Time to Reflect

Hello.  I realise I haven't posted anything for a while now and felt I should give a progress update on the new car.  What with the International following I seem to be attracting from all over the world I feel duty bound to provide at least a little update.

What with it being out of season now there is not a lot to report racing wise, but when you get bored or itching to get out on track....you just can’t help yourself to occupy your time by tinkering.  Well that was the plan.

I knew when i bought the car there were a list of jobs to do.  Some safety critical, others just nice to have done and others that would form some kind of wish list.

However all these ideas of tinkering were scuppered when I did my back in.  Its long story, but the long and short of it is that it stems from an old rugby injury years ago.  Slipping 4 discs in my lower spine.  Although surgery was carried out and have been fine for a few years now, every now and then at the most inconvenient of times I would be struck down :-)  Moral of the this story......look after your back.

Anyhow, feeling very despondent especially after organising and then had to cancel a meeting with Tim Gray from Tim Gray Motorsport to look over the car for me to help suggest future improvements etc it was starting to look like work on the new steed would be delayed indefinitely.

Luckily....my buddy Tris, team mate from last season (spanner man, grease man, owner of the Fury) stepped in and kindly took up the challenge of giving the car a once over (for a fee).  Knowing how long it takes to get over back injuries and the fact there wasn’t much chance to get to see Tim, I took up the offer. 

Tris kindly offered to come pick up the car on his trailer, coz I was really struggling to move, so when he turned up late one evening, dark and miserable outside we set to loading the car onto his trailer.  ‘Bloody hell……!!!’  ‘What…..what’s the matter?!’  ‘How wide is this your car?’ Tris said.  Standard width I thought.

Turns out the Genesis RR is extremely wide and simply would not fit onto the trailer.  At least I thought it would make passing me on the circuit that little bit more difficult next year.  What with it not going to fit, we abandoned the idea and waited for a day I was able to move a bit better and went and got my trailer.  On it went no problem. 

Once delivered and tuck up in the workshop it was several days before anything happened, but as I rocked up on the Saturday, the car was hovering several feet above the ground, all bodywork off, wheels off, radiator and everything out….blimey.  This guy works quick!  It had only been started work on about an hour before apparently.  So he says!

From this..........

The main objectives were to:

1.  See to some cracks in welds that appeared (ones I already knew about)
2. Look over the car to identify any further stress fractures
3. Have a go at tidying the wiring up a bit
4. Think about relocating the radiator to side pod



......to this in a few hours.

5. Add in a brake bias

I think I would have been happy with just this as an initial phase 1…..but you know how it is.  ‘We are 65% the way there to completely stripping the car down; we may as well remove the engine to’.  Hmmm okay I thought slightly reluctantly……but boy I was glad we did.

Removing the engine revealed some slightly worrying hidden gems I was not aware of.  The fire wall was a sheet of heat reflective matting that had almost disintegrated and the exhaust headers just inches from petrol tank with little or no heat protection.  Plus the smell of petrol was apparent.  Took the ally sheet away covering the petrol tank revealed the tank was dented and cracks had started to appear.  Not good news.

So to cut a long story short, everything except suspension, steering has come off the car to do what would be a small (mini) rebuild. 

So the list of objectives increases:

6. New custom made fuel tank

7. Skin bulk head and apply new heat shield

8. New radiator as the old one was leaking slightly….oh and relocate to side pod.

9. Do a complete rewire of the car adding in some nice features I had gotten used to on the Fury this last year.

Let the shopping for parts commence!