[elky] Re: Race car update

"Pulmonary Pandemic" ... kinda catchy.  Maybe a new TV show possibility?  HA!

John ... have you guys seen a doctor, by chance?  Just curious....

Cort | 38.m.IL | pigValve + paceMaker + cowValve | 5 MCs + 1 Caprice Classic

CHD.MCs.CC + RoadTrips.hobbies.RadioShows.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"I see our time has gotten stale" __ Eve 6 __ 'Inside Out'

-----Original Message-----
From: Ray Buck <rbuck@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: elky <elky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Sent: Thu, Jul 12, 2012 7:14 pm
Subject: [elky] Re: Race car update

Thanks, John.  Not much to report today.  Jim and I spent a buncha time workin on the A/C in his Chebby Colorado without much success.  And it's been real frikkin hot.  104 as we were workin on it in the driveway.  We rigged up a parasol of sorts, and it helped with the sun, but not the ambient heat.  I'll try to do more on the race car when it cools off this evening. 

I got the shifter connected and adjusted about as well as I can without running the thing and I re-did the rear-end cover bolts and pinion yoke supports adjusted.  I gotta remember to fill the damned thing with gear lube before I run it.



Next is the TV cable at the tranny end and the tranny cooler lines and removing as many of the header bolts as I can from underneath.  Then it may be time to take it down off the jackstands that it's been on for way too long.

Here's another shot of the driver's seat with the new harnesses:



Gonna be interesting to get the rollbar installed so that it can work for me (5'6") and Jim (6'5") and have the back of the seat in physical contact with the B-pillar roll hoop's crossbar.  I'm thinkin that a removable piece that I could put in when I'm driving and out when he's driving otta do the job.  We'll just have to work it out when the roll cage gets installed.

Bummer about the long-term cold.  Between you, Cindy and Cort, we have a pulmonary pandemic in the Chicago area.  Get well soon, allaya!

Kool shots of the cruise nite.  I really like that Holden.  Not that it's a real beautiful car, but it's sure unique.  It's just screaming for a 292 transplant with a T-5 trans.  Or a 230 OHC Pontiac...if one could be found.  I've always figgered that'd be a great cylinder head for a 292...all you'd have to do is find a longer belt to drive the cam.  Could be interesting...but really unusual.

Btw, the photos are great for a phone camera.  Good stuff.

r

On 7/11/2012 4:47 AM, John Christensen wrote:

This is great progress Ray. Keep the reports coming. I don't think Grade 8 would help you there. Multiples will, and you have that covered. Like you say, the harder ones will snap, these will give a little (before they rip out of the floor entirely... in the lightning never strikes twice highly unlikely event.... don't wanna jinx ya, just sayin').

I wish this cold would go away, it's been almost a week now, and I'm real tired of it. Can't remember an illness lasting this long for me. I usually bounce back pretty quick, and I'm not sick much at all. If it's what Cindy had, she is still coughing a bit after 2 weeks.... don't want to think about it.

I did shine up the Elky on my day off and went to a car show in downtown Saint Charles. They are having it across the river from where they had it last year. Nice spot. Had some real interesting cars including a Holden Ute, RH drive, not sure of the year (will have to look again, but not modern). Looked like a propane conversion. Sorry, it was my phone camera, so framing is not the best on these. Some old Volvo's were there, some cool flat black rods. One vert that was waaayy cool. Love the Schitz shifter and alligator seats.

See: http://www.myelcamino.net/cars/STC_071012/index.htm

JC

On Tue, Jul 10, 2012 at 9:37 PM, Ray Buck <rbuck@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Yep.  You got it Dan.  I'm doing my best to get the heavy-duty stuff wherever possible.  I'm still struggling with a roll cage.  If I'm going to all this trouble, a roll cage and arm restraints (I have those with my safety gear) would be the only things I'd need to run in the 150 Club.

Here are a coupla shots from today's progress:



I suppose I could have gone with grade 8 bolts here, but as I understand it they can be somewhat brittle in a twisting motion which would be (I'd think) the kinda load it's get if it had to restrain a psycho driveshaft.



The new harnesses arrived...they aren't installed, but they're close.

More tomorrow.

r

On 7/10/2012 9:26 AM, Dann Keller wrote:

Way to go, Ray; don't rule anything out.  But be sure all of your components are rated or known to be up to the task, but you know that.
 
Dan 
 

---

Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2012 01:51:57 -0600
From: rbuck@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To: elky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [elky] Re: Race car update

I got distracted by a phone call (a good one) and that sorta delayed me a bit.  But I was able to go back out and finish drilling the mounting holes for the rear driveshaft loop, install the correct bolts for the tranny crossmember, then wipe the whole center section of the underside down and spray the areas of carnage with another coat of red paint. 

Then I fell asleep at the computer.  Duh.  But I just went back out and checked the paint.  It's only about half dry.  So I scrounged up a 24 inch boxer fan and started it blowing air over the "wet paint" area.  I should be able to bolt the rear loop in tomorrow (later today, really.)  Then it's back to the connections for the transmission (shifter, fluid cooler lines, etc) and then I might be able to get it on its feet. 

I may have to go get some new tires for the chrome wheels.  Those that are on there are pretty age-cracked...and if I'm gonna run the car at Mojave in late September, I dunno if the Front Runners are gonna get the job done.  I may need some Z-rated tires for that venue (no speed limit at that event....even if I can get the roll cage installed and a few other things done and enter the 150 Club class on the salt, I'm still limited to 159.999 mph) since it's on a paved surface.  Here's the website for the Mojave Mile: http://www.mojavemile.com/  That venue might allow me to run a little faster than I could on the salt...like around 170.  Hell, it might even allow me to get that car over 200 (I'd have to make some changes) and realize the goal I'd set for myself years ago when I got bitten by "salt fever."  The goal then was to run 200 mph in a car I built myself.  Hmmm...this is starting to sound interesting.

More later.

r

On 7/9/2012 7:56 PM, Ray Buck wrote:

Well, it's slow, but I'm makin some progress.  Before I start on this, I wanna send a "get well soon" message to Cort.  I hope you get yer ass feelin better pronto!

Ok.  Here we go.  Both racing seats are installed:



The harnesses are on order.  I'm workin on gettin a rollbar kit and talked to a guy who can install it.  I'm just tryin to sort out the details.

The aluminum driveshaft is in; here's a shot with the rear loop being fitted:



Finally, the loop is positioned and "tacked" in place with a coupla sheet metal screws.



I'm goin back out to finish bolting it in...and whatever else I can do tonite.  I still dunno if I can get it all together before World of Speed in September...but I'm tryin.

r