I Received a text from Michael stating that he had bought a trailer for the Opel. It apparently has electric brakes, but they don't work at the moment. It's certainly big enough and it is open along the center so we might be able to get under the Opel easier.
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
$40
Today
Trailer for Opel
$1,200
Total Expenses
$1,240
=========================
Grand Total Expense:
$1,540
Friday, July 5, 2013
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?
2) Q: What kind of wheels should we get? Tires, cost?
3) Q: Should we keep the heater core to act as a secondary radiator?
4) Q: How much fuel do they go through? Is it available on site?
5) Q: Should we sell our nifty quad-tip exhaust and buy some cherry bombs instead?
6) Q: Can we pit for your next race?
7) Q: Should we wait to remove the windows until right before the race?
8) Q: How does one remove the motor?
9) Q: Have you ever had to replace the motor on race weekend?
10) Q: Should we make structural improvements?
11) Q: Should we get a shock tower brace?
12) Q: Should we get anti-roll bars?
13) Q: Should we save our wiring loom? We have a replacement and our original has a significant amount of fire damage.
14) Q: What kind of carburetor are you running?
15) Q: What should we do about out lighting? Also, we have some Manta lights, should we use those or are they worth saving?
16) Q: Should we keep our original fuel pump or change it to electric?
17) Q: Is our rear trim piece good enough to sell and if so, how do we remove it?
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.
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:
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Weber Carb.
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Engine Bay complete with melted fan
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Stripped Interior. It's starting to feel like a race car.
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Good looking profile.
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Good looking quad-tip exhaust.
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The new (to us) starter is in and ready to turn the engine.
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Our old starter which ended up not being broken.
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.
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:
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.jpg)
.jpg)
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Hard-Copy Journal for 6 May, 2013
Rob's introduction to the project.
Michael texted my that he had a surprise for me at his place and that I should come when convenient. School conflicted, but I blew off a study session anyway to see what he had for me. Showed up at about 1:30 PM to find a 1971 Opel GT for use at LeMons. Exciting Times. He spent $300 for the car. It has enough parts that can be sold or traded to bring the LeMons budget down to $0 I believe. Also has some parts that I can use on my Opel. Lot of work to do, but no expectations on racing until 2014. He thinks June, but I think September because of locations. June is Buttonwillow race and that is far away. September is Thunderhill which is closer and at least I have some knowledge of that track. It was located at the side of his house. We didn't work on it today, but we did move it to the main driveway and placed it on tire stands to elevate it a bit. I had to get back to school for D.E. class.
COSTS SO FAR:
=========================
LeMons Budgeted Items:
1971 Opel GT
$300
Total Expenses
$300
Budget Remaining
$200
=========================
Off Budget Items:
None
Total Expenses
$0
=========================
Misc. Items
None
Total Expenses
$0
=========================
Grand Total Expense:
$300
SAMPLE PHOTOS FROM TODAY:
.jpg)
My first view of the 1971 Opel GT.
.jpg)
Interior with extra bits.
.jpg)
Rear Quarter view of Car.
Michael texted my that he had a surprise for me at his place and that I should come when convenient. School conflicted, but I blew off a study session anyway to see what he had for me. Showed up at about 1:30 PM to find a 1971 Opel GT for use at LeMons. Exciting Times. He spent $300 for the car. It has enough parts that can be sold or traded to bring the LeMons budget down to $0 I believe. Also has some parts that I can use on my Opel. Lot of work to do, but no expectations on racing until 2014. He thinks June, but I think September because of locations. June is Buttonwillow race and that is far away. September is Thunderhill which is closer and at least I have some knowledge of that track. It was located at the side of his house. We didn't work on it today, but we did move it to the main driveway and placed it on tire stands to elevate it a bit. I had to get back to school for D.E. class.
COSTS SO FAR:
=========================
LeMons Budgeted Items:
1971 Opel GT
$300
Total Expenses
$300
Budget Remaining
$200
=========================
Off Budget Items:
None
Total Expenses
$0
=========================
Misc. Items
None
Total Expenses
$0
=========================
Grand Total Expense:
$300
SAMPLE PHOTOS FROM TODAY:
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.jpg)
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Background for LeMons.
For those who don't know, the 24 Hours of LeMons is a "crap cans" race league for endurance racing with super cheap cars. The name is an obvious play on the name 24 Hours of Le Mans which is a world famous endurance race that takes place in France every year along with the word "Lemon" which is, of course, a term for a crappy car. The official website for this race league can be found here.
In a nutshell, the specifications for this race are as follows:
You cannot spend more than $500 on a race car. This budget includes the cost of the car, the costs to get it running and driving, and the cost of decorating it. However, there is a limitless budget on required safety equipment such as a roll-cage, racing seat, fire suppression systems, wheels, tires, brakes, etc.
There are several races which take place across the country. Most of these races take place over a weekend with two 12 hour endurance races. A very small number of these races are true 24 hour long single races, but I doubt we'll do one of those.
This racing league has grown in popularity since its inception with races now having often more than 150 cars on the track at any given race. I still haven't been to one, but I'll be helping a part of the pit crew for another team (Team TinyVette) in September at The Thunderhill Raceway in Willows Ca. I hope to gain some much needed experience in this race series before we enter our car next year.
In a nutshell, the specifications for this race are as follows:
You cannot spend more than $500 on a race car. This budget includes the cost of the car, the costs to get it running and driving, and the cost of decorating it. However, there is a limitless budget on required safety equipment such as a roll-cage, racing seat, fire suppression systems, wheels, tires, brakes, etc.
There are several races which take place across the country. Most of these races take place over a weekend with two 12 hour endurance races. A very small number of these races are true 24 hour long single races, but I doubt we'll do one of those.
This racing league has grown in popularity since its inception with races now having often more than 150 cars on the track at any given race. I still haven't been to one, but I'll be helping a part of the pit crew for another team (Team TinyVette) in September at The Thunderhill Raceway in Willows Ca. I hope to gain some much needed experience in this race series before we enter our car next year.
I'm back!
I simply lost interest in posting on this Blog because I really had nothing to write about that I was particularly proud of. Three years, eh? I can't say that nothing has happened, but I don't know where to begin. I'm still in school. I'm still madly in love with my wife, Rebecca. I still love cars. I still enjoy riding motorcycles. I've lost contact with pretty much all of my friends of the past. I've made a few new friends through school. I've been depressed. I've been happy. I've moved two times. I've bought two motorcycles and sold the first one. I've bought a classic car. Both of my grandmothers have passed on. I've learned a great deal about math and physics. I still don't talk with my family nearly as often as I should. I still play the Movie Quote Game. I still play video games. I don't like Michael Crichton as an author as much as I used to. I have a new appreciation for great science fiction...
And a great many other things are the same.
And a great many other things are different.
That being said, I believe the purpose of this weblog is one of those things in my life that is due for a change. This has been primarily a place to share my thoughts, feelings, and experiences of anything and everything that happens in my life for those who care to read them. However, as with all of my journals I've ever started, my interest waned and I stopped all together. Therefore, I'm just going to focus on one aspect of my life and try to stick only to that. With that kind of specific goal, I hope to be more consistent with this journal.
As all of my family knows I would love nothing more than to be a super famous racing driver. I finally have a chance to race on an extremely amateur level. I'm co-owner of a car that will race in the 24 Hours of LeMons. The other owner, in fact the individual that bought the car and gave me co-ownership as an awesome birthday present, is my good friend Michael Pendley. The story of that car, the transformation thereof, and the race(s) it does will be what this weblog is about from now on. I have a hard-copy journal with a few entries and I'll be placing each of those entries in this on-line journal. I'll also include any pictures/video that I take of this project.
This project is moving slowly, so don't have high hopes of a regular update schedule. What I write in my hard copy journal will end up here. I hope you all enjoy.
-Rob
And a great many other things are the same.
And a great many other things are different.
That being said, I believe the purpose of this weblog is one of those things in my life that is due for a change. This has been primarily a place to share my thoughts, feelings, and experiences of anything and everything that happens in my life for those who care to read them. However, as with all of my journals I've ever started, my interest waned and I stopped all together. Therefore, I'm just going to focus on one aspect of my life and try to stick only to that. With that kind of specific goal, I hope to be more consistent with this journal.
As all of my family knows I would love nothing more than to be a super famous racing driver. I finally have a chance to race on an extremely amateur level. I'm co-owner of a car that will race in the 24 Hours of LeMons. The other owner, in fact the individual that bought the car and gave me co-ownership as an awesome birthday present, is my good friend Michael Pendley. The story of that car, the transformation thereof, and the race(s) it does will be what this weblog is about from now on. I have a hard-copy journal with a few entries and I'll be placing each of those entries in this on-line journal. I'll also include any pictures/video that I take of this project.
This project is moving slowly, so don't have high hopes of a regular update schedule. What I write in my hard copy journal will end up here. I hope you all enjoy.
-Rob
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Been a while.
So I see it’s been like 8 months since I’ve written one word in my web log. The crazy part is that I’ve had all sorts of stuff to write about. I’ve had no less than three life changing events happen to me these months. First of all, I got married. Second, I started going back to school. Lastly I’ve received my motorcycle license. Each of those points will be getting their own post in the coming week or so, but for now I’m just going to fill you in by telling you what’s happening with my life right now.
I’m still unemployed. People are still not building, so fire sprinkler companies are still not hiring. There’s a little over a half dozen fire sprinkler companies around the Sacramento area and I’ve been keeping my feelers out with periodic phone calls and such, but to no avail. As it stands now, I think that by next semester I’m going to go to school full time using the financial aid, and get myself a part time job in whatever I can find. Hopefully I can find a part time design job, but I think I’ll have to take a retail job.
I’m still kind of active in my R/C Drift Club. Since I’ve been spending my money on other things though, my Drift Car has been non-operational for a couple of months. I still show up to some of the meets, hang out with the guys, and generally have a good time. The club’s size is dwindling, our influence is growing. We’ve made sort of an alliance with another drift club from San Jose, and we’ve had a couple of competitions with them. There is a good possibility that our club will be featured in an R/C magazine in a couple of months, it’s still in the planning process so it might not happen, but if it does, I’ll be sure to post the article.
Outside of those few things, and the other main ones that I touched on in the beginning of this post are what I’m about lately. Going on a 8 month vacation may sound awesome, but I’m getting more than a little stir-crazy. I cannot wait until I can become a contributing member of the community again.
Anyway, until my next post,
-Rob
I’m still unemployed. People are still not building, so fire sprinkler companies are still not hiring. There’s a little over a half dozen fire sprinkler companies around the Sacramento area and I’ve been keeping my feelers out with periodic phone calls and such, but to no avail. As it stands now, I think that by next semester I’m going to go to school full time using the financial aid, and get myself a part time job in whatever I can find. Hopefully I can find a part time design job, but I think I’ll have to take a retail job.
I’m still kind of active in my R/C Drift Club. Since I’ve been spending my money on other things though, my Drift Car has been non-operational for a couple of months. I still show up to some of the meets, hang out with the guys, and generally have a good time. The club’s size is dwindling, our influence is growing. We’ve made sort of an alliance with another drift club from San Jose, and we’ve had a couple of competitions with them. There is a good possibility that our club will be featured in an R/C magazine in a couple of months, it’s still in the planning process so it might not happen, but if it does, I’ll be sure to post the article.
Outside of those few things, and the other main ones that I touched on in the beginning of this post are what I’m about lately. Going on a 8 month vacation may sound awesome, but I’m getting more than a little stir-crazy. I cannot wait until I can become a contributing member of the community again.
Anyway, until my next post,
-Rob
Saturday, August 8, 2009
New chapter.
Well, as my family knows, my job has come to an end. This is not very fun and I was nervous about being able to stay in contact with everyone, but it seems like that won't be too much of a problem. I just got a new phone (916) 601-2348 and it's very nice and shiny. It's an iPhone so it has all the Internet access things I'll need. My updates should be a bit more frequent, but they'll also be a bit shorter I think.
This is a fairly exciting new chapter in my life. I haven't liked my job for the past few years (anyone can see this by reading through some of my older posts) and I don't really know what's coming next. While talking with Rilla, I was able to realize that the whole world has been opened up to me. Perhaps I'll get a job on the east coast! Maybe I'll become a super famous racing driver in Germany (not too hopeful on that one though). All I know for certain is that I'll no longer need to put up with my old bosses. I'm looking forward to whatever comes in the future.
One last thing I need to tell you all before I finish this up and that is about my email. My old work email is obviously not being used any more so you'll have to use my new one: robsracing@gmail.com
Now that I am not working, I'll be spending a lot of time planning the wedding and I'll be sure to post small updates about that as they arise.
Good night all.
This is a fairly exciting new chapter in my life. I haven't liked my job for the past few years (anyone can see this by reading through some of my older posts) and I don't really know what's coming next. While talking with Rilla, I was able to realize that the whole world has been opened up to me. Perhaps I'll get a job on the east coast! Maybe I'll become a super famous racing driver in Germany (not too hopeful on that one though). All I know for certain is that I'll no longer need to put up with my old bosses. I'm looking forward to whatever comes in the future.
One last thing I need to tell you all before I finish this up and that is about my email. My old work email is obviously not being used any more so you'll have to use my new one: robsracing@gmail.com
Now that I am not working, I'll be spending a lot of time planning the wedding and I'll be sure to post small updates about that as they arise.
Good night all.
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