The Snake...and the Mongoose!

Great to see and wonder what in the world Jim was doing with cleco's!? You know that they are getting pretty pricey these days?

I just bought a couple of old timers out of their tools here at the airport recently and ended up with cleco's out the ears along with more rivet tools than I could ever use, but it sure helps to have the correct tool when needed.

If you ever are going to be doing some rivet work and need a squeeze or two, or the rivet heads, let me know, am glad to loan them out to a friend...

Thanks Joe, but I have a good selection of air rivet tooling, bucking bars and a rivet squeezer with tooling. I have on occasion could have used additional 1/8" clecoes..... now thanks to Jim, I will never be lacking. Of course they will also get used when installing/replacing aluminum race car body panels/sheets which is likely what Jim used them on.

Finally can see the finish line.... Should have car finished in by the start of the season which is the end of April.

-Seat and harnesses properly mounted, pedals reworked.
-Removed old rigid side bars and made/installed new removable ones.
-Repaired horribly cobbled fiberglass front fenders
-Sand blasted then plastic welded horribly cobbed front and rear plastic nose pieces
-Made new tubular removable bumpers
-Made shaker screen to protect radiator
-Making new quarters and doors from aluminum this week.

Once side skins are done and mounted, will repaint hood, roof and rear deck.

Finally bought all my gear (fire suit, helmet, gloves, shoes, race receiver).

Looks like this is finally going to happen.... will also do a bit of vet class MX racing this summer. Wife is probably gonna make me sleep in the dog house all summer. :)



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395758975.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395759093.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395759145.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395759189.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395759222.jpg

Bumpers fabbed and nose/tail pieces mounted and sprayed with black bumper coat.
Rest of body to be fitted then finished soon.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395759466.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395759509.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395759544.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395759572.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395759606.jpg

SCHWEEEET, are we going to see this car running at a local track this year? If so I will make the trip !

Old hood and fenders painted.... body panels riveted on... lower skirt fabbed and riveted on. Number decals arrived. Just a few more minor details and this thing will be ready for the season which starts at the end of this month.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1396885223.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1396885269.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1396885340.jpg

Up-to-no-good black with a red interior. Just the kind of thing an intimidator would drive!

Have fun out there!

(and Tim, speaking of your wife's' new Mustang, did you happen to get this month's Road & Track? The cover story is 50 years of Mustang, and there is a great article about a little road trip in a Shelby Mustang clone. Well worth the read.)

Made the first race of the season.... There were no open practices scheduled for the track any time soon so my buddy and I just decided to start at the back to get a feel for how our newly built cars drive. Both cars seemed to handle great during the pre-race hotlaps, but during my heat race my car started getting loose coming out of the corners. Need to raise my left bar and maybe crank in a tad more wedge.

About 3/4 through my heat race, I got a bad vibration and had to pull off. My 9" Ford full floater rear went south... It is the only item on the car I had not had apart to inspect. Oh well... now I have an excuse to get the proper 5.83 ratio gearing instead of the 6.00 gear that is in it now. Even taking it easy learning to drive the car I was seeing over 6000 rpm.

We had a blast and finally got to race bombers like we dreamed of doing when we were teens 30 years ago.... Wife is still less than thrilled. ;)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1398772514.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1398772562.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1398772607.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1398772795.jpg

Cool! She'll get over it.

It's better than chasing other women.

My third night out I finally finished a heat race without issue (other than getting pushed out wide at the start) and placed 5th (needed 4th to transfer to the A-main). This put me on the front row outside in the 28 car field "B Main"race. In the "B main" I ended up hanging onto 2nd place even though I fell asleep about 2/3 through during a restart after a caution as I did not know we were going green that time by. Finally got some quality seat time during this race which will help a bunch going forward.

Here are videos of my heat race and the B Main that someone posted on Youtube. I am in the all black 299 car.

Heat race #2
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/p255wzR3kqA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

B Main
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/6sJj7n9j6F8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Nice drive in the B main.

That looks like SO MUCH fun!
What track? When will you be there again? It'd be a blast to come up and watch.

Oakshaderaceway.com It is just north of Wauseon Ohio. It is an old run down place.... I would not want to drive too far to see it if I was not actually racing. ;)

I plan to race there most Saturdays this summer unless my car is broke or my wife has something else required of me.

That does look like fun. Nice job on the car and the race.

Glad you had fun Tim! But I maintain that you have way too many teeth for that sport! ;)

A happy wife is a happy life...do you welcome going home at night?

I watched the video and looked the place up. A few years ago I was doing research for a book that had me visiting different local bullrings, but I didn't get to Oakshade. Oakshade doesn't look so run down, really, but even Brown County Speedway (a real dump) is fun. I'd like to come up, but it would be more fun if you were there. I'll PM you when I think I can make it. I have to be in Wauseon on the weekend of June 26, so that would be a good time. Hope you're racin' that weekend!

I believe Saturday falls on June 28th.... Probably will race that weekend, but can't say for sure.

Last night my buddy and I both finally made the "A" main.... I got 3rd out of 9 after starting 6th in my heat race and my buddy got 4th out 10 in his. This put as back aways for the start of the A main (I was 7th row outside... he was 9th row inside).

Had some douchebag drivers in front of me and after carefully making my way through a few cars in the early laps, some guy lost it and cut down in front of me coming out of turn two.... I turned left and braked to avoid him and low and behold my good buddy was right behind me and he hit me square in my left wheel/quarter panel. I did not know it, but the heim on my J-bar was damaged and eventually it let go allowing my axle to allow the chassis to ride against my right rear tire until it blew.

My night was over.

It appears easily fixable.... My buddies whole front nose/bumper/fender is TRASHED from the hit. We had a good chuckle afterwards discussing the improbability of taking each other out in our first racing in close proximity of one another. :)


J-Bar Heim joint came apart (similar to a panhard bar)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1401647666.jpg

Tire/frame acted as my axle locating device... for a lap or two :D
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1401647749.jpg

This side took the hit from my buddy... Wheel is dinged pretty good, but I can straighten it.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1401647787.jpg

Someone just posted my heat race from 5/31/14.... Started 3rd row outside.... finished 3rd (top four qualified for the A-Main). Still a lot to learn, but I am making progress. Feels good to pass a few guys who have been doing this a lot longer than I have.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mAt-GTPnls0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>