Race Ready 7M

[Van]

O.K. The news is mixed with this project... We started in November of 2013, when the shop business was slow, and now they are too busy to concentrate on the tasks and problems of custom work. The shop (VIP Performance), is overwhelmed with street machines needing routine maintenance, to be able to take care of this complex build. So, off it goes to a body shop & a specialty motorsports shop. The body work done so far at VIP is sub-par, showing signs that they are in over their heads (lacking the experience and the tools to correct manufacturer defects). For example, there is a one inch gap between the front fascia and the new bumper cover, that they want not to deal with, instead mount it up the way it is w/o getting the problem solved. That was enough for me to ask them to stop working on the car, but they have otherwise always been able to solve all other problems on the car in the recent past. I would say custom body work and adding Aero to this car, was beyond their capabilities with their business model.
Consequently, the car will be going to Outlaw Customs for the body work. Next it will be going in to RaceTech Motorsports to get the rest of the fabrication done on the rear wing.
I advise others going down this road to ask more questions of the owner and the techs working on our cars doing custom work, if they have the requisite, knowledge, skills, abilities and time to get the project done on time and budget, then great. Additionally, I know from experience, getting interrupted on a complex job, takes more time to get back on task then if you're left alone to concentrate on it. The work is usually better quality and done ahead of time and budget. In the past; jobs at VIP Performance that have one or two problems to resolve, are done the same day, or soon after the part comes in.

 

[Van]

Here is a list of the items VIP Performance completed in four months: Installed upgraded F&R brake rotors, new Bilstein dampers, R&R CT26, manifold and downpipe for ceramic coating and rebuilt turbo, connected custom surge tank to cooling system, full flow oil cooler system upgrade, replaced all hoses on car, realigned all four wheels to my HPDE specs, made custom crash bars F&R w/F quick release, installed carbon hood and hatch, installed hood pins, installed rear polycarbonate window on hatch. I did change the rear wing. This stopped momentum on the wing all together. I'll take a hit on that one.
Here is a list of what didn't get done in four months: side skirts, front bumper cover, side 1/4 windows in polycarbonate, wing risers made and wing risers and wing mounted to car, undercover for engine and side skirts, front splitter made and installed.

 

[Rollus]

Seems like VIP can only do P&P mod or bolt-on.
I feel you in this, and already been (and still being) in a similar boat.

Good luck

 

[Van]

They are really trying to get up to speed, and are in a huge learning curve, but I can't wait any longer for them... The car is going to Outlaw Customs tomorrow to get the side skirts and front bumper cover attached. The week after I'm taking the car back in for them to hook up the full flow oil cooler lines so the cooled oil goes into the oil galley and no longer the oil pan.
The next week the car goes in to get a wrap.

 

[Van]

Jon Stewart of Outlaw Customs took one look at the fenders, side skirts and front bumper cover and said that the Duraflex parts are typical of after market body parts... barely adequate. He then looked at the work done on the hatch and just ripped into the shoddy workmanship. He said it was obviously done by someone who didn't know what they were doing and suggested I send it back or get my money back! Ouch!! It leaks around the seal for two reasons: first they didn't rough up the surfaces receiving the sealant and second, they didn't seal any of the pop rivets!!!! He said that he has repaired this kind of mistake made by some owners but never a shop... Oh well, live and learn.

 

[Van]

Within three hours of getting the car delivered to Outlaw Customs, I got an email with this attachment: :aigo:
My car with the front bumper cover & side skirts mounted with Dzus fasteners!
I'll have more pics tomorrow.

 

[Rollus]

That was fast
Finally, Duraflex parts seems not that bad?

 

[Van]

They're fine for track use, as they are light weight and flexible. Unless U don't mind wavy panels, I'd steer clear for street use. I'm choosing to have the car wrapped in a camouflage graphic to hide all the imperfections on the Duraflex panels!

 

[Van]

Now,here is the car as it went to the track yesterday... I noted that the hatch has stripped out bolt holes that secure it to the car. We're going to have to use through fasteners to keep it on the car to be used as a hatch... Or we may use "hood" pins.
The hatch is supposed to support the wing according to Carbon Creations, but they make no warranty on off road use. Additionally it is mounted near the curve on the hatch deck. It uses six mounting points . During the six twenty minute sessions, inspections afterwards, show no signs of fatigue. What UR looking at is racing tape to make sure the hatch wouldn't blow off; not that it would? It's just cheap insurance.
I'll get some track pics soon.

 

[Van]

During my sessions, I had to increase the angle of attack on the wing until I could take the corners faster. The first three runs were done without changing any other element, (other than outside air temps). Later on in the day as the track warmed up I had to let out two pounds of air pressure to get back the traction I had earlier in the day. The effect of the wing is that I was able to go into turn one faster by ten mph over my last run w/o the wing. Now, more speed into the turn was a challenge as it is a sharp chicane that puts us into a off camber left turn on concrete that is slippery, so sliding through the turn into turn three is a new experience. The car is much lighter and is still well balanced with the rear wing. What is still a problem is the air getting under the car lifting it off the ground! On the high speed turn nine the car starts to push out left on this off camber right turn into the back straight. Consequently, the car is very busy with steering corrections and throttle modulations that nailing the throttle is out of the question. The car needs to be lower than currently set up and needs an air splitter on the front of the car.
I had zero overheating issues as the car had much improved air intake with the new front bumper cover. I additionally kept the engine under 6K to avoid cavitating the coolant with the stock water pump.

 

[moet0296]

I had the same thing happen to me whe I did up my motor did u ever figure out the cause of the problem, I never did got pissed off and went with a 2jz.

 

[Van]

I had the same thing happen to me whe I did up my motor did u ever figure out the cause of the problem, I never did got pissed off and went with a 2jz.

Cavitating above 6K RPM happens due to design limitations of the system Toyota built. I've been told the solution is to run an electric water pump is series with the stock pump using an after market ECU. The electric pump would allow the engine to see more then 6K and not suffer cavitation. My issue with this solution is added complexity, so I choose not to go that route and keep it below or at 6K for shift points. As the motor has stock cams, it really doesn't need the extra RPMs to get the job done the way I need it...

 

[Van]

Track Day pics:

 

[1-2clutch-u]

what were your oil temps and coolant temps?

 

[Van]

what were your oil temps and coolant temps?

Both were below 200F. OAT was 72F. Last time when the car was overheating the OAT was in the 80s.

 

[Van]

More pics... Getting ready for a wrap:

 

[1-2clutch-u]

did you go back to the clutch fan or just keep you e fan? I will be modding my front end tomm. I wish I had low temps like that. lat time my coolant was 225+ dont remember oil temp

 

[Van]

did you go back to the clutch fan or just keep you e fan? I will be modding my front end tomm. I wish I had low temps like that. lat time my coolant was 225+ dont remember oil temp

The car is using the e fan it used last year that is 14 inches and runs at 2300 CFM. Additionally, the cooling system has a surge tank w/ one Gal coolant in reserve hooked up this year and the cooling system was upgraded from 13 to 16 p.s.i. I do not expect to have the same results as the OAT rises above 80 F. I would expect to see temps rise for both oil and coolant. I'll keep U posted...

 

[Van]

O.K. More news: the turbo is blown after only three weeks. Albert did the rebuild on the housings and the wheels. CHRA was done at AZ Turbo and Tractor and VIP Performance did the install. The oil is getting past the seal and is being burned, leaving oil on the car. Wryann at VIP said it got a poor balance. I sent a PM to Albert on Sunday asking him what would cause this, but I've heard nothing from him as of this evening. Any suggestions as to the cause for this blowing so quickly?

 

[miekedmr]

Sorry to hear that.
Oil getting past otherwise-good seals would usually mean there is too much oil pressure on the supply side of turbo (need more restriction) or that the drain isn't draining easily enough and is backing up. With a relatively stock turbo setup it seems unlikely you'd have too much pressure at the turbo, though... Perhaps it comes down to poor balance like VIP suggested.