Vacaville Velo Rossa

[Fauxre]

Posted this on the GTO thread also.  Cheaper than buying a kit and you can make all the replacement parts you need.

 

For all you lurkers on this thread waiting to buy a kit.  Z Force Productions has a set of molds for sale in Socal.
 
From their Facebook page:
 
FOR SALE: s30 Z car Ferrari 250 GTO kit car molds
Example of a completed Z car conversion in the picture.
This is a very rare kit & I have had the molds in storage for a few years but never planned to use them.
It's a very intricate kit, 20+ pieces (10 main pieces) that includes the front end, front fenders, rear fenders, doors, hood, tail panel, etc. Very heavy duty molds.
These kits alone sell for almost $6,000 plus crate shipping. You can sell one kit and easily make more than your money back.
These molds were well created by Arizona Z Car. I have pics for those seriously interested.

PRICE: 

------------
$3,000 obo + shipping (or local pick up in So Cal)
CONTACT ME BY:
--------------------------
PM
email: s30zforce at yahoo.com

 

 

See photos of the molds here:

http://www.facebook....ion&h=MAQHEHW5j

 

I think the price is negotiable...  

 

 

 

[Fauxre]

Spent a beautiful Sunday in Knightsen, at the NCKCC Kit Car Show.  The VR made her second appearance in public and her first in a show.  She got a lot of positive feedback even though she's still in primer gray and lacking any kind of real interior.

 

[Fauxre]

The biggest reason my car will never be confused for a the real deal...

 

250-gto-sells-52-million-latest-world

[Fauxre]

A short slideshow from the NCKCC website depicting the Knightsen event.

 

 

Edited December 6, 2013 by Fauxre

[Fauxre]

Soooo, the VR has been on the road and legal now for about six months. The plan was to drive her hard while the weather allowed, then take her apart to; refine the bodywork, address fitment issues and fix any cracking that may have occurred. I'm happy to report that there are virtually no cracking issues. But it seems that I may not be getting to the bodywork and fitment for some time. 

After 22 years in our current house, the wife and I have decided to sell and move to a bigger place. Any work on the VR will have to wait until we relocate. The good news is that our new digs will have enough room for a proper shop to both finish the VR and work on several other projects at the same time... that is when we actually find that place. 
We found two properties that matched our criteria perfectly. Unfortunately, they both sold in a 24 hour period just two days before our house sold. So we are now looking for a temporary abode to live in until the right place comes along. So the VR, along with most of our stuff, will be in storage for the foreseeable future.

[Gollum]

Well if you need a place to store it...

 

 

..ah who am I kidding? I hardly have space for the cars that I own.

[Fauxre]

Thanks for the offer Nathan, but my son was more than happy to take it for awhile.  It's great for those short drives to get pizza.  And the weather has been so nice, it can be driven almost every day.  Gotta love California.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Fauxre

[Fauxre]

Well, our first property of choice came back on the market and we snatched it up.  If all goes well we'll be moving in next weekend.  The 3 car tandem garage will be enough to keep the VR safe and dry until I can build the shop somewhere on the 2.5 acres.

 

[Gollum]

Hey I know where that is. I was actually just driving around that area last night windows shopping at the houses that are for sale (couple in that area). 

 

...now if I could just triple my salary to afford it.

 

Congrats though. Looks like a great place and I'm sure it'll work out nicely for you guys.

[Fauxre]

Nathan, there are several nice places for sale in that area, but none of them are cheap dates.  Lucky for me I have a sugar mama.

[Fauxre]

Wow!!  It's hard to believe that it has been 3 months since my last post.  So much to do with the new place.  No time to work on the VR or its eventual home (shop).  After a week of temperatures in triple digits, it wasn't hard for my wife to convince me to push the shop construction back  until the pool / spa is finished.  I'll need a place to cool off during the daytime construction and some hot water jets to soothe those aching muscles after the day is done.

We've settled on a pool design and it's now up to our landscape architect to work it into the over all plans for the 2.5 acres.

 

 

These are screen shots from the pool designers laptop.

 

 

We're hoping to start on the retaining walls in the next couple of weeks with the pool construction being completed sometime in the late fall .  

 

In the mean time I'll just keep taking the VR out a couple times a week to keep her limber.

[Fauxre]

Wish I had some progress to report, but I've actually regressed. While driving a few weeks ago the gauges and turn signals all went dead. The short is somewhere under the dash. Since I'm planning on a complete custom dash, I'm in no hurry to dig through all that wiring that I'm eventually going to toss anyway. We're finally getting some wet weather, so I've been content to let the VR sit in the garage for long stretches. 

I needed to move her out last week, to make room for construction of this years Christmas village, but the battery was too low. I decided to roll her down the driveway, get her started and let the battery charge. 
After popping the clutch, twice without a start, I realized I hadn't turned the key far enough to energize the ignition.  Stupid me turns the key and BANG... the backfire split the muffler down the seem.

I think I'll wait until spring before I inflict any more damage.
 

She still looks pretty good ifo the new digs.

 

 

 

 

 

[TheSaturnV]

Just now seeing this thread. Fantastic!

[Fauxre]

It's been six months since my last post and not much has changed with the VR.  I still have the electrical issue, so none of the gauges or turn signals are operational.  I did manage to get her down to the local muffler shop this week and replace what was left of the muffler.  She sounds much better and I'm hoping to get some use out of her this summer.  I'm gonna try to get the signals and a couple of gauges working by next week, but since I'll be replacing all of that stuff eventually, it's not high on the priority list.

 

So what have I been doing these past months???

 

Here are a couple of before and after pics.

 

 

To the far right of the last image, my new tractor sits on the pad that will eventually be home to my shop.  If I'm lucky, by this time next year I'll be finishing the VR in the comfort of that shop.

Edited June 23, 2015 by Fauxre

[Fauxre]

Time for an update.  Unfortunately there is no progress to report. Only regression.

 

A couple of months ago my son was showing the VR to a friend.  When he fired her up for a little drive, we spotted a fuel leak near the carb.  We quickly shut her down and fixed the problem.  My son then leaned in and turned the key while standing outside the drivers door.  The VR immediately started.... while in gear!!!... and drove about six feet... directly under the rear of my daughter-in-laws Mazda 6... before stalling out.    The back of the Mazda now rested on the bonnet of the VR approximately three feet in the air.  After jacking the Mazda up about three inches we were able to push the VR out from underneath.  

 

 

 

The damage is mostly cosmetic.  I'll have to redo all the fiberglass work I did to extend the scoops and do a little reinforcing.  The only functional damage was to the bonnet hinge bracket.  The upper bolt "ears" snapped off under the weight of the Mazda.  A simple fix with a little welding.

 

I only wish I would have had the presence of mind to take a photo while the Mazda was resting on the hood.  It was quite comical.  And it was a good thing the Mazda was in the way.  Without it the VR would have driven off our paved parking pad and dropped 30 feet to the gully below, al a 'Ferris Buellers Day Off'. 

 

For now, the VR waits out the rainy season (long overdue here) under a temporary RV cover.  Hoping to start construction on a permanent home for her this spring.

[tamo3]

I'm sorry to hear that accident. It seems like no one get injured, that good thing.

By the way, your yard and pool is awesome!

[Fauxre]

 Thanks tamo3.  The pool comes in handy on those summer days when temps out here hit 110. 

[Fauxre]

With a little nudge from down under (thanks BFO), I spent today pulling the VR out of storage, charging the battery and repairing the broken front bonnet hinge with my son.  I little grinding, welding and painting and she's good as new. I will attempt to refit the bonnet tomorrow and she'll be road worthy again.  Repairing the fiberglass nose damage is next.

 

Waiting on the engineering plans for the her permanent home.  Once they're done, I can submit them, along with the architectural drawings, to the county building department for approval

 

 

 

[Fauxre]

Holy Cow!!!  Has it really been over four months since my last post?  Where did all that time go?

 

Well anyway, the bonnet is back on, but is going to need a lot of adjusting to fit perfectly.  I've been driving her quite a bit this summer which has exposed a lot of mechanical flaws.  Most of the squeaks, rattles and vibrations can be eliminated by replacing worn weather stripping and bushings.  But there is a  major "clunk" in the driveline at the start of acceleration.  Could be U-joints, but more likely differential.  

 

As I have no good place to work on her right now, the VR will settle in for a long winters nap under her RV cover.  

 

I'll be submitting the garage/shop plans to the county this week.  Hoping to get the foundation poured this winter and start framing in the spring.

 

Mean while, I spotted this Bentley "replica" on eBay.  Can you spot the subtle differences between this "kit" and the real thing?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Replica-Kit-Makes-made-to-look-like-a-bentley-made-to-look-like-a-bentley/162217934963?_trksid=p2050601.c100085.m2372&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D37338%26meid%3D543e6f6748f14e38b7547632ec031d1c%26pid%3D100085%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D142132532648%26clkid%3D8638131730443910262&_qi=RTM2247626

 

[Fauxre]

Well it's been six months and the county still hasn't approved my shop project.  The plans sailed through five different departments with minor revisions. Then in January, the planning dept. decided that I need a grading permit for the building pad that already exists.  That required a civil engineer to draw up a storm water drainage plan, a grading plan and a geotechnical report.  They also advised that my neighbors parking area (which is 300 feet from the proposed building and was constructed  by the builders of both houses) encroached on my property and I would need to apply for a change to the property line or rip out the paved and fenced improvements. 

 

I was advised, by my architect, that a geotechnical report alone usually runs about $4000.  Lucky for me, I was able to get a copy of the report used for the homes' construction from the builder...  for nothing.  And my neighbor provided me with a copy of the easement granted for the parking area.  The grading and drainage plans came to a total of $3500.  Everything was submitted two months ago and all the permits have been approved.  But planning still has my project marked as "revisions needed." Waiting to find out why.            Sucks!!!!

 

Now... a little about the car.

The steering is stock Z...  and manual.  I've been looking for an inexpensive way to convert to power steering...  and I think I've found it.  The electric power steering from an '05-'07 Saturn Vue or Chevy Equinox. I stumbled over this video last night.  

 

https://youtu.be/uKzCaEjvJeM

 

I was so intrigued, I pulled a unit today at my local Pick N Pull.  Unlike the Cobra in the video, I don't have any room in the engine compartment, so I'll mount it under dash.  I'm planning on a custom interior, so I'll remove the original Z dash, get the unit mounted and adjusted, then build a one off dash around it.

 

Probably get it all done before the shop project finally gets approved.