Micks Racecar Project LX202 to VH308
#1
Posted 30 October 2007 - 10:24 PM
It all started back in 2003, at that stage I was 37, a bit old to start racing !!!
Anyway, I went to Phillip Island one day to watch my cousin race his XY Falcon.
It looked like heaps of fun, and I decided I needed to get involved and I had this idea that I could go just as fast as him for a lot less money. Of course it had to be in a Torana, only problems were I had no Torana and very little spare money.
I can't quite bring myself to put a Ford picture here but if you click on the link, you can see Karls Falcon.
https://cache.gmh-to...fastlx/KWXY.jpg
Within a few weeks I had sold an old Kawasaki dirtbike that was gathering dust and bought an LX Sedan. It took a while to get started but over the next 18 months, I patched up some rust, pulled off the gas, towbar etc, removed the 173 and put in a 202 which came from a forumer here, a quick hone, a set of rings, SH XU1 cam, SH YT head, new lifters, SH Holley 350, SH lightened flywheel, (all SH parts sourced through gmh-torana people, already had extractors, welded up a big bore exhaust from scraps, swapped the M20 for a Toyota 4 speed, bought NEW front brake pads from Super Cheap Autos, a tacho and a couple of guages and I was ready to try it out. I found some 13" Hotwires and some S/H 60 series tyres to replace the Bob Jane All Rounders.
First time out at Phillip Island I had major overheating problems which meant that after 3 or 4 laps I would come in with water spraying out from under the bonnet but the car ran well otherwise and I was had a ball. It revved to 6000 easily which I figured was enough for a stock bottom end, it sounded good and I was hooked.
#2 _tyre fryer_
Posted 30 October 2007 - 10:31 PM
i wonder what it cost you all up?
how often do you race?
#3
Posted 30 October 2007 - 10:46 PM
Great to see someone out there actually participating and obviously having an absolute ball, all the best and hope the lap times keep tumbling!!
Dave
#4
Posted 30 October 2007 - 10:57 PM
I had a look at the results from the other week at P.I.
Didn't you get there?
#5
Posted 31 October 2007 - 07:25 AM
I did make it to Phillip Island a couple of weeks ago but on the saturday. They only post results from the Sunday.
#6 _Yella SLuR_
Posted 31 October 2007 - 09:48 AM
I thought I missed my chance after finishing six years at Uni. Anyways, I bought my second Torrie (after having to sell the first for damn Uni) and went to a Historic Racing meet. I'll be blowed if there wasn't dudes there more than 70 in the shade jumping into cars with massive smiles on their dials. This was about the same starting age as yourself. Track Torrie is on program for completion this March, got my CAMS officials and provisional circuit license. Don't know how good I'll be, but god if I can have as large a smile on my dial as those old fellas, that will be reward enough.
Thanks for sharing.
#7 _Yella SLuR_
Posted 31 October 2007 - 09:51 AM
Let me know when you are running at Winton and I'll come for a look. I usually watch Peter Sayers & Mick Hogg run when they are at Wakefield. Would be good to catch up, as you never stop learning new stuff.
Edited by Yella SLuR, 31 October 2007 - 09:53 AM.
#8 _LH 333_
Posted 31 October 2007 - 01:35 PM
I used to get more races out of the stock 253 than i ever have with the worked 308 cos im still paying for the motor i cant afford to race it. one day soon though she'll be back on the track.
Well done on the car and bang for buck
Edited by LH 333, 31 October 2007 - 01:37 PM.
#9
Posted 31 October 2007 - 09:23 PM
Never to old to startI'll be blowed if there wasn't dudes there more than 70 in the shade jumping into cars with massive smiles on their dials. This was about the same starting age as yourself.
#10
Posted 31 October 2007 - 09:26 PM
Now that I had been to the track, I knew what the major problems were. An overheating problem and bad oversteer.
Dollars were a real problem but around this time I bought a couple of UC Torrys quite cheaply and wrecked them out, selling the parts here and on ebay and so armed with some money I set to work.
I had rear springs out of a much heavier car in the LX, I threw them away and fitted a set of HQ springs. They were too long so I cut them and reworked the ends into the correct shape and got the car sitting right. I bought a big front sway bar from LXChev and re-fitted the rear bar. I fitted a CIG locker 3.36 diff to cure the wheelspin (DRCruz) out of slower corners and I bought a 3 core radiator from a forumer (Turbotorana?) for a ridiculously cheap price to get the cooling under control. I think I also fitted 14" rear tyres to offset the diff ratio change from 3.08 to 3.36
I had fitted a UC front end during the original build up, I made some spacers and managed to get about 3 deg neg camber. Measured with a builders level, a ruler and high school triginometry ! Couldn't afford a front end alignment.
I went to the next PIARC sprint in July 05 hoping to take about 10 seconds off my previous best time.
The car ran like a dream, no overheating problems, handling was much more predictable, so now I could concentrate on learning to drive on a race track. My best lap for the day was a 2.14 which although nothing flash, it was a big improvement over my first time.
https://cache.gmh-to...lx/Torana3a.jpg
#11 _73LJWhiteSL_
Posted 31 October 2007 - 10:09 PM
Good job mate. Always inspiring to hear of another 'need for speed'
Steve
#12
Posted 31 October 2007 - 10:46 PM
I had fitted a UC front end during the original build up, I made some spacers and managed to get about 3 deg neg camber. Measured with a builders level, a ruler and high school triginometry ! Couldn't afford a front end alignment.
#13
Posted 01 November 2007 - 08:46 PM
http://www.sdpics.co.../imageFolio.cgi
Thanks for all the comments and pm's. I will answer most of the pm's in the story as I go because a few of you have asked the same questions about how to get started etc
You can find all this info on the various car club websites, but basically you need to join a club $60 upward depending which club you join.
Most sprints are open to any members of a cams recognised car club so it doesn't really matter which club you join.
Most car clubs run their own club championship which might consist of a few sprints they run themselves, a few sprints run by other clubs and maybe a Hillclimb or Autocross event.
You will need a Cams L2S Licence which you can buy on the day and costs about $80 per year.
Phillip Island Auto Race Club (PIARC) run the sprints I have entered so far. They have a 2 day event, the saturday is practice, the cars go out in groups of about 14 and do 15 minute sessions. You get a minimum of 4 sessions, I have had 6 a couple of time, it depends on the number of entries on the day.
Sunday is Supersprint day, the 14 cars leave pitlane 2 at a time , do a warm up lap and 3 flying laps which are timed. The times go on the PIARC website so you can't fool your mates about how fast you went !!! Your fastest lap for the day counts towards the club championship etc.
Often on sunday there is a photographer there (see link to sd pics above) and after lunch he will have photos of your car for sale.
Well thats enough for tonight, stay tuned for my final outing in the Torana, the decision to sell it and the replacement car.
Edited by micklx, 01 November 2007 - 08:49 PM.
#14
Posted 02 November 2007 - 09:51 PM
In an effort to make some more HP cheaply, I put a wanted ad on the forums, asking to borrow some triple carbies. A young guy about 30 mins up the road had a set of triple SU's sitting around so I bolted them on. I also cleaned out the front calipers and fitted new seals to try and stop one of the fronts locking under hard braking, and i fitted another set of supercheap autos front pads because the existing ones had worn on a weird angle and were almost worn out after less than 2 hours driving ! I had flat spotted a tyre due to locking a wheel coming down into MG lap after lap, apparently it looked good from the pit roof, I must have made a fair bit of smoke, so I threw another used tyre on the front, the canvas hanging out of the other one may have caused some problems at scrutineering.
So on 25th Sept 05 I headed back to the Island on a sunday. This time my laptimes would be on the internet for all to see so I had to show some improvement over my previous best of 2.14
On the warm up lap the brakes felt a bit dodgy but I pressed on, the car made a little more power in the top end with the triples and all was good until I arrived at the end of the straight on the first lap and the brake pedal went nearly to the floor. Scary !!!! My first 3 timed laps were 2.22, 2.20 and 2.19, not looking good so far.
I bled the brakes between sessions and managed to get a nice hard pedal. My next few sessions I got stuck in traffic, there were cars there like Honda Civics etc that could get away on me down the straights but then I'd catch them under brakes and they'd hold me up through the corners only to pull away again on the straight. The mighty 202 was pulling 5600 rpm in top gear down the straight, compared to 5200 with the 350 Holley so the SU's made a noticeable difference. I managed a 2.11 but I really wanted to do a 2.10 , so in my 5th session for the day I followed a damn Civic for a couple of laps then took a deep breath and passed him under brakes at the end of the straight and went on to do a 2.10.49 on my last lap of the day. This turned out to be my last lap in anger in the Torana, I sold it a couple of months later to a fellow forumer (V8racerchic). I don't know if she still has it or not, but if anyone knows the whereabouts of my old car I'd be interested to hear from them. I'd like to get a few photos of it if it still exists.
Someone asked me about the number 04, it was actually 02 the first couple of times in memory of my childhood hero - Kawasaki legend Gregg Hansford. On the day of the photo above, someone was already number 2 so I became 04, nothing to do with PB I'm afraid.
Edited by micklx, 02 November 2007 - 09:53 PM.
#15
Posted 02 November 2007 - 11:19 PM
Me and my mate with the Bluebird are thinking about a pilgrimage.
#16
Posted 05 November 2007 - 10:05 AM
MOTORSPORT IS ADDICTIVE
I needed to go faster. In my 3 sprints in the Torana, I had a ball each time, but i wanted to be able to race with Karls XY, and even though my Torana was now as fast as his XY had been when I first went and watched him over 2 years earlier, he hadn't stood still and was now going 10 seconds a lap faster around Phillip Island. He also had plans to race in the VMRC at Calder and Winton. To get another 10 seconds out of the Torana I needed a lot more power, a power upgrade would mean I would also need a stronger drivetrain, bigger brakes, etc. I wanted to fit some decent race tyres , I could get SH tyres in 15 or 16" but to put that size wheel on a Torana means expensive wheels, flares etc
After doing that I would have a Torana capable of matching the XY, but it still wouldn't have a roll cage, fuel system etc to enable it to get a log book for racing. Also the Torana shell was not exactly rust free and I didn't want to have to start doing bodywork.
The budget (or lack of) was my major consideration for deciding to buy an early Commodore.
I found a guy who raced a Commodore Cup car, he was going to upgrade to a VS, using all the running gear out of his VC. The top CC cars can do under 1.50 around P.I. , this car had done 1.54, so I figured if I bought the shell which came with a CAMS logbook, I could cobble it up using S/H parts off a few Commodores I had wrecked and get it on the track fairly cheaply and hopefully keep up to that damn XY !!!
Then if the budget ever allowed, I would have a logbooked car that i could actually enter races in.
Here is a couple more photos of the Torana and one of the Commodore in the hands of the previous owner.
#17
Posted 05 November 2007 - 03:46 PM
Looking forward to reading more!
If you have nothing on in a couple of weeks time, come down to Phillip Island, I'm running mine at Island Magic, would be great to catch up for a chat!
#18 _TJ253_
Posted 05 November 2007 - 04:07 PM
#19
Posted 05 November 2007 - 04:47 PM
Yeah Toddles, I could have put a 308 into the LX, I came really close to doing it, I basically had the engine and gearbox sitting on the garage floor waiting to go in, but the banjo wouldn't have liked it, the brakes wouldn't have liked it, and even if I'd upgraded all that, I'd still have a car that was a long way short of what I wanted to have. The torana was a great car to start with, but the Commodore has been cheaper to get to where I am now. eg How much does it cost to put 330 mm front brakes and rear discs on a Torana ? The Commodore already has rear discs and front brakes S/H from a Commodore Cup car only cost me a few hundred dollars. Used Commodore 16" wheels - $40 each off ebay, how much do 15s or 16s in Torana offset cost ?
I'd love to be racing a Torana but it all came down to money. Not enough of it !
#20 _Lostit_
Posted 06 November 2007 - 01:31 PM
#21
Posted 06 November 2007 - 02:09 PM
I also bought a Supra 5 speed and conversion kit to suit a Commodore off ebay.
All this sat in the shed while I sold the Torana, then on January 14 2006 I went and picked up my new car. It was a Commodore Cup Car, missing was the engine, gearbox, front calipers, seat, harness , radiator, exhaust etc. It was still rolling so I could get it home, but I had to give back the diff, springs. shocks, front rotors etc
So I had this bare car, an engine that needed head gaskets and a better sump, and 3 weeks until the first PIARC sprint , yes 3 weeks, did I make it ????
I also had lostits VC and another VH 253 Wagon to rat parts from.
#22
Posted 09 November 2007 - 08:26 PM
#23
Posted 09 November 2007 - 08:42 PM
Or at least the last 12 months
#24
Posted 10 November 2007 - 09:21 PM
#25
Posted 12 November 2007 - 09:25 PM
After the oil problems I started making a system to drain the oil from the rocker covers back to the sump. One day i was picking up some S/H tyres from a guy who has won multiple CC National Championships and we started talking about the problem I had. He said he had tried draining the oil back into the sump, but all it did was give you more places that could spring a leak. His theory was that at high revs, the 253/308 gets too much oil in the rocker covers and the best way to fix the problem is to prevent the oil getting there in the first place. I'd heard the stories about XU1's running pipe cleaners in the push rods, so this idea made sense. Before I knew it, he was on the dognbone to his engine builder getting a quote to supply me some modified lifters. What they do is fill the hole in the lifter with liquid metal and then drill a smaller hole in it. At high revs, you don't get as much oil at the top end. I odered a set of lifters, and also modified the rocker covers so the breathers were at the top and hopefully away from the oil.
With all fingers crossed it was back to P.I. on Sun 7/5/06, Kark bought his XY along which was the first time we had been on the track together. It was the most fun I'd had since i started. Being able to race with a mate in similar speed cars was so much fun. His Falcon had a little bit more grunt on the straights but the Commodore was better under brakes and through corners.
Our lap times were almost identical, i was a little faster on the wet track early but as the track dried he set the faster lap for the day 2.03 v 2.02 if I remember correctly, its all on the PIARC website if you're keen!
I went out in the last session on a very wet track while Karl kept the XY safely in the pits. I had a ball on the wet track and managed to keep it on the black stuff (just) see my video in the circuit racing section and watch my other videos t see the advantage the Falcon had down the straight.
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