Blackdragon Racing

29/07/2026

I currently run a custom radiator, which has brackets to sit it at an angle and attachments points for ducting, it was created for the BEAMS engine so that I could duct it out of the bonnet (space was tight).

Unfortunately when it was recored it doesn't quite sit the same for the ducting.

So I've been on the hunt for a factory radiator that I could replace it with, this is a bit challenging as I wanted something that fitted in the space, ideally had both outlets on the left hand side (which means end tanks rather then top and bottom), and was fairly common so cheaper and easily replaced, 32mm inlet/outlet also a bonus, also must be full aluminum option.

Trying to see what was out there was challenging so In the end I got AI to produce a powershell script to download all of Fenix Radiator's catalogue as a json file, I then got AI to take that file and run a local HTML page to allow me to search by width/height of the radiators and then show name, pricing and link to the radiator.

This worked great at telling me that nothing common here really fitted 🙃. the one closest was a later model (SW20) MR2 radiator, but was just to big, however the earlier model MR2 radiator potentially could have worked, but was less common. Both had inlet/outlet on either side of the radiator, which was doable but means more piping.

Then i trawled through trademe, and found the VW Golf Mk2 GTI 1.8 Radiator (larger version) might work. Upside down...

I wasn't happy with the old positioning of the oil cooler and I want to make things simpler from a packaging point of view, so I want to mount the oil cooler behind the radiator (should help heat oil up too when sitting there)

So currently working on getting it mounted in the car, then will work out oil cooler mounting, and then all the associated hoses.

27/07/2026

Hadn't planned on taking the intake manifold off before i next had the car out, but decided to when I removed the cooling pipes and pump to make some space for chassis mounting the engine.

Glad I did, the brace was broken, one bolt was missing from the bottom center, and the bottom rear tab broke off when I put it down on the ground.

Clearly been barely hanging on for a while.

I was eventually going get round to my ITB project, but now will be required before getting the car going again as I'm not putting this heap of junk (genuine Skunk2 Ultra Street manifold) back on the car.

26/07/2026

Finished up with all the brackets for the fuel lines, electrical line and rear brake line in the cabin. Then proceeded to finish the new Clutch/Brake lines to Master Cylinders which was a large job.

16/05/2026

With the gearbox back in, i could scan the top of the shifter bracket and the tunnel to make a boot to stop any potential fire/smoke/fumes getting into the cabin.

One of the cool things in having the shifter bracket already designed is I could just import it and align it to the scan so had an easy base to design off.

Couple of iterations later, I have the final boot printed in Bambu Lab TPU 95A 1.5mm wall thickness (using PLA supports) which gives it the needed flexibility.

Really tidies up the shifter hole in the tunnel quite nicely.

02/05/2026

Big milestone achieved with getting the gearbox back in the car, still a lot of work to do to get it remotely close to race ready, but that's a massive win.

28/04/2026

Work continues on the plumbing, more brake lines done.

And have redone the rear brake line, fuel lines and main 12v feed to be a lot tidier (brackets are just prototypes and will be black for final version)

06/04/2026

The Honda S2000 Shifter relocation is nearly done just waiting on 3d printed aluminum brackets to arrive in couple of days.

Work has been progressing on another pain point with the car, the pedal assembly.

Anyone with a starlet will know this, but putting a pedal box into them is a fair bit of work (made worse by a roll cage), the trouble really occurs when you have to work in that area. It is a full days job (a true 8 hours+) just to remove the pedals, master cylinders, pressure sensors and pipe work for me. And that's with an access hatch from the engine bay.

And don't even think about just trying to adjust the balance bar between the cylinders, not possible.

I need to make it easier to work on, and also add a clutch pressure sensor (for future fun stuff) so out with the angle grinder and I have a new access hole from the top.

I've now scanned it, and will design a 3d printed lid and top to go there to seal it back up (will be printed in polycarbonate flame retardant), technology these days is so cool.

Additionally I wanted to simplify all the pipe work, and make it much easier to change the pressure sensors if I needed to. So it made sense to just move that stuff to the passenger side (left) of the car, that gives a huge amount of room back around the pedal box.

So out with CAD and a 3d printed prototype bracket, then while i was there I made a whole system for mocking up the brake line bends and working out where to run the pipes...

Here's where I'm at with the lines, absolutely stoked with how they are turning out, cleanest job I've done so far.

26/01/2026

Thanks to Engine Swap Depot for doing an awesome write up on the car, it gives a really good overview of it all. Go check them out

Ben Herron from Blackdragon Racing in New Zealand built his 1984 Toyota Starlet (KP61) for touring car racing. Ben spent many hours developing the car and detailed the progress in the build thread. Ben acquired the Starlet with Toyota 3S-GE BEAMS inline-four. Eventually Ben wanted to go in a differe...

03/12/2025

Feels wrong to cut up another perfectly good rear Honda S2000 transmission housing, just to shorten the shift lever position, but here we are.

Prototype V1 of the bracket to verify hole locations, overall positioning, easy of getting on and off.

Absolutely stoked being only 2mm off on a couple of the main holes. Needs a lot more strengthening to take loads front and rear, but side to side is looking really good considering it's just printed in pla for now with only 15% infill.

01/11/2025

Safe to say if I had continued racing at Speed Festival it would have ended up very badly.

White paint is the crack in the rear transmission case.