| 7/21/04
SC2
Roy and I junctioned the power steering lines together, refilled it, and we have no leak from our splice. But the power steering pump appears to be leaking. The filler neck portion is missing its O-ring, and the ears which restrain it to the pump body are missing as well. My teflon tape rigging on the neck appears to be working, but there is a leak. I have a woman interested in the car. It has now shown to have a stripped passenger window motor gear, which I will correct tomorrow. Roy is supposed to help tomorrow to look at the pump leak. I will correct both of those before selling it.
7/22/04
SC2
The very lovely Elizabeth came with 3 friends to view the SC2 today. She liked it, had a friend drive her around the block in it, and is bringing her mechanic uncle by tomorrow to inspect the car. I revealed all flaws, and noted I was going to replace the power steering pump tomorrow, as I had found a leak. Her friend is HOT for my Regal Ltd at $20K. We'll see about that.
SC3
Roy found the lifters were WAY noisy in the rebuilt motor, so is pulling it apart to replace the lifters. These are roller hydraulics. Too bad we didn't just do that when it was apart.
FC
It started again today with no problem, and sounds quite crisp. Randy feels it is a bit fat on the idle. When the ambient temp drops about 25 degrees I'll consider taking it out. Meanwhile, I've got to reach Jim Deist about the belts (his line was busy), and get out to Cool Suit to see what gives (or what it takes) on that.
Chris is hot to continue working on the car, and on Sunday we'll do some cleaning, paint touch-ups on the frame, etc.
The trailer is in need as well. It can use some polishing, cleaning, a little organizing, re-stocking, etc.
CONDOR
Looking to get the seat over to Nick tomorrow. Door handles in, one moulding to be put in tomorrow. Waiting for one more moulding set. Talked with Steve, who is somewhat confused as to what Nick was to order. I clarified that I want all new rubber as needed, and to order it ASAP.
7/30/04
FC
Pat Cvengos of NHRA came today (on time) and re-certified the FC chassis. It is good for ANY ET, according to him. I winched it back in the trailer but the batteries seemed to be struggling. I need to examine the charger connections, as the batteries are in series, and I may be hooking the charger to just one side. I had boiled the water down a lot, and this charger, notwithstanding assurances to the contrary, does NOT shut off to a trickle. So I have purchased a couple of gallons of distilled water to keep handy should it happen again.
I have also found that the new headers just hit the overhang of the side shelves. I need to trim them back, bump them up, or cut down the headers.
I got the seat belts, crotch belt, and shoulder harness re-certified at Deist. Monday I will bring over the blower restraint-duh, I guess I could have taken the injector off while the car was out, huh??, and as well as the fire suit, gloves, and boots, and neck collar. The helmets are still good, as a Snell 90 rating is still current. The fire suit must be re-certed every 5 years.
I dug out the Cool Suit from the trailer while the FC was out, and must now find the cooler. I found that Cool Suit is out of business, and FAST (Fresh Air Systems Technologies) @ 1-888-466-RACE has their own Cool Shirt system. Jim Eggert has kindly offered to look my system over, so I will pack it up and ship it to him, along with my helmet for air flow testing. FAST offers both products which I already have by others (Cool Suit and Parker Pumper). I will upgrade to his stuff if need be.
7/31/04
SC3
Got the 5-speed New Jersey car back today. There are some problems. First, it has a sound that is rod-knock like. Roy is coming over to have another listen. It drives like a torquey big-block, and the car overall feels great.
8/4/04
Lovely Liz vanished. I since have replaced the power steering pump, hose, and alternator, and it is now getting the vacuum lines checked. The AC blows VERRRRYYY cold.
FC
Pulled the car out again today and pulled off the blower restraint. Looking to connect with Deist tomorrow on that. He is out of tags for the firesuit. That could be a problem.
Took the opportunity while the car was out of the trailer to lift up the side storage trays which WERE at 11” off the floor. The headers were just catching them, perhaps due to some additional tire pressure in the slicks. Whatever, it was TOO close, so I raised both sides, and made some new trays on the right side. Much better. Now I gotta find some 1/8” x 1” x 1” aluminum angle for the front edge of the right side.
Still have not sent the Cool Suit off to Eggert.
REGAL
The battery keeps gong down on the car. It appears near new. I've got it on trickle (2-amp) charge overnight, and will check its water level and warranty date tomorrow.
8/13/04
CONDOR
I drove the baby home the other night from Nick's!!! It feels SOOOOOOOOO good sitting in that car. Nick is scheduled for tonight, Friday the 13 th (!!!), to come over and assemble the rubber, set the rear quarter windows, door wipers, basically all the exterior stuff. He has STILL not ordered the cowl pieces (only 6 months of asking), and we have to get a few misc pieces. The car looks absolutely fantastic, and once assembled completely, I will post numerous pix, of course. It ran beautifully, did not overheat, notwithstanding the triple digit temps while driving home, but the AC appears not to be cooling. I did not chance testing it for long on the drive home. I'll run it over to Sam at Allstate and let him check it today.
SC2
A friend of mine has expressed interest in the automatic Bird. Nice car, I hope he gets it.
SC3
Roy came over and we did some testing to attempt to discern the odd noise. We disconnected park to each cylinder and one did reduce the noise, but did not eliminate it. We disconnected the supercharger belt, and promptly snapped the primary idler drive belt. But it was NOT the supercharger making the noise, unfortunately. It took some hunting, but I got the replacement belt, and got a list of the Gates # for the other belts so as not to have a problem in the future getting these items.
REGAL
It is still scheduled for its paint perfecting on Sept 8 th with Joe Montalto. It runs right at 210 degrees in triple digit temps with the AC on, sometimes as high as 235. If I turn off the AC, it drops promptly to 195. I will get the Flexalite 210 fan pack ordered today. Jeff had found the high speed relay was not plugged in properly, and the fan does run faster now, but the factory design is bad, not covering the whole radiator, and the shroud its up off the core, a total no bueno.
FC
Got the blower restraint back from Roger at Deist yesterday for a mere $38, and ONE day service!!! Jim Deist apparently left for Bonneville about 30 minutes before I got there, about a day and a half late. He and Lou Senter and others are trudging up there with fire bottles into that massive heat. I just can't break away this year. Jeff Seraphine also emailed me that my suit does NOT need re-certifying until at least next year. I discussed this with Roger at Deist, and he noted that the rule only went into effect in 2000, so the 5-year clock started then. Hooray!! Now I can go to Fontana or Irwindale. Jeff Seraphine is going to Fontana this Sunday, perhaps I might as well. Big maybe, as it is still monstrously hot. Roger also noted their SFI suit tags would be coming in, and I could bring the suit in and get it re-tagged quickly. That would put all the re-certs and license renewal around the same time every year (July to Sept). My NHRA competition license is to be renewed by Sept 30 this year, so I have to set up an FAA physical with Dr. Jack Ditlove once again (every renewal after age 55).
I have rounded up the Cool Suit cooler and suit and will be mailing it off today to Eggert at FAST. I'll probably send the helmet as well, and get it all looked at. I have another Snell 90 helmet, so I'm good there.
And I'll throw the blower restraint back on today.
10/27/04
Randy and I took the hot rod to Palmdale on Sunday 10/24. I had checked on the schedule at the ALCR website and with the recorded phone message, stating racing until 5 PM on Sunday. We got there at 2 PM , and Bernie was driving out the driveway!!. The gate was open, no personnel, chains across the starting line, and three cars in the pits. Bernie came back and said he'd screwed up and forgot to advertise the Sunday program of Fords Only, and closed early. So a nice practice tow. I did discover a leaking fuel jug (tossed it). Randy has the remaining jug at his house, which we used as a water backup for the GMC trip to his place.
10/31/04
I will get 2 drums of fuel on Thursday 11/4/04 at Justice Bros. That is the day AFTER I get my equity line funds.
I have taken Chris Titus up on his offer to go to the track and have asked him for 11/7. Randy requires that I get new brakes on the trailer prior to that, so I will endeavor to accomplish 4 wheel brakes by then. Right now it is a two-wheel deal, not really adequate for the 10,000# load.
The generator in the trailer is not pulling any gas from its tank, so we've got some snooping to do there. Coleman service may help. And I have to find the supplier for the trailer brakes, probably Camper World.
The trailer roof has leaked sufficiently to wreck about 4 ceiling panels. I will have to ante up and get more panels, quite a pricey deal unfortunately.
I would love to clean the exterior up with a new paint job or new panels. Either one is a near-$2000 experience.
I am also considering sandblasting the work truck and painting it as well. As the dually is a LONG way from being the tow vehicle, and I can't always get Randy or other diesel guys to tow, I might just go for it, and it will also make a nicer advertisement for DW Construction.
Tools so carefully purchased and housed have continued to vanish. So another round of “boxing” (making compartments in the toolbox for each item) is about to happen. This is more of the “rubbing” part of the “running” of the funnycar.
11/6/04
After the SEMA show, and canceling the outing for this Sunday, it appears I will not get the hot rod out before the CIFCA finals in Vegas on the 25 th of November. It will cost me $200 to enter that race, and with no laps, that's just too much. If I can get it out, and it performs, I might consider it.
12/5/04
Nope. And Randy and I will not be going to the CIFCA banquet 12/11 in Laughlin. Kinda too bad, as it is the farewell for Jim Maher as president, and Pete Mauriello as master of ceremonies. But it's just too tough right now. In good news, California Speedway in Ontario has announced that thei9r track rehab will be done for the Jan 22, 05 re-opening. This will be a VERY nice thing, not having to pull the grade to Palmdale, and having a nice facility as well. I do hope they are allowing our open header cars. If not, I'll get on with attaching the suburban muffler system I made up a few years ago. Randy and I were commenting on how we really like the nasty sound it makes through those huge cans. Randy did get in his concrete, and his garage looks nice with its blue floor. He is severely restricted on lifting ANYTHING, so the final touches are taking quite a while. But what a MAJOR difference seeing the concrete in, floor clean, and a lot of stuff no longer on the floor. I will be going out this week to give a hand in moving stuff, as he can not.
I had a pair of Russian guys come over to talk about building a hillside house, and when they left I asked if they were into fast cars. Short story, they loved the FC. While looking at it, one dials his friend and puts him on the phone. This guy has a 505” BBC Nova as his daily driver, and an Allison V-12 aircraft-engine powered 56 Chevy with 30” elongated hood, and a MERE 4400 HP!! This is MY kind of guy!
Still no word on a pickup date for the Duramax in West Virginia . It is paid for, and I have given a $150 deposit for the tow.
12/14/04
I canceled the Able Auto contract, and got someone to commit to a date (tomorrow actually) to pick it up 61 miles from Ted Davis' place. Davis is going to Harrisonburg tomorrow anyway, to an auction house, and will leave my truck there for the shippers to pick up between tomorrow and Friday.
Lots of phone calls, but got results.
Roy Ransom was here today, and we put the new brakes on the trailer, including soldering up the wiring to the new units. I am taking the drums to be turned tomorrow, as the magnets have gouged the face of the drums, and they will undoubtedly be better with smoother faces. Valley Friction materials will grind them. They used to do ALL the hot rod clutches years ago. I am getting some new inner bearing seals from Rite Way Brakes in Sun Valley . So by late Thursday we should be able to throw the wheels back on, adjust them up, check the electrical, and be ready to rock with new brakes. The old ones really weren't bad as I now inspect them. I'll clean them up, paint them, and hold them as spares for a while, or sell them on ebay.
While covered in my Duramax Diary, I have put the motor and trans and chassis up for sale in the Recycler (no bites as yet), and will move them to ebay soon.
The FC is ready to rock. There is some uncertainty as to the new schedule at Fontana , as they may not permit unmuffled race cars.
2/8/05
FINALLY got the hot rod out on the track at California Speedway. What a GORGEOUS facility! The car started and appeared strong, but ran two lame passes at about 9.50/140. The timing has GOT to be off, as the pills appear to be in the ballpark from prior tuneups. There will only be 2 or 3 occasions this year when we can run there, which is tragic, as it is a dream facility with electrical outlets for the trailers, all paved, spacious, courteous staff, great track surface. Sitting in the car for 20 minutes in the lanes fully suited and belted in is not fun, ever. I have not tried the Cool Shirt as yet. But even at mid-60's temps, I was roasting in the car. Most particularly when the helmet goes on. We had some problems at the end of the second pass, and an air line apparently failed, or I might have done something goofy. Whatever, the rams lifted out of the cups, the left rear air feed to the ram was broken, and I had to get out through the hatch as there was insufficient pressure to trigger the front latch open (normally closed for safety). I held the body up while someone else reset the rams in the cups. We have not fixed it, just got it back in the trailer. I'll get to it soon.
The trailer roof also now leaks, despite ET3's efforts in the past. I have bought some ceiling material, and once the car is out I'll cut it out, flood the roof, and hopefully find the leak and fix it.
Notwithstanding the lackluster performance, the car felt good, and it was nice to FINALLY get some laps in. Now to find out what the heck is wrong! We did not think to put the timing light on it out in the pits, a major goof on our part. So I'll have to piss off the neighbors or tow it to an industrial area to time it.
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