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Contour in Big Bend Open Road Race

T

todras

Pretty fly for a white guy *cowbell*
Joined
May 29, 2000
Messages
13,188
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
The guy placed 1st in the 135mph class! Look at the other vehicles in it too.:cool: By the way this ran a n/a 2.5 Kinetic engine with custom EEC. He hit 160 mph a few times.

http://www.bborr.com/2010/2010results.html#135

142S.jpg
 
todras said:
The guy placed 1st in the 135mph class! Look at the other vehicles in it too.:cool: By the way this ran a n/a 2.5 Kinetic engine with custom EEC. He hit 160 mph a few times.

http://www.bborr.com/2010/2010results.html#135
Click to expand...

so much for "contours can only go 145mph"

what final drive was he using? any idea on his peak output?

[edit] also, what body kit is that? it's not an SVT...
 
From Terry

The engine is still the V6 Ford 2.5 but was built/modded by Kinetic Engines.

Rob shifts from 4th to 5th at around 140 MPH..I built the trans as a special and gears ,FDR specs,special specs are...sorry..N/A...suffice to say I did the math OK!!!


EEC Module/engine control is stand alone modded
 
todras said:
From Terry

The engine is still the V6 Ford 2.5 but was built/modded by Kinetic Engines.

Rob shifts from 4th to 5th at around 140 MPH..I built the trans as a special and gears ,FDR specs,special specs are...sorry..N/A...suffice to say I did the math OK!!!


EEC Module/engine control is stand alone modded
Click to expand...

It's nice to see Rob is still at it regarding open-road races after he wadded up Bondurant CSVT #2 several years ago doing the same thing. Given that I now have two kids, I would probably throw in the towel after a crash like his.

Regarding the black CSVT, it's a bit of a phoenix, using that very special Kinetic motor, salvaged parts from the Bondurant car, and I'm sure a few lessons learned from that experience. The EEC that Terry refers to is either the Roush unit from car #2, or something that came with the Kinetic-built engine that Leo Capaldi was using while campaigning a Cougar ( http://www.pbase.com/mwphoto0524/image/69496534 ) in SCCA Touring Car races. Rob acquired that motor for about the same price Bondurant sold CSVTs #4 and #5 for back in 2004. It's good to see that the motor is still going strong, and that Terry has been able to build something that holds up to its abuses. Gearing is most likely the same as the Bondurant car.
 
KAOS_3.0 said:
so much for "contours can only go 145mph"

what final drive was he using? any idea on his peak output?

[edit] also, what body kit is that? it's not an SVT...
Click to expand...

Everything is stock, aside from the front valance. Last time I saw a pic of this car he was running a custom front air dam.. looked more like a Nascar front lower air dam (A lower piece of body work running perpendicular to the ground without the parallel splitter part as seen on the Mirko splitter and other various race cars). In those pics it looks like it's the same thing.

That car is pretty awesome. 160 mph N/A is wicked. I wonder if that car is running some sort of Quaife internals in the tranny (aside from the Diff) :ponder:, since I'm pretty sure Terry has some access to their parts.
 
I can call and ask him what how the car's setup. I talked to him last fall and he was back to running a stock 2.5 as there was a problem with the Kinetic (I guess he got it fixed). He made some custom pieces to go over his SVT bodykit and did some stuff to the front pillars as well. He was running some 17's but those look like E1s? If anyone wants more pics, here's a link:
http://www.shutterfly.com/progal/slideshow.jsp?auto=0&aid=768a5498cf3efa72caf3
 
In the pic above those definately look like E1's. In those pics those are the different wheels. I LOVE them. If you could please ask him what/how the car is setup and definately what those wheels are that would be greatly appreciated... especially the suspension setup. Being that low, he must be using some sort of RCA's.

Also, looks like he's covered the fog lights and some of the lower mesh/grill opening to gain more of an aerodynamic advantage. He's also running a side exit exhaust. Those wheels used to be used on the Capaldi WC Focus, I specifically recall... just still don't know what they are/who made them. Oh and thanks for the pics!
 
is there any way one could contact this rob guy?

Terry's a great tranny guy and all, but I find myself irritated by his "this or that is top secret, now sent me 1000,000,000 dollars" philosophy on performance mods...

what I'm really interested in is the gear ratio's and the final drive, since this is obviously how this car is doing what it's doing, mad props to terry for that, I just don't see the point in the secrecy. is he afraid one of use could obtain the same result for less money if we knew the numbers? does he also hold the secret recipe for the colonel's fried chicken? maybe the secret recipe for coca cola, or the location of the holy grail? I simply must know...
 
KAOS_3.0 said:
is there any way one could contact this rob guy?

Terry's a great tranny guy and all, but I find myself irritated by his "this or that is top secret, now sent me 1000,000,000 dollars" philosophy on performance mods...

what I'm really interested in is the gear ratio's and the final drive, since this is obviously how this car is doing what it's doing, mad props to terry for that, I just don't see the point in the secrecy. is he afraid one of use could obtain the same result for less money if we knew the numbers? does he also hold the secret recipe for the colonel's fried chicken? maybe the secret recipe for coca cola, or the location of the holy grail? I simply must know...
Click to expand...

I bet you he used a Quaife gearset. The ratios are very close together so that way he can keep in the powerband, but he probably used a longer final than stock. Quaife offers two that are longer than stock: 3.625 and 3.823. Or he might've used a 3.5 final drive. I bet it's something like that.


boumacj said:
I just e-mailed him and will get back with his responses
Click to expand...

todras said:
I'll post up a copy of the vid when I get a copy.
Click to expand...

Awesome.
 
Here's Rob's response to the questions (also he sent Terry an in-car video that Terry is going to post at FCO):

"This was the first test with the race engine back in the car and I was very pleased, but the transmission is coming out and I have a new header design we are going to try. The transmission worked perfectly (Terry built it originally) but I’m not using 1000 rpm in the top of fifth gear so Terry Haines is going to change the final drive. The engine makes its power above 7000 rpms so to run that fast I have to be in the power band.
1) They are Forgeline race wheels, 17X????. They look great on the car and it gives me more tire on the road but with the E1s I can get the car lower without the tires rubbing. The Big Bend race is a much faster road, most the turns you can run 120 without much problem so I didn’t think I needed the bigger rubber. The car looks way better with the Forgelines!!!
2) Koni adjustable shocks, coilovers, and stock sway bars. Most of the work was done on the rear suspension. I learned that stock stamped steel control arms are fine with hard street tires but when you begin putting the loads that a race tire can generate they fail. So we removed all the rubber bushings and replaced them with heim joints and metal tubing. It turned out really well and now I have plenty of adjustment for alignment.
3) It was 3.81 but that is changing back to 4.06. The transmission has a really close 3rd 4th and 5th and the engine turns 8200 rpm, that’s the only reason it will run that fast.


Next big event will be Sandhills Open Road race in Arnold Nebraska, it is a blast and I do it every year (It’s where I crashed the Bondurant car). The road is very technical and top speed is limited to140. They also do a standing mile which I usually don’t do, but this year I will run the contour. I'm still planning on running Bonneville but need a few more top speed tests (the record is 167) before I make the long haul to Utah."
 
Thanks for the interest in the car, it's fun to have people interested in my project. If you know much about open road racing about 90% of the cars are corvettes so when you show up with Contour they have no idea what it is.
Rob

DSCF8739..jpg
 
It's a pretty awesome project to say the least!! At some point, I'd like to turn my SVT into a full out race car. In due time... In due time.

Do you have any video's of the car?
 
I did get a good in car video from the Big Bend. I got one 8 mile practice run and the south bound leg which was 60 miles. I couldn't even get it off the camera so I had a company put it on a DVD for me. I sent a copy to Terry Haines and I think he was going to post it somewhere? Sorry I'm not very good with the tech stuff.

Rob
 
rwalton said:
I did get a good in car video from the Big Bend. I got one 8 mile practice run and the south bound leg which was 60 miles. I couldn't even get it off the camera so I had a company put it on a DVD for me. I sent a copy to Terry Haines and I think he was going to post it somewhere? Sorry I'm not very good with the tech stuff.

Rob
Click to expand...

Lol don't worry dude. I think Tod said he was going to post the vid in here at some point.

Oh yes and welcome!
 
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