Schumacher Cougar SVR build . . . Part 2

Sufficiently rested and refreshed I ventured back to the man cave to finish building the little gem that is the SVR.
Time for some of the less glamorous but nonthelesss important jobs.

First up is the gearbox. A steel geared layshaft and sacrificial nylon intermediate gear both run on more of the smooth red seal bearings. These slot together nicely and mount to the nicely machined motor plate, black again instead of traditional Schumacher purple. A small pouch of grease is supplied be sure to use it to guarantee a silky smooth transmission.

(Click on pics for full size gallery)

The slipper assembly mounts to the motor plate in the traditional manner.

Diff next.

As one would expect from the inventors of this ubiquitous little component the diff unit is a breeze to build and when complete is as smooth as any out there.

A couple of tips:

Make sure the sprung cone washers are oriented correctly.

Make sure the thrust bearing circlip is inserted the correct way up.

Optional but, in my opinion worthwhile, is keying the diff rings with a piece of wet and dry. This along with the sparing application of lube, helps prevent slip and allows for hassle free running in.

The entire gearbox assembly is then ready to be droppend into the lower casings.

It is worth pointing out here that the assembled gearbox can be removed from the completed car by removing just 4 screws.

Anyone that has ever run a TLR22 will know how cool this is!

The driveshafts come next. Although these look similar to those fitted to the SV2 closer inspection reveals that they are in fact CV, as opposed to UJ, type units. I am assured this is another aid to rear traction in slippery conditions.

The wheelbase is adjustable via the kwik clips that can be seen in the picture below.

The beefy carbon shock tower should take a bit of breaking, don't worry I will unintentionally be doing my best to test it to the limit!

Roll bar comes as standard and provides a small taste of the purple I crave.


Big bore shocks also come as standard. My kit came with the blue racing seals which although virtually stiction free do have a tendancy to weep a little oil, pre-soaking in silicone oil helps prevent this. Schumacher have since released a new red alternative that provides a slightly tighter seal but at the cost of a little smoothness, you pays your money and takes your choice. I have read that later kits ship with both types for you to choose from but can't confirm this.

One of the things that sets the Schuie kits apart from the crowd is the use of genuine carbon fibre as opposed to the carbon reinforced plastic so popular with other manufacturers, it looks the biz and is one of the reasons I like their cars as much as I do.

More carbon for the top deck, a soft weave (extra flex) version is available from the speed secrets option list.

Tip: Put the car on a flat surface when fitting the brace, make sure it is the correct length and that it is not distorting the chassis plate.

On the SVR Schumacher have opted for plastic side guards instead of the under tray fitted to the SV2, it looks neat and allows for a narrow chassis. I do like the protection afforded by an under tray but can easily use a vinyl chassis protector.

And before you know it the chassis is complete and awaiting your choice of electrics.

This car, like the SV2, is a joy to build. With the help of the well written manual everything  is easy to identify and fits as it should, if it drives half as good as it looks it will be a cracker.

My only criticism is that the build is over with too quickly, I could have made it last longer but once I got going I was enjoying myself so much I didn't want to stop.

I will just have to wait for the next Schumacher release, maybe an Mi5 in the new year?

A set of wheels are supplied in the box.

As is a cool looking bulldog style bodyshell.

There is plenty of room in this car for electrics, that will be because the motor is out back and not taking up space inside the shell. I opted for a Hobbywing speedo, nicked out of my SX3, and wired it up to an 8.5t motor.

All that was left was to spill some paint on the shell and she's ready to hit the track.

I will be heading off to TORCH within the next couple of weeks to give it a test and see how it feels compared to my SV2.

So . . .
Is this the car that will catapult me to the front of the A main?
Is this the car to bring to fruition my plans for world domination?

I doubt it, but I look forward to driving it nevertheless.

This car is bound to do well and, in the right hands, will be doing the UK proud taking on the best on clay tracks across the pond.

Watch out for future blogs where the SVR is sure to crop up.