Slippery Slope Retrospective - a tale of 12 months

[Don Plumley]

It's been an amazing 12 months. November 14, 2005 I took my first step on the slippery slope at Sears Point. Nostatic showed me the ropes. Met a guy named Tyson. Saw Jack slide BBII into a tire wall. And got hooked on the track.

Anyone remember this shiny car?


One week later I tee'd it up at Thunderhill to make sure. I was in deep. What to do? Turn the Carrera into a track car, or start with a clean slate? Survey said build a track beast. And so the project was launched.

With the support of the Pelican community, I built a car to learn how to drive on the track. I took the car out for a spin at Sears Point - and so the Spinning Hippo was born.



4 track days in Nov 2005
9 track days June - Nov 2006:
CDS Costal Driving School, DE days with Trackmasters and NCRC, POC Drivers School and STS, PCA GGR. Lots of great instruction - and plenty of seat time. In 2006: 870 miles and 277 laps to be exact. I drove 3,100 miles to and from events.



I finished off my last sessions at Thunderhill (bypass) yesterday turning fairly consistent 2:12-2:14's in open track, and my best time was 2:10:6. I've still got a long way to go, but the difference in how it feels now versus a year ago is not fathomable. Notice the permanent grin from yesterday:



Wow. What a year. Thanks to everyone for your support of my slippery slope (I think the technical term is "enabler"). And now for the '07 season...

(cross post from the Autox/DE forum for the main board traffic)

[herman maire]

Awsome.... so I guess the 993 motor and the car overall is holding up fine? I forget but did you notice much of a difference in power VS the 3.2?

Also what oil are you using?
Thanks

[charleskieffner]

kinda hard to concentrate at work after going to the track myself saturday with a bunch of other fellow goofy pelicans! we broke the fun barrier. and yes i got to spin mine 180 degrees! popped that cherry big time! heres how my mondays going...........think about work 5 minutes...........think about track.......1/2 hour! repeat! doesnt look like i will get much done today! funny how track time does that...........sex sure as hell doesnt do that! LOL!

[Bill Verburg]

You Ca. guys gave all the fun, it's been winter here for a month and it rained all summer

[Don Plumley]

Originally posted by herman maire
Awsome.... so I guess the 993 motor and the car overall is holding up fine? I forget but did you notice much of a difference in power VS the 3.2?

Also what oil are you using?
Thanks

Hi Herman. Yes, 6 months in the 993 motor is a brute. For a better perspective, ask Jack about his. Though it is a 964, there's really no fundamental difference in construction. If I remember right, it's never been opened and has an amazing amount of hard track miles on it. Great motors.

The power difference from a 3.2 is huge. Mostly in low-end torque. With the 3.2 if you were down in RPM's, when you applied throttle you just waited for the rubber band to wind up. With the 3.6 it pulls very hard immediately. And it pulls all the way to redline. I bang the rev limiter 3 or 4 times a day because it's pulling so strong and I forget to shift. Granted, my 993 weighs less than my 3.2 Carrera and I'm a little better driver today, it's still a night and day difference.

Oil - honestly I never changed the oil from when I picked up the car last December. I'm sure it is Mobil 1 though, and that's what I'll be replacing it with this winter.

Now put a 3.2 in a lightweight car, and that would be great fun too. Uh, pretty much what Tyson has in Scruffy II.

[mjshira]

great write up Don. Makes me wish I lived in Cali.

[Moses]

That's a great car, Don. The thing I like about the 3.6 is sometimes you can get through a turn (like the "S's") without downshifting. Plenty of pull at 3,000 RPM. My old SC 3.0 motor was just waking up at 4,000.

I got home and washed the car with my son. I cleaned the Fikse's real well with a paintbrush and Simple Green. Polished the rims with Mothers aluminum polish. They look brand new. While washing the car, I noticed that I bubbled the paint on my rear bumper. I guess the muffler was getting pretty hot under there. I'll put some insulating fabric under there before I repaint.

[goat]

Very nice write up don.
I think I have pics of your car on Nov. 14, 2005. I'll send them on to you when I find them.
I was there filming and supporting a few of the other Pelicans.

[Don Plumley]

That would be great Tim - thanks!