As of 12-01-2009 the photos in this thread no longer work. The Fatman Racing website where the photos were stored has been completely overhauled. All of the pictures fom teh build and the 2009 race at Pikes Peak are there. Please visit!http://www.fatmanracing.comThanks!

So, the last year has been...Interesting. I took the car up to Colorado and we began tearing into the one time Speedvision car and then things hit a brick wall. $50,000 later I now have no money, an unfinished race car and full custody of my son. Best 50k I ever spent. But now I have just one year and no money to try and ressurect this car and get some seat time before the 2009 version of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. I have a plan, a small budget, and I'm now back in Texas, in my own garage getting back to work and I could sure use some help. Interested? Volunteers and enthusiasts are welcome to join the team. Any volunteers would be appreciated. There is a ton of stuff I need to learn about this car and the KA powerplant I intend to use. I have built, tuned and driven everything from 100hp ATV's to 1200hp doorslammers, but this one is new to me.

Here are a few pics of the car to refresh your memory, or to show you for the first time:

What she used to look like:

What she looks like now:

As you can see, she needs a little work...allot of work. It's my understanding that her last time out didn't go so well, and since then a new front end has been grafted in place. There is a bit of damage to the undercarriage, but it appears to be strucurally sound and can be cleaned up.

Feel free to contact me directly if you live in the DFW area. I'll be working on the car weekends and posting pics here regularly to show the progress and I'll likely be asking volumes of questions...so get your thinking caps on.

[email protected]

Thanks everyone!!
Modified by kenno470 at 6:00 PM 12/12/2009

Well, you are about 40 minutes up 75 from me (I am in Carrolton). Send me an email and we can trade contact info. I would love to spend some wrench time on your car once I get mine back in one piece.

[email protected]

Hill climb S14 is so much full of win its scary. If i lived anywhere near you i would help out in a second.

lol im sorry it is just that the title "take 2" is funny b/c I immediately thought that take 1 went off the mountain....bad but...you get it.

hey uhh and I played Gran turismo 3 and where is your coarse required 4x10' spoiler??

Slappy wrote:Hill climb S14 is so much full of win its scary. If i lived anywhere near you i would help out in a second.

that idea gives me a chubby. you will get more pusswah than gene simmons

rico05 wrote:Well, you are about 40 minutes up 75 from me (I am in Carrolton). Send me an email and we can trade contact info. I would love to spend some wrench time on your car once I get mine back in one piece.

[email protected]

Sounds good! I'll holler this week.

crakin wrote:hey uhh and I played Gran turismo 3 and where is your coarse required 4x10' spoiler??

Those are Cool! I think I'm limited in Time Attack. I know my vertical surfaces are limited.

Slappy wrote:Hill climb S14 is so much full of win its scary. If i lived anywhere near you i would help out in a second.

NICO needs an entire Motorsports team. Drift, Drag, Time Attack, Pikes Peak, F1? jk jk

Dude, nice project. Even better still you put a smile on my face when you said you got custody of your son. Assuming you're a guy, that's one hell of an accomplishment and I know what you have to go through cuz my uncle has been going through it for like 7 years.

But still best of luck on your S14, it's gonna be sick nasty... Wait did I say sick nasty? I meant best specialized S14 ever made by the hands of man.

thefro526 wrote:Dude, nice project. Even better still you put a smile on my face when you said you got custody of your son. Assuming you're a guy, that's one hell of an accomplishment and I know what you have to go through cuz my uncle has been going through it for like 7 years.

But still best of luck on your S14, it's gonna be sick nasty... Wait did I say sick nasty? I meant best specialized S14 ever made by the hands of man.

It has been an experience for sure. But I'm glad he's with me now. He's a great kid! Turns Six on Thursday!

**OK I have good news and Bad news:

The good news - My Beautiful, most incredible wife is Pregnant!! Looks like the end of January will bring us a new baby...a little brother or sister for my Son!

The bad news - Considering my current financial situation, with last years custody battle and everything, this build is now over. That's right, before we even got a chance to begin (again) it has ended. I have many preparations to make for the new baby and just won't be able to dedicate the time and money necessary to get this project completed.

Many thanks to all of you who have already given your advice and shown interest in helping me with this project. I sincerely apologize for not being able to continue.Soon, I will post photos and descriptions (in the appropriate section of this board) of all of the stuff that will be available for sale.

Thanks again, everyone, for your help and advice!

p.s. - If any of you find yourself at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb next week (July 15-20), be sure to come by the Quad pit area and ask around for me. I'll be there (And you should be too)!!

kenno470 wrote:
It has been an experience for sure. But I'm glad he's with me now. He's a great kid! Turns Six on Thursday!

**OK I have good news and Bad news:

The good news - My Beautiful, most incredible wife is Pregnant!! Looks like the end of January will bring us a new baby...a little brother or sister for my Son!

The bad news - Considering my current financial situation, with last years custody battle and everything, this build is now over. That's right, before we even got a chance to begin (again) it has ended. I have many preparations to make for the new baby and just won't be able to dedicate the time and money necessary to get this project completed.

Many thanks to all of you who have already given your advice and shown interest in helping me with this project. I sincerely apologize for not being able to continue.Soon, I will post photos and descriptions (in the appropriate section of this board) of all of the stuff that will be available for sale.

Thanks again, everyone, for your help and advice!

p.s. - If any of you find yourself at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb next week (July 15-20), be sure to come by the Quad pit area and ask around for me. I'll be there (And you should be too)!!

Congratulations on the soon to be new NicoNaut.

Im sorry to hear that the project is once again on hold, I remember when you first got a hold of that car. I hope things go well for you and your wife, and I hope you a beautiful healthy child, and I hope you have the patience to keep the car long enough for the project to begin again.

Good night and good luck.

If you werent halfway across the country i'd buy the car from you. NICO should buy this together and build it.

Black on Gold wrote:
NICO needs an entire Motorsports team. Drift, Drag, Time Attack, Pikes Peak, F1? jk jk

Sounds like a plan except for the unobtainable , undoable , unaffordable part that is F1.

Black on Gold wrote:If you werent halfway across the country i'd buy the car from you. NICO should buy this together and build it.

What's a "half" between friends? And for the right price, I'll deliver it.

I like your other suggestion, as well. I'd even cut the collective a great deal on everything I have for it!

Thanks,Ken

kenno470 wrote:
What's a "half" between friends? And for the right price, I'll deliver it.

I like your other suggestion, as well. I'd even cut the collective a great deal on everything I have for it!

Thanks,Ken

Im actually a little interested in the shell? Ive been actively hunting for a clean S13 or FC RX7 shell for about 2 months now. Im planning to build a group 2 rallycar. Do you have any idea if the Cage would pass FIA or Rally America specs? Is there a log book for the car? Do you have any idea who built the cage?

I know the cage will pass SCCA tech, but I'm not sure about the others. It was last tech'd in 2002.There is no logbook for the car and I believe the cage was done by the original owner (Ed Shairbaum). The welds penetrate good enough, but they aren't the prettiest I've seen. What I really like about the cage is how well it fits, and even though the welds are a bit on the ugly side, like I said before, there's good penetration. So, pretty...No. Solid...Yes! And when it comes to safety, I'll take solid over pretty every day of the week and twice on Sunday.



Thanks,Ken

kenno470 wrote:I know the cage will pass SCCA tech, but I'm not sure about the others. It was last tech'd in 2002.There is no logbook for the car and I believe the cage was done by the original owner (Ed Shairbaum). The welds penetrate good enough, but they aren't the prettiest I've seen. What I really like about the cage is how well it fits, and even though the welds are a bit on the ugly side, like I said before, there's good penetration. So, pretty...No. Solid...Yes! And when it comes to safety, I'll take solid over pretty every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Thanks,Ken

Having a cross tube between the driver and co driver would be problematic, I dont care about how pretty the welds are either, but the Rally America scrutineers are getting stricter and stricter.

FlatBlackIan wrote:
Having a cross tube between the driver and co driver would be problematic, I dont care about how pretty the welds are either, but the Rally America scrutineers are getting stricter and stricter.

oh, it doesn't go between the driver and co-driver, it actually goes from just to the right of the drivers head to the passenger side A-pillar tube...right in the way of a passneger. Fun, huh. I was actually going to remove this tube because time attack requires a pssenger seat and this would have been in the way.I'm planning on cleaning up the cage and a few body issues before it goes on the market. They're things that don't really cost me anything (except time) and will hopefully make it easier to sell. We'll see.

You Sir Are A Winnar!

Keep Us Posted!

Ps: Any Action Pics?

Dittoz7 wrote:You Sir Are A Winnar!

Keep Us Posted!

Ps: Any Action Pics?

How's this for action?

Wait...you meant the car, didn't you? My bad. Actually I don't have any action shots of the car. I only have a couple of the car in it's original trim...one of them posted here.

Thanks!

GL man! looks mean!

kenno470 wrote:
oh, it doesn't go between the driver and co-driver, it actually goes from just to the right of the drivers head to the passenger side A-pillar tube...right in the way of a passneger. Fun, huh. I was actually going to remove this tube because time attack requires a pssenger seat and this would have been in the way.I'm planning on cleaning up the cage and a few body issues before it goes on the market. They're things that don't really cost me anything (except time) and will hopefully make it easier to sell. We'll see.

How much are you planning on asking for the car, either as is, or once youve done some work on it, also, what do you have as far as parts? I spoke with my business partners and we are very interested.

Ah, i got a little excited, and then disappointed. Maybe wear a condom next time, so you can finish the '40?

FlatBlackIan wrote:
How much are you planning on asking for the car, either as is, or once youve done some work on it, also, what do you have as far as parts? I spoke with my business partners and we are very interested.

Why don't you send me an e-mail and we can talk about it. I don't want to anger the gods by talking price and parts in the wrong forum.

Thanks! [email protected]

Wouldn't that be funny if I got some sponsorship help and I actually got to re-start this project again...

Standby...

Hi Everyone!

OK...here's where we are now:

I have been given a rediculously small budget to keep this project alive. I have been given just $6100.00 to take this dismembered, disjointed, disfigured heap of a car and get it on the track. There's a possibility for another $1000.00 later on and maybe some motor specific help if I come up short after getting the rolling chassis complete. Sort of a performance budget if I can show my sponsor that I can work miracles with the limited funds I've been given to get the rolling chassis in order.

Here's where I can use your help:

I'm looking for "associate" sponsors. What does that mean, you ask? Well, I'll tell you: I'm not looking for handouts or freebies...but all of you likely have more resources than I do for this platform. I admit that I'm new to the 240. I'll be posting a list of all the stuff I need to complete the project, probably in stages as I work through the car. If you can turn me on to a good resource for finding a needed part (some oem, some aftermarket) at an outstanding price, I'll put your name on the books and somewhere on the car as a sponsor (Sort of a "special thanks to:" panel).

You'll also get recognition for your help on our web-site (and in this thread) and in our pit area at next years (and subsequent years) Pikes Peak Hill Climb.

I have a good base for a competative car here, and I'd really like to see it completed. It won't be a beauty queen, but it will be competative. So if you can help, I would sincerely appreciate it.

There you go...that's my pitch. Thanks for listening.

Now, excuse me while I return to the garage and start tearing this thing down so I can get a good inventory.

Ken

Many people come to me and they say, "Hey...how are you going to get that (soon to be) wickedly fast car of yours to stop?"

And I tell them..."Well...I do have these. Will they do?"

14" drilled and slotted rotors - Ultralight, billet 6 pot calipers.Shown next to the 11" 300Z rotors (I believe).

Here's a couple pics of the modified spindles. Brake ducts and bump steer corrected. Nice work actually. Not nearly as sexy as those carbon fiber bits on the NICO drift car...but they'll do.

Would you believe I forgot I even had these big rotors? I have been looking at those 300Z calipers and rotors for so long that I forgot I had the good stuff tucked away in a box on the shelf.Me happy now...me go turn wrench and make fast car.

Bye.

Dude this is like a roller coaster, I hope the build just keeps going up from here. If you need anything that I might be able to help with just shoot me an e-mail at thefro526(@)yahoo.com. My life currently consists of work, sleep, and saturday night fun (read "drifting"), so I have a lot of extra time on my hand to troll the internet and find stuff you might need.

Ok, seriously...you have a crew chief in me. Email me info and I want to come out and talk shop and get started working on it.

[email protected]

OP is my hero

I would love to help out if I live near you, the very idea of a KA S14 hill climber sends a chill down my spine.