REPLY
Hello all
Well as usual I have a long list of excuses and reasons for not responding or keeping fully up to date on here. I'll not bore you with them here, I'll just get on and answer some of the comments made since my last update - apologies in advance if I miss anyone out.
First of all, thanks to everyone who has taken an interest or posted comments or asked questions, always happy to answer them it just may take some time so appologies in advance.
Before I get onto specific replies to comments left since my last update I'll cover a few of the more general commonly asked questions...think of it as a kind of FAQ if you like....or consider it random waffling - either way you can choose to read it or just skip through to the pretty pictures in my next post
Perhaps one day I'll run through all the comments/questions and index them on the first post as an FAQ index.
1)
I have been asked by several people why I have revealed so much information about the build so far, surely I should have kept quiet about some things done during the quest for lightness. My opinion is that as part of a Honda community there is no reason why I wouldn't share information and ways I've found to save weight - I hope it can help others in the future with their own projects rather than simply tell people I've saved X amount of weight out of the car and then clam up about where it's gone from.
Most of these things are just found by thinking outside the box and/or looking at things in detail. They are time consuming to do so nobody is going to beat a path to my (work) door and ask for me to do this for them...they simply couldn't justify the costs involved in paying to have this stuff done. Obviously different rules apply when it comes to finding certain engine build tricks that can make or break the difference between one of my engines or a competitors or likewise certain chassis/suspension tricks but mostly I still just tell it and show it like it is.
This can leave me open for criticism which I am happy to accept as long as it is constructive. I don't pretend to know all there is to know, I learn on a daily basis and am always happy to discuss or explain certain ideas with anybody that has an interest in what I'm doing.
2)
Another question asked or comment made several times both on forums and in person is usually something along the lines of :-
"looking good to good to race, will you be able to bring yourself to track or race it?"
OR
"this would be one hell of a show and shine motor. There HAS to be a small (or perhaps) large part of you that doesnt want to take this on track and ruin it?"
I have answered this in a post on another forum which I will now shamelessly cut and paste in here
I understand where you are coming from and I guess there is a tiny part of me that would love to finish the car and then just keep it as my undamaged/unmolested achievement BUT that would of course completely go against everything that I am doing with this car not to mention the fact that it would go against everything that I have done with the car in the past.
Yes I am pretty damn precious about it right now, who wouldn't be precious about something that they've sunk so much of their efforts and passion into?
However, it is being built for a reason and that reason is to go and race !!
I always loved the car looking good but it looked good at a distance... get up close and there were all sorts of scuffs, dents, chips etc from seasoned track use. It's not that I didn't care it's more that I see them as battle scars or trophys.
I'd hate to see it damaged of course but likewise I'll almost be relieved when it gets it's first rubber or bollard scuffs up the paintwork which means I can stop being so damn precious about it.
3)
"So are you going to shed some light Rich as to what plans you have for the engine?"
Well I have several options open to me.
Initially for the chassis set and general testing purposes I will run with a mildly modified H22 or H23VTEC. Basically something that is going to be treated as expendable. There are likely to be lots of hard test miles on track once it's finished and I just want something that will do the job without being something else that needs to be developed at the same time.
I make no secret of the fact that I built and was developing a 2.5lt darton sleeved high comp H22 before the big strip down began. I also make no secret of the fact that I had some small issues that needed resolving with it but on the whole the package was there and felt superb. This is ultimately what will end up in the car...potentially
There is also another option if I want to enter the car into a 2lt catagory.
I have formulated and gradually sourced many of the parts needed to build myself a nice 2lt forged H22 headed screamer. This will be based on a production block and is definately something I want to look at.
All of these can and will be couple together with the Kazz diff'd, 4.64 final drive M2F5 gearbox I have yet to put together.
As a few have mentioned..this really is a bit of a dream project for me and has progressed way beyond what I originally set out to do. This is one of the many reasons that it is taking a while to progress...that and always being at the back of the queue of cars in need of my attention.
When it's finished the last thing I want is to see it done and then think I wish I'd done that differently. I'm sure there will still be some things but that's life...I've done a few bare shell rebuilds of various cars over the years but this one is going to be the best one yet.
Thanks for bearing with me, I'll just run through a few specific comments and then I'll get onto the latest update
Nafeman
I really wouldn't like to put a figure on how much this is likely to have finally cost me in terms of real folding stuff type money. I have a rough idea of where I currently stand which is unsuprisingly quite alarming if you include all the engine build work already carried out before the big strip down started. Lets just say I could have gone out and bought something pretty decent and modern with what I've spent so far..... but that totally misses the point altogether in my opinion.
If I were then to include my man hours on top........ then it really does get into the realms of fantasy land or lunatic asylum levels of spend on a rusty old Prelude
mercutio
The absence of a front engine mount should not be an issue at all with the ultra stiff mounts in the other 3 locations. I do have the option to install a tension rod style of front mount should I feel the need to, this will simply involve the manufacture and welding of a fixing mount onto the new front crossmember with the tension rod mating up with another fabricated mount in the usual H22 location.
Hyabusa Hunter
Regarding the traction bar setup. I kinda had a feeling that you would pick up on that and ask the question because they are different to yours.
Remember, our two cars are going to have very different purposes and for that reason some ideas that look similar on paper will also have different solutions.
There are a couple of reasons why the orientation of the front spherical bearing is the way it is, one of them is purely for ground clearance and the other is to do with loadings
The spherical bearing at the LCA end may not even stay as I will also be testing a solid link at that end. Two similar yet different approaches to overcome a specific problem.
popo bawa
Thankyou for your comments, believe me when I say I'm trying not to think of how many hours have gone into this already...and that's not including all the previous many many man hours spent developing the car before the big strip even started. Scary really.
I think the right decision was taken to MiG the shell in the end... the time and grief to TiG it really just couldn't have been justified.
You obviously work in the motorsport world or bodyshop enviroment, hope you don't mind me asking what sort of things you prep?
pure led stew
Great post and thanks for your feedback. Hope I don't get you too frustrated with the very slow progress. The last couple of months have been painfully slow due to too many other commitments etc but I am hoping the next month or two will see some dramatic steps taken one way or another.
Biggest problem is that all the big "in yer face" items have pretty much been fitted and now it's at the point where I can spend say 15-20 hours on it over a weekend and you step back and take a look to see basically very little for your efforts.
Glad to hear we've managed to convert you to the 4th gen .... it's funny really because I am growing ever fonder of the 5th gens
Thanks for sticking with me and sorry as usual for the long post...without further delay I shall now post the latest updates.
Thanks
Rich
Keep up the hard work. Im going to try and save up enough dough to send my lude over to you. May be quite a while yet though 
