Just out of curiousity, does anyone use this thread to check for updates or is everyone following by email?
I only check here, and click over to your blog when there's progress. Not sure how much longer I'll even be following the whole G3F thing. Meantime, thanks for updating us!
Cheers, John
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FFR1004105RD - world's first twin-turbo BMW V12-powered FFR Roadster
2011 Dodge 2500 Cummins 6.7L - biodiesel-fueled daily driver JHETTO: 2001 VW Jetta TDI, intended as G3F donor, FOR SALE
Oh MAN Clint, no fun for you today! Sorry about the setbacks. I still haven't put fluid in my brake or clutch lines. NOW you got me wondering what kind of disaster to expect! Good luck with the flares. I HATE doing them and agree with your method of buying pre-flared lines.
Smyth G3F Beta-build: 1999.5 Jetta TDI donor, Malone Stage 2 Tune and injectors. Love my Roadster; the G3F will be my daily driver. Build details here:http://www.g3f-jlphil.blogspot.com/
While I didn't go forward very far, I wouldn't say they were setbacks. I thought about not putting all these issues in the blog but I thought maybe the folks that have never built a car before could use a reminder that things don't always go as planned. I don't really get upset about that stuff anymore. It's all part of the build and now I learn a bit more and have one more good story.
Wisdom comes from experience, experience comes from lack of wisdom.
No blog update but had a great work day on Sunday. I pulled a TV out into the garage and worked through the Indy 500 and most of the NASCAR race. I finished the clutch line, bled the clutch and brakes, finished mounting the fuel tank, and got four of the five electrical plugs done.
Looking at the car, it doesn't seem like much but I'm just thrilled to be back on the project again. I've been swamped with other commitments but I've been getting caught up, turning down other work, reprioritizing, etc. Spending a day on the car was more of a personal victory than anything.
Good on ya Clint! I'm gonna try the brakes and clutch bleed this weekend, may have some questions if it gets sticky. Glad you're on the electrics now too!
Smyth G3F Beta-build: 1999.5 Jetta TDI donor, Malone Stage 2 Tune and injectors. Love my Roadster; the G3F will be my daily driver. Build details here:http://www.g3f-jlphil.blogspot.com/
Clint, I just checked out the blog update: WOW, what a difference soldering the connections makes, compared to the crimp/solder connectors I used. The bundle of connections you made is so much smaller and less-bulky than mine - great improvement. I'd really like a pic or two of your soldering technique, for my next build. I'm glad my pics were useful to ya, and right there next to the Indy 500 and the beer!
Smyth G3F Beta-build: 1999.5 Jetta TDI donor, Malone Stage 2 Tune and injectors. Love my Roadster; the G3F will be my daily driver. Build details here:http://www.g3f-jlphil.blogspot.com/
Looking good, Clint! When do you think you'll be ready for the first start?
(is it just the 3 of us left here?) :-)
It will be a while for me as I still have a lot yet to do. I've barely started the fuel system (lines, canisters, etc) and Mark doesn't have a lot of guidance yet for the gas cars since he's focused on getting his diesel back on the road.
We might be the last few here. I used to see a spike in the blog page views whenever I posted here but not anymore. Oh well, at the very least, we're helping each other out.
Pretty close! A couple others of us are still peeking in, now and then. Of course there are tens of thousands of people that don't matter watching on Wastebook! We're just ten days from a "three years, zero cars" post on the main time-to-talk thread.
I've been watching the threads about Fran Hall's Eagle/Talon-based car more closely. It has a lot of similarities to G3F. Superior styling, in my opinion looking at the clay, but no diesel donor -- that would be a from-scratch retrofit. I remain generally disinterested in what's available these days, and preoccupied with other projects at the moment. If I had to buy a kit tomorrow, I rather like the "Ferris Bueller" car that's out there now. (Yeah, I know what it is, but let's not get the lawyers from Maranello involved!)
Glad you couple of guys with frames are making some progress. Please don't stop posting updates, even if you feel like no one is looking anymore. After all, I've still got a ghetto Jetta donor parked in a field for two years now thanks to this effort!
Cheers, John
__________________
FFR1004105RD - world's first twin-turbo BMW V12-powered FFR Roadster
2011 Dodge 2500 Cummins 6.7L - biodiesel-fueled daily driver JHETTO: 2001 VW Jetta TDI, intended as G3F donor, FOR SALE
I gotta admit dukegrad, I thought you gave up completely on this project. I didn't think you were keeping an eye on it at all. I'm glad you still have a fleeting interest.
Dukegrad, I'm also keeping an eye on Fran's car. The body looks good (maybe a bit edgy), and I like the Coupe form with the daily drivability it implies. The 20K starting price seems a bit high for what I think you're getting but we will see. I would think stuffing a diesel in it would be super simple. About the same size as the Mitsu motor, and easily run by a stand-alone.
Sorry for the thread high-jack Redjoker.
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As I always tell my boss,\"I can do anything with enough time and money.\"
I'm still lurking too. There are probably a few others.
Like dukegrad and D2W, I too have been keeping an eye on Fran Hall's GTA. (I was interested to see that it too appears to use Celica headlights.) Also watching what happens with the FF 818.
GTA looks very interesting - price is kind of high though!
Yes, cost of completion is going to pit it against a nice Elise or a low-end Exige. For that money, I'd probably take the Lotus, or start thinking about a more expensive project like an SL-C. On the other hand, if it performs more like a Noble than a Lotus, it might be worth investigating in its own right.
The cost to complete a G3F or 818 seems more equivalent to a nice MR2 Spyder or a very ratty Elise. If the diesel G3F drives like an ultra-economical MR2, and the turbo and VR6 drive like fast Elises or Exiges, the G3F could be the one to watch. And if the 818 comes in driving like an S1 Elise with Exige 260 power, it too could come up a winner.
These are very interesting times in the kit world. We have new generations of cars being built for performance and practicality instead of looks or replicating machinery from the past. Sure, some of these projects are going to have some problems getting going, and most of them will take longer than anticipated to come to fruition, but I don't think I've ever seen an automotive or aerospace project that came in on time.
I admire those of you who have taken the plunge, and I do read your updates. Best of luck in your projects.
BlueAfro, thanks for the observations and encouraging remarks. I agree, this is a cool time to be messing around in the kit car world. I see an 818 in my future, a couple years off from now I think, and a truck, and who knows what else. Bummer is having to sell off one project to do another...be nice to have a bigger garage and more money, but this still ain't too bad. Sure beats making payments on some sedan!
Smyth G3F Beta-build: 1999.5 Jetta TDI donor, Malone Stage 2 Tune and injectors. Love my Roadster; the G3F will be my daily driver. Build details here:http://www.g3f-jlphil.blogspot.com/
A quick update to the blog with some details on how I soldered the wiring joints. I got a few more connections done this weekend and fussed with some other odds and ends. I'm almost done with the wiring (that I know of) and am thinking about the fuel system next. I think that will be the next tough area to figure out.
I got an air filter yesterday. Yup.... that's it....
I still count that as progress!
Oh, and there seems to be some issue with my wire soldering blog post. It appeared once, then showed up without any pictures, and now doesn't show up at all. I'll try to get that fixed.
Smyth G3F Beta-build: 1999.5 Jetta TDI donor, Malone Stage 2 Tune and injectors. Love my Roadster; the G3F will be my daily driver. Build details here:http://www.g3f-jlphil.blogspot.com/
Clint, I feel your pain! We just left my mom and dad's home in Centerville, OH yesterday after 3 days of sweltering heat, drove to western NC, and tried to call them to let em know we made it in safe. NO PHONE SERVICE, I heard a big storm knocked out electric, phone and etc all over central Ohio. They got it back now, hope you're in business soon. I SURE hope you have an a/c unit in that garage too, this heat'll kill ya!
Smyth G3F Beta-build: 1999.5 Jetta TDI donor, Malone Stage 2 Tune and injectors. Love my Roadster; the G3F will be my daily driver. Build details here:http://www.g3f-jlphil.blogspot.com/
I made some progress this weekend but not enough coherent items for a blog post yet. I think I figured out how to do all the fuel lines, vapor lines and charcoal canister. Mark is supposed to be sending me a canister mounting bracket so I haven't finallized anything yet, but I got most of the thinking out of the way.
I also started on the coolant lines but ran into a few delays, none of them serious. I didn't have any mounting clamps for the aluminum tubes and none of the local stores had any. They should be arriving from McMaster-Carr tomorrow. My local auto store also didn't have enough heater hose to run those lines so I'm going to try another store on my way home from work tonight.
Plus, I kept getting distracted by the olympics women's beach volleyball teams.
The Alpha car was in Michigan this weekend so a few of us beta builders drove up to see it. I took a bunch of pictures and just dumped them into an album. I didn't label anything but if you have any specific questions, let me know. The car was a little rougher than we expected but it also reset our reference point as to where the development is. We are, after all, beta builders....
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