MV8

This is another problem with grossly overpowered cars. They can be running like crap and it's hard to tell from driving.

Had to build a retaining wall to ensure support with no future erosion issues. Making the pad 3.5" thick with 2x4x12 forms and #4 rebar stakes to keep it square. Made a cement chute since the truck boom won't reach and I don't want to have it pumped. The chute is from a couple thick walled blue barrels that were free. Ends are cut off (the barrel bottoms make great drain pans as deep as you want and will last forever. The remaining tube without ends is cut down one side, laid flat, then rolled the opposite direction for a 6 foot chute about 16 inches wide with one barrel. Mostly repurposed scrap and deck screws ( I did oil it). Not perfect but not bad for a first effort (no examples found online) and it will work fine for what I need. The stand is not attached. Yes, it is that humid (camera fogged up in about 15 seconds). I could have bought a chute, but those are about $1000 depending on the length.

"This temp discrepancy was not evident a few months ago when the headers were ceramic coated and reinstalled." Was the temp checked or it just wasn't obvious as it is now without checking the temps? I'd do a compression test and check the injectors for spray pattern, leakage, and flow rate. I would not assume it is waste spark since there are individual coils. Oem is waste spark only during cranking. You could try switching the coil wires if they will reach or jumper (spare connector pigtails).

The axle rolls about the A frame center bush. The bush does not allow much rotation without bind. When it binds, and one outer A frame bush is fully loaded up and the other down, the tubes are then loaded in bending which eventually fatigues the metal. The welded area is thicker and does not fail first. Thinner tubing next to the weld is where the fatigue occurs and it fails after enough cycles but it would be close to the weld. Commonly referred to as "notch sensitivity". The fix is not a stronger A frame. A spherical center addresses the issue better than having a worn out center bush or eliminating any roll. An A frame center mount spherical instead of a bush allows the roll without bending anything. Depending on how much roll will be allowed, sphericals on the ends of the side links would be better still. The outer A frame bushes do not need to be converted to spherical to eliminate the bind. The 90s suzuki sidekick also uses side links and an A frame. The A frame is on top and the links are below, but it use a spherical on the A frame and it doesn't break normally, despite a lot more travel and articulation.

It isn't clear to me what you are trying to convey Carl. Things twist after they bind.

The goal is to minimize the degree of twist with bonded rubber bushes and not to preload the suspension with the bushes being clamped at other than actual driving ride height, to get the most cycles out of the bushes.

I don't know if the wide track lower arms move the coilover mounting point further outboard. If they do, the current rate and dampening adjustment will less than it is now.

Good bit of work if you want to treat it like a normal car (traffic and highway cruise). I'd paint the steel floor drop, remove the oil cooler and switch back to standard drive pulleys, then upgrade the fan if needed, probably a more conservative, leaner tune with smaller chokes or revised pedal ratio, swap for longer, softer springs, and fit a standard screen/wipers/bikini top over a traditional roll bar. None of the removed parts are available except the rearview mirror. Due to the racing gear set installed in the T9, if the final drive is 4.11:1 (doesn't say but best case for the gear set) then highway cruise is 62 mph at 3k, with city crawl at 12.24 mph at 2k. That is the T9 v6 gearset but with a 2.83 first to replace a v6 3.36. In comparing to a standard, 4 cyl T9 gearset with a hypothetical 3.55 axle, 2k is a more traffic/clutch friendly 11 mph vs 12.24mph, with 3k cruise at 73 mph vs 62 mph. That sounds like a decent combo for my driving. A truck trans would be even better cruise when geared for the same 11 mph but of course, a slightly wider spread but I think it would pull it considering power-to-weight.

The axle should roll on the A frame center bush. All the axle attachments and are (relatively) compliant bushings but the center would take the most abuse. A spherical center, rigid delrin insert A frame bushes, and sphericals on both ends of the control links should tighten the car and greatly reduce/essentially eliminate any easily measurable deflection of the standard A frame from bind in the original bushes. Just switching to a spherical center should eliminate A frame failures from binding. One reason oem vehicles have such large compliant bushes is to allow movement that could break parts. Impact damage that could easily oval a thin walled tube greatly reduces the rigidty of the tube; likely in a small area. If it is going to flex from binding, the rigidity should be as uniform as practical to spread the flex across as much tube length as practical.

I hope the fix was thicker wall tubing or better yet, a thick wall insert on each side so the weight is minimal and away from the swinging-unsprung end. Failure on the first page was not the joints. My splice would work as long as it clears.

It's a ford. I would flush, then whatever standard, normal life antifreeze is readily available to me nearby as needed. 50/50 distilled water mix.

Nicely put together. Back story? Looks like dwarf car inspired ifs and custom spindles with a standard racing cross flow radiator (22x19 originally?) turned vertical, cut and shut.

It looks like an aluminum plate was added to an aluminum duratec valve cover, with "cosworth" milled and a '60s ford emblem stuck on. I like it. I would expect the ford emblem coloring to be long gone if original. The snaking fuel pump inlet hose and too short fuel rail hose could be improved.

No need to toss the ford plants just yet. The thrust angle versus the rotor ramp angle, compression ratio, and throttle rate would be critical. I expect the throttle response to be very slow/turbine like so good for recip aircraft that maintain rpm for the most part but not so much for ground vehicles. Imho, an on-demand/throttleable hydrogen converter cell is the ultimate engine with no need for storage as a load buffer.

And some info on the aluminum block. I'm guessing it saved about 60 lbs maybe but with downsides: https://www.slantsix.org/articles/dutra-blocks/alm-block-sl6.htm Here are some of the intakes for use with various carbs.

Sounds perfect. For those who don't know, here is a chart showing how the slant six dimensions compare to the dodge line up with the LA and magnum having the same essential dimensions. 23.8" pan to valve cover which is slightly lower than zetec and duratec but with downdraft carb(s), a bit higher. Good company imho. I made a spread sheet for all the commonly used manual transmission looking at ratio spread. I found when matching the axle ratio to 1st gear for approximately 11mph at 2000 rpm for a given tire size (i.e. NA miata gearing), largely overlooked manual truck transmissions due to a numerically high first gear have an excellent spread and over drive for highway cruise, very close to the best oem transmissions commonly available like the R154.

I'm guessing higher rate springs. When higher rate springs are installed, if the perch is not adjusted, the car will sit higher for the same corner weight without occupants. I see the rear coilovers could be adjusted to reduce the ride height for aesthetics versus driving ride height. With a higher rate spring, when a perch is adjusted to match normal ride height, it is not unusual for the higher rate springs to come off the spring seat when the suspension is fully extended (droop) because they won't be compressed as much as the original springs at ride height so the seats must be further apart. It depends on how much stiffer the spring is. There are ways to compensate for that without raising the ride height. With the normal occupant's weight added, it may sit at the standard ride height. It may have the original springs and was adjusted to sit higher for more travel in bump without adjustable dampening to prevent bottoming which would also depend on the road conditions. The spring rate can be approximated on the car.

It "fit" into a Lotus 11 kinda. Too long for the footwell to clear the bellhousing setback needed and the standard induction is too tall, plus the weight penalty. Still interesting though. I think a 224 chassis would be close for a smooth bonnet with sidedraft carbs or efi as some have done. I had a friend in school who had a valiant slant six with the pushbutton trans. The wheel studs were left hand thread on one side of the car. He moved up to cuda (basically a fastback valiant) with a solid lifter 273 v8 and the a833 overdrive 4 speed.

Your right. The skinned car is the previous build. I don't think he has skinned the slant six car yet.

Basically a recycled late-70s dodge/chrysler, built for a big driver and standard seats along with a wide automatic, power brake, power steering, and full size radiator. Not his first build and he got the scale right but it is big because that is what he wanted.

Looks like the one for the upper is for a fiat/ford/new holland tractor, #86020750. Compare it to the lower on the tr7 spindles though I expect the lower joint taper pin to be thicker. Here is one for $31: https://www.ebay.com/itm/261571291514?hash=item3ce6dd297a:g:ZtgAAOSwmvBc~r2h&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwB7XX%2FzKc6rKKUorKsvyK%2BWMjDjs2bTQouqp3nB4Kmwa1q%2F5cYQtx%2F7hU1kK9dQ2MhZBjJfCv5UXV7RoiRQkD1UVCQqwQhS4vPzc5DEq9u7zYI3RZwfI6I9KRnB3%2BUwsbX1NmmKynH2qjouDQ4%2B%2B9n2sGrDcC5IwNxz2YweUuMT5aDh65c7pSfnGnR06XTzOl7Vm02rYX9SlVGP4cfU%2FATeHyuBXiXeBfXEpmorhHDhawsVMRmkbhZ0SAgMGSegi3g%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8yVoICoYg

For the exterior, the pipping looks just like what is used on vw bug fenders. The upholsterer will make the seat piping. I took a few pics of the green car at LOG in '09.

Any plans for a cluster visor? I've used textured abs sheets off ebay, molded in the oven over wood form then allowed to cool to room temp to set but you could print something (add a thicker rolled edge for appearance). Attach with small, velcro, adhesive backed buttons for easy removal. Test with cereal box and blue painters masking tape (leaves no residue) for best angle to your line of sight and hand clearance when turning. Should work well for midday overhead with the top down and from the side near sunset/sunrise.

Springs definitely settle/sag and new springs are more likely to do so, including oem springs. It is not unusual to have one settle while the other does not, despite being the same age, number of cycles, and batch. Oem spring replacements usually come as pairs that are matched. Used springs are less likely to sag/settle. Coil diameter is also a reliability factor. The wire twists in operation.