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Okay I know I am early however, how is the air scoop and open rear panel going to effect the Gen3?
Will the air scoop be regulated out?
Will having the air scoop be an advantage now that the air intake is close?
Will racing in the rain cause the air filter to become saturated with water?


Hey I know, just relax and wait but it is raining here in NW and "rain cold" outside...

Happy New Year All,

These questions are starting to pop up regularly now…

Tail configuration?
It’s looking like no Exhaust air scoop and at least half the lower tail panel to be cut out.
Problem is how to implement the rule change and what to fill the hole with? Large can of worms here, not as easy as it looks at first glance. I’m sure we will release the plan by mid/end of summer along with a complete rewrite of SRF rules.

If anyone has ideas please speak up, in a constructive manor please!!

Air Box?
One is in the works, I don’t have a final intake manifold design (due Mid Jan) so throttle body placement is not certain yet.
Tooling for the air box is in the 5500 to 7500 dollar range. The airbox will be of molded plastic, from a widely known intake manufacture and use the center section air scoop in some form as we do now. (Drivers left side scoop) We cannot afford the chance of building tooling twice.

The overall kit is about 90 % finished…there are details to be worked out, overall GEN3 Kit is sound.
We need to finalize clutch specs, Alt belt routing, airbox for wet racing, muffler or no muffler; based on sound data from tracks across the country. EFI tuning is improving with every track day.
I wish I could explain how differently each of you uses the throttle and what a tuning challenge that is. With an ECU in this price range, plus a company that is willing to do custom code. Performance Electronics is a great fit for us.
Another question I’m asked a lot, why do we need an aftermarket ECU? All I can say is emission laws and systems integration are much different now than in the early 90’s. Ford preferred us to go the aftermarket route this time around.

On the bright side, it’s all worth it…When we see new interest in our class and smiles of GEN3 testers.

I'd like to offer my suggestions Mike on the tail issue. I see many of us still own tails with the scoop and the back cutout. If our rules go with a tail that eliminates the scoop and only cuts out part of the tail in the back to accommodate the new exhaust system, I see a larger cost and a hassle trying to fill in both areas with new fiberglass. I know this because what tails I have helped rebuild take alot of time and work filling in both areas for those who wanted whole tails. It can be done but it is not easy to make whole again in those sections. No one can rebuild those areas very well without a mold.

I suggest the following:
1. Grandfather the tails that have the scoops and the current back cutout. Accidents and attrition can slowly phase them out to the new rules.
2. Any new tails have whatever you need to accommodate the new exhaust system - no scoop and partial cutout of the back area if that is where we are heading with the rules. Existing whole tails be mandated to do the partial back cutout as stated by the rules. Easy to accomplish with a saber saw.

This should help out many of us who would not have to absorb a larger cost changing our current tails.
And that is my "scoop". I hope we hear more feedback on this - it is an important issue for the Gen 3.
Happy New Year - an exciting one for sure!

Agree with Mark. Make the current scoop optional (grandfathered for those that don't want to make the change) and require the Renault tails to match the current Ford cutout in the rear (I assume the current Ford cutout works as-is). This would be simpler than coming up with a new design or change in spec on the size of the cutout. Given the aerodynamics, I expect the "scoop-less" Ford configuration would be the desirable choice, assuming there are no other potential heat-related issues with the current configuration.

A more radical approach could look like these:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobsrf/4167406179/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobsrf/4168166988/

I think we can all figure out how to fill in the scoop area easy enough but the rear section is a problem. How about using a piece of aluminum about the thickness of the floor pan with an angle reinforcement, some how blended into the rear end painted to match the body? You can't plainly see the cut out area unless you stand back a ways so maybe it would look OK, maybe it wouldn't, I don't know.

I agree with Mark. Changing back a cutout tail and scoop appears to be adding unnecessary and potentially costly modifications to an already expensive conversion. Please let's leave the bodywork as is, whether open or closed tail section.

Thanks for asking, Mike.

From a high level I'm with Mark as well. Grandfather the existing tails in. The only question is regarding a performance benefit. If there is a clear benefit of having the cutout then we have to address it.

Replace Renault-style rear panel ? Yikes. Tried that a couple times. Ugly.

Also with Mark on this subject. He's our resident fibreglass expert (career in fibreglass manufacturing as a Chem E, before leaving for the teaching world, right Fick ?), having raced with me a bit (whoops...sorry about that, Marky-boy !).

I think grandfathering in tails is a good idea too. If the current tail style has a performance benefit over whatever is proposed then why would we be changing to reduce performance anyway. If the new style is a performance benefit then people have an incentive to make the change. If there is no benefit either way then who cares what your tale configuration is.

"I wish I could explain how differently each of you uses the throttle "

Please do!