3/2/05

Randy came by, we rolled the car out, fired it up, and I noticed a leak out the back of the blower gasket at the intake manifold. CRAP!! Also, we couldn't get the timing light to give us any usable info, as it was jumping around on it's settings. So we gotta try another light. We also have to pull the whole blower and injector assembly off and see why that rear area is giving way. Perhaps the manifold is tweaked, so we'll check torque settings once we lift the blower off. I have NOT checked for tightness on the 8 hold down nuts, and I will do that before pulling it all off.

The trailer has several roof leaks, and Brett and I cut about 2/3 of the ceiling out. VERY messy job with a grinder on that masonite-based board-like a fire (LOTSA smoke). We will fix the leaks using some aluminized tape and sealers. Silly little crap like two tiny puncture holes from some unknown source, some roof screws NOT going into the ribs (guaranteed to work loose), etc.

4/9/05

Brett fixed the roof leaks, and we did not use the aluminized tape. Just roof patch and silicone, We added some bigger screws to the ones which were just missing the roof ribs, and I installed some 1” wide by 1/8” aluminum ribs to back up the new joints in the ceiling board. I have I believe 2 or 3 sheets of the white Masonite board, but we have just been swamped with the Condor project to get back into the trailer.

I had Angel detail the FC today in prep for the California Car Cover Show tomorrow (hey, I gotta impress Chip Foose, you know). To do it right, we need at least two MORE days of detailing on the aluminum in and out. The wheels look lots better, but the CO2 bottle hatch and air filler door need serious work. The car as a whole looks sparkling, but I want it all way good, and that will take days of serious work on Angel's part with sanding, polishing, and buffing the other components in the cockpit and things like the fuel cell strap, side panels, etc. The trailer mouldings will require probably two days on their own.

I will attempt to fire it up a few times tomorrow. The batteries are pretty much topped off both in the car and trailer.

I may spend some time at the show cleaning up a few inside areas. I also have to put the windows back in it.

I am approaching certainty on replacing the trailer skin. I will make some calls next week when I get out from under the paper and bid avalanche.

It's back in the trailer, truck is hooked up, and it's ready to pull out of the driveway. The car looks real good.

But you know, it's a sliding scale, and a never-ending pursuit for perfection. But as far as it went today, Angel earned his $240 of elbow grease. I had to throw him out about 9 PM .

He feels another two days are needed to do the interior aluminum and bring the the 2 access hatches to proper sweetness.

I guess that would be a worthwhile project for him while we are O-ringing the manifold and figuring out how to make the car run.

I can't fathom what the trailer trim will cost to brighten. Well, I can, really, probably 2 days. Oh, I will be getting new panels. Keep your eye peeled for yellow. Last quote was about $100 per panel-needing 14.

I had an "accident" backing the car out. A box of oil on the left wheelwell shelf wedged and popped off the larger extinguisher. I should have pulled the car back forward and it might have stopped. As it was it was a mighty mess. I ended up cleaning the trailer out, including removing the stored insulation and ceiling panel, blowing it out, sweeping it out, and mopping it out.

I found the toolbox was NOT secured with the bolts (good save.......). Yikes.

And on a general note I will have to convert Brett from a junkyard mechanic into a more anal guy. He just leaves shit all over the place, does not wipe the tools down or put them back, and it drives me NUTS!!!

We're having a little Boydster meeting on Monday. I spent about half of the day putting away tools, remaking shelving to accommodate stuff, just maddening. As noted and agreed before, a crew should be doing this kind of maintenance and improvement on their own. NOT!!!!

I tried starting the Stude tonight and it gave one quick cough and then refused to light. Crap! I did not use the ether, but I think I should. Something is awry in the fuel delivery, I think. It tends to run rather ragged for 5-10 seconds then settles down to a purr. It will then start instantly thereafter. Gee, could it be a carburetor problem? Perhaps a carb rebuild and a new starter would be good. the battery cranks endlessly, the starter just crawls.

The batteries in the trailer seemed sluggish pulling the car in, and they are taking only about 2-3 amps on the charger. I'm praying topping them over night will do the trick. As the trailer generator seems to function, I might just try using it (to certainly everyone's annoyance) and see if I can get a stiffer charging rate going. Of course, I'll need a stiffer charger, and I have only the little guys right now.

Lights out.

6/6/05

Went by Ollie's Performance Grand Opening on Valjean (literally a few blocks away) by PURE accident on Saturday, and saw the #2 CIFCA car on display out front. Talked with Tom Abbott, the car's crew chief, with whom I spoke 11 years ago, and who was geographically too far away then, but now lives in Chatsworth. I am apparently well known to these guys, even with my 8-year absence.

Sal (Mercury) saw this same team on his street about a month ago, working on the car.

Looks like I'll be machining the manifold flat, the blower flat, and O-ringing the manifold, and right up the street!

6/13/05

John Jarnagin and I launched into the garage cleanup today, and worked our way out to the FC trailer, at which point we installed all the ceiling insulation. Remember, Brett and I took that out a couple of months ago to repair all of the (5) roof leaks in the trailer. The carefully marked pieces of rigid foil-backed insulation did not fit per the markings, so I just put in as possible, cut and modified, and we ended up with a solidly filled ceiling again, with a little to spare, which I used in the front tool box area.

We pulled the toolbox out and put it in the garage where it is needed, and that was the catalyst for the trailer work. We also washed the FC, and put on the new California Car Cover. It was friggin' hot today!! We put steel casters on the big shop fan, and rolled it out to the trailer and saved our asses. The insulation does in fact make a big difference. All we had to do was put our hands on the roof skin (and get burned), then touch the underside of the insulation to feel the huge improvement.

The new batteries seem to be holding (at about 15.04 volts while on the charger), and I am keeping a constant charge as needed to keep them topped off.

The lighting is daunting, as I have both 110-volt and 12-volt systems, and they are hanging like rain in the trailer. JJ and I will attack that lighting tomorrow, verify everything, and get the ceiling panels in as possible. If so, the FC goes back in.

The next phase is demolishing the faux finish table in the garage and seeing if we can back the trailer in there. Daunting, but doable. There is also a huge quantity of truck trim pieces from the several trucks used for the dually and Duramax work, and this all needs sorting, too.

And, I've got to get the blower and manifold over to Ollie's for the O-ring work.

6/17/05

John and I did indeed verify the wiring, check voltages, and get the ceiling completely back in, including the new 1” rails. It looks WAY better than before. I'm leaving the FC out for the party.

So as noted above, the next phase in clearing the garage to receive the trailer. I will have to finish the Condor console mounting in order to get the trailer in (and have any room to work on the Condor). Parking in there with the trailer is one thing, working around the car is another.

We are closer on the dually as well, as Roy got the brakes lines done except for the actual connection to the master cylinder. Once complete, along with another power steering line, the dually could conceivably be moved and driven, at least in and out of the garage.

7/18/05

The dually has taken all the energies, along with a little Condor work. It has been over 10 degrees here for a while, too f---in hot to work on the race car. Once it cools, I'll pull the blower off at get it to Ollie's. I would ABSOLUTELY NOT go racing in this weather in any event.

8/8/05

Still too f----in' hot to even THINK about racing. Been over 100 for 3 weeks!

The dually is getting close to running, which will allow for the FC to be moved into the garage for pulling off the blower. No WAY we're gonna do it now with the crowded driveway and garage and huge temps.

10/2/05

Got the trailer back in the garage for the first time in years! The driveway looks way better. Now I can SEE the mess of parts along the west side, and at least can get to them to toss, sell, whatever.

This arrangement also allow for easier in and out of Millie's and my cars.

Sal of ACT has suggested sponsoring my car to some degree and getting me out to match race with him in his Buick. He is not about competing, just getting out and having fun. Randy and I feel this way as well. We're not up for the middle-of-the-summer roasting in the car stuff, just having fun. I do hope he gets to his FC so we can do just that.

After the car show on 10/7/05 , I will pull the intake off and get it over to Ollie's Machine. Meanwhile I will pull it out, detail it, get the batteries charged, start it for good measure, and check the timing. Randy says he was given a heads-up by someone from Zig's and I may be setting it at least 10 degrees retarded from what I think. I also want to find out why I can't get the timing light to work on it.

In the near future I will address quieting the exhaust using the headers I purchased a while back.

Getting the dually out of the garage is allowing a lot of things to occur that are LONG overdue.

I will also be ordering trailer panels in a few weeks, as soon as I confirm how I am going to attach them. I will be getting the Penske yellow color. As you will recall, there is the issue of the existing rivets. I intend to make strips to cover them and provide clearance for the new panels, as well as attachment strips.

10/7/05

Pulled the trailer back out of the garage, rolled out the car, aired up the tires, washed it, and fired it up. It hiccuped, and I shut it down. Of course it was out of fuel. We put in about 10 gallons, and it should be fine for tonight's Car Show. I have charged the trailer batteries, and will now go out and switch the charger to the car itself. The car is cracking in a lot of areas, rather odd for just sitting in the trailer. Not unexpected, but disappointing nonetheless.

I'll use a compressor tonight to run the body up and down.

11/8/05

For the past month, since the display at Sal's show, I thought the trans had gone bad, and that I had lost reverse. I took the car to ACT's show over last weekend, and realized I had failed to remember this car has a newer trans brake, which requires holding the trans brake down while in reverse. That was an easy fix!

ACT had promised to take on a part sponsorship of the car, but that appears to have faded, as Salim is too busy right now. I will pull the top off the motor soon, but not TOO soon, as I have several other things going right now, and there is no racing to be had in the near future. I have found Salim a PHENOMENAL property, and he is moving his shop and home to this new location, VERY close to me. This is a MAJOR win for him, and will insure me a lot of free parking for my trailer, etc. This will be a most welcome respite from the struggle of no room here. Of course, thinning out the car count will help as well. The Duramax truck is being painted right now to match the future color of the trailer panels. Brij of Sharp Auto Painting painted it the wrong yellow, and is having to redo the whole truck as I write this. And I gave him a paint sample to be sure!!

will also need to get to some rock guards on the vulnerable areas of the body per the cracking notes just above. I have some sound-deadening rubber sheeting which I used on the dually and Condor that might just do the job nicely, and it is foil-backed a well.

11/18/05

The truck came out fabulously. See the Duramax diary for details.

The rear tires on the FC last perhaps a week or two now before going flat. I will be cutting panels in the side of the trailer tomorrow for access to the wheels from outside. Ah, the evolution of the operation!

I will also be ordering panels for the trailer shortly from HaulMark.

11/20/05

Well two partial days of work and one panel done!

Whew! I think I could have bought a panel and just cut a hole! I learned a bit more about Dzus fasteners and the art of fabbing tabs.

But it's a done thing on the right side. I'll look for some premade fastener packs (Randy will be a great source for that info), although I do have enough hardware here to make two more. As I intend to get new trailer skins, I'll likely buy a ready-made door system so as to keep it real clean. Today, Sal Moncibais noted he could get me some paint that would look identical to my truck color (which is identical to the HaulMark sample panel, Penske yellow). I'll have him get some, and I'll do a test panel just to see how it looks. There is a lot of bodywork to do on the trailer before I'd paint it, and as the panels are aluminum it gets real easy to stretch them. Many are stretched already. I need to re-skin the side door (the walk-in), as it is NOT aluminum, and is WAY warped.

I might just opt to grind down all the rivets and leave the existing skin. It would take two guys perhaps two days to do all the grinding. I could then glue the panels for the state-of-the-art seamless look. As I am (happily) busy with work right now, I might not get around to these panels nor the FC manifold fix this week. But we are closing in on many things.

11/27/05

I did the other (left side) panel in about two hours. It's a LOT easier with the FC out of the trailer. I also did not bother to use Dzus hardware for the latch, just three sheet metal screws. I need to contact HaulMark and firm up the panels, sizes, delivery, costs, and access doors for the new trailer skin. And as noted above, I need to do some door re-fitting in a serious way. The wood floor has taken a major beating, and is in need of refinishing again. I'll give Brad D'Antonio a call and see what kind of deal he'll make me. Otherwise, I'll just pay my guys to do it with a rented hand sander.

1/23/06

Nothing was done on the trailer other than completing the tire access doors, which have proved dramatically useful.

But there is possible BIG news:

CUDA

Got in touch with ebay seller Brian who owns it, a 71 yellow 120” wheelbase car. It has an empty rear end, floater hubs, 4 wheels and tires, a fuel tank, some sheet metal, and a correct clear REAR window.

He'll take the $15K I offered, notwithstanding his $30K reserve price.

Bucky Austin offered him $10K, and he has another guy hounding him at the same price.

He said he'll call me tomorrow and we'll go or no at that time, after it comes off ebay.

I suppose it's possible this was a Prudhomme/Schumacher car, but I'm not considering that to be the case. It's the ONLY body I like of ANY nostalgia car, and it has a frame, a BIG plus. And, there just aren't any around.

This would allow me to match race THREE cars (with Randy's Probe should he finish it), and have perhaps a fourth if the altered guy steps up. I already have a 9” Chrisman dragster 4.11 ratio center section, spare engine and trans, and a few other goodies. Truth be told I would have to sell off the my FC to make this really workable.

I see the Buick Regal leaving in the near future if I get this car, not to mention the 47 Stude Champion. And as much as I wouldn:t want to, the Condor as well.

I also foresee a Buddy Lift being needed!

And it might be prudent to dump both current trucks and keep the 06 project truck in the driveway as the ONE truck in the family.

Also, if I get the Cuda, I'd like to contact the guy who rebuilt the Yellow Prudhomme Cuda for the Petersen and get his input on the car. I think the Snake and Mongoose cars were dusters, now that I think about it.

1/30/06

It is looking more solid on the Cuda. Brian MAY come out to Oregon to get or deliver something, and if so I will arrange for him to bring the FC along. I have urged him to make it out for the Winternationals to get a Nitro hit. He is quite interested in possibly trading the Regal and some money for the Cuda. Brett is also VERY interested in the Regal, and will be working out some payment options with me. I'd like him to have it, but whatever it takes is what I'll do.

I have listed the Tbird FC on ebay. Such cars have historically done badly there, so we'll see what happens. I will be informing the Injection Connection (CIFCA), and putting an ad in Dragster. Jorge had a neat idea: take it to the parking lot at Pomona during the Winternationals. I will be working some arrangements to hire a flatbed truck and just park it every day there up above the sea of cars.

2/25/06

IN RESPONSE TO AN INQUIRY FROM A READER OF THESE UPDATES: Hi, I have been checking into you website for FC progress, for several years now. I usually check your writings about every 6-12 months, and didn't find an update this time. Hopefully you are ok, and just tired of writing. I look forward to your writings, as they hit so close to home, although I am in Oklahoma . Maybe you should write a book!

Randy

I like the idea of a book. I actually have three "books" in progress. No good if I don't finish, though. Thanks for the push.

Not much has been happening on the FC. It ran a year ago at Calif Speedway, but not well. We've traced it to a bad fir between the blower and the manifold, leaking there. I'm going to replace the manifold with a tall deck unit to eliminate about 3 layers of gaskets on the adapter plates and the two end plate risers, and o-ring the manifold to the blower. The other issue appears to be the timing. However I'm doing it, I think the timing is about 20 degrees short of the 35 degrees advance it should run, so the thing just ran lazy.

I had a buyer for the car and one of my trucks, and it fell through. I was going to replace it with a 71 Cuda FC which in turn involved a guy giving me some cash and his FC and taking my Buick. As the Tbird did not sell, I have no room, money, or time for a duplicate project. Mind you, I love the Bird, it was just a chance to do something different, and which would allow me to run the FC at nostalgia and other events. No matter, the Bird stays, and I'm going forward with the manifold and o-ring next week. Within a couple of weeks it should be humpin'.

I have another project of mammoth proportions: the KiloKub Stude pickup. Read about it on the website.

Thanks for you interest.

3/18/06

Well, a fairly giant stride forward was accomplished today. I purchased a brand new tall deck blower manifold from Good Vibrations, including burst panel (I thought it was a pop-off valve type, crap), and polished. I had it O-ringed, and so for about a thousand bucks (OUCH!!!), Roy and I got the old 5-piece arrangement out and replaced it with the one-piece new gizzmo. I spent three hours driving to 5 places today, Saturday, rounding up four 1/2” pipe plugs and eight 1/8” plugs Allen-head types for the unused port injector openings. Once installed, I found the distributor block off device was about .800” too tall, owing to the lower profile of the non-spacered manifold. I pulled the gear out twice to make SURE it wasn:t just sitting up on the oil pump drive. I fabbed up a collar to take care of that, we loaded some fuel, and it fired up. We still have to verify the timing.

I was attempting to take the car out to Santa Paula to a Bob's cruise for Joe Montalto this weekend, but the parts delay and rainy weather have pre-empted me getting there. Too bad.

So the car is still here, and ready for a lap. I need to find out how to recharge the Accusump. I have been told how, but somehow I haven't gotten it right.

I also have to replace an O-ring in the barrel valve, as it drips. Randy will assist me on that this week. So the car is ready for some test and tune. There are several events scheduled at Fontana for the PSCA, and Sal has told me I am welcome to come to those events as an exhibition.

The rainy weather also nearly killed all runs at Bakersfield today, and I didn't get up there, either. Nor will I make it tomorrow. WAY too many things to do. Gotta do the money-MAKING stuff first, and that included checking out the layout of a new job about to start.

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