Pics/vids from Streets of Willow

[Salt Racer]

Carl,
E-mail sent. Thanks for the pic. In return, I'll buy you an Animal style burger at In-n-Out when I see you next time (probably at track event). Check your wheel bearing so you can stay until the end! ;) just messing with ya!

[JonB69FB]

Jon, it's not the mountain that wears you down, it the grain of sand in your shoe.

Tell me about it...

Actually though, my initial impression was incorrect. It's actually leaking through a thin spot in the port wall near a headbolt hole (which was my initial initial impression at the track, you may recall). Except it's not the port with the gaping hole (#1), it's the port with the tiny pinhole! (#5). Here's why:





So my easy-peasy solution is to just buy a different set of head gaskets that don't have a slot for the head bolt. I've been wanting to try out a set of Cometic MLS gaskets anyway, so I ordered a pair today. They're expensive (almost $200 w/shipping & tax) but reusable! And there's much less chance of opening a can of worms than say, sleeving the head bolt holes.

This whole car is getting more and more peppered by this type of really stupid issue as it gets farther and farther from stock parts. There are more and more parts that require custom modification to work--mainly little things like the fact that I have to cut my own intake gaskets, or that I had to modify the oil pan to clear the front main cap and steering centerlink, but it really reinforces how much the components of a car like this interact with each other.

I sometimes long for something that's a little more forgiving, both in the "keeping it running" and the "easy to drive" sense of things. But it's hard to argue with the sheer brutality of this car, if you're in to that kind of thing. I'd probably get bored tracking a Miata or S2000 (even if I was going much quicker).

At any rate I should have this problem all taken care of by the end of next week. Now I just need my PS pump, reservoir, and some of the -10 fittings that are backordered. Surprisingly, the cooler came in so I'll be making brackets to mount it this weekend.

[JonB69FB]

Katz, would you be interested in attending an event at Laguna Seca? It's always been a dream of mine to drive there.

The Speed Ventures guys will probably have an event up there sometime in early '05. It's expensive though (the track is really expensive for them to rent).

[Matt]

Thats awesome, and what a wide array of cars too. Looks like fun.

[spanky the wondermuffin]

laguna has strict sound limits.i doubt many of us would pass.check out buttonwillow.fantastic track,great facilities.lotsa run off room(ask me how i know that.....)rant on ,katz man.the faster you go the more complex the car gets.eventually a trailer becomes very useful.i'm towing now so i can run open pipes,lexan windscreen and a button clutch.i realized that 90% of the miles i put on my car was to and from races,towing(with the a/c on) just makes more sense.of course that also means two vehicles to mantain.

[JonB69FB]

My car is almost certainly quiet enough to pass (in fact, a 'seca-friendly exhaust system was one of the goals when I put it together most recently). Katz should be too and I don't remember Carl's car being super loud.

I started towing my car to races around the point it hit low-12's. For me it came down to a couple of things:

1. There's a LOT more room in the truck/trailer to bringing tools, spare parts, etc... With the rollbar I can't even take my slicks to the track in the car as only one of them fits in the trunk.

2. I'm lazy and I hate changing tires/removing crap from the car at the track. I'd rather get there, roll it off the trailer, and go.

Back when the car ran 13.7's @ 104mph, ran on pump gas, and didn't have some sort of failure almost every time I raced it, I actually drove it cross country (from Cleveland to San Diego). Trip took 3 days and used $800 in gas!

But anyway Buttonwillow sounds like a fun track too. I really like the Speed Ventures guys and they run an event there that I'd like to make as well. I don't think there are ANY tracks in California that I wouldn't want to run on, but so far my list of "to do" tracks is structured something like this (in order of desire):

1. Laguna Seca
2. Big track at Willow Springs
3. Sears Point
4. Buttonwillow
5. Thunderhill

[Salt Racer]

JonB,
Nice choice on Cometic gasket. I've heard a lot of good things about them (one of KB Piston's tech/engineer type guys races on salt, and he's been using Cometic head gasket exclusively).

Simplicity is good, but when you start out with inferior platforms (like our cars compared to an S2K, for example), some major reconstructions and custom fab would become inevitable. Somtimes it's PITA, but it's part of fun, isn't it? There's no better feeling than when everything finally works out together and the car works just as you intended. It just takes a little more time to get there. Like you said, you'll never get this much satisfaction if you drove a more common vehicle. When I showed up at SOWS in my Riv, people were looking at me like "what the fu(k is this guy thinking?" But by the end of the day, my car gained some respect from a few people. It was pretty cool.

Laguna Seca, I'd like to try it sometime but probably not in my Riv. Good sheetmetal for these cars are getting scarce day by day. Perhaps when my '69 Nova race car gets done (who knows when), or when I get some more track experience under my belt. For now, I'd stick with low-speed tracks (due to lack of hp) with lots of open areas.


Jon Spanky,
Hmmm, not sure which of my statements your comment were referring to, but yes, I agree. Once you start going really fast, trailering makes much more sense. My Riv will never get there (way too many hurdles to overcome), but I know I will have to get a trailer and a tow rig for my future race cars.

Road trip is one of my biggest passions, and I really don't mind driving long distance in my vintage cars and there's AAA if my car breaks down. I guess I'm a little different, but that's nothing new

[CarlC]

Jon,

On the big track at Willow your car would be super fast. With the amount of horsepower you have on tap it will be a wild ride!

I agree with Spanky, Buttonwillow is a ton of fun. I'll be at the next SV event there.

The exhaust on mine is a kitty cat. Laguna will be no problem.

[spanky the wondermuffin]

being a convertible i can fit 4 race wheel/tires in the 'rear seat',and i've driven to many tracks over the last few years,ran it all day,and drove home-sometimes a 1000 miles each way.but i want to go faster.and since i have a crew cab i can take the wife and kids with me now.i want to mention again a great event for spring.march 12-13 nasa event at california speedway road course,followed by 14-15th "the high roller 100",put on by mkm racing(the pony express people).2 days of lapping on the tri-oval,75-90 laps,150-180 miles.race sessions are 25 laps plus warm up.qualifications and practice the first day.driving on a superspeedway is very intense.those tracks look big on tv,but are tiny like an interstate on ramp when you get out there.www.openroadracing.com skinny tires fore and aft on the salt?great,i really need a 4th set of wheels/tires.perhaps if i put a old bent rim under my pillow the tire fairy will come.

[Salt Racer]

...skinny tires fore and aft on the salt?great,i really need a 4th set of wheels/tires.perhaps if i put a old bent rim under my pillow the tire fairy will come.

It's a recommendation. VR & ZR rated tires are approved up to 200. Some guys in production type late models (Mustang, Viper, Corvette, etc) run wide tires. I know for sure that the said Viper was doing well over 200 a couple of years ago, and a white SVT Cobra set a record at 203-ish running on wide tires last August. Not sure if they were using street radials (could have been dry or rain slicks).


Now just to add another perspective of how well Carl did...
I was at a book store yesterday, browsing through car mags, playboy, etc. There was a special edition of Road & Track, and they had an article of track-testing slightly modified 350Z, 911, and a Chrysler (forgot what it was) at SOWS. The fastest out of three was the 350Z, with 1:36-ish with a pro driver behind the wheel, and the other two cars were in 1:38-ish with the same driver. 350Z was running on relatively wide KDs.

[CarlC]

Katz,

I've tried twice to send the pic but the email keeps getting sent back. Funny thing, it takes 3-4 days before the error message shows up.

Try sending me another email but in the body of the message include your email address. Maybe that will work.

Later.

[David Pozzi]

Laguna isn't all that much a high speed track, and is pretty safe if you drive with a little caution. There ARE cement barriers all around the track but if you leave a little room on the exit of the corners, (late apex) you'll have no problems. They have open track events and have very little crashes but a bad one CAN happen...
Laguna has a very nice rhythm, a lot different from Buttonwillow, there is time to get set up for each corner and improving your time is more about being precise on corner entry and apex points.

There are two track events coming up late December at Laguna Seca.

I"ve driven Laguna, Sears Pt, Willow sp, Riverside.