I'm not a "car virgin".... I've built many, and have had a few built. Nobody understands the trials and tribulations better than I do. The fact that I can actually do all the work, and have done the work myself.... makes me rather unique. I understand how much TIME things take to do -- I understand the billable hours.... I understand the pitfalls and mistakes. I've made them. I try to make them only once... and I'm not afraid to yard it all out and build it over.
I'm also a 34 year member of AA -- ownership of your problem is a big deal. Honesty is even a bigger deal. Not doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity....
The building of this car was based on a couple simple premises. I wanted a fat tired car with a sequential shift.
I wanted to help Sutton and SpeedTech (by having them build the car). Something they both could point to and use it to help their businesses etc.
Unfortunately Blake (@SpeedTech), who has been a great personal friend for many years now, could not build the car fast enough for my tight schedule. Nor were they willing to build it for the price Sutton was willing to pay (this has NOTHING to do with me - it's between Sutton and whomever he contracts with). If you go to the catalog and order a car -- there are choices listed. Since SpeedTech was listed as one of the choices of builders.... Naturally I choose them! They've built race cars - they ARE racers - They are suspension and chassis people... they run LS motors.... Jay is a hot shoe driver... I can kill two birds with one stone -- and help TWO friends at the same time! What could possibly go wrong?
Since SpeedTech couldn't do the build (Blake and I talked A LOT about why he couldn't, and what I could do extra $$$, to get what I wanted and have them build it). Alas it was not meant to be -- So Sutton chose "the builder". Naturally HE chose his old racing buddy and employee. Fine. It eliminates one of my goals -- but the ultimate goal is to get the car built before I croak. I do have terminal cancer.... and liver issues.... I've been given my own "deadline" (see what I did there?). I live with the daily realization that tomorrow I could wake up and days away from death. When and if this crap metastasizes..... I'm toast.
Dates and times were discussed. The track was rented. The date was movable given enough notice... maybe.... and if it wasn't? So what -- I'd eat the track rental and make another later date. Many times during the build -- the date was questioned and I was assured with a "no problem" response. Awesome! This is going to be so much fun I can hardly stand it!!
Make no mistake -- this build was a RUSH job. But if you take that job on KNOWING it's a rush job... and you wave your hand and say "I got this" --- and tell stories about how you've built whole cars in a week.... Okay -- Let's roll with it.
NOBODY builds stuff for me without ample money available. I pay in advance. I try to HELP a person/business by doing this simple thing.... and I do so knowing I'm paying out the rope. I also let the builder just do their thing. If I'm asked to make a choice - that choice is made right then - and it's not changed. I got to choose the body - tranny - motor power level - wheel design - gauge package. Those choices were made when we (Sutton and a couple other buddies) walked PRI in December of 2017.
June 28th was the track date.
I was then told this was going to be "tight" and was I okay with not having the body done and chassis powder coated etc. We agreed that was fine - that could be accomplished afterward. No biggie. I get the see the car on track - and frankly - not having the car "finished" could work out to be an advantage should we want to change something.
THAT DAY WAS THE CLUSTER F FROM HELL...... the car was nowhere near ready to roll -- and we finally got to the hotel at 2 AM -- and up at 7 to hit the track. Remember that I'm old and not healthy (at that time) and this was especially hard on me. No biggie -- push thru -- have fun! No bad days! Well -- this was a badder day.... LOL. The car wouldn't fire -- looked like crap -- puked oil -- and barely made any laps. It was not only a very expensive "test and tune" day money wise -- it was also just a gigantic waste of time.
After that day --- I spoke at length with Ron about expectations - dates - and what my goals were and why. The doctors tell me I'm dying - soon - and I don't have time to waste. I made that clear - and Ron and I are friends first - and he knows all of this. I was assured this wouldn't happen again... and another date was agreed on. There are many folks involved in these dates. Rons schedule - the builder - Benny Moon (driver) and crew/mechanics etc. There are rooms to be reserved and fees to be paid and on and on. It ain't that simple. But it all worked out. Kinda.
Back up a bit --- because I want everyone to understand the basis for all the decisions and dates etc.
At PRI we walked the show and discussed build quality expectations.... I could have ordered a complete car from about a dozen different companies that week. Some of which are offered in Suttons catalog. Some of which I wouldn't walk across the street to look at and some where SEMA quality builds. My understanding was "not like this" (horrible) but more like "this" (a 20 footer - typical race car stuff) and "it's a race car not a SEMA car". Remember I'm a guy that pit crewed for glass bodied cars in the early '70's. I've owned other race cars... drag and road race.... I'm not some clueless boob from Turniptown.
At the JUNE 28th test and tune --- we had what I would call "severe" oiling (dry sump) and electrical issues. From the very first lap -- this A.R.E. system puked it's guts...... and LS motors DO NOT leak from the valve covers. THIS SHOULD BE YOUR FIRST CLUE THAT SOMETHING AIN'T RIGHT...... DOH! A simple thing like the battery not being charged is a typical "dropped the ball" deal... okay - deal with it - go buy a charger and let's move forward.... but in the meantime we're wasting valuable track time -- and my time.... The day was so disappointing that I considered cutting my losses right then. But that's not the way I work.... and I've been thru this kind of stuff before so let it go.
The decision was then made to attempt to run NASA at THILL -- rather than the same weekend -- spending time with my buddies running Sonoma at the NorCal Shelby club NATIONALS.... I have a garage at Thunderhill with tools and air and lift and tire guy next door... so if we needed stuff - it was there. I expected to NEED all those things. Been here -- done that -- expect crap to happen.
Read Rons post for details what happened for THREE DAYS STRAIGHT. SAME PROBLEMS -- SAME RINSE AND REPEAT.
What does that say? Nobody bothered to understand what was happening with the oiling system.... and the car was completely disassembled and put back together by the builder. At that time - before it was made "pretty" - any wire routing or heat issues etc should have been addressed. We'd already done a dress rehearsal.
There was two months to address the oiling system. Pull the motor - get it on the dyno - do some basic testing and involve the ARE people etc and sort it !! If all this costs extra -- okay. Just do it - I build stuff Carte Blanche! Maybe this is my downfall??
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