This entry completes the build section. Next, testing and development.


09/18/06 I'll remember this day. It started with rain and fog. After all the sunshine yesterday. Great. First order of business, take some Atom parts to get welded up. Then - lunch. Nevermind that I told my friends I'll be starting the dp1 at 5pm this afternoon. No sweat. Really.... Ok, at 2:30pm it's crunch time. The weather even seems to be cooperating. Get gas to put in the tank. Finish the wiring harness. Improvise fuel pump connector after getting pinout over the phone from Fuelsafe. Remove clutch slave cylinder so that the scavenge pump exit fitting can be tightened. Put it back together.

A few other chores too. By 4:30 I'm looking for other things to do. Water pump wiring. Alignment? Nah. Close enough for the moment. So the fateful time comes around. A crowd of friends is gathered (and I do truly appreciate each of them being there).

So what is left to do? Stand and deliver, after 4.5 years. Children are easier and cheaper :) The first attempt goes like this (22M video).

Not bad, all considered, but clutch is a problem. For a moment I consider leaving that till another day, but enough delays already. What I need is a clutch stop. So the header comes off, as does clutch cover (dry sump is nice in that there is no massive oil spillage in doing so). Some thinking, some sawing, some drilling, some tapping. It is done, less than an hour later.

It works. With the stop, the clutch is actually not too bad. The engine buttoned back up the second part of the event takes place, seat belts be damned (forgot to put them on in the excitement). Like this (44M video, it will take a while to load). Thanks to David for the camera work!

I've had worse days :) And so it is, after all the time, the effort, the doubts, the hopes. One thing is known. It works - reasonably. Much remains to be done but I expected that. Today, I feel like screaming at the sky 'it's ALIVE!!!'. Which is what I pretty much do when nobody's looking. The few hardy souls who stuck around to see it have my gratitude.

A birth is an end of one process and a beginning of another. I have a lot of work ahead of me but I'm looking forward to it. Sometimes it's nice to have confirmaion that there just might be a method to my madness. For now the dp1 sits in the shop, resting. It was pointed out to me that it's a used car now. It's a good feeling. Cheers.