Woohoo!! Reassembly starts!

[Blackpopracing]

I'll take some photos later Allan, but they were Pop Browns ones - sort of a P shape seal - self adhesive.

Boot rubbers now fitted as well as rubber seals between flip front & inner wings.
Took a mate out in it this afternoon, cruised around a bit till it was nice & warm the waiting at some lights I gave it some right foot - apologies to the BMW driver who **** themselves next to me when it pulled a big wheelstand on the left front wheel!! Was a bit of a surprise for us too!

Next set of lights I floored it and my mate just shouted JESUS!!!! - I guess it's quite quick then

So of course we then had to take some photos on a private test track...........







Think it might need a rear anti roll bar.........

Alternator seems to have stopped charging - though it seems to only be the belt has stretched and gone loose - will find out tomorrow when battery has been recharged.

Temps all seem to be in the right zone;
Water around 190 -200
Oil about 200
Trans around 170/175

[Brizey]

That's not a real wheelie Mark. You've got a jack under the front and simply photoshopped it out!!!...

[johnnyringo]

Love it! What rear tires are you running?

[Blackpopracing]

Lol, it looks good but its a pain as its not right, need to sort it so it launches straighter and flatter.

[Blackpopracing]

Johnny, they are only MT Sportsmans - newer stickier ones would be better.

[johnnyringo]

Thanks, but what size and axle ratio? sorry, curious mind!

[Blackpopracing]

ah!

28.5 x 15 tyres with a 3.55:1 LSD 9" ford axle.
TH350 gearbox with full TCI internals.

Edit,

Your blown engine should have no problems lifting the front of yours?

[v8pop]

Looks well out on the track Mark, glad it's all coming together, looking forward to seeing it at Billing mate.

Cheers. Tim W.

[Blackpopracing]

Well it made it to Billing

Very nervous setting out - would it get there? would everything work ok? would it break down?

Quite tense driving it up there but it all worked great only issue was it lost the header flange plate half way there on the motorway so it was a bit loud for the second half of the journey! Luckily a fellow rodder helped out with a vice & tools and I managed to make a new one.

Good time at Billing - only spoilt by the rubbish weather on the Sunday but the drive home was much more fun, more confident with the car now and it was great weather in the late afternoon so quite pleasant - but still quite loud! Fuel consumption is around 18mpg, so not bad as I know it's running too rich at present.

[v8pop]

Was very good to finally meet you on Sunday Mark, the Pop looks amazing, a real credit to your skills mate.

Cheers. Tim W.

[Blackpopracing]

Thanks Tim, likewise meeting you - good luck with the council re the garage.

[SpannerPete]

Had a look round it yesterday and it is very nice indeed

It's a pity that most of it is covered up because it doesn't show all the little detail bits shown on this build thread. I guess most people looking at it had no idea of the effort that's gone into this car.

Hope you have lots of fun now it's on the road

[Brizey]

Confidence will grow with usage Mark; glad you made it there OK, it looked great. Now it's had a longer run it would be good to recheck all the fasteners again just to be on the safe side!.

[Blackpopracing]

Will do Bry, not entirely sure the gearbox is ok though works fine but does not sound good when its hot & drops back into first when stopping for traffic combined with the whine in first when pulling away. Will need to talk to the guy who built it to see where to go with it.

Cheers Pete.

[Blackpopracing]

Update - Paul at Southern Axles (gearbox guy) is a bit stumped as to the cause of the noise but says its not good so its got to come out again

[Brizey]

Better you found it and sorted it now Mark. While it's out you'll have the chance to check all the fasteners etc.

[Blackpopracing]

Hmmm....maybe.
Didn't really plan on taking the box out again when I was planning the fettling list. not to mention the rebuild costs!

On the plus side it took nearly 2 hours to get home and my Jaz racing seats are actually pretty comfy! not what I expected at all. They could do with a bit more padding but no 'numb bum' which was a surprise. I now know where my footrest for my left foot belongs too as well as some elbow padding on the roll cage.

Engine & gearbox temps were really good - water temp never rose above 197 even in the M40 traffic and gearbox temps stay around 150 - only going to around 160-165 in heavy traffic.
Oil pressure is a steady 57psi and oil temps around 220 at 60-70 mph. Revs are only 2500 at 60mph so not awful considering the 3000 stall converter and no overdrive.

The expensive silica heat resistant coating I put on the floors/tunnel/bulkhead seems to work well, I could feel a bit of heat coming through but only as much as a car heater set on low with no fan running, so not unpleasant at all.

Also very happy that all my efforts to seal the cabin from the engine/outside have worked well, no smell at all inside from the engine

It's nice and steady on the road too - which will only get better once spring rates & ARB are sorted so pretty pleased in general.

[Blackpopracing]

New toys arrived today

New rev counter with shift light to replace my Moroso one - all gauges now match. Also got a load of wide output LED lamps, I'd like to swap out all the bulbs in the gauges to green LED's but the speedo & rev counter are fitted with wheat bulbs that shine on to the faces - so not sure how I could fit the LED's in those.
I also got off white LED's so they will match the speedo & rev counter at least.




Also been doing a little bit of re-wiring, electric fan is now on a ign controlled relay so it wont now run after ign is switched off - it was flattening the battery before.

[v8pop]

Still bits to do then Mark.

Cheers. Tim W.

[Blackpopracing]

Hi Tim,

Yep, really need to sort carpets out and get them edged up, but it's kinda nice to not have to go in the garage every night anymore!