@Blowingupjake: Nah, I just love to drive and I live in the sticks so there are plenty of opportunities to put my “Warlock” through its paces. It is the most fun I’ve had since my '95 Cobra, which was also tricked out with a Griggs Racing suspension, slotted, drilled and cryoed rotors all the way around with ceramic pads and braided stainless and teflon brake lines replacing the factory rubber and fabric ones, alum heads with chevy sized swirl ground valves matched to the new Edelbrock high torque manifold and a Crane roller cam, lifter, and spring kit.
It was not too difficult to accomplish the mods to the Cobra as I was working as a high engine builder at the time and got a professional discount on everything and full access to the machine shop at our garage. The SVT Focus on the other hand was all full price on everything and just the machine time I could sneak at work (the company I worked for didn’t allow machinist to use the equipment for personal projects because “it is an insurance nightmare”). The up side is I haven’t had any bills since around 2005 at the time, so there was not much in the line of financial difficulties to do it. I wanted a toy for my retirement. Now I am retired and my toy(s) are really fun! I’m including my 2 gaming computers I built since retiring in that statement.
Hey, thank you for the topic. I don’t get to talk about Warlock much. My 30 year old kid doesn’t understand why I want a car that “looks like a shoe” even if it is fast and corners like a beast. I am not working with the guys that also had really nice cars. I usually just have to get my fun and keep it to myself.
@Mr.Sparkle:
Is that a REAL Lotus Europa? I’m jealous! When I was 22, I worked at a Mercedes, BMW, and import sports car dealer as a washer and porter for a bit over a year. I got top drive some truly awesome cars! A Dino and a GTO Ferrari, Alpha Spyders, lots of Mercedes and Bimmers. My favorite was a Lotus Europa! Sitting in that little sick of dynamite was like being slipped into a latex body suit. The fit was absolutely perfect for me! I found every excuse in the book to drive one of those and that still only amounted to about a 1/2 dozen rides. While I am a Ford fan, particularly anything SVT or SVO, I’d love to own one of those little beauties, troublesome motors and all.
An SVT motor would be a good choice as would be the 5 speed gear box. The bad thing I remember about them was the touchy motors. Only a F.I. Alpha Romero was more difficult to maintain.
@Morgwar: You talking about the bike or the truck? I know lots of guys the think a pickup truck is the only vehicle of any value on the road.
Yep, 1969 Lotus Europa S2 type 54 and an early model before they added the turn light bubbles on the nose but it has the older smaller renault 16 engine with a 4 speed, not the later 1565cc one or the ford twin cam with the 5 speed. Actually it’s a Lotus Europe for the history i have of it as my europa was exported to germany first where “europa” was already a trademark at the time so they couldn’t use the name thus the europe, then it got shipped this way by the serviceman “army or airforce” who owned it at the time.
It will be a rebuild though, wasn’t bad when i got it and had it running and looking decent, but it sat for a decade and a door seal failed so soaked the interior to the point i had moss growing on the seats, so its needs a do over anyways, plus the foot pedal box area being so small my one foot hits the steering column so i need to tweak things to make it fit a bit better
The foot pedal area is small. You can’t have bigger than average feet and still drive that car. The few times I drive one, I took my shoes off. My buddy Paul whom worked there also couldn’t even drive it barefoot with his size 13 wides. Two of the times I got to drive one he gave me the keys that were handed to him.
Sounds like you have quite the project cut out for you. You will post pics when its done, yes?
The X3 got all new brakes and rotors today, new wear sensors as well. I always heard BMW was a pain in the ass to work on, but everything went really smoothly. Took me about 2hrs to do all 4 wheels.
Went with Brembo parts Just need to get the fancy calipers now
For those of you who aren’t familiar, I drive two vehicles for work, a 2005 Dodge Sprinter, and a 2006 Dodge Sprinter.
The 2005 has already had all the “fixes” and tweaks we like our vehicles to have, but being that the 2006 is a newly acquired asset, it was time to get it up to snuff.
First order of business was the front brakes and rotors. Replaced everything but the calipers, as they are already good dual piston setups. Front brake wobble and pulling when stopping? Gone.
Now, i’m gonna rant a bit. Whoever designed the transmission used in the Sprinters need SHOT. They forgot one critical thing… In the torque converter control circuit, they forgot to provide adequate pressure relief, causing what most refer to as “Rumble Strip Noise” I was changing the fluid anyway because we have NO service records on the new vehicle, so ya gotta start somewhere right? I dropped the pan, pulled the filter, The fluid was BLACK and smelled real bad for transmission fluid. Wasn’t a burnt smell, but it was terrible either way. Removed one of the plates covering the TCC solenoid and drilled a hole (#55 drill bit, amazingly small) before putting everything back together with new fluid. Took a drive and all symptoms were gone. Also, no more surging under cruise control. I’m speculating that the fluid when hot was too thin to maintain proper pressure on the bands. Pretty sure I just saved myself 2500$
Tomorrow I get to weld extensions on an acquaintances pneumatic lawn mower lift. The guy that built it didn’t follow design specs and it ended up being a full 18" too narrow. Should be a lucrative bunch of side money for me lol.
That’s all in the vehicle world for me tonight, after today, i’m ready for my bowl.
We use the extra special non flammable wood for it …lmao (Nice effect though isn’t?) Will be beautiful when i get the boards ripped down, and all put together
I know lots of guys the think a pickup truck is the only vehicle of any value on the road.
Just need to get the fancy calipers now 
i’m pretty tired, forgive the
Just light the deck on fire instead of buying some expensive crap from homedepot.
