Bob's Salt-Bound XLR??

[chicane67]

2007 Racing Schedule

El Mirage Dry Lake
-------------------------
May 5-6
June 10
July 15
September 16
October 21
November 10-11





Bonneville Salt Flats
--------------------------
Speed Week August 11-17
World Finals October 3-6

[Damn True]

Updates Bob. Updates!

[Bill Howell]

I know the car is at Alan's right now, getting the new frontend done. It is going to be tight, but still will be there in August.

[Bob Johnson]

man it's been an uphill pull with the rough side dragging..besides having to deal with an employee embezzling money, the Caddy has had to be taken to Alan's to make sure it will meet the dead line. Now if the left Coast Alan will get over here with the engine, the car part will be finished thanks to Johnson's Hot Rod Shop..Alan Johnson better known as the Gadsden Alan Johnson in particular..He just keeps on bailing me out...He's working 4 or 5 guys on it to get it finished...Rabbit just had bitten off more than he could chew..It's a bad looking piece of plunder..Alan built the whole front end out of Aluminum, built an aluminum top, reshaped the rear wheel openings in the quarters, is doing a lot of the interior aluminum work etc. That big ass Yoder Air hammer, English Wheels, Planishing hammer, Pullmax, new CNC Lathe. on and on..tons of custom tooling for all the equipment too..really speeds up the process..Alan has the best equipped shop you will find..He's tripled the size of it in the last 6 months. He has one of Andy Granateli's Sons working there now...he's a bad mo fo too...Alan's getting a great crew together now..I'm very happy for him..no harder working guys around than Alan, Foose, and Trepanier...I guess that's why they're tops in this game... imho..

[Bob Johnson]

I was having a little trouble figuring out what to do about the wheels for the XLR...I wanted to run 16's on the front..18's on the rear...(the selection of tires to run Bonneville isn't that extensive.) I needed a 16"X5" front wheel with a 2.750" back space...a 18"X7" rear with a 4.5 backspace. Larry Dove @ EVOD Industries in L/A..father of Shaun Dove..(Twin Sting Boyd Coddington TV Corvette) offered to whittle me the wheels from 6061 Billet at a helluva deal...He has Mike that used to work for Boyd on TV working for him doing the CNC work..I went over to BBS here near my house, got to rummaging around in some of their 3 piece wheel inventory and viola we found the correct hoop halves, and centers to make the wheels..Very strong and will absolutely do the job..put some flat covers over them and they're ready to freddie..nice and round, straight and strong..just what the doctor ordered..Bonspeed had also offered to work with me on them, but they have to be forged and no one makes any hoops that narrow in 16"..Mickey Thompson won't have the tires ready until July 15th...Bonneville is 3 weeks later...this whole deal is coming down to the wire...lot of work left to do...should have taken it to Alan's a month earlier..don't matter though...Alan will do whatever it takes to get er done..now if I can just get the motor here..

[Chad-1stGen]

Man seems to be the story of car building these days. Always down to the wire.

Good luck Bob!

[WS6]

glad to hear you're making good progress Bob. Keep it up and get us some pics when you can.

[Damn True]

Bob, thanks for checking in. Keep us posted.....and BTW, hows the ticker feeling?

[BADVELLE]

This is the type of car that should be showcased by TEAM Killeen and their Build Books!! I hope to see it run in August!

[Bob Johnson]

Bob, thanks for checking in. Keep us posted.....and BTW, hows the ticker feeling?

I've taken a licking, but it keeps on ticking..no thanks to my ex employee..

[Bob Johnson]

This is the type of car that should be showcased by TEAM Killeen and their Build Books!! I hope to see it run in August!

It would have been a grand story had Rabbit been able to finish it himself...1 Man building a car in his garage all by himself..Rabbit is a very innovative, experienced, talented guy,...He had just bitten off more than he could chew in this time frame..He's older than I am and i'm sure he's lost a few steps...just doesn't want to admit it to himself..He's done a lot of work but there is still a lot to do...I never really believed he would be able to do it all anyway..This car hasn't been in the works but for 4 months or so..I think everyone will be impressed with the finished product...a late model car but cool nontheless..Alan and his crew always seem to get fired up over my vision..His # 1 guy Tony, really likes to work on my stuff...and I really like him to work on it too...he's a bad ass mo fo..nobody is better than him with their hands...man can do anything..plus he's smart and full of ideas too..i absolutely love working with him..

[Damn True]

I've taken a licking, but it keeps on ticking..no thanks to my ex employee..

You need me to call in some zips?

[Bob Johnson]

believe me he cut me worse than the heart doctor...now I know how ol Julius Caesar felt...et tu Brute...at least he didn't get me as bad as he did his last employer..got him for well over 2.5 mil..

[Damn True]

I know a guy.

[Bob Johnson]

I know a guy.

send the guy over for him..and the girl over for me...I don't know which would make me the happiest..lol

[Bob Johnson]

anyone knowing of someone coming back toward Alabama or east of there...The Northstar Motor is supposedly going to be ready next week and be ready to bring over here...any ideas? gonna have some accompanying stuff for the dyno with it..

[roadkillint]

Ben Delozier from Mo might be able to help you out

Cell 417-818-0844
E-mail [email protected]

Chris in Fla

[Bob Johnson]

We've got the exhaust built and we can use the stuff that's actually going to be run on the XLR on the dyno over here...I've finally convinced everyone that's the only logical way to go. We can go to Young's in Decatur Ala. and dyno the motor there...Alan Dudley who designed the fuel computer for it works out of there..so both Alan Johnsons, and Joe Granatelli can be there and Allen Dudley can be there...we can also test the stuff that's actually going to be on the car...it's going to be close...with just a little bit of luck we will make it...Thanks to Alan Johnson in Alabama..he's bailed me out again..a man really finds out who his true friends are when he needs help...We'll just crate the engine up and fly it over here..cheapest and quickest way to go..

[Bob Johnson]

Gadsden Alan calls me today and wants to know if I would like to make some money...of course you know my answer...He said to make sure the engine is getting over here in the next week..if so he'll finish the car for sure...Everyone is wanting to bet him big that the XLR will never be finished for Bonneville...They just don't know the intestinal fortitude of this young man...he'll stay up day and night to do it...unfortunately Columbus is the weekend after this weekend...We're both going I guess...Don Wallace is bringing the Cuda up..rumor is that they're going to pick the top car out of the last 10 cars of the year...They're inviting the Street machine and street rods of the year for the last 10 years or so...It would make mine and Alan's day for the Cuda to win that for the street machine..I guess i'll take my Woodie up there..put that raggedy 55 of Doug Cooper's in the trailer with it...lol

[Damn True]

Gadsden Alan calls me today and wants to know if I would like to make some money...of course you know my answer...He said to make sure the engine is getting over here in the next week..if so he'll finish the car for sure...Everyone is wanting to bet him big that the XLR will never be finished for Bonneville...They just don't know the intestinal fortitude of this young man...he'll stay up day and night to do it...unfortunately Columbus is the weekend after this weekend...We're both going I guess...Don Wallace is bringing the Cuda up..rumor is that they're going to pick the top car out of the last 10 cars of the year...They're inviting the Street machine and street rods of the year for the last 10 years or so...It would make mine and Alan's day for the Cuda to win that for the street machine..I guess i'll take my Woodie up there..put that raggedy 55 of Doug Cooper's in the trailer with it...lol

You are going to show everyone your woodie?

I like ya and all Bob, but not that way.