feeling cursed..., can't seem to get the car together for the race deadline Options

[brant]

I'm just venting...
it seems like nothing wants to come together easily

I towed to Nebraska last weekend (about 7-8hours each direction)
I had made 1 change to the car since the last race
I was mixing and matching pulleys from different year 911's to attempt to increase my fan speed and improve cooling

long story short... the fan belts I used did not work
kept throwing belts at the event, used the 2 I brought and had to come home early due to not having the right belt
(surprise, surprise... you can't buy the right belt at autozone in Nebraska)

other thing that happened...
my co-driver bottomed the car out very hard at the last race we ran
We went through things and didn't find any damage
but the right front shock is seized and didn't show itself in maintenance
I'm sure the hard off and subsequence bouncing blew the internal valve

so in left hand corners, after 1 compression the car had infinite spring rate
the slightest irregularity in the road created a lovely bounce and push
you should see the video.... steering wheel bouncing back and forth to the point it was actually hard to hold onto the wheel with about a 100degree sawing motion on the wheel

had to modify the line through certain corners and dropped about 3 seconds a lap....


So now I'm home
I'm prepping the car for a tow to Sonoma (approximately 20 hours tow in each direction)
and one barrier after another is fighting me!

-QA1 discontinued the custom length shocks I use
the koni engineer can get me something close with decent race valving at a $$price... but not here this weekend when I need to install. Plus I'll have to get special spacers machined for the bottom and more machine work done to the top nut.

-continental makes the fan belt size I think I need after a 2nd round of measuring....
of course its only sold in the UK and will take weeks to get here... plus I don't even know for a fact it will fit correctly....

-the 3rd compound of brake pads I need to move to are on order... also not here this weekend when I need them...

sometimes it seems nothing wants to come together
maybe time for another beer and a new plan
I am going to the Sonoma race
I will figure out the workarounds I need

sorry for venting.
brant

[gms]

Brant,
I feel your pain!
These are some of the constant frustrations I have as well.
Living outside of Chicago means parts are always 3-4 days away.

The one great thing our sports car club has added to the race schedule is high speed drivers education sessions at every race. These are fairly cheap sessions usually within an hour or two drive and plenty of track time to shake the car down. Perhaps some club in your area runs them?

If you are doing the long hauls you should come out and do the Loooong Race at the end of October

[Cracker]

Brant,

Been there too! Hang in there and check off "things" one at a time! Keep your head up
and simply envision "Sonoma" (lap after lap after...)! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

Great track and worth the haul!

PS: Amended due to being an idiot...I literally just cracked my newly installed windshield trying to "torch" off the rearview mirror
mount. In the name of "misery loves company" - I'm here for you! I didn't "need" this with everything I'me trying to finish either.

Again, hang in there!

Tony

Stupidity on Display!!!

[campbellcj]

^^^ ouch!

A few years ago I broke an $$$ auto-dimming mirror trying to clean/fix something with heat. Oops.

Brant it will come together. I always head to the track a little bummed that I didn't finish everything I had intended to. But once I'm there...assuming the car reasonably holds together...all worries are erased.

[Krieger]

There is an authorized Koni shock rebuilder at Sears Point called PSI. Maybe they can make it happen for you? Good Luck.

[stugray]

Brant,

A few things:

1 - My brother has some excellent video of the "4-off" that your car experienced at Pueblo, he was the car immediately behind.
It is kind of funny that it kicked up a rock that hit the go-pro dead center and tipped it up. SO the rest of the race video was of the sky :-)

2- Wont help you right now, but Longmont has a Tinkermill. Membership is only $50 a month and they have a metal shop with Lathe and mill (both manual and CNC).
They are even open 24/7 for members.

I plan on getting a membership and the training, so machining parts for our cars will get much easier.

3 - When you figure out the details of getting the shortened shocks for the front I am interested. I listened carefully when you explained about the need to shorten the shocks for lower ride height and I plan on making this change over the winter.

Funny (slightly related) My two 4-offs at HPR occurred soon after hearing what sounded like a front trunk-monkey with a ball-peen hammer playing drums.
It turned out to be my right front suspension bushing getting warm and binding up.
It makes a horrible racket as it binds, like something coming loose.
When I jacked up the car right after the race, the RF wheel stayed up in the wheel well and had to be pushed down.
So I am ordering the elephant spherical bushings this week.
Wont ever have to worry about that again.