The Top DSM Community on the Web

For 1990-1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, Plymouth Laser, and Galant VR-4 Owners. Log in to remove most ads.

Please Support Fuel Injector Clinic
Please Support Morrison Fabrication

My 05 Shootout Story and trials to get there

This site may earn a commission from merchant
affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Kevin90GSX

20+ Year Contributor
790
0
Nov 18, 2002
New Britain, Connecticut
Well as most of you know by now I placed 2nd in this year 13th annual DSM Buschur’s Shootout in the DSM Eliminator class. What you do not know is the battle and fight it took to even get on the road to OH. So here it is for your reading pleasure.

About two weeks ago I decided to I wanted to get my car ready for the event. The car had the green model turbo and my stock bottom end with what sounded like some knock although the gauge was not registering any nor was the logger. The thought was to rering it and do what we like to call a “dirty fix” to make it through the season. Well to save on cost I decided to do the work on my own with the direction of Shawn from Victor Research.

On July 29th I began to take things out of the car and place them in a parts bin. As you noticed from the picture a couple weeks ago I had the motor out of the car by the end of that weekend and the head was off to the machine shop to be decked and cleaned. Once the head was off I decided I no longer wanted to do the dirty fix but get something more fresh. So with that I got something a bit nicer and removed the block as well. So the plan was get the head back by Wednesday and start reassembling the motor and have it ready to drive on August 5th so we could get some miles on it and have it tuned. We planned to leave for Ohio on Thursday at 11 PM.

I get a call on Wednesday August 3rd from Shawn who informs me that no one told Denny the engine builder to put a rush on my head and that it would be done at the earliest Friday. Now with only 6 days to put the car together it was quite apparent it would be a last ditch effort to get the car ready and completed. The new snail was scheduled to arrive on Friday via UPS from FP. Well sure enough it did as did the head from the machine shop. I began reassembling the motor with the help of Shawn.

Monday, August 8- The motor was complete and ready to fire up. After buttoning up the odds and ends we poured all the fluids in. She fires up like a brand new car. We wait for it to hit heat cycle and the fan kicks on. Turns off and then kicks on again. Sweet were in business. My dad calls and asks how we made out and I tell him to listen. Give it a little rev and continue talking to him. About two minutes after that the car goes completely dead and I hear what sounds like metal fall from the bottom. Sure enough Shawn and I in the excitement of getting the car together missed a crucial bolt located on the oil pump assembly. Well as you can guess it skipped timing and we bent every exhaust valve in the head. Now with only three days to go things weren’t looking so good anymore. Shawn had the head unbolted and we lifted it off and I stripped it down. That same night Shawn drove it back to Denny and put a rush on getting it completed.

Tuesday, August 9- I get a call from Shawn the Denny has completed the head. I’m pretty excited that it’s back so quick and tell Shawn to keep me posted on the progress. He calls me later that evening to tell me its back on and ready to rip. We needed to get at least 500 miles on the car in order to get her strapped to the dyno and tuned for the event.
Wednesday, August 10- With only one day left till we were to leave for OH my dad was to make the rounds and put mileage on the car. His goal was to start at 9 am and go till he had at least 500 on the car. At about 9:15am I get a call from my dad stating that the car seemed to have lost power. I ask him to check the amp gauge and he says its reading 8 volts. I knew right away it was my alternator and told him to call me when it died. Sure enough 5 minutes later it did. I of course left work and got the car home. After three hours I had a new alternator in the car and pops was on the road breaking it in. Things seemed to be on track to have the mileage broken in and on the dyno Thursday and ready to fly with our Thursday departure.

Thursday, August 11- I called Aaron and he said to be at the shop at about 12. So we head over there not fully packed yet since we were going to run home before we actually left. I follow my dad down to the shop. We pull into the parking lot and he says that he is not making any boost. Says the motor is making this weird sound. I jump in and take it for a ride. Sure enough its making this weird terrible sound. So Shawn takes the intake off the car and says “It’s the turbo”. I take a peak in the compressor and the fins are completely tore up. Turn the intake upside down and what comes out but two bolts. Apparently when the intake was in the parts bucket two screws were accidentally thrown into it and never removed. Aaron gets on the phone right away trying to get ahold of FP. I at this point thought the event was over for me. Busted head, alternator, and now the turbo. What next. We get FP on the phone and after waiting an hour for a call back they have another center section and will put it in the mail and send it over next day air. It was then decided we would not leave till Friday at 2pm.

Friday- August 12- 9:30 I get a call from Shawn that the turbo cartridge has arrived and he is putting it in. I pack up the truck and me and my dad head over to the shop. We got there at about 10:30 and the car was on the dyno and the turbo was just about together in the car. Once it was together Aaron began to dyno the car. Uninpressed with the numbers after several pulls we decided to change the o2 sensor. Well the ATR eliminator decided it didn’t like that idea and ripped the housing. Once again the turbo was unbolted as was the downpipe and aaron welded the housing. Time was now playing against us. The time was now 6 PM and we were not on the road or even close to being on the road. Once the 02 was back on the car we began dynoing the car again. Of course it still put up horrible numbers. We decided to let it eat and run the event the way it was and come back to it when we got back from the shootout.

Friday LATER on- We took the car off the dyno at about 7ish and I was going to take it for a small drive down governor st. No launching just regular driving around town. I back it up and go forward in 1st, then go to go into 2nd and I hear some God awful noise. Now the car won’t go anywhere. Extremly fustrated (At this point wouldn’t you be?) I throw my keys down Governor Street and walk back to the shop and tell them Im done and car isn’t going. Aaron tries to move the car and cant. Thanks to help of everyone down there at the time they push the car back to the shop. Aaron looks at Shawn, Shawn looks at Aaron and immediately the car is on the lift and the tranny starts coming off. Determined to get the car to the shootout they began knocking out bolts working their magic. Somehow my tranny failed, it is currently on its way to be inspected but won’t know what exactly happened till it gets checked out. Aaron tells me that he is putting in his 94 STOCK tranny with open diff. After ONLY an hour the tranny is in and the car is rolling again. Scared to even drive the car Shawn takes it for a rip down Governor Street.

Lets just say it put a smile on everyone’s face and we tossed her on the trailer and at 11:00pm left Victor Research for Norwalk, OH. The rest is history. Car went on to nearly have a bitter sweet 1st place victory in the DSM Eliminator but came up oh so short when I was beat by a full out slick car who had already run 10’s that day. When I finally get the video up you will see and hear me spin like crazy. Stupid open diff. But hey I told everyone I was running open diff and they said good luck with that I think it was even Leon Reitman who did the sign of the cross. After all the problems and all the setbacks the VR guys, my dad, and everyone that was at the shop at the time pulled through and helped make it my most successful track experience yet. No big times were run and no new records were set but I feel as Im sure most who were there was the turning point for not only Victor Research and their “machines” but for Connecticut.

Once again huge thanks to Shawn McLarney who without his help and patience the car would probably be in pieces still, Aaron Victor for also working his magic and allowing me to use his tranny while mine is out for repair, and of course my dad who help support me through all the stops, I truly thought the car would never make it. We basically rebuilt the whole damn thing in the last two weeks. I’m looking forward to finding out the bugs it still has and then returning to the track to run some new personal bests. Only time will tell what those will be.
 
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
ROFL
 
Absolutely amazing story! Though I didn't have much time to chat with you me and friends were rooting you on the whole time. Can't wait to see what she puts down with a little more work. Look forward to seeing you again next year, and maybe finally getting a ride in AWD. Keep up the good work :thumb: .
 
Sounds like like your haste cost you alot of money.

Glad to see that you got it all together and had a good time at the shootout.

PS what new turbo did you go with if you don't mind me asking?
 
Thanks for all the kind words guys. It was definitely a test for me and there were many moments I thought of just throwing in the towel but my friends just wouldnt let me and moved hell and highwater to get the thing completed.

I went with an FP RED model. Huge thanks to them as well for coming through in the clutch and mailing OVERNIGHT the center for the red. Wouldnt have gone anywhere without them.

Hope to be better prepared next year.
 
damn. its almost as if the DSM gods were aginst you going to the shoot out. alot of respect to you and your friends for sticking with it.



CAN'T wait to see your video! :thumb:
 
true dsm love
and you have some great friends and dad you should give them a nice little gift or some thing because it sounds like they where a big help
 
They definitely were a big help and the DSM gods clearly hate me. :)

Give me a few more days before the shootout vid is done. Its going to take me a while to edit.
 
Wow thats is an amazing story. The guys at Victor Research are willing to bend over backwards for their customers. I am glad to hear it and hopefully next year if there is a SO :coy: it will go a little bit smoother for you.
 
Damn, Kevin. Sounds like you had some fun.


Might want to get your blood pressure checked after all that. LOL
 
for all the trouble Had to go through..you deserved first place

So much bad luck is unbelievable,but I'm impressed by your patience and perseverance
 
if i lived in connecticut i would have found my dsm shop...i am glad your car made it kevin. On another note that other victor research car was just nasty WTF
 
Thanks fellas. The car is under the knife again as we speak. Im working on a few more things and hope to start banging out some 10 second passes before the season is over.

Wish me luck.
 
Support Vendors who Support the DSM Community
Boosted Fabrication ECM Tuning ExtremePSI Fuel Injector Clinic Innovation Products Jacks Transmissions JNZ Tuning Kiggly Racing Morrison Fabrications MyMitsubishiStore.com RixRacing RockAuto RTM Racing STM Tuned

Latest posts

Build Thread Updates

Vendor Updates

Latest Classifieds

Back
Top