'84 VF750F powered F440 car

Discussion in 'Racing & Track Days' started by sgtmillhouse648, Jul 20, 2010.

  1. sgtmillhouse648

    sgtmillhouse648 New Member

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    Thought I'd thank everyone for their help a while ago when I was looking for sprocket/wiring information for my project and thought I'd throw up a couple pictures to show everyone how it has been coming! I acquired an approximately '84 Red Devil formula 440 car to use in autoxing about a month ago. For those not familiar with these vehicles, they use 2 cylinder 2 stroke snowmobile engines coupled to a CVT driveline. This worked for about the first night I had it, and then well...i grew smart and realized that I needed a lot more of a reliable setup to race on my own away from home at school etc. I had an old '84 VF750F that is too heavy of a bike for myself, and instead of fixing it up from when my brother dumped it (needed new plastics/tank etc.), I decided to let it live on in the car. I just finished the swap this weekend and drove it for the first time and thought I'd post a few pics of the budget racecar build. Picture of the car when I first got it:
    [​IMG]
    2 stroke is fail
    [​IMG]
    The big surprise was the ability to use a ton of the parts from the bike...including the wiring harness... The OE harness unloomed:
    [​IMG]
    Much of the wiring such as lights/cluster stuff could be removed
    [​IMG]
    And the harness after consoidation/bundling
    [​IMG]
    I managed to keep the OE front sprocket, and then was able to find out that ANSI #50 chain was the same pitch/width as the 530 bike chain which allowed me to get a rear sprocket to meet my needs (54 tooth...cart tops out ~85mph which is faster than it will see on an autox course)
    [​IMG]
    Here's the bike engine after stripping everything else away
    [​IMG]
    And the frame/engine mounted onto the rear subframe of the cart
    [​IMG]
    Rear end assembled and hoisted up ready to mount to the car
    [​IMG]
    I'm REALLY happy to get it mounted onto the car
    [​IMG]
    And then the fun wiring stuff :) I made a bracket to hold the fuel pump/rectifier etc. and mounted it up
    [​IMG]
    And what do you know...the starter button/killswitch assy. fits on the rollbar nicely to provide my external kill switch :)
    [​IMG]
    Even used the OE BMC so that I could keep the hydro clutch (this shows the shifter handle. There's a push/pull cable which attaches to it to actuate the shifting)
    [​IMG]
    And the completed cockpit...i spy an OE ignition switch :)
    [​IMG]
    First test drive
    [​IMG]
    And body back on:
    [​IMG]


    It's an absolute blast to drive. Going from a 40hp 2 stroke to this via direct chain drive is something else. it just has so much torque for the car anywhere you want it! Granted i'm on hard tires in gravel for testing at the moment, but it was having a hard time holding 4th gear at WOT. Body will get painted a ways down the road (when I'm back at school). But since its cosmetic its fairly low on the priority list. I should be hitting up its first race this weekend at the GRR region locally. Thanks for your help with this and I look forward to any feedback! M
     
  2. axle54

    axle54 New Member

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    dude, let me borrow that thing. looks sick!! shifter looks badass
     
  3. sgtmillhouse648

    sgtmillhouse648 New Member

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    Much win :) Repaired the linkage and took it out for a little shakedown run
    [video=youtube;ddj5T6ZdOSU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddj5T6ZdOSU&feature=player_embedded[/video]
     
  4. Pliskin

    Pliskin New Member

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    I don't know the first thing about all that stuff, but that thing is cool as hell! :thumb:

    But c'mon dude - get yourself a new cameraman/woman, and lets see what that thing can really do. You're in Blue Grass, IA. Do you guys even have a police department there? Go open that sum'bitch up and give us a better video! :wink:
     
  5. TOE CUTTER

    TOE CUTTER Mullet Man

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    That looks like all kinds of fun......and trouble. Please be careful.
     
  6. sgtmillhouse648

    sgtmillhouse648 New Member

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    Yeah, my brother was a little disappointed i drug him away from family guy to shoot a quick video :)

    Blue Grass is home to one of the biggest speed traps in IA...but i'm out in the country (hence the gravel road). I plan on taking it out to the blacktop later this week to open it up/see how it actually handles.

    Safety is a big concern in solo2. There are generally 3 corner stations at all events equipped with fire extinguishers etc. All helmets must be Snell M or SA approved, and all formula type vehicles require a 6 point restraint system.
     
  7. Hammerspur

    Hammerspur New Member

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    I really want to see that baby on a nice stretch of pavement!
     
  8. reg71

    reg71 Poser Staff Member

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    That looks pretty fun. Better make sure the welds are good on your cage and maybe get a nice neck collar...
     
  9. sgtmillhouse648

    sgtmillhouse648 New Member

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    I really do too :) Hopefully i'll be able to race on Sunday. I've got a little throttle cable problem which surfaced last night to take care of, and just found out this morning that I've got to replace a clutch in my street car before my big trip down to Tennessee/NC next week for the Dragon :)

    That was actually the first thing we did when we got it. pulled the body off and inspected each weld. I've looked at head/neck restraints, but atleast racing street cars autoxing it isn't too big of a problem. With the open top, I'm more worried about arm restraints.
     
  10. GreyVF750F

    GreyVF750F Member

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    So when did they let these things in to AutoXing/Solo events? I know they have been around a long time cause I remember,kind of, when they first came out. I thought they were pretty slick. Got to be a hoot on a road coarse though. Just bigger enduro Karts. Fastest at the time for enduro karts were 250cc Rotax water twins. Clocked at 152 down the back straight at Mid-Ohio back in the early 90's. Your ought to fly!
     
  11. sgtmillhouse648

    sgtmillhouse648 New Member

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    they've had them as long as i've been racing. They typically race in F Modified, but because of teh engine swap I'm bumped up to A mod.
     
  12. sgtmillhouse648

    sgtmillhouse648 New Member

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    Took it to autox yesterday for the first time to actually have it out on pavement for the first time. It is definitely much more fun to drive than my street car autoxing! First heat went absolutely phenominal outside of plowing a few cones over. I did fight some understeer though which was curable with a little more right foot action

    Second heat I launched great the first run and ended up bent the rear subframe where I extended it. It was a decently large design error on my part, but is easily curable this week. It did end my day early though, but nothing ever goes off perfect the first time out
    [video=youtube;ZKSpbXirvUQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKSpbXirvUQ[/video]

    I had a great time and the car went over very well with the local crowd. Had a fellow racer pull up next to me in a blue Z06 asking some questions about it. Said he used to race one just like it in the 80's at Road Atlanta until he decided that it was too hard to get in and out of
     
  13. Pliskin

    Pliskin New Member

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    Very cool! Sounds nice too!
     
  14. Tulok

    Tulok New Member

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    Nice man! It sounds great!
     
  15. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    Nice swap job. Kind of a long haul but if you ever get a chance talk to this guy or maybe check the race shedules for this type four wheeler.



    GDR


    I know George personally. He wrenched on a couple of my bikes more than once. Great guy and a straight shooter. I was in his shop one day before the move and he had an R4 engine with a turbo on gas cranking out 160 HP.. I said something idiotic like "Waaaay Kewl Dood!" Then George clued me in that he was actually de-tuning the engine because even though the HP was there, a DNF is a DNF is a DNF

    George's best bud is Chip Hanauer the former pilot of the Miss Bud Unlimited Hydroplane..Serious gearheads..
     
  16. hondarv4

    hondarv4 New Member

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    Just awesome'
     
  17. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    Grew up in Dominguez..
     
  18. sgtmillhouse648

    sgtmillhouse648 New Member

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    Little update, but I thought you guys would like to see a ridealong from the last race this past weekend at Rantoul racing with the CCSCC:

    Fastest run of the day
    [video=youtube;xIr_ZhZ5_mY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIr_ZhZ5_mY[/video]

    Second fastest but more fun :)
    [video=youtube;npXwRDZz1l0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npXwRDZz1l0[/video]

    And a picture of my friend at the line:
    [​IMG]

    Engine has been working like a charm so far. Had one issue about 3 weeks ago where it was only hitting on the rear bank of cylinders. The right front plug wire was corroded up inside were the resistor attaches, so once I got that cleaned up she's running like a dream :)

    M
     
  19. Keager

    Keager Member

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    Blue Grass? Where do you race at? I'm here in the QC and would like to know...looks like a blast!
     
  20. sgtmillhouse648

    sgtmillhouse648 New Member

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    I'm at school right now, so during the school year I race between the indy, southern indy, and champaign county regions of the SCCA. When I'm back home over summer, I get in on the action with the GRR region of the SCCA. Their calendar of autocrosses can be found Here
     
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