SKYFLIX Build

[SKYFLIX]

Excited to report that I placed an order for my SLR kit from Fran about three weeks ago. I'm going the 4G63 route and was just wondering from the DSM crew where you guys have been sourcing yours. I'm not equipped or knowledgeable enough to do a rebuild myself, so I was looking for a source, preferably on the east coast, that sells rebuilt Gen1 4g63t's longblocks.

I've pretty much ordered everything to give me a rolling chassis minus wheels and tires and I'm very excited to get started. This is my first kit car of any type.

Any advice you'd like to give to a newb, I would greatly appreciate it.

[Karlo]

Welcome Sky,4g63t great choice.JDM might work with no rebuild. They are plentiful

[SKYFLIX]

Do you mean something like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/JDM-MITSUBISHI-ECLIPSE-TALON-4G63-TURBO-5SPEED-AWD-90-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1c1ba078b4QQitemZ12072 2585780QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccesso ries

[Karlo]

Yes,* you get 99% of your parts, then send it to get rebuilt.Do you mean something like this? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/JDM-MITSUBISHI-ECLIPSE-TALON-4G63-TURBO-5SPEED-AWD-90-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1c1ba078b4QQitemZ12072 2585780QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccesso ries

[SKYFLIX]

That's an excellent idea. I've only just begun realizing everything there is to putting together an Internal Combustion engine. When I originally decided I was going to build a kit car, it was going to be electric. Appreciate the advice.

[mrgsdsjg]

Congrats on the purchase! What suspension setup will you be getting?

Can't wait to order mine one day... Just need to buy a house with a garage first!

[SKYFLIX]

Thanks. Since this is going to be a street car first and a track car second, I opted to go with the standard chromoly / Teflon ball joint suspension. No need to go with the fancy aluminum arms.

[carride]

The hardest thing to find for me was the motor mount brackets they are uncommon and are not made anymore. I tried alot of junk yards for them

[mrgsdsjg]

Skyflix,
So will you be building the SLR yourself or having a company assemble it for you?
I would like to use the GM LNF for my future build (haven't ordered an SLR yet), but I'm still toying with the idea of using the 4G63T since it is cheaper to buy and easy to tune and modify. Which turbo will you be using? I'm assuming you will be using a 6-bolt motor with either a stock 14B turbo or maybe an upgrade to 16g?

As I understand it, the AWD transmission is preferred as it is suppose to be stronger than the FWD transmission. Will you be using the AWD transmission as well? Do you have a donor-car or front clip (how will you be sourcing your drivetrain)?

[SKYFLIX]

I'm doing the build myself. In fact, I just acquired my drive train: A '97 Eagle Talon TSi FWD with an EVOIII 16g turbo. Alas, a 2G motor, but crankwalk isn't nearly the problem that most people make it out to be. If it really were, a TSB or recall would have been issued long ago. Which of course, there never was.

Motor runs well, though its missing the balance shaft belt. I'll probably opt to remove the shaft altogether as I would prefer not to worry about the balance belt throwing the main timing belt.

If the lord is willing, my father's day weekend should end with a 4G63 hanging off the engine hoist.

[SKYFLIX]

Well, I've finally started getting my hands dirty on the teardown of the donor car. I've started a build video diary on youtube. Nothing special so far, just an "unbolt everything you see" kind of thing.

But your thoughts and input are appreciated:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWUCvgHrMEI

Two days down and I'm ready to bring in the hoist.

[mrgsdsjg]

Nice work! When do you expect delivery of the SLR body/kit? Did you purchase the entire kit or will you be piecing items together, such as seats, mirrors, pedals, etc?
And just out of curiosity, where are you located?

[Karlo]

Your donor / Talon looked like it was in good / excellent condition.

[SKYFLIX]

I hope to pickup the kit the first week of September. I'm already going to be up north visiting family around this time and thought it would be nice if I could visit Fran at the shop and ensure everything is in order before taking delivery.

I have not yet ordered the body for two reasons. One, I don't have the money to right now and two, I haven't decided if I want to go with the traditional SL-R body styling or the new Razor style body. I also haven't ordered seats yet. I figured anything that I could find locally, I would make every effort to do so, but I'm leaving the kit specific items such as pedal assembly, shifter linkage etc. up to RCR.

I'm in SC, just north of Columbia.

The donor car drivetrain is in excellent condition, with only about 85k miles on it (according to the previous owner, at least). The interior was also in pretty decent shape for a 14yr old car. The previous owner had just put some nice leather seats and new carpeting in that I hope to sell. I'm trying to salvage as much of the car as I can, otherwise. Only time will tell if the ancillary items will work on the SL-R.

[SKYFLIX]

More progress. The engine and transaxle are out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOyBvXsZhuA

[SKYFLIX]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSfW4jqwT_k

[mrgsdsjg]

Thanks Skyflix, keep those videos coming! Although I can't purchase an SL-R yet, at least I can watch someone elses progress and learn from it.

[SKYFLIX]

Well, I wish I had some more exciting news, but I'm afraid work on the engine has been slow the last week, what with work and all.

But I've at least gotten the pistons and crankshaft out now.

All that is left is to remove the freeze plugs and punch out the oil jets and the block can be taken to the machine shop. However, those freeze plugs are a P.I.T.A.! I've tried the 'ole screw'hammer trick to get them out but they just aren't budging. Maybe I'm being a little too gentle with them.

At the moment, the teardown has been pretty uneventful. So far, I've only noticed damage on the front engine plate around the front balance shaft seal. The metal was fatigued and broken which likely is what lead to the balance shaft failing on this engine in the first place. Not to worry, though, as this is just going to be capped off with a BSE kit anyway.

[SKYFLIX]

Bad news. When trying to cap off the balance shaft seal on the front plate, the plate split. Now I don't know what to do. I'm not sure if I could trust a repair, or if I'm going to have to pony up another $250 for an OEM replacement. Ouch. On the plus side, my engine company did a marvelous job on the cleanup and honing of the block. I've started cleaning up the pistons and will install the new rings this evening.

[Karlo]

Do you have picture of the split?

[Jay]

Don't try to fix and reuse the case.

I've always used used front cases. Just check for excessive wear around the balance shafts and oil pump. If you need to save some extra cash, I'm sure I can source one for you.

For new ones, JNZTuning (http://www.jnztuning.net/shop/catalog/) usually has good pricing.

How did the split happen? I just place a freeze plug over the opening with a healthy amount of JB weld. Works well in my drag car.

[SKYFLIX]

I don't really know how the damage originally occured, since the donor car was purchased second (third?) hand. I went in knowing that the front balance shaft belt was missing. But what I didn't know at the time was the balance shaft itself had thrown a bearing and in the process damaged the front plate. I found the mangled up bearing in the bottom of the oil pan during the teardown. My shop attempted to plug the plate, and in the process split it. It's not terrible, but if you think I can get a used one pretty reasonably, I would probably prefer to go that route.

[Jay]

That chip doesn't look to bad but I wouldn't risk it. There isn't much pressure (crank case pressure) pushing against the balance shaft cap. Just make sure to clock the bearing 180 to cover up the oil galleys.

Did you buy an BSE kit or did the shop take care of that for you?

I'll start looking for a 2g front case for you. Should be about $100 or so. I'll let you know what I find.

[SKYFLIX]

Thanks Jay. I'm not going to try to repair it. Why risk things at this point? I really appreciate your looking for me. I'm coming up empty locally at Pullapart and car-part.com. When I purchased the new rings, bearings and gasket set, I bought a BSE kit as well with the stubby shaft, bearing blockoffs and case plug.

[Jay]

I found a used one in good condition for $60. I've sent the info to you via email. Let me know if you don't get it.

[SKYFLIX]

Good progress on the 4g63 rebuild. New main bearings installed. Pistons chem-dipped and reinstalled. Trying to find a new valve cover now.

[Fran Hall RCR]

I did just return your call from yesterday......guess I cant have a 2 week vacation....wink.

Your colour change of the chassis is being finished and will be back here on Tuesday...

[SKYFLIX]

Vacation?! No way! :) Awesome news.

Hope you had a good time.

[Fran Hall RCR]

Went back to the Isle of Man in remembrance of my father , this was a trip we wanted to do with him last year but we were too late...

Showed my kids all the places their Grandfather played as a kid...so pretty emotional in many respects

[SKYFLIX]

I thought I'd take a moment to share the first pic of my chassis. Fran has been very gracious to get this to me. My engine rebuild should be complete right about the time its ready to take the trip up to Michigan to pickup the SL-R beauty.

Getting really excited now!

[SKYFLIX]

Fran,

Got any updates for me? Do we have fiberglass panels and seats yet?

[SKYFLIX]

I'm heading up to RCR on the 18th to pick up my beauty and was wondering how the other SL-R owners have brought there's back. I currently have a single axle tilt trailer (6x12) which is rated for 2000lbs. Do you think this would be adequate (mainly, large enough) to handle a rolling chassis SL-R (obviously no engine or transmission). Or do I need to look at borrowing something larger? My tow vehicle is only rated at 3500 lbs.

Would appreciate some advice.

[Karlo]

Plenty of trailer, just hope you do not get any weather.

[SKYFLIX]

That's good to know. I was afraid it wasn't going to be wide enough, with the specs listing the width of the SL-R as being 72inches and the trailer being exactly 72" itself. But curious, what exactly should be my concern with reference to the weather?

[ViperJustin]

Does your trailer have sides on it-like the ones that come up about a foot? If so, you might wanna think about bringing some old towels or blankets to protect the wheels.

I'll measure my car at the widest point when I get home.

Edit: Front is 72". Rear is 75".

[SKYFLIX]

Aaah, so my 72" trailer isn't going to cut it. Guess I need to be looking for a 7 ft. Thanks.

[Amplodyte]

You might look at the "Bruce and Alex" build thread posts 46 and 50. That method worked for a Detroit to El Paso haul.

[Alanstrike]

Take the wheels off ??

[SKYFLIX]

Problem solved. My boss is not only giving me the time off from work to pickup the car, but he's letting me borrow his vehicle AND going with me to help with the 28 hour driving duties! (He's a car nut too, thankfully!)

And his vehicle is strong enough to rent a U-Haul auto trailer.

[SKYFLIX]

Thought I would start the requisite build thread for my SL-R. I've already posted pictures of the raw tubular chassis and engine earlier. I will be driving up to RCR over next Tuesday night and if all goes well, driving back Wednesday-Thursday with my rolling chassis. Attached are pics of the wheels and tires that arrived this week and I mounted this morning.

Yes, they are in my dining room while the garage is being prepped for next week's big delivery. Let's just say that I have a very understanding wife.

[golftdibrad]

Sweet.

I have WAY more car parts than that inside....

[Arct1k]

They look great. Like the black and chrome - what size tyres did you get?

[SKYFLIX]

The fronts are 245/35R18 and the rears are 295/30R18. I had actually wanted to go with 305 rear Kumho's, but they have been back ordered for weeks and I couldn't put it off any longer, so I ended up going with Hankook Evo V12s.

[SKYFLIX]

It's 4:30am and my bud and I are 8.5 hours into our 12 hour trip to RCR. Can't imagine what it's going to feel like on the way back today.

[ViperJustin]

It's Christmas morning for Skyflix! Congratulations!

[SKYFLIX]

It has been absolutely the worst drive in the rain but somehow I couldn't care less. Guys, Fran and his team have outdone themselves once again.

[golftdibrad]

sweet.

[Arct1k]

Looks great.

[SKYFLIX]

After some much needed rest from the trip and work, I started planning out the build. My engine and transmission aren't ready yet, so very little work will be done on that aspect until they are. Plus, I don't have driveshafts yet anyway.

In the meantime, I have a few questions:

What method did you guys use to attach the floor pan and firewall? Simple sheet metal screws or pop rivets? I noticed that my floor pan was only held on by 6 rivets, of which 4 had come loose during the long trip home. I presumed they were only temporary anyway.

Also, what would be the best method for adjusting camber on the rear suspension? My car was shipped with a fair amount of negative camber on the rears and I've never seen upper a-arms like these before. Should I just unbolt the lower a-arms and screw in the connecting rods front and rear equal amounts? I don't want to screw up the geometry.

[ViperJustin]

The firewall is rivetted to the frame. However, I'd recommend screwing it in in case you have to remove it to get into those areas later. Just my opinion.

I'll check the floor as soon as I get home. But again, I'd recommend screwing it in or even bolting it in. I've always been the kind of person not to make anything permanent.

I had my suspension/alignment done at a shop. I guessed roughly where it should be so it was at least drivable.

[SKYFLIX]

Many thanks for looking into that. I would tend to agree with you. I'm not a fan of making anything permanent, at least not for starters.

Now comes the question of how do I lift the chassis up in order to secure the floor pan. I guess an engine hoist and some heavy duty straps are in order.

[ViperJustin]

I wrote three different ways of doing it. But I think you actually have the best idea. Grab a half dozen rolls of both strong and weak painter's tape. It'll help protect the frame from scratches and it's also like having another set of hands in some cases (stronger/stickier tape) and it doesn't leave residue when you take it off.

I'd be over there to help in a second if I could.

[SKYFLIX]

Physical assistance or not, the support is greatly appreciated.

[ViperJustin]

Where do you live? (profile...)

I'll answer any questions that I can. If I can't, others can. And of course, call fran if you need to.

[SKYFLIX]

Just updated my profile. Had completely forgotten to do that. I actually have a call into Fran and Vicki inquiring about some missing components, namely my calipers, brake lines and fittings, and my pedal assembly. Honestly having a bit of a time of late getting a call back. Fran must be super busy.

[ViperJustin]

He's doing the 13 Hours of VIR this weekend with the green SL-C. Between that, and business picking up as of lately, I don't know when he sleeps!

Btw, my floor is primarily riveted in but there are bolts that go all the way through for my seats. They go through the flat bars that are in the floor frame.

[SKYFLIX]

Oh, that's right. He did mention that when I was there last week. I certainly do appreciate how busy the guy is, but I don't exactly rest easy knowing that I haven't received something that I paid for.

I think the rivets will be the way I'll go then. It will give me a chance to dust off the the gun anyway. I haven't used it since helping a buddy with his RV-6 several years ago.

[SKYFLIX]

Well, got the floor pan riveted in today. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. Simply jacked up the frame on stands and had enough room to work underneath.

Now my attention is turning to something that I haven't quite sorted out. Hoping the 4G63 crew can lend a hand here. The passenger side transmission mount has the rubber insert. In the donor car, it was bolted to the outer frame side mount, similar to the engine mount. Well, on the SL-R, there are provisions for the outer engine mount and front and rear transmission mounts, but there is simply a flat plate with predrilled holes for the passenger side transmission. I don't see how I'm going to be able to grind out the mount from the donor car and even if I were able to, I don't see how this would be bolted to the provision in the SLR. I'm obviously missing something here. Is there some special mount that I should be using?

[ViperJustin]

Take a look at "J's 4G63 Build". He has a build blog. Start here:

http://projectsl-r.com/2011/04/15/engine-fitment-issues/

If anything email him and see what he recommends.

[SKYFLIX]

Oh yes, I've been conversing with J for a while now. He's been a big help. I actually have an e-mail into him about this very question. I've looked at his transmission mounted in the car and he obviously has a different mount than I do.

[SKYFLIX]

Here are some pictures of what I'm looking at. After looking at J's pictures, it appears that the mount on his transmission is quite different.

[mrgsdsjg]

Perhaps it is a 1G VS 2G design change? Maybe you need to look for a transmission mount from a 1G DSM?

[SKYFLIX]

That's probably exactly what it is. Or perhaps the difference between an AWD and FWD transmission. If so, I might be a bit screwed.

[ViperJustin]

If you have the ability (or cash), you could have a guy fabricate a bolt on mount.

[mrgsdsjg]

That's probably exactly what it is. Or perhaps the difference between an AWD and FWD transmission. If so, I might be a bit screwed.

Ahh, I bet you are right! I recall when I first joined the forum reading that the AWD transmission was preferred as it is suppose to be stronger. You can probably find a mount that would work. I would research some of the FWD to AWD conversions on dsm's. Good luck!!

[SKYFLIX]

I'm looking. MAN, HAVE I BEEN LOOKING! It seems like the motor mounts themselves are a dime a dozen, but actually finding the bracket that bolts to the transmission itself is next to impossible. And I'm not liking what I have been reading with regards to 1G/2G swaps. In every case, it seems that there aren't readily available parts to do the job and requires custom fabrication. I'm not totally against that. I was prepared for that when I first got into this. Even bought a welder and took a welding class. But what concerns me is that if THIS mount doesn't line up, what hope do I have for the other three? I just checked the motor side mount and it doesn't fit in the brackets either. Aaaargh!

Fran, if you are reading this, I could certainly use some advice.

[SKYFLIX]

Heard back from Fran. He has assured me that there is no problem and that I simply need to find the right mounts and brackets. I've got a 1G top transmission bracket ordered from eBay. Before I get the corresponding rubber mount for it, I'm going to verify that it will mate up with the 2G transmission. Wish me luck!

Edit: Found the following article which appears to confirm this:

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/drivetrain-tech/402630-1g-2g-transmission-driveline-compatibility.html

Looks like some new mounts are just what the doctor ordered. Now finding them...

[SKYFLIX]

Hmmm. This doesn't look right. My left front spring is a "10-450" and my right front spring is a "12-400". Which one is "correct"?

[SKYFLIX]

From the transmission side, it looks like that will be the easiest. I simply need to replace the entire top bracket assembly off of my 2G transmission with one from a 1G. One down, three to go. It also looks like my 2G block has provisions for a rear mount that is usually unused on 2G dsms. I just need to find out which one of the three different brackets I need. No biggie on that one. Two down, two to go.

Now things get interesting. I don’t know how the front 1G engine mount looks or how it is normally attached to 1G blocks. Any chance someone could snap a picture of their 4G63 installation for me? At this point, I’m fairly certain I will have to do some fabricating. And finally, my 2G driver side mount is too wide for the chassis bracket, so I may have to move to a 1G mount, but it apparently attaches in a different way as well. Would appreciate a snapshot of that, too!

This whole endeavor is turning out to be much more involved than I originally thought. I’m considering trying to swap it for a 6bolt.

[Jay]

Post up pics of each chassis motor mount and the "engine bay" of your SL-R as a whole.

[Jay]

Here are some quick pics I took with my phone while on lunch. Hope they help.

[SKYFLIX]

Attached find the pictures of my predicament. It is clearly obvious that this chassis was not designed for a 2G motor or transmission. I'm not sure what to do at this point. The only thing that I'm pretty confident on, is that the 2G block still has mounting points for the older 1G rear motor mount. Not so fortunate on the front, however, and I'm not confident of the driver side mount being able to work either.

Anybody want a rebuilt 2G motor and transmission?

[SKYFLIX]

Well don't I just feel like an idiot. I've now gotten the 1G transmission mounting bracket bolted up to the 2G transmission. It will be a simple matter of just buying the rubber mount now to bolt to the chassis. This mount = solved

Also, as luck would have it, I was able to find a 1G motor mounting bracket, which bolts up beautifully to the 2G block so likewise, all that will be needed is the actual rubber mount. This mount = solved

Now, on to the rear mount. As you can see from the first set of pictures, the 1G and 2G's differ in that the 1G motor/tranny combination has three mounts on the block and a single mount on the transmission, whereas the 2Gs have three mounts on the transmission and one on the block. Fortunately the 2Gs still have the rear mounting points and the mounting bracket bolts up just fine. I'm not sure if the one in the photo is the one that I'll end up using. There were three different motor mount brackets depending on the transmission, but otherwise, I'm considering this mount solved.

Now the only mount that remains is the front mount. There are no provisions on the block to use a 1G mount, so I have no choice but to fabricate and bolt up a plate to extend the mounting point over to the mount on the transmission. This shouldn't be terribly difficult, however.

[ViperJustin]

Good job figuring that thing out. It'll all pay off in the end. Trust me!!! In the mean time, keep posting up pics and stuff. Its cool watching your progression.

[SKYFLIX]

Thanks Justin. Now that I know I have a solution, I can proceed with the things that I was putting off, such as finishing the block and cleaning up the transmission.

Hopefully by Christmas I will at least have the engine and trans bolted in, if only temporarily.

[Jay]

All the mounts look exactly like my SL-R. Just to be clear, I'm calling the mounts front/rear based on their orientation within a DSM.

Front mount (one closest to firewall): I used a 2g mount to to attach to the chassis and then the 1g mount for the engine. The holes in the chassis are not long enough for the 2g mount. I had to weld on a tab to extend the holes.

Rear mount: I used both 1g mounts for the engine and chassis. You may be able to get the 2g engine mount to mate with a 1g chassis mount.

Trans Mount: It looks like you just have to use a 1g chassis mount and a 2g awd trans mount.

Engine Mount: To fit in the chassis mount, I had to trim my motor mount as well. I used a 1g engine mount. I believe the 2g mount should fit just fine.

[Jay]

Did the mounts work out? If so, I suggest posting your mount configuration for others that may be using a 2g block/trans.

[ViperJustin]

Did the mounts work out? If so, I suggest posting your mount configuration for others that may be using a 2g block/trans.

Yup. It's almost Christmas. We want to know!!!

[SKYFLIX]

I wish I had more updates, but alas the project is on hold for the time being until my budget improves. I was going to order some new billet mounts, but now I'm afraid I'll have to start with some used OEM mounts. Once I have the engine in place, I'll turn my attention to other aspects, but if I can't get the engine in, there is no point in my continuing with anything else.

**update**: After piecing out the parts, it was just cheaper (and certainly better) to just order some new mounts, so the AVID 1G AWD 3-piece kit is on its way, which consists of all of the rubber mounts except the front (which is just perfect, because I will need to fabricate something to use my existing 2G mount anyway)

[SKYFLIX]

Bummer. I had ordered some Wilwood calipers based on some valuable information from Jay, only to later realize that I was given 1.1" thick rotors by RCR instead of the .8" thick rotors that Jay evidently has. So back they go. I'll get it all sorted eventually. :(

[Arct1k]

Two step fwd and one back. Any more vids of the project?

[SKYFLIX]

No, not yet. Visible progress has been slow owing to the snafu with the engine mounts. That, and I just haven't had the drive to record another video. But I'll probably do that this week.

[SKYFLIX]

Another minor issue has come up. After doing the math for the correct Wilwood calipers, I have come to realize that the caliper mounting brackets which bolt to the hubs were evidently designed for a 12.2" rotor, which means that they don't bring out the caliper far enough. I have an e-mail into Fran for his suggestion, but they are off this week, so I'm trying to decide if it's worth my effort to just fabricate my own. Not that I have a plasma cutter or CNC machine or anything. :) It would have to be done with a good 'ole scroll saw and drill press.

[SKYFLIX]

I don't suppose anyone has access to a 3D printer or CNC machine do they? I need to make this caliper mount in order to fit the larger 13" rotors. I have this as a sketchup file and wanted to try the dimensions in plastic layup first before committing to metal fab'ing.

[Arct1k]

You could try these guys and just get it cut in delrin to start with...

http://www.emachineshop.com/

[golftdibrad]

e machine shop is pricey. If you have your own CAD you can likely do better.

[SKYFLIX]

I emailed several companies over the break. Only one company seemed interested in the small project. Atlanta Waterjet gave me a quote of $56 for all four which I think seemed pretty reasonable.

[Arct1k]

I have a local guy that would make them but i think thats a better price than he could make them for...

[SKYFLIX]

Got my caliper mounting brackets in today from Atlanta Waterjet and they are fantastic! Exactly as they were drawn. Things are starting to look up! See attached picture for the original brackets designed for a 12.2" rotor and the larger ones made for the 13" rotors.

Still waiting on my engine mounts from JNZ Tuning and calipers from Summit Racing.

[SKYFLIX]

It's baby steps, I know, but this one aggravation is behind me now! The new calipers are mounted! The new brackets that I had waterjet'ed worked a treat (though the powder coating guy did a horrible job on them). Also, I got my pedal assembly and two of my master cylinders in. Engine mounts came in as well and it looks like they are going to work out just fine.

[mobius]

updates?

[SKYFLIX]

OH gosh, I wish there were. Money and time has been tight the last few months. But I at least know that I have a plan for everything now. It's just about finding those two most precious things in order to get it done.

[mobius]

Time and money are always the hard problems to over come! keep at it, youll get there! I am really interesdted in one of these kits a bit concerned about the motor mount issues though... did that aftermarket kit resolve everything but the front mount issue? If I got a 1g motor and tranny would that also fix all the issues?

[SKYFLIX]

Oh yes, basically the 4G63 chassis is designed around a 1G solution, though from what I have heard and read, there have been fitment issues with the front mount as well. Nothing major, though. And certainly well within expectations for a kit car. I certainly made more work for myself by getting a 2G, but it's what was available at the time. Knowing what I know now, I would still do it again.

[ViperJustin]

Carride had a couple issues figuring out how to mount his 4G63. But he figured it out and I think he's getting ready to start it. I can't wait. Two SL-Razors in Vegas!!!!

[jonathankoren]

anyone with slr on the east coast or nearby?

[Arct1k]

Yes nj

[jonathankoren]

Who id like to get in touch with them

[Arct1k]

Me :)

[SKYFLIX]

I'm in SC. And just to give everyone a heads up on the status of my build, my engine rebuild is complete. My transmission is off for a tuneup and I hope to have that back by the end of the month and I'll finally get everything bolted back up and mounted in the chassis.

Along those lines, has anyone spoken to Fran lately? I sent him an e-mail last week to order seats, brake lines and drive shafts and haven't heard from him.

[ViperJustin]

First race is this weekend. He's been busy preparing the SLC for it's second year of domination.

[Nirvana Motorsport]

saw the SLC at autobahn over the weekend......broke NASA track record....again.....

[SKYFLIX]

What good is making a fantastic car and trying to sell it, if you won't return the calls and e-mails of buyers? I've been trying to buy a seat, driveshafts, fender mounts and brakelines for two weeks.

[mobius]

Still no luck getting a hold of Fran? That's disappointing ...

[Karlo]

What good is making a fantastic car and trying to sell it, if you won't return the calls and e-mails of buyers? I've been trying to buy a seat, driveshafts, fender mounts and brakelines for two weeks.

When you are dealing with a very small manufacture of cars / parts. They cannot tool up for 1 customer. Getting several orders and then tooling up only makes dollar sense. If you patience has run out you might want to source your parts elsewhere.

[lo2erf]

What good is making a fantastic car and trying to sell it, if you won't return the calls and e-mails of buyers? I've been trying to buy a seat, driveshafts, fender mounts and brakelines for two weeks.

U R not alone.

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/rcr-forum-rcr40-slc-p4-mkiv/26465-give-us-break-brake-fran-anything-else-ya-got-us.html

Good luck! I think the other guy got sum of hiz partz...

[SKYFLIX]

I'm a bit torn on this.

Most of the parts that I'm asking for shouldn't be custom (the exceptions being the drive shafts and fender mounts) . I know where the seats come from and could easily order directly from them, same thing goes for the brake calipers which if you recall I had to source myself because RCR didn't have them available when I picked up my car. And yes, I could certainly get my own brake lines. That really isn't the point, though. All I'm looking for at this point is a response to my communications that says one of three things: 1. Thank you for your order, we'll get those shipped out soon, or 2. Thank you for your order, we will get the parts out to you as soon as possible or 3. Buzz off, I'm not interested in doing business with you as a customer any longer.

I really want to finish the car, with the least amount of fuss as possible (which is why I would prefer to work through RCR), but I can't help but get the feeling that I'm falling into the third category.

What a shame. I have money and want to spend it so I can show off what has got to be the most amazing exo car on the market. I'm sure other SLR owners out there will attest to how much attention their cars get. Well it's hard for mine to get attention sitting in my garage.



When you are dealing with a very small manufacture of cars / parts. They cannot tool up for 1 customer. Getting several orders and then tooling up only makes dollar sense. If you patience has run out you might want to source your parts elsewhere.

[ViperJustin]

I can tell you THE BIGGEST LESSON I learned from the kit car experience is patience!!! It's well documented in my thread (just see when I ordered to when I received it) as well as for anyone who has asked me. Long story short, these are cars that need A: time to order, receive, install, deliver parts and B: are maintenance hogs compared to a regular car. There are things you can do to prevent B.

As far as A goes, and the information that is being broadcasted, thats where PATIENCE and RESPECT goes a LONG WAY. The fact of the matter is, in my case, I blew up at the guy that built my car. I didn't truly know what was involved with building such a car. Yes, the SLR is relatively easy to build versus a FFR GTM (1000-2000 hours to build it!!!!!) or Cobra replica (again, up to 1000+ hours).

Anyways, these things take a LOT of TIME, PATIENCE, and RESPECT. I hope you can resolve the issue and get the beast on the road!

[Steve Jarvis]

I can tell you THE BIGGEST LESSON I learned from the kit car experience is patience!!! It's well documented in my thread (just see when I ordered to when I received it) as well as for anyone who has asked me. Long story short, these are cars that need A: time to order, receive, install, deliver parts and B: are maintenance hogs compared to a regular car. There are things you can do to prevent B.

As far as A goes, and the information that is being broadcasted, thats where PATIENCE and RESPECT goes a LONG WAY. The fact of the matter is, in my case, I blew up at the guy that built my car. I didn't truly know what was involved with building such a car. Yes, the SLR is relatively easy to build versus a FFR GTM (1000-2000 hours to build it!!!!!) or Cobra replica (again, up to 1000+ hours).

Anyways, these things take a LOT of TIME, PATIENCE, and RESPECT. I hope you can resolve the issue and get the beast on the road!

A pro builder built my FFR Cobra, but it only took 350 hours and it had all the bells and whistles. That didn't include paint, but it wasn't that much more.

If it takes you 1,000+ hours to built a cobra replica, than your spending a lot of time learning and not building. :)

Later, Steve

[ViperJustin]

It's just what I've read on FFR forums. There's been SLCs that have been built in 230 hours and SLCs that have more than a thousand hours and still going. Either way, these things take multiple times longer to build than the average car.

[lo2erf]

Fran sez 30-40 hours comfortably to complete a kit. For a standard build.
http://www.exocars.net/showthread.php?t=123

[SKYFLIX]

I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression of why I'm upset. The time to complete the car has never been an issue. I am learning a HELL of a lot with this car, and I'm sure the learning curve has slowed me down. But that's perfectly OK because I'm having some of the most fun of my life in the process.

So I tend to worry about things that are probably not a big deal, but when you have invested this much time and money into a project, you try to make sure everything is as it should be, which means getting the right parts the first time.

I'm particularly worried about the driveshafts. I don't know where in the world I would get those if I don't hear from Fran. I remember him telling me something about how I couldn't get those anywhere else because of the custom stub axles. Everything else I feel I could acquire elsewhere should I absolutely need to.

[SKYFLIX]

I've got my order into RCR for the parts that I need. Just waiting on the invoice now so I can give them some more of my hard earned money. :)

[mobius]

Did you order everything together tye complete razor minus drivetrain or are u ordering it in pieces?

[SKYFLIX]

Fran worked up an initial build out which matched up with my initial budget. It basically included everything except the axles, lights, seats and brake components. This allowed me time to get the basic assembly done and work out drivetrain installation. Now that this is done, I've turned my attention to the driver and passenger area. Before finding a mounting point for the shifter, I need to get the seats installed. I was first going with aftermarket seats, which is why I didn't pick them up with the car, but the more I read and the more research I did, this wasn't going to be a good idea. First of all, it was going to be considerably more expensive, and more importantly, fitting was always going to be more difficult.

After this round of RCR sourced components, the last bits I will need to get will be the lights and dash equipment.

[Optimus]

Still no luck getting a hold of Fran? That's disappointing ...

Disappointing it maybe. Surprising, it not. Normal after money is received he on to next guy and forget you.

[ViperJustin]

Optimus,


Please read and comprehend the posts after the post you quoted.



Thank you.

[mobius]

Yep looks like Fran took care of him no prob! U need to either post up your issue and
stop posting negative comments.