here's a shot of the front air dam


Rear roll pan I built using a harbor freight shrinker/stretcher and English wheel.

Ventless windows

Firewall painted

Some ideas for paint design

And a pic of the paint while it was still in the booth


A close up of the pearl