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6/15/01
Not much has occurred since last week’s birthday party and the acquisition of the primer materials from Nick. With 2 guys out, I’ve had to do drywall taping and other stuff (which KILLED by back). Tomorrow will see me getting some grinding done on the body and glassing in a couple of cracks. After that, back with the bondo for three coats, and then on with the primer next week. Nick will do the spraying, or so he says.
Scored a MAJOR piece of intake equipment, not for the FC, but for the dually. I found a Mercruiser (the boat version of the big block Chevy motor) complete injection system, with ignition, computer, fuel pump, hoses, manifold, plenum and extra brackets, power supply, etc. A complete setup. I’m desperately hoping it will improve both the performance and economy of the dually, which is just a pig right now. I can’t imagine how ridiculous it will be hauling the 10K# trailer. It just does not feel like it has any power at all, compared to what it will need. Perhaps this and a Vortech will give it some zip.
Speaking of Vortech, Rob Anderson made it to the party, and we took a Gremlin ride (he drove). He was seriously amused, and I’m sure his wheels were turning about what a T-trim Vortech would do for it. Rob has promised to get the Gremlin on the Vortech dyno for a look-see. I really am looking for the Condor to get a blower. Of course, getting an engine together for it would be good, too.
But, one thing at a time here (since the $ permit only that, it’s not any smart or disciplined choice at all).
Webmaster Derek delivered the PC with the web massaging programs. Now I just have to learn how to do THAT. Oh joy. As Jim Maher will attest with al his hard work on his web sites, it is a tough job, but it does save a LOT of dough in the long run. And as any student of these apparently unending updates will attest, we’re definitely here for the very long run.
Next week will see a trip to Monty at IMI to change the starter solenoids back to 12 volts, and Bob Huth coming through on his brazing commitment after a month of waiting.
6/26/01
Huth went of vacation, and the headers are not done. I’ll ask once more, then go somewhere else. Saw Bob Jennings of Jennings Dyno (which I thought was closed). He is open, and working alone. I’m trying to find him at the shop by phone to run the Gremlin over for a look-see. Ditto with the dually, although I may just wait on that. Mikey and I did some destruction on the body over the weekend, by intent. We found 4 areas of cracking, and as much as I HATED to do it, I ground out the areas (after so much time smoothing them), and glassed the areas prior to going back over it with bondo. I fear the entire body may end up with cracks, but as long as I see them before the paint, I’ll fix ‘em now. Randy commented that my body is WAY better than his, and his is ready for the painter. As his is an ultra thin shell, there’s little he can do short of glassing the entire body inside and then going the bondo route, which he will not do. I’ve put an ad for the Condor with the Super Couple Club of America, as a bird in a basket. All the pieces, including both motors, as-is, for $2500.
The Gremlin price is being dropped back down to $7700, and we’ll see what happens.
I am making the weekly pilgrimages to Bob’s Big Boy to showcase the car. Still have not received my First in Class Award from the car show. Brooke has not been here for quite a while, as I’ve had nothing for her to do. Once the glassing is done, I’ll get her back to start on the blocking of the next primer coat.
7/8/01
We had the GREATEST time at Pomona for the Pep Boys Night Racing Nationals. WOW!! Spectacular. Too bad we can’t have this every weekend like the old days. Some good news: NHRA has sanctioned Fontana’s Irwindale Speedway for 1/4-mile street drags, starting in September. That is cool, and I will be taking the Gremlin if it’s hasn’t sold (which is likely).
I’m also taking the Gremlin to Vortech tomorrow for an V-trim fitting.
Nick came and inspected my repairs, and approved, He did a little tune up while here, and I have one more area to fix. He’ll come back to SHOW me how to spray the primer (as opposed to his prior commitment to DO the primer coat). Whatever. I have the material and spray gun, and just need some water traps to make it go.
We need to wait for some cooler temps, which should be later in the week.
7/16/01
Sit down! Actual progress!! Some amazing things: Nick came back twice and tuned up a spot on the hood that was troublesome. It is now officially ready for primer. We’ll scratch it up with 150-grit to let the primer bite better. Mikey came yesterday and in our futile search for the wheelie bar net, found the tin!!! It was stuffed in a cabinet at the very back. WOW!! So we spent some time fitting the pieces, squishing some springs to let standard Dzus fasteners work, and did some drilling and fitting of the wheelie bars, including grinding off some old tabs. We need to find the net, as I’ve got to add some tabs to make tying the net on a simple and secure thing. Then the bars will get powder-coated. The net, as you may know, is to prevent the shroud lines and parachutes from tangling in the bars themselves. It also makes a nice bed to set the chutes on while on the return road. The rear deck and spoiler are also very good for that.
We also disassembled the fuel wing, and will do some prep work for priming that as well. I’m also going to modify the existing driveshaft tunnel rather than going for another piece altogether. I can always do the new thingo later. Right now, let’s just get it done! Mike and I will fabricate the bellypan Sunday (if not before). I MAY set some new Dzus plates to hold it, as stacking tin three-deep makes it tough to find fasteners long enough to grab. I have several pre-made Dzus plates and springs ready to go.
It appears the Gremlin’s super easy Vortech install is not so super easy. It will require some expensive custom fabrication, and require chopping up the hood. Todd was reluctant to go ahead with such surgery without my permission. I’m taking the dually up to Vortech to see about doing the Mercruiser injection/Vortech thing on it instead. The extra towing torque would be MOST welcome! They have several Mercruiser combos already sitting on stands in their factory. I still have not procured the rectangular port heads necessary to run the injection, but I’m assured they will be mine in two weeks.
A friend, Saul Bashin, the YOUNGEST 85-year old I’ve ever seen, has been a nearly constant companion for the last several weeks. He is an engineer by training (worked on the photo-voltaic panels for satellites), has an astonishingly active and curious mind and ridiculous energy, so I usually introduce him as my kid brother. He LOVED seeing Vortech’s operation, and nearly burned Todd Armstrong to the ground with ceaseless incisive and interesting questions.
Todd was busy today. So tomorrow we’ll take the dually up for a look-see about the install.
Derek, the webmaster, will be rendezvousing with me either by phone or in person to get me going on editing the web site with the newly acquired PC and software.
7/23/01
Derek made it by yesterday, but of course the router went down, and we couldn’t access the web site. I did, however, get a pretty good going over on the how-to. I got the router back on line today, only to have a T-1 line cut by a digging crew at my hosting location, so my email has gone back down for a while tonight.
Went to Industrial Metals and garnered some 2-1/2” square tube to use as a sleeve on the funny car body dollies. I’ve modified these dollies several times as situations required, and this time we’re using the dollies without the supporting tree inside the body. And as we are SO close to getting paint on it, I don’t want to chance hurting the body, so I am putting a bridge between the two dollies (actually a common system), to insure the dollies move together, don’t tip, etc. Tomorrow is very busy work-wise, so I’ll probably not get a chance to weld it up until Wednesday, maybe even with the help of BB. Our local surplus supplier of grade 8 bolts and other hardware was bought out by an employee, and I’m happy to report that Lukie’s Hardware is open and thriving. I scored some bolts for the rear end mounting, and other misc stuff. I NEVER have my list with me when I go there! Along with putting everything away (so we can FIND stuff), MAKING that list is important. I still have not organized the bolt crib to my liking, and it annoys me. Of course, once everything is finished, I’ll probably get it together.
On the domestic front, the bathroom is coming together, so I’ll at least be able to clean, steam, shower, and wash my hands a little closer to the garage soon.
Fellow Rodfather member Chuck Torok, who owns a nifty 40 Ford Panel delivery with small block Chevy power, will be doing the mirrors and steam enclosure, starting this Wednesday. HOORAY!! And on the Gremlin front, I visited Vortech with the dually last week (with Saul along), thinking to switch the install to the dually, and looking over several scenarios. I ended up just showing them how to do the Gremlin install, so it’s going to happen. The blower will be below the hood, but the air box around the carburetor will require some hood cutting. No big deal. They’ll put a polished unit on the carb, and the “what is it” will protrude up through the hood, arousing some curiosity. No scoop will be necessary. The price is now $12,300 OBO for anyone interested. I’ll probably get a stereo in there while I’m at it. I REALLY want to just sell the little darling….really. Perhaps this latest metamorphisis will do the trick. It certainly is clean and pretty enough already.
We’ve altered the plan to primer the FC body once again: We’ll now do it in the front half of the garage. No wind, no difficult framework to set up to hold the plastic, etc. We’ll just mask off the front half of the garage, and go for it. This is why the work on the FC dollies: to allow us to roll the gutted body around safely. Got a nice note of support from a reader, Rodney Packwood. Thanks for the kind words. Now if he were only local and could join the crew! So for painting, the trailer must move out, a lot of plastic will be hung, and some needed dusting and cleaning will take place.
The word at Huth’s is the headers are SLOWLY being brazed, and it appears the next few days will see them done. After that, I get to do a lot of rubbing on them. If they’re not done, I’ll just do them myself and get on with it.
Still haven’t found the elusive wheelie bar net, but mounting the tin HAS been rewarding. I offed the Mercruiser injection system to Bob at Vortech, who will polish it up and get it over to Teague marine for a profitable sale (to Bob). I’m fine just moving it sideways and ridding myself of another project. Should I go for a dually Vortech, I will use an aftermarket throttle body (Holley, FelPro, etc.) and avoid the enormous trouble of the bulky Mercruiser approach. All the plenum stuff means nothing when using a blower, and is unnecessary. We didn’t get anything done on the bellypan, perhaps this Sunday. I’ll confer with Captain Laur on some specifics of the bellypan design before commencing.
7/30/01
Bad news at Huth: Bob’s dad died last Friday, so obviously nothing happening on the headers for a while. Been there, and he has my sincerest sympathies. Haven’t located the wheelie bar net, either. The lowered body dollies are ready for their connecting bar, as I got the materials at Industrial Metals to accomplish that. Isn’t it just amazing how much crap there is to do to just get a race car to the track? REALLY!!! Finally got the Gremlin show award. It was a 3rd place (not the first place I’d been told) in the 70-79 class. Still cool. Todd at Vortech is working on the Gremlin as I type. He will be installing a polished T-trim and a polished air box. He is replacing the Holley carb which I just had dyno-tuned with a new 750 with mechanical secondaries. Apparently Rob Anderson calculated the slightly smaller T-trim unit would put out plenty of air for the 396. Their dyno showed 80 less rear wheel hp than Jennings, but Todd says for some reason theirs does that. He predicted a mighty increase in power. The rear end will be no problem. But how about that 350 trans and torque converter? As the car will likely just spin the tires, I don’t see much of a problem.
Got a note from Butch Schrier, who is off doing his creative thing in places far away right now. The good news is his surgeried back must be working ok. So it appears he won’t be crew-chiefing soon for the QwikDick. ‘Course, we won’t be needing a crew chief too very soon at this rate. As I’m the chief everything here, I’ll continue to do it until someone else more qualified steps up.
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