Introduce Yourself

[FoundSoul]

Long time lurker but haven't posted much.  Name is Jerry Hoffmann, I'm a lifelong car guy dating back to well before I could buy my first car, and quickly reinforced by the work I had to do to keep that pile of crap on the road.  (Actually, the first 3 or 4 cars I had were like that...).  In addition to always being a car guy I'm also a life long computer geek.  Back in 2004 I had a complete and total blessing of an opportunity to marry the two together and founded DIYAutoTune which has become the major manufacturer and distributor of MegaSquirt EMS systems and other DIY EFI bits.  

I've been out for SpeedWeek every year since 2006 crewing for Gary Hart and Mike Collison who run our EMS, except for this year as we just had little girl #3 so I figured it would be a REALLY bad time to abandon the house for a week (and Gary/Mike weren't going to make it this year anyways).  But that said, every year I've been out, I've come home with a bit more 'salt fever', and slowly but surely, plans are coming together to build a car and take it out west.  I bought the chassis last year right after getting home from SpeedWeek, it sat until last week when my absence from the salt ate at me to the point I had to get it out and try to start making some progress on it - so I had my team pull it out of hibernation so we can start prepping it.  The 2010 rulebook has been my constant companion lately, and I've got the 2011 book on the way in case of changes....

I'm hoping to be able to 'pick some brains' around here and find some answers to some of my chassis/suspension/roll cage questions (and I'm sure I'll come up with more), and looking forward to seeing you guys out on the salt next year.  Hopefully with my own car this time.  

-Jerry

[Peter Jack]

Have a great time on your building adventure.

Pete

[manta22]

Jerry;

Welcome to this forum. I guess we are somewhat similar in interests as I've been interested in cars for a long time and have been working in electronics for even longer-- analog circuits, though; I know very little about digital systems.

I have a Crower SBC mechanical FI that I will eventually convert to EFI, so I may ask for some recommendations when that time comes.

Regards, Neil   (San Diego, CA)

[FoundSoul]

Thanks for the welcome guys... I'm looking forward to it.  Kindof reminds me of 10 years ago when I was an enthusiast that couldn't stop thinking about my projects.  It hasn't been quite that way for the last few years as I've been in the business, but this has got my mind going 100mph again.  Or maybe 200mph . 

Feel free to hit me/us up on that EFI conversion project when the time comes.  We'd be glad to assist and could probably save you a buck or two.

[manta22]

Thanks, Jerry-- I'll keep that in mind.

Regards, Neil   (San Diego, CA)

[craigibc]

Brand New here!

Craig Durham and Jon Durham Escondido,Ca.

Over the last few years we (with my 22 year old son) have fallen in love with what is happening with Bonneville racing and our desire to build a car to run on the salt. We love the grassroots movement that seems to be in this culture and are eager to be a part of it.

We have decided to build my 62 Falcon to race at Bonneville next year (2012). This spring we made alot of changes to the drive train so we can race it. We just got the SCTA rulebook in the mail last week and will start making the rest of the changes so we can race. We are going for a sub 150 with the car next year and hopefully over the next few years we will be able to build a car and make it into the 200mph Club. We are green and excited about what we may learn from everyone here!

Thanks for listening!

Craig

[55chevr]

Welcome to the forum .. there is the greatest collection of knowledge you could ever find in one site /

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Holey-Moley -- a '62 Falcon.  One of my first cars to drive.  My aunt bought one - auto, small 6, CONVERTIBLE -- and her son/my cousin and I spent many hours getting better at wheeling it around.  Unh, I was 14 at the time -- yeah, I'd been driving for a couple of years by then.

Great to have you on the Forum, folks.  Enjoy yourselves and please don't be afraid to ask even the dumb questions.  We really do want to see you racing right next to us.

[RichFox]

I think it's great fun to hear about first time Bonneville cars. The reasons for picking the car and power are often purely personal and just plain a good story. I never had a Falcon, but a few friends sure did. Wont you tell us more about your group and your car?

[Milwaukee Midget]

One could do worse than a Falcon.

http://books.google.com/books?id=UCeqHvvdYfwC&pg=PA95&lpg=PA95&dq=holman-moody+falcon&source=bl&ots=pTHJodeb5d&sig=TF9v9bZixmTUHqYpt2muQoqLMn8&hl=en&ei=XeNcTtGvOYnj0QHW1MTZAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CFUQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=holman-moody%20falcon&f=false

Holman-Moody built a few silk purses out of sow's ears.

Welcome aboard!

[craigibc]

The funny part of the whole story is that I have been a lifetime mopar lover. My son picked this car up a few years ago and we have been slowly building it for an unknown purpose until this past year. We put a new Edelbrock EFI intake and a Megasquirt and also a Paxton Supercharger. Still working out the bugs on the engine but I also have a 8.8 explorer disk brake rear end with a tracloc and a AOD transmission that is going in before the end of the year. So this thing has slowly evolved into some project! After this is done we are going to focus on getting this car ready for the SCTA rule book and racing.

Thanks for the welcome!

Craig

[SabreTooth]

I should probably introduce myself...

Not so many years ago and with no prior history and experience other than a love of classic vehicles in my youth, I developed a keen desire to own and ride bikes. I took a motorcycle safety course, got my license and bought my first bike... I like to do things the hard way, a 1947 Sunbeam S7...so, now I'm hooked.

About the same time, I watched "that" wonderfully inspirational film, that I'm certain everyone here has seen, car or bike fan, about Burt and his old Indian Scout...er, I'll admit to having seen it seen it more than one time since...So, how better than to combine bikes and speed with a pinch of salt. To that end I kept my eyes and ears open and eventually after 2 years of ogling a particular motorcycle on the Intarweb, fell in love with the lines of the attached and procured it some 18 months ago. There's a long story attached to the bike and no, alas, it is not a Rudge and remains an enigma. It is none the less an interesting find and I'm still happy with the purchase. I shall tell the story elsewhere in the forum as a build thread at sometime hence. What I can divulge is that the bike was purportedly raced in Denmark, has a 250 cc J.A.P. engine and was built / modified in the 30's.

Work has intervened for some 18 months but I was very fortunate to get a last minute, second chance to go with a fellow Canuck (that's a Canadian to you south of the 49th parallel folks & team to Speed Week 2011 and the Bonneville Salt Flats and knock off one or two "bucket list" items. Alas, now I have added quite a few more items to said list and intend to return to race.

So, here I am with an incurable addiction to salt 'n' bikes and a head full of ideas and dreams. Thanks for all the great information to be found on this forum so far. I look forward to contributing in any way I can.

Best regards,



Jim

[greyforestlakester]

126 pages of intro!?  Seems like there should be a standard for this.
1.  Just went to my first Bonneville this year.
2.  61 and wear my "Still Plays with Cars" shirt.
3.  Friend gave me an Albatross belly tank years ago and I bought the 1/18" scale SoCal tank model for inspiration.
4.  Brain damaged so I mess with flatheads in streetrods.
5.  A couple of years back I bought a TIG for myself for Christmas.  I love that thing and that is a big reason for wanting to build the tank.
6.  Signed up for a "Learning the Basics of AutoCAD" adult education class for this fall.  I was in engineering for 3 years in college before I realized that graduation with that degree was dubious and I might lose my chance to go fly jets for the Navy.  But, heck, I don't think they had CAD back then anyway, so I hope I can learn enough to put the tank on the computer drawing board first.
7.  That's it in a nutshell for now.  Been lurking for a while as my high school buddies and I planned our trip this year.  Hope to soon be asking stupid questions and enjoying the hospitality of all here and those I met during Speed Week.  Thanks, Lou

[fredvance]

Welcome Lou, always good to see more people from S.A. getting into Bonneville/LSR. There are quite a few in the area.

[greyforestlakester]

So Fred, where is the "Bonnevillians of S.A." breakfast meeting spot?