Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Prepped then Broken


Picture this - I get a phone call from Hamo "you're taking the E21 to the drags, like it or not - I'm paying".

Honestly, I don't care that he's willing to pay - "I'll just break something" I protest.

"Plus, I want to weld the diff before I go out so I've at least got some traction, and I -hate- the smell of diff oil".

The response "I'll come around tomorrow night and weld the diff".

I considered his offer of assistance, decided it worth pursuing and proceeded to jack up the car to get it ready to drain and weld... .


...then drained it - since it was already up in the air, and cleaned it out by spraying acetone from a spray bottle.... then welded it while I was there for good measure.

I refilled it with SAE90 diff oil (just happened to have almost the perfect amount lying around??)


So when he turned up the following evening, the garage already stank of stale diff oil. Only the timing remained to be adjusted. At first glance, there's more room in the E21. On further inspection; it's very - VERY tight. The problem is the approach angle. Hamo assures me you actually need rubber arms to achieve this task with any form of ease.

He must have rubber arms.

He got it done.



What he also got "done" is this brilliant window sticker.

It's 400% bigger than I imagine necessary.

I'm very impressed.


Off we go to local plumbing services provider Cri-Tech who have agreed to sponsor the use of some left over materials and their equipment to manufacture door skins and other miscellaneous parts I erroneously believe I need done before I can pass scrutineering.


A fan guard/air guide is guillotined and fitted.


I think to myself, a shed like this would be nice to have.


Plenty of room, multiple locations to work on a car.


Door skins are made and screwed on with self tappers. 

I make a floor for the driver's side.

I later decide it's terrible and throw it away.


My cousin Fletcher turns up, replete with battery drill and a supply of screws - he intrepidly secures all of our creations to the vehicle.


The car looks a lot less "thrown together" and a lot more "carefully planned and executed".

I think this is wonderful.


Back home, I decide that the front fan guard is boring.

I put some stickers on it.


To the petrol station! I don't think many people fill their cars via the middle of the boot.

An uneventful drive to the drag strip.

One run down - no traction through first, still sideways through second - cross the line at 72.46mph (1/8th mile) in 11 seconds.

I think this is woeful. My EB managed a 9.2 with a slower motor.

I go again. Still no traction, half throttle through all of first gear.

74.38mph and a 9.9 second. Ok, It's headed in the right direction - but the motor is heating up from doing a flat out run then idling for a long time. I park and let it cool down.

Out again, this time I'm going to do a decent burnout and try and warm the tyres. Hamo, get out your phone and record this!

The burnout goes well.

The light goes green.

BANG. That's not good.

Oh look, I've broken something. See Hamo, I told you!

The car drives very strange, it turns on the throttle and axle tramps what feels like one wheel. 


Back at the pits, one of the half shafts has about an inch of play. Hamo removes the dust cover and is greeted by a ball bearing and pieces of bearing race.


The CV joint has suffered what can only be described as a monumental, fatal failure.

I need another.

There aren't any? (anyone have any hints?)

Maybe a driveshaft? Nope, none of those either.

Oh well. It's still moveable, thanks to the welded diff (I removed the broken axle)


At least Scarlett likes the new sticker!

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