I drove the real-deal today. Ken H's 700+ HP M5....WOW!

[Duke]

The car is very, very impressive. About the power later, the car is extremely well built and stable. Precise steering, unbelievable brakes, rock steady stability at speed (130+ mph), fantastic handling in the twisties and looks like a show car inside and out to include the engine compartment (which you know I am big on).

Power - remember it is a S38 bored and stroked to 398someting cc's. A friking 4.0L. A true testimony to the skills of Paul Burke and Justin (tuning) for making a brutal machine. We kept the car limited to 7 psi and even at that, stinking amazingly fast. Ken's prior dynos indicated over 500 HP/torque to the wheels at 7 psi. Hell yea it has. Being a S38, it is much higher reving than the M30 and the cam's "sweet" spot is around 5000-5500. The damn thing keeps pulling harder and harder until rev limit it reached, too much fun.

Ken had already run in the mid 11's in the 1/4 and I know that he has a 10 second E28. Paul Burke drove the car yesterday and commented that at the low boost setting, it was a 11 second car. This is before Ken told him he had done that already.

Great stuff.

Brad has video and pictures he can post from yesterday.

[T_C_D]

Time slip, please.

[bmwfan1957]

Video's and Pictures please!!!

[Pat P]

The car is very, very impressive. About the power later, the car is extremely well built and stable. Precise steering, unbelievable brakes, rock steady stability at speed (130+ mph), fantastic handling in the twisties and looks like a show car inside and out to include the engine compartment (which you know I am big on).

Power - remember it is a S38 bored and stroked to 398someting cc's. A friking 4.0L. A true testimony to the skills of Paul Burke and Justin (tuning) for making a brutal machine. We kept the car limited to 7 psi and even at that, stinking amazingly fast. Ken's prior dynos indicated over 500 HP/torque to the wheels at 7 psi. Hell yea it has. Being a S38, it is much higher reving than the M30 and the cam's "sweet" spot is around 5000-5500. The damn thing keeps pulling harder and harder until rev limit it reached, too much fun.

Ken had already run in the mid 11's in the 1/4 and I know that he has a 10 second E28. Paul Burke drove the car yesterday and commented that at the low boost setting, it was a 11 second car. This is before Ken told him he had done that already.

Great stuff.

Brad has video and pictures he can post from yesterday.

Hey Duke,

does this mean there is a change in your future?

[Duke]

Hey Duke,

does this mean there is a change in your future?

Nope - getting a 66 Tiger MK1A and will eventually install a 415 HP crate stroker. The engine will run on a dizzy and a carb. No ABS, ECU, traction control, turbo, supercharger (for now ) or data logging needed. NOS will be in its future.

[Shawn D.]

Video's and Pictures please!!!

The buildup of Ken's car has been extensively documented. Go to his profile and check out his posts.

[Nebraska_e28]

And I now envy your experience Sir!

[shifty]

The only chance I had to ride in the car was in the back seat with four of us in the car. Even with the added ballast and Ken not TOO terribly willing to floor it in the lower gears, the car was amazing.

On the Interstate in 4th gear, it pulls like my 3.91-diffed 535iS in first and second gear. Actually, it probably pulls harder than my car. I'm looking forward to some more seat time when I'm able to meet up with Ken another time.

I got about 20 minutes of video of the car. I only got one or two good snippets of the car at near full throttle. The rest of the video is just a walk-around of the exterior, trunk area, interior, and engine bay. It's all worth it to watch, of course, but it'll take me a while to get it up on the internet. After all, I have a car to sell.

[Nebraska_e28]

Are both of you pretty close to where he is or did he make a brief excursion?

[Ken H.]

The only chance I had to ride in the car was in the back seat with four of us in the car. Even with the added ballast and Ken not TOO terribly willing to floor it in the lower gears, the car was amazing.

On the Interstate in 4th gear, it pulls like my 3.91-diffed 535iS in first and second gear. Actually, it probably pulls harder than my car. I'm looking forward to some more seat time when I'm able to meet up with Ken another time.

A few comments here.
First, time was a bit limited Saturday last and I wasn't going to be totally rude and abandon Kelly (Brad's fiance) at Duke's house while we went and made fools of ourselves.
Second, four people on board = around 700#-plus which regardless of available power, took some edge off the acceleration.
Third, traffic was heavy enough that some measure of judgment was called for. Besides, the roads have enough blind spots that I wasn't going to do anything stupid. Further, I have this reluctance to support the Kansas and Missouri Revenue Departments . . .
Fourth, I keep telling everyone that the car was not built as a drag machine . Set up as it is, it responds better to a smooth roll-in on the throttle. This may detract from pure acceleration Cheap Thrills, but it moves along quite nicely, thankyouverymuch. Whatever you lose off the line will be made up . . . . promptly.
Fifth, Brad is due for some left seat time, probably this coming spring . . . the car will be put away for the winter in the very near future. I refuse to subject the car to the spew that CDOT insists on putting on the roads: pea gravel, salt and mag chloride solution.
Sixth, Duke got a chance at That Thing early Sunday morning and I think it didn't embarrass anyone. FWIW, there remain a number of tuning issues that need to be addressed; this is one reason boost has been kept turned down.

Yes, girls, the car can get out of its own way. Western Kansas went . . . . . poof. seeee ya !

[shifty]

Sorry I took so long, and sorry for the low quality (I used my camcorder to take these since I left the diggy still cam at the house). But, here are the pics of the meeting. . .

[Duke]

That is a VERY rare sighting of Paul Burke AND Ken Hawkins. Its like seeing Big Foot.

[Shawn D.]

That is a VERY rare sighting of Paul Burke AND Ken Hawkins. Its like seeing Big Foot.

So, who is who (besides you and Shifty -- we know who Y'all are)?

[shifty]

That is a VERY rare sighting of Paul Burke AND Ken Hawkins. Its like seeing Big Foot.

So, who is who (besides you and Shifty -- we know who Y'all are)?

Paul is the other guy in the hat besides me. Ken is in the jeans and the black shirt with the "I have an 800HP E28" grin on his face.

[Bimmere28]

Sorry I took so long, and sorry for the low quality (I used my camcorder to take these since I left the diggy still cam at the house). But, here are the pics of the meeting. . .

Where are the vids??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really want to hear this car.

[BDK]

WE WANT VIDEO PLEASE!!!

[shifty]

I have to forewarn you that I didn't get all the kinds of video that I wanted. Most of these are just walkarounds; I hardly got any of the car on boost. We just didn't have the chance to get all of that cool stuff.

So, with that qualification, here are the videos. Keep checking back. I'm posting them as I get them on the 'net.

Here's a walkaround with chat about the tail pipe tip, aux fuel tank, and 9" rear Style 5s. . .

http://www.oo00oo.com/videos/ken2007111001.wmv


Interior shots with the leather and a few extra goodies that were added. . .

http://www.oo00oo.com/videos/ken2007111002.wmv


Walkaround of the engine bay. . .

http://www.oo00oo.com/videos/ken2007111003.wmv


Car idling. . .

http://www.oo00oo.com/videos/ken2007111004.wmv


All the shots of I have of the car on boost (I know, not much at all). Also, here's a clip of the engine builder driving the car. Duke's and my interchange was pretty funny.

http://www.oo00oo.com/videos/ken2007111005.wmv

That's it! That's all the video I managed to get of the car. I wish I could've gotten more!

[M. Holtmeier]

VERY, very cool!

[T_C_D]

Cool.

FYI, that the Blow Off Valve that Duke hears, not the wastegate.

Todd

[M. Holtmeier]

What's the deal with the second rear window lock-out switch on the right of the shifter? Something about a brake switch?

[Ken H.]

Thanks, Brad!!

Game plan in the Spring (tra-la) has to be setting up the camera to (a) track gauge numbers and (b) do some fairly extended video clips . . . say Wolf Creek, Monarch and Independence Passes. <<insert SEG here.>>

Besides, I have the "The Book" on the Scenic Route to Reanoh (rhymes with Beano).
For those of you who are musing on 5erFest shenanigans, the best time I'm aware of Castle Rock to San Jose via the Scenic Route is 14 hrs 41 min over 1271.5 miles.
Do the math.
This, girls, is what The Hammer is all about.

[shifty]

No prob, Ken. Thanks for the rides!

After editing the videos, I noticed how fuzzy looking the videos are. That's because the lense was dirty (probably had a smudge on it) on my camcorder. D'OH!

[Ken H.]

You're welcome.
As I've said before, you're due and I owe you.
Sprechen Sie Utah SH 12??

[Ken H.]

What's the deal with the second rear window lock-out switch on the right of the shifter? Something about a brake switch?

Brake lights run thru this switch. Why? Think about it.

[Kyle in NO]

Mmmm....sneaky!

[Ken H.]

Mmmm....sneaky!

It isn't about how quick you are (quarter mile bigots) or what the top end is (autobahn junkies) it's getting there in the lowest elapsed time and not getting cracked in the process.

[Nebraska_e28]

What's the deal with the second rear window lock-out switch on the right of the shifter? Something about a brake switch?

Brake lights run thru this switch. Why? Think about it.

Of course this button never gets used.





Shifty / Ken, thanks for the teaser guys! Can't wait to see this beast in the flesh.