Engine Problems

I honestly gotta say, I am disappointed with how my engine build is going. I am not saying I wont love it in the end, but the road there has not been a fun one.

First, I commissioned the a Pontiac Engine with 500 to 550 hp to be built. Estimated completion date was four months. Great. Dropped 4k down-payment and set off to raise funds for the remainder. Four months come and go with no communication from builder. All my email inquires went ignored. I finally get communication seven months later that things are backed up and slow, but progress is being made. I request pictures, am told "no problem".

Three months later, still no photos and no communication. I call again. More delays, more backlog. Crankshaft is out of stock, so it's back-ordered.

A year after the commission I am told everything is ready. Assembly will only take a couple of weeks.

Four months later, I call again as I am still not getting any communication, still not assembled, but promise that will be done shortly. Finally get some photos sent to me that are of another engine, and others that are 6 months old (picture has date stamps) Also promises to call me when its ready so I can hear it run. I get excited and pull the engine from my car in anticipation of its soon to be arrival.

To make a long story short, the engine took two years and three months to complete. Every promise made was broken regarding deadlines. Every promise to call me, send me updates, photos, were all broken. When the engine finally arrives, the drain plugs are missing, the dip stick is missing, the rebuilt distributor is mounted 180 degrees the wrong direction and nothing about it looks new, there is rust along the side of the oil pan from the rusty water leaking out from the drain openings, the rockers are not centered (mechanic said that the will cause them to break after a hundred miles or so), my brand new spark plug cables are covered in grease (look used). Pulling the valve off, there is gunk in it. This is just the visual observations after taking it out of the crate.

Putting it on a run stand, the mechanic said that after 20 minutes of running, it blew off the top hose, and boiling water was coming out of the center void in the top of the head. So it's building pressure somewhere, as it could be clogged up, a gasket is blown, or a head is cracked. Just not good no matter what. The engine wasn't done when it shipped.

So, after two and half years of waiting, over 10K invested in the engine, it has to be taken apart to diagnose what is wrong with it. Talking to both the mechanic and the engine builder is frustrating as they both have different opinions and neither wants to talk to the other and they both get defensive when someone points the finger of blame. I am stuck in the middle and with the bill and a broke engine.

KARR is dead

I had both KTT and KARR towed to C&E Performance garage, and it's official, KARR is no longer going to be a project. He is going to be a parts car for KITT as I had originally planned when I purchased the shell. The cost and time to get both cars done is just out of my scope at this junction in my life. Once all the parts have been swapped from the '82 Trans-Am to the '83 Firebird, the remaining parts will be sold off and anything that doesn't get sold will be junked.

Engine arrived

Once I got word that my engine was done, my excitement for it to get here peaked. I arranged the engine to be shipped from Central Virginia Machine Services to C&E Performance shop. That was the longest week. It was really disappointing after paying for insurance that I was unable to track the engine as it traveled from one side of the country to the other.

It arrived at April 30th at 3pm to C&E Performance and uncrating it took a bit of time. After two years of waiting for this engine to be done, it's finally here! Now, more waiting till I can fire it up and hear it run. Headers have been ordered and once those arrive we'll be able to get it started.

First thing we noticed was some rusty water dripping out of the plug holes. Also, whomever crated it was a bit hands-y with their greasy fingers as the valve covers were dirty, the spark plug cables have grease on them too. So, it's not showroom ready out of the crate, it will need some cleaning. 

Engine Finished!

Just got word that the engine is finished, and test ran it on March 9th. Should be ready to ship by the end of the week. Two years, two months turn around time of build.

Surveillance Mode Overlay Replica

I contacted the same company that did my plates and Ejector Seat Overlay, as I wanted to maintain business with them, for my next overlay: Surveillance Mode. I made up a set of plans for them to cut it out in clear acrylic, with black finish and capable of being back lit.
There was a little back and forth to get the font right, and the placement of the text. I was a little discouraged that the price they quoted was $20 more than my Ejector Seat overlay. Why the sudden price hike for the same material, same size, and one less cut?
I let it go and decided to get the overlay cut anyways.

When the overlay arrived, I looked it over. The size was right, the text was clear so it could be back lit. The font was a match. So far so good...
The finish was a mat speckle. No big deal, however my Ejector Seat Overlay finish was a smooth gloss. Two different finishes. Eep, they are going to look wrong next to each other. Then there was the cuts. There were these gouges all along each side that looked like teeth marks. This really made the edges look rough and unfinished. All that to say, I was disappointed with how it came out. I contacted the plate company about it, and "they" got defensive. "You didn't tell us it was supposed to match." Granted, I did not specify that it had to, I assumed that if I order the same thing twice, that they would be the same. I feel that if their stock varies, ie. different finishes, shades of black, types of plastic, that kind of info needs to be asked about and up front about before I make an order.
Long story short, I tried to move past this "You didn't tell us" and try to have a second go at the overlay, but "they" wouldn't let it go. With the price hike and their obvious frustration with me, I wont be using this company again to finish my overlays. I will probably have to sell these two now just to get a set that matches. How Unfortunate.

Scanner Bar

Working a couple hours overtime at work allowed me the extra spending cash to buy my first scanner bar. I was hesitant to purchase it at first, mainly because no one lists dimensions of their scanner bars, so it's hard to determine that theirs will fit the bumper purchased. Another hesitation is just the unknown quality and never having dealt with the particular seller, I don't know how honest they are. But all that aside, I looked at all the vendors scanners, what they offered and the price they were asking for it and chose one.

I purchased Sid Knights 32 LED Scanner bar. There are video's on Youtube of others showing this particular light bar off. It does come with a controller board to select the sequence of flashing desired. Personally, (I am surprised more people do not do this) I am going to modify the controller board a little so it will be my Surveillance Mode. I always saw Surveillance Mode as KITTs light. The LED's going up and back representing the pattern of the Light bar. Use the little black push button as the ON/OFF, and twist to select the pattern. Perhaps, I can even use the same button to turn on my Radar Detector as well.

Knight2000 Thunder Software Program

I pulled the trigger and picked up the Knight2000 Thunder software program by Mario Ravasi. I have not tested it or checked it out yet, so I cannot provide my opinion on ease of use or functionality...yet. It does appear to be suspiciously close in design and layout to the program developed by Marco Valleggi, whom I have to say, has the best KITT software program I have seen to date.

What I don't like about the video's that show off the program, is how much time is spent going over the music functions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSbCX0c80Cg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuo1Ca8c120