With the last snow hopefully well melted well before this column gets to print, I’m sure we’re all looking forward to our first DE event of the 2003 season. I certainly am. The last season of DE came and went with me, mostly, on the sidelines.

It took all of last season for me to get the sub-assemblies built and ready to go into my car. Two months ago I went though the changing and modifying of the transmission with all of you. The engine has now been completed and both have now found a comfortable home back in my 79 Turbo. When the car was together with the 3.3-liter engine, the transmission gearing would let the car top out at 7200 rpm; 198 mph. The new transmission was built to give the car a more rapid acceleration rate, but the top speed, at 7200 rpm, was reduced to 178 mph. I think it should get there fairly quickly. We shall see.

This engine started life as a naturally aspirated 3.6. We disassembled it for a rebuild last fall. On reassembly we performed the usual race modifications. The crankshaft was sent out to our favorite custom crankshaft company. Although we gave some thought to stroking the crank to get the engine size up to 4.0-liter, we decided against that. The reason behind that decision was because of the stresses this soon to be, turbocharged race engine will endure. We did, however, bore the case spigots out to accept true 3.8-liter RS type cylinders. A set of 102mm pistons were forged for us by J&E with a much reduced dome height, dictated by a turbo engine application; compression should be about 7.5 to 1. As usual by us, Total Seal piston rings were installed to seal in the combustion gases.

The cylinder heads were given a competition valve job before being installed. For this engine, after some in depth conversation with Laurie Dunlop at Web, the cam grind we decided on is somewhere between the cams used on a 962 and the later 1980’s 935. We wanted this engine to make power right up to 8,000 rpm. The original multiple throttle, twin injector per cylinder fuel system we ran on my 3.3 liter engine will be reused on this 3.8. The original intake bolt pattern, of a 3.6-liter engine is three bolt holes per cylinder, in the shape of a triangle. Two bolts per cylinder hold down the intake manifold of the earlier 3.3-liter engine. In order to be able to use the intake system from my 3.3 on the 3.6 we had CMW make up some conversion adaptors (see the pictures). It would also have been nice to use bigger throttles, maybe up to 54mm. but, as usual, finances, or lack of finances, played into the scheme of things. On the 3.3 turbo motor we were using twin 36 lb. per hour Ford fuel injectors per cylinder. With the old setup we were able to break 700 HP. On the new 3.8 we will be using two 65lb. per hour fuel injectors for each cylinder and we are hoping for 900-1,000 hp.

The beginning of this season will see the engine with the S/S header from the 3.3. It is an equal length header that mates up to a huge Garret single turbo. At the end of last season I acquired an original twin header system from a twin turbo 935. I’m dying to strap on two turbos but again; it's an expense that will have to wait. To change over to twin turbos, the intercooler will have to be reworked and some other parts will have to be obtained. Even though I have the header and two K27 turbos waiting in the wings, the cost of getting the system on and working would still require about another $5,000 between waste gates, the intercooler modification, two new exit pipes, and refreshing the turbos. I hate to say it, but they’ll have to wait.

This engine will have a complete engine management system from Haltech. The system will control both the ignition system and the fuel system. The old system that we had been using just controlled the fuel. We had a dual ignition system that controlled spark, separately, in a linear advance.

Our last major decision was to upgrade the roll cage in the car. The longer I stay in this game, the more safety conscience I become. These days, with my twin girls always on my mind, I like to be protected as best as possible. We installed an 8-point cage that is made of 1-1/2” .120 gauge D.O.M. tubing. This cage is a complete weld in cage with overhead crush protection, side impact protection, and it also ties in the front suspension points to the rear shock towers. For proper welding of all the upper structure of the cage the complete roof was removed. This will be replaced, with the help of my brother Charlie, by a fiberglass component. I’m thinking the cage tubing was a bit of an over-kill. We could have used .095-gauge tubing for the cage. But, I guess you can’t be too safe.

As this never ending project nears it’s forth completed metamorphosis and I start to get rushed for the upcoming DE season, I can’t help but think of a few more things that I would have liked to address. I guess it’ll wait till next winter or maybe by then, if I’m lucky, I’ll find an empty GT-3 tub that I can build into the ultimate club GT-1 racecar. Imagine that, a GT-3 with a 900-hp.-turbocharged engine? Hmmm… Anybody want to play? Guess I’ll keep on dream’n.

As I write this there are about four weeks to go till our 2003 DE season opens. By the time this sees print there maybe one more week to go. I just can’t wait for the season to begin. The phones are buzzing, reservations are being made and the fun is just about to begin. Hope to see you at the track.