Hey! I'm finally able to post here!

[plkracer]

Well, I'm glad to say that the first test drive has been completed. The car hasn't been too far off for about 2 months now, but work has been getting in the way, along with school prep and other various tasks.

I took the weekend off and went home. Both of my cousins were over so we hung out Friday night. Don't know if I mentioned this before, but they had a manco gokart, 5 hp, which has a cracked frame. We got it going about 2 months ago, with the addition of larger tires, improved steering, and a live axle. We clocked it at 45 mph with 1 person, about 180 lbs, and 40mph with two people. Pretty fast for 5hp. Anyways, we rode the gokart around their track behind the house for a few hours. It was the most fin I have had in a long time. Hold the gas pedal down the whole way around.

I decided that night that I needed to get my car going. The next morning I got the other axle lengthened, and got the rear tires mounted and the stub axles torqued. I got the shocks on at the end of the day. I took some nitrogen out to make them easier to get on. I figured that they didn't need that much anyways. my 155 lbs only compressed them halfway. That was a mistake. The car was just about slammed. I have about 2 inches of travel left in front and rear with me in the car.

On sunday, I slapped the harness it and got mostly everything else buttoned in the car. I filled the radiator with fluid and purged the air out of the thermostat, and backed it out of the shop. It looked SICK in the sunlight. I think the slammed look really complemented the car's lines. Anyways, this was around 4pm.

I started the engine after a few seconds of cranking to get the air out of the line. Soon the engine was purring along. I pushed it out of the driveway. I hop in the car, buckle in, and let it warm up til the engine is about 150 degrees. I check all controls, and slowly pull out. First gear is excellent. It is low enough to just over walking speed at an idle of 1200. I tapped the gas a little. it was a little hesistant, most likely because of the low idle, but I revved it to about 3000 and then grabbed second.

I was humming along then decide to give it some gas. The engine rolled out and reached around 4000 rpm. Just as it was waking up, the rear end locks up. I fear the worst and quickly hop out of the car.

I quickly take a peek and the chain, and try to roll the car. It won't budge. Took me about 10 minutes to figure out that the cv cup was bound up in the bearing. I turned down soem weld a hubs to fit inside protodie's bearing assemblies so I didn't need a spacer. Took almost an hour with a crow bar and some chisels to loosen the cup from the bearing housing. I groudn it down to give it better clearance. Before it was like 3 thousandths under, and had a tight spot, which I thought would loosen up. I was wrong!

I checked the other cup just for the heck of it, patch it back together, and take off. I turn around in the weeded field behind my house and take off toward the orchard. I turn onto the outside row when the engine seemed to loose power. I grabbed the clutch and killed the car. I thought WTF?? AGAIN?? Nope, it was the other side! Ha! Took another 30 minutes to straighten that one out. I call my cousin up to see if he wants to come out.

I decide to take another drive around the orchard, so I could get to the road to open it up. I gas it around a corner in second, and once the engine hit 4k, it decided to really rev. The back tires spun, as i whipped the steering, bringing it around the back corner. Sweet!! The car is very controllable, and will easily spin the tires on dirt. I get to the road, slow down and bring it into first. I roll off slowly, and start to build speed. Talk about wheelspin city in first! Anything above 7k is asking for trouble. Second is just as bad. I get into third, get it up to 8k and then slow down and pull back into the shop.

I checked all the fasteners and my cousin pulls in. He starts oogling over the car and taking pictures. He is used to our crazy secondhand underpowered contraptions, while pretty much free, and still loads of fun, they are nothing compared to this. He tells me to open it up on the road so he can shoot some video. I bring it around the orchard again, then really get on it when on the road. Once I hit third I held her wide open. 10k came in an instant, then I grabbed the shifter for 4th. It dropped rpm then again it picked up to about 10k. I slow down a bit when coming to this hill on the road, then mash the throttle as I climb it. The engine hit 7k then spun the wheels like nothing. I turn around about 1/2 mile from the house, and start the speed run. I was probably doing 60+ in fifth gear when I hit a gravel patch in the road. The car starting getting sideways to the point that it scared the crap out of me. It was ridiculously easy to get it back under control. I continued into 6th gear, and was probably doing 70 when I passed by. The car still had MUCH left.

This thing is pretty amazing. It will spin the tires in 5th anything above 10k on the road, which is dirt with the dust reducing tar stuff on it, which is somewhat tacky. Once it does grab, it sucks you back into the seat.

I let my cousin drive around for a while. It is able to turn around in the traffic intersection south of the house which is asphalt, and 4 typical 2 lane roads. With throttle, I can turn around in the road.

I had a slight scare when a small rock wedged the gas pedal when I was doing a speed run. I kept my cool, flipped the ignition, then grabbed the clutch. I tested the brakes, and with firm pressure, the front and rear tires lock up about the same time. I have it biased almost all toward the rear to get it to lock them up even, but I may bias it more toward the front so I can use them to whip it around.

I am completely satisfied with the car. It is much faster than I expected, and you can get into trouble in a hurry. This is not a car for the unexperienced.

Anyways, just thought that I would post my experience. It was an awesome day, even with the two slight bumps in the road. I can't wait to return home a few weeks to really start testing the car, and to disprove a few misconceptions. My cousin couldn't believe the power it had, and he never exceeded 8k. He is stoked to build one now.

I will post a few pics below. I need to host them, and will get a couple videos up tomorrow after I edit and host those. I will have to get the good video from my cousin, which will probably be pretty cool.

[plkracer]

Tinkering on the car a little bit. Bet ya guys love those rims! hey, you can't beat FREE!



Radiator pic. I don't have the fan on there yet, but it never got too hot. It ran around 200 when driving, up to 210 when pushing it. Idling it would rise to about 220 after a few minutes, but I never let it get above that.



A shot from the rear. I like the setup.



The front end. yep, it needs more nitrogen.



Well, there it be. I will get some more pics when I go back.

[plkracer]

Vid 1

Vid 2

Vid 3

My Cousin

[whiplash]

Looks GREAT! Like a low rider buggy! LOL! Get some nitrogen and have some fun man!!

[Islander]

Looks great! Gonna put a more aggressive tire on the rear later? I kinda like those rims, BTW!

[plkracer]

I may put some bearclaws or similae on it after these get some wear. I think I may need a 14 inch wheel though, since there are slight clearance issues. I will have to try my front rim on the rear to see if it will be okay.

What I like about these tires are the fact that they slip easily. Helps prevent a lot of shock going to the driveline. I may cut out some of the tread later.

[standfast]

Congrats man. There is nothing like the excitement of a first ride in a new buggy.

I kinda like those rear wheels too. You should find some matching fronts!

[bdkw1]

Nice!

[plkracer]

Originally Posted by standfast

Congrats man. There is nothing like the excitement of a first ride in a new buggy.

I kinda like those rear wheels too. You should find some matching fronts!

I don't have a clue what they came off of. They are either 5 on 100 or 5 on 4, which is not really a standard size. There is a huge canal about a 1/4 mile from my cousin's place which has been turned into a dumping ground for tires We grabbed all of the aluminum rims to recycle them, and I found this set of wheels with worn out tires on them. it would be sweet if I could find a set for the front.

[plkracer]

I now remember seeing a van pull into work with very similar wheels. I thought it was a plymouth, but I searched dodge and got some good results.

Dodge van

I think those are the wheels, but why would dodge use 5 on 4?


PS: Anyone notice the slogan at the bottom of the ad? Sounds awefully familiar to another american automaker.