Auto-X with Bad Penny,Steve,Mary,Dave...and True!

[buickfunnycar.com]

Today @ Marina airport with the new rear bar Dave fabbed up.Still dialing in the car and playing with the front bar so this was more of a tuning session to see what the car wants.
It was great to finally meet Steve and True,two very nice "car" guys.

Dave & Steve took turns in Penny with Dave turning a best of 44.566.Everytime I looked,there was a massive crowd around Penny,some of this crowd knew the car from the publications and were drawn to it like moths to light,lol.
Here's just a couple of pics,I'm sure both Mary & Steve will post much better pictures of the day's events.
Dave strapping in ready for some fun:
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/topfueljohn/CIMG0132.jpg

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/topfueljohn/CIMG0111.jpg

If you look closely,you can just make out the rear bar through all that maze of bracing:
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/topfueljohn/CIMG0113.jpg

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/topfueljohn/CIMG0129.jpg

Swapping out front bars,Dave chose to go back with the original smaller bar:
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/topfueljohn/CIMG0144.jpg

Steve going out:
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/topfueljohn/CIMG0156.jpg

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/topfueljohn/CIMG0138.jpg

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/topfueljohn/CIMG0148.jpg

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/topfueljohn/CIMG0151.jpg

[buickfunnycar.com]

Few more of the caliber of cars that were here today:
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/topfueljohn/CIMG0118.jpg

This car ran a best time of the day 38.586,if I remember correctly,it's crazy quick and the owner Vic and his wife run here often:
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/topfueljohn/CIMG0146.jpg

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/topfueljohn/CIMG0125.jpg

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/topfueljohn/CIMG0126.jpg

Car ran a 40.350:
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/topfueljohn/CIMG0121.jpg

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/topfueljohn/CIMG0133.jpg

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/topfueljohn/CIMG0119.jpg

All in all a fun day considering the cold,dreary and windy conditions.
I'm certain both Mary and Steve will chime in with much better pictures than I took.:yes:

[JamesJ]

Looks like a fun day...

[BLACKJACK]

AWESOME PIC'S!!!!:cheers:

[awr68]

Awesome!
What tires are on Penny now? Looks like a shorter sidewall up front since SEMA.

[buickfunnycar.com]

Awesome!
What tires are on Penny now? Looks like a shorter sidewall up front since SEMA.

Some 180 Kuhmo's,they were brand new and Penny was sliding all over the place due to the cold pavement and sandy conditions.

[Steve1968LS2]

Awesome!
What tires are on Penny now? Looks like a shorter sidewall up front since SEMA.

I got home with Penny at 1:30am.. ack!

Yea, super hard (180 treadwear).. well at least super hard compared to what I normally run. :)

That was another of the main goals, to scuff up the tires before the Costa Mesa Event. I got these specifically for the Goodguys Autocross events including the editor's challenge on Saturday since I couldn't run my R888s.

The cold and new tires conspired to rob us of all forward traction, but it was fun. The car certainly has more torque than it can put down.

I still need an alignment since I'm at the conservative -.8 camber and no toe. But the car is much better. We also scaled the car and got the corner and cross weights very close.

Dave did a phenominal job on the rear bar and my new oil breather system seemed to work out great.

It's a process, but the car is slowly getting sorted out.

Oh, started the day when we fired up the car to go to the track. It made a funny noise when it started. It stalled and when we went to re start it the most awful sound came from the starter. We thought it was a broken stator, but it turned out to be the inner starter bolt. It fell out and the starter got crooked and wasn't engaging. Luckily we found one of the few metric bolts in Dave's shop and it fit. After that the car drove and rode fine. Well, except for the petcock on the overflow tank coming loose and spitting up. But, that was an easy fix.

Good to meet you and hang out with everyone.. it was freezing cold but a blast.

Oh, Mary took Penny for the last run and turned in a 44.2xx just beating Dave.. typical woman has to have the last word. A very respectable time considering our tires.

As for me I ran a 47.02 .. I need more seat time.

And thanks for the pics.

[tony byram]

Steve, I cant speak for anyone else, but thats truly amazing. Getting a 41 year old car to handle as well as much newer and more modified cars is amazing. Penny doesnt have extreme or modified fenders with flares and huge front and rear spoilers and air dams and still runs numbers that are only attainable with much more modified cars. Thats a pretty good job of making a car run and handle that well. :hail: :thumbsup: Tony

[Steve1968LS2]

Steve, I cant speak for anyone else, but thats truly amazing. Getting a 41 year old car to handle as well as much newer and more modified cars is amazing. Penny doesnt have extreme or modified fenders with flares and huge front and rear spoilers and air dams and still runs numbers that are only attainable with much more modified cars. Thats a pretty good job of making a car run and handle that well. :hail: :thumbsup: Tony

Thanks, but let's not get the idea that Penny was nearly as fast as the other CP class cars at the event. Those things are purpose built and absolutely insane, many not even street legal. Most were in the 40 second range and 4 seconds is quite a bit of a gap. But considering our tires we we were pretty dang happy. Running on the concrete pad was "odd".. I over throttled and spun though the timing lights, but at least I didn't hit anything. lol

I would be curious to see how she would do with a set of 30-treadwear tires.. :unibrow:

[buickfunnycar.com]

Don't sell yourself short Steve,you improved on every lap and in those conditions,that's saying something.:yes: All you need is more seat time and some minor tweaks and you'll be giving the Pozzi's a run for their money.
Again,great to meet you and True...Penny looks awesome in person.:thumbsup:

[Speedster]

Awesome Steve. The one thing that is so nice is to see that you really DRIVE your car and let others drive it too. It is the antithesis of a poser. You are what a Pro Touring car is all about. Keep having fun !!!

[Damn True]

John,

Great to run into you again as well. We met briefly at Monterey Historics last year. Your car is 3x hotter in person. Love that thing.



Steve,

Take a look at the angle of the front wheels in my pics below....get that thing a better alignment. Maybe get 'em shaved too? "Shaved and Barely Legal"?









I freaking LOVE vintage prepared Vettes!!!

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/CIMG3954.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/CIMG3955.jpg


Mary's 2nd-Gen hauls the mail

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/CIMG3974.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/CIMG3975.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/CIMG3976.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/CIMG3977.jpg

[Damn True]

Stupid-fast Porsche Turbo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sGGT-nZ0I0

3sGGT-nZ0I0

Stupider-Fasterer RX-7 Turbo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyQlhg1dRUc

JyQlhg1dRUc

[Damn True]

.....and though only Angelina Jolie has been photographed more this year....but she's just about the only thing hotter than Steve Rupp's "BAD PENNY" Camaro

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/CIMG3966.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/CIMG3967.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/CIMG3968.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/CIMG3984.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/CIMG3985.jpg

[Damn True]

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/CIMG3986.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/CIMG3987.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/CIMG3988.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/CIMG3989.jpg

Ive never seen or ridden in this car on it's other tires...the R-888's. But I have no shame at all in telling you, that this car, on those tires, even with David driving......scared the poopy out of me. At even 3/4 throttle David was working it hard to keep the back end under the car. This thing has A LOT of power. More than I'd be comfortable with.

According to some folks that were there, that particular tire takes some heat cycles and wear to "wake up". I'll have to take their word for it.

I previously had no doubt that David and Mary Pozzi are both really good drivers.

Understatement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jErgljaF-XU

jErgljaF-XU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHAvnxndRGY

RHAvnxndRGY

[Huxsol81]

So whomever posts the slowest time picks up the cones? :faint:

[buickfunnycar.com]

I had forgotten about the Historics True...when you get to be my age you forget things...but your laugh reminded me we had met before,I just couldn't figure out where.:willy:
Excellent seeing you again and sharing some time together...can't wait to see your project get completed.:unibrow:

[Damn True]

Excellent seeing you again and sharing some time together...can't wait to see your project get completed.:unibrow:

Same here John. The cash situation needs to change a bit here in the future or it's going to be quite some time before completion.

[Steve1968LS2]

Yea, I need a real alignment.. still at -.80 caster.. would like to have 1.5+

Here's a couple of shots.. great seeing everyone. I found out from Mary today that we were only a couple seconds off the CP class and they were on race tires. That was nice to hear.

Body roll seems to be greatly reduced. Will be going to a 500# front spring to help increase weight transfer.

1" sway bar
http://i40.tinypic.com/2rr2cdh.jpg

1.25" sway bar
http://i42.tinypic.com/2qiy73q.jpg

1.25" sway bar
http://i44.tinypic.com/8wzl7t.jpg

[class67]

Nice pics everybody...thanks!

I wish i'd of known about this, i would have liked to come down and seen the action and BP in person.