Congratulations on the car! We ran the Summit Point National last weekend and most of the practice was in the rain. We ran the Hoosier rains with the smaller fronts for lack of an option, we just raised the ride height to compensate, they worked great. Good Luck!
Thats great that your car has finnaly arrived and in time for the first NHIS race.Just match the RPM and tranny speed and every thing should go ok. Always return the shifter to the neutral postion the actuator doesnt always do it for you.We use the clutch only on the down shift and have not broken anything.We do have a set of new hoosiers(rains) if your interested. They will replace the fronts with the larger one free of charge if you dont use them (If they ever make them).
Fred + Keegan
V.S. Racing
Picked up SN #3133-82 from the yellow freight terminal after express truck shipment from Denver last Monday AM. Uncrated by noon. Engine running and spinning those big rar wheels while on jack stands by 11 PM tonite (Sat.). Looks like I will make the test day this Thurs. (and it probably wil be raining and Hoosier does not yet have their front rain tire.
Yahoo!
Bruce, the "Greased Shadow"
>we just raised the ride height to compensate<
How do you do that? I am about to start adjusting the suspension and it looks like the front shock is already all the way out.
Bruce, the "Greased Shadow"
Your use of the serial number piqued my curiosity. Does the car have a VD chassis ID plate, and if so, what is the format? Is there a model designation?
- Frank C
THe Van Diemen plate says 3133. The Enterprise plate says 3133-82
Bruce, the "Greased Shadow"
Bruce,
It sounds like you may be accustomed to rocker armed cars. On a pushrod car like your new FSCCA, the shocks are typcally set with equal preload or droop at each end. Ride height and corner weight balancing are done by adjusting the pushrod lengths.
One of the beauties of modern technology, no compromises between spring preload and rideheight...
Sean
Sean,
Yes, I assumed the pushrod length was the right method, but I had to lengthen the pushrods in the front to the point where the Heim joint came right out to get the car off the ground!!
When assembling the A arms, I lengthened one of the Heims-- I think the lowe A arm, rear, by 1/4 inch. I wonder if that is my problem.
Bruce, the "Greased Shadow"
More question:
What is the proper length of the front push rod?
Bruce, the "Greased Shadow"
22 inches. Do you have a copy of the base suspension specs? It gives dimensions for all of the suspension pieces as well as alignment numbers to get you in the ballpark.
Tony Opheim
'02 Swift 014.a (1600cc Toyota, 1732cc Toyota, and 2.0L MZR Mazda )
Awesome Bruce. I wish I was going to NHIS this weekend but unfortunatly I don't have a gearbox.
It had to be dumb (me)! looks like the nose sat on the ground because the wheel nuts were really loose and the wheels sagged. All is good now, right in ball park.
Tony,
for specs all I have is a couple of hand scratched sheets-- nothing from Van Diemen or SCCA. Although I did check A arm and push rod lengths against this sheet and they were right on or close. Do you have anything official?
Bruce, the "Greased Shadow"
First day on the track:
Yesterday, ten days after picking up the car from the Yellow Freight terminal we went to afternoon open practice at NHIS. Car was almost perfect right out of the box and I took the whole first session without coming in! Spent time adjusting brake bias and bleeding them again. Transmission worked great (I have been told I have forged forks and new barrel) but I need to learn how to use it and to drive the car.
In my Club Formula Ford I shift from second to third at the top of the hill at Turn 5. Twice I did the same in this car--- as if it were a Hewland H pattern! This means I downshifted when I should have upshifted!! Good thing I wasn't shifting at red-line.
I am still having trouble with the Pi dash for Teltales and lap times. THe teltale always shows minimum rather than max for RPM. The lap timer starts and just runs through the whole session (maybe I need to set it to Latched). After a track session I only get screens a, b and r, not c, d e as described in the manual.
Bruce, the "Greased Shadow"
Bruce,
Was that your car I heard about from Sunday??
If so, hope you made it unscathed!!
2006
2007
I don't know what you heard but In the race I was bitten by the first lap turn 3 mayhem. While charging down the inside I was chopped by the #46 FC and bent an A arm. DNF. I am not too unhappy considering how long I have had the car. I qualified very well although I am probably still a couple of seconds of the record pace for FSCCA (not F/A). Getting used to the car.
BUT THE CAR WAS BLACK FLAGGED FOR SOUND in qual. 104 dB when track limit is 100. I stuck a 10 inch long supertrack meant for 2 inch pipe on the end and got it to 100 dB.
QUESTION: which illegal mod should we do to meet sound?
1. Tack another muffler on back of Enterprises muffler like I did, but it hangs out beyond the transmision against GCR regs.
2. Replace the Spec muffler with a useful muffler.
Bruce, the "Greased Shadow"
Makes me wonder if I should keep a supertrapp
for the tailpipe in my spares box just in case.
-Tom
My brother had used the term "ball" to describe several cars during sunday - so I thought it was worse than what you describe.
Did you try a short 90 degree elbow at all? Usually does the trick on the FC's and FA's
We had the same sound problem at the Summit Point National a couple of weeks ago. Added a piece of pipe with a bend pointing away from the measurement device and barely made it. I wonder if this is going to be a problem at other tracks?
What was the dB limit at Summit Point?
I'll be there Mon and TUes. with the COMSCC time trial club.
BTW: How about the English workmanship on those helmet bolster hinges. PLASTIC! Of course they broke on first use-- especially since the head rest plenum causes them to twist. And I ordered some Sorbothane to cushion them.
Bruce, the "Greased Shadow"
I did not even give those hinges a chance.
I took and revised mine by placing a long piano hinge along the lenght of the bolster and placed 3 strips of Dul-Lock on the joint. Even if the dul-lock lets go (which it does not) with the hinge along the lenght the bolster will not rip off in the air stream. It also allows for quick escape from the cockpit. They just flip out to the side.
=Tom
My recollection is that the limit was 102db and before we put on the elbow directing the exhaust away from the sensor we were reading 103db and 104db.
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