I bought a Birkin

This is a $165,000 Birkin!  You chose wisely. 

Did you ever get to try the lights?

And when did the cylender suicide happen? Any warnings before?

I’ve run the lights to see how they are on battery, they look good.  I have yet to get them on the car though.  As usual, I have neglected some project time, or rather other things were done rather than lights.

The failure?  No warning.  I went to a friends shop that opened officially this past weekend.  Had a car show and crawfish boil for the opening and asked if o would bring the race car and the GT500 to put out there.  So morning of I pull the birkin out, start it up. Let it idle while I put ramps away etc.  Climb in and check car out.

rev the car a couple of times, sound good, smooth, normal.  Then roll forward to drive around to park it.  Give it 3/4 throttle, put the clutch in at around 4500ish, dies.

go to clutch kick restart, rear tires are locked.  Try again, same thing.  *Something about definition of insanity*. The car is rolling still in neutral, so trans and rear should be ok.  Stop and see if it will turn over.  Mind you, not one sound happened.  Car just stopped.  Got a part spin from the starter and nothing but a click after.  

Car sat at the show, put it in buddies shop, then came back yesterday.  So sat-Monday.  He calls in afternoon and goes, “there is antifreeze and oil under the car, it wasn’t there at lunch today.”   

So yea, it’s a dumb way to let go, but it did.  I initially thought timing belt, but after I cut it and pulled out, all was well.  The crank is wedged with piston pieces, rod is pointing down, BUT the pan doesn’t look to have any dents or otherwise in it. 

I have a feeling the entire oil system is coming out.  Gotta make sure nothing miraculously made it to the accusump.  I may change that out to put a manual valve so I know if it’s open or closed.  

Lord seeing these photos again still gives me shivers..... Man that sucks

Some news, I dropped the head off last week at a shop to have them redo it.  Sounds like 2 weeks of work, but 4 weeks to get to it.  So, 6 weeks was the quoted wait.

In that, I planned to get a new cam.  The one in the car has a nick on an exhaust lobe.  Figure more power was on the table too.  Comp is who made this one, all their options are same lift, different duration.  Crower has some that they show, but they are our of cores with no plans to get more in, so, thats out.  So to get bigger, it looks like overseas is the option.

Currently looking at Cat Cams and seeing if I can get something from overseas from them.  We will see what I can do.

I got the head back this Thursday.  It took tille about 3 weeks ago to have the valves for the head in hand and 3 different companies to make them. 

Now to just get to verifying fitment and slap this thing together.

This is not the slowest project, but well, its slow.

So, I have sold some parts from the Mustang, which as I perused the ole ebay, I saw that I may can use those funds.  In a moment of weekness, I did a thing.

Since I procured this, I figured it needed something else.

At this point, the long block is assembled.  I am pulling a factory oil pump apart so I can "install" it.  I need to do some figuring on the tank location but the "trunk" may be the answer. 

Also, I just ordered some 1.25 X .095 DOM to use for a new rollbar and "door bars" for the car.

Plus, I have a new guage pod which is curing as I needed to get some better epoxy to hold the carbon fiber together on it.

Was the Zetec a SVT version or the typical Zetec? I am surprised that you chose to fix it rather than just replace. A typical complete engine can be had for under $200 from car-part.com.

I've lusted after Seven type cars for a long time. 

In reply to RossD :

it has a Ford Racing cylinder head that flows better than the factory. 1mm larger valves and some stuff to make it an utter pain to get redone.  The bottom end is a factory short block.  Just took a bit to get the head together.

Also, the cams are bigger now.  By a bit....

In reply to Thinkkker :

Ford racing head? Nice. Whats your redline? I am going to put a Zetec in my Renault 8 and want high rpms just for auditory reasons.

I did a little this eve.  
 

First, I took the pump ring out of the oil pump. Then slapped that in the engine as a place holder.  I'll button that up once the pan, and new pump are set in the spot they will live.  
 

I then looked around, to see what I could do about the pan. The pan that was on the engine prior was only 1.5" tall. So, I figure it needs to be low.

I marked off the pan...

I realized I didn't have the stuff to use the cut off wheels with my angle grinder.  I need to fix that, so I took my vibrating cutter to cut the pan.

I need to pull in some metal and I have some bungs incoming.  Plus, I got this this past weekend.  So that's should help....

one other thing, I've been working on gauges.  I added and AFR to the car and needed a spot.  It seemed easier to redo the setup and build a pod.  Plus, it will angle the tach to face me.  And who doesn't love carbon fiber???

In reply to RossD :  before, it was at around 7200.  The engine should make it upwards of 8k.   I plan to set the limiter around 8400 I think.  
 

From what I have, it should make over 200 wheel hp.

In reply to RossD :

Also,  I have stage 2 cams here.  One has a nick on it that should be able to polish out.  I just went full send on the thing......

Woohoo! It's back on! Glad to see you making progress again.

I ordered tubing for rollbar today, plus I figured out the I was off on my plate sizing.  Which means, I have plate on the shelf to use!! 
 

more to come.

Got "most" of the gauges rewired back in.  The AFR gauge I just need to give it some power.  So that looks the same, but more complete.  
 

I did get the bar that's been on the car off too.  

If you notice the rear area, I set the oil tank back there.  I think this may be the spot where it will live.  
 

saying that, I need to remove EVERYTHING from back there.  Fuel tank, expansion tank, all of it.  The tank fits, but the mounts on the rear structure is busy.

Well,  the purse now has a better handle on it.  Went ahead and bent up a new rollbar to allow for passengers.  Is always fun scaring people.

and a shot with tonight's assistant.  Really he is more background noise and never stops talking :).

oh yes, small steps in street legality also, drilled and have rear lamps on the car now.

I'd make that roll bar as stout as possible. A friend of mine managed to flip his Birkin a few years ago.  He got a good scrap on his noggin for the effort.  Fortunately, the passenger he was showing off for faired better. 

Ian F said:

I'd make that roll bar as stout as possible. A friend of mine managed to flip his Birkin a few years ago.  He got a good scrap on his noggin for the effort.  Fortunately, the passenger he was showing off for faired better. 

This is to the letter of the rules with SCCA per the weight of the car.  This is a 1.25 x .095 thick material, so its not super lightweight. 

Saying that, this is the main hoop, it will have 2 rear down tubes, 2 forward side tubes to the front and it will have an X-brace in the hoop.  Given that I have it as a bend in on the lower portion of the sides, I have already thought about that one a bit. 

I got the rollbar done. At least the rear portion.  I gotta go walk to the mailbox to see if the 3/16" plate in to finish the front down tubes.

I had to do some other stuff, pulled out the outdoor kitchen and redid that.  Now, I need to finish putting up the cabinets I got for the garage, and maybe finish cleaning up a bit more.

Ill add in some pics later.

this is the outdoor area redid.  Also, on the backside of the wall I pulled 1/3 of a yard of soil out and made a French drain area. That was fun....

Sometimes things go so well.  You make a plan, you plan well.  You set up a bender and go to town.  
 

cut a hole in the front passenger footwell

bends match pretty good

the lines pair down the tunnel side

then I bent the farther bend before the inner.  Now I need to figure out how to get the outboard one bent in to more match the inboard.  Dang, ad I was doing so well!

What are the pipes for? Exhaust or coolant or....

Dry sump lines, yes? Looking forward to avoiding those on ride alongs. 

Dry sump, so oil.

I have some aluminum that I plan to put as a cover over these pieces.  So they wont be exposed in the car.  More or less.