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Well, ended up being either a student with no instructor, or an instructor with no student. They put me in the instructor run group.
Pretty easy track to learn. And real, real fast!
The 3.73's in the Mustang make it a horrible car for this track. I used it once and though I was faster in it, I went back to the Subaru. Just hate having to go to 5th on the straight and have the engine drop to 3500 rpm and barely accelerate anymore.
Will switch to 3.55's before going to RA. I'm sure I'll still have to use 5th. Just not as soon or often as with the 3.73's.
Brainerd's really an easy track to learn the basics of. To such an extent that I passed a fellow instructor on my 3rd lap. I'm on the low end of the bell curve among instructors, but not the slowest.
Takes a while to really get the turns dialed in, though. To get that extra 10th out of them.
No idea what kind of speeds I'm reaching in the Mustang, but I'm entering turn 1 at 125 and exiting turn 2 at 110 in the Subaru. Pretty thrilling. Especially on howling street tires. I would guesstimate that since I'm entering the straight much faster in the Mustang (torque and Hoosiers), it's probably getting close to 140 before I slow it down a touch for turn 1. I'm running out of steam in 4th wayyyyy before the end of the straight.
I fully expect to use 5th. I hit the rev limiter at MAM if there's much of a south wind. And the front straight on that is probably about half a mile.
I'm going as a student, and will use the Subaru with street tires until I feel comfortable enough to take the fast car out. And since it's an Audi club, I'm sure I'll get an instructor who's familiar with AWD. They're quite different.
The exercise Sheridan uses to illustrate the importance of keeping your eyes up goes something like this.
You're seated and while he's standing in front of you, he holds an empty hand at about waist level and holds an item (like a salt shaker) in his other hand at about chest level and you need to grab the salt shaker while looking at the hand he's holding at waist level. Nearly impossible to do.
Then he'll hold the salt shake in the waist-level hand and have you grab it while looking at the hand he's got at chest level. Far easier to do.
The point of the exercise is to illustrate that we easily take in and process things *below* where we're currently looking, but not so the things that're *above* where we're looking.
If you're fixated on the exit cone of the current turn, you won't see the spun 911 in the next turn.
If you're looking at the next turn, you're still able to see and easily process the current turn. And, besides, what you did at the entrance and apex have pre-determined where the car will be at the exit, so you don't need to look at the exit anymore.
Hi Bob, Re: Brainard.........
Hold on to your parachute cord! That's supposed to be the fastest closed course in the country. The Start/Finish straight plus the slight jog (right) and continued straight pavement is in excess of a mile long, I heard.
You might even use 5th gear!!!
Wish I knew if it was smooth or bumpy to give you a clue which wheel/tire combo would work best.
Have fun and give us a complete report when you get back. I've yet to make that trip.
Best regards, Tom
Hi Bob, Re: Set-up from photo....
Your car looks very happy in the photo. A tiny bit more of neg. camber might be called for, but much depends upon the tires.
Last weekend my friend Pete Wilson (you met him in Pahrump, he is the former 5.0 LX SSGT piloto) won a new set of Hankook race tires while driving his Spec. Miata in an SCCA National event at Road America. He's currently running Toyo's and when the tire guy came around he said the setup for the Hankooks should be with less negative camber on both ends of the car.
So, there may be some relationship to side wall flex and other factors that give you the "ultimate" setting. In this case, if the car feels solid in the corners with controllable drift, I'd say, "Don't Worry, Be Happy!"
Re: Challenge of Seeing the Future!.......
I think this is maybe one of the hardest things to teach new high performance drivers. They need to look as far ahead as they can, especially in a tight series of corners. It's really neat when the light comes on with this. Suddenly the driver isn't looking at THIS corner, but the eventual position of the car for the best of the series of turns.
That said, I also find myself, on a new track, struggling to keep my eyes "up" in the first sessions. Once the rhythm is learned, they we take in much more than just the next turn.
Your photo demonstrates the difference in where the eyes are pointing very nicely!
I'm returning to Mid-Ohio's race track for the first time in about 7 years at the beginning of August. Remember the trick David Zubick was teaching us in Pahrump? Close one's eyes and drive the entire track in one's mind - turn for turn, straight for straight, shift for shift. I've been attempting to do this "refresher course" visual of the laps I've travelled at Mid-Ohio in preparation for this coming event.
Even though I won't be in the same type of car as my last races there, it seems to be helping to remember some of the details of the track. I'm sure after this amount of time, several of the mental snapshots I have will have changed. I'll also need a whole new set of brake and turn-in points, but at least remembering the track has got my "motor" running!
Best regards,
Tom
I was under the apparently mistaken impression that Ford would be in attendance, filming for an upcoming piece about one of the ways people use their products, which is the only reason the car is running the heavy pony wheels. The lightweights are going on this week for Brainerd. I'll weigh them and the ponies and determine the "effective" weight loss the car sees with the much lighter wheels I usually run.
I'll bring the pony wheels along mainly because though the tires on the light wheels have two full 3-day weekends on them, they're in beautiful shape. The tires on the ponies have only last weekend on them, so they're very good spares.
Sheridan just sent me this pic, which I assume he must've gotten from either the MAM website or the one for MCCI. The picture was definitely from this past weekend based on the car number ("50", which I always make "5.0" and remain surprised I'm consistently able to get that number on request the day of the event) and the fact that it's wearing pony wheels, which went on before this event.
I was about 4 seconds slower per lap with my student on-board, partly because I didn't want to scare him and partly because of the ongoing dialogue telling him exactly what I was doing and what I was feeling for the car to do.
Have to wonder if that right front tire was completely clearing the pavement when I was going solo.
Tom, what's this pic say about the setup? Perhaps just a tad more negative camber? It's hard to tell from this angle, but looks to me like the left front is just a bit positive under this load.
The car felt the most dialed-in it has for at least 2 years. Handing and braking were right on the money, it felt more powerful (everything from the rotor to the plugs replaced), and the temperature needle rarely even hit the halfway point.
Edit: Just noticed that in this picture, I'm looking at the entrance to the next turn (down a bit of a straight) but the student is looking a lot closer in. A consistent challenge for me has been recognizing when my students aren't looking far enough ahead. I usually work on this by having them tell me the situation at the next corner station the instant they can, but also need to do an exercise Sheridan showed me. If I can more consistently recognize that they're looking too close to the front of the car.
Tom,
You would think the guys that owned those expensive toys would have been driving them with lots of caution.
In addition to excess testerone and lack of common sense, I guess they probably also have more money than brains.
LOL
Have fun,
Phil
Hi Phil, Let's hope that the lines on the graph of testosterone VS I.Q. don't cross again that way!
This just isn't supposed to happen in Vintage/Historic racing. The paint swappers should have been sent home on Saturday and maybe the rest of the field would have been a bit more clear headed on Sunday.
Best regards, Tom
A horrific number of expensive toys ruined in that melee, but you're right, it could have been much worse as far as the drivers are concerned.
But,
That's racing.
Phil
As sick as I felt about a student of mine totalling a Bullitt (I think only 3000 were built), I can't even comprehend how that guy feels.
But, better for that car to have met its demise doing what it was built to do than to have survived even another 40 years just being looked at.
Hi Bob, Maybe they'll salvage the VIN plate and build a replacement, ah, er, "fix" the old car!
Best regards, Tom
Wow!
Assuming everyone's alright, the biggest tragedy there is what happened to #25. As a one-owner car, it was probably a survivor rather than a restoration. In a league shared with VERY few other cars.
And now it's toast. That sucks!
This from the first row.....
Dick Kantrud 19-Jul-2005 17:18
Well, I need to add my comments as well. I'm Dick Kantrud and I was in P.2 next to Mike Donahue in P.1. Before the race we were told in no uncertain terms to maintain 50 mph at the start and that is exactly what we did. The pace lap was a little faster at first with everyone warming tires & brakes till we got about to sta. 11. The pace car then slowed up to collect the field as best he could. This was well below 50mph, I had to drop down to 1st gear and then even go in and out of neutral as it was too slow for 1st. The pace car sped back up to about 50 around sta. 13 and maintained that speed. He slowed a bit when when he exited the track, Donahue did the same and then went back to about 50 (4200rpm in 2nd gear in my car).
Thats what we were doing coming up over the hill and we absolutely did not vary till the green came out - yes it did, no doubt at all. We were watched carefully by track management and this was confirmed by George B. who said the front row was perfect at the driver's meeting. I don't know who told the operating steward who said we admitted to 5000rpm in 3rd gear but that is crazy, must be mixed up with one of the cars further back.
Its possible some coming up the hill were doing that. A friend of mine was watching from the concession stand by the hill and said cars were 4 abreast before the flagstand (and probably before the green). I was told some of the cars in rows 2 - 5 anticipated the green and then had to slow down because we didn't speed up.
I didn't see the red till sta.3, slowed way down watching mirrors. Stopped a little late then coasted up to some shade. The rules do not allow people to start before the green whether you can see the flagstand or not. I am going to suggest green, yellow and red lights on the bridge at the top of the hill (a tv camera too)to be operated by the starter. I've been a driver since 1964 and was an SCCA Steward for about 28 years as well. This is the worst I have ever seen with one happy exception. Thanks to a great job by the safety crew and good car and driver safety equipment there were apparently no serious injuries. Still a very sad day for all of us, particularly the ones
with wrecked cars.
Road America, BRIC Vintage/Historic Races........
On Sunday there was probably the worst accident relative to car damage that has ever occurred in Vintage/Historic racing. Luckily there were no serious injuries. You'd never believe it from looking at these photos, however.
http://www.pbase.com/atrltd/bric2005
If you're in the mood, you can read the opinions and facts below the thumbnail photos, but here's what I learned from my friends who were in Group 6 during this Cluster Coitus....
The read that several of the drivers had on the situation was that it was a combination of things that precipitated this accident. This group (Group 6, Historic Large bore Production and Trans Am) has a lot of very fast '60s and '70s cars in it. It also had more aggressive driving than I've seen in the past. There had been quite a bit of bumping on Saturday and nobody was called on the carpet for it. What the heck; This is Vintage/Historic racing - the prize money's just not that good.
The warm up lap had the cars bunched very well all the way to the bottom of the hill after Turn 14 heading for the Start/Finish line. For those not familiar with Road America, the front straight is nearly a mile long and has a big hill in a generally uphill climb. A couple of hundred yards after cresting the big hill is the Start/Finish flag bridge.
If you are a leader, you see the green flag well before the rest of the field has visual line of sight, but only after cresting the major part of the hill. Usually the leaders hold the pack back and in grid formation for the start. On Sunday, the leaders took to full throttle very early while still on the steep part of the hill.
They crested the hill and expected a green, but the flagman on the bridge waited because the pack was still out of sight. The first six cars got over the hill with the leaders engine braking because of no GREEN being shown. Finally the green was thrown, but only the first six cars avoided the huge accident. I believe the total involved was 17 cars.
The drivers from Row 4 back saw the leaders take off and got hard on the throttle as well, expecting to crest the hill and find a Green flying and the leaders well on their way to Turn 1. Instead they found brake lights on the cars ahead and had to also jam on their own brakes.
A car or two had broken ranks after seeing the leaders take off up the hill. One bumped another under brakes, cars spun and then the rest just piled into the spinning cars and car parts.
It was terrible, probably the worst accident as far as cars go in vintage and historic racing history. And yet it could have been much worse. There were over 50 cars in that event. The leaders had Red Flags waving at Turns 1, 2 and 3 and didn't have a clue what had happened behind them. Luckily the cars following the Cluster Coitus were able to stop their cars and avoid the accident. For them, it was a matter of following instructions and drive past the event and to a stop further down the track. This was done to clear the track so that safety vehicles could approach the scene.
All this carnage occurred essentially right at the Start/Finish line.
One of my Group Six friends told me he heard one driver had a broken wrist. Fritz Schiffmeyer, the driver of #25 blue 289 Cobra (he's owned it since new in '64) was taken by ambulance to be checked over. I've raced with Fritz for 15 years and for a guy about 70 years old he's still doing a great job. Unfortunately, as you can see in the picture, #25 looks to be toast.
The ambulance carrying Fritz off wasn't in a big hurry, so we're guessing he's okay. Scott Cline, the driver of the silver E-Type Jag was spun around and into the wall and says he saw Fritz's car get hit four times by different cars. He said they were cautious and took their time in getting Fritz out of the car and neck braced and back boarded him before carrying him to the ambulance. He was concious and moving around in the car but was asked to stay in it until they could brace him. As of Sunday night we'd still not heard a final on Fritz's condition. His wife and crew had checked out of the Osthoff, so we think that he's home, okay and recovering.
Because there was some fuel spilled from the accident, the safety people cleared a lot of spectators, etc, away from the area. Cars were piled on top of cars. People, this could have been much worse. Let's hope it never happens again.
Sincerely,
Tom
Here's my good friend David Hinton in Sunday's final race for Vintage Production cars.
He's piloting the 1952 Jag XK 120 Coupe and chasing down the two XK-E Jags. He'd passed one and was on the tail of the other going for 1st overall when a freeze plug let go on his engine and lubricated his tires at the end of the mile long Start/Finish straight. This sent him deep into the pea gravel.
More photos at
http://www.roadamerica.com/2005/images/races/bric/bric_05/bric%20tweaked/index.html
With about 500 vintage and historic race cars there for competition, it's the automotive equal of Woodstock!
Best regards,
Tom
Hi Bob, I've been driving the Pumpkin Cobra in Midwest Council's Vintage/Historic group. They don't seem to mind and I'm having fun. I bought a set of 15" rims and am using Hoosier TD race tires on it. They're bias belt tires and "proper" for vintage racing.
A couple of the competitors grumbled a bit this weekend about the car, but I don't think they understand that it's basically a stock Mustang under the skin. It's probably closer to what an original 289 Cobra was than the current "Vintage" Cobras that do race. The "old" Cobras have been modernized and have huge horsepower numbers even in the small blocks. So, if they grumble about my "fake" you can imagine how they'd grumble by being blown away by a 500Hp "real" one!!
There were a bunch of solid axle Corvettes there to race with. Well, they had their own race, and I followed! Amazing what a thick wallet can do to launch an old vette!!! I'd beat them in the corners and under brakes, but, man, could they fly down the straights!!
It was interesting to get the car to speed on the Hoosier bias belts. The car handles the same with them as it did on the 17" street tires. The main difference is that there's no sound generated by the tires to tell you you're near the limits. The street tires sing loudly, the Hoosiers you just have to use the Butt Muscle to tell when it's going to start to give way. On both tire types the car is "push" a bit beyond neutral.
I've ordered the heavier springs and we'll see if that cures the push on the car.
Yes, I really enjoy the car. My lap times are now considerably faster than even a year ago with just a change in brake pads and tires. They're now considerably faster (about 10 sec. a lap) than we used to do in my buddy's SSGT Mustang LX. I think there's still several more seconds that I can trim off my times as I get more tuned into the car. I managed a 2:51 this last weekend where my best in April was around 2:54.
I plan on being with you guys at one or the other of the events. It probably will depend upon whether they'll let the Cobra attend or not. I'll write the gal I know from Badger Bimmers and see if they'll allow the car.
Best regards, Tom
Those temps were on the high side, eh? It's comparatively brutal down here.
Both my Mustang and a friend's Cobra were having major cooling issues. I could only do about 5 or 6 laps before the needle was on the "N", and when I'd pull in and turn off the engine, it'd start gurgling coolant into the overflow tank after just a few minutes.
I suspect a sticking/stuck thermostat. I've run it much harder on far hotter days and not had the temp gauge get past the middle with this huge Griffin radiator. In any event, the car's getting new plugs, plug wires, cap, and rotor before Omaha next weekend in addition to a cooling system flush and refill with water-wetter. Not sure on the injectors. They're pricey. Suppose I can look in the shop manual and see how to test them.
Admit it. You have a soft spot for the old Jags and just wanted to make the guy feel even better than he must've already felt reeling in so many cars. <g>
Are they making you run street tires in these events?
It sounds to me like you're pretty happy with the Pumpkin and not looking back, eh?
Are you going to try to be at one of the RA events I'm doing this year?
Hi BZ, Although temperatures were a bit on the high side, it was a great weekend all around. You just cooked in the sun but the humidity was low enough that even at 88° on Sat. and 93° on Sunday you could "evap cool" if you could get in the shade.
That said, you can imagine how much fun it was sitting in a roadster in three layers of nomex, balaclava and helmet for about 5-10 minutes before each race!!!
Took a 2nd overall on Sat. with lap times about the best I've ever done there. I was gridded 8th and passed several cars after the second lap. Two cars ahead of me did an effective blocking job on the start where the Cobra's ponies could have been quite effective. Enough cars broke, went off track and got stuck in the pea gravel that I moved up several positions and the rest I passed.
On Sunday my grid position for the qualifying race was 7th with two of the cars I'd passed the day before gridded behind me. Around me were cars I felt I had a chance of having a pretty good race. I was fast enough in Qualifying to get a grid position of 5th. From there I managed to pass only one more car by race's end. In the mean time on the start I got boxed in and couldn't make a very good run for Turn One. Two cars got past me on that first lap in the first two turns. Once the bunched up cars opened a bit I got the whip out and stirred the ponies up a bit. I dusted off the guys who had slipped by me in the early part of the first lap and then proceeded in the hunt for the guys ahead of me.
I picked off the one on about Lap 4 or 5 and then was hunting down a Lotus 7 and a '63 Split Window Vette and gaining on them ever so slightly. A guy in a 1962 XKE Coupe was gridded dead last in a field of about 25 cars because of no qualifying time (he was rebuilding one of his front brake calipers). By race end he was back there in my mirrors on the long straights. So, he got 5th place and did a great job of getting there.
With one lap to go, I kept the pace until I reached Corner 12 and then backed off to let the Jag catch up a bit. I was hoping for a really great Photo Op finish. However, he was further back than I thought. At the finish line he was still about 200 yards back.
As usual, my fastest lap was the last lap I was racing. It also worked out to be a personal best for me in any car and about 3sec. a lap better than my previous best time.
I've decided to get some rear springs with about 50# more capacity. As the tires get hot the car tends to push just a hair. It's enough that it becomes harder and harder to keep it tucked in at the apex. I'm not sure just what the rating is on them right now, but think it's 350# each. I believe the rating is stamped on the end of the coil, so I'll extract one soon and see. I don't think it will take much to bring neutrality back, but it is going to take more than just a bit of tire pressure change.
I was never so happy as when I got to the shore of Elkhart Lake and got to soak out all the heat of the day!!
Best regards, Tom
Have fun up there, Tom. I'm looking forward to getting up there in a couple months.
Was just in Topeka for the PCA Club Race weekend. Got a lot of track time on Friday then just a little on Saturday and Sunday.
Saw a friend hit a wall during a club race. Exactly the same wall and positioning as my Bullitt student last year. Looked like he was only doing about 40 when he hit it and the car looked a lot less damaged, but he left the track in an ambulance on a back-board.
Last I heard, he was fine, though. And the ambulance didn't have the lights going and didn't seem in any hurry, so I'm sure it was just a precautionary deal.
Bob and Friends, I'll be at Road America this weekend campaigning the Pumpkin Racer with Midwest Council. I'm packing up today and heading to the track (all 35 miles!). The weather's supposed to be very good, but I'm taking along my rain tires as a preventative measure!
Saturday there will be two 30 minute sessions per group and Sunday will have 30 minute qualifiers and 40 minutes races.
Best regards, Tom
Hi Bob, Here's a recent test done of some FFR Cobras with "stock" FI 302 Engines.............
----------------------------------------------
i would like to thank frank from www.racetune.net for coming out and doing a dyno inspection at thunderhill this weekend. the top 3 cars went to impound and onto a dynapack dyno. the results were suprising. there was a 21HP difference between the first place and third place cars
#1 spencer sharp (levy racing)
189hp 252torque
#2 dave standri
170hp 242torque
#3 langly kersenboom
168hp 231torque
note: after frank tuned the car on sunday his values changed to 193hp 251torque
donny edwards car was tested after changing a bad fuel pump which has been ongoing since phoenix 193hp 252torque after frank tuned it his values changed to 208hp 270torque
there is currently no max hp/torque rules but this will give NASA a base line to go by.....
-----------------------------------------
Maybe this will help you in developing a target for your Stang.
Best regards, Tom
Yes, I knew that.
In fact the same instruction was on the can that Sears used to sell.
Phil
Yep, but as Idj pointed out, it's definitely an "idle only" proposition. What's needed is circulation with as little load as possible.
I'm not a fan of "snake oils" either, such as leak quick fixes, but running diesel fuel or other mixtures to clean out sludge in engines seems to work great.
Phil
Sheesh! Call me “Chicken”, but I’m not a fan of “Snake Oils”.
I do understand the use of solvents, and will even admit to driving with Rislone in the crankcase before an oil change…
I guess I’m just old fashioned, even though the Capri’s oil pickup was an eye opener.
Old Dog,
Id
I don't know if they still do, but Sears used to sell an engine crankcase cleaner that was basically paint thinner.
They used to recommend you use it with an equal amount of clean motor oil and let the engine idle for about 30 minutes.
Then change the filter and add fresh oil.
Phil
Bob,.. diesel fuel as an engine cleaner/extremely temporary lubricant…
Another ‘Caveat Emptor’ would be that this an “idle only process”, not an experiment in achieving better 0-60 times with a temporary lighter lubricant… <g>
Long ago, I heard of a similar process using kerosene. Never tried either… Didn’t have the g*nads.
The closest that I would have come was during the replacement of the timing gears in my ’76 Capri V-6. Because there were so many plastic teeth missing from the cam gear, I played it safe and pulled the oil pan. Although it was a high mileage (100K miles?) engine, it had received regular oil changes. There was some minor scrapable crap in the bottom of the pan, but the surprising/scary thing was the crud built up on the oil filter pickup screen. Dunno how the pump ever developed sufficient oil pressure. Suffice it to say, the pickup was removed and cleaned.
Id
It's a testament to that little 323's quality that though I had to literally scrape the bronze/oil cake out of the oil pan, I took the rod caps off and though there was very little bushing material left, the crank was clean as could be and so were the rod big ends. None of the bearings had spun. They'd simply gotten ground away.
We decided to spend a little money taking a chance and see what happened, (this was while I was working at a garage and it was a customer's car) so I replaced all the bearings (not an easy job with the engine/tranny still in the car and connected), put it back together, and fired it up and it was making great oil pressure. Well, it wasn't quite *that* simple, but close. We let it idle for about half an hour to break in the new bearings a bit, drained the oil, changed the filter again, found there was still a lot of crud under the valve cover, put a new filter on it, diesel fuel in the crankcase, and ran it for about 5 minutes, drained it, inspected it, found everything nicely cleaned, then put new oil in it with a new filter.
Up until I quit that job about a year or so later, that little 323 was still running like a top. I was seeing it every 3k miles for an oil change.
I've done that bit many times over the years of filling the crankcase with diesel fuel when I'd buy a car that'd been run too long on high-sulphur non-detergent oil. Did that once with a Pinto and it freed up so much gunk that the oil filter plugged up after 5 minutes and diesel was spraying out from its rubber gasket.
Bob, I "scraped" 5 quarts of material out of the pan. <g> I literally had to do that to a Mazda 323 many years ago that was driven about 15k hard miles on its original oil.
A decade or so ago, I listened to a radio program on car problems/repair/maintenance.
A segment topic was on oil change frequencies and synthetic oils…
After a commercial break, the host began commenting on a conversation he had with the show’s ‘producer’ during the break. During the break, the ‘producer’ had questioned the host about the *concept* of ‘oil changes’. Apparently the ‘producer’ had purchased a new vehicle, and had driven it *well over* 10,000 miles without an oil change.
“For Sale… Low mileage… Still under warranty…” <g>
Id
Nah, I didn't sell one. I'd love to sell the SCCA one, but I've yet to find time to drag it out, clean it up, fire it up, and take pictures.
The guy I wrote this to is a good friend of mine at the track. In fact, he's the guy who told me a few years ago that I should seriously have a look at a WRX.
His wife just came around to liking his WRX after I instructed her in it last weekend. So he thought it'd be funny if I wrote him and email (cc'ing her) pretending he was seriously considering buying my Mustang, and mentioning some "minor" problems that'd drive her nuts. The idea being that it'd be her track car.
I ran with it. A bit far.
She travels a lot on business, so I'll probably do a follow-up sometime that she's out of town (and copy it here) pretending he's taken delivery of the car and encountered some problems.
Perhaps ending it with "Caveat Emptor.... Muahahahahah!"
I'm glad you liked it. I enjoyed writing it and thought it was some of my better stuff. It had a part that was pretty off-color (but wouldn't have offended her), but I ended up deleting that because I'd decided I was going to post it here.
I think my favorite part is that I "scraped" 5 quarts of material out of the pan. <g> I literally had to do that to a Mazda 323 many years ago that was driven about 15k hard miles on its original oil.
Bob,
You could have made it as a stand up comedian.
I truly had tears in my eyes I was laughing so hard.
I take it you sold one of your Stangs?
Phil
Just wanted to post here a gag email I sent to a friend (at his request) and copied to his wife:
Yes, the price you're paying me for the Mustang is twice what it cost new, but it's worth it. Only 49k miles. And though most of those are track miles, it's only been wrecked twice and only one of those accidents required getting the frame straightened. And they cleaned the seats so well, you can hardly tell that two semi-related "accidents" happened at the same time.
You'd have to have the car on a lift to be able to tell that it's tweaked. The subframe connectors don't quite line up where they're supposed to. And the car does turn left better than it turns right, but it'll take a year or so before your wife/my girlfriend would be pushing it hard enough to notice it. So she'll be thanking you for it for at least a year anyway.
I did finally get rid of that problem with coolant getting into the oil, and the car overheating. Was a surprisingly easy fix. I just drained the coolant and disconnected the temperature sensor. The gauge stays nice and low. And the knocking sounds it starts making after 7 or 8 laps is a better signal that it's time to come in than the gauge ever was. I often didn't notice the gauge until steam was pouring out from under the hood (that's why the top of the engine looks so clean), but you can't miss the knocking. I'm not sure of how that mechanism works, but apparently Ford came out with something pretty sophisticated in the 90's to give audible cues rather than just idiot lights and gauges.
Of course, as we already discussed, it shouldn't be driven on the streets, even with street tires. The suspension is for racing, not for street use. And then there's that little thing you noticed of the VIN having been ground off the car. The less said about that, the better. Let's just say there's a reason I drive it like I stole it. Enterprise quit hounding me years ago, so I'm sure we're in the clear. Statute of Limitations and all that.
Oh, and I finally found and fixed the source of that oil leaking problem. It was overfilled. I changed the oil (like I always do every other year whether it needs it or not) before the MAM trip and when I took off the pan, I scraped *5 quarts* of material out of it! Darned Jiffy-Lube! After I cleaned and replaced the pan, I did like I've always done since break-in: fill the new filter with oil, put it on, and call it good.
The violent shaking the front of the car does under braking goes away after 3 or 4 laps. Trust me. You just didn't stay in the car long enough for it to clear up.
And you're right. The big bump in the hood *does* look like a "power bulge". It's really pretty cool how that happened. One of the motor mounts is broken, so when you floor it in the lower gears, the engine lifts up and hits the hood. Which is a good thing. The engine leans to the left, helping the car turn left, and the shifter slams against your leg, making upshifts easier. And the car can put more power to the ground because it being forced against the hood keeps it more stable than the rubber motor mount ever did. I thought about taking out the left motor mount so I could get the "engine leaning" benefit when turning both directions, but it turns out the effect is only good if there's a pivot point.
I'll make sure to grab the rear seats and carpet out of the barn and throw them in the trailer before I haul it up there tomorrow. They should be in really good shape since they've been sitting unused in the barn for about 9 years. Last I looked (last year), only about 10% of the fabric was chewed through. The remaining fabric was visibly "squirming" a lot. No idea what that's all about. Maybe it was just happy to see me.
On a completely unrelated (trust me) note, it'd probably be a good idea to throw the seats, carpet, and a hungry cat into a closet for a day or two. Don't ask why. Just do it.
Anyway, hopefully you got to the bank and got the $12k in cash like I asked. And I'm really going out on a limb believing you when you say the BMW you're trading in on the Stang has a clear title. Instructors are to be trusted implicitly. Mere students aren't.
I'll be up there tomorrow morning with the car.
Bob
PS. If she ends up really enjoying this car, I've got another one like it that's a full-blown SCCA racecar that I'm sure she'd enjoy even more.
Doing the A/F mixture thing was a $10 option I opted out of. Should've done it.
I'll make sure the timing's right, tappets are right, new plugs, wires up to spec, and do it again next time I get a chance, this time having them measure the A/F.
Hi Bob, When they did the dyno, did they stick an O2 sensor in the exhaust for you? Our guy has the O2 profile right along with the Hp/LbFt graph so you can see the air/fuel ratio all along the rpm range.
As the one guy said, he was amazed that his A/F was nearly 17 to 1 with the stock setup! Hard to get Hp when there's not enough oats to feed the ponies!
Best regards, Tom
Too bad it cost $45 to dyno the car and they don't show up at the track often.
But I'll get a timing light. I have no idea where the timing is at now. Should be at 13 degrees with 91 octane. Could be as low as 5. And I'm sure new plugs are in order by now. It seems to run solidly with no misfires at WOT, but it hasn't idled perfectly smoothly for a long time, and there seems to be light tappet noise on the right side.
If I take the covers off, I wonder if I'd gain anything by replacing the rockers with the 1.7's (?) while I'm in there, with the stock bumpstick.
Underdrive pulley, cold air intake, K&N, shorter, free-flowing exhaust, and no silencer should all take me up to at least 230-240 at the crank. So I'd expect 200 at the wheels.
Hi Bob, Yes, RWHp - not calculated to the crankshaft. Dynojet suggests a 17% driveline loss as approximate. So, your 171 puts you at around 206 at the crank.
I don't know where all those stallions are hiding!
Best regards, Tom
No, they do serve their purpose. But drilling or slotting them reduces surface area and strength, so supposedly they're a bit hobbled when it comes to REAL heavy use.
Bob,
The last time I needed a timing light I pulled out my old trusty Craftsman chrome metal one.
It wouldn't work.
So I went to Autozone and bought one for $39.95.
Orange plastic, but it works great.
Saved a lot of time.
Have fun,
Phil
So,
I guess they are only good for looks?
Phil
The numbers you're citing, are they at the wheels? If so, I'm WAYYYY down. 171 horses. I'll try to remember to scan and post the graph tomorrow.
Definitely need to buy a timing light. I have a very expensive Snap-On but it's time to accept that it just plain doesn't work anymore and get another.
Actually, I think the prevailing wisdom is to avoid slotted or drilled rotors on the track, especially on heavy cars.
I've tried them and wore them out at least as fast as the solid vented ones.
Hi Bob, Re: Stock 302 Ford Hp numbers............
Yes, those numbers seem a bit light - Both torque and Hp. Mine put out about 200+ Hp and about 240 LbFt torque if I remember right when it has the standard cam and a carb. It came from a 1991 GT, but the fuel injection was scrapped for a carb. (that info is at my office)
Most of the cars in the FFR Challenge series (cobra replicas) have been on dynos now with their bone stock FI 302s. Most of these cars have shown 200 up to nearly 220 Hp and torque in the 250 to 275 LbFt range. However, you have to remember that they're not spinning as many belts and sheaves on most of them. The indication is that most make above 200 hp from around 4500 to 5500 rpm. Torque goes above 240 around 2500 rpm and stays there to about 4500 rpm.
Most of the reports I've read were from "DynoJet" equipment. Most reported that the engines run quite lean, also. I think I read the A/F ratio was between 15 and 17 during the runs with the stock FI 302s. Timing is also critical for Hp on these engines. But, you can't advance the timing much if it's running really lean. I assume the electronics have a knock sensor included, but don't know much about the stock setup. One fellow mentioned the fuel pressure regulator and air cleaner being critical to overall performance. He mentioned picking up nearly 5 hp just with a new regulator as apparently his original one was a dud. Running a low restriction air cleaner is good for 2 to 4 Hp according to these guys. (of course they can't use them on the race cars because of the spec.)
It seems to me that we gained about 5% in Hp and Torque with the carb'd engine just with jets and timing advance. There's probably aftermarket chip kits for the Mustang to enrich the A/F ratio.
I find it interesting that many of these guys race their cars based upon the torque curve rather than the Hp curve. Most don't rev above 5000 rpm. Part of the reason, I'm sure, is the 2.73:1 rear diff gears they are required to use. Most of their racing is done in 2nd and 3rd with occasional trips into 4th. Never 5th.
Hope you can track down some of those missing ponies.
Best regards, Tom
Bob,
Yes,
The 4th generation Camaro/Firebirds were the ones produced between 1993/2002.
The one I owned was a 1995 Formula Firebird.
Like I said, I never had it on a track.
It had disc brakes on all four corners though, and that was plenty of brakes for the street.
As with almost all factory stuff, they could have been upgraded for the track. Baer slotted rotors and four piston calipers would have helped I'm sure. Along with the Hawk pads you guys have been talking about.
As far as the Z0-6.
Maybe one of these days.
Just not yet.
Have fun,
Phil
Would that be the last series before they quit making them? If so, yes. Something like 3 or 4 weekends. A typical modern American muscle car. Lots of grunt, better brakes and handling than in the past, but still not enough for the power and weight. IMO, all of the modern American iron (including the Camaro before they quit making them) is really good stuff that can be made to get around a racetrack in a serious hurry, with one notable exception. The Z06. While the others are very good, that one's great. Right out of the box.
Bob,
Have you ever had the opportunity to ride in or drive a fourth gen Camaro/Firebird?
I've never had one on the track, but I sure love the way they handle on the street.
And supposedly they can be made to handle a lot better with aftermarket suspension components and brakes.
Just wondering,
Phil
I'll stick with the Blues for now on the Mustang since rotors are so cheap. And will try at least one set of Blues on the Scoob since they're already ordered.
After I use up the Blues, I'll try blacks on the Scoob and if I like them, will change to them on the Mustang and see if I still like them.
The front pads are extremely important on the Mustang. They get little help from the rear shoes and are having to deal with a 3600 lb car that has enough torque to build up a ton of momentum that has to be converted to heat.
I got the Mustang dyno'd this weekend and will scan/post the graph for your opinion. I'm a bit disappointed in the results, but it could be that I don't currently have a functional timing light, so have no idea where the timing is at now, can hear a couple of loose tappets, and other than new spark plugs about 5 years ago, this car has had no tuneups or maintenance other than fluid changes and any necessary repairs.
If I remember right, I peaked at 171 horses at the wheels and something like 208 ftlb of torque.
There was also an interesting dip in both torque and horsepower in the extreme upper rev range followed by a climb up to near peak figures. Odd.
They told me to add 15% to my results to get flywheel figures. That's 196 horses at the crank. From an engine that supposedly made 215 (it's commonly agreed Ford's 225 figure was overstated) from the factory, but now (hopefully) runs 13 degrees advance on the timing, has a dinky underdrive pulley (you can easily count radiator fan rotations at idle), Moroso cold air intake, no silencer, and a K&N filter.
I really figured all of that should've taken me up to the 240 neighborhood.
Not that the car feels underpowered. But if I'm down about 40 horses from where I should be, that could make a substantial difference in track performance if I get it addressed and if the brakes are up to the increased workload.
Oh, this weekend was an Integra Type R weekend. What an impressive car!!! I instructed in two relatively unmolested ones and was very surprised at how well they got around the track, even in the rain.
Sheridan's going to let me try out his 318ti in a couple of weeks at MAM. That should be interesting since it's such a great braker and turner, and I'm slowly starting to get used to cars with those traits.
I also got a chance to get in and out of an Elise and it wasn't anywhere near as difficult or painful as it looked.
That's where I got the HPS pads I used this past weekend. They were decent enough. Not as aggressive as the Porterfields, but they did the job.
I have yet to put the car on the lift and see how much life I took off the pads. The Subaru got used a lot more than the Mustang this weekend because the Mustang was (yet again!!!) leaking axle grease. I even tried hammering the diff cover straight and using lots of sealant, to no avail.
The only gaskets I can find are paper ones. The original was cork.
I may have to make my own gasket, once I buy the tools since I can't find my old ones anymore.
And/or get a diff cover from a junkyard if I can find one I know hasn't been taken off and ever over-tightened.
There's a holdup getting Hawk Blues for the Scoob. I don't know if the supply hasn't caught up with demand or if the supply simply doesn't exist yet because of likely light demand.
The car got different brakes in either 2003 or 2004. I've tried 2002 pads and they don't fit. I think 2004 is when the change was made.
Hi Bob, If I remember what I read about the Black vs the Blue compound, there wasn't significant upper temp limit differences, just the cold effectiveness. I'm sure there's some give and take, however.
A friend of mine in a 2400# race car decided after a few sets of Blues to try the Blacks and has stayed with them. He says they are a bit less aggressive as far as rotor wear goes, they have great modulation and they cost about 1/2 what the Blue compound costs. He carries several endurance and sprint championships with him, so I respect his opinion. When this set of Blues is done, I'll give the Blacks a try and see how I like them. I'll probably do that when I change out the front rotors.
When I ran the Blues at first the front rotors were wearing very quickly and looked gouged up. These were not new rotors, but ones with a fair amount of track time on them with "street" compound pads. Then, after a certain amount of the "meat" was worn away they seemed to stabilize and polish up nicely. Still no heat checking on them.
Best regards, Tom
Bob,
I found this company that sells Hawk brake Pads online:
http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/hawk/index.jsp
I thought you might want to check them out.
Have fun,
Phil
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