Speed Ventures @ Buttonwillow - March 11th & April 15th

[Salt Racer]

What!? There are four seasons in SoCal!? I only want spring and summer! LOL.

Motel 6's rate works for me ($32 for one person in a 2-bed room), so I'll book a room today. If anyone wants to share room, I'm sure I can add your name when I check in.

...And Salt Racer, I'll race you for last place.

Bet is on. Faster guy gets free beer!


Den's pic reminds me of my Nova when I swapped in Richmond 6sp while I was in college. I had a rubber floor mat covering the hole for a couple of months.

[David Pozzi]

FYI,
The SCCA publication "The Wheel" has an ad from a member who lost his whole tow rig and race car at the Motel 6 in Buttonwillow!
It hasn't shown up yet.
I'd pool money for an all-night security guard, or camp at the track.

Carl, let me know if you will be there, I'm planning on driving down unless something comes up.

[Steve1968LS2]

FYI,
The SCCA publication "The Wheel" has an ad from a member who lost his whole tow rig and race car at the Motel 6 in Buttonwillow!
It hasn't shown up yet.
I'd pool money for an all-night security guard, or camp at the track.
.

Hence my post

I would be willing to chip in on that.. to be honest I usually just drive up to Buttonwillow early and drive home that night.. it is not THAT far for me..

Besides.. it's sorta fun to drive to an event.. run the car and then drive the same car home.. Makes you careful about breaking things as well.

[PAI Racing]

There are also a couple of hotels north of BuRP at the Lost Hills exit. It is about the same distance from the track as the Buttonwillow exit (in the opposite direction), but doesn't have the awesome barbecue at Willow Ranch.

As a suggestion, you might want to leave your car at the track. Les keeps a pretty good eye on the place at night. You could then ride to your hotel in someone's tow vehicle.

[MrQuick]

you guys give me a box of twinkies, 6 pack of red bulls and I'll sit in Steves car with Mrs. Mossberg and her little rock salt shells...oh yeah, has to have a radio

[CarlC]

I really, really, really want to go!!

David, I'll keep you in the loop.

Steve, I've done the same thing, but usually tech is at 8:00, so a 5:30 departure is no biggie. But for you it would be a really early drive. For me, the drive home is coffee and sunflower seeds.

Katz, we do have four seasons. Ask Farmer David!

[Salt Racer]

Well, I got new heads on Friday. Ports and valve job look good. I was getting ready to paint them (cast iron) yesterday afternoon, and I realized retainers are awfully close to seals. Took one spring off to check it, and sure enuf, there was only 0.470". New cam has well over 0.500" lift. It sucks, but good thing I caught it before I put them on.

One thing after another... 12 days to go, million things left to do...

[alcino]

I hear ya about little last second problems saltracer. I went auto crossing this weekend and still had fuel delivery problems even though I had a new carb and upgraded fuel pump. I noticed that during the auto crossing my fuel pressure was 0-1 psi. If I let the car cool down the psi goes back up to 8psi. Would you say this is a vapor lock (fuel boiling) problem? The fuel line does get within an inch of the exhaust header before reaching the electric pump. I will just wrap it in foil and insulation and hope it helps for the race track. What do you guys think?

[Salt Racer]

...The fuel line does get within an inch of the exhaust header before reaching the electric pump...

So you have an electric pump on the front end of the car? If so, that probably is compounding the problem. Or did you mean pressure regulator perhaps?

I'd definetely wrap the fuel line with high-temp insulation thing.

[alcino]

I have a self regulated pump at the front. I guess I will look in to mounting it just out side the tank in the back. Now I understand why new cars have them in the tank.

[Mean 69]

Well guys, things are not looking too good at this point for me after all. Two things seems to be killing me, the wheels, and now, I just found out, brake pads!!! I am none too happy, the pads for the new calipers are "custom," meaning they are a "make from" a stock pad. I think I can do the mod myself, but if this, AND the wheels are not here by tomorrow, I am not going to be able to run the car in over the weekend, which would leave three days to sort out an entirely new brake setup before (gulp) getting on the track. I am not throwing in the towel by any means, just wanted to give a heads up.

Mark

[alcino]

Thats sad to hear.

I just reserved my hotel room for the night before at the motel 6 of Buttonwillow. Was only $40 and it has a second bed.

[Q ship]

Friday! Friday! Friday! at smokin' Buttonwillow raceway! Come see Mean 69's Dodge Ram MMmmonster truck take on Salt Racer's INNnnsane Jeep!!

Seriously, sorry to hear about the trouble Mark, the brakes sure have been a pain for you. I haven't seen Katz here for a couple of days either, hopefully his thrash is going well. Maybe the last minute thrashes on the TV "reality" shows aren't too far off the mark after all, eh? Sure hope you can make it, I'm looking forward to seeing your car!

[Salt Racer]

This is where I'm at. You may think I'm into bright color stuff (yellow paint job and this engine), but that's not really the case. This blueish green is the original engine color Buick used in '65, and I hate the yellow paint on my car.

Anyway, I still need to assemble the new carb (750 main body/850 base plate hybrid), match the bore size of carb spacer (cheapie 4-hole variety turned into like HVH SuperSucker), finish wiring fuel pump and electric fan, plumb fuel line, and make rear stabar endlink brackets.

I should be able to fire up the motor by this time tomorrow. I'll show up in pimpy yellow Riv unless the engine blows up upon startup.

[dennis68]

Hey, that P/S pump looks an awful lot like a late model Jeep pump....got lots of those lying around.

[Mean 69]

Welp. It's official. I'm out for this week, I can't pull it together. Kinesis is late, and I found out this morning that I screwed up a dimension on the brake brackets I am making, and will need to make them over again. Not a big deal in and of itself, but with everything else, I am not going to make it. I solved the brake pad issue, with one simple phone call to Porterfield in Costa Mesa CA. Got the pads the very next day.

Tail between legs big time, I am super bummed.
Mark

Edit: BTW, Katz, the work looks superb. Good luck on getting it running.

[Q ship]

Crap! Sorry to hear it Mark. Beginning to wonder if we'll ever meet!

Katz, the engine looks great! The parts/food runner has been reserved!

Denny, any hope of making it?

[dennis68]

Nope, I'm out. Going to July for sure and may make a June event as well. I'm close but not close enough, I still need the harness' and i have developed a major fuel starvation concern above 120MPH. At about 5100RPM it starts popping at slowing down. I suspect fuel pump but haven't time to check.

[MrQuick]

you didn't pinch the fuel line on your panhard bar mount did you??? jk
Sorry to hear you guys can't make this session. Hope July works out better for everyone.

[dennis68]

You know if my work was just more understanding and let me do important stuff from 7-3 like getting the Elco ready I wouldn't be having these issues...damn employers.

PHB isn't in yet....I'm a slacker.