June 1, 2011 - I've been working on the car quite a bit over the past couple of weeks, and it's become more intense for the past couple of days.
That's no surprise given the upcoming track test. So I stopped taking pictures as I installed suspension, bled the brakes, installed the seats, bolted on the roof, etc - but check it out! It's together. That means it's time for the first test drive.
It wasn't an epic drive, just a half mile down the road and back. The goal was just to determine that all of the various systems were working. This car has undergone quite a bit of change since it last turned a wheel under its own power. So how was it? Good! Not perfect, as there were a few little problems: a seeping oil fitting, a dragging rear brake, a bit of interference between the steering column and a heat shield, and low power steering fluid. But those are to be expected and were quickly sorted out. There were no real concerns. The car runs well, shifted well and the chassis still feels like the Targa Miata. Woohoo! Now that I know nothing terrible is going on, I'll exercise it a bit more next time. I'm still breaking the engine in, though.
By sheer coincidence, the first drive of the car took place almost exactly four years ago. I then spent an extra year honing the car for the 2008 Targa. I've got a shorter schedule this time, but the car's much more complete.
tags: first drive, v8 |
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