What Happened to Victor's Roadster

[Gregs672000]

Great video, a perfect road for the cars!

[rp975]

OldYeller, was that last description what you were wanting, or do you want to know what suspension components I am running?

Peter, I am glad you like that picture, that servo is only about 10 mins from my place.

Gregs672000, Glad you liked the video, I will post another one below of two of us driving home.

The roads at Fall Creek were amazing, there were times we were motoring quite a bit quicker chasing one of the road-race cars and with Lou behind me but I didn't video it, next year I will.

I wonder if it would be possible to install a variable thickness "shim" underneath the spring to achieve something similar? Would that raise the ride height, or just allow the spring to run flat?

Yes to your question, Lou is going to work on this idea although you are right it will raise the car so shorter springs will need to be made.

This video was a more leisurely drive as we were heading home, for me a 9.5 hr drive.

[youtube][/youtube]

Again best viewed in HD.

Rob

[eastmedia]

Rob,
I am marveling at the care you have put into this car.
It truly seems like destiny for the car to have gone to you...From across the globe. Thank you.
Ron

[dbrick]

Rob,
I am marveling at the care you have put into this car.
It truly seems like destiny for the car to have gone to you...From across the globe. Thank you.
Ron

Seems Rob is doing exactly what Victor would have done. Random chance isn't so random, even though it was the luck of the draw, the car found the right owner.

[OldYeller]

OldYeller, was that last description what you were wanting, or do you want to know what suspension components I am running?

Thanks for gage info and drawing!

I get the basic theory but would be interested in more information.
I have super comp springs that I bought from another member and am in on the Koni buy with Richard. I'm planning on installing them this summer assuming it gets above freezing here again. -18°F this morning.... Anyway, it will warm up eventually and there are some great roads along the Mississippi that I'm looking forward to driving so I'm grateful for any advise or help.

Thank you!

[rp975]

Ron and dbrick,

Thank you for the kind words, this has become quite an adventure for me, I have a whole new bunch of friends and have learnt a whole lot of new stuff in the process.

OldYeller,

I will let you know what I have done, when I received my car it was very very hard in the front end, it was set up for Autocross, it had some older chromed shocks, comp springs (probably 830lb) and a 23mm sway bar with rubber bushings.

I wanted the car to be comfortable but firm, I wanted the front suspension to be able to work properly, the car rattled a lot as well.

Last year I went to our nationals with just the front Koni's in with the hard springs and sway bar, the rear was Lou's single leaf springs with Koni shocks (.I removed the comp rear springs and kyb shocks, the springs were so low that when someone sat in the car it was sitting on the bump stops, so no downward suspension travel.) I had some of the top guys drive my car and I drove 5 other people's cars all with different set ups. When I came back home I then had a direction I could go with my set up. I put in a set or 750lb front springs Konis still and I went to a standard sway bar but with poly urethane bushings, this was much better for me and then because I had lower front springs we wanted to get the roll center back to a usable area so we put in some lower wishbone spindle spacers and turned the spindles over which raised the spindles about 8mm from memory?

This put the angle of the lower wishbones back to a similar angle as a standard roadster.
This was better again but I was still not comfortable with how it was riding so I lay under the car for about 3/4 hr with a torch looking at the suspension, the I noticed that the lower spring seat is on an angle, I thought that this can't be good as the lower coil of the spring is crooked and compressed. My idea was that I wanted to try a variable rate spring to get the softer ride over small bumps but firmer when in a corner, I thought that if I had some of these springs made they would not work if the spring seat is on an angle so I got another set of spring seats from Lou and I modified them, this made the spring seat parallel to the top spring seat and the spring could work freely.


I put it back together and wow what a difference, I had found the supple ride over small bumps I was looking for without going to variable rate springs.

You see I have 55 series tyres and I should have 60 series tyres, having a taller sidewall would give better comfort and the better two cars I drove had 60series. For me this spring seat mod went part way to getting the softer ride over small bumps.

So for me the main things were to soften up the front suspension so that it could work.

My car is a compromise, it is not a race car and it is not a standard Roadster.

If you want a compromise car like mine I think the important things are

60 series tyres

Correct angle on front lower wishbones so that roll center is close to correct

Springs that are not too hard

Shocks that can control springs

Sway bar not too thick with poly bushings

Front cross brace

If you want I can find out what my alignment settings are.

My bump stops are cut down like the Bob Sharp book. suspension travel measured at the bump stop is from memory about 40mm down travel (compression) and 20mm up travel.
I will be looking into this more soon.

A couple of guys from the forum have email with some questions recently and here is a reply from Lou.


Hello Guys, Yes the rebound on Konis for both front and rear shocks is the same at 1250 Newtons. This reading is at 0.33m/sec. Going to full hard doubles this figure. The problem is anything over 1 turn at the very most, the rebound curves are very very harsh. This translates into a jittery drive and it does not do anything for handling what so ever. The adjustment is not a tuning tool. The bump or compression values are where they all went horribly wrong with the production shocks till 2005. The front was 450 newtons and the back was 900 Newtons. Clearly this was wrong and reversed on this latest run of Konis. Now, Datsun own shock figures for standard springs were front 1900 newtons for rebound and 700 newtons for bump. You can clearly see where the Konis were wrong on the front valving. Datsuns rear figures were 1300 on rebound and 300 on bump. The current Koni rear with its 1250/450 is just about ideal for these cars with standard rear springs. You can see though the front rebound is still far from what Nissan themselves used. So the current konis are better than the old batch but the rebound is still a little short to control the standard 530 lbs front spring let alone the 830 lbs Comp springs.
The other special Konis i have are 2000/900 Newtons on full soft. Garm and Elliot in the USA have a set. Please feel free to ask them what they think of them. They do handle the comp springs quite well. I also use the other bump valving on these shocks that are very digressive in the valving. These work very very well on these cars. Nobody in the USA has a set of these yet but Rob Paul will have a set the near future.
I hope this has been helpful in understanding the Koni puzzle. Feel free to post this information
Lou Mondello

Lou is the Man.

I will be trying his new Koni shocks in the coming months.

Rob

[rp975]

OldYeller,

Wow that is cold at your place,It should start turning soon, your drive along the Mississippi sounds great!

When you do it some pics would be good.

Rob

[dbrick]

-18? Ok I'll stop complaining about +2
On the bright side, about a month for most of us and it's roadster weather.

[rp975]

Well yesterday I fitted the new clutch fan, here is the old fan.



Here are the components of Lou's kit.



Here is the new fan fitted, fitting it without taking the radiator out is a bit like trying to put toothpaste back into the tube, but I got there.



Rob

[Gregs672000]

Nice option vs an electric. Now we'll REALLY get to hear those carbs!!

[theunz]

Looks nice, how much does Lou sell it for? Mike

[OldYeller]

Rob,

Thank you very much for the detailed write up on the suspension. I'm trying to learn as much as I can before I tear into it. I'm a fan of in the school of the sub-genius; I know it's a ruse but I don't know how to get out of it. Therefore, it's best to ask for help and this helps a lot.

I'll definitely post some pics of the river runs this spring/summer. Can't wait to hear those Mikuni's open their throats like hungry little birds!

Also, for what it's worth, I've never met anyone on this forum but from reading it seems apropos that you ended up with this car. Very Cool!

Thanks again

[rp975]

Looks nice, how much does Lou sell it for? Mike

I am waiting to hear back from Lou as to the cost, I bought parts of mine last year and just recently, I am not sure on what I paid as I bought a few things.

When Lou gets a chance to look into it I will let you know.

Greg, Yes about hearing the carbs, I will have to try another video with the mic near the carbs and hear if the fan noise is lower.

OldYella,

A really good book to get is "How to make your car Handle" by Fred Puhn.

Rob

[rp975]

Looks nice, how much does Lou sell it for? Mike

Hi Mike, here is Lou's reply.

Fan clutch assy is $195 plus $95 for the 2 alloy spacers. Total is $290. Nice thing with this set up is constant stream of air under carbs to keep cool. Something that a cyclic electric fan does not do. I can do 2 more sets. regards Lou M

This doesn't include shipping.

Rob

[windy311]

I finally got to see this car in the flesh. but i didnt get the chance to introduce myself to you Rob. although before i seen you at the table i stood behind you at the bar not knowing it was you. So i will see you in April.