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The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
Still waiting on the "RamLift Pro" Hydraulic Lift Kit for the front Suspension. Also waiting on a couple of backordered parts for the engine. Wiring is almost finished. It's true, what they say... There is never really a scheduled date when things will be done on a car.
I got the camera out to take a couple of pictures of the progress, only to find that the battery was dead. My wife had another digital camera, and asked if I wanted to use it, but the Moment had passed... LOL.
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
The Ramlift Pro Kit finally arrived. The inside diameter is just shy of fitting over the KONI coil-over sleeve. They are made for true coil-over shock bodies. John @ Whitby's opened them up on the lathe, to allow them to fit over the sleeve. A leak at the thermostat housing on the water pump appears to have "fixed" itself. Well, at least 99% fixed from what I understand...
Waiting on my third MAS airflow sensor. I have had a hell of a time finding a MAF sensor that mounts at the Throttle Body, AND has the correct "female" connector for the "male" pug on my GMPP harness for the LS2. We'll see if the "Third time really is the Charm". If so, there should be a lot of noise coming from the exhaust soon.
Pictures and, hopefully, First Start video to follow.
Last edited by The Stig; 06-16-2011 at 10:24 PM.
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
Above: Tilton Pump for the Transaxle Oil Cooler. G50-01 (5spd) with taller 4th & 5th gears. I just thought that it would be a nice bit of "insurance" to try and keep the heat down in the gear box. Also Lower temps radiating from the gear box means somewhat lower temps in the engine bay. Below: Transaxle Oil Cooler, mounted and ready to go.
This will give an idea of where / how the trans oil cooler components are mounted. You can't see it in this picture, but the the cooler actually has an electric fan that will be activated by thermostat, which will force air through. This also allows it's placement to be pretty much where-ever you can make it fit. In this case we opted for the rear of the transaxle mount (frame). It'll be just above the diffuser louvers, so there should be good air flow as the car is moving as well.
Last edited by The Stig; 05-20-2015 at 09:02 PM.
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
Stig,
I noticed the extention in front of the HVAC Fan. I have my fan mounted right now with out it. Should I add it back when I put iot in after the carpet?
R/s
Vidal
CURRENT STATUS: Interior Rework and Bodywork.
GenII GTM #331. Delivered (23/9/10)
BUILD LOG AND WEBSITE:
http://gtmbuild.weebly.com/ .
Looks Great! About how hard is it to build a GTM? Do you think that it would be possible to do after doing the Build School?
Shane Vacek
VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC
www.vraptorspeedworks.com
Turn-key GTM, SL-C & Ultima GTR Built to Your Specs!
Offering a full line of GTM Upgrades and Custom Parts
Hi Vidal,
Sorry for the delay. Pam & I were out of town for a couple of days watching my grandson play baseball in his first "All-Star" tournament. That was fun to see.
Regarding the GTM:
When I sent the chassis with Jeff, back to the Whitby shop, the HVAC still hadn't been finished. I had it disassembled with the tunnel panels removed, so the heater and A/C lines could be run. When they finished the lines, and ran the wiring through the tunnel, they re-assembled it, (apparently using the extension for the plenum mount). I hadn't even noticed it, until you pointed it out.
I would imagine that foot room won"t be an issue on the passenger side, since my wife is every bit of 5 feet tall.
I think that we'll be making some cool noise with that engine pretty soon. I got the electronic accelerator cable extension and the new MAF Sensor that I've been waiting for. So there's not much else holding it back.
That'll be a nice milestone to get past. So Stay Tuned!
Last edited by The Stig; 08-11-2011 at 05:09 PM.
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
Hi Texan,
Thanks for the compliment. Factory Five makes it considerably easier to build these cars, by supplying the kit in "complete" and/or "donor" forms. Dave Smith states that if you do not have the expertise to build a car from scratch, then you should really ask yourself whether or not this is something that you should be spending your money on. And you should answer yourself honestly.
I've worked on my cars for quite some time, and I understand how the components work with each other. So I guess it helped me to "visualize" the process of how this all goes together. Now with that said, there were many parts of this build that I felt comfortable doing myself. And then there were things that I've never done before, and didn't feel that this was where I needed to guess at it. For me, those areas are wiring and bodywork. So, I was able to let Jeff Collins of Whitby Motorcars extend his expertise to make my car as good as it can be.
I would never be the person to tell anyone that they shouldn't build a factory five car. In my oppinion, this is all about the amount of confidence you have in yourself, and knowing where your capabilities start and where they should end. In other words, know when to ask for help.
But I guess if I were to offer any suggestions, they would be:
- Don't bite into this, unless you can afford to build it out of pocket. These cars (GTMs) are a bit expensive to build. I am well into the $70k range on mine, and I still have another 15k scheduled for audio, and custom interior. If this wasn't something that I could do a little at the time, and pay for as I go along, I would have never started the process.
- Many people say that if you've never built a car before, you should probably start with the cobra (Roadster). Now that I am almost finished with my car, I can see the merrit in that. I would have finished the car about a year ago, and at less than half the cost of my GTM. I would have had a very cool car to drive around. And it would have given me a chance to learn more of the skills needed to launch into the GTM build. So I guess I'm doing this backwards, since I'm planning to build an MK4 for my wife when I finish the GTM.
- Plan your build carefully. Know what you're getting into. Know which parts you can do, and what needs to be done by the pros. Know what the pros will charge you to do the items that you you send to them. Remember that you get what you pay for.
- Above all else, Don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you need in order to make your decisions, (as you plan your build, and as you build your car).
If you decide to jump in, enjoy the ride, and Good Luck!
Last edited by The Stig; 07-05-2011 at 01:59 PM.
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
Cars lookin great Stig!! Glad you guys are making progress. Good to see you & Jeff got the ram lifts to work on the Konis.
Hi Ted. Thanks for the props! John (Whitby's) opened up the inside diameter of the lifts so they would fit over the KONI coil over sleeves. 1/16". I'm still getting the Penke's to replace the KONI's, but now I don't have to be in such a rush to do it. I'm trying to use your "Suspension Set-Up" thread to come up with real numbers to Dial In my shocks/suspension.
I really appreciate the help that you and Ron are giving the rest of us. Between you guys and David Borden, you're helping me and the rest of us understand how the smallest changes can have such huge effects on the way these cars handle.
Last edited by The Stig; 08-11-2011 at 05:11 PM.
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
Yeah, the only parts that I am worried about are the bodywork and wiring.... I'm about to turn 15, and this could be a fun project for my dad and I before colledge... Anyone have a GTM in Texas
near Dallas that I can take a look at?
Texan,
I'd encourage you to go to the build school with your father. There are many nuggets of wisdom to be had there, and building the roadster in the class really does give you a feel for the entire process of building the GTM. I attended the class before I began building my GTM, and many father/son teams were there. And believe me, you should be worried about more than the bodywork and wiring. Nothing that care and attention to detail and money and welding skills can't overcome, mind you, but probably considerably more challenging than you might imagine.
Good Luck!
-Michael
(sorry for the mini-hijack!)
We finally reached a milestone with the GTM that I've been looking forward to for a while.
We started it up for the first time today! It idles smooth and runs strong! And yes. I am pumped!
In addition to the body and paint work, I asked them tackle a few other things for me as well...
- I asked them to do the wiring throughout the car
- HVAC (Air conditioning & Heat)
- Cold Air Intake
- Transmission Oil Cooler
- Set the fuel pump and filters
- And installed the key-less ignition system for me.
LS2 with uncapped Kooks Headers. It was pretty loud, but man did it ever sound good! I can't wait to run it
with the Kooks cats and cross pipe.
Thought I would share it with you! (Just click the YouTube Link for the video).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ18w...yer_detailpage
Go Cart soon to follow. So far no leaks in the cooling, fuel, or oil systems.
I can't seem to get this permanent grin off of my face.
Last edited by The Stig; 05-20-2015 at 09:09 PM.
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
Mike,
Congrats on the milestone! The exhaust sounds raw and mean without the cats and mufflers, wow! Candy for the ears.
-Michael
====RumRuner, GTM #327
Hi Michael,
Yeah, the sound caught me completely by surprise. I knew that it would be loud, but I didn't realize that it would hit me the way it did. I was standing next to the driver's side rear wheel, when John hit the start button. The exhaust pushed out a loud "pop" (a split second before the engine fired), that scared the crap out of me... Almost litterally! Then I heard the rumble of the engine, and how crisp and effortlessly it revs; and of of the sudden Life was Good again. It sure feels good to be past that milestone.
Last edited by The Stig; 11-28-2012 at 09:02 PM.
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
Hey Stig, great to hear it run. Almost as good as hearing your firstborn say "daddy" for the first time!
That is tooo cool a way to start a car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AWESOME!
FFR Daytona Type 65 Coupe
67 427 Cobra
57' Belair
72 Pinto Wagon ,306" 1/4 miler
34 5 window coupe Ford
2003 Mustang GT
99' ZX9
85 Goldwing
All toys still in the Scuderia!
Every Saint has a past..................every sinner a future
Don't take yourself so seriously........no one else does.
You never see a motorcycle parked outside a Psychiatrists office.
Hi Ted. You're right. Hearing your kids call you Daddy for the first time is definantly a lifetime milestone. I've experienced that three times. Now they're in College, so they say "Daddy, can I have..." .
So now I just needed to hear this car run. As soon as I heard the LS2 fire up, it gave instant credability to the build and reassured me that the efforts have not been in vain.
As always, I really apprecaite such positive comments, from people that I respect so much!
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
HUGE milestone Stig!!!!!! Congratulations, cant wait to reach that point on mine.
So Mike, what was your final solution to the MAF scenario?
Hi Gary,
I called Modern Chevrolet (Winston-Salem, NC) and gave them the engine numbers of my LS2 Crate Engine, and asked them to give me the correct part number for the MAF sensor. Once I had that, I called City Chevrolet in Charlotte. They have a GMPP department, and I was able to get the Pin-out/Wiring diagrams for the connectors for the sensor pig tail, and the harness wires that run to the MAF Sensor.
Once we had those, John wired the pig tail to the harness and plugged it up. So far everything looks and runs great. We ran it with the headers un-capped, so I'm looking forward to hearing it with the rest of the Kooks exhaust installed.
I think that we've worked through just about all of the "hurdles", so we'll see what comes next.
Take care Buddy.
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
After following your build since you started, I can honestly say that brought a huge smile to my face! Congratulations! Your car is looking really great, the blue rocks and the car sounds great! Also, your ignition system is awe inspiring! Keep up the great work!
Thanks Buddy! I appreciate it. I'll dig up the website for the company that I bought the Ignition system from, and post it. It's really pretty cool.
It opperates on a proximity sensor that activates the ignition and allows it to start the car. If the key is within 4 feet of the car, then it arms the system. 4 feet away and the system is disarmed. It also has an alarm on it in the event that someone tries to open the door while the system (ignition) is disarmed. (That's how we found out that one of my horns didn't work)...
It it also eliminates the use of a conventional key, and the push start button is from Lexus, and operates exactly the same.
We'll see how well it really works in the real world...
Take care.
Last edited by The Stig; 07-05-2011 at 02:05 PM.
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
That ignition system is definitely cool. Real high tech stuff. A car like the GTM can definitely pull it off. It is one of those cool things you expect a car like this to have. The blue and red flashing LEDS have so far been used to simulate Knight Rider and a police car. I'm sure Mike will find a much more tasteful use for them. We are just having fun. Thanks for letting us be a part of it.
Thanks
Jeff
Last edited by The Stig; 05-20-2015 at 09:16 PM.
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
Mike,
Congrats on the engine start. Those push button start systems are great. I have a RFID with PKE installed on my GTM with 2 meter lock/un-lock are/dis-arm. The button that came with my system was designed to cover the ignition switch. So I purchased the button that Shane sells and soldered it in place of the other. Works perfectly with the blue LED still giving system. info. I just finished hanging my passenger door and will work on the driver's tomorrow. I'm planning something some-what unique for the door locks.
Congrats again.
R/s
Vidal
CURRENT STATUS: Interior Rework and Bodywork.
GenII GTM #331. Delivered (23/9/10)
BUILD LOG AND WEBSITE:
http://gtmbuild.weebly.com/ .
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
It looks like the leak from the water pump didn't seal it's self with the heat cycles of the engine.
The pump came off to reveal two things:
- The backing plate on the rear of the pump was "missing" two bolts. Then found that they weren't actually missing, but that the bolt heads had broken off. Who knows why...? I can't imagine why it would need to be messed with, unless Jeff Schwartz's guys thought it would keep the O-Ring from being damaged when the AN Bung was welded on.
- So now these two bolts will need to be drilled and backed out, so they can be replaced.
- The Thermostat housing had warped a little from welding the AN Bung onto it. Aparently it wasn't checked for "flatness" to insure a proper seal. It is now...
- It should seal up fine once everything is back together. The engine can be cycled again, and the A/C system will be charged and ready for the North Carolina Summer.
If you click on this link, you see what I'm talking about... Nothing serious; just another delay.
- Also, one of the RamLift Pro "Rams" decided to be a little difficult. When the car goes into the full lift position, and then comes back down, the upper seal leaks a good bit of Hydraulic Oil.
- I spoke to Simon at (RamLift) and he tells me that a replacement is being shipped out today that should correct the problem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1jDT..._order&list=UL
- I may have to look into using some heavier springs as well. It seems that the springs are compressing when the lift moves up, and is only giving about 3/4" of actual lift. I was expecting around 2".
- This is a bit frustrating: I've been considering a lighter set of springs (350 #) to go along with either a Miata Anit-Roll bar, or Ted Harrison's Anti-Roll solution in the front as well.
- So needing to go to heavier springs may throw yet another wrench into the plans... But it will eventually all get sorted out.
We'll just have to see how it all works out.
- The Computer (ECM) looks as though it may need to be re-programmed as well. After running the engine for a bit, it ran richer and richer. It was "tuned" by Jesse Bubb for a straight LS2, with Kooks Headers. I'm not really sure what would cause it to run so rich after being tuned. But instead of sending the computer back to him and waiting for another 2 months to get it back (that's what it took to get it back originally), Jeff is going to have everything Dyno-ed by one of the reputable shops in Greensboro. This should sort out all of the mixture settings, and make sure that everything is running as it should be.
The the body is scheduled to go on after the water pump and A/C charge has been completed. (Should have some pictures of that before long).
So Stay tuned. Life is good!
Last edited by The Stig; 08-06-2011 at 02:06 PM.
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081
Stig,
You may also want to pull that cover off the WP and check the O-ring and groove out. If you remember, the last car I did that had the bungs welded on the WP (also from Schwartz......nothing against Schwartz, but maybe he ended up with a crappy lot of WP's to work with!), the bottom of the O-ring groove was pretty nasty looking (like it had been cut with a hammer and dull chisel at 5pm on a Friday night).......and then it still leaked thru one of the bolt bosses.
Shane Vacek
VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC
www.vraptorspeedworks.com
Turn-key GTM, SL-C & Ultima GTR Built to Your Specs!
Offering a full line of GTM Upgrades and Custom Parts
Since it's such a pain to access the pump after engine installation, it may be worth the effort to make up a little tube piece that will allow you to pressurize the engine cooling system out of the car. If I wasn't running my engine on an engine dyno, I would definitely be doing this.
Shane, I'm not slamming Jeff Schwartz. He has a great reputation and does some spectacular work.
It's just that when you spend that kind of money to have that work done, you don't expect to have to go behind and clean it up or re-do it all together.
I also spent a good bit of money for Jesse Bubb to "tune" my ECM, and re-work my engine harness to fit the GTM configuration. When I received the harness back from him (almost 3 months later), it looked as though it hadn't been touched. But I was absolutely charged for it. I could have raised a big deal about it, but what's the point? It's hard enough to get him on the phone in the first place, much less trying to sort out any issues. I spent more time talking to Hanna (Jesse's wife). So I figured I didn't really need the drama. Jesse was recommended by a few people here on the forum that I have huge respect for. I'm sure, like Jeff Schwartz, he does great work, or these guys wouldn't think so highly of him. I'm not sure what happened in my case, but someone sure dropped the ball.
In the mean-time, the pump was fixed and reinstalled. The Engine was heat cycled again, and this time, there were no leaks!
Still need to have the computer re-flashed, and then Dyno-Tuned, in order to try and correct the richness of the air/fuel mixture and optimize the engine's overall performance.
Life is good!
Last edited by The Stig; 05-20-2015 at 09:26 PM.
The Stig
Some say, that I only know two facts about ducks, (both being wrong); and that if I could be bothered, I could solve the "da Vinci Code" in 47 seconds...
All I know is that I'm called "The Stig".
GTM #0081