2011 NASA Rally Pilot

[hondamaint]

We have not been to many events this summer because work has been really busy. Seems like all the events fall on a production Saturday.
Well we have still been busy working on our cars.
We have the blue Pilot set up where we will leave it and are starting to learn how to drive it. It went from an understeering pig to a tail happy car,that means it is fun and once you learn how to drive it it has turned out to be pretty quick. If it were anything more open than a rallycross track we would have to tone it down a little.
This brings us to our next/current project. We are building another Pilot for next year NASA stage Rally. We plan to make the sandblast event in SC next year and maybe Rally Tennessee.

The blue Pilot started out as a 2wd car so we added the 4wd stuff and this worked OK for closed coures slower speed but we will build this car with the stock Honda VTM4 system.The way we have the blue Pilot with the current setup it turns great and does not like to go in a straight line at all. The stock VTM4 control system will make it easier to drive at higher speeds and safer also. It will start with non turbo motor and a few minor things to help the motor a little.
We have a few companies working with us on this project.
Enkei
MOMO
Unorthadox racing
RV6 Performance
Midwest converters
H&R suspension
EPM
Oh yeah Honda also.

This is going to be FUN

We started with a new body(VIN#13)

and took it to Mark at Kirk racing for a cage. There are still a few bars we need to add after looking closer at the rules.

[edtype1]

SWEEEETTTT!

I know I havnt see you guys out much, but Im so glad you've started & have so much support for the this Pilot project. Yeah, building a stage rally car is much more than any rallycross car build(except European rallycross). I'de love to see that cage in that thing. After its back from Kirk Ide like to see it. You can enter Baja Series & Raids in that beast!

[hondamaint]

A few more pictures







We are just getting all the fuel, brake and elec. stuff in it now.
We have a little more than this done now but not much.We hope to get a lot done in the next few weeks.

[Jedi1]

I love that truck! Love love love!

[hondamaint]

For the drive train we will take all of that out of another Pilot we have. We have one with 60 miles on it that we will use.
We put the donor Pilot up on the lift today and started taking stuff out. We should drop the front subframe/suspension tonight. We will start after that with the rear subframe and suspension. This will save us a lot of work doing it this way. That way the 2 main units are already put together.
We have not set a goal yet for getting it running but here goes a shot??????? How about we shoot for Sept. 30th as our goal.It does not have to be completed but we will shoot for moving under it's own power.That gives us 6 weeks. I know 6 weeks sounds like a long time but we are pretty much building a complete car from nothing and it is funny how long even the small things can take sometimes.
I talked to Anders Green with NASA last night to find out what we need to know along the way to help the build.

Hey Edwin,got any more pictures of your VW rallycar?

[w. leavitt]

Wowwwwwww

So who's going to drive that beast?

Will

[hondamaint]

Wowwwwwww

So who's going to drive that beast?

Will

Chris , Chris is the MAN.

[w. leavitt]

Chris , Chris is the MAN.

Oh dear GOD!!!!

Hide the goats, women and children (in that order.)

Power sliding at even higher speeds, should be exciting to watch after the dust clears.

Gotta keep me updated on this, I want to watch (from the inside of turns of course.)

Will

[e30Racer]

Hide the goats, women and children (in that order.)

Will

You better hide your kids, hide your wife, hide your husband....cause e'erbody gettin' raped out here

[hondamaint]

We are on 2nd shift this and next week so we are working on the car after shift. We got all of the front and rear subframe out of the donor pilot .I thought I had taken a picture but I guess not.
The plan is to take the motor off the subframe and install a J37 -300HP MDX motror along with a Midwest converter upgraded torque converter built by them to match the weight,HP and intended mission for this car. We also have UNORTHADOX RACING lite weight underdrive pulley set for it along with precat delete and J-pipe from RV6 performance.
Chris is also working on an Accord ECU instead of the Pilot one.There are a couple reasons he wants to use it over the Pilot one. We may at some time try one of the AEM piggyback units to see how it works.
We are pretty much ready in the engine bay to install the motor.
Here is Jeromy putting the last harness in



All of the headlight stuff is completed also.



Next we will move inside the car

[hondamaint]

You better hide your kids, hide your wife, hide your husband....cause e'erbody gettin' raped out here

???????

[Erv]

???????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-U-WbHY77o

[hondamaint]

Still ??????????

And now back to the build thread.
here is the Rally Pilot sitting next to the donor Pilot and the front/rear subframe we will put in.

[Erv]

its getting pretty popular

[Welacey]

Ya'll have the coolest job out there, and probably the only people in the country making fast racing vehicles out of porky SUV's. Please don't hit anymore power-water poles at Talladega.