Sticky tires

I tried two types of Hoosier slicks on the last two Philly region autocrosses. The first set were 20.5x7-13 R35A compound tires. They are made for a 6"-8" rim, but mounted okay on my 5" rims so a I gave them a try. It was a cold day and everyone complained of poor traction. My times were competitive but traction felt worse than in previous autocrosses with street tires... could have been the due to the conditions but I wasn't impressed.
Last weekend I tried a set of 22.5x7.2-13 R25B compound tires and the grip was excellent. Since it was a warmer day and different course it's hard to compare tires, but I think I'll stick with these for autocrosses until they wear out. I contacted Hoosier tech support and they recommended 20.0/8.0X13 R25B tires, which are almost identical, just smaller diameter. Getting the car closer to the ground can only help so I'll keep an eye out for a set of these to try next.

Despite being listed as 22.5x7.2 they measure almost 10" wide and would have rubbed against both front and rear fenders, so I had to remove the fenders to run. Looked a bit strange without rear fenders, but added lightness.

New Chapter...

...or maybe another book. When I'm asked if the car is finished, I'm not sure how to answer. I still spend time on the car when time allows, but the focus has changed from fabrication to preparation for autocrosses, debugging, tweaks, and thoughts about upgrades...I was warned that these projects never end...

The good thing is that I get to drive it now, including occasional trips to work when the weather is nice. Here are some pictures taken next to Steve's Jeep . We both started and finished our projects about the same time. Even though our projects were very different, it helped to have another car (Jeep) nut around to bounce ideas off of and stay motivated. Steve didn't cut any corners and the end result is one of the nicest CJ5's I've seen. Both are purpose built vehicles, though for very different purposes.


Driving impressions of a BEC Se7en:
Having participated in FSAE when in college, I had some idea what a car powered by a motorcycle engine would be like. I had also read about driving experiences of others who had BECs. Everything you hear is true.

If you're looking for a cruise around in, take the wife or kids for a spin, car with manners, a BEC Se7en isn't for you. If you are looking for a road legal race car, you may want to consider a BEC.

The bad:
BECs are clunky. Motorcycles have rubber cushions in the rear sprocket that soften gear changes and changes in speed. BECs have a lot more mass in the drive line, a differential that has play, and in most cases, a hard mounted drive train with no rubber cushions. When you shift into gear, or get on or off the throttle there is a clunk. You can minimize this with a "cush" drive shaft and driving technique, but never eliminate it (so I've heard). On a positive note, when wearing a helmet and driving all out you never notice the clunks : )

Driving on the street requires restraint. I have a stock muffler, but open intake. Induction noise makes it louder than an normal R1. At WOT, the noise will attract the attention of anyone nearby. Not good if you want to be a good neighbor, or try to avoid speeding tickets. And, it only takes seconds until you are above most speed limits, so the thrill of acceleration doesn't last.

There are a lot of hazards on the road for low ground clearance cars. My car has about 3" of clearance under the oil pan (note to self: fabricate sump guard...). Road kill, speed bumps, potholes all can cause significant damage. This makes it foolish to drive fast around blind corners and over hills, roads that would be the most fun to drive in a Se7en if the hazards didn't exist. Add the thought of an SUV pulling out in front of you...

The good:
If you have a place to drive all out...like an autocross, hill climb, or nice roads with good visibility...the responsiveness is mind boggling. From 7k - 11.5k rpm the engine just pulls, the shifts are quick, and the car goes where you point it. I'm still learning the limits of the car, but in reality the limiting factor is the driver. Not a problem, I don't mind working on that : )

I'm getting more used to the exposed feeling, and when the weather is nice and I need to recharge, I drive the Se7en.

On the road with new shoes...

New wheels and tires arrived today. Here are some pictures of them installed on the car:

After the first autocross it was clear that the cheap Sumitomo's I was using weren't going to work for autocrossing if I had any intention of being competitive. I bought some used slicks, but only had one set of wheels. Now that I will be driving on the road in addition to autocrossing, I didn't want to have to remount tires for each event.

So after looking around for a reasonable set of used rims that I liked (with little success) I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new set of Kosei rims and tires from Tirerack.com. The tires should be better than the Sumitomo's, and now I can experiment with the slicks on my old 13" rims.

Street Legal!

Well almost, still need to take it for a final inspection to get an inspection sticker but that's a sure thing...

After almost 6 weeks of waiting I received a letter from PennDOT yesterday, enclosed was a title for my car, none of the back and forth or clarification questions I had feared, just a title. The vehicle make is listed as SP CONSTR with no model year. I called Hagerty and they updated my insurance with the new VIN number, took the title and insurance to a license center and $68 later had tags for the car...

I have the seats out to install a 5-point harness and will probably make some drain holes in the floor while I can (got caught in the rain twice already). Lots of motivation to get it back together for the final inspection, then off for some blats.

1/4 Mile Runs

While waiting to hear back about registration, I'm trying to get in as many events as possible to get some seat time. Cecil County Dragway has test and tune night on Wednedays so I decided to check it out. I wasn't sure what safety equipment was needed, but after talking to the inspector they let me run with regular seat belts and a helmet. Next time they said I will need a 5pt harness.

I expected to be in the 14s, but despite lousy launches I managed a best time of 13.546 and a best speed of 102.15mph, though not on the same run. Not sure when I'll go back, 100+mph in a Seven is a bit unnerving. I think I'll stick with autocrossing for now...

Here are the time slips, my car# was 104:


And video of the runs:
http://www.youtube.com/user/R1SE7EN#p/u/5/DAzhdDbo2Gg

Second Autocross

I made it to the Warminster autocross this past weekend. It takes place on an old runway that has been converted to a community park. Being a runway I wasn't expecting much, but the course turned out to be a blast. They set up tight corners and slaloms going out, and more open curves on the way back. Here's a video of my last run:
http://www.youtube.com/user/R1SE7EN#p/u/2/HdTtEY4Btzs

some spins:
http://www.youtube.com/user/R1SE7EN#p/u/3/w5mmSHPsnBc

and starts:
http://www.youtube.com/user/R1SE7EN#p/u/4/_dcDhVgcoiQ

Registration process

I took the car to an inspection mechanic Thursday to begin the registration process. Despite having called ahead, I was told they wouldn't have time to do the inspection that day. Understandable since it is a lot of hassle and paperwork, just wish I had known ahead of time. Anyway, rescheduled for next Wednesday and will call before driving there to make sure they will have time. One week delay isn't a big deal for a project over 5yrs in the making.

The day didn't turn out all bad. Since I had the car on a trailer I decided to take it to a weigh station. 980 lbs ! This is about 100 lbs lighter than I expected. The gas tank was about half full so car with a full tank will be just over 1000 lbs.

A quick overview of the process as I understand.
1. Mechanic inspects the car, takes pictures, verifies receipts and helps fill out the Specially Constructed Vehicle form. (Will try again next week)
2. I take the packet of info to a license center, pay sales tax, and the packet is sent to PennDOT.
3. PennDOT reviews the info, if all looks good they send a VIN plate and license plate. Best case could be a couple weeks, but delays are not unusual and they may ask for more info/clarification/modifications which will add more time.
So in short, I have no idea how long it will take, but the good thing is that I can still enjoy the car at autocrosses while I wait.

First Autocross

Satisfying but exhausting best describe this weekend. I decided to register for the Philly autocross even though a lot of prep work remained, figuring that a deadline will help move things along. It did.
Before the event I needed to fabricate and mount a roll bar, make sure everything was fastened, tightened, aligned...and figure out how to load and secure the car on its trailer for the 1hr drive to Philly.
I spent all day Saturday (8:00 am until midnight) getting done what I could, then woke up at 5:00am the next morning to finish prep and try to make the 8:15 registration start...
Despite the lack of sleep, oppressive heat/humidity, and afternoon downpour, it turned out to be a good day. They gave us 5 runs, which was good because it took the first few to learn the course and start to get used to the car...very different from a leisurely drive around the block...

Some pictures after my runs were complete...the wife and kids stopped by to see how things were going. This was taken just before the rain started.


Below is a video of one of the runs, sound is mostly wind noise since I forgot the foam mic cover. I still have a lot of room for improvement, mostly in the driver, but I'm looking forward to dialing in the car and learning to drive it over time.
http://www.youtube.com/user/R1SE7EN#p/u/1/QYdZ2aWkre4

I took advantage of the nice weekend weather to get the car out again. Took the kids for spins around the yard then went for a couple laps in our development. Here are some pics next to our Sentra, gives you an idea of scale...

Also did a test fit on the trailer. Loaded easily and fits well but I need to check the tongue weight, seemed a bit light...


Some onboard video of a drive but quality isn't the best.
http://www.youtube.com/user/R1SE7EN#p/u/0/1hfPGB0oBu0

Lots of sanding, but no beach

It didn't take long to remember how much I dislike bodywork. Lots of dust, raw finger tips, uncomfortable masks... good thing there isn't much bodywork on a Seven.

I got the worst of the nosecone done, just need to fill in a few imperfections then prime again and paint.
The rear fenders have some waves. Looks like they were removed from the mold before completely curing. I sanded some of the waves out, but not sure if I can completely get rid of them without breaking thru the gel coat. May have to use some body filler, but would really like to avoid that.

Front Fender Brackets

I finished fabricating the front fender brackets and mounted the fenders. I used 1/2" 16ga tube with 1/8" tabs that bolt onto the uprights. Since the weather was nice I decided to take it for a spin and see how well they would hold up. I've heard a lot of stories of wobbly fenders and fatigue cracking, but these seemed very solid. No noticeable vibration when running over rough pavement.


The punch list is getting smaller. I plan to focus on things needed to get the car inspected first, so I can work on any remaining items while waiting for the paperwork to be processed. I'm pretty sure they don't care how pretty the car looks, so I can save the body work and paint for later.

Driving impressions:
So far I've only driven around our development, but enough to get an initial feel of the car. I was expecting it to be a challenge to launch and a bit sluggish at low rpms, doesn't seem to be the case. The clutch feels surprisingly like a "real" car, and it has great response even at low rpms. I haven't had the nerve to wind it out yet or even use full throttle, trying to be a good neighbor...
The drivetrain clunks if you step on and off the gas and during 'rough' shifts. I expected this but want to make sure I don't have excess play somewhere. Some BECs run a "cushion" section in the driveshaft to smooth this out, may look into this in the future if it becomes annoying. I'm not used to the shifters yet but this shouldn't take long. For now I have to think about which is up/down, get it right about half the time...
The steering ratio and effort feels about right, so far no issues with turning radius. The car feels very solid and goes where you point it, even with only eyeballing the alignment. I need to do a real alignment and detailed check before taking it for high(er) speed tests.

Trailer

I bought a trailer:

My goal is to have the car road legal so I can drive as needed, but from time to time will want to trailer the car, so I have been keeping my eyes open for suitable trailers. An ad came in the mail recently that was too good to ignore: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200356494_200356494

The size and weight is JUST enough to haul the car. With a wheel base of 90" and width (outside of tires) of just under 60", the wheels will sit right on the corners of the 5'x8' trailer. I plan to cover the trailer in 3/4" plywood and make wheel "saddles" to locate and immobilize the tires.

Since the trailer is a kit I need to register as a specially constructed vehicle in PA, same process that will be used for the car. I got the inspection done today and just need to send of the paperwork. The process isn't too bad and after speaking to the inspection mechanic I have a lot more confidence that registering the car will go smoothly, we'll see....

Fenders and Rear Cover

I did a rough fit of the rear fenders and started working on a cover for the rear. It's starting to look more like a car. I still need to decide on a color for the fiberglass parts...keep changing my mind...

Also got a surprise delivery on Saturday while working on the car, Brookland aeroscreens that I had ordered earlier in the week from Vintage Supplies in the UK. The price was better than any domestic supplier I could find even with overseas shipping, probably just a fast too.

Punch list is getting smaller...

Rear Panel and Airbox

Made a little progress over the holidays. I fabricated an airbox that fits under the bonnet. Not the nicest looking but it should serve its function. I may try to 'pretty it up' or make a nicer one in the future.


Also attached the rear panel now that most of the things requiring access to the rear are complete.

Ordered rear fenders from Jack at Kinetic Vehicles and they arrived yesterday. May try to fit them this weekend.