Lets Dig in
A kit car brings a different dynamic to the mix, and it’s a normal progression in our society as well. Kit cars are, dare I say it, the “TikTok” remixes of the car world. Its more substantial though, instead of being washed away into the endless ocean of content, this stays with you, every day you look outside and it’s there.
All this talk about “Gap Burgers” and the like, has us all in anticipation for this car, my eyes were ready to feast on the finished product created in front of us for the last few articles. I turned my camera lens toward Project Lamb and was not disappointed.
“Gimme de gap burger nuh”
Finally, seeing this car in person, I would like to share my thoughts and feelings in this article, it’s great to know the numbers and the mechanical aspects of this car but, the majority of the experience of owning a car like this touches on the emotional side. If you haven’t read the previous articles I will drop a link here for the first “Project Lamb” Article. I have touched on the specs of this motor, suspension, and drivetrain.
Cars are utilitarian devices, and they take us from one point to the other, before cars, we used carriages and before them we used horses and if we go further back we walked. Now here’s a thought, do you think in the year 6000 BC a well-to-do caveman would show off his latest iteration of “barefoot transportation”? It seems like a dumb thing to suggest, but how is it that in this day and age, our mode of transportation means more than just travel? Society needs art and art needs society. Artists carry with them the ideas and pervading thoughts of a generation of persons and they document them in the work they do.
I love art, I love design, and I love cars. When an artist, a mechanic, and an engineer come together, it makes something special. The “Countach” was a functional art piece. It looked like it belonged more in the living room than on the road. It’s exceptionally difficult to imagine this car sitting in traffic, but in the 1980s when this car first rolled off the lot it was something that happened. Its lines differ so much from the normal round body design of a turn-of-the-millennium car we know, or the square box of an older car from a similar age. This car was built to stand out.
A kit car brings a different dynamic to the mix, and it’s a normal progression in our society. Kit cars are, dare I say it, the “TikTok” remixes of the car world. It’s more substantial though, instead of being washed away into the endless ocean of content, this stays with you, every day you look outside and it’s there.
It’s a personal iteration of the best “Countach” in a person’s opinion. There are no numbers to match, no factory paint to maintain, and no random logos on parts to subtly place for a viewer to see by “accident on purpose” to make them feel they noticed something because they are observant. This gives free rein for the taillights and the wing to be from different eras of the model. The 25th-anniversary wing looked hella cool, but the more subtle full lens of the later model Countach was way more stylish and suited the body lines better.
This car was built around having fun, as crazy as the thought of driving it is, imagine driving it fast. Yes, this art piece that should be sitting in someone’s living room, will do immense numbers, if you have the constitution for it. I am not sure if the thrill of driving it fast comes from the thought of impending doom if it’s hit, or maybe the fun is derived solely from the speed. Perhaps it’s a mixture of both, you can ride on the razor’s edge of losing years of work and experiencing this machine come to life. It bites back, it attacks you whenever you let your guard down, but mastering it feels incredible.
The first man who took the step to go from barefoot to horseback, what was his reaction to experiencing the fastest he ever went in his life? How did feel when descended from the horse and parked it outside, did he crave the freedom of riding, lying on his back unable to sleep because of pure excitement? How did he feel knowing he had the only black horse in the village and it was the fastest? He would’ve made a special bond, only he and the horse would understand, solely because of a shared experience.
He could groom this horse, and tie its hair in different patterns, historically it varied from culture to culture. We can see where this obsession could have started. From horseback to chariot, from a single horse to 2 horses, to 4 horses, and the luxury of a coach and in our age, 400+ horses at your command, to take you where you need to go. Would you be able to sleep when you parked this or would you lay on your back unable to sleep because of pure excitement?
This car hits on all the points that make something enjoyable to own, and drive. It makes me so excited and I don’t even own it. writing this article, it really built up in me that excitement all over again when I saw it for the first time. It is something incredibly special. I am sure, everyone who loves their car will feel the same way, about their car, the freedom that comes with the car, and the enjoyment you gain from using it.
Working with SDRR Hydraulic & Industrial Spares Inc. on covering this project has been amazing. I want to thank them for reaching out to us, and we encourage all our readers, to give them a call and see if they can help you with your personal projects. Until next time,
Happy Motoring!
Follow Sleeper Forest on Social Media!
Sleeperforest_alex - that’s me!
Are you Still Hungry?
What a journey we have experienced from start to finish with Project Lamb. It was amazing to see where it came from and what it has become now, but let’s not say it’s finished yet. The heavy lifting for sure is done, but next week there will be more! I was finally behind the camera to capture how I felt about this amazing project ahh, am I excited to share this with you.
Well, we are in line with an appetite and having a blast with our best friends. In our last article “Dio Mio, Is this “Gucci”?” we looked at what makes our patty worth the wait. Let’s see what crispy bun and condiments will encapsulate this freedom patty next. Are you ready to cook with me?
The next part of this meal is something we take for granted, the bread. Bread is so abundant, that we see it as something simple to make, but it’s actually a mixture of complex substances coming together. Bread is made with these main ingredients Flour, Water, Yeast (or another rising agent), and sometimes some seasoning along with patience, and elbow grease. When it’s done right the subtle flavours and texture can really make or break it. Let’s see how this bread is made.
THE FLOUR - BRAKES
The brakes of “Project Lamb” needed a full refresh, starting from the head of the system with the master cylinder. The braking system for his kit car was cannibalized from one of the more common performance cars of the period. In the 80s, that would’ve been a “fast Ford”, the Ford Sierra Cosworth. The front brakes have 4 pistons and a single piston at the rear. The master cylinder was taken from an Mk6 Escort. After being pulled apart it was rebuilt using hardware from RacingLines. Braided Stainless steel hoses from RacingLines were also used as an upgrade from the rubber hoses that were previously used. All of these are available from SDRR Hydraulic & Industrial Spares Inc. Crossing the ability to stop off the list with the new remanufactured braking system. We move on to the water in the recipe.
THE WATER - SUSPENSION
The most gains in driving pleasure can be felt through the suspension. This project was unique, it needed to sit low enough to still garner street credibility, but it also needed to survive the roads we have here in Barbados. The coilovers on the car were dead and this gave the opportunity to change the suspension of the car to something more interesting than just a static stance. The decision was made to put the car on airbags. This technology has come a long way from the early days of only allowing persons to let their car sit all the way down on its belly in the car park. It’s adaptable with the toggle of a button while driving, allowing the car to get over potholes or speed bumps, and it’s soft enough to make a comfortable ride while giving adequate driver feedback. The air compressor was added in the frunk of the car, and this is controlled either remotely or in the car itself.
PATIENCE
Having little patience will for sure ruin the bread. The wiring of the car takes time. A project looking physically finished with wheels brakes, engine, and plumbing will still be unusable if the wiring loom isn’t complete. It was time to go through the interior of the car and look at the entire chassis wiring solution of the car. This will help integrate the new systems added as well.
Elbow Grease - The body
We are almost there, Project Lamb’s transformations continue with the changes that they need. This kit included the 25th-anniversary side skirts and the rear facia, this was replaced with the standard rear fascia which was preferred. I quite like the normal look as well. The entire body needed some work apart from this change.
All the panels that needed work on them were pulled off the chassis and prepped for paint, and it was at this point a decision had to be made whether the car would remain in yellow, or be painted a color much more interesting. The previous owner painted everything on the car yellow, all the trim pieces, all the panels, all the vents, I am pretty sure someone took the paint away from him before he painted the engine yellow too.
This bun is ready for the oven, where it can be cooked to perfection. The color for project Lamb was inspired by a trustworthy pet, it’s the same colour as his coat, what a lucky dog, to be immortalised this way. He is a good boy.
Review
What a journey we have experienced from start to finish with Project Lamb. It was amazing to see where it came from and what it has become now, but let’s not say it’s finished yet. The heavy lifting for sure is done, but next week there will be more! I was finally behind the camera to capture how I felt about this amazing project ahh, am I excited to share this with you.
We raised some questions from the start of this series though, and I would like to discuss more. Is it really a Lamborghini? No, it doesn’t carry the VIN to say it’s a Countach, it doesn’t have a flat plane V12 motor, and it doesn’t smell like cocaine. well, I didn’t sniff the seats. With that established, I think it carries the spirit of what Lamborghini really wanted to do when the company was established. It shows a can-do attitude, it shows that cars don’t have to be soulless and most of all, it’s still way over the top as a kit car. Lamborghinis weren’t meant to be cars that were unattainable, in the past they were cars people leaned into because they had a love for the art, or the design, or the combination of both. I believe these kit cars are in a league of their own, they give the ability to see this design in a scenario that would be unbelievable.
Hope you enjoy your Gap burger! Until next time!
Happy Motoring!
Follow Sleeper Forest on Social Media!
Sleeperforest_alex - that’s me!
Dio Mio, Is this "Gucci"?
On that day you have a really small meal that tastes amazing, for sure, and you wear your evening attire, and it’s an amazing occasion, photos are taken and you head back home, but let’s be honest, nothing beats the taste of a Gap Burger after you’ve had 5 beers and a few shots of rum. It’s greasy, it’s sloppy and it’s brash. All the photos are horrible and that’s the memory you keep with you forever. We all want that greasy gap burger for real. Burger Boys through and through.
If you wanted to run some Italian guy that’s really into Italian-designed cars up a wall, where would you start? He would definitely feel flattered knowing that you loved the exterior design of the car so much you’d copy it, but when he looks at it internally he’s gonna lose his mind if he knew it wasn’t all spaghetti and meatballs in there. It’s not fine dining, it’s not sophisticated, like a fine Armani suit, or a Louis Vuitton bag, it is not “Gucci”.
To be honest, that’s the issue I personally have with the discussion of “PuRiTy” where we hear over the internet that some cars should not be tampered with in particular ways, and this is why I am happy to have an engaging look at “Project Lamb”. Put simply my argument goes this way, we spend the majority of our time eating normal food, and a fine dining experience isn’t something that happens every day, it’s special, reserved for once in a blue moon, if not it runs the risk of losing its aura.
On that day you have a really small meal that tastes amazing, for sure, and you wear your evening attire, and it’s an amazing occasion, photos are taken and you head back home, but let’s be honest, nothing beats the taste of a Gap Burger after you’ve had 5 beers and a few shots of rum. It’s greasy, it’s sloppy and it’s brash. All the photos are horrible and that’s the memory you keep with you forever. We all want that greasy gap burger for real. Burger Boys through and through.
How Do We Make Our Gap Burger?
- THE PATTY
“We want displacement and raw power.”
The sophistication of fine Italian food is seen in the construction of the Lamborghinis flat plane V12. It has been central to the design of many Lamborghinis since the Miura. It’s slow-cooked, refined, seasoned, and done to perfection. Yeah, we don’t want that around these parts, we want displacement and raw power. Throw the meat on the grill in the form of a Chevy small block, 5.7 liters of raw power stroked out to 6.2 liters and making 481 units of pure, and unadulterated democracy to its crank. It’s almost the most basic of V8s, bulletproof and consistent. Part Availability is much higher if anything ever goes wrong with it, and aftermarket support is endless. These engines were used in Racing, family cars, minivans, trucks, and boats, the basic patty. In Project Lamb, its engine was replaced with a crate engine that was ready to go. Edelbrock provided the electronics along with it, to convert it from carburation to electronic fuel injection (EFI). This was made incredibly easy with the kit, it’s a plug-and-play kit replacing the inlet manifold with provision for port injection and fuel rails and delivery along with the Electronic Control Unit (ECU).
Once you’ve cooked your patty, you have to add the cheese, and that cheese is the EFI system, this overall system brings the engine into the 21st Century. The small block was mated to a gearbox from Renault. The UN1-16 gearbox can be found in cars like the Lotus Espirit. The shifter was a little dated though, and needed some ingenuity using some parts from the a Suzuki for the shifter assembly.
The cooling system was built around the new engine set up as well. A dual aluminum radiator set up was placed at each vent just behind the passenger doors, they were mounted up with brackets and fans attached to them. Racingline hoses replaced the old hoses and a new filler tank was added at the top of the system so it can be bled easily. These radiators are so far doing a good job keeping engine bay temps down coupled with their fans. Coolant temperature sensors would then be run to the Edelbrock ECU, where it can be managed.
With, air, spark, and fuel sorted with the engine it will run. All of this being managed with the new electronic management unit meant that the powertrain of the car would work and deliver its power to the gearbox. In our next “Project Lamb” update, we will take a look at what this Gap Burger patty would go in to make it the full package.
Aren’t you hungry?
Happy Motoring!
Follow Sleeper Forest on Social Media!
Sleeperforest_alex - that’s me!
Project Lamb
Yes, by the way, if you’re asking if it's a kit car you’d be right. No, if you think that just because it's a kit car it loses all validity and purpose of discussion, let’s get that out of the way to start. I think the fact that this is a kit means a lot more than if it was a real Countach, and at the end of this series of articles I am hoping you would feel the same way too.
As a Bajan, I attest to the fact that if there was a really interesting car ever made in the world, there’s probably one in Barbados. This little gem in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is home to some incredible car enthusiasts.
Does anyone remember when the screenshot of this image went viral in all the car groups in Barbados a few years ago? Everyone claimed they knew the person that made it, and a ton of discussion was started about where it came from, if it was real, and basically who had the sauce on this iconic machine. Well, along with SDRR Hydraulic & Industrial Spares Inc. Sleeper Forest was given the opportunity to serve up the much-desired sauce on this very spicy topic.
Yes, by the way, if you’re asking if it's a kit car you’d be right. No, if you think that just because it's a kit car it loses all validity and purpose of discussion, let’s get that out of the way to start. I think the fact that this is a kit means a lot more than if it was a real Countach, and at the end of this series of articles I am hoping you would feel the same way too.
The Dream
All great projects start with a dream, in fact, the brand Lamborghini started with a dream when the owner of a Ferrari was not given the dream car he wanted. So he built it himself. This is my first point of argument regarding this car being a kit car, and why that matters. Kit cars are made with similar if not the same passion as the original car it’s based on. There are many levels that are ultimately determined by budget at which to pursue replicas but at the end of the day, the joy spans from building, and driving. We have examples in California where resto-mod cars are being recreated by Singer Vehicle Design, which specializes in Porsche.
Let’s take a look at this car here though. The kit was created by a UK company called Mirage. Legend has it that it was made through very nefarious means. A Countach was rented and all the panels were copied and molds were made of them, the Countach was then returned after the deed was done. This means that the standard of replication was incredibly high. I am sure the designer of the Countach was rubbing his ears all weekend when that happened, however, this cannot be confirmed. The production of this clone was definitely different from what was standard at the point of time, where a Pontiac Fiero was used as a donor car, it was extended and random panels slapped on it, and it was shipped off as an “Umborghini Countach”
This specific kit was imported to Barbados in 1996 by Evolution Cars in Six Roads. Specializing in Moke conversions, specifically the Suzuki Maruti moke and the fiberglass-bodied mokes. They even had one that was dubbed the Limoke as it was a stretched version. This Kit utilizes Lambo OEM parts, and in definite Lambo fashion, those parts came from other car companies. As you can see…. A Lamborghini is a kit car itself, assembled in Italy. Indicators and headlights from Fiat, locks from Mercedes, you get the idea. Knowing this goes a long way when building or repairing the kit. When the Kit was fully assembled it was presented to its first owner, he would drive it once or twice and then it sat. He sadly took ill and passed away eventually. The car was in storage for many years until it was found again, and the opportunity to restore it came up.
The powerplant of this kit car used an American 350 cubit small block V8. It was carbureted. This was mated to a Renault UN15 gearbox, something you would find in a Lotus Espirit, another rear-mid-engined car. After its maiden voyage with new ownership, it was clear this car was going to need some work and lots of it. It was definitely no Lamborghini. The suspension was shagged! And with windows that don’t go down more than a crack air-conditioning was imperative. The small block V8 left much to be desired to feel like a supercar, shifting gears felt like stirring soup and with those ultra-wide tires, steering was going to need some kind of mechanical assistance.
These fundamental points needed to be addressed if this car had any hope of being anything enjoyable to drive. Now that we have introduced you to “Project Lamb”, we will finally go in-depth, on how this project was reimagined, into someone’s dream car. The next article is coming soon, so stay tuned! Happy Motoring!
Follow Sleeper Forest on Social Media!
It's 2....3 years now? How deep in am I?
Maybe I was being looked after, but a really good friend of mine sent me a message with a picture randomly one afternoon, it was an image of a for sale post on Facebook Marketplace. I really thought taking on a second car wasn’t necessary but who would’ve known just a week later I would be in need of an entire car for my project, so I quickly recomposed myself and called the owner made a deal and made it mine.
A younger me wanted a project car, and I happened upon a Ford Escort Mk4. What younger Alex didn’t know, was the headache, frustration, infuriation and immense displeasure fixing a rusty car can be in Barbados. He also didn’t know the immense satisfaction that could be acquired through accomplishment. Whether the satisfaction outweighs the frustration remains to be seen.
A New Hope
The only two articles that I wrote regarding my project car were written with elation. Seeing all that progress happening made me so happy. Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived. The interpersonal relationship between myself and the company that was supposed to be doing the welding and rush repair broke down. Frankly, I’m annoyed with myself for not vetting the business sufficiently. If I had done enough then my car wouldn’t have been left in worse condition than how it was originally. Even now, thinking about how my dream was collapsing still gives me stabs of headache and makes me wonder if my holding on stemmed from hope or from bitterness. Needless to say, my blue Escort MK4 is dead. After brushing the last bits of dirt over the coffin of my dreams, “A New Hope” arose.
Maybe I was being looked after, but a really good friend of mine sent me a message with a picture randomly one afternoon, it was an image of a for sale post on Facebook Marketplace. The picture was of a car on sale and so, of course, the remnants of my lost dream tugged at my heartstrings. Even though I already had a project car, who would’ve known just a week later I would be in need of an entire car for my project? I studied the image and said to myself “get it together!”. So, I took a minute to recompose myself and made a deal with the former owner to make the car my own. It was a late model Escort 1989 and it had definitely seen better days. However, the project was back on and I was back in the game. I was building an escort again and I would learn from the mistakes of the past. I needed to learn from my mistakes and take better steps to make sure things are done the way they needed to be done.
Radio Silence
When the curtain of silence is drawn over a project, sometimes persons may believe that it went quietly into the dark. Alas, that was not the case with this dream! I did realise though, that some things that are so close to the heart are better left out of other peoples ears. Ahead of me was a very difficult journey that needed to be restarted, it even took a whole year before I was able to get the ball properly rolling again. I did my research and then I sent the car off as the engine of my dreams, first to be prepped and then to be repaired. Thankfully, my research paid off and this company handled my fragile dream with the utmost care, taking great interest to do the bodywork the way I wanted it done. I will admit and sometimes I grew quite impatient but like most good things, it took some time. My patience and perseverance paid off and my project felt a little bit heavier and looked a little more colourful.
The car was in dire shape to say the least. Lots of work would have to go into it if it was to go into working condition. I was able to source the replacement panels for the battery tray and a few other parts of the car from on the island. My first attempt, the blue Escort, came to good use and served as the donor car, arming with a variety of parts that helped me push the work onto the car itself. There were also some unexpected events that slowed the progress but the bodywork was able to be completed in about a year of hard work and patience.
My first Mod.
After getting all the welding and repair work done, it was time to change my mindset. These were now uncharted waters and I was no sailor. I was already feeling overwhelmed and confused so I decided to enlist the help of the island’s Escort specialist, Freddie Mapp. There’s nothing he doesn’t know about these retro Fords, he helped me a lot.
The first item on the agenda was test fitting some Sierra 2wd 4pot callipers to the car, with the new rotors. This was a lot easier said than done because the brakes were incredibly worn out. Surface rust and solid rubber seals seized pistons and fused fittings all needed to be deconstructed. I took my time, put in some elbow grease and things slowly started progressing. The second thing to be done was offering up the part and machining the pointing points so everything fit where it’s supposed to be. Feel free to check out the progress photos in the gallery below, the images are in no specific order but it gives you an idea of the before and after quality.
Major Steps
The images in this article span a number of years. Literally around a year and a half to about 2 years counting from the first image of the car. I had underestimated the length of time it would take for this project to take off. During the waiting periods I was still writing articles on other cars and still doing photography but my fledgeling car was still in the back of my mind.
Right now with a global pandemic overrunning the earth, and countries initiating lockdowns and curfews it is really perhaps the perfect time to spend time at home and work on your car. Maurice was in training for about two years at our island’s polytechnic institution. You would never believe what he was learning to do! Bodywork. So choosing him to do the paint job was a no brainer.
It could be of no surprise to any of you readers that being able to work on my car on my own truly made my year. Having the rust removed, leaving the body shop and then having my friend and partner doing a spectacular job with the paint work. These all contributed to my elation with this project so far. I feel so appreciative to my friends and all the people that I have met while working on this project.
So after a rollercoaster two-year journey, my car is finally home. I guess it’s time to change gears and move on to the next aspect of the project. I will keep you posted, until then, happy motoring!
Follow Sleeper Forest on Social Media!
Instagram
Facebook
Sleeperforest_alex - That’s me!
I don't even have a competitive bone in my body
We caught up with Jason Downey and Kristina Pinto after Sol Rally Barbados, for a chat. We learned more about them, what inspires them, and drove them to take part in the 2020 rally. Find out about the spills and thrills and the unique opportunities had when persons pursue their passions with the spirit of persistence.
We caught up with Jason Downey and Kristina Pinto after Sol Rally Barbados, for a chat. We learned more about them, what inspires them, and drove them to take part in the 2020 rally. Find out about the spills and thrills and the unique opportunities had when persons pursue their passions with the spirit of persistence.
Enjoy the Image Gallery Below!
Photos By: Alexandre Haynes & Jody Forte
So until next time! Happy Motoring!
Follow Sleeper Forest on Social Media!
Instagram
Facebook
Sleeperforest_alex - That’s me!
This Canary's magic may surprise you.
To build a car correctly having a workspace to do so is important. What I really love about SDRR is the way they have taken a passion for working with the passions of their staff. The passion of Motorsport. They have allowed this car to be built on-site, and they have offered some assistance as well, for major hydraulic oriented parts and spares needed to make the build happen.
I think Rally has a lot of expectations behind it. There’s so much footage of purpose-built cars tearing up gravel, tarmac, and even ice stages around the world. Ridiculous anti-lag systems and fire all over their business end. Needless to say, this is why so many of us really love Rally as a discipline. Lets be honest, even if it was just a fad, we have all wanted to be a rally driver, in the hot seat of a car doing 160 kmph with only a twitch of the steering wheel separating you from a tree or post and shaving 0.223 seconds in a stage. What though, does it take to be a Rally driver? To have a car that’s competitive? To have that crucial ability to change adverse circumstances into learning experiences and character-building opportunities?
Meet Pierre Clarke. During the day he’s an employee of S.D.R.R Hydraulic & Industrial Spares Inc. (SDRR) here in Barbados, but on his off-time, he moonlights as a Rally Driver. He’s been doing pretty well too. We have covered one of SDRR’s cars already, a K-swapped Honda Fit. In their garage though, there was another project coming together, Pierre’s EK 4 Honda Civic. Despite the annual Rally Barbados season not coming off as planned because of the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020, I am pretty glad I was still able to have a first-hand experience with the car being prepped and put together along with SDRR.
Pierre started rallying back in 2013, so he’s about 7 years into his rally career at this time of writing, and he really has had his share of trials. He’s experienced crashes, rollovers, and had to deal with the injuries that come with these. None of these have deterred him from pressing on. A serious crash can really damage your confidence as a driver, I’m sure many persons who would’ve spent some time putting together a rally car out of pocket, only to ram it into a telephone pole, trying to shave off half a second would rather just give up. Not Pierre, he pressed on, showing admirable tenacity about his craft.
There’s no magic behind a competitive car
Time for some hard truths! Magic doesn’t make your car fast, but when you build it correctly putting time and effort into it, there’s definitely a magic that results from the car. An important factor in building a car correctly is having a proper workspace. What I really love about SDRR is the way they have taken a passion for working with the passions of their staff. The passion of Motorsport. They have allowed this car to be built on-site, and they have offered assistance for major hydraulic oriented parts and spares needed to make the build happen.
Pierre has experienced the bittersweet challenge of building a second a rally car. He decided to start with a good base. He acquired his EK 4 out of the UK, where the team at Racinglines oversaw the preparation of the car, so it would meet the safety requirements for a rally. Class requirements limit the number of engine options available for the car. Pierre competed in a class that’s similar internationally as Clubman last year, but now the car is in Modified 1 (M1) class. This means he has to keep the car, drive-train wise, pretty close to what it would’ve been built with from the factory but he’s allowed some slight modifications. The Honda EK series, saw it’s halo engine with the EK 9’s Type R variant, which used the B16 motor.
This B16 despite being a halo engine doesn’t mean it can do without modification. In fact, this is really Pierre’s first time using an engine that has been modified, it’s only smaller mods that help with the flow of the head. He’s replaced the factory throttle body with a Skunk 2 throttle body, and he port matched the manifold so it opened up to the head more. He also dropped in some larger cams in the head as well, this pushed the power band of the engine more to the top end where it would usually sit during a stage.
On the Exhaust side, the same treatment of port matching was used; this helped the exhaust gasses escape at a higher rate. What this means is that the engine will breathe better and be far more responsive to throttle positions. Besides this, the engine is still pretty much a standard Type R B16 motor.
The oil pan was baffled, to prevent oil starvation during cornering. This by far is one of the most important modifications you can do to a race-oriented engine. Especially a front-wheel-drive car. Oil starvation is probably at the top of the list of things that kill an engine in a build. Keeping engine temperatures down is also important as well because the engine is mildly tuned, a standard double cored half size radiator and an oil cooler will do the trick for the coolant, and this Setrab oil cooler works for keeping the oil temperatures down in the car.
Showing an image of his modified oil pan
Sure, this is a standard B16 with a few mods for flow, it’s nothing over the top, but it’s reliable, it has never stopped running and it’s putting its power down to the road. In a rally, this is by far more important than an engine at its limit thats unreliable and finicky. The engine of a car doesn’t make the car entirely, it’s what the engine is teamed up with that’s important. The chassis, and the suspension.
AN old block
A drivers’ Car
I’ve mentioned building a second rally car as a bittersweet experience. This refers to the gains and losses incurred when it comes to what a team would’ve spent on development for the previous car and what goes into the new car. Pierre would’ve spent a few years developing the car as a package which made it competitive for him at that point in time. The team would lose that research when going into a new chassis. On the other hand, a new platform brings with it, new possibilities. This can change for the better what you may be able to accomplish in a season, and so far, despite some hardships last season they are confident the car’s weak points are now covered.
It’s a spartan interior. Just the essentials are displayed on the dash, it’s funny, but he doesn’t use a speedometer, no time to check how fast you’re going when you’re going fast, it’s ironic. The tachometer and the shift light is very prominent, as well as water temp, and oil pressure. The car still uses the standard gearshift, it feels “notchy” enough and it communicates well with the driver.
Ah yes, the pedal box was completely changed to this Tilton kit, which gives great feedback when it comes to braking, the brakes are now fully manual, and it takes some getting used to, really have to press the brakes like a madman. This is a huge modification to the character of the car. We take it for granted how easy our vacuum-assisted brakes are, but having the tactile feel of your calipers on the rotors can really be intuitive when it comes to gauging needed stopping power for a rally stage. When a driver climbs this learning curve, it’ll be difficult to go back to the more humane way of braking.
The team has invested man-hours making this car a driver’s car. Rally is a sport, where drivers gain one up on their competition through corners, and driver confidence. Class restrictions, call for limitations in power, so gains are made where the car makes contact to the road. This is why trust in your machine is so essential to making a car competitive.
With added suspension modifications a car will corner at higher speed. This in turn changes the fluid dynamics of the car’s factory fuel system. A car starving for fuel, won’t be competitive, this fuel system was built entirely in-house at SDRR, with a surge tank which keeps fuel under pressure, this negates side to side movement, and gives the car a constant fuel supply in any situation.
A rally Car takes more than just a driver
When it comes to Rally legends, we talk about the names of the drivers, sometimes the name of the co-driver is lost in the fanfare so imagine what happens to that engineer who found the issue in a gearbox at the service stop, or the engineer who patched together a fix so the car could go on to win. We forget that it’s not the driver that makes the team great but it’s the results of the chemistry of a group that comes together with a specific goal in mind.
They are some persons on the team though, who weren’t physically there while I was shooting this article, but I could see the results of the work they put into the car. The core team at SDRR and Pierre’s co-workers really do share that same passion and love for Motorsport. Birds of a feather really do flock together and it’s exciting to see what results with when the opportunity arises.
At the outset, I asked 3 questions. What does it take to be a Rally driver? What does it take to have a car that’s competitive? What does it take to have that crucial ability to change adverse circumstances into learning experiences and character-building opportunities? From what I found it, I think I can answer those 3 questions, firstly it takes tenacity and perseverance. Secondly, there’s no magic behind a competitive car, take your time and do your research, build it to the specifications you need and drive the car so you can make more realistic decisions about what changes need to be made. Lastly, how can you take adverse circumstances and turn them into character building opportunities? Facing your weak points, working on them and having a reliable team, that bolsters confidence when looking into the unknown.
Finishing up the shoot and interview with Pierre and the team, we left off with the car basically reassembled and starting. A video of the car will be posted so you can take a look and hear what it sounds like for yourself. Pierre was waiting for his exhaust manifold to come back from the fabricator. This won’t be the last we will hear from them. Once the car is up and running, look out for another update on this Canary. I was really happy for the chance to work with SDRR to make this content!
So until next time! Happy Motoring!
Follow Sleeper Forest on Social Media!
Instagram
Facebook
Sleeperforest_alex - That’s me!
So you want to wash your car?
Detailing your car the right way, with the right products has become a serious talking point in the car community abroad and it has trickled down to our community here in Barbados as well. Here enters Automotive Art. The goal of car care is top on their list so it’s only logical they would want to help you maintain your ride.
For the second time around, Automotive Art is offering its “Gearbox” limited edition package. Who is it targeting? Is this something you would want as a car enthusiast? Did it exceed expectations? I’ll try my best to answer these questions in this article.
Detailing your car the right way, with the right products, has become a serious talking point in the car community abroad and it has trickled down to our community here in Barbados as well. Dealing with streaking, paint swirls and of course because of our location in the Atlantic Ocean we are dealing with the unique issue of Saharan dust. Here enters Automotive Art with car care being top of their list so of course they would want to help you maintain your ride.
The Basics
Sitting at the bottom of the Gearbox, we have “The Works” from Surf City Garage. There are: (1) Wash and Wax car cleaner (2) Dash-away interior cleaner for your interior surfaces (3) Glass cleaner and (4) Wax detailer. Contained within these 4 bottles, is the ability to give your car a mini detailing session of your own. The wash and wax will protect the exterior of the car, and the detailer will tidy up those hard to reach places you may have to go over after your rinse.
I think it’s quite clear what glass cleaner does, and so we’re moving right along! Dash cleaner would allow you to wipe up and clean your dashboard and other interior plastics and leather textures, refreshing them to an almost factory state. Of course all of this depends on how bad you let it slip, I hope you’ve been keeping a tidy ship.
Personally I’ve used Surf City’s cleaning products before and it’s always exceeded my expectations. The wash and wax foam up quite decently, although I do find myself using a bit more than stipulated, might just be me. As for the other products they do what they are supposed to, they clean up the glass and the inside of your car quite well. An added bonus is the scent they leave behind, its pretty sweet, if i do say so myself!
After you’ve washed the car down on the outside, its time to stop dirty droplets from drying onto your precious car. For drying your car off, there is a chamois provided within the package and a microfiber cloth for cleaning your glass and more delicate parts of your cars interior. It would’ve been nice though, if the Gearbox came with a rinsing sponge with a microfiber exterior so you wouldn’t have to look for one separately. But overall they give you a well-rounded package for cleaning and drying the exterior and for any sprucing up that needs to be done on the inside.
More than Basic
These gift coupons were included: (1) A free headlight polish (2) 50% off a wheel alignment and (3) 10% off 4 quarts of Valvoline. Sometimes these are things you want to buy but just never get around to it. Automotive Art makes it just all too easy for you, just pop in and there you have it!
Styling
Alright, so you’ve stepped out the million-degree sun, and you want to roll out to meet up with your boys at the “hot boi” spot. Your car is rinsed and waxed all in one, check! Your dash and interior are clean, check! What’s missing? Your car doesn’t smell like apples, what are you going to do? Don’t worry Automotive Art has you covered. I got an apple-scented air freshener. Of course, whether or not the air freshener smells like apples, is up to your nose but i’m sure we will all agree the scent is quite pleasing.
This Automotive Art limited edition snapback is also included, apparently, they are only available if you get a gearbox so DON’T MISS OUT! It sports a blacked-out automotive art logo and a vibrant underside, it’s an interesting understated look.
When it comes to personalizing your car with stickers, there’s an endless array of stickers out there. I believe a few of these stickers were just added as a cross-section of options for your ride or maybe inside of the workshop.
Automotive Art is the official dealer for FALKEN TIRES here in Barbados, and they have been running a long and a well executed marketing strategy resulting in these tires on your cars. I thought this scale model of a FALKEN TIRE liveried truck was pretty cool as a keeper for sure.
In my opinion overall the 2020 “Gearbox” was good, it covered the basics, and that is the most important part. It also gave an idea to an average consumer looking to get into some simple car care what it would entail. The limited edition items did give some incentive to collect one as well, if you’re a big fan of the brand, then you would want to represent those you support. I thought maybe the Gearbox could’ve included a wash sponge to go along with the rinse and wax and maybe 2 air fresheners so you can do more than one full clean up and touch up. The coupons are a great incentive to reach out to an Automotive Art store though, and in-store consumers will definitely stock up on more supplies while their car is being serviced. I’m looking out for the next one, to see how things could change or even improve. This is Alex and I’m signing off for now, happy motoring everyone!
Follow Sleeper Forest on Social Media!
This Corn fed Evo isn't lacking in Power
Highly boosted engines are not ideal when using pump gas. This is why, having a healthy diet is important to this build. This engine is making upwards of 38 psi of boost, and this is made possible by good old corn juice.
This month, I wanted to make an effort to find more project cars, I am dubbing it “Project Car Awareness”. I am looking for those that were being built for a while, and really deserve to be followed up to find out what’s been going on with them. I reached out to “EVOSOCIETY” here in Barbados and they put me on the trail of this interesting EVO 8. If you have an interesting project, send Sleeper Forest a message in our form down below! We look forward to hearing from you.
Being Vegan is the latest dietary trend these days. Recently here in Barbados, we have been hyper alerted to things that damage the environment as well. Being Eco-friendly is all the rage. So it goes without saying that you should put your project car on a diet, a vegan diet. This Corn fed EVO 8 isn’t lacking in power on it’s healthy diet of corn juice.
Kyle and Jabarry
I met up with Jabarry “Prince” (in blue), and Kyle (in red) to talk about Jabarry’s project. He’s been working on it for the better part of 2 years now, and it’s been a long process of building to get the car to where it’s at now. He’s part of a local racing team here called “PK RACING” and he’s been building the car to specialize in Drag Racing.
The Workshop
Jabarry has built a space to work on the car at home, and his machine finds its way home and on jack stands when it’s time to start working on it. When I came by he was doing some work on the factory inlet manifold, he was exchanging it for a PRO Series intake, housing a larger throttle body, and a more free flowing design.
The first thing I like to do is really take in a workshop, it’s such a great place to photograph contrasts of textures. Shiny chrome tools covered in oil, and what would’ve been clean toolboxes, covered in dust from use. It tells the story of a home project, taking time after work and a few hours on weekends to squeeze that time with your machine.
factory inlet
Friends are a large aspect of home projects, as well. Jabarry has been part of PK Racing for a long time, and other than it being a racing team, it’s really a group of friends who really love cars. They would have grown up together, and eventually wanted to make their own mark on Barbadian car culture. His friends know, when they see the light on, he’s working and they’ll pass by and see how he’s doing.
Kyle helps offer up the new manifold.
the 4g63
Why are EVOs so good? Obviously,because their engines have the correct orientation, that’s why. Fight me in the comments section. Mitsubishi has built one of the most legendary engines. This is a fact. Over the years, they have been working on different ways they could really deliver the most this platform has to offer to the surface it’s used on. On paper this engine sounds pretty mundane. It’s a 4 cylinder turbo, with a 2 Liter capacity.
What’s amazing about it, is that it gets the job done. Jabarry has rebuilt the motor in this EVO, exchanging many of the internal factory parts for forged aftermarket parts. EVOs really come alive when you throw copious amounts of boost at them. They just take it all and throws the power out at you.
Highly boosted engines are not ideal when using pump gas. This is why, having a healthy diet is important to this build. This engine is making upwards of 38 psi of boost, and this is made possible by good old corn juice.
Ethanol is an organic fuel. It can be obtained from cane, corn and other plants. What we know as race fuel, is derived from corn. Ethanol allows an engine to run far more advanced timing than gasoline. Its overall energy density being lower than gasoline means you will have to flow a lot more fuel into the engine, this means changing the fuel pump, injectors and the regulators.
Using ethanol though, really improves the performance of your engine, its cooler, has a much higher octane than gasoline and burns much cleaner. Downside to ethanol means, he will have to refill almost every pass on the drag strip, but it grows on trees right?
Looking Ahead
This project has been setting some crazy times on our 8th mile at Bushy Park Raceway, it’s well into the six second range. Building the engine is definitely important when it comes to a drag car, but some time can be shaved off using some better suspension, and coil overs are definitely planned for the near future with this car.
He’s been running the factory diffs, and driveshafts on the car, and according to some, they say he’s on borrowed time with this aspect of the car due the change in power the car is making, but he’s willing to run them until something happens, then he’ll know he's really surpassed what the car is capable of.
This car is an ongoing project. I’m excited to see what else happens with it. I really appreciate the welcome from PK Racing, and allowing me to take a look at this pretty unique build.
Until next time, Happy Motoring, and don’t forget to eat your greens.
Follow Sleeper Forest on Social Media!
It's called OEM+ right?
Each of us can only say what we feel when it comes to the solution of that question. Some may want their car to be on steroids, nursing a bottle of nitrous-oxide and more juiced up than the Russian Olympic Team, and others love a car that breaks everyday, (I swear that’s not what FORD stands for). At the end of the day, we all need a hit, because driving is our passion.
What does driving mean to you? If you can’t answer that question you probably don’t belong here. As an enthusiast, we can answer that question, but we know it’s a trick because there’s no single answer to it. Each of us can only say what we feel when it comes to the solution of that question. Some may want their car to be on steroids, nursing a bottle of nitrous-oxide and more juiced up than the Russian Olympic Team, and others love a car that breaks everyday, (I swear that’s not what FORD stands for). At the end of the day, we all need a hit, because driving is our passion.
Duane’s Honda back in 2018
Consuming this hit; now, this is where the passion starts, some of us are like addicts, and just like in a world of addictions, there’s the high functioning addicts, those who make it into an art-form. The real connoisseurs, make it sure it’s the purest, the cleanest and of course make sure it doesn’t interfere with other aspects of your life. Work Hard, Play Hard. Duane’s EG hatch, is his passion. He’s a real connoisseur. It’s been a little while since we left off with his project car. It’s driving now and I had the pleasure of heading out for a shoot with him. This is his rendition of Honda’s EG hatch. He’s built his Honda around what he loves to do, and that’s drive.
cruising on the roads 2019
Duane’s has still been dialing this car in, it takes a while because its a process, but so far he has had no regrets with the build. Project cars are never really finished to be honest. His car is a weekend warrior, it usually sits in the garage, till the weather is good, and the mood is right, when you can drive and just escape the stress of the week, or simply to enjoy the hard work put into building the car.
A JDM purist.
Honda maybe the most iconic Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) brands on the planet. This is something we’ve definitely covered before though, usually when it comes to Honda, it’s a whole subculture behind those who modify them. Calling out of Osaka prefecture in Japan, the Honda community there has been seen as the home of JDM car culture, and especially Honda’s subculture birthplace. It may be shocking but, most of the JDM culture we see today, is really a bastardized version of what this influence really meant.
Duane’s car screams 90’s JDM overtures. His RPF1s aren’t cambered out of usefulness, and his modest Osaka JDM rear wing politely fixes the OEM solution. These rims are extremely light, it helps save weight, and obviously, fitment is everything when it comes to filing the wheel arch, these are quite pleasing. The wider tire definitely gives way more grip.
The inside is where the magic happens though. He’s very carefully, kept the interior pristine, its the OEM Honda EG hatch set up, just sporting a few gauges and a MOMO wheel. His AEM wide-band looks like it came out of Honda factory like that. I love the way everything really feels like a 90’s era project. His car was actually an automatic before the swap, but he’s kept the standard dash cluster for now, with the idea of switching it to the cluster from an S2000. In my opinion small things like that, makes the car a bit more interesting, it tells it’s story really.
a view from the office
A basic set up is far more driver oriented.
Duane’s Honda, is by no means a Russian Olympian, it’s not juiced up, but it offers a particular driving experience that was craved for back in the era of the 90’s. He’s swapped the factory D series for in favor of the Integra Type R’s B18C. Technically, this makes his EG Hatch a Type R Honda? I’m probably starting a huge fire by saying that. Swapping the Engine was really easy, but he took on the extra task, of adding air conditioning to the car, and in Barbados, it really is worth it. A few weeks of planning and fabrication and adaptation of some pipes and hoses and he was was well on his way to luxury. The B18C in this car, makes around 180hp, which means he gets about 150 hp to the wheels. It’s a modest amount, but it does the job on this ultra light chassis. It’s really around the perfect performance to weight for a fun B road killer.
Cooled by mishimoto
B roads in Barbados
Where would you say is the perfect road in Barbados? Our roads usually spark debate, but don’t forget that we have some of the best tarmac rally stages in the Caribbean. When we talk about B Roads though, we mean those that are out of the way, not really connected to the highways, somewhere in the back country.
Barbados may have one of the most dense road networks in the world. On the upside of this, it means some roads maybe grow into obsolescence not by choice but simple pragmatism. Leaving them pretty lonely and pretty important for a weekend warrior. So instead of taking that left, you usually take when you know the road, how about you take the right and find out where that road leads you, because some of the best roads maybe sitting under your nose.
A good weekend bash, coming to an end, it’s always a good time to check in on the family, and see how they are faring, because we know the week is ahead, it’s a shame weekends don’t last forever. Maybe the fact we don’t always have the chance to drive for the sake of it, makes the ritual a lot more mystic.
RESPONSIBILITIES
I’m extremely pumped to have had the chance to shoot this JDM gem. It’s a new year with Sleeper Forest, and there’s so much to look forward to this year! New opportunities and new projects always bring new and exciting content to the website.
This is Alex and I’m signing off for now, happy motoring everyone!
