Beach Cruiser Update

[Beach Cruiser]

Nola update! finally sat down at my desk long enough to type this up. Like I said before I Hauled the car all the way to NOLA so I could get in three Optima Events this year for the points chase. The drive wasn't fun, and the weekend was exhausting. For the first time in D&E all of my lights and streetcar required stuff worked! Horn, dome light, HVAC, wipers and of course all the lights. Score! The new stereo in the car helped with D&E too, and I recorded my highest D&E score to date. Stereo? yep, I put in a thumping mostor stereo thanks to Soundwave Customs here in Va Beach.

Back to NOLA, the veryfirst autocross run my entire exhausts dropped off the headers halfway through! yikes! I'm just glad my wideband O2 wires kept it from coming all the way off and I was able to salvage it. It took about an hour to get the car up on stands and replace the exhaust, so I lost quite a few autox runs. Once back, something didn't sound right and there was a lot of clunking going on in the rear end, I ran a total of 4 runs and during the lunch break I put it back up in the air to check things out. Well, the crossmember that holds the Pinion mount (IRS remember) was broken in two! Its a 3" piece of heavy pipe! broken. No more autox for me that day. Patched it up best we could for the road rally, and I was extra extra gentle on it for the rally portion. Once back to the track we tore into it to remove the crossmember and re weld it back together for Sundays action. Good thing we had a keg because that attracted a lot help! We managed to get it out and one of the other teams stepped up to help us weld it with their portable set. Got it back into the car and finished the keg about 1am sunday!
On Sunday I made sure I got at least one speed stop run in before I hit the open track laps just incase I had any issues in either. Turns out the parking lot welding and extra bracing held up just fine all day on Sunday!
I gave it all she had on the road course and even sprayed a whole bottle of NOS through it, but I just couldn't make up enough ground to take the GTV win home. I was close, and only a few points out, but it's not a win. Still 2nd in GTV is my highest finish yet! and I got to grab some of Falken tire's contingency money! win win!

[Spiffav8]

After every event it's important to debrief and go over the lessons learned. In this case....Always have beer on hand. Preferably cold.

[waynieZ]

Originally Posted by Spiffav8

After every event it's important to debrief and go over the lessons learned. In this case....Always have beer on hand. Preferably cold.

HereHere!! BEER!

[Beach Cruiser]

Curtis, I just got the invite this weekend for SEMA! how many kegs do I need to stuff in the car for transport? can you keep them cold for me until I get there?

[Gscherer78ta]

Originally Posted by Beach Cruiser

Curtis, I just got the invite this weekend for SEMA! how many kegs do I need to stuff in the car for transport? can you keep them cold for me until I get there?

Congrats on the invite! Great meeting you at NCM and thanks for the beer!!!!

[mike343sharpstk]

Mills,
Contrats on the invite to SEMA!
I met you last year at NCM, my wife and were parked next to you in the paddock, I had the green AMC Javelin. This is a long-delayed response, but I was just thinking about how much better my car is now, as compared to when I did the Optima event last year.
At NCM I was able to see the work you had done on your car, and what you had designed and built was inspiring. Watching how well it worked got me moving on some ideas I had for my own car.

In my case there is very little aftermarket support available, I had done some improvements but I learned at the NCM event just how much better I wanted the car to be.
I recently completed a new front suspension on my car, with adjustable coil-overs and tubular control arms.

Thanks and GOOD LUCK!
Mike

[waynieZ]

Originally Posted by Beach Cruiser

Curtis, I just got the invite this weekend for SEMA! how many kegs do I need to stuff in the car for transport? can you keep them cold for me until I get there?

SWEET!! Congratulations. Are you going to tow the car or ship it?

[Beach Cruiser]

Thanks Mike, Greg, nice meeting you guys too! so many cool people in the hobby! The cool thing about Optima is you get to meet people from all over the country just not your local region.

I haven't been updating this thread like I used to because I can't share pictures anymore from photbucket which kinda makes me mad.

Anyway, At NCM I won the Spirit of the Event award for overcoming some pretty major tow/transportation issues and still making
it to the track to run all weekend. We didn't score that many points but enough to put me in the lead of the points chase for the year end title. I've since lost that lead after the PPIR event, but I expect to get it back in NJ. I doubt it will hold up till the end of the year, but its nice to brag for a little while.

We are making plans now to tow the car to SEMA, I have a local Charity sponsor I'm going to put on the car to raise awareness and money for them, the only question looming is....

Should I paint/wrap the car? or leave it Ratty and beat on like it is? My wife says if I paint it I'm selling out. Opinions?

[waynieZ]

I think it shows guys "run what you brung!" It doesn't have to be all dolled up to be fast... What ever you do good luck.

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by waynieZ

I think it shows guys "run what you brung!" It doesn't have to be all dolled up to be fast... What ever you do good luck.

All of my friends - that have come to track days with me - that have "show cars" - have all realized - DRIVING is more fun than parking in a parking lot and trying to win a $25 plastic trophy..... And track cars don't need to be anything but well set up - and reliable.... and simple is reliable. I own THREE track cars --- that combined --- cost half what most of the builds around here cost just in parts!