Destination SSM

At this point, I need to start thinking about when the car will first be ready to turn a wheel in anger.  The motor is built, but many more pieces need to fall into place before the car is usable.  I’ve stripped out most of the interior of the car, replaced the rear finish panel (the one on the car was broken), and pulled everything out of the trunk that I’m allowed to (since the battery is going in the engine bay).  Hopefully by the end of this week, I’ll have the full drivetrain out on the floor, the dash out, and the rear and dash harnesses lightened (removing radio wiring).  However, I’m still waiting on a bunch of things:

• The gearset for the transmission just got to Advanced Autosports late last week.  He says he’s going to start on it Wednesday and that I should have that back to me sometime the week of the 20th.
• Doug is still getting his shop together, but he can hopefully get the OS Giken installed onto the R/P and into the pumpkin (and install the ABS rings on the non-ABS axles) by about the same time as the transmission gets here.
• Axis Power Racing is currently making me a CF hood which should be done and to me sometime the week of the 20th as well.  Once that gets here, I’ll need to get Doug to fabricate 2 hood pin mounts for the rear corners.
• Axis Power Racing is also making me 2 seats, which are going to take at least a week longer than that (he’s still trying to find a new upholsterer), so that date is still completely unknown.
• I’m talking with Axis Power Racing about making some custom CF fenders that are cut out to clear the giant wheels, and to not bother going widebody.  Date unknown.
• I need to figure out a harness solution by the time the seats get here, but I think it’s just going to be getting two 4-point harnesses and bolting the harnesses to the rear deck.  This will require more light fab by Doug as well.
• I’ve bought some double adjustable custom shocks (and springs) from FatCat Motorsports.  He’s not sure exactly when they’re going to be done, but there’s a remote possibility it will be ready by early March.  I also need to buy some spring rubbers from him so that I can tune the spring rates on the fly.
• I have no idea when Corky Bell is going to get this manifold done or when he’s going to even quote me for making the radiator and/or intercooler.
• I have emails out to Ciro Designs and Don Nimi for some more information on availability of some next gen twin element wings.  When I last talked to both of them (last year), they were hoping to have stuff shipping by March-ish, but who knows how much their goals will have slipped in a couple months.
• Given that the motor isn’t even in the car yet, who knows if I’ve messed something critical up with the massive wiring harness changes I’ve made, or with the ABS, so I’m sure there’s a bunch of teething to go on there.

The first event of the year up here is March 11th.  Looking at the above, if lots of cards fall into place, it’s a feasible goal to have the car running in basically extended CSP trim in time for that first event of the year and start a bit of teething.  However, it’s contingent upon Axis getting me seats in time and FatCat getting me suspension.  The car can then improve incrementally once it’s in basic running shape, and hopefully by mid April I’ll have a supercharger and aero and can start testing the car for real.

This entry was posted on February 6, 2012 at 11:30 am and is filed under Delays . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.