Mega update time!
Version two of the double shear selector rod sorted all the issues. There is a slight bit of play in the shifter, but it is all in the gearbox now. I ended up bolting small pieces of 5mm steel plate around the shifter and caging them in. Then just connected them with a tube. I had to weld extremely carefully. I found out any slight warping tightened the cage on the shifter to the point it wouldn't rotate.
When it was done I swapped out the bolts for pins.
Got everything bolted up. Looking sick. The gearbox mount was designed to provide good bracing at the bottom of the chassis.
At this point it was time for the Donegal Rally, the car had been on the road for a while now and I had fixed or improved all niggly issues from the initial build. Finally time to weld the diff and do some skids.
My uncle offered to weld it because he has a decent MIG. Welded on the friday after work, got to the house at half nine to throw the diff back in and get up to Letterkenny. Left the house at half ten, Rebecca waxed the car as I was putting the diff in.
I somehow don't have any photos of the GS from the weekend, but rally stages all morning, and hundreds of modified cars taking over the streets was insane. Done my first skids in the GS, fell in love with the car. I've done a lot more to this, but the difference between this and the CLK was insane.
On the Saturday of Donegal rally I realised a front wheel bearing was going. Went to change it and found that brake dust had been getting into the bearing through the ABS sensor hole. It mixed with the grease and formed a NASTY black clay haha.
Woke up early on Sunday, scraped all the clay out and packed it with grease to last the day. Went down and killed some more tyres.
After the rally, I changed both the bearings, and 'temporarily' plugged the holes with plastic from a debit card, bolted and sealed. Writing this has just reminded me I need to make some aluminium ones as the plastic is still there.
I done my first drift day after that. There is a track local to me, but its just a straight bit of old airfield made into an oval. They wet the track several times a day to stay below noise restrictions too. I was getting back into the feel of drifting with a bit of streeto, but the track was like glass with water laid down on rubber. Landed down late and spun lots.
Had to drive down in a set of drift wheels because my XXR's didn't have tread depth on the tyres.
Centre console was out because I was wrapping it with Zilla Life print.
It looked absolutely sick, but the wrap went white in places where it was stretched, and it was really easy to scratch. I'm probably going to change it out soon, it dosen't keep well.
My gearbox developed a noise when I took my foot off the clutch in neutral, I had recently done a pilot bearing, so I found a cheap getrag box and ordered it. Parcelforce kept to there shocking reputation by breaking it, and refusing to pay for it because I didn't have photos of the outer packaging before I opened it. Sound...
Seen a sick S14 at Tecsos one day
On the search for skid spots, I stumbled across a GOLD MINE. About a mile from my house, out back roads, an abandoned recycling plant with a gate we closed behind us. Completely undisturbed skids! It is a bit small, and you cant use the whole area due to stuff sticking out of the ground, but we names it paradise and spent so many days there over the summer.
This place was perfect, it now has massive concrete blocks covering the entrance due to dicks illegally dumping down there, but don't worry, we have a plan. More on that later
Here is a video from when we first discovered it, little first gear stuff, we cleared more of the space after and had some proper fun.
Eglinton Airfield got shut down, able to throw one last drift day. Perfect second drift day, me and Rebecca head down. To be honest spun a fair bit early in the day, but by the last few runs I was really getting the conditions, and we were one of the fastest cars on track, proper throwing down. Loved every second of it.
Eglinton ended up reopening, but with fourth year of uni, and currently in the middle of a massive rebuild I havent been down since.
Rebecca, her family and I rented a little cottage in Kerrykeel near Portsalon for a week. Pier jumping skids and a drink round a fire at night. Loved that trip! Here is a selection of pictures of the GS I took out windows haha. I have a problem.
I am going to get this up to date it it kills me, spoiler though, I'm stitch welding the chassis at the minute. This car is going to come out so hardcore.
I saw a helicopter once.
