BAT LISTING

[Anaximander]

@vipergeek, Very glad to hear that you are situated so close to an adult candy shoppe. I have included a couple of pics of my M-Spec Classic R with 15" Ultra Shield 20 degree tilt aluminum buckets. You can note in the second pick that because I used fixed seat positions not on rails that I built in a back brace attached to the rear cockpit wall in the case of a rear-ender. BTW, I like the marque well enough that I am in the process of participating in the build of a Stalker AXR kit with Kirkey aluminum race buckets that I will use for autocross eclusively since the rear wheels are moved 5" up underneath the driver and it will have 13" wide rear slicks on the back and 10" slicks on the front. 

Edited March 25, 2022 by Anaximander

[vipergeek]

@Anaximander - That is a good looking M-Spec and I really like the way you have installed the seats.  I also like the cleanness of your dash/instrument panel and boot cover.  Are those Stalker items or did you build them yourself?  I'm guessing the white one is the new build AXR attack weapon.  I'm looking forward to seeing you in action when it is complete.  What drivetrain combination are you planning on using? 

Edited March 28, 2022 by vipergeek

[Cueball1]

Anaximander,

 

I really regret not looking at that Mspec you bought, the last few times I was in soCal.  Was for sale for ages and imagine you got a very good deal on it.  I was hung up on getting an XL but really should have looked at and driven it at least.  Likely would have changed my mind on waiting for the right xl to come along!  If you decide it's time for it to find a new home some day, keep me in mind!

Edited March 30, 2022 by Cueball1

[Anaximander]

@vipergeek, I cannot take credit for the instrument layout or the boot cover. That was done at the factory. The white gel coat AXR will be a red car when completed and was designed by Stalker Cars to be a wicked autocross attack car. AXR's currently occupy most of the top spots except #1 in E Modified SCCA autox national events. This particular AXR has a LS1 aluminum engine with a GForce 5-speed trans and an 8-bolt Ford diff with 3.73 gears. The #1 SCCA driver in the country uses a highly modified Austin Healy Sprite, is a superb driver, and has won I think about 8 national championships. The AXR of Jason Minehart is gunning for the #1 spot and is chasing the leader very adroitly. Cueball1, I had an XL and for autocross, it was just too long and wide and is really a potent road course weapon. I have always loved the looks of the original Lotus 7's and almost bought one in Southern California 55 years ago when I was in high school. My father pointed out that driving around SoCal streets with a "go-cart" on wheels as primary transportation did not seem like a smart move so I bypassed the opportunity. 

[Croc]

22 hours ago, Anaximander said:

... was designed by Stalker Cars to be a wicked autocross attack car. 

 

Bob - How does an AXR differ to say a regular road going Stalker?  What makes it a better autocrosser?

[Anaximander]

Mike,

The rear axle is moved up 5 inches from the regular M-Spec and the scuttle area is compressed to allow for the size compression and there is more weight bias to the rear of the car. The rear tires and body are setup for 13" wide slicks. On this particular AXR, I have the dual valved coil-over shocks from Summit Racing (QA1) that allow for a lot of adjustabiity. Glen recently checked the corner weighting of his AXR, made some adjustment and took FTD at a 110 person autox event two weeks ago. Krista, his wife, came in second FTD (Glen beat her by a mere 0.018 of a second). Jason Minehart with his new carbon fiber APR GT-1000 wing and modified front end is getting amazing downforce capabilities that are allowing him to have increased traction. He is trying to beat Jeff Kiesel who has dominated the class for 8/9 years as the National Champion in SCCA E-Mod solo racing. Kiesel reportedly has a highly modified Sprite that has experienced continual refinements and Kiesel is reportedly an exceptionally fast driver. As in any class, these top contenders seem to pay attention to everything possible and are also concomitantly gifted with exceptional reflexes and data processing capabilities.

 

There is a tremendous amount of data that APR provides about the downforce characteristics of thie Dual Element rear wing. They must have done a ton of wind tunnel testing or just extrapolated a lot of data from a known set of variables? The E-Mod class has changed their rules such that front and rear wings are now allowed and there are specific minimum weight criteria with driver in the car that must be met. 

 

Glen and I continue to move along and put two really long days into the build on this first week. He has other commitments that precluded further work until next week where we should be able to hit it pretty hard. We are in the assembly phase before complete tear-down and sending the chassis and body panels off to paint. The primered chassis will get two coats of hard coat paint and clear and we will start reconstructing as the fiberglass body panels get a final sanding and bright red color that my wife wants. Normally, all of the chassis parts are powder coated but I don't want to shag the chassis all over the State. I have a local painter that is willing to do all of his work at about half of what it normally costs and he is really good. After all, this is going to be a race car that I am going to beat on. No lights or street amenities whatsoever. Strictly designed for autocross events. I have the Classic R to run around the countryside with and am getting a tilt trailer next week and look forward to autocrossing that car to see how it performs? It is a fun beasty with the LS3/480 engine. 

 

BTW, Scott Minehart mentioned that the cost of the steel tubing for the chassis has gone up 300% in the past two years and I am sure that all of the other components have gone up a substantial amount. There is no telling how much it would cost to build a new Stalker from new parts? I think that the model for kit builders is disintegrating in this current environment for them to be viable unless folks that want a custom build work with the builder much like a home builder who is dealing with constantly inflating prices. I think that is why we are seeing existing kits continue to rise rather precipitously. Transportation costs are also skyrocketing as we know.

Edited March 31, 2022 by Anaximander