Rob's Weblog: Hard-Copy Journal for 5 June, 2013

Setup a Meeting with TinyVette.Want some guidance.
Questions to ask:

1) Q: Should we get the Roll Cage first and then the seat?

A: They got their cage, seat, belts, and steering wheel all at the same time from evil-geniuses. It cost them a total of $2,200.

2) Q: What kind of wheels should we get? Tires, cost?

A: They bought 15"x7" rims for their car, but they're heavy. Tires have to have a tread wear rating of 190 or better. They cost about $125 per corner for their car. The tires last three weekends for them. They said the size wheels we have may be difficult to find tires for. Also, they talked at some great length about lug-nut studs, but I don't remember much about that. Will have to ask again later.

3) Q: Should we keep the heater core to act as a secondary radiator?

A: No, but there is still a problem of overheating. They have an oil cooler and they also increased the size of the opening in their air dam.

4) Q: How much fuel do they go through? Is it available on site?

A: They go through about seven gallons per stint. 2 hours per stint. About 84 gallons of fuel per race. It is available on site, but it is much more expensive. Should bring our own containers and when it is empty, go into town and refill the containers.

5) Q: Should we sell our nifty quad-tip exhaust and buy some cherry bombs instead?

A: They don't think we can make enough from the existing exhaust to offset the cost of cherry bombs. They suggested we try to trade for parts.

6) Q: Can we pit for your next race?

A: Absolutely. They'll be at Buttonwillow at the end of the month [June 2013], then at Thunderhill in September.

7) Q: Should we wait to remove the windows until right before the race?

A: The windows (windshield included) should be removed prior to the cage going in. The windshield we have is cracked so they recommended getting a Lexan one (not plexiglass)

8) Q: How does one remove the motor?

A: You have to disconnect it, lower the motor onto a some sort of dolly, like a piano dolly, then raise the nose of the car 3-5 feet and pull the engine from the underside.

9) Q: Have you ever had to replace the motor on race weekend?

A: No, we don't bring a spare motor with us and it's never blown up.

10) Q: Should we make structural improvements?

A: The A-arms sometimes deform after hard driving so it's a good idea to have the channels of those A-arms welded closed.

11) Q: Should we get a shock tower brace?

A: They don't have one, but it might be a good idea. It would significantly improve the torsional rigidity of the front end. Don't have to worry about the rear because the roll cage is rigid enough.

12) Q: Should we get anti-roll bars?

A: They got their sway bars before their first race. Be sure to bribe the judges so they don't penalize you for it.

13) Q: Should we save our wiring loom? We have a replacement and our original has a significant amount of fire damage.

A: It's not a bad idea to save it. If for nothing else it can be a good reference.

14) Q: What kind of carburetor are you running?

A: They had a Weber like ours. Ours in solid enough but be sure to carefully thread the fuel inlet to put a better nipple on it.

15) Q: What should we do about out lighting? Also, we have some Manta lights, should we use those or are they worth saving?

A: You only need a high brake light so maybe we should save the Manta lights.

16) Q: Should we keep our original fuel pump or change it to electric?

A: They still use their original mechanical fuel pump.

17) Q: Is our rear trim piece good enough to sell and if so, how do we remove it?

A: They can sell for up to $300 so yeah, sell it. There are several bolts on the inside of the back panel that have to be unbolted before it just pops off.

Those were the questions we asked while we were crawling around TinyVette. We then took them out to lunch where a few other things transpired. They told us that the oil cooler they have came from a Volvo and their brakes came off a BMW. There is an article in "The Blitz" that goes into more detail about the brakes. They told us that we'd have to get longer lug rods. We told them that our starter was toast and Alan gave us a spare that he'll never use. Super nice guys.

After that we went back to Micheal's. We worked on the car for a while. Before I got there he had stripped the passenger side. Following are things we did after we got back.

Removed the Radiator. The coolant looked brand new!
Replaced the starter and found out that our original starter is fine, it's just the wiring that was bad.
Removed the carburetor and kinda cleaned out the intake
Engaged the starter and found that the engine turns easily. More good news
Removed more of the interior. Most significantly, the dash.

P.S. We also asked Mike and Alan about a few Craigslist finds: an Opel engine and a '75 wagon. The wagon is injected and $700. The engine has been sitting on its side for years, $130. They said we could do worse. I think we should pass on both and use the money on safety equipment instead. But then again, it's not my money.

COSTS SO FAR:
=========================
LeMons Budgeted Items:
     Previous
           $300
     Today
          None
               $0
     Total Expenses
           $300
     Budget Remaining
           $200
=========================
Off Budget Items:
   Previous
   $0
   Today
          None
               $0
     Total Expenses
               $0
=========================
     Misc. Items
     Previous
   $0
     Today
          Lunch w/ Mike & Alan
               $40
     Total Expenses
           $40
=========================
     Grand Total Expense:
              $340

P.P.S. We found that the car had an electric fuel pump. It was spliced and re-spliced into the electrical system and looks like it could have been the initial cause of the fire.

SAMPLE PHOTOS FROM TODAY: