yay work of which i paid someone else to do but didn't do so now i have to do it!!

 

Well I managed to spend some time in the garage this weekend. Mostly just getting frustrated if I am honest. I have been trying to kind of reverse engineer the base chassis set up, which is something I know nothing about. To me, step one is setting the ride height, and then I can work with whoever to measure for coilovers front and back. The questionable part has always been the front suspension and how low can that go while still working correctly. I started asking other f-body guys I know what they are running and they said MWC just like me. Well this is the very first set of front suspension they ever made, so its not unreasonable to think they have changed things. I say this because I already know it cant get as low as other cars without binding up. Weeks ago I had taken the coilover out of the driver front and tried to set the center of the hub where it would need to be, and it didnt get there.

Anyway, I wont bore you guys with everything but its been a pain in my *** for weeks. After ******* with it for way too long Saturday, I still dont know if its OK or not. Lets get into pics and I can explain.

This is the driver front wheel as low as it can possibly go.





You can see, no suspension in the car, but both ball joints are bound up.





So from multiple people I have been told to set the ride height at 4-4.5" from the pinch weld. I know of a car that is at 4" and is able to go lower with the same suspension as me, and his is nowhere near bound up at 4" So lets see where I am at.







Very slightly lower as you can see. Also, keep in mind that throughout the whole build I was told it was being built for a 3" ride height. Clearly that was a lie. But this then had me thinking, IS this where I should measure? Here is a wider shot of the area.





When I asked the other owner, he said he is measuring from that lower part to the left. When I asked a chassis guy about this he said no. Anyway, here was the measurement from that lower area.





My next step was to try and get the car to 4" from that spot to see what that looks like. This is where the real frustration started to set in. I cant get both sides to measure the same. I need to make a video about this, but basically the car is very stiff which is expected. If I raise one side it will pick up the other side as well. So I just go back and forth and cant get them to both be the same. That then means, now I cant trust that measuring point IMO. Anyway, here is what it looked like when I had that point at 4" on that side.







Looks lower than the driver side did before I raised it up, but we are going to ignore that for now. The other thing, its all still bound up like that.



Now lets talk rear suspension. For ***** and giggles I took the coil overs from the front of the car and put them in the rear. I am not using these at all anywhere on this car, but I was tired of the square tubing. For anyone wondering, this is how they align with the offset lower mount when its hanging straight down from the top mount.





Here they are in





This is what the car sat like with the coilover in the rear, and nothing in the front. Like I said, I think the other side looks lower when I raised it up?





Yesterday I went back out to mess around some more and check the fitment of some new parts, but the lift wouldn't lower (rear locks not releasing) and that was enough to send me back inside. I need to get to the point where I can actually make progress on this thing. Anytime I start looking at it or messing with it I get immediately frustrated. Mainly because everything I NEED to do is stuff that I already paid to have done.

 

F@$king hell man, I'm sorry you have to deal with this.
Maybe get on Yellow Bullet and ask some of the folks on there, some of those gents are hard core racers who might be able to help.
I hope you're considering legal action against J&E; you should only be paying for the work that was done correctly.

 

I have a build thread on YB, but I might make a post in some other areas. I have talked to a lot of other chassis shops and racers trying to sort this stuff out already, and they have been a big help.
I have considered it, but I probably wont. Its likely not worth the stress and the money. Just chalk it up to bad luck, and move on I guess. I hate that it means they just "get away with it" but here we are, sucks.

 

Friday I went out to my first PRI, which was a great time! I met a lot of people, and had some great conversations, and it got me fired up about the car some. So Saturday I wandered out to the garage and messed around some. Lets start off with the big one, installing my CJRC DZUS tool LOL



I also put in the black allen DZUS buttons I got from them as well. Besides being black, these are flat under the head rather than tapered like what was in the seat. The holes are almost too big now, but I was already considering re-doing the seat anyway, so juts throw that on the list.



Next up I wanted to start messing around with the new headers. I started on the passenger side first.









Should be enough room for an alternator over here.



Next up was the driver side







Sunday I went back out there and pulled the turbo and the crossover off the car to get a better look at what I was working with.





First problem is the steering shaft of course.



I was planning on running these in the up and forward configuration, but that is a no-go on an f-body apparently. I prefer them down and forward, how they are on the car, but that presents some issues. One being the steering shaft for sure. I might have to remount the steering rack on the k-member to lay down that u-joint some. Regardless I will have to add an intermediate shaft. The other concern is front drive components. I need an alternator, and a fuel pump at a minimum, possibly also some oiling components. I am pretty sure Bob over at AEI-CNC can get that squared away, regardless of whatever components I need to get mounted. Just slightly more of a pain in the *** than normal.

I did also spend some time looking at suspension and ride height again, but nothing new there. I was also getting some ideas and a parts list for things like the brake lines, fire system etc. Should be ordering some of those materials soon, and try and make some progress on this thing.

 

Looking good boss.
Maybe have that one tube in the way of the shaft re-worked to go down out of the way and back to the collector?

 

I finally pulled the trigger and started ordering some material and tools for this pile. I decided to start with hardline, so brakes and fire system. I am still waiting on a big order of stuff, but here is what has come in so far.



First up are stainless steel tube nuts and collars. This is for the 3/16" line for the brakes.





I got two new Rigid tubing benders. One for 3/16" and one for 1/4"





Also got a tubing straightener, and a deburring tool





Not pictured, I picked up some bottle mounts for the fire bottles, and I did get the stainless line for the brakes already. I am waiting on the bulk of stuff I ordered though, hopefully I get that in the next day or two.



Yesterday I got off my *** and went to do some arts and crafts on the car. I am considering doing the fuel cell in the back between the rear rails. I took some measurements and did some math and it would be 13.25 gallons if that configuration worked out. So I wanted to make up a mock cell to see how it all fit and if it cleared the back window.











Really hard to tell, but it does clear.





Its not perfect, but close enough. I think I can make the bottom 1/8-1/4" longer for example. I may also raise the rear piece above the bars to gain a bit more volume. The next step is for sure to get a lid and verify its fitment 100%. One thing I did not think about with the fuel cell in this location, I technically need a firewall separating it from the driver area. The downside of building a hatch back. I guess I could just do something on that bar in front of the cell and up to the window. I am not positive on the do's and don'ts for that just yet. Anyway some progress is better than nothing I guess.

 

The rest of my parts came in yesterday. I guess they were not that serious about needing info from me to deliver?



Anyway that is the tubing for the fire system (black coated aluminum) the tube nuts and collars for it. Various bulkhead fittings to go from hard line to flex line for the brakes, and the nuts to hold them in place. A ton of billet p-clamps for both sizes of line. Last up is some weld fittings for a fuel cell. I have -16, -12 and -10 ORB weld fittings for whatever I come up with.



I guess I get to start bending up some hardline. Wonderful.

 

Could you build the gas tank to be flush with the frame then enclose it within the frame?
You might lose a little but then you may not have to seal off the entire hatch area?
Or maybe put the tank under the car, looked like you had tons of room underneath?

 

Yeah, I could do that but it has drawbacks. I don't really like the idea of it being under either. It just puts the weight so far back and so low. Ill come up with something, just not sure what yet

 

Any updates? it's been a month, where ya at?

 

First off, I really appreciate you checking in. I probably need more pressure to be honest.

The update is that I haven't even looked at the car. For whatever reason(s) I just haven't been able to get my *** out there to do anything. I might just shove it in the corner and focus on my buddies Chevelle for Sick Summer this year. We dropped out on day 1 last year, and I don't want to repeat that.

 

Alright, that's cool least your still alive here lmao

 

Lou's Chevelle is a cool build, what was the problem with it last year?

Your T/A will be a badass build when done. Have you picked Manna's brains at all about the steering linkage?

 

Yeah the Chevelle is pretty bad ***, even if its slow LOL We broke a hiem joint on the diagonal brace for the ladder bars on day 1. Lou made the call to tow it back to my house to see what was up. We had Dennis fix it the next morning, and then just hung out until they were back at Byron on Friday. Well we did drive it out to rock falls to hang out and do burnouts. Anyway on Friday when I went to launch it, it blew the fuse for the ignition so the car just shut off. The one wire for the MSD found its way near some metal and rubbed through the insulation.

The car is back by me now to get fixed up and ready for this year. Some of the key changes are a new shifter, more sensors, fix/clean up/improve wiring, new rear springs. Hopefully we make the whole week, and run a bit better this year.

Since I am here, I may as well update about my car as well. I posted this on another site about a week ago, and forgot to cross post it here.So Saturday I had to shuffle the cars around so I could get to work on the Chevelle for Sick Summer. This was an entire **** show, but lets focus on just the TA. I had moved the Chevelle just out of the garage at first, and then lowered down the TA to show my Dad who randomly just showed up at my house. Then I had to move the Chevelle further down the driveway so I could get the TA off the lift and out of the way. That was when I noticed the TA has a pretty hard lean to it...



Turns out its 1.5" taller on the driver side. I put it back in the air and the shocks are set the same center to center. They are on the same holes for the lower brackets. The #1 bar is about 1/4" lower on the passenger side. There is also no ARB in the car, so no pre-load or anything like that. Looks like its mainly that the body is crooked on the chassis. Looking at the picture, it might mainly just be the quarter panels/rear of the car. The roof looks level-ish. ******* wonderful...

Anyway, then I moved the TA out.



She does look pretty good out in the sun sitting low. Cant wait for proper fitting rear wheels as well.

Just out here looking like hillbillies



And put away.



Add that to the never ending list of **** that is fucked up on this car that I don't have money to re-do.

 

Look I know you said you don't want to, but you may want to reconsider legal action my friend.
I hate to say it and really don't want to bring you down, but it sure does look like those clowns may have ruined your car.
Is it possible to get a second opinion from another builder like CJRC for example who can specifically line out everything that is wrong and what it would take to fix?
Then collect all that info with pics and get in front of a judge.
Love your garage btw.

 

Good to see more updates, that lean is horrid, ****.

 

I have been trying to get quotes from multiple chassis shops about finishing the work that wasn't done, and also inspecting/repairing the rest. So far, no luck on any of that. Not sure if they are just super busy, not interested, or what the deal is. I know a lot of chassis shops aren't super keen on quotes, and I doubly understand that when its a lot of unknown, but I need to know what I am looking at. Is this going to be $10k to fix/finish, or $100k? I have a pretty good guess, but that doesn't really help ya know. The smart money would be to sell it as is, and start over with another car, but that's not happening.

Aint race cars fun!

 

Keep your head up my friend, be patient.
My guess is they are busy, I'm still seeing a lot of new cars coming out of shops these days.
In frustrating situations like this its sometimes as you mentioned a good idea to just put the car in the corner, focus on something else and come back to it when recharged.
I also find it helpful to start planning, maybe start listing everything you want changed or corrected and do a little bit at a time.