The AClockworkGarage.com Race car build thread.

[Marik_bathory]

Wilkomen, I introduced this project in the pics section but felt it more appropriate to document the build here. This past November I awoke and decided I'd been without a race car for far too long. A plan was hatched and the search began, I would find an inexpensive H-body and turn it into a track day car using only the profits from my small internet business.
The business was young, the profits were small. The search led me to another member's back yard where a tired old Bonneville awaited the crusher, essentially unsavable, undesirable, A no options '98 SE with a cracked head and a quarter million miles, but it had a solid body and I acquired for the cost of a new title.




Motivation will be provided by a 70,000 mile 2005 Buick Le Sabre NA motor picked up for a measly $400. This thing is clean...



And finally a $500 parts car will donate all of the little things the car needs to be whole again, then it's powertrain may find it's way into a certain white '91. This car runs strong and is loaded with goodies, and cancer...



I will answer a few questions up front. This is by no means going to be an over the top high dollar build, nor is it going to be a Lemons/chump car or hairbrained beater. It will be an exersize in the careful spending of small amounts of money to see exactly what can be achieved from the types of cars that others write off as worthless. It will remain naturally aspirated for ease of maintenance and cost. We have no intention of doing an L67 swap, a top swap or a turbo. Ever.

This car will remain street legal and be used primarily as a track car (autocross, track days and the occasional street drag nights at legal events only) it will also be used to transport my merchandise to the craft fairs that do every few months. As such the car will be stripped of any and all creature comforts in an effort to save as much weight as possible.

[Marik_bathory]

Today we put wrenches on the car for the first time. The goal was to get the old powerplant out of the car and back to the salvage yard to claim our core. also to assess the condition of the car. While I am the owner and driver, I know better than to build something like this without help. Competent help. Jrs3800 is leading the build. The only guy i know who even works on cars during meals...



got everything unhooked and ready for the pull, which was easy as the previous owner subscribed to the theory of "good enough" many of the bolts holding this car together were hand tight or just not there at all. Before this thing hits a track we'll have to pull every bolt on it, locktite it and torque it to spec.



Almost...



There she is:



As you look at this picture, remember that this car sat for 6 months like this, litterally sinking into the ground a good 8 inches. With nothing more than a jump box it fired up, pulled itself out of the ground and drove to where it now parks. 259 thousand miles. These things are tanks.



and here's the bay ready for a power washing...



That's all for this week. Updates will be slow since I'm budget limited and the car lives about and hour from my home. The next session will be prepping the new motor for insertion. Getting the cam and springs set up, doing the intake update and swapping all the brackets and wires. see you then.

[2000Silverbullet]

[RJolly87]

Sweet! It even already has the Compressor delete pulley on it already too!

You planning racing seats? And areyou planning on pulling safety equipment too, like airbags?

[Marik_bathory]

The airbags sensors and all wiring will be removed, as well as the audio system and carpet, noise insulation and everything else that is not necessary. I am not planning racing seats at this time, for budget reasons. It will be getting the bucket seats from the SSE in order to make room for the horseshoe shifter. Yeah, I found a horseshoe shifter.

The pulley delete was a nice bonus. I'm still up in the air on keeping the heater system or not. I'd like to have the defroster, but I'd also like to lose all that weight.

[RJolly87]

Ugh, AL7's are stupid heavy from what I understand, or are you getting rid of all the power motors?

[Marik_bathory]

That's true, but it's also what I have until I can afford racing seats. Hard to run harnesses around a bench and you can't use a ratchet shifter with a bench. This is how it's gotta be for now.

[SSEiMan01]

AL7s are very heavy. But I'm interested to see how this goes, Don is definitely a great person to have help from, I coudknt think of many better, hence my asking him for help with my 96.

Planning to upgrade the suspension at all for AutoX or just seeing what the limits of stock is for now?

[00Beast]

Junkyard a couple seats from something else that have manual adjustments? It's an idea at least...

Going to do headers or ported manifolds?

[Zeik75]

This should be a pretty sweet thread I'll defiantly be following!

[Marik_bathory]

Eventually I will be going to racing seats. Until then I will use what I already have. The budget is tight and money can be better spent elsewhere at this point.

Exhaust is still up in the air. I know there is a set of headers in that garage, but Don has done a good job of hiding them. there is also a PLog, but it needs some welding. I was considering fabricating zoomies up through the hood... maybe whistle tips.

It will likely be ported manifolds wrapped in exhaust tape. most parts will be stock parts reworked best I can until I can find a good deal on second hand performance parts. frugality is the name of the game here.

I also accept donations.

[RJolly87]

Exhaust through the hood? I think that may compromise streetability. The parts car should have a dual outlet muffler, which will flow more than you can ever need. Maybe a cutout right off the downpipe if you want to be loud and annoying, unless you routed the output from a cutout out the hood...

[MattStrike]

There's a few pounds to save if you switch from the torque axis mount to a '86-'91 front lower mount (that T/A bracket is heavy).

[Zeik75]

You could lose the abs too no need for that silly thing. Sway bar end links would be a cheap upgrade as we'll. pull the SSE suspension stuff as well maybe

[Marik_bathory]

Exhaust through the hood? I think that may compromise streetability.

That would be a joke... hence the "bubb rubb" smilie.

the exhaust will be run in the factory location, but adding a dual outlet muffler would add weight for no reason, Once we get the welder fired up I will amateurishly weld in a moroso muffler. If there is enough clearance I will exit the exhaust in front of the passenger rear wheel.

[Marik_bathory]

Not much to report today. Went to work. After work I spent some time in the shop making clocks. Finally put a little elbow grease into the valve covers getting them ready for paint...



I've found that sanding sponges soaked in degreaser seem to do a pretty good job if you don't have a parts washer.
Not too sure on the colours yet. I'd like to do them either gunmetal or crinkle finish black, with the three stripes in the centre a gloss red. We'll see how it plays out.

[Zeik75]

You mean like this!!!!



It's a pain it the ass to mask of the high spots to spray the grooves but it can be done. Although after my experience I would recommend a brush

[Marik_bathory]

You mean like this!!!!

no, not at all. But that does look pretty fierce. I'm actually thinking about leaving the valleys the same colour as the rest of the cover, and doing the three long flats red. Most of the underhood accessories will be black, but I intend on sprinkling in red.

I'm going to have the Harness apart to remove all of the unnecessary wiring and reroute a few things. i'll probably rewrap it in the red tubing. the rotten old Vacuum lines will be replaced by red silicone tubing and the STB will also be painted.

It's ork physics. Red makes you go faster.

[Zeik75]

I thought about the flats red at first but decided I like this more. The little red ax events like the vacuum hoses should be pretty cool

[2000Silverbullet]

Like this.