Some Great 2010 news and Project WarPath

[tazzz25906112]

Happy New Year and may you all have a Healthy, prosperous 2010…….. I‘ve have had the good fortune of meeting, driving across America, and great honor in general of making some “Darn good friends” from this very board in 2009.

Celebrating 2010, these same people have started a loosely (and laughingly referred to) small group called the “Rat Pack”….. The “Rat Pack” as a core of it's members plan to utilize our cars and our good fortune to initiate a yearlong effort to raise money for the Alzheimer’s society at scheduled events across America…….
We are currently working with FM3 Marketing and the Alzheimer’s Society to setup a special fund and the necessary permissions to raise funds on their behalf, along with working in conjunction with their local chapters at event sites.

Please note that the above great people have agreed to donate, their time, their efforts, and seat time in their “very, very, cool vehicles” all to better assist the Alzheimer’s Society in fighting this horrid disease that haunts all in its path at their own expense!!!

It’s an honor to unveil the plans for the “RAT PACK” ,,,, along with our 2010 project “WarPath” to all our friends at Pro-touring.com..... Utilizing WarPath and my other cars to raise funds (along with “a personally guaranteed sub-fund”) will act as my own part of the front line effort. We (The RAT PACK) will attend events and I specifically will match dollar for dollar (to a max figure at each event) a total of 15,000usd over the course of 2010 season. I (and the RAT PACK) will do as much as we can to offer rides in vehicles at events (where possible and not in competition given insurance issues) to any pro-touring member that attends the event and agrees to donate funds in the efforts to eradicate this terrible disease….

There will soon be a new web site (currently under construction) at www.carbonkustoms.com that will have a special “RAT PACK section" that will outline the schedule and the efforts on how you can join in a ride for the cure and we trust Larry will place a sticky here at Pro-touring for updates…

WarPath is a showcase platform for our future Carbon Fiber products that will be offered to the Pro-touring community at large. We have stylized the car to reflect our modern day road worthy interpretation of the infamous “1970 “Trans Am series” cars that many of us loved so much…

Carbon Kustoms will be approaching the project with a “super aggressive building schedule” and is striving to complete the car for the exciting new Pro-touring event “Face off in the Flat Lands” hosted by Baer Brakes and DSE….. Given the otherwise normally unrealistic build schedule, we plan to bring other cars to the event as well as fire up, debug and initiate an initial road test of WarPath in
the public eye….While clearly the lack of time to setup and otherwise debug the car will not be available, a far more important component will be,,,,, “Showcasing The First Stop in Raising Funds on this 2010 tour” so please try as you may to be there if possible….

Ben Hermance has been a real trooper and instrumental in the graphics of our new build and we thank him as always for his tireless efforts along with the great folks at Auto twirler, Baer Brakes, Chris Petris Inc., Pro-touring.com, FM3 Marketing, Keisler Engineering, Pontiac Enthusiast Magazine, optima batteries, Ride Tech, Rolland Racing, and RP Motor Sports just to name a few who have all played a major role in making this build a reality…. Future photos and updates will follow over the weeks to come as we work our way though the WarPath build.

Thanks, and we hope to see you all in the 2010 season at scheduled events….

The RAT PACK

[Bill Howell]

Cool Albert, I look forward to being part of this self named Rat Pack and seeing members across the country this year. I will be at every event possible and as most that know me already know, anyone can ride along.
Maybe we need a charter member list of the Rat Pack and a decal for our cars. Then, we can gain members as others step up and make decent trips in their cars.

[Paul_J]

Alzheimer's is a great cause. My Father has Lewy Bodies Dementia that is in the same group as Alzheimer's. It is not easy seeing my dad like this. Just a side note, his buddy at the home where he lives is the founder and President of of a company (will remain unnamed) that make lubricants for our industry. It is so expensive caring for an Alzheimer's patient and takes so much work.

Thanks you for what you and the "rat Pack" are doing.

[tazzz25906112]

Paul I'm sorry to hear about your father,,,, my father suffers from the disease as well. I know how hard it can be on the family members too my new friend and hopefully we can all make a small difference through our efforts.

Bill I agree the effort may just provide yet another excuse for board members to jump in their cars and meet each other from all across the country,,,,, Hey this sounds like the beginnings of future "Road Trip" LOL.....

[dropit69]

Awesome thing you are starting here Albert..my Grandmother that just passed in 09 ..she battled Dementia for about 4 years ..so hard to visit and see her like that..ill do anything i can to help out and will be at a few events for sure..if ya need help with anything just shout..!!

[tazzz25906112]

Darrin I walked the "dreaded halls" last night when I brought my dad back to the home after bringing to my house for a New Years Eve dinner,,, I hear you ..

This effort was hatched as a group (the Rat Pack) and I'm only one it's founding members however I "truly appreciate" your shout out!!!

This is exactly the "car guy" feeling this board is all about.... I feel privileged to be in a position to get to know more of you and thank Larry for his overall vision in creating Pro-touring.com and the friendships made here...I would love to have you join us at any events that work for you.....

The whole idea from the group has grown so fast,,,, we'll do our best to keep up as well .....

[wmhjr]

You mentioned Roland Racing. Are you using CV1 heads in this build?

[tazzz25906112]

You mentioned Roland Racing. Are you using CV1 heads in this build?

I am indeed planning to use Jim's heads in the build as I think they offer some interesting options. Jim seems to be a real gentleman and I think we're going to be very happy with the choice we've made as I think there is some real power potential to be made with the combination of CV-1 heads and his intake on a fuel injected pump gas stroker combo .... We're not looking to kill the dyno, we are however looking to produce consistently reliable pump gas power in the 630-650hp range that will hold up to some road course use and my right foot in general.... My engine builder tells me that my right foot tends to be like holding onto a pissed Rhino on a bad day so I guess we'll see LOL

[OLDFLM]

Class act all the way my friend! You know it already, but if there's ANYTHING I can do... just said the word!!

Love the rendering and can't wait to subscribe to the Warpath's build thread... and see it in person of course!

[CruizinKev]

looks awesome! can't wait see the project progress!

[tazzz25906112]

Ty thank you so very much my friend,,,,, I'll look forward to your active roll in the fund raiser this summer at events were possible in that extremely hot "Freedom Bird"..... BTW LOL We'll paint a few towns in Pontiac blue together this season buddy....

Kev, thanks man..... I won't disappoint you with the progress pic's as I plan to head over to the shop today and post some of the current body panel/s (plug work) being done for the Carbon Fiber panels already... I have been meeting with and discussing the build through out the holiday season with a host of people co-coordinating the timing elements on this aggressive build schedule...

[wmhjr]

I am indeed planning to use Jim's heads in the build as I think they offer some interesting options. Jim seems to be a real gentleman and I think we're going to be very happy with the choice we've made as I think there is some real power potential to be made with the combination of CV-1 heads and his intake on a fuel injected pump gas stroker combo .... We're not looking to kill the dyno, we are however looking to produce consistently reliable pump gas power in the 630-650hp range that will hold up to some road course use and my right foot in general.... My engine builder tells me that my right foot tends to be like holding onto a pissed Rhino on a bad day so I guess we'll see LOL

It'll be interesting to see. I've met Jim, and talked to him by phone as well. Seems like a great guy, with some good ideas. To be honest, I'm still not sold on the heads - I have issues with some of the design. Plus, if you have hood clearance issues and a tight engine bay the CV1s are a non-starter. My '66 would have required major hood modifications to start with, as well as likely needing to cut up my inner fenders. Maybe if more folks like you built them and we started seeing more results rather than speculation things will change. I'm currently making just under the power range you're talking and I'm using KRE D-Ports built and ported by SD. Right at 11.2:1 and it was real happy on the dyno with pump gas at 28 1/2 degrees of timing. Are you using a factory block, or are you going with an MR1 or IA2?

[tazzz25906112]

Agreed Jim is a great guy and I think your right all heads have one down side or another.... However my engine builder I think there is real potential in the design. We really like the idea of a canted valve and look forward to getting away from the shrouding issues associated with typical heads in the end run....

I'm waiting to hear about an Aluminum IA in the next day or two,,,, failing which it looks like I'll go with a factory block for the time being.... When All Pontiac releases the new Aluminum IA II's that they've been working on we'll move across.

The clearance is a non-issue on the WarPath build as we will have a factory sub-frame "highly modified" to accommodate the dry sump system we are looking at as well as moving the motor down and back within the car. The mods will include lighting the frame and adding a rack as well as ascetically wrapping the frame in Carbon Fiber...

With any luck we'd like to see the car come in at the mid to more likely high 2,800lbs+++ range as a first blush target...

[LeighP]

Awesome looking car....worthy cause, too...good luck to you guys, well done!

[tazzz25906112]

Thanks Leigh

[tazzz25906112]

Work has commenced on the fenders, hood, and doors for the Carbon Plugs for the WarPath Project.....

The panels started out looking "pretty darn nice" to start with,,,,, and then Pablo is a freak for laying the skim on and taking it down to "literally nothing" to create a mirror like strait panel surface...... After a quick epoxy prime he blocks the parts tirelessly and repetitively until he creates what I laughing call his wax look on a part. All this application and removal, block sanding etc has proven time in and time out to be the key to his incredible work,,, not to mention a healthy dose of talent LOL....

[Finch]

This is truly a great cause and one I am proud to be part of. Albert is as genuine as they come and will accomplish great things for our hobby as well as the fight against Alzheimer’s.

I for one really look forward to this year and all the great things the Rat Pack can contribute to.

Look out world because the Crazy Canadian is fired up.

[garickman]

Good luck with all you wish to acomplish

[tazzz25906112]

Wow,,,, Thanks Brian I'm honored to call you a friend and will do my best to live up that post.

You know what they say, whats life without challenge and with this great group people embracing the effort, we'll do our best to hit it out of the park Pal!!!!

[tazzz25906112]

Thanks garickman, we'll give it our best shot....