Well it looks like I wont make it, the Esslinger head I just put on has casting issues and is leaking coolant into the exhaust, I really thank everybody for thier support, hopefully next year, unless I can pull off some kind of repair in time. UTC challenge canidate, Reading through my latest issue of GRM I came across the Ultimate Track Car Challenge and thought, Oh man that would be really cool, I got alot of laps in there, it's a tight technical track which favors handling and braking over brute horsepower.
So if you think the SVO is cool, or better yet, think it can run hard enough to be worthy of a vote....then cast your ballot, or just vote for somebody, this deal is cool, the more everybody gets involved the bigger it will become.
The SVO, built like a racecar, but still able to drive anywhere, I cant afford a dedicated racecar, and a fun street car, and a V8 ground pounding racer/driver would kill me at the gas pump.
So, here is the compromise, Ford's SVO 2.3 Turbocharged 4 cyl, it's good on gas, but still able to run a decent lap at the local track, I can enjoy it on and off the track.
I started to build it to compete in SCCA, but then I looked at NASA and the American Iron class, the rules allow for 4 cyl cars but nobody was running one.
I contacted the Race Director and asked if he thought a lightweight low power 4 cyl would do ok vs a heavier higher Hp V8, he said yes, and encouraged me to build it, the main rule in AI is 10 lbs car weight per Hp, and 9.5 lbs of car weight per ft lb of torque.
So a year and a half later it was done, in the initial tech inspection the race director said to me "you have the worlds first 4 cyl car to compete in the American Iron series"
I thought Oh Damn have I ever jumped into the deep end of the V8 pool, even one of the other tech guys said "why dont you just run it in HPDE" I said "no, I at least want to see if it can compete against the V8 cars"
I have run 3 events, with gremlins or disasters ending my day early, last event Buttonwillow 11/07 I was running 3rd between the 07 champ and the Griggs sponsored car, it was going like I expected, they could pull away/catch up by about 5 cars on the straight, but under braking and cornering I was able to get it back, both higher Hp and weight, then, (oh damn) I had a valve train failure, so, I will go back at it again this year on a limited schedule based on $$ limitations. "sponsors welcome"
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This is it in street trim, older picture before adding roll cage, changing roof and moving out fenders and quarter panels, it does not look quite as good now, but with a about 1/2 a days work, I switch out the stock electric window doors with gutted numbered doors, (with the aid of quick disconnect hinge pins) swap the stock stupidly heavy hatch with the gutted lexan version, swap out the street brake pads for the race compounds, pull the right seat, add the right side head restraint, window net, pull all the front lights (sometimes) make minor alterations to the emissions system (from legal to not really) drain and refill fuel cell with race fuel, add windshield stickers, slap on race tires and load on trailer.
This being the end result, not a ton of horsepower, but good under braking with neutral handling, a fun, fast enough package.
It got the name the "Rodent" from a buddy of mine at Bouquet Auto parts, the local parts store, it's not real clean to begin with, kinda tattered, with the black roof I welded on from the junkyard (to eliminate the sunroof) and more than it's fair share of scratches and dings, and often I would just tape over all the numbers and stickers with black duct tape and drive it around on the street with all the lightweight stuff (if track events were close together) so it looks kinda ratty and ugly with the tape all over it, most people never notice the tape, even the local Sheriffs, the only ones who notice are the gear heads/hot rodders.
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