Superformance MKII, Riverside Racer 289 FIA vintage race car

[Moto One]

Los Wages Racing.

Turning money in to Noise & Smiles.

Mark.

[Mongoose930]

Hi Jim,

I have attached a link to an old post with some information on mounting mirrors and where you can get some wide angle lenses. Not sure if this will help you or not but it made a big difference on my Contemporary:

Windshield frame mounted mirrors

Your car looks awesome!!!

[1795]

Thanks, appreciate the information and the positive comment on the car. Going in for the alignment and exhaust tomorrow.

Jim

[1795]

Turn up the volume! The exhaust has been installed and the alignment completed. Here is the initial startup. Enjoy, I sure did.

Jim

https://youtu.be/kr1jmEaghPA

[Bill D]

Wow! That sounds mean!

[cobrakiwi]

Congrats Jim
Sounds great!
Now go tear up those tracks!!

[1795]

Thanks guys, can't wait to see how it goes on the track and the sound above 4,000 rpms. A Few more minor touch up things and I will be ready to go.

Jim

[Moto One]

Isn't that beautiful sound?

Mark.

[1985 CCX]

Great Scott!
Love the sounds in that video....

[1795]

The fitting that I have been waiting for finally arrived. If you use a McLeod HTOB on your SPF FIA, the connector that comes with the HTOB is not the right size. I had to order one from Pegasus. You will need a 4AN to 10mm connector to splice the hard line on the car from the Clutch master cylinder to the HTOB. It is all in place and properly bled, tested the clutch and it works! Now all I have to do is work on fine tuning things.

Time to register for the race!

Jim

[Moto One]

Jim, double check the through on the Slave, it's easy to have it over through and cause damage to the pressure plate diaphragm. Ask me how I know.

Mark

[1795]

Mark,

After connecting the lines and bleeding them, I installed the rubber hose pieces over the lines to protect them where they come through the bell housing. As I did this I traced the lines back to the HTOB and the line from the clutch master cylinder is on the bottom below the input shaft and the bleeder line is on the top above it. Thanks for the input.

Jim

[Sawdust]

Jim congratulations on a job well done! Now have some fun!

[1795]

I do not know if anyone took notice, but in an earlier post when I was discussing getting the fuel system installed I mentioned that there were no leaks at 3 psi. Well, the system had no leaks, but 3 psi while allowing for the engine to run at low rpm, was not going to cut it on the race track.

So I tried taking 90 degree fittings out of the circuit to possibly reduce restriction and that did not help. Tried replacing my Carter fuel pump with a Holley that had a 140 gph and 12 psi as compared to the 100 gph and 7 psi rating of the Carter. That did not seem to do much initially, then all of a sudden the pressure gauge started to rise and then jumped around at around 10-14 psi and then the pump quit. The Holley came with a 7.5 amp in-line fuse to be installed, which I did not install because the switch that I was using for the fuel pump was already on a fuse. When the pump quit I figured that I had blown the fuse and then went to the wiring diagram to find the fuse so that I could replace it. I found the fuse and it was not blown, because it was a 25 amp fuse! Lesson learned, always cheek the fuse box to verify the amperage of a fuse that you are going to be using.

I called Dennis Olthoff for some suggestions and he said that the Carter should work fine and it might be a bad pump, but check the pre-filter first to check to see if it was blocked and try to bypass the filter to see if it change anything. So I re-installed the Carter and replaced the 25 amp fuse with a 10 amp fuse that the Carter called for. The only way that I could bypass the fuel filter was to remove the element. I also removed al lines from the fuel cell to the pump and made sure that there were no blockages. Ran the pump and was getting only about .5 psi on the gauge, even after I was certain that there was fuel in the line. This was not making sense, so I unhooked the fuel line from just in front of the fuel log and placed the end in a mason jar. Turned the pump on and after a couple of bursts of fuel and air there was a substantial fuel flow; filled that quart mason jar in about 2 seconds. Reconnected the line and the pressure gauge was reading 3 psi again.

Given the fuel flow it did not make sense. So, as I sat there and pondered the situation I looked at my MGB race car sitting next to the Cobra and decided to switch pressure gauges. Guess what happened? With the engine off I immediately was getting 5 psi and with the engine running and drawing fuel it went up to 6.5 psi! With moderate acceleration it stayed at 6-6.5 psi prior to the fuel log in an 8 AN line. Problem solved.

A rather expensive lesson given the cost of the Holley fuel pump, but a lesson learned.

3 weeks until the big race.

Jim

[byronpete21]

The beast lives, congratulations on getting a major step closer to racing that beautiful automobile.

[1795]

Thanks. There is nothing standing in her way now. All systems are go and now I have to sit back and wait for the test day and initial inspection for the logbook. These are going to be a long three weeks.

Hope that those of you who live in close proximity to Watkins Glen can be there for the race. Would be nice to see some cobra enthusiasts.

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by 1795

I do not know if anyone took notice, but in an earlier post when I was discussing getting the fuel system installed I mentioned that there were no leaks at 3 psi. Well, the system had no leaks, but 3 psi while allowing for the engine to run at low rpm, was not going to cut it on the race track.

So I tried taking 90 degree fittings out of the circuit to possibly reduce restriction and that did not help. Tried replacing my Carter fuel pump with a Holley that had a 140 gph and 12 psi as compared to the 100 gph and 7 psi rating of the Carter. That did not seem to do much initially, then all of a sudden the pressure gauge started to rise and then jumped around at around 10-14 psi and then the pump quit. The Holley came with a 7.5 amp in-line fuse to be installed, which I did not install because the switch that I was using for the fuel pump was already on a fuse. When the pump quit I figured that I had blown the fuse and then went to the wiring diagram to find the fuse so that I could replace it. I found the fuse and it was not blown, because it was a 25 amp fuse! Lesson learned, always cheek the fuse box to verify the amperage of a fuse that you are going to be using.

I called Dennis Olthoff for some suggestions and he said that the Carter should work fine and it might be a bad pump, but check the pre-filter first to check to see if it was blocked and try to bypass the filter to see if it change anything. So I re-installed the Carter and replaced the 25 amp fuse with a 10 amp fuse that the Carter called for. The only way that I could bypass the fuel filter was to remove the element. I also removed al lines from the fuel cell to the pump and made sure that there were no blockages. Ran the pump and was getting only about .5 psi on the gauge, even after I was certain that there was fuel in the line. This was not making sense, so I unhooked the fuel line from just in front of the fuel log and placed the end in a mason jar. Turned the pump on and after a couple of bursts of fuel and air there was a substantial fuel flow; filled that quart mason jar in about 2 seconds. Reconnected the line and the pressure gauge was reading 3 psi again.

Given the fuel flow it did not make sense. So, as I sat there and pondered the situation I looked at my MGB race car sitting next to the Cobra and decided to switch pressure gauges. Guess what happened? With the engine off I immediately was getting 5 psi and with the engine running and drawing fuel it went up to 6.5 psi! With moderate acceleration it stayed at 6-6.5 psi prior to the fuel log in an 8 AN line. Problem solved.

A rather expensive lesson given the cost of the Holley fuel pump, but a lesson learned.

3 weeks until the big race.

Jim

A hard lesson many of us have been taught the hard way, "New in the box" does not always equate to "Good"!!!

[Moto One]

I can attest to that (Mark V)... Starter, Coil, ECM, Fuel pump, and a rear wheel bearing for poor 0012 so far. Jim I hope you have better luck. And we haven't even got it on track yet.

Mark.

[1795]

Well, the time is finally here. I have loaded all of my tools in the car and will have my gear in there shortly. The 289 FIA is loaded on the trailer and ready to go.



I will be leaving at about 6 am tomorrow for Watkins Glen for the US Vintage Grand Prix. Wednesday and Thursday will be test and practice days and will give me an opportunity to familiarize myself with the car. I sincerely doubt that I will have any video for you guys from Wednesday's sessions, as the first time out I will be bedding the brakes, which means not getting over about 75 and braking down to 30 about seven times and then coming in after the first lap to let the brakes cool.

My second session will be sort of low key, getting a feeling for the handling in the corners, braking and acceleration. Thursday I will push it a little more. The weather looks wet for the first few days and right now the only day that sunshine is predicted is Sunday. Oh well, it is what it is. My very first race was in the rain. Good thing that I read Racing in the Rain; great book if you have not read it. The weather will definitely dictate how much I push it and the line that I take.

There will be an original 427 comp cobra in my group, the Essex Wire car driven by Andre Ahrle, it will be in A Production and I am in B Production. The majority of the cars in BP are corvettes, Mustangs/GT350's and Jaguar XKE's. There are 50 cars in my group right now, should be fun.

Jim

[Mark IV]

We will be there Thursday and will be supporting Jim in any way we can (but mostly cheering him on...) Visit us in the upper paddock, we are always set up with Olthoff Racing and flying a 15' "Superformance" banner.