In 2016 we decided to focus solely on AER (
www.americanenduranceracing.com). The minimalist rule set, run what ya’ brung mantra, East region focus, and level of competition was enough incentive to go all in. A similar feel to WRL (
www.racewrl.com), but with a different classing system (AER = Lap time based, WRL = power-to-weight). We got the car up to snuff aesthetically and with some fancier suspension bits. We also changed our team name to our current Core4 Motorsports.
Made a custom high capacity oil pan with trap doors for 6qt capacity:
AER Watkins Glen in April, 2016
Our expectations were pretty high considering we won our last race. The format of AER races is Friday qualifying day, and 9 hour races on Saturday and Sunday. AER typically sets 5 classes; class 1 thru 5 with 5 being the fastest of the bunch, and a class of attrition because the hardware is fast and expensive. Since it is lap time based, it is very driver dependent, but an idea on the class 5 cars are well prepped E46 & E92 M3’s, Porsche Caymans, Boss 302R’s, etc, and class 1 cars being spec Miatas, spec E30, 4 cylinder E36, NA 944’s, 90’s Honda/Acura, etc.
So about 2 hours into practice/qualifying day, the KA24DE spun a rod bearing.
[Some may remember reading this thread I started about the oil pressure relief bypass valve inside the KA block failing here: http://www.nissanroadracing.com/showthread.php?t=5879 that I thought was the root cause. It actually turned out to be one of the most embarrassing things I think I can ever admit and was NOT the bypass valve. I used an oil filter sandwich plate adapter for oil sensors that was meant for an oil cooler rather than one that’s just used for sensors. Thing is I never did install an oil cooler, so oil was never actually being filtered in this KA for the 70+ hours of racing we put on it. I only discovered this after I plugged the bypass valve hole on a rebuild a few months later and there was no oil pressure getting to the head. I took the oil filter off, cut it open and it was bone dry. The level of facepalm was high. It’s an amazing thing that it didn’t spin a rod bearing earlier.]
So just as we were about ready to bail on the weekend, we manned up and found a kid selling a KA and trans about 2 hours away on CL. 2 guys went to pick it up, 2 guys stayed back to pull the motor and trans late Friday night.
We took our sweet ass time and managed to get the car running again in time for the full 9 hour race on Sunday. Amazingly, the engine didn’t blow. There were significant oil pressure drops in turns toward the end of everyone’s stint because it was burning 1.5 quarts every 1.75ish hours. This motor felt like a dog compared to our first. Especially painful on a track like Watkins Glen. Finished 6th out of 15 in class and 24th overall.
Short clip of a good HP vs handling battle with a fox body mustang:
https://youtu.be/FMUbRNOwi8M?t=1m55s
This race ended up causing a lot of discussion about the direction I wanted to take since AER is very open. We all wanted more power and we had to deal with a trashed KA and one that needed to be rebuilt. AER Class 4 is the place where we all really wanted to be. The E36 M3 is the standard/template of this class. At first we were thinking of building a turbo KA, or VQ30/VQ35 swap, or possibly BMW S52 swap since most of us have BMW’s to begin with and and it’s different (why we’re endurance racing a 240 instead of an E30/36/46 in the first place). An LS swap would put us in class 5 and would require a monster fuel cell so that was out of the question.
So I slowly started to accumulate parts to do a basic KA turbo build, but I soon realized that this beauty was still for sale on this forum:
http://www.nissanroadracing.com/showthread.php?t=5770
After talking to the seller for about an hour, I sent him a deposit. It was a no brainer for me. The VQ35DE is not a high strung motor at all, but still plenty powerful in a 2500lbs chassis and the chassis was prepped 98% how I would do it. We saved thousands of dollars and many, many hours buying a race car already done. As much as I like building my own, time is limited as 3 of the 4 team members have 2 small kids each.
