Midlana heads to the mountains

About time for an update.

Been doing a lot of local drives, just to build time and confidence in Midlana. Have found a number of nits along the way though which has slowed progress some, most notably a clutch that failed to disengage but only after the car was warmed up. This appears to have been due to using an undersized clutch master cylinder, but that took about a month to figure out.

Currently dealing with high reported engine oil temperature and I'm not sure if it's real or poorly calibrated. Either way, figured it's time to add an oil-cooler anyway.

Wind whipping around the sides of the windscreen have proven to be really annoying, so there's various mind experiments going on with that.

Anyhow, took part in the San Diego British car club drive, going up into the local mountains. The car ran fine other than the high oil temp, and with as much power as it has, it was a bit like owning a race horse but only being allowed to walk it. Here's some video, but it's not anything exciting... sorry. No speeding, donuts, nor dorifoing.

Midlana mtn drive

(I haven't yet figured out how to upload an "HD" video to YouTube... it was recorded as one, and YT even has the "HD" next to the link to it, but it's obviously not...)

It takes time for the HD to process if you uploaded it as HD format it will convert.

I feel you on the walking the race horse problem :) Bring it down to BMWCCA Autocross next weekend the 22nd

How did i not notice that this was a turbo car in the other threads?

Care to spoon feed me what the turbo setup is, particularly what BOV that is? Been looking for one similar to that for a long time.

If I recall correctly, it's Tial's 50mm "Q" BOV. Turbo is a twin-scroll GT3071R, currently ~7.5 lbs boost. On the dyno at 10 lbs it was 400 whp or so...

Holy crap that's a lot of power for something like that! I like it!

You can't really be surprised at high oil temps on a boosted engine with no oil cooler...be sure to get a big one! Maybe even two. Evo 10s need two.

Such nice roads you have there, and no slowpokes on them

Your BOV sounds like someone shaking up a cage full of pigeons BTW

Those bicyclists always ruining someones good fun. We have bike trails that run parallel to some of the fun roads here. They still insist on riding in the road

Can't wait to see more of Midlana at full blast. How hot are the temps you are seeing?

GameboyRMH wrote: ...Your BOV sounds like someone shaking up a cage full of pigeons BTW...

That's a pretty funny comparison... I may have to steal it. I did try using a remote type BOV, one with a hose attachment to route the whooshing pigeon-calls elsewhere. Trouble was that it was huge and wouldn't fit, hence the pigeons...

jere wrote: ...How hot are the temps you are seeing?

Well if the readings is accurate, as high as 125 deg C. I'd expect high oil temp during a bonzai run up the hill, but this was tooling along (up the hill) at no more than about 40 mph. The sensor calibration will be checked, but a cooler's being added regardless. The big unknown is just how much air flow it'll have. I rather not use an oil-to-coolant exchanger due to the extra plumbing and increased chances of leaks, so we'll see how wise that choice was.

BTW, drove it in to work today and discovered two things:

1. A faux-flying helmet, with the ears, made a HUGE difference in comfort from the wind whipping around the windscreen. Enough that I'm not sure I care about the dork factor... I can hear Jeremy now, "Some say... he's a dork even without the silly hat..."

2. Stopping at McDonalds on the way in reminded me that I meant to install a cup-holder, having never figured out where to mount it. There were a few close calls between the hot coffee and The Boys.

Jaynen wrote: ... Bring it down to BMWCCA Autocross next weekend the 22nd

Yeah an autocross is on the list, though I expect to be beat by all sorts of stuff. As just about everyone here knows, autocross is about 90% driver, and very humbling!

HNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Never let me around this car. I will permanently fuse my skin to it.

I so dig this car yet I doubt I have the skills to build it.

Sultan wrote: I so dig this car yet I doubt I have the skills to build it.

HA!

I KNOW I don't have the skills to build something like this.

z31maniac wrote:

Sultan wrote: I so dig this car yet I doubt I have the skills to build it.

HA! I KNOW I don't have the skills to build something like this.

harden up. I don't have skills to build a car, but that's not stopping me.

I'm learning as I go. I now have about half the skills I need. :)

z31maniac wrote:

Sultan wrote: I so dig this car yet I doubt I have the skills to build it.

HA! I KNOW I don't have the skills to build something like this.

Ditto.

If it's like learning anything else as you go, the second time you do it is a lot easier.