Midwest Musclecar Challenge **May 29th & 30th**

[Jimi-FM3]

RideTech and Bowler Performance Transmissions are proud to announce the inaugural running of the Midwest Musclecar Challenge. The Midwest Musclecar Challenge will provide a dynamic proving ground to test the handling and road manners of some of America’s best-built musclecars.

The Midwest Musclecar Challenge is a four-element event open to domestic 1978 and prior model year vehicles. The event will be run on May 29th &30th at two of the Midwest’s premier facilities, Putnam Park Road Course, in Mount Meridian Indiana, and the Mid-American Air Center, located in Lawrenceville, Illinois. The four elements include road course, street driving, autocross and a speed-stop challenge.

The high horsepower fun will begin on Saturday with the BFGoodrich Hot Lap Challenge. Putnam Park Road Course is a 1.87-mile, 10 turn, highly technical facility. A full day on the road course assures everyone plenty of track time and there will be instruction available for novices or those that want to improve their existing skills.

The track day will be followed by the Bowler Performance Transmissions 99-mile cruise that will wind its way through the scenic byways of southern Indiana and Illinois. Utilizing primarily two lane highways and county roads, this element will highlight the road handling manners of the vehicles and give all the participants an opportunity to relax after a day at the track.

Bowler’s 99-mile cruise will conclude on Saturday night with the world famous RideTech Bar-B-Que rib feast. Socializing and bench racing are the two primary items on the agenda for the evening.

Sunday morning promises lots of activity for the day and the Mid-American Air Center is the ideal location to continue the high-octane extravaganza!

The nearly unlimited size of the Air Center allows for the creation of a one-of-a-kind RideTech Street Challenge Autocross course that will thrill both the drivers and spectators and push the entries to the ragged edge of performance.

The Baer Brakes speed-stop challenge also promises to be an exciting event as we test the limits of acceleration, braking and driver skills all at the same time! The “stop box” will be the ultimate proof of mechanical functionality and driver talent.

If that’s not enough RPM to put you into the rev limiter, The Midwest Musclecar Challenge will also include a non-judged show-n-shine area to showcase some of the most beautiful automotive craftsmanship on the planet.

Registration for the event will open February 1, 2010 and will be limited to the first 60 entries. Entry fee is $250 before April 1, $300 after April 1 and $350 the day of the event. Entry includes one vehicle, two adults and dinner on Saturday. Stand-alone show-n-shine entries are $25 and include two adults and dinner.

Bowler Performance Transmissions, RideTech, Baer Brakes and BFGoodrich are proud sponsors of the Midwest Musclecar Challenge. The event is produced by FM3 Performance Marketing.

Corporate sponsorship is available; please email Bret Voelkel at [email protected], or Mark Bowler at [email protected] for more information.

For a complete set of rules and registration requirements, please visit www.midwestmusclecarchallenge.com.

[James OLC]

Awesome Jimi - looks like it will be a great event! :thumbsup:

[Jimi-FM3]

Yes it promises to be a great time. Both venues are really cool and the 99 mile cruise is going to be awesome. We should have registration forms up on the site next week.

[Steve1968LS2]

Count me in.. gonna be a busy summer..

1. Flatlands event
2. This event
3. Motorstate event
4. Holley LSx event in Sept
5. RTTH
6. Optima after SEMA

Damn... glad I'm rebuilding the car!

[Vegas69]

Count me in.. gonna be a busy summer..

1. Flatlands event
2. This event
3. Motorstate event
4. Holley LSx event in Sept
5. RTTH
6. Optima after SEMA

Damn... glad I'm rebuilding the car!

You suck.....

[radrambler]

Count me in.. gonna be a busy summer..

1. Flatlands event
2. This event
3. Motorstate event
4. Holley LSx event in Sept
5. RTTH
6. Optima after SEMA

Damn... glad I'm rebuilding the car!

Sounds like you need to get a rental pad in the midwest...

Tom

[Steve1968LS2]

Sounds like you need to get a rental pad in the midwest...

Tom

Well it can hang out at Lane Automotive for the Gingerman deal and Holley said they would hold it for the LSx deal in Sept.

And I know Bowler would find a spot for thier event.. The rest will be favors and paying people gas money and such to help move her about.

I can't tell you how much fun it is to show up at an event and have your car there.

There are SO MANY cool events this summer.. this is the golden age of hot rodding in my opinion.

[Steve1968LS2]

You suck.....

So I've been told.. often..

[66LS7]

Count me in.:thumbsup:

[Mike Norris]

Hey Steve,

As long as I have room at the house or shop we can keep her in Indy if need be.

Mike Norris

[Steve1968LS2]

Hey Steve,

As long as I have room at the house or shop we can keep her in Indy if need be.

Mike Norris

Thanks Mike.. You can fine tune the 454 while she's there.

Once Nick's Orange Krate is done we're going to have you fiddle with that as well.

[Finch]

Count me in.. gonna be a busy summer..

1. Flatlands event
2. This event
3. Motorstate event
4. Holley LSx event in Sept
5. RTTH
6. Optima after SEMA

Damn... glad I'm rebuilding the car!

I believe Bowler is doing the Days at the Strip show again in July so better put that on the list.

[Steve1968LS2]

I believe Bowler is doing the Days at the Strip show again in July so better put that on the list.

Is that the one I went to last year with the unlimited autox laps? If so I'm flyin' out.. lol

And my car needs to be in CA May 15/16 for the Costa Mesa Goodguys to defend my Editors Challenge deal.

It's starting to make me dizzy.. lol

[DFRESH]

So I've been told.. often..

LOL ---

[pro-tour79]

why the cut off at 1978? why not finish the decade to 1979? or is it to keep fox body Mustangs and their vast amount of modern tech out of such competitions?

[Jimi-FM3]

The event is specifically designed to focus on muscle cars. No offense intended to post 1978 vehicles or Fox body Mustangs. There are a lot of events designed for later model vehicles put on by NASA, SCCA, Time Attack, etc - we wanted to create something especially for the muscle car guys.

[tazzz2_ca]

Sounds like a blast, we'll be there in force....

[bret]

Registration is now open.

http://www.midwestmusclecarchallenge.com/?page_id=13

Note that the show-n-shine thing is a non-judged event. We just want to let everyone check out your ride. Besides...$25 is not bad for a prime parking spot, entry to the events, AND a kickass rib feast on Saturday night. Now you can let your minivan at home and bring your hotrod [even if you're not ready to race yet].

See you all there!

[69MyWay]

Just signed up!

This is going to be AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now...I'd like to make sure my car is safe. It only has lap belts (69 Camaro).

I'd like a way to put a 5 point in, but don't want to limit the back seat.

[69MyWay]

Hey guys - can you help me plan and prepare???

I'll be driving over from Illinois with my wife.

Will there be air on site to adjust tire pressure, or do I need to bring a tank/compressor?

Access to a jack, or do I need to carry one?

Is there a shaded area to put stuff while the car is running?

[Jimi-FM3]

There are plenty of shaded areas at Putnam Park, not much shade at Mid-American Air Center, it's an airport and they frown on tall green obstructions!:yes:

I would bring everything you need for pitting or making adjustments to your car as there is no formal pits at either venue.

[Jimi-FM3]

Bowler Performance Transmissions and Ridetech are proud to announce that The Midwest Musclecar Challenge will be televised on Fox Sports Net in June of 2010! :woot:

Our group will be working closely with Masters Entertainment, creators of the Mother's Car Show Series, Inside Drag Racing and countless other automotive programs. Masters TV will be on-site to capture all the action of the Midwest Musclecar Challenge to produce a 30 minute special to air in June on the Mother's Car Show Series. They will also be producing a full length DVD that will be available immediately following the telecast that will include bonus footage from the event not seen on television.

If you haven't already, be sure to register for the event and take your shot at fame and glory!! Check www.midwestmusclecarchallenge.com for more exciting announcements in the upcoming weeks." :thumbsup:

[69MyWay]

There are plenty of shaded areas at Putnam Park, not much shade at Mid-American Air Center, it's an airport and they frown on tall green obstructions!:yes:

I would bring everything you need for pitting or making adjustments to your car as there is no formal pits at either venue.

Okay, I appreciate the extra info. My car hauler has a bum wheel bearing that I don't trust...even if I did trust it, we can't figure out the logistics as I want my wife to ride with me on the 99 mile cruise and not follow in the truck/trailer. Plus, we live in Illinois, so we're headed into Indiana, then back over, then we'd have to go back over to get the truck/trailer.

Kind of like the chicken, fox, and bag of seed issue when trying to cross the creek in a boat! LOL

I do plan on running the car hard, and will obviously need to bring my back up tools, supplies, and luggage - so the trailer option would be optimal for that - but stink for everything else. The 1st gen trunk space gets small real quick.

We are going to bring my six year old son as well. Not fair that he stay at home when he could watch the car on the track. He is just now getting into NASCAR and loves Kevin Harvick. We'll have to see if we can assign a number 29 for me door to make sure he is cheering for the right car!

[69MyWay]

By the way - my racing helmet (custom paint job) is about 8 years old and falls outside of the current ratings.

I didn't see anything in the rules about checking the DOT on the helmet - will it be okay to run one that isn't the current model?

[bret]

Seems like more people are starting to thaw out from the miserable winter! We have 12 people entered right now and we are still 70 days away from the event. I know a lot of people are still unsure if there care will be ready by that time, but look at it as motivation to get the darn thing done! I know if I don't have a deadline I can't seem to get anything done. Who can honestly tell me that the last 2 weeks before a major event wasn't late nights and a bunch of red label shipping to get the car ready?
We have offered a $50 discount for signing up before April 1 [$250 before April 1, $300 after]. We did that because it helps us plan for T shirts, food, and all the other bazillion details that are dependant on how many people will be there. Don't loose the opportunity to save some money...sign up today. Remember, we are doing TV filming at this event as well. I am assuming that no one is allergic to being on TV, right?

[Jimi-FM3]

By the way - my racing helmet (custom paint job) is about 8 years old and falls outside of the current ratings.

I didn't see anything in the rules about checking the DOT on the helmet - will it be okay to run one that isn't the current model?

Here's the helmet rule -

1) Helmet use is to be required during any competitive event with the exception of street driving.

We didn't specify the Snell rating but most track day events require the use of a Snell 2005 certified helmet. Use your own judgement - maybe it's time to retire the cool custom painted helmet and drop a couple dead presidents on a new one.

[69MyWay]

Here's the helmet rule -

1) Helmet use is to be required during any competitive event with the exception of street driving.

We didn't specify the Snell rating but most track day events require the use of a Snell 2005 certified helmet. Use your own judgement - maybe it's time to retire the cool custom painted helmet and drop a couple dead presidents on a new one.

Okay then I'll use my judgement - the last competitive driving event I was in...I was able to use it - we'll leave it at that then (which was just a little before 2005...LOL).

I talked one of my friends into signing up with his killer 66 Vette with a set of custom 18 wheels/tires. The rest is bone stock and he wants to see what the car will do. Stock the 66 Vette with four wheel four piston fixed caliper brakes and full independent suspension did well it its day vs. the other door slammers that rolled out of Detroit. I think he will have a blast.

Trying to get a few other's to sign on. Two of my co-worker's cars are too far out to be done in time.

I have another co-worker with a cosworth Vega - pretty neat car, and I think it would be blast. Problem is he doesn't have decent wheels and tires so he is opting out.

Working on it though.

[Mover]

So I’m kicking around the idea of going to this event but would like to ask what needs to be done with the cars at night. Will they be left at track or does a person need to haul it back and forth. The reason I ask is I don’t have an enclosed trailer and this could be a huge issue for me if I were to sign up for this event. Any info would be nice and thanks in advance!

[Jimi-FM3]

So I’m kicking around the idea of going to this event but would like to ask what needs to be done with the cars at night. Will they be left at track or does a person need to haul it back and forth. The reason I ask is I don’t have an enclosed trailer and this could be a huge issue for me if I were to sign up for this event. Any info would be nice and thanks in advance!

You wont have to leave it anywhere. The track day is on Saturday followed by the Bowler cruise. The cruise ends with dinner at the park which is literally minutes from the hotel. Park at the hotel - plenty of room. The autocross/speed-stop/show-n-shine all happens on Sunday at Mid-American Air Center 9 miles from the hotel.

[Grnova]

You wont have to leave it anywhere. The track day is on Saturday followed by the Bowler cruise. The cruise ends with dinner at the park which is literally minutes from the hotel. Park at the hotel - plenty of room. The autocross/speed-stop/show-n-shine all happens on Sunday at Mid-American Air Center 9 miles from the hotel.

Ok, I'm confused I was under the impression that:
* you drive to Putnam park on Saturday run the track
* drive the 99 mile cruise to Laweranceville, eat dinner
* stay in Laweranceville overnight
* wake up Sunday for Autocross and Events

Please correct me if I have this wrong?

[Jimi-FM3]

Thats close - the cruise goes to Vincennes where we will have the Flowmaster Rib Feast. The hotel is also in Vincennes which is 9 miles from Mid American Air Center. You're welcomed to leave your truck/trailer at Mid American on Saturday night, park at the hotel and drive over on Sunday morning, or you can put your car in your trailer Saturday night either place.

[Jimi-FM3]

New incentives from Bret at Ridetech:

"Hi guys…just now getting a chance to write a few thoughts. As we discussed briefly on Sunday, I would like to set up an offer to store up to 6 participants cars at our facility between the Face Off event on May 1 and the MMC event on May 30 for those who would enter both events. We could even extend that a bit further if they wanted to stay for the Power Tour and/or the Motorstate event in June. Here is a schedule of events in the area that might be of interest for this type vehicle/owner:

April 30-May 2 – Face Off at Road America – 7 hours from Jasper
May 8-9 – 10/10ths track day at Putnam Park – 2 hours from Jasper http://www.1010thsmotorsports.com/page/page/5236308.htm
May 21-23 GoodGuys Nashville – 3 hours from Jasper
May 29-30 Midwest Musclecar Challenge – 1 hour from Jasper
June 5-12 HotRod Power Tour – Iowa to Alabama
June 18-20 Motorstate Challenge – 5 hours from Jasper
July 9-11 Goodguys Columbus – 5 hours from Jasper

We are 75 miles from the Louisville airport. If the flights are coordinated I can even arrange a group ride from the airport to our shop."

A way generous offer guys - don't miss out, no excuses about storage now!! Thanks for the offer Bret.

[69MyWay]

Need a little more info so we can get our hotel reservations straight.

What time do we need to arrive on Saturday at the track?

For Saturday night - which hotel is the nearest/center of ...activities for the dinner..etc

Thanks!

BTW- getting the dyno tune on the Camaro Friday...so watch out guys...I'll be maximized and optimized...now, if I just knew how to drive the car well I'd be in good shape!

[Jimi-FM3]

At the track at 8 am so we can start running at 9, hotel info for Saturday is at
http://www.midwestmusclecarchallenge.com

Really looking forward to this event - a full day of track time!!

[bret]

After reviewing the various comments posted on the Pro Touring and Lateral G forums it seems the main concerns are as follows:

concerned about driving skill
concerned about being slow or looking like a novice
concerned about hurting their car
Too little track time for the time and expense required
No reason to go /nothing to see if you are not racing
Driving Distance
Hopefully the information below will address some of these concerns:


Mothers Car show – We know there are lots of guys who have a keen interest in this kind of event but don’t want to subject themselves or their car to an all out track assault...slow, fast, or otherwise. The car show portion of the MMC is designed to give hotrodders a way to participate without putting their car on the track. Pre-registering for the MMC car show gets you a goody bag [with all the swag inside!] 2 Flowmaster RibFeast meal tickets, and a prime parking spot while you are watching the track activities. Although there won’t be any “trophies”, we will select 5 cars from this group to be featured on the Mothers Car Show that is being filmed at this event!

Bowler 99 Mile cruise – The only performance criteria for this segment is that you drive your car from Putnam Park to the Flowmaster Ribfeast to demonstrate that you actually have a street car and not a race car. There is no time criteria and the points award is minimal. If you break something at Putnam Park, trailering your car to RibFeast will only impose a minimal penalty.

BFG Hot Laps Road course Segment

Tire rules – We understand that this is primarily a street car event and that the drivers have limited on-track experience, especially with sticky tires. That is why we have decided to have everyone run a 200 treadwear tire [or harder]. We feel this provides the best chance for “mainstream” street cars [driven by non-professional drivers] to exhibit their cababilities safely.

The runoff area is large, flat, and grassy to make even to most inexperienced hotrodder comfortable with pushing their car and themselves to go a little faster.

Novice run groups – There will be 3 run groups at the MMC – Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced. You can indicate which run group you prefer when you pre register . That way you will be combined with people and cars of similar experience and speeds so no one gets run over…or unnecessarily slowed down.

Track time - As the day goes on [and people inevitably drop out to rest their cars or themselves] we may combine some of these run groups and/or allow people to change run groups to increase your track time potential. If every run group is filled [and stays that way all day] you will get at least 6 sessions of 15 minutes each. Lap time at Putnam Park is approx. 1:30-1:40, so each session will get you around 10 laps. Shorter sessions are easier on the car and the driver, and allow ample time to rest and make vehicle checks and adjustments.

Timing runs – For the Road course portion of the event, we are providing transponders for each participant to offer accurate, reliable lap times. We will record all of your laps with the fasted lap determining your ranking at the end of the day. This way you can spend most of the day practicing/tuning/learning to drive without the pressure to make every lap count.

Spectre Top Speed Challenge – During the BFG Hot Lap sessions we will be recording top speeds for the Spectre Top Speed Challenge.

RideTech Street Challenge Autocross Segment

The autocross track will be approx. 50-60 seconds long for most cars. You will likely use 2nd and possibly 3rd gear on this course, and reach speed of up to 60 mph in some spots. The runoff area is huge so you’ll be able to let it hang out without fear of running into anything solid.

We will be able to run 2 cars on the autocross at the same time so you will get LOTS of track time here. Again, every run will be recorded with your fastest time determining your final ranking, so there is no pressure to make every lap count. Theoretically, if the full roster of cars makes every lap you should get 12 runs in that day. In reality, it will likely be closer to 20 runs because not everyone will want to run every time it’s their turn. You will get a time slip for every lap so you can tune your car and yourself.

Baer Brakes Speed-Stop Challenge

The format will be as follows:
Accelerate from the starting line for approximately 800 feet to the brake zone marker cones
Stop within the confines of the 40 foot long x 20 foot wide stop box.
The object is to get to the stop box [and stop within it] as quickly as possible. This will be a test of both your acceleration abilities and your braking abilities. Think of it as a drag race where you have to stop completely within a designated box! Each participant will get as many runs as time allows to optimize their times.

Awards – The RideTech Street Challenge Autocross and the Baer Speed Stop Challenge will end at 4:00 CST. We will have an awards ceremony at 5:00 CST so everyone can get an early start for home and enjoy the rest of the Memorial Day weekend.

In addition to the segment winners we will crown an overall Midwest Musclecar Challenge “King of the Hill”. In addition to the product prizes this person will receive a beautiful lettermans jacket with the MMC logo on the back and their mane and date on the front so you can show off your accomplishment to all your friends!

General information
· Trailer and RV parking – both Putnam Park and the Lawrenceville Mid America Airport have plenty of trailer and RV parking. There will be no overnight parking at the Putnam Park facility but camping WILL be allowed at Lawrenceville. The airport also offer secured trailer parking for Saturday night. There are NO RV hookups or dumps at either facility.

· Consessions and bathrooms – There will be GOOD food available at both Putnam Park and at Lawrenceville. You are certainly welcome to bring your own, but if you don’t, we won’t let you starve! Putnam Park has nice restroom facilities and trash containers. We will have a good supply of CLEAN port-a-johns at Lawrenceville.

· Optima Invitational – The Midwest Musclecar Challenge is a QUALIFIER event for the year end Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational. ONE vehicle will be chosen to represent the MMC event at this year end invitational. It will LIKELY be the overall winner, but only if the overall winner has not already qualified, AND is willing to make the commitment to travel to Las Vegas in November to participate in this televised event.

You DO NOT have to make yourself eligible for the Optima Ultimate Streetcar Invitational to participate in the Midwest Musclecar Challenge. It will have NO effect on the scoring or the outcome of the MMC event at all. It merely provides an OPPORTUNITY for you to be included in Las Vegas event.


Remember the goal here is to have fun with your family and your car. Going fast is optional, and but a happy coincidence!

Now that you know just a little more about the event...here is how to get in on the fun: http://www.midwestmusclecarchallenge.com/?page_id=13
__________________

[tommycomfort]

I posted this on P-T.com yesterday.

Not sure why I didn't think of this before, but Deb and I would gladly offer anybody to stay at our place in Mooresville which looks to be less than 25 minutes away from from the Cloverdale hotels. We have a spare room with a queen bed and can kick the kids out of their rooms for more bed space. Cots and air mattresses on the floor are always optional. Trailer parking or camping is also not a problem. The only problem I forsee is our 1800' gravel driveway. I punctured the seven quart pan on the wagon when we first moved here...
Brett, you and the gang are welcome here also (maybe for a registation discount ;-)..) I still plan to register if I can stop spending money of the 66 project for more than a couple minutes!
Tom
cell: 317-502-7460

[69MyWay]

I'm excited...but now in a race against time to get there. Tore the car up on the dyno (best place to break your car...;) ) and am hoping to have all parts and pieces together with re-dyno...and shake down before the event. Tick...tock...clock is ticking!

[69MyWay]

By the way...Anybody else bringing young kids? We still can't decide if our six year old will stay or come with us. It would be great if there were some other kids there for that reason.

[ProdigyCustoms]

All my personal stuff is in peces right now, I needed a driver, The Air Ride equiped Bull Racer Racer came back to its second home yesterday (Prodigy Customs)and Owner Ted, his dad and I will be bringing The Bull Run Racer and running the track.

Ted will be getting used to his new 6 speed, were looking to have a good time and represent Air Ride with pride. Poet and I don't know it.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u212/ProdigyCustoms/DSC04156.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u212/ProdigyCustoms/Atalladega.jpg

[69MyWay]

Hey guys!

Looks like I'll have the transmission back in the car in a couple of days and should be ready to roll again.

After giving it more thought we are going to leave my son with a sitter over the weekend so it will just be me and my wife. Realized my helmet won't cut the SA2000/2005 standard so I got a pair coming that should be here just in time as well. Found a decent deal on some Pyrotect open face SA2005 models. If any of you haven't yet gotten the correct kind - time is running out.

http://www.pyrotect.com/image.php?type=D&id=28

We also decided we are going to drive the car to the event instead of trailer - with some tools in a tote and a prayer that we don't break anything bad enough that we can't limp it back home. Hoping I can bum some air as needed though so we can adjust tire pressure up for the track and back down for the ride.

[69MyWay]

Hey guys...I'm going to sell my spot. I bought in a the $250 price and will let my spot go for $200.

Let me know right away so the info can be sent to the right people. Got the trans back in the car and now it doesn't have 4,3,or 2 gear. I don't suspect it will be running in time. I am also not going to hammer my wife's car so somebody please take advantage of this discount.

Of course, I'm headed out to take the trans back out of the car as soon as it cools down (and I cool down) but am seriously doubtful the local shop will be able to have time to find their mistake and correct it before next Friday.

[Bow Tie 67]

If I was on a shift that weekend that was easy to give away, I'd be all over this. Who knows maybe you will get it ready in time.

[69MyWay]

Yep..perhaps I'm just a bit frustrated right now. If the trans shop can get it back to me by Thursday there is a good chance I'll have it running and able to test it Friday, then head on over to the event.

OR...go ahead an take my wife's 86 Corvette since it is open to all year models now. It is a bone stock motor with the 4+3 manual trans, 3:07 gears...and new BFG KDW tires on C6 18/19" rims. It has new shocks...and we just reworked all the fuilds and wear items as we bought it just over a month ago from some people that had let it sit for years. The stock size tires on it were PERFECT, but date stamped from 1999! It puffs a little smoke from dried up valve stem seals from too much sitting, but runs strong. The radiator/heater hoses are old (could be original) and would be my only immediate concern for running it.

In fact, I'd switch to her being the driver and I'd ride then. Might be more fun for me that way. I could tell HER where to go for once! LOL

We'll see......

[tommycomfort]

Yep..perhaps I'm just a bit frustrated right now. If the trans shop can get it back to me by Thursday there is a good chance I'll have it running and able to test it Friday, then head on over to the event.

OR...go ahead an take my wife's 86 Corvette since it is open to all year models now. It is a bone stock motor with the 4+3 manual trans, 3:07 gears...and new BFG KDW tires on C6 18/19" rims. It has new shocks...and we just reworked all the fuilds and wear items as we bought it just over a month ago from some people that had let it sit for years. The stock size tires on it were PERFECT, but date stamped from 1999! It puffs a little smoke from dried up valve stem seals from too much sitting, but runs strong. The radiator/heater hoses are old (could be original) and would be my only immediate concern for running it.

In fact, I'd switch to her being the driver and I'd ride then. Might be more fun for me that way. I could tell HER where to go for once! LOL

We'll see......

Any word on the trans? Get that thing back together so you can have some fun this weekend!

[69MyWay]

Any word on the trans? Get that thing back together so you can have some fun this weekend!

Yes...and no. He seems to be baffled. Went there this afternoon and looked over the parts with him. It all appears to be intact. He said he will "throw" some new parts at it to cover all bases and have it reassembled soon. I should pick it up by Thursday at the latest. I took Friday off work to get it installed and check it out.

I went ahead and did some service work on my wife's 86 Vette as plan B. It is pretty much ready to go. All new fluids, belt, filters, shocks, etc. etc. and just had it aligned today after I did a lowering kit last month. If it comes she will be the driver...so watch out guys. She will use ever bit of that 230 hp TPI motor and put a hurting on ya!

[MarkM66]

My brother and I are going to spectace/show, looking forward to seeing the action. :)

[69MyWay]

Well guys, just finished putting the trans back in. He replaced the entire case, valve body..etc.

Now...it has all the gears (after it warms up) but it won't shift OUT of 3rd unless you back way off and baby it.

I'm driving it up to the trans shop in the morning for him to ride in it if it makes it there.

I'm not feeling the love for this car to make it. If somebody was standing here with a checkbook in hand...this would be the time to make this car disappear - family treasure or not

[MarkM66]

Well guys, just finished putting the trans back in. He replaced the entire case, valve body..etc.

Now...it has all the gears (after it warms up) but it won't shift OUT of 3rd unless you back way off and baby it.

I'm driving it up to the trans shop in the morning for him to ride in it if it makes it there.

I'm not feeling the love for this car to make it. If somebody was standing here with a checkbook in hand...this would be the time to make this car disappear - family treasure or not

Sounds like a never ending pain in the azz. Good luck .

[69MyWay]

Sounds like a never ending pain in the azz. Good luck .

The funny thing is I considered taking this opportunity when it first went south to put a T56 in. I found a couple in the local area, but then thought this would surely cause delays. So, I instead opted to do what I figured was the wise conservative thing and fix what I have instead of re-inventing the wheel.

DOH! Now, I have spent as much money as I could have bought a pull out T56...and am still no-where-ville.

[69MyWay]

For real...it is fixed this time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You guys are not going to believe this. While the goof up of no gears except manual low and reverse was truly something that went wrong in the rebuild the rest of the problem was....

wait for it



wait for it



wait for it



The speedometer. It has an Autometer Pro-comp ultra light unit. While the speedo reads perfect, if you watch on the scanner after about 45 mph it starts swinging wildly and as you speed up more it bounces around 25 to 37 mph while you are actually doing 80. The whole time the needle is steady and solid.

Something is backfeeding into the PCM. I unplugged the speedo and all is well. Just took it on a major test with the scanner hooked and the trans guys. It is functioning like a jewel. Better than ever actually since it turns out it didn't need a trans overhaul anyway in the first place!

So, going to use the GPS to keep Johny Law from putting the blue lights in the rear view on the way over and back...and place a call to Autometer to sort this out.

[69MyWay]

Autometer said there have been times where they have seen the speedo more or less "hog" up the signal. When it does this it doesn't leave enough for the PCM and you get goofy shifting.

That appears to be our issue. The speedo head has either fried, or something, but we will use the GPS this weekend and deal with that later.

I can experiment putting a resistor in-line to cut the signal to the gauge - he said this often works.

[69MyWay]

The event was worth every penny of the pain and time getting the car ready to go.

WOW - the organizers, sponsors...and volunteers that stepped up to make this happen were incredible.

I've never, and I repeat NEVER seen an event go so smooth and so well as this one. Everything was timed out to give ample track, social...and cool down time.

Was talking to my wife and came up with this. It was like an All-YOU-CAN-EAT-BUFFET of automotive tire smoking fun. There was so much track time that you could either run your wheels off...or sit it out for a lap or two...and still had more than enough time to thrash the car and improve your skills.

Putnam road course was clean, nice, and FAST. The track was top notch in every way. The sound system was key as well. It worked...you could hear what was going on and the announcement personality was awesome!

The cruise was a great wind down...cool down, topped off with some of the best ribs I've ever had. The families that came to this event were friendly and fun to hang with.

Thanks to the SCCA stepping up, the mid america course was fast, fun, and safe. Again, the sound system was perfect. There wasn't any crummy old music playing - just the sound of engines and tires getting lovingly abused while effective and entertaining commentary kept you up to date on what was happening.

My transmission was PERFECT - should have been - considering I just had it rebuilt when it wasn't bad to begin with! The car ran cool and smooth. We drove there and back - no trailer at all, so I laid off the car a bit and put it away between sessions once I had my fill at the buffet. Still managed to rank 24th in the overall unofficial points.

One the way home the in-tank fuel pump quit. It couldn't have quit at a better spot and thanks to a very kind man, I was able to get a ride to the store and we had it changed and were back on the road within an hour. Turned out a good thing we left a little early or else we would have been in the dark long after stores were closed. Everything works out for a reason!

Anyway - best show...er, I mean EVENT ever!

Can't wait until next year.

http://mcspeed.homestead.com/publishImages/MMC~~element12.jpg

[Jimi-FM3]

Chris, thanks for the props, glad you had a good time! That's the best one-man testimonial I have ever seen, mind if we use it on our website? :thumbsup:

[69MyWay]

Chris, thanks for the props, glad you had a good time! That's the best one-man testimonial I have ever seen, mind if we use it on our website? :thumbsup:

Sure! Can't wait until next year!

[66SuperSport]

Results are now posted on the MMCC site.

[Jimi-FM3]

Midwest Musclecar Challenge - Fox Sports Net

6/20/10 - 11am EST
6/21/10 - 4pm EST

[Grnova]

Who is the cable or dish provider you are getting your info from? I cannot find anything here in the listings for Comcast in Chicago!

[69MyWay]

Woo Hoo! Found it! We have DISH and it is on Fox Sports Network FSN-- hope that helps! We just found it. (Nikki--typing for Chris) :D

[69MyWay]

Was able to watch it. Was a little surprised to see very little coverage of the challenge cars and mostly the show-n-shine cars...but this is Mother's Wax...not BFG tires putting on the television show.

I am going to assume the video that will be available will have lots and lots of out-takes from the event, or there will be another episode.

This one centered on the auto-x day in Laurenceville with a few track shots on car mounted cameras from Putnam.

[MarkM66]

I'm not sure why they didn't just feature the cars in the event, as they were nicer then anything in the show area.

[Jermsjunk]

I also thought the tv show would be more action oriented like the preview that was posted here or on protouring.com. Some of the slow motion shots on the preview were awesome! Maybe that is what the DVD is like. The show area really was to accomodate guys like me that dont have a car to abuse like this. That doesnt mean the show cars were not nice. I built my truck as a cruiser and that is what I do. I went to each stop and loved the event. 552 mile round trip,and I hope this will be an annual event. I do have three 65 mustangs in line and at least one of them will be built to beat on. This event is going to be my deadline, not 2011, but 2012 (trying to be realistic). I hope to see you all then.

[69MyWay]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZumEBym6BE&feature=player_embedded

[GregWeld]

Great video -- Thanks for posting it!

Love the slo-mo stuff...:cheers: