QWIK-DIK SUPPORTER AND FRIEND:

WARNING: This update contains ACTUAL progress! After many updates intending this and that, verifiable progress has been made in several areas.

GARAGE
If you recall, the garage was intended to have about 25 CY of concrete-guess again-it was 45 CY! That's pushing 200,000 POUNDS of concrete. We ended up with some #9 rebar (over an inch in diameter), a 500 pound steel column halfway back, a 500-pound steel rafter assembly holding  the middle of the roof, (2) 260-pound columns at the front, and  HUGE 6x14x28 and 6x14x36 beams. The concrete and columns are IN, the lumber is up, the roofing is poised for install. It's wonderful to look up and see the trailer under the garage, instead of fearing I'll knock it down every time I back in. The trailer has been set back into its new home, and it now looks small! The garage leaves about 3 feet in back of the trailer for access, and another 3 feet in front of the dually to the door. 
Now THAT'S nice.

ENGINES
The return of my Gary Player graphite clubs may have been good karma, but it did only a little in the cash department in the grand scheme, although ALL cash helps (hint, hint). Don Ratican now has the disarrangement of parts, heads, cranks, cams, blocks, etc. at HIS place. That's literally about a ton of stuff out of here. It's such a pleasure to deal with a real, qualified, no-screwing-around legend. I spoke with Rocky Childs and picked up some rings and bearings from Ray Akereley at the Childs and Albert booth at Pomona at the Winston Finals, and intended to get the full floater buttons the next week for both motors. Correction, scratch the full-floaters. After nearly a month of jerking around, the full floater buttons turned out to be a near-impossible nightmare, so we had C&A back cut the pistons for easier spira-lock use. At this writing Ratican has one short block nearly assembled using my COLA crank, the McDannel rods and pistons, Crane cam, and the D-ported heads. He will not do anything on the #2 motor until #1 is  in my possession.

TRANSMISSIONS
I've taken the two Powerglides to Gene Christianson at Auto-Rite trans for a look-see and seal freshen-up. He is one experienced, energetic, and VERY nice man. I have also a funnycar-stout 400 trans to go in the dually, purchased from Pete Mauriello 4 years ago. I'm close to using it, and Gene is checking it also, down to the bare case.
And I still have the two spare JW bell housings for Powerglides and 400's for anyone who's interested.

DUALLY
The dually odometer just clicked 100,000. I sent it out over the holiday for a $7K audio extravaganza (to make those long tows more bearable). Rob Anderson, acoustics genius extraordinaire, is doing his usual military-spec fanatical-attention-to-detail job on this, my 5th auto system from him. For those so inclined, it uses 10 cannels of amplification, electronic crossovers, 4-channel EQ, home quality components, mounted in an overhead console. It was just oo pretty to hide all that fine equipment under the seats. Uypon receipt of that in mid-January, I will move ahead with the engine change. At that point, I will have a fine 454 and 400 trans combo ready for anyone who's interested for about a grand. It just passed smog, so it's running just fine. I'm just gearing up for some seasons of hard driving with the HEAVY trailer. And as I just mentioned, I still have the two spare JW bell housings for anyone who's interested. Sadly, red-hot, hyperactive Dave Kubert has moved to Montana, so the free swap and a rabidly interested crew member have vaporized. 

GENERATORS and AC
Prior to his departure, Kubert did off the old Chicago 4400-watt generator. That was a relief. The ultra-low hours 4000-watt Onan (110-volt) is still here and available for $1400, with integral gas tank and trolley. The 6500-watt Onan is installed, the electrical panel and transfer switch is in, and we've run conduit to the rear of the trailer for the  step-up transformer (for 220 volts to run the AC and a welder). I've not yet gotten the mounting bracket done for the 175 pound transformer. Once that's done, Tony Long will return to finish the wiring.

DRIVER COOLING/FRESH AIR
If you recall from the last letter, I am committed to a cooling suit system. I will likely just go for a Kool-Suit AND the Parker Pumper air system. Haven't had a chance to get to either company as yet, but SOON. Maybe I'll give myself one or the other for Valentine's Day.

TIRES
Uncle Dave McDannel kindly schlepped my Chuck Etchells tires to Sacramento and sold them for $200. Thanks, Dave! Once the car is finally done, I'll hump down to Goodyear in Gardena and lay out about $800 for a new pair of 34" slicks. I have the liners, which saves about $200.

LIFT SYSTEM
Rich Manchen up and quit his welding shop. A pair of new guys took over, and Larry Johns was up to the task on the lift system pivot. The lift system remains untouched, but the body pivot modifications are DONE! It is VERY stout, really all anyone can do for stability, and set me back about $500. The aluminum collar around the roll cage has been put back in place and re-welded, as have the connections between the lifting beams and the front firewall. I really feel a stouter firewall is needed, although it has held up fairly well. It's just a few more pounds of weight. What the heck! And neighbor Ed Krause has volunteered to fabricate the locating collars on the pivot system (to control left and right motion). 

CREW and PROMOTION
A few young speedo-philes have volunteered to help with the operation, AND showed up on their own last week. Hopefully they'll be back soon to help once the body and engine return.

TOSSING/SELLING OFF
As the garage has been torn down, a major load of useless stuff will likely hit the dumpster. I'll make a list of anything worth buying for the next update.

FRAME, ETC.
In about a week the rear end will be pulled out, torsion bar and front end removed, and the frame sandblasted and powder-coated Dove gray.  
The rear end leak was repaired using JB weld on the bearing surface (to fill in the original hammer mark that caused the leak). 
The chutes and belts are back from Deist after nearly 2 years (they're almost out of date again!). The silver Nomex chute pack material was originally a bad batch, and it took some long discussions with Joe Hansen and Jim Deist to get it corrected (for free).

THE BODY/THE CALENDAR
The color is still going to be yellow, now a Mercedes Z-3 yellow. I was working with Ed Prieto, who's doing our calendars, to modify the calendar picture to reflect the color change BEFORE I paint it. He's very talented, and it would help with sponsors and promotion to have it on the calendar for the whole year as it will be in fact. Turns out he couldn't get to it in time for the calendar, so we've bailed on the art work. We'll use the money for actual photos of the finished product.

NOW WHAT?
The erroneously-opinioned junk cranks are back from Crankshaft Specialist and ready for action. Ratican has selected Uncle Dave's crank for the #2 motor, and my COLA crank for the #1 engine. 

TRAILER
The Onan resides in its enclosure, and the nice interface to the panel is there. NOW, however, we've mounted the AC (air-conditioning) unit between the bench and upper cabinet at the front, on the existing bike rack. What a fit! But as noted last time, it's 220-volt unit. SO, I've purchased a 10-kilowatt 175-pound step-up transformer (that's about $2/lb) on the cheap at $350. I've trial-mounted it at the extreme right rear of the trailer, in another slight step to offset the enormous tongue weight (tool box, AC unit, compressor, vise, cabinets, microwave, etc. up front). The electric tongue jack just can't get it up as far anymore, notwithstanding several battery charges. I may be in line for a Tuff Tow (a sprung wheel on the tongue) to move this tongue-ton trailer down the road.

MORE GOALS
I WAS shooting for the Hangover Nationals on Jan 1 at LACR. It was ambitious, no doubt.  Nick Johns (no relation to the welder) is finalizing the body work and prepping for paint. He has rightly grumbled about how much work it is, but we've worked out a solution to re-working the now dinged-up body (I HATE having ready stuff, then sitting for years). The nice part now is I will at least have a covered place for such things.
 

CHASSIS
I made one more trip to Larry Johns to put 6 disconnect plates in the rear birdcage (so I can get it out of the car). The chassis will take about a week for sandblasting and powder-coating, then the reassembly (many times, no doubt) and prettyfying of the components will commence. This could be as simple as a few trips to the plater, anodizer, and polisher, or a many-splendored ten-times-over-until-it's-right thing. 
You guess....... Also, I scored a perfect puke tank from Maher at Pomona for a mere $75. For that amount again I might get it anodized. Don't tell anyone, but it's aluminum, and light! Meanwhile, Larry reworked it with new bracketing to fit at the extreme rear of the frame rails.

SPONSORS
Jim Maher is finally breaking loose with some names and numbers for our CIFCA promotional campaign. I'll be talking to some people about being a series sponsor for the group and down the road possibly the car. 

INCENTIVE REMINDER
Any season-long effort (crew, marketing, or support) will be rewarded with a licensing session in the funnycar at the end of the season. All aboard!!

At this point it may not be Qwik Dick, more like chain drive, steady as she goes.

Happy Holidays.