Hackster's Need for Swede 😁

[rixtrix1]

Sean, I hope you get your cooling issues sorted out. Glad you could get out on the bike and decompress a bit. You've been powering through projects like Ron Schwarz, so a bit of burnout is understandable. It's threads like yours that keep me interested in keeping my lifelong 66 Malibu project going. I have so little time and energy to devote to it, but it's posts like your's that keep me interested and motivated. Thanks for sharing the ride.

[hackster]

Originally Posted by SSLance

Leave the 275s on there!!

Make small tire cars great again!!!

I absolutely love the look and total sleeper effect of the car Lance.....but I feel like I am driving the piss out of it and it just doesnt have enough tire to keep up with the guys with 315's. Sure it could be the setup, or tons of it could be the driver but man the turn in ability of a 315 is huge in comparison with a 275.

Originally Posted by rixtrix1

Sean, I hope you get your cooling issues sorted out. Glad you could get out on the bike and decompress a bit. You've been powering through projects like Ron Schwarz, so a bit of burnout is understandable. It's threads like yours that keep me interested in keeping my lifelong 66 Malibu project going. I have so little time and energy to devote to it, but it's posts like your's that keep me interested and motivated. Thanks for sharing the ride.

Much appreciated my friend. Glad I was able to be a little bit of a motivation, lord knows I need it here and there.

Been spending the last week or so taking care of a bunch of little things that have been bugging me.

Spent a bunch of time wandering the hoses section to find the perfect pre bent hose to get rid of my kinked one for the vacuum to the booster. Also added on some OEM style crimp hose clamps.



I also noticed that the barbed connections I previously had on the radiator were not up to the task and were leaking and looked well ****ty.

So I ordered in a few fittings and converted the radiator overflow to a -6 an. Then went to barbed. on the catch can. I am not in love with the way the an fitting looks, as its a little too racerboy but its very functional so Ill let it roll for now.



Engine bay has been fully detailed, fluids all replaced, catch can drained and nut and bolt performed all around the car.



Stickers all removed, car got a full detail, removed lots of rubber and cone marks from the sides of the car. Clay bar, polished some areas and a coat of Griots new Best of Show wax...stuff is amazing if you have never tried it. Wheels got a full cleaning and coat of wax with a few small touch ups as well.



A few weeks back I got an email from K&N offering up a spot at SEMA and the Optima Invitational. I dont feel like I did anything to deserve it but I wasnt about to turn down the opportunity so all this has been in prep for being in Optima Alley all week.

Looking forward to spending the week with some like minded car folks and learning a thing or two from some amazing drivers.

Flew down to Phoenix a few weeks ago and picked up a new daily. 2013 2 door MK6 golf R. 2 owner, 45,000 miles and in damn good shape. Was a wonderful drive home, took every possible backroad and stayed off of the interstate for all but 200 miles out of a 1,300 mile trip.

Aside from the seat sucking the car is wonderful, light, handles great, all wheel drive and some great power.





Cheers!!

Sean

[Sieg]

Congrats on the invite!

Great choice for a daily driver, I've had a similar platform for two years now and absolutely love it.


DD shootout?

[SSLance]

Came all the way to Phoenix and didnt holler, that hurts man! 😀

I'll see ya in Vegas though.

[hackster]

Originally Posted by Sieg

Congrats on the invite!

Great choice for a daily driver, I've had a similar platform for two years now and absolutely love it.


DD shootout?

Now this sounds like a fun time.....you let me know when I would love to get it out and do some autocross or track day with it and see how it does. Didnt buy it for that but its an awesome driving car.

Originally Posted by SSLance

Came all the way to Phoenix and didnt holler, that hurts man! 😀

I'll see ya in Vegas though.

Sorry man. Flight landed, uber to Dealer, test drive car and I headed out of town to beat rush hour. Didnt work but I made an effort at least =)

I will say for my first trip to Arizona I was shocked by how scenic it is, I would love to go back and check it out sometime. Maybe in the winter for a track weekend.

See you next week my friend!!

[hackster]

Vegas was overwhelming for us. 2 day drive down and 2 day drive home. We walked about 60 miles in the 6 days that we were in Vegas, lots of it for SEMA lots of it from hotel to casino, down the strip and at the racetrack.

I am not sure I need to do SEMA each year, Ill probably take a break for the next year or more. There were so many people there it was insane.

A few of my top pics and fun ones from the show.





















Garage build

[hackster]

The car seemed to be a hit. People loved that it was something different and well built. Each time we were at the car for something or another people would stop and take pics or ask lots of questions.

I think my goal of subtle from the outside and great content on the inside was a success.

We headed out from SEMA Friday even on the Ignited Exit Parade. It was awesome, tons of people but we were exhausted by then.



OUSCI was pretty rad, lots of cars and spectators on day one for the Auto Cross, which was half autocross and half road course. Run times were just under 60 seconds and the course itself was awesome, first half was a little loose, second half had lots of grip so it took some adjusting to that.

Road Course and Speed stop were Sunday. I did well on speed stop at 18th out of 32. I had a tough time on the Right side and would have done better if I could get that time down more.




Saturday Night was Road Rally out to Shelby.





Sunday LSX Magazine grabbed the car with Kristi and went out to take some pics of it for an upcoming feature.



And just some random cool shots over the weekend.










So that's a wrap.

Lessons learned, the car needs lots more radiator. My fixes worked great in traffic and around town even on the auto cross and speed stop the car stayed cool in sunny 80 degree weather but got hot again on the road course. Temps about 230.

I developed some vibration in the car in Fontana and thought it was tires, but we noticed it all the way over to Shelby and Back and it never improved. Sunday on the Road Course, the vibration got worse on hard right hand turns. I got the car up in the air and looked everything over, possibly a little bit too much pinion backlash but everything else seemed ok. I tightened a couple of loose jamb nuts but no improvement. I only did orientation and 1 road course session so I could get a lap time, but they were not hard or fast laps.

I need lots more camber and lots more front sway bar, as I have gotten better and faster, I have been able to push the car harder and harder and getting more induced chassis roll. This is letting the front roll over onto the edge of the outside front tire on mid sweeping turns and I am getting some shudder and push, also have to scrub a lot more corner speed than necessary.

Ill be upgrading the front struts, bigger sway bar and more camber in the off season.

The car needs more power. Will be doing the BTR cam, valve springs, 1000cc injectors, 2.4 pulley, cnc ported snout and a retune on it in the coming weeks. I would love to do an aluminum 6.2 but its not in the cards right now.

A few other odds and ends, hood vents, front brake cooling ducts, tripple adjustable rear shocks and a rearend checkup will be in order as well.

Overall for a car I built in my garage with mostly junkyard parts I have been pretty impressed with it, not only how it handles, but the beating the car took all summer long. The list of things we have done with this car since it was finished up in April is pretty awesome. Not to mention the people we have met along the way have been awesome. Looking forward to more adventures in 2019.

This is all built around a 200k mile 6.0 and a used 2002 Camaro T56.

Time for more chop chop this winter to get ready for March.

Sean