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3/3/02
Well, the test and tune at Famoso was more like Nuke and Puke. We're
looking for the Glory days, and this was more like the Gory Days.
As you may recall from the last update, the dually lost a radiator
on the way down from Palmdale's unsuccessful attempt at running. I
checked the level this morning before leaving (all the fluids actually).
It pinged a bit on the way up, understandable since it is HUGELY uphill
to Bakersfield. On the way back, it was pinging within two miles of
leaving the track I did not check the water before leaving Famoso).
I limped 15 miles to the Arco at the 65 and 99 junction, and spent
3 bucks in quarters and a half hour putting water in the thing. I
stopped twice more before getting to the bottom of the Grapevine,
and decided to call Randy for help. He came all the way from Newbury
Park (he finally moved out of Palmdale Friday), and towed my rig home.
My dually made it OK with no load, but with the heater on FULL blast.
We've got to find out what's with this new and unhappy turn of events
tomorrow (thermostat or water pump or electric fan or something).
Oh, and the FC? Well, we set up camp, towed it to tech, brought it
back, put it up on the stands and checked the trans functions (OK),
and as we were about to tow it to the line Gene Christianson showed
up. We did a run through with my suit on, strapping me in, etc. We
towed it up, I got in, fired it up, dropped the body, rolled to the
line, hit the throttle for the burnout, and it seemed a bit odd (though
more powerful than I had recalled). I got out a few hundred feet,
and couldn't get it to back up. Now this is not a top fuel car with
a dragging clutch and a reverser, but a Powerglide that uses a trans
brake when backing up. It worked perfectly on the stands, now I was
out there eating up time and not getting backed up. I finally put
it back in first and stabbed it, shifted (sounded weird), and coasted
to the end of the track. There was oil on the back of the motor (and
on the track as it turned out). We towed back and Gene came over and
said there was no tire spin on the burnout, and as I passed him at
the starting line he knew the trans was gone already. Turns out it
was 3 quarts low, or so. Now note that we had 7 quarts in it. But,
the dipstick markings indicated it needed three more. Once we put
three more in, it was still totally dead, and wouldn't turn the tires
in any position. The oil mess was from a loosened distributor block
off plate under the rear of the blower that had somehow had the wrong
bolt put in it (a tiny bit too long), which left the seal loose (but
happily did not affect the oil pump drive). So the rig is back in
the garage, all tucked in neatly, and we'll get to it sometime later
this week and change out the trans. Gene chided me for not bringing
the spare trans, and rightly so. So again, with all the best intentions
and info, we got bit by a small but critical error. Not terrible for
almost 6 years off the track. Trial and error, both were present here
today. Oh and the trailer floor caught fire (it's 2" thick oak)
when the generator exhaust overheated it where it penetrates the floor
to the muffler below. All in all an exciting day.
3/5/02
Some things are happening, and some are good. Sold the 90 Tbird to
Derek the Webmaster today. So one car is bye bye. The bad news is
that I started the dually when he left and it was steaming out the
right pipe. So definitely a blown head gasket there. The question
now is Chevy motor or Cummins diesel? Gale Banks thinks the Cummins
is the ticket. A little more research needed here. I found what looked
to be perfect: a 625 HP V-12 Cummins. The only problem is it is about
7' long and weighs 7500#, literally as much as the dually. The problem
is I now have no driver, other than the Gremlin! I do have an 85 Mercedes
500 SEC available to buy from a buddy, which I can then turn in a
month or two to another friend who is interested in that car. Just
didn't want to be out another $5K while trying to build the Condor
back. Someone please buy the Gremlin!! On the FC side I am researching
a Dedenbear case from Summit and Gene at AutoRite Transmissions. We'll
look to get the trans out either tomorrow or Thursday and see what
disaster we wrought inside there.
3/6/02
E2 has connected the three Gremlin gauges, and is out getting parts
to complete the oil pressure gauge. Actually, he's done. My "Nigerian
connection" sent yet another email claiming a check is on its
way for the Gremlin. Right. I have decided to go the Chevy 454 HO
gas engine route. Just shopping price right now, and settled on a
rebuilder in the Bay Area. The engine is about a two-day delivery.
As it is only 8.7 compression, there is room for a blower or turbo
later if need be. I am endeavoring mightily to avoid another two-year
engine swap project. I talked with Rob Anderson at Vortech and he
claimed (of course) that the Vortech could work perfectly for that
situation. I am inclined to think a roots-type would be more to the
point. But that is for much later. As I am busy with jobs (THANK you!),
we just haven't gotten the nuked trans out yet. I committed to buy
the MB today, and it will be out of the paint shop on Saturday. Nice
car. I think the only two items not done over on that car are the
engine and paint, and both look good. Who knows, maybe I'll just turn
it into another FC when the Condor is done….
3/8/02
Signed the papers on the MB and gave Larry the money, and will pick
it up probably Monday from the paint shop where is kindly having some
items detailed for me. Happily, I am trading half the price of the
MB for some air-conditioning work, so that works nicely. Ashok is
interested in the car, so that whole scenario may work out OK. Worst
case, I'll sell it to someone else when the Condor is done. Ordered
the 425 HP HP 454 BBC crate motor for the dually, and that should
arrive mid-week, around March 13th. As it appears the Mercruiser injection
which I gave to Bob at Vortech has still not sold, I may put that
on the rectangular port new crate motor. That would also make it REAL
easy later to toss on a Vortech, as the kit is designed for that injection
setup. Also looking to get a crate motor for the Condor, and just
get it done. A 430 HP 392 Windsor is available from Ford for about
$6K, a little less than if I have Duttweiler do the whole job from
scratch, and faster.
3/10/02
In an uncharacteristically good move, I went to Bakersfield, and literally
walked right into a sweet car deal: a original condition 66 Chevelle
convertible. A very long story short, I bought it, stayed overnight,
and resold it for a profit today at the Show and Shine at Famoso.
So, a little more dough for the dually motor and Condor. I am going
to go with the 392" Ford crate motor, and will have the converter
opened and reconfigured at Continental Converters to about a 2500
stall. This 430 HP crate motor makes over 400# of torque from 3000
RPM on up. Yikes! Love it. Notice that it has the nearly same power
curve as the 454 H0 425 HP dually motor? Interesting, eh? So I did
not get the FC trans out as I wasn't here. Perhaps tomorrow or Tuesday.
3/11/02
The moon and stars must be aligned beautifully. Remember the moonshot
deal on the Gremlin supposedly going to Nigeria? I just got a cashier's
check by Fedex this morning!!!!!! Woweee!! I'm still working on having
it verified (such scams have been known to happen before). But from
all appearances, this looks real. Man oh man. The money isn't spent
yet, obviously. Amazing, just amazing. Let's say at this point I'm
guardedly ecstatic. If it remains real, I might just get some FC uniforms,
pay some loans, and maybe get a Dedenbear case for the nuked powerglide.
3/13/02
Guarded was the operative term here. Phony cashier's check, major
scam, totally NOT for real, except the fraud part. I felt it was bogus
all along, but had to go the distance to find out. It is rather clever,
in that Western Union has about 60 offices in Lago, Nigeria, so money
can be retrieved at any one of them, hence making a sting pretty tough
on that end. Nonetheless, I have contacted the FBI and Secret Service
and (other than doing an inquiry into how Jim Maher has won so many
CIFCA championships) I doubt much will come of it. So back to Vortech
we went today for a final tune up and dyno run. So it looks like a
hold on the case and uniforms.
3/15/02
I am still jerking the Nigerian thief around, hoping to keep him on
the string long enough for the Secret Service to come up with a sting.
E2 enjoyed driving the Gremlin, and on the freeway ride to Vortech
nailed it past me like a rock down a well. Since I usually don't get
to see it from outside, may I say it is a very good-looking car. Come
on now, someone take this baby home! We are busy building cabinet
components in the garage, so the trans may have to wait a bit. I'm
trying to interest Gene Christianson in doing the trans swap with
the spare tomorrow morning.
3/19/02
Gene is WAY busy running the shop by himself (cutting down overhead).
I'll have to do it myself, or with local help. Really just a matter
of no time right now, as we are really busy (thank you!!!). The two
crate motors are not here yet, due anytime. Have had no luck reaching
Chris at Continental Converters regarding upping the stall on the
Condor converter. I will need Gene to properly bolt up the converter
and trans for the Condor so there is no problem later. The Gremlin
is back at Vortech on its final tune up.
3/20/02
Caught Chris at CTC this morning, and I'll bring both converters (Super
Coupe 12" lockup converter with about an 1800 RPM stall and the
FC 10" unit goof for about 3500-4000 stall) down for a look see
as soon as I can get to pulling the FC trans. Been working with E2
doing air conditioning ducting, valves, etc., and it's killing me
(I have had to stop my anti-inflammatory medications in preparation
for arthroscopic knee surgery in week). I am SO beat by the end of
the day, I'm useless.
These are the feelings I hope to be done with when I have completed
both knee operations. Got another missive from the Nigerian con artist.
I'll check with the Secret Service tomorrow and see if they are doing
anything before I blow him off. What is with this program? It won't
give me another page until I have typed two lines. Technology (yuk).
Been playing phone tag with Todd from Vortech re: the Gremlin being
done. It looks fairly certain I will relocate the steering for Randy
for a part of this season. If I engineer it right, it should be an
adjustable thing.
3/21/02
I'm having arthro next Wed the 27th, and that really shouldn't affect
my ability to drive the FC a couple of weeks later (Mexicali). Come
the end of May, now that surgery will be altogether another story,
taking about 2 months out of the driving schedule. Still no crate
motors as yet. And no word on money supposedly gotten (by the SB County
DA) from the Dave Smith idiot from 3 years ago on the Condor. It is
utterly amazing how long it takes government agencies to do anything.
I will say that the Sheriff did a commendable job of collecting on
the brake booster buffoon from small claims court. Got that dough
in a hurry. The pleasant exception. As I am going to get that car
running, I have to go get another unit pronto. And, I've got to clean
up the engine compartment as well. That's where the new handy-dandy
pressure washer will come in…….handy.
3/27/02
Got the brake master and booster, which promptly leaked out in the
Mercedes trunk. Joy. Got both crate motors. The Chevy is on the ground
on a dolly, still in its crate. The Ford motor is in the back of the
truck. Took the FC transmissions over to Gene, and discovered it was
not just my ineptitude that was giving me a problem setting the converter
on the spare trans, and preventing me from installing it. The input
shaft has a slightly different cut on the splines, and you literally
have to pound it on, which is not a good thing. We tried it on two
converters, and tried some other input shafts to be sure. All worked
except mine, of course. Mind you, this is a new high-dollar piece.
Gene is taking it over to Marv at A-1 to see what might be done. But
the shocker was that the input shaft on the primary glide was snapped
in half. Precisely what had happened in August of 96 at LACR, which
spelled the beginning of the end of my racing until now. The difference
now is I have a good rev limiter on board. I recall hearing a noise
when I shifted, and I'm sure it was the shaft snapping. How else could
I have motored down the track to that point? So real, real bizarre.
This glide was the most built thing you can imagine. I was told the
input shaft was a 300-M unit, the highest rated metallurgy available.
Oh boy. So I left both units with Gene, so he can check them both,
just in case some other goofiness is going on. E2 is taking the 10"
converter down to Chris at CTC today, along with my Tbird converter,
and having the 10" FC unit cut open and inspected. I'm trading
the Bird converter for a 2500 RPM stall unit. And in about 2 hours,
my left knee gets "scoped," that is arthroscopic surgery.
So the fun begins, with a new knee on the right in about two months.
I hope all this helps my back, which has been way bad for several
days. Of course the left knee feels just fine right now. Just like
the trans did when I pulled up to the line at Bakersfield.
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