On the pace lap yet! At IRP this weekend for the double regional, leaving turn one heading toward turn two when there was a loud bang and the car filled with smoke. I was turning about 3,000 rpm in third. No, honest I was, you can see it from my in car video. You can also see all of the smoke BEFORE you see the oil pressure gauge go to zero.

After watching the field do three more pace laps (and knowing they were cursing me for all of the oil) and the corner crew spreading oil dry (and cursing me for the same reason) I watched a really nice race from the turn three station. When they got my car back to the paddock, we opened the hood and found the distributor just lying next to the engine. Peering down the hole, the oil pump was a mangled mess. Looking to the back side of the engine, the block was ventilated by a hand-sized hole at number four. I can look right down to the bottom of the pan. There is a mangled connecting rod lying down there and (with a mirror) I can see the crankshaft journal (which looks in good shape). What happened? The bottom end was stock (and high miles) The cylinder head was fresh and very good. Taking a spark plug out of number 4 cylinder, the piston was 2/3 the way to the top, no sign of damage, and easily moved downward when pushed by a screwdriver.

What are my options? Aside from an expensive race motor, I mean. Anybody know of a good place for a short block? I have a spare block, I suppose I could build up a new bottom end with the crank and new rods? Pistons? Any thoughts on what happened and what to do next?

All opinions welcome!

Kevin
85 GTi