slc with ls 376 and grazziano

The pilot bearing and ring gear should be here in a couple of days. I know you're supplier has been difficult I will post part numbers and prices to anyone who is in need. They are coming direct from two different audi warehouses.................m
 

PeteB

GT40s Supporter
I'll be picking up my kit next month - if the lead time is that long, I'm thinking I should order the parts needed to fit the Graziano now. Please post the part numbers.
 
Will have them monday, I will verify they are correct and post the numbers here and give them to fran as well. It looks like my cost is around mid 200 on the ring gear and 30 somthin on the pilot, about what i thought coming from audi.................m
 
The pilot bearing and ring gear should be here in a couple of days. I know you're supplier has been difficult I will post part numbers and prices to anyone who is in need. They are coming direct from two different audi warehouses.................m

After waiting 11 month for my Graziano parts and Fran still unable to give me a firm delivery date due to problems with his supplier; I too, ordered my Ring Gear and Pilot bushing directly from Audi. I paid $264.27 + shipping & Tax for the Ring Gear and $35.64 + shipping & tax for the Pilot Bushing.

With the addtional cost of the Clutch & Fly Wheel…..that brings the cost of my “$10,000” Graziano to around “13 Grand”!


Hind sight being 20-20, I now wish I had gone with the Porsche gear box, I would have had a complete turn key set-up for about the same cost.


I'll be picking up my kit next month - if the lead time is that long, I'm thinking I should order the parts needed to fit the Graziano now. Please post the part numbers.

Pete, by-passing RCR and going direct to Audi and ordering now is probably a good idea! I was told that I received the last Ring Gear in the U.S and that it would probably take between 6-8 months to get another from Germany.
Jim
 
A Porsche unit would not have been new and would certainly not have the performance capability of the Graziano.

I have used and enjoyed many Porsche transaxle transaxles in our cars but even the best units cannot hold the power/torque of the Graziano.

Having spoken to a couple of Porsche transaxle suppliers recently for a new project the prices of the G96/G97 higher end GT2/3 boxes is more than a new Graziano from us and you still have a similar cost of clutch, flywheel starter etc...

I know I have a Porsche trans customer that's having issues getting the right parts from a reputable transaxle supplier currently, so its not uncommon I am afraid.

Pete we have the clutch, custom flywheel on the shelf
 
After waiting 11 month for my Graziano parts and Fran still unable to give me a firm delivery date due to problems with his supplier; I too, ordered my Ring Gear and Pilot bushing directly from Audi.


I was surprised to see that you waited for 11 months for a ring gear and pilot bushing.

Except you didn't, since your blog says your car was only shipped at the end of June.

Why the exaggeration?

The parts were always available from Audi-- the delay was because RCR was trying to source them at a price more favorable to customers. Sometimes no good deed goes unpunished...
 

PeteB

GT40s Supporter
I just ordered a ring gear and pilot bearing online from an Audi dealer - $290 for both shipped. I haven't recieved any indication about availability. $240 does seem a bit steep for a ring gear, but supercar (Audi R8) parts are never cheap!
 
I was surprised to see that you waited for 11 months for a ring gear and pilot bushing.

Except you didn't, since your blog says your car was only shipped at the end of June.

Why the exaggeration?

The parts were always available from Audi-- the delay was because RCR was trying to source them at a price more favorable to customers. Sometimes no good deed goes unpunished...

Will,
"NO EXAGGERATION"! I placed my order for my Graziano when I order my SL-C in January 2013....11 months ago!

I naively assumed that all parts would be included in my purchase and was not informed until after I took delivery of my SL-C 7 months later in July that not only were the clutch and flywheel not included but that they were on back order along with the starter. Still later I was informed that I needed a Ring Gear and Pilot Bushing and that they are on back order for an undetermined time.


Will, these are the facts and is there NO exaggeration! I'm surprised to see that your statement seems to imply that you think that 5 months (June to November) is acceptable:huh:


Jim
 
Is there any specific reasons that Mendeola is not part of these transaxle conversations? I know that these transaxles have been mentioned before. I'm just trying to learn more. I have no dog in the fight.
Weight, price, and mid-engine configuration all seem to be good. And I love sequential shifting in a track/race car.

models
 

PeteB

GT40s Supporter
Is there any specific reasons that Mendeola is not part of these transaxle conversations? I know that these transaxles have been mentioned before. I'm just trying to learn more. I have no dog in the fight.
Weight, price, and mid-engine configuration all seem to be good. And I love sequential shifting in a track/race car.

models

Mendeola is about the same cost as the Graziano. I shied away from them because of the long and unspecified lead time. The Mendeola model the GTM guys are using is the SDR (not listed on their website), and it's not sequential.
 
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Mendeola boxes are certainly usable in the SLC chassis...we have a couple of empty cases here that we have mocked up previously.
I think one of the issues was gear ratios not being tall enough for a street car...but that may have changed in recent times.

If we make the part in house they are done asap....I have absolutely ZERO control over our suppliers deliverables....and as I have mentioned before NOBODY has done what we have in the transaxle world by integrating and developing support parts.

Heck even Audi says that the next batch of ring gears is going to possibly take 6-8 months....case in point.
 
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Will,
"NO EXAGGERATION"! I placed my order for my Graziano when I order my SL-C in January 2013....11 months ago!

I naively assumed that all parts would be included in my purchase and was not informed until after I took delivery of my SL-C 7 months later in July that not only were the clutch and flywheel not included but that they were on back order along with the starter. Still later I was informed that I needed a Ring Gear and Pilot Bushing and that they are on back order for an undetermined time.


Will, these are the facts and is there NO exaggeration! I'm surprised to see that your statement seems to imply that you think that 5 months (June to November) is acceptable:huh:


Jim


Jim,

So now it's five months instead of 11? Whew! Time flies on the Internet!

According to your blog, you had your car for 3 months before you gave up on it. If it was shipped on June 30, you likely got it in early July, then gave up in late September. That's actually less than three months, no matter how you count it. Unless you start counting when you wanted the parts, in which case my Bugatti is severely late. :) And if you really had to have the parts in order to finish the car, they could be obtained elsewhere faster, as we all know. Did RCR refund your money for the late parts so you could obtain them elsewhere if needed?

I know waiting for parts is sometimes difficult- and pretty much all of us have, though latterly things have improved, I'm told. But these things happen, especially with the small volumes in component cars, and particularly when something as major as a transaxle is retrofitted to a car like the SLC.

No one should start a project like this without some tolerance for things like this. Almost all kit cars are shipped with a list of backordered parts- just take a gander at other kit car websites to see how bad it really can be-- some of the early GTM builders literally waited a year to even get doors. And they still don't fit.

Even GM can't produce enough Z51 Corvettes to satisfy demand, and there are people crying that they ordered their car 11 months ago and not only don't they have all their parts, they don't actually have any of them.

My comment was, and is, only to put things in proper perspective. Exaggerating about the time it takes for parts to be delivered after the car doesn't help anyone, and just looks like whining from here.

You have a great car, and have done some good things with it. Maybe some time away from it will change your perspective and you'll end up finishing and enjoying it. Here's hoping so!
 
<quote in-part>

Jim,

So now it's five months instead of 11? Whew! Time flies on the Internet!

!
<end quote in-part>


NO Will....it's still “ELEVEN (11) MONTHS”!


If you would have read my post objectively, you would realize that my reference to 5 months in my closing paragraph was an expression of surprise that.... you seemed to imply that somehow 5 months would be an acceptable period of time to wait! The fact of the matter is that I waited 11 months for what should have been a complete Graziano on day of delivery! No exaggeration just plain fact! I also waited 7 months for a car that was promised and re-promised and etc., etc. to be delivered in 16 weeks and it still was not complete when delivered.


The waiting is only the tip of the ice berg, there are lots ant lots of other issues that I won't go into on a public forum. Unless of course you would like me to?


Jim
 
With so many people using transaxels these days to build their cars, why can't someone stock the nessasary parts to keep up with demand. Aren't there good machinist out there that can make the parts on demand. Just a thought, it sad to here someone has to wait 11 mounths until they can drive such a nice car.
 
Jim
your car build and delivery happened to fall smack bang in the middle of our move from a 10,000 sqft factory to our new 30,000 sqft facility.
Every single part and piece of inventory, machinery and equipment had to moved and reconnected....no small task
This was supposed to be a two week move but it in fact ended up taking us two months before we could get back to making parts and building cars...(subcontractors suck)
We made this quite clear .
This was also the reason we did not race the SLC and LMP during the regular race season too
As I mentioned in another post we cancelled racing to focus on catching up due to our move.

Current kits are shipping on time and very complete

Briant70.....if only it were that simple...and making one off parts just is not financially viable in most situations.
Transaxles are still not common place in regular motoring mainstream.
Its also not 11 months waiting o drive..our kit lead time is approx. 16 weeks regardless of the freight guys pick schedule adding to this, then its the time to build the car.
 
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