RE: Ultima 'Ring Record Thwarted By Rain

RE: Ultima 'Ring Record Thwarted By Rain

Author
Discussion

109 Bob

3,762 posts

217 months

Monday 7th July 2008
quotequote all
Stig said:
109 Bob said:
johnwool said:
This was just coolant loss caused by the fanbelt getting a stone trapped in it and taking the belt off with it, as posted on the Ultima forum. Back up running afterwards no damage done.
scratchchin That dosen't sound right to me
Errr... why? The belt drives the alternator and water pump. If the belt comes off, you have nothing to drive coolant round the engine, so it boils up. Then blows itself out of the expansion tank.
Because doogalman said "parked up on the right near Angst kurve with a large puddle of Oil or coolants behind it" & to me that doesn't sound right (not saying it isn't, just saying it doesn't sound right) because if the coolant was coming out of the expansion tank overflow the result would be a small trail behind the car. If the driver spotted the temp gauge rising & stopped in time before cooking the engine then I would understand coolant under the car after he'd stopped. What doesn't sound right is a large puddle behind the car. This would suggest something major gave way and the car lost a large amount of coolant in a very short period of time.

bridgland

513 posts

223 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
109 Bob said:
Stig said:
109 Bob said:
johnwool said:
This was just coolant loss caused by the fanbelt getting a stone trapped in it and taking the belt off with it, as posted on the Ultima forum. Back up running afterwards no damage done.
scratchchin That dosen't sound right to me
Errr... why? The belt drives the alternator and water pump. If the belt comes off, you have nothing to drive coolant round the engine, so it boils up. Then blows itself out of the expansion tank.
Because doogalman said "parked up on the right near Angst kurve with a large puddle of Oil or coolants behind it" & to me that doesn't sound right (not saying it isn't, just saying it doesn't sound right) because if the coolant was coming out of the expansion tank overflow the result would be a small trail behind the car. If the driver spotted the temp gauge rising & stopped in time before cooking the engine then I would understand coolant under the car after he'd stopped. What doesn't sound right is a large puddle behind the car. This would suggest something major gave way and the car lost a large amount of coolant in a very short period of time.
.........But they clocked 220 mph on the way home. Unless that's the fastest flatbed in history that it was on the back of, I think that it's all fine in the engine department. driving

d3vine

699 posts

267 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
dang, so this car is nearly double the weight of a Radical SR8 but with the comfort of A/C, electric side mirrors, stereo system, able to go over speed bumps, leather seats, and able to out lap it in the Nurburgring. How much is this? Because I want one badly!!!! Porsche, Ferraris, Lamborghini's aren't in my mind!

Mr J

257 posts

250 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
stephen300o said:
GPSS said:
Why are these cars ignored by Top Gear. Anybody going to make the trip to the factory?
Because it's a race car with plates on.
Right, which is why some Ultima owners use them as daily drivers rolleyes. It has luggage compartments, AC etc etc and is far from a stripped out racer, and while I'm sure it's more raw than most sportscars, it's certainly not a race car with plates on, no more so than an Elise.

chuntington101

5,733 posts

235 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
if you guys want to know more about the ultima then there is a section on the forum on here. have a look they are all a nice bunch of guys.

realyl sorry the record didn't happen. at least now they can wait for the 800bhp supercharged LS7 to be fitted and try that one!! smilesmilesmile

Chris.

Kawasicki

13,041 posts

234 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
Mr J said:
stephen300o said:
GPSS said:
Why are these cars ignored by Top Gear. Anybody going to make the trip to the factory?
Because it's a race car with plates on.
Right, which is why some Ultima owners use them as daily drivers rolleyes. It has luggage compartments, AC etc etc and is far from a stripped out racer, and while I'm sure it's more raw than most sportscars, it's certainly not a race car with plates on, no more so than an Elise.
Agree with Mr J, the ultima is not a race car with plates on - it is a quick and pretty refined road car.

shane

109 Bob

3,762 posts

217 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
bridgland said:
109 Bob said:
Stig said:
109 Bob said:
johnwool said:
This was just coolant loss caused by the fanbelt getting a stone trapped in it and taking the belt off with it, as posted on the Ultima forum. Back up running afterwards no damage done.
scratchchin That dosen't sound right to me
Errr... why? The belt drives the alternator and water pump. If the belt comes off, you have nothing to drive coolant round the engine, so it boils up. Then blows itself out of the expansion tank.
Because doogalman said "parked up on the right near Angst kurve with a large puddle of Oil or coolants behind it" & to me that doesn't sound right (not saying it isn't, just saying it doesn't sound right) because if the coolant was coming out of the expansion tank overflow the result would be a small trail behind the car. If the driver spotted the temp gauge rising & stopped in time before cooking the engine then I would understand coolant under the car after he'd stopped. What doesn't sound right is a large puddle behind the car. This would suggest something major gave way and the car lost a large amount of coolant in a very short period of time.
.........But they clocked 220 mph on the way home. Unless that's the fastest flatbed in history that it was on the back of, I think that it's all fine in the engine department. driving
Good point scratchchin

crofty1984

15,830 posts

203 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
d3vine said:
dang, so this car is nearly double the weight of a Radical SR8 but with the comfort of A/C, electric side mirrors, stereo system, able to go over speed bumps, leather seats, and able to out lap it in the Nurburgring. How much is this? Because I want one badly!!!! Porsche, Ferraris, Lamborghini's aren't in my mind!
Well to build one would be about £20-25k (anyone want to correct me on this? I'm going by the kit costs £15.3k and you still have to buy the engne and gearbox) I believe you can buy them already built up. Or look in the classifieds for a second hand one.

eliot

11,361 posts

253 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
crofty1984 said:
d3vine said:
dang, so this car is nearly double the weight of a Radical SR8 but with the comfort of A/C, electric side mirrors, stereo system, able to go over speed bumps, leather seats, and able to out lap it in the Nurburgring. How much is this? Because I want one badly!!!! Porsche, Ferraris, Lamborghini's aren't in my mind!
Well to build one would be about £20-25k (anyone want to correct me on this? I'm going by the kit costs £15.3k and you still have to buy the engne and gearbox) I believe you can buy them already built up. Or look in the classifieds for a second hand one.
No way. 40-45k to get the basic bits right. Then scroll down the options list until your wallet explodes, typically around 50-60k.

ETA; Here's an out of date spreadsheet to allow you to work out the costs:
http://homepages.nildram.co.uk/~eliotmez/UltimaNew...


Edited by eliot on Tuesday 8th July 09:33

EdT

5,102 posts

283 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
GPSS said:
Why are these cars ignored by Top Gear.
There was a lengthy discussion on here when the slaughtered the TG lap record with their own driver. No one was sure.. were ramblings about the show not wanting to belittle the performance of other manufacturers' more expensive supercars.

THX138

483 posts

192 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
EdT said:
GPSS said:
Why are these cars ignored by Top Gear.
There was a lengthy discussion on here when the slaughtered the TG lap record with their own driver. No one was sure.. were ramblings about the show not wanting to belittle the performance of other manufacturers' more expensive supercars.
'Ultima' probably don't want to 'pay' to have their car featured.

Let me see, biggest selling motoring show Worldwide, so quite some exposure to be had.
Don't suppose the team just sit around drinking tea thinking Ooh! who can we ring up this week and ask to borrow a car?

Nope the manufacturers must be fighting like mad to get their cars on the show, and like the pop charts of old (and probably today) the one who pays the most gets the most.

I note that Audi/Bentley/Lambo/Vw do extremely well on TG

JohnLatham

4,414 posts

283 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
THX138 said:
Nope the manufacturers must be fighting like mad to get their cars on the show, and like the pop charts of old (and probably today) the one who pays the most gets the most.

I note that Audi/Bentley/Lambo/Vw do extremely well on TG
I think corruption in motoring journalism is more subtle than that. More likely that the manufacturers won't let them have the cars again if they're going to be humiliated on the lap times board.

KM2

272 posts

214 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
Seriously, though, does anyone run them as daily drivers? Is it feasible?

THX138

483 posts

192 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
JohnLatham said:
THX138 said:
Nope the manufacturers must be fighting like mad to get their cars on the show, and like the pop charts of old (and probably today) the one who pays the most gets the most.

I note that Audi/Bentley/Lambo/Vw do extremely well on TG
I think corruption in motoring journalism is more subtle than that. More likely that the manufacturers won't let them have the cars again if they're going to be humiliated on the lap times board.
Subtle? yes, I agree. I don't suppose they get stuffed brown envelopes, but things like loan cars and huge discounts if self purchasing come to mind.

How about this.....Jezza is a big guy and no-one comes out of an SL55 and then into a SLK55 if they are using their own money, I know I wouldn't.

doogalman

701 posts

244 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
109 Bob said:
Stig said:
109 Bob said:
johnwool said:
This was just coolant loss caused by the fanbelt getting a stone trapped in it and taking the belt off with it, as posted on the Ultima forum. Back up running afterwards no damage done.
scratchchin That dosen't sound right to me
Errr... why? The belt drives the alternator and water pump. If the belt comes off, you have nothing to drive coolant round the engine, so it boils up. Then blows itself out of the expansion tank.
Because doogalman said "parked up on the right near Angst kurve with a large puddle of Oil or coolants behind it" & to me that doesn't sound right (not saying it isn't, just saying it doesn't sound right) because if the coolant was coming out of the expansion tank overflow the result would be a small trail behind the car. If the driver spotted the temp gauge rising & stopped in time before cooking the engine then I would understand coolant under the car after he'd stopped. What doesn't sound right is a large puddle behind the car. This would suggest something major gave way and the car lost a large amount of coolant in a very short period of time.
I have never really had a look in the engine compartment on an Ultima. Is it really possable for a stone to find it's way to where the belt is located. Also the Ultima was ushered out on the track 1st so it had a clear run before the porkers and kadets had a chance to hang on to it's tail.
Maybe he'd gone off elsewhere on the track and thrown stones up. Unusual to find stones on the circuit when you are first out. Not a very good test driver if he can't read the warning lights.
At the time i was more of the oppinion that it looked like oil. About 15 feet behind the car. The marshals had not dusted it when i cruised past.

dinkel

26,884 posts

257 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all

Tom Coronel . . . very nice guy.

I see no rain here. Is this the same car?

big_rob_sydney

3,394 posts

193 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
dinkel said:

Tom Coronel . . . very nice guy.

I see no rain here. Is this the same car?
I dont think this was the same day though? July 2nd on the photo? If I read it right, they were hoping for a run all by themselves and had booked track time, so that run right there would probably have been a sighting run and to understand the grip levels available for when they actually did their run.

Just a guess.

dinkel

26,884 posts

257 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all

Looks the same car to me . . .

stuart-b

3,643 posts

225 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
It's a big chevy V8, what's not reliable about it? Hardly over stressed at 500-700 BHP with 380+ci.

Edited by stuart-b on Tuesday 8th July 15:38

Stig

11,817 posts

283 months

Tuesday 8th July 2008
quotequote all
KM2 said:
Seriously, though, does anyone run them as daily drivers? Is it feasible?
Yes and yes.