Took SVX off road, rolled it! (pics included)

[Chris]

Well, as better weather has been coming, I got a case of cabin fever. I took off after work and at high speed hit the hills and went off road (more like off pavement). While driving like a maniac, it was bound to happen. I rolled it!
I just happened to have my digital camera with me and it survived the event. Pictures not for the faint of heart.

(see pics below)












going








going










Gone!

oh oh oh.. I meant rolled it past 200K
I know, I am not even the third or fourth to post this. But I had to. Its like tradition around here now!

But i was really off road. Here is what I saw just before the event.

close up

And what I was looking at just before the snapshot event


I did drive this trip to hit the 200K mile point as a goal, but I could not have timed the milage arrival any better. At the lower part of the dam, I hit 199999. As I drove around and hit the top, I rolled over 200K.
Just thought I would share the event and some pics

[AppStateSVX]

motion to ban


(the other tradition following such a thread )

[NikFu S.]

TOOOTALLY saw that coming. Someone already tried to pull that one off not oo long ago.

Nice work, though. Go for another 200k!

[Electrophil]

Your ride looks great! 200k and no wrinkles!!

[ensteele]

I didn't bite all of the way, and hoped that this was all it was. Congratulations on the mileage and hope it goes at least that far again.

[It's Just Eric]

Best roll pics Ive ever seen. You managed to get a picture in the act...which is pretty impressive

[SSSVX]

Roll, roll, roll....... never you're as naughty as others

Congrats on your 200K, car still looks great.

Work harder, roll again at 300K,...show us something like
234,567K next time...

Original motor? Any major work before? : )

[SilverSpear]

That was horrible... thank God you survived the event... and thank God you were the Founder of our network....

[Ricochet]

Idaho's one of the very few states I've never been to. Is the rest of it as beautiful as that spot?

Also, any major repairs needed to keep her around till 200k?

[Chris]

Originally Posted by SSSVX

Congrats on your 200K, car still looks great.

Work harder, roll again at 300K,...show us something like
234,567K next time...

Original motor? Any major work before? : )

Sadly, the car is going to be retired from daily driver status soon. I found a money tree in someone's back yard and pciked the last few bills from it. It was not enought to do anywhere close to what I want, but I have aquired a replacement low milage SVX tranny for the second SVX. When Chris Debban has time on a weekend, the second SVX will get a working tranny installed in it. Soon to be followed by a rebuild alternator and a "very missing" battery. When done and proven reliable, the car you see labled as C654 gets to file for social security. Retirement only means "PROVING GROUNDS!" At this point, more can be done to the car as a test platform for performance work. The overall goal is to get as fast and and consitant as possible and remain street legal.

Due to lack of funds and a shortage of sponsors for the 2006 year, there will not be any NHRA Gold Cup Points races run this year. This will eliminate 12 regular points races and two high profle national events. The goal is to save the money for work on the car and ready it for a fast and vengeful 2007. There will however be 7 Import races and 6 club races with an additional runn-off. Of course this is all local sportsman recreational racing and not NHRA Gold Cup, oh well. (all this news can be read at the web site http://www.c654.com)

As for this car and what is orginal..... other than wear and tear like tires, wheel bearings, belts and such.... Only the tranny has been changed (twice). First at 94K miles in 1997. Second at 102K miles only 10 months after the first. That tranny went in early 1998. It has survived 8 years of hard driving and top that off with 6 years of drag strip abuse! It has been driven up to speeds un-postable here, and driven like a rally car off road. The tranny still shifts firm and is only now starting to show some problems. The transfer clutches are toast. This is attributed to some REALLY HARD driving up hill in soo much snow it had to be cleared from the bumper and radiator. I think this is an easy fix. We are hoping that the transfer clutches from the second car with the bad tranny guts still have some life in them. The other problem is an occasional downshift like it thinks someone has stabbed the throttle. This will still need to be looked at, but for retired daily driver status its fine. At wide open throttle, all shifts are firm and very positive feeling. This will not pose a problem at the track.

The car also suffered a serious collision two winters ago in the rear right corner. It destroyed the trunk lid, spoiler and damaged the right rear wuarter panel. Oddly enough, it was after this event that the transfer clutches started to bang and get sloppy. The paint and repair was done fairly flawlessly from the outside appearance. But the work from the inside was sloppy. Plugs left undone, nuts and bolts loose, corner lights left dangling, etc. Oddly enough I was hit by a lifted Ford F250 4x4 3/4 ton pick up. The damage to the truck was cosmetically more than the SVX, but in the way of parts cost, you can do the math.

I guess I should add a minor scuffle with a curb when doing a medium speed manuver with air bubbles in the brake lines. It was a less than enjoyable experience. I am still needing to replace the rim I DESTROYED!

So in sort, only the tranny has been replaced. Engine still goes strong! The motor was out of the car about 3 years ago, but never apart. We pulled it to change a rear main seal that was leaking as well as re-seal an access cover on the back of the block.

If it was not for a space concern and the fac tI am fairly sure the NHRA saftey team would black flag me, I would love to connect TWO of these motors crank-to-crank as an opposed 6.6 liter Boxer 12! (I am dreaming now)

Might actually hold an open session for sponsorships next year and try to take the SVX World Netowrk logo and all sponsored memebers names to a national or divisional race! I am sure I can get quite a few names on the trunk lid and such.

[WGJ]

You're ten days late with that joke!!! It's all about the timing...
nice pictures though. How's the fishing?
WGJ

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Ricochet

Idaho's one of the very few states I've never been to. Is the rest of it as beautiful as that spot?

Also, any major repairs needed to keep her around till 200k?

Even more so than can be imagined. In a 30 minute drive in one of many directions you can see arid desert, dense forrested mountains, vast rivers, lakes, streams, and bountiful wildlife. I came here from Nevada where I have still seen ALL of this, but not in so little of a drive. Just this weekend, without driving and serious amount of miles, I visited 3 dams. There are 2 more I didnt have fuel for still within minutes of Boise. If you started the clock at the arrival of one dam, you could drive to all 5 in under 2 and a half hours. Add another 2 hours to it and you can see Shoshone Falls. Its not as wide as Niagra, but the height is very impressive. Here is a picture of Shoshone Falls:

On Saturday we visited Owyhee Dam. It has a sight like you cannot imagine. The dam has a overflow that is a HUGE pipe that come up 400+ feet from the bottom surface and tops off like a funnel. The pipe is big enough to drive 2 busses side by side down. Its function is to provide an exit for excess flow into the dam/resivor area beyond that of the regular flow control water gates. Our recent wet weather has provided this awesome sight that most around here in Idaho have dubbed the "Glory Hole."


Possible I should start a thread in the non-SVX stuff if you wish about the beauties of Idaho.
Oh, cheap taxes, low unemployment rate, large houses for less than other places cost. Most people come from California, sell their 3 bedroom 1500 sq/ft house and buy a 4000 sq.ft mansion with money to spare. (a-holes!)

As for maintenance costs. I find that if I give it proper regular attention (not any more than any other peice of machinery woudlnt expect) it treats me much better than I have treated it. The ONLY time it tried to stand me on the road was in 2003 the A/C tensioner pulley bearing siezed up comming back from the NHRA national racing event in Vegas. I just cut the belt and drove on home. A year later the alternator pulley tensioner pulley siezed up as well. I was able to pull it off with just a 10mm open end wrench and a leatherman. Worked some "Liquid Wrench" and some "Energy Release" into the bearing and made it another 180 miles home. Lasted two more days of in town driving until a replacement part came in. Keep in mind that my motor sees ALOT more of the high RPM band due to the racing at the track. I am assuming this is beyond normal wear and tear. I also lost the two-piece crank pulley in 2001. It gave plenty of warning and thusly I was able to order a replacement long before total failure. Alternator siezed up at 192K miles. I stole the one off my second SVX until I can get it rebuilt. I think thats it. I mean, warped brake rotors, but doesnt everyone have that problem? I have since replaced mine with ones from www.raceconcepts.net and have not had a single problem with them (slotted/dimpled).

[WGJ]

HOW'S THE FISHING? By the way I may soon be one of those California A-holes buying property up there. I skin dive for ocean fish...but catching and releasing up there looks like a very nice way to spend a summer day.
WGJ

[berger]

I hope one of you actually do crash a car, and make a thread worthwhile
this is the 3rd thread like this now :/

[Nemesis Destiny]

Don't say that! I thought I was going to get all emotional when I read this. Scared the crap out of me.

Nice pics.