G/F class lakester in Wichita, Kansas

[ggl205]

BB, I looked at Grainger and M-C for latches and found several that would work but I really wanted flush mounts. I decided early on that I would make this car as slippery as possible given it is a lakester. So far, so good.

John

[PorkPie]

Lakester = Brick



with a "right" foot you can be very fast with a brick

[SPARKY]

 

[ggl205]

Even a brick can be improved aerodynamically.

John

[Jack Gifford]

Fortunately most lakesters are small bricks (small frontal area).

[WOODY@DDLLC]

And they are mostly pointy on both ends! 
Those %%*#$% tires are another matter! 

[MAYOMAN]

The Goodyear motorcycle LSR tires were pretty low in frontal area. They were 19 x 3.50 inches, 27.2 inch O.D.
Could they still be available somewhere?

[MAYOMAN]

Here they are on a "lakester" at Bonneville.

[manta22]

Here is a link to the hydrogen peroxide-powered "Pollution Packer":

http://www.the-rocketman.com/RPV/packer.html

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[ggl205]

The Goodyear motorcycle LSR tires were pretty low in frontal area. They were 19 x 3.50 inches, 27.2 inch O.D.
Could they still be available somewhere?

Dick:

The "skinnies" are still used at Bonneville but are now 300 mph rated. These new tires are a little wider but still fit the old rims.

John

[ggl205]

And they are mostly pointy on both ends! 
Those %%*#$% tires are another matter! 

Not all of them, Woody.

John

[Rex Schimmer]

John,
Duke and i have a set of the new Goodyear TF front on our car and it looks to me like you could shave the shoulders a little bit to get a rounder profile. No time this year but we might try next year. I think some of the motorcycle GP tires would be pretty aero but you would need SCTA approval. Maybe next year also.

Rex

[ggl205]

Rex:

There has been some interesting work done on performance bicycle wheels and tires that may cross over to automotive. For years, bicycle racing rims and tires were very narrow. Lately, wind tunnel testing has revealed a wider tire and rim is better aerodynamically. Bicycle time trial and triathlete racers spend huge amounts of money trying to clip an extra few seconds off their times. This demand has led wheel and tire manufacturers to spend big dollars developing these aero advantages. Putting this into perspective, it is not uncommon for a competitive TT or track cyclist to spend upwards of $10K on two wheels alone. Can we learn from cyclists? I think we can and your idea to round tire edges is a good one.

John

[ggl205]

As a matter of general information, there is a fellow out here in Wichita, Kansas that is something of an old school artisan when it comes to heat forming poly and acrylic plastics. Danny is about my age and has better than 40 years experience doing this sort of thing for aircraft and other needs for plastic forming. I am especially happy to have found Danny because I want to use poly rather than acrylic for my wind screen and every company I contacted wanted to build some elaborate (and very expensive) custom made forming bucks. Danny will use the part I cut out of the body as the buck. He has the ovens and will slow heat the poly to get all the moisture out of the sheet before heat forming. For anyone interested in contacting him, here is his information:

Danny Decaire
KLP (K Line Plastics)
330 S. Water
Derby, Kansas 67037
316-788-3251 business phone

[Elmo Rodge]

John, just so you know, you can't use acrylic anyway. It shatters.
Wayno