Thank you very-very much.

 

I'll admit to getting old but the age didn't mellow me out, it's been life changing events that did that.

 

 

Hmmm, very odd. I wrote a very long update on the car this morning and it's not here......

This is going to be a condensed version this time.

Friday I got the car buttoned up and as I have said, while putting it all together completely by myself, there are a lot of things I noticed that haven't been right since this project started. They must have had a large effect on the trans and the engine.

The head had been patched up a few times in the last year from being taken out, this time it wasn't patched, it was put back to 100% and the difference in the feel and sound of the engine is amazing. I'd venture to guess the car is making substantially more power now than it has in quite some time.

The trans has had an odd 1-2 shift since this all started. We couldn't figure it, it shifted fine at WOT but cruising was very soft. At this point I believe it was a converter/pump/flexplate/pilot bushing problem that I now have sorted out. After starting the car on Friday I could hear a difference in the engine, instantly. I didn't drive it, just let it warm up and checked for leaks etc.

Saturday morning I woke up and jumped in the car to drive to breakfast. Start up is instant, drove out of the garage, headed down the road and when I bumped the shifter into 2nd it snapped my neck, literally. It has never shifted this hard into the gears. Keep in mind the trans has not been taken apart yet this year, since the new input shaft was installed the pan hasn't even come off! So the shift change has to be from the problems in all the clearances I found this time.

I took my drive to breakfast and came home and parked the car, checked it over quick and was busy until Sunday afternoon. Keep in mind all I could think of was driving the car again! haha

Sunday I drove it to Quaker Steak in Sheffield, this is the same trip it didn't make round trip last week. Well this time it made it with no issues, it's about a 60 mile round trip drive. To be honest, I didn't want to stop driving I was enjoying the car and drive so much.

The car at 75 mph runs about 2900 rpm, it is dead quiet at that RPM for some reason. It's like it just goes silent. Shifting the car to 2nd now barks the tires if you are on the throttle at all. The throttle input at just 1/4-1/2 throttle is nuts, the car is so fast like that at such low rpm that is amazes me that it's not a larger displacement V8.

The car is actually fast enough, so fast, that I would doubt it was over 1/2 throttle the entire drive.

So, I have some things now I want to change and improve and to be honest I love driving it so much i dread it breaking again. However, it is time to see what it will run. I got a case of the dumb *** and sold my light Volks and slicks a few weeks ago, not sure what I was thinking. Now I have to make a choice to see what it will run on these Star Specs or go to the M&H drag radials. Running 8's on the Star Specs is probably not possible the way the car is, doing it on the radial may even be tough and the reality is that has been my goal with this car since 2008 so I guess I need to give it a shot.

Thanks for the continued interest in this project, it's sure been enjoyable. This is the longest I've ever owned a car, 10 years now, and it is my favorite.

 

Nice work Dave. Congrats on the recent trans success. Look forward to seeing it go down the track.

 

The guy has a brand new GTR and he loves the old Evo. AWESOME! Keep up the good work, David!

 

Thanks R/T!

Grazzo, yeah, I do love this car with this trans in it. Truth is though, if I had to have a 5 speed back in the car I'd sell it.

 

Glad everything feels better than ever. Can't wait for the times on the M&H Radials!

 

Dave, I have a set of motorcycle slicks, Hoosiers DR's on rx7 rims, M&H DR's on your old rims, and M&H slicks (brand new) that you can use? Let me know what you want and I'll bring them Wed. I wanna see this ***** eat!

 

Will do Nick but I'm concentrating on your car only Wednesday!

 

No matter how happy you are with your car, no matter how bad you want to see it run, no matter how many different tire combinations you were just offered to run on for free. Your gonna put it a side and take care of your customer...

Top notch sir, hella customer service

The more you post, the more I think I can say I really really like, respect and appreciate the new and well aged Mr. Buschur ----

 

Thank you

 

ouch.

 

update? holding together?

 

The trans is working flawlessly mrfred. I plan to try to make a couple passes in it tomorrow night.