LeMons, 24 Hours of

[Dirty Duc]

I'm thinking based on historical precedent that I should probably change the clutch before the race.

On a separate note:
Apparently it's long-lost cousin had taken up residence under the hood, and ate as many of the wires as it could get it's teeth on.  Then it hitched a ride in the trailer to my house, but exited the car before the car left the trailer.

A week later I was appalled by the stench when I opened the trailer door... blamed it on a propane bottle at first, then I saw the dead bunny.

[Duck-Stew]

So, the project began a few weeks ago:




Applied for the Butt-Turrible race at Buttonwillow, CA.

I have one guaranteed team member of the minimum 4, the car doesn't run, and it still needs a cage. What could go wrong?

Gonna keep the stock driveline?  Turbo?

[Dirty Duc]

Gonna keep the stock driveline?  Turbo?

Stock-ish at first.

Two pre-race must fixes:
The stock clutch has a rubber center. These have a tendency to come apart in the middle of a race, and the clutch inconveniently requires pulling the engine or pulling the entire transaxle at 20 or so hours of work. I'm thinking of using a VW solid racing disc.

When subjected to racing, the van motor also doesn't like to keep the oil down in the pan where the pickup can get to it. Luckily somebody sells a crank-scraper/windage tray for them.

This car is EPA exempt, so no cats to cut off...

[Dirty Duc]

A turbo is a possibility for future races... LeMons likes the story more than the results.

[Duck-Stew]

A turbo is a possibility for future races... LeMons likes the story more than the results.

So, that begs the question:  What's your team "story" going to be?

[Dirty Duc]

Replace whatever this started life as with Porsche


It's a theme requested by the judges:

"The Deliverator's car has enough potential energy packed into its batteries to fire a pound of bacon into the Asteroid Belt. Unlike a bimbo box or a Burb beater, the Deliverator's car unloads that power through gaping, gleaming, polished sphincters... You want to talk contact patches? Your car's tires have tiny contact patches, talk to the asphalt in four places the size of your tongue. The Deliverator's car has big sticky tires with contact patches the size of a fat lady's thighs. The Deliverator is in touch with the road, starts like a bad day, stops on a peseta.

As he scrunches to a stop, the electromechanical hatch on the flank of his car is already opening to reveal his empty pizza slots, the door clicking and folding back in on itself like the wing of a beetle. The slots are waiting. Waiting for hot pizza."
From Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson.
Published by Bantam in 1992

Obviously I'm not converting it to electric...

[triangleforge]

Hiro Protagonist is your driver? Nice! 

[Dirty Duc]

I'm thinking we are still in the back story... Before the book starts, so Hiro might come along later as it were.

[Dirty Duc]

And it's official... the "workshop" build takes the wind out of the sails for a 2016 debut for the car. It will be much nicer working in a proper shop, though.

[Dirty Duc]

So my build still hasn't really gotten off the ground, but I went out to Buttonwillow this past weekend for another go with Spank's team... 7 cars.

The Harley-powered Prius (painted black and white).
A Moke dressed as a white Ford Bronco.
A classic Mini (black and white).
The 1st gen Excel (black and white).
An Austin America (black and white).
A Yugo (black and white).
An MG Metro (black and white).

The theme was something to do with the 24 hour news cycle, and a certain slow-speed chase through LA.

The classic Mini was my favorite drive of the motley assortment (although the ToyoHog didn't run well enough for more than 8 laps or so... I didn't drive it or the America).

Yeah, it's on the book of faces, but I was too busy acting the fool to video my shenanigans.

Edit: The styrofoam roof came off the Moke at ~4000 RPM in 4th. No speedo, so I have no idea how fast I was going. It did provide me with a serious amount of entertainment as it lay on the track for the rest of the day. 

[koko64]

 

[MadDuck]

    We don't have anything like that out here in the middle of the ocean. Our loss for sure.

[Dirty Duc]

  We don't have anything like that out here in the middle of the ocean. Our loss for sure.

You're just on the wrong island... they race in NZ and Aus now, too. 

[Dirty Duc]

The slackers that run the series finally posted a recap


YT is featured.

[Dirty Duc]

Our inaugural race approaches. We'll see if I can build an endurance race car better than a LSR bike .