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Hi Bob, Those are my Hankook street tires on there as my "rains." They've been on the car since 2003 with probably around 25 to 30 hours of track time on them! The car now shows around 5100 miles on the odometer, but some of that is skewed by the fact that I didn't have the correct speedo drive in it after the rear axle change.
I left my "race" Hoosier TD's in the trailer. I don't think I could have gotten them warm enough to do any good for me. And, bias belts in the rain aren't the greatest tires!!!
The wet grass was slippery enough to let the front end slide faster than the rears when the two front tires went off the pavement. That is the only thing that brought the car back to straight down the hill! I had "both feet in" and was ready to bring it out at the 180° spin point about one microsecond later. Then the front started to come back! I've never caught a 90°+ rotation and brought it out straight before!
Just after Turn 3, first session of the day on Sunday with track temps around 35° and damp I again stayed off the "dry line" in the hope of being able to put some power down in a straight line. The car did a full 180° with just a nudge of the throttle! Needless to say I "behaved" after that!
Talk about slow Lap Times. Saturday in the rain, I turned a 3:56! That's a minute and 5 seconds slower than my usual dry track speed! Sunday AM "warm-up" when I did the 180, my best lap time was 4:04!!!
Yesterday it was nice here, so I bathed the Pumpkin, anti-freezed it and put it in for a nice long winter's nap.
Best regards, Tom
Tom,
What an excellent sequence!
Hmmmm.... 38 degrees, wet, open car without even so much as a windshield, snow/ice all over a Mustang in the paddock...
The only word that readily comes to mind is "certifiable".
If I remember right, aren't you running the Firehawks for rain/street tires? If so, I'd be reluctant to even call them "good" rain tires. I found them to be fair dry tires and that was about the extent of it. And I'm sure yours have been heat-cycled more than a couple times...
After having tried many different tires on the WRX and a couple on the STi, I'm quite fond of the Bridgestone Potenza RE070's. They're great in both rain and dry. Though as soon as my suspension's up to snuff, or at least I have caster plates, I'm moving to Hoosiers, which should yield sick lap times in the STi. Would expect that combo to make the STi a 1:45 car at MAM.
Who can say, "Slippery When Wet?"
Sometimes we get surprised by conditions. Here, with the car pointing straight ahead and my on the "wet" line after Turn Seven at R.A. I brought on the throttle only to have the arse end decide it was in a bigger hurry to get downhill to Turn 8 than the front!
I was driving with an eggshell strapped to the bottom of my foot, too! Amazing what 38 deg and rain can do for traction (or lack of it!). Further, nothing like doing it in front of your buddies who decided to go watch the race and happened to have their camera with them!!!
Best regards, Tom
Weekend Report at:
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=14225217
Best regards, Tom
Wear long johns.
LOL
Have fun,
Phil
A lot.... Just a guess..........
I'm here at Road America for the NASA race weekend starting on Sat. thru Sun. I'll have race reports and maybe some photos next week.
I wonder what the wind chill effect is in a roadster at 125 mph and 35 deg. F outside??????
TV
I would think a 10 second streetable drag car would have to be on laughing gas when on the track
Phil
nah, bf goodrich makes great drag radials for the street....
go to ls1tech.com and see some 10 second lt and ls1`s in 10s on street tires....http://ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=562754&page=1&pp=20
I haven't kept up with drag-racing in ages. Doesn't 10's require something severely tubbed so it can handle extremely fat tires that would be useless on the streets and even if you changed to street tires/wheels? With about a 20" offset? <g>
bob, not production stock,lol..boltons/ turbos or s/c...plenty of gn`s, stangs, t/a`s, chevelles,nova`s etc doing 10`s on pump gas that are streetable
10 seconds and streetable?!?
Only thing that comes to mind for me would be a Kaw ZX14 Ninja.
Bob, This weekend's vintage races were a treat again at Road America. About 500 cars there for competition from pre-WWII through quite recent Ferrari F1 cars. What a blast.
However, not everything went well as this article relates:
http://www.vintagemotorsport.com/show_news.asp?id=711
I think the mechanic was working toward his Honorable Mention in the Darwin Awards.
Best regards, Tom
I will. Did you check out some of the other options you can get? There's a cockpit mounted switch you can get that'll open a line that's plumbed to the back of the car. Perfect for giving your pursuer a bigger challenge.
See ya on the track!!! And don't forget to empty the special tank on the side!!!
TV
Dang! Okay, count me in! I'm selling my beloved one-owner, low-mileage 16 year old Mustang to help finance my doing that!
Hi Folks,
I know some of you have expressed concern about my racing hobby in the past. Heck, there are risks, even if not like 50 years ago. Modern cars are far better designed than the old Vintage Race Cars I drove for so many years.
I have a line I like to use with some of my buddies, "I started back when Racing was Dangerous and Sex was Safe!"
Well, leave it to Skip Barber Racing to come up with an entirely new series, and it seems to be exactly what I've always wanted for competition. I started racing when I was 40, nearly 17 years ago and now, finally there's this new program that's just right for me.
So, it looks like I'm going to sell the Cobra Racer and use the proceeds to join the Skip Barber series.
Take a look and let me know what you think:
http://www.harrisonvideos.com/vids/banquets2006/rt40plus-4.wmv
Best regards,
Tom
Thanks Bob, sounds like it's beyond my capabilities. May have to find a good mechanic.
On any engine I've worked on, you don't necessarily have to remove the crank all the way to replace the rear seal, but it's basically the same amount of work.
Unless you can get the pan out (unlikely in most RWD vehicles) with the engine in place, you're yanking the motor.
Technically, you only have to get the main caps loose and the rear cap off to replace the rear seal, since doing so will allow you to pry the rear of the crank just enough to do the replacement. The weight of the crank might just be enough to have it give you the slack you need.
If it were me, I might be tempted to tear out the old seal any way I could, after removing only the tranny and flywheel, and very carefully tap a new one in. It's how we replace seals in motorcycle forks. Destroy the old one taking it out, and drive a new one in. But seal-drivers are readily available that put the new seals in quickly and without any risk of damaging them. I've never seen one large enough for a car's rear main seal. And wouldn't swear it's not locked into a groove in the journal anyway. If memory serves, I don't think I've ever encountered a rear seal that was any more than a press fit.
But if you find that you can't replace the seal this way, no harm done because you're yanking or at least unmounting/raising the engine anyway.
If you attempt the easy way, the most important thing is to make sure you don't turn the crank at all once you've loosened the mains, as one or more of the bearings may've stuck to the crank instead of staying put in the crankcase, and you could have a real mess if it gets out of place. If at all possible (assuming you're trying the in-car replacement and have loosened the mains to make it easier or get around a locking-groove or too-tight fit problem), make real certain all bearings are where they belong when you retighten the main caps. You'll know pretty quickly if one is out of place because light torque on the nuts or bolts won't close up the gap between the cap and the crankcase. More than 99% of the time, the bearings will stay where they belong, but don't thumb your nose at Murphy.
Got a question about some work on my truck that I'm going to have to do or have done. Heres what happened, last week sometime I added a quart of oil to the engine and somehow forgot to put the oil cap back into the valve cover. Yesterday I was coming home and driving on the interstate doing about 74 mph when the oil pressure gauge dropped to zero. Luckily for me I had two quarts with me, but noticed the missing oil cap. I was about four miles from a Ford dealer so I went there and bought another cap, cost $10.00. After it was installed, no more oil leak, well a lot slower leak. I suspect I have a crankcase seal going out, but haven't looked yet. If thats the case, am I'm going to have to pull the crank to be able to replace the seals? It's a 1999 Ranger 3.0ltr engine and I love the truck!
... article about quiet hybrids and how people walking can't hear them.
... a Bill in Congress requiring hybrids to have a construction equipment beeper
to go "beep beep beep" when in reverse and when moving forward.
Here is a cartoon for Darth...
doug
Hi G, Nope, not even taking my helmet with me.
Well, maybe a bit of track touring during lunch in my Avis Racer!!!!
TV
Wow! Are you racing this trip?
I can't comment on the track condition, however, you're right about things being improved for the spectators. Lots of changes in the last decade or so. There's a sizeable hotel virtualy track side, some bleacher type seating, box seating, ect...
The town of Sebring has grown tremendously, too. My family has been going there since about 1971... So many changes over the years.
Once again, have a great trip-
guerciotti
Hi G, I raced there a lot in the '90s with my XK 120 Jag in Vintage with HSR. Great place for driving and I hear it's improved a lot for spectators as well. It's been since about '97 or '98 since I was last there.
Thanks for the tip on Chicanes. Not been there.
Best regards, Tom
Tom,
It's been broadcast LIVE on the SPEED Channel in the past, and I hope it will be this year, too.
You'll have a great time. IMO it's a great venue in terms experiencing any race! I was scheduled to go to their vintage event last fall... Alas, my flight was cancelled.
It's a great track filled with incredible race history... Enjoy your time there-
Kind regards,
g
PS- Check out Chicanes on US 27... Great Pub with pretty tasty grub.
http://www.innonthelakessebring.com/
Hi G, Is Sebring going to be broadcast on Speed or ESPN? I'm heading down to see the Sebring Vintage weekend soon, but won't make it to the pro race.
Best regards, Tom
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an incredible international event... Fantastic access to the race paddock, too!
Check it out: http://www.sebringraceway.com/
Best regards-
g
Hi Bob, Re: Road America and Northwoods Shelby Club.........
Yes, I've now run with them three years straight. Incredible amount of track time and a good, relatively sane group. I usually run in their 2nd fastest group.
I converted the rear gears to 3.55:1 so it's not too far off of your car. Also, remember that my brakes are your brakes!!! Mine are off a 1991 Mustang GT, so, for better or worse, we're supporting the same amount of friction material. The difference is that I'm stopping 2550 lbs with me in the car and a full tank of gas where you're stopping maybe 3400#?. They work quite well and with fresh fluid, they don't overheat.
I'll be there again this year assuming no conflicts. Maybe we'll both put on helmets and go drive some country roads!!!
Best regards, Tom
Do you ever do RA with the Northwoods Shelby Club?
I'm planning to this year and will probably haul my Mustang and a friend's, to get some help with the drive.
They're pretty sure they're doing it the first weekend of August this year.
I don't know why it never occurred to me to time you in the Pumpkin then have you drive my Mustang and see how your times compared. If you're running 2.73's, I'd think you could go a bit faster in my Mustang as long as you keep in mind it's basically only got front brakes and they're small. It can take only a few 100% (my 100% laps) before they fade. I suspect you'd only be able to really cook about every other lap.
Anyway, think you can make it in August? And want to do some car-swapping?
I seriously doubt the 07 GT500 Shelby Cobra (or the name du juor) will be in my grubby mitts by then, but one can always hope. <g>
Edit: Two weeks prior to the RA event, the MCCI will be having an event at MAM. This is a must-attend for me because though I invariably end up instructing, I don't typically have more than one student and even then I don't get them for very long. Their's is the only local event running that's open-track rather than a driving school, though it's still got run groups.
And always funny to hear them on the PA calling the "Fast group" to the grid, and I'm not only part of it, I'm the only one with a stock engine, seats, restraints, and no cage. Fun to pass full-on race cars driven by people who don't get to that track much, but once they check out my car and realize with my setup I must really know how to *drive* that track, guess who gets to be the mouse in the cat-and-mouse games until they figure out what I'm doing and absolutely run away from me? <g>
You would immensely enjoy that track, Tom. It's extremely technical and the safest track I've ever seen. You can go absolutely nuts and know that hurting yourself or your car is nearly impossible.
If you want to do that track but don't want to haul the Pumpkin, feel free to fly in (I can pick you up at the airport in Omaha) and use my cars. The Mustang's faster than the Scoob on that track, but the Scoob's a lot more fun.
And that goes for anyone else reading this thread. If you want to go play on the racetrack just south of Council Bluffs, let me know and as long as you cover your own registration costs, etc, you can use my Subaru.
Bought my daughter a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid the day before yesterday.
It was really fun surprising her with it, seeing as how she went on the test-drive with me and was doing her homework at the dealership while I was taking care of business.
The key was met with mixed emotions until, get this.....
She made sure it didn't mean I was trading in her beloved SHO. Then she became ecstatic with the new car.
And was even more so once she drove it about 30 or so miles to get home. After she pulled it into the garage, she told me that she doesn't think she'll drive the SHO anymore after all, so I don't need to keep it registered and insured, though she'd be really upset if I ever sold it.
As it turned out, it was cheaper to keep the SHO insured with her as the primary driver (liability only) and have her as the secondary on the Civic than it would've been to make her the primary on the Civic.
The difference in premium was so huge that knowing what we know now, if we didn't have a cheap liability-only car to make her the primary driver of, we'd have bought one. The difference in premium would buy quite a bit of car!
And though she'll drive the Civic more often than either of us will, we'll put more miles on it than she will since her school's only 2 miles away, but we're going to use it as a family pretty often.
She got 38.7 mpg on her way back from the dealership on back roads without even trying.
I actually saw a Monte Carlo well over a decade ago that someone was using as a daily driver and from which they'd removed both the radiator and the water pump. And they claimed that at the time I saw it, it'd been running for over a year that way.
Edit: I've had cars in my youth that'd freeze up from not having enough antifreeze. One was a Datsun 510. It'd start but the belt would screech something fierce until the water pump would finally start turning and it wouldn't idle until then, but once the water pump broke free, everything would be just fine.
Hi Bob, I think I have an answer to the antifreeze problem for us.......................................
Why use antifreeze and water when we can just cement the sucker???????
http://www.hardblok.com/info.html
TV
Surprisingly, we're in about the same boat down here. It's 34 right now and supposed to get to 18 tonight.
I really hate the cold. Hate it!!! So much so that every year the temptation grows stronger to move further south.
And for some reason, the first words of a book that was my daughter's favorite when I was still reading to her nightly are stuck in my mind.
"Way up north where it's always cold there lived a great herd of walruses. The biggest was Walpole. Walpole loved the cold."
That book became a staple at our house (and I can't wait to read it to grandchildren), due in part to my doing Walpole's voice as a "Bullwinkle with a speech impediment" kinda thing.
We have a beany-baby walrus we call Walpole and whenever I'm off to the track, he sits at my spot on the couch.
Hi Bob, Re: Ice tires....
Don't you hate it when the laws of physics get in the way of a good time???!!!!???
Temp's been dropping all day here. Started at 34°F this AM and now down to 29°. Supposed to be in the teens late tonight.
Best regards, Tom
I just need to fill up the Mustang's fuel tank and I think it'll be ready for the winter.
Still need to put the original tires/wheels back on the Subaru and re-align it. One of the dents in that car was a result of my learning the hard way that even a good street tire makes an extremely poor ice tire when it's been through several hard heat cycles.
Hi Bob, Our two cats do a fair job of mousing, too, but it seems in the Fall that we have a migration take place. Between the cats and the traps we clean them out pretty quickly. I don't have a clue where they get in.
I think I'm all freeze protected for the year. There's fresh antifreeze and oil in the Pumpkin, the gray Jag is tucked away. My buddy with the red coupe Jag is coming from Florida in the next week or two, so I'll get some shop space back.
I think I'll park the Passat W8 for some of the winter and get the final use out of the mini-van. It's 8 years old and has been very reliable, but I'm the only one who drives it. It's nasty enough now that it will make a great winter car. Just need to rotate the tires before the snow flies.
The W8 loves the snow, but I hate to drive it in the salt brine we create here in S.E. WI.
Best regards, Tom