Final Gear Racing 2011 - 24 Hours Of LeMons

Can I ask what kind of rod bolts were used to put it back together?
 
We never touched the bottom end, so far as we know those were still the OEM bolts holding everything together down there. We just replaced the gaskets and used new ARP bolts on the top end.

https://pic.armedcats.net/q/qu/quiky/2010/12/27/0003.jpg
 
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God Damn!

So, I take it a new engine is in order?


And would that mean that you are going to attempt to bring the beast back to life?:D
 
Yeah there is no way we can save this engine, once you punch a hole through the side of a block you can't salvage it. Sometimes if you just crack an engine block it can be repaired by a skilled shop, but it depends on where and how bad the crack it, this is normally reserved only for rare or exceedingly expensive engines of which our 3800 is neither. If we're lucky the heads didn't warp or suffer any damage and can be reused along with the rest of the top end, what's left of the bottom end is only good for emergency spares or for being paperweights now.
 
We got a residual value from Murilee today, and I'll explain what I'm talking about for those who don't know. When you start a LeMons build, you're allowed to spend no more than $500 on the car itself and any improvements such as new shocks or transmission swap or something like that. After you take it to a race, you can email someone at LeMons HQ with pictures and a list of what broke or blew up and they will email you back with a dollar figure of what they think the car is worth now. So for example if they value your car at $400, then you're allowed to spend $100 on upgrades before the next race. And no, this isn't a rebate you get back, it's just a number you're not meant to go over.

So what did Phil think the GTP is worth in its current state? $100, meaning we've got to replace the engine and make any repairs for $400. :think:
 
That is not so bad now, is it? I mean, you have 4/5 of the original budget and basically only the engine to swap, before you had to sort out the exhaust, shocks etc too? So try to get a new engine from a wrecked car?
 
I wish it was that simple, finding an example in good shape isn't easy, Fubar has blown through 3 or 4 engines that were just pulled from the junkyard. As for the exhaust, except for the headers (which were $110 and covered with out $150 residual value), it's considered part of the safety gear and as such is exempt from the $500 cap. Also we still haven't touched the suspension outside of the swaybars.
 
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Well, sell your engine for 2$ to Quiky, get new one for 1000? from FinalGear Shirt sales? :p
 
Punisher Bass said:
I wish it was that simple, finding an example in good shape isn't easy, Fubar has blown through 3 or 4 engines that were just pulled from the junkyard. As for the exhaust, except for the headers (which were $110 and covered with out $150 residual value), it's considered part of the safety gear and as such is exempt from the $500 cap. Also we still haven't touched the suspension outside of the swaybars.
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I have a buddy who works in the insurance business. I know a lot of cars are "written off" when they get smashed up in an accident. Not so much that they dont run, just to the point where its not 'financially' worth fixing.

Maybe look into cars that have been in a rear area accident? You could take out the whole rear of a car and make it not worth fixing, but the engine would still be untouched. Just a thought. :)
 
Even 'good' motors for these cars need love and care at this age to survive a race. Compound this with the tendency for these cars catch fire before they get wrecked out and it's a nontrivial problem to wind up with a motor that will do what we need it to.

It's a solveable problem, though. There are several paths to be taken here, and the one thing they all have in common is lots of wrench turning.
 
LeMONS UP MORON COUNT OF "THE CAR SHOW" TONIGHT


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"The Car Show with Adam Carolla" debuts 10 Eastern/7 Pacific on SPEED ​
The premiere episode of SPEED's much-touted The Car Show with Adam Carolla, launching tonight at 10 Eastern/7 Pacific, will have more than the usual quota of car-slavering nutsacks (ie, regular hosts Carolla, Dan Neil, Matt Farah, and John Salley). The foursome's 300ZX outing at May's full-24 in Reno also gets featured, guaranteeing an order-of-magnitude increase in the show's total eejit count. (I mean, their crew chief was Chris Overzet, for crying out loud.)
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Considering we invited them out before to Lemons and they blew us off... assholes.
 
Quiky said:
Considering we invited them out before to Lemons and they blew us off... assholes.
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Really? I thought that was a different group. Or am I just remembering something wrong.

Either way, while it was nice to something about LeMons on TV. Although, I would have liked to see or hear more on how the cars are prepped, and what the teams have to go through to get ready for this kind of race. I really wish that Speed or any of the other channels here would give even a few minutes every so often to show what so many of the crews can do on, and off the tracks. :)

It really just gave the impression that you sort of just show up with a car less than $500, throw a roll cage in it, and you're set. I would have loved to have them drop in on a team who was having issues, and show the ingenuity that so many of the teams have to get those cars up and running again. Ive read articles on how a few teams actually got cars back on the track after catastrophic complete failures that honestly defy all the engineering I was ever taught in school!

Or talk a few minutes about how the whole thing sort of rolls.


And to be nit-picky, I was looking over the guys and the car, and no way that car passed tech. The dang steering wheel was held on with duct tape. And I didn't see any stickers on their helmets either, or I missed them. I know a lot of it was probably just for the show, but if so....that's cheating! :p


Also, this was supposedly the car they built just for this race, but I swear I saw 2 different stickers on the window showing BS laps...or something. But hey, I still liked watching it. :)
 
That American Girl said:
Really? I thought that was a different group. Or am I just remembering something wrong.
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I won't go into the whole thing, but back in 2009 we were working on a deal for Farah and the Garage 419 crew to come out and drive with us and shoot video of the next LeMons race we were going to, and then after 6 weeks he decided we were not worth his time and stopped responding to my messages. And yes, I still hold a grudge against him.
 
Punisher Bass said:
I won't go into the whole thing, but back in 2009 we were working on a deal for Farah and the Garage 419 crew to come out and drive with us and shoot video of the next LeMons race we were going to, and then after 6 weeks he decided we were not worth his time and stopped responding to my messages. And yes, I still hold a grudge against him.
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As you should, honestly.
 
That American Girl said:
Really? I thought that was a different group. Or am I just remembering something wrong.

Either way, while it was nice to something about LeMons on TV. Although, I would have liked to see or hear more on how the cars are prepped, and what the teams have to go through to get ready for this kind of race. I really wish that Speed or any of the other channels here would give even a few minutes every so often to show what so many of the crews can do on, and off the tracks. :)

It really just gave the impression that you sort of just show up with a car less than $500, throw a roll cage in it, and you're set. I would have loved to have them drop in on a team who was having issues, and show the ingenuity that so many of the teams have to get those cars up and running again. Ive read articles on how a few teams actually got cars back on the track after catastrophic complete failures that honestly defy all the engineering I was ever taught in school!

Or talk a few minutes about how the whole thing sort of rolls.
Click to expand...
If you want to see a bit more about LeMons on TV, there was a Lucas Oil: ON THE EDGE episode that showcased LeMons a few months back. Probably can find it floating around the internet somewhere. Was pretty good, if a bit short.

EDIT: Found it. Part 1, part 2.
 
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