Building a 348 Le Mans Race car for the road

Careful with that, we are seeing problems with that one never expected.

Pretty hard to beat the setup Sy has now but even that, one has to be very careful.

 

To be honest the reason why we haven't done any work on the engine is that we are waiting for Bruce to fly over. Negotiations with him have stalled at the moment as he wants 4 beers per hour whilst working on the engine and we can only afford two beers.

 

He's an easy push, keep prodding, he will come around.

Mrs Plugzit will choke us all when he is off running around the world fixing cars..... The eye for an eye shopping trips could be damaging! Our two ladies together on the mall is a thought that sends shivers down my neck thinking about.... they have way too much fun together for it to be budget safe, not that we dont have it coming!

 

What's his favourite brand? I'm sure we can all chip in to get him sufficiently intoxicated to carry out the delicate work upon your engine...

 

Sorry for the delay in the updates.

It's strange how things turn out. What I started out thinking would be a simple (comparatively ) engine swap has morphed into something more.

Having worked well with Raj on the project and become good friends, we've now set up our own Superecar service centre in London. The Le Mans project will be one of many projects that we'll be doing in the future.

Due to the new business being set up and also running my video chanel, we haven't had the chance to do anything with the engine, but we are now slowly getting back into teh flow.

Last week, I sorted out the the engine bits.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

The engine tucked away safely.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Today, I picked up a 355 gearbox/clutch/flywheel that I purchased on ebay for £999. Yes... that's £999. It looks to be in reasonably good condition, but we will be stripping it down and making sure everything is working 100%.

I have a sneaky suspicion that this gearbox may bolt directly onto teh LM engine, as it is a 355 block. We'll find out next week when we attempt to mate them together.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Clutch & flywheel
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Flywheel will be skimmed/remanufactured and the clutch given a kevlar treatment.

Heres' a Murcielago clutch that we did last week.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

While I was picking up teh gearbox (which is extremley heavy by the way), Dave (the Seller) mentioned he also had a few other 355 parts lying about. One of which was the instrument pod.

Wel.... I just couldn't resist D
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

However, before we begin the main work on the 348, we still have to fix my Range Rover. Purchased it 5 weeks ago and it broke down 2 weeks later with a bad alternator.

To change the alternator, you have to take the front of the car off. So I thought I might as well change other parts like the hoses and rads while we were at it. then I thought it would be a good idea to chnage it from a 2003 loonig version, to a 2010 version.

So we started modifying that. I'm currently tempted into installing a V12 Mercedes Engine in it, but will finish the 348 LM first.

Should have the Range Rover ready next week.

First picture is what it looks like now and the second picture, what it will look like next week.

I also painted the camcovers ferrari red.

Compulsive modder?? Me???
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Delighted to see you're still "on" this project and look forward to future updates and progress.

 

It would have been positively rude not to!

 

That's what I told the wife.

 

That sounds exciting...

Actually, I was going to send you a PM sometime soon as I was just thinking about you and your 348. I see you've pre-empted me!

Nice.

Careful you don't end up with too many 355 parts though, you still want it to be a 348.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Some footage I forgot I filmed of the engine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xJ0v5c0r_0

 

Love the video Sy.

 

Thanks ernie.

We're also going to film Raj taking the gearbox apart and talking about the engine and what we are going to do with it in a couple of weeks.


PS. I'm going to borrow your signature

348 Brotherhood, founded 2003, member since 2005

 

I like the sig Sy.

 

Nice work Sy! That IS a cheap gearbox.

 

Good to see the project working its way to the front of the line. We are near to the same time table again.

I hate when work gets in the way of fun but..... it is a nice problem to have these days.

 

what a fabulous project. please keep us updated. Any specs as to what the quench of the combustion chamber might be? As in, the distance between the piston to the cylinder head? Ferrari had a habit of sitting the piston deep below the deck at TDC which was not exactly great for combustion.

 

Thanks for the update. Nice video. Looking forward to the trans being mated to the motor.

 

Cool Vid Sy...Whoof !

 

Resurrection! Any update on your project Sy?