Well, that's that.
I'm in the lobby of the Montego Bay Casino, drinking bad coffee and am about to head home.
Intermittent ignition problems - starter problems - no heating problems. Heading home with a 22 mph rookie pass under my belt. It'll dead rev to 7 grand, sounds sharp and intimidating as hell, but won't pull a pin out of a pin cushion.
No, that's not a typo. I'll post the slip when I get home.
After the run, I let it sit for a few minutes, and Kate followed me back to the pits. It was running fine, and she clocked me at 30+ on the return road. I punched it a few times and it wanted to run, but I wasn't going to get back in line until I knew WTH was wrong.
And that's when the starter started acting up. I couldn't confirm my adjustments.
Go home, tear down, try it again.
Did receive a lot of compliments - that's encouraging. The car looks good on the salt, but above that, it clearly presents itself as a genuine race car, and it is, albeit not a very swift one.
Back to plan A. I've got my crank trigger setup waiting at home, and a second block to start the 970 spec motor.
The upside - the car itself is essentially done, and I doubt it would have been if not for the imposed deadline of this attempt. I’ve got a year to put together a rip-snorting 1 litre, take some time to MAKE SURE IT’S GOING TO RUN, and a better sense of what it’s going to take to be ready.
And I suspect time is getting tight on the I-GT record. It’s been sitting unchallenged for 20 years. There’s been talk of an S2000 running 2 cylinders, but with a huge aero and breathing advantage over my old 5 port. Some talk about letting motorcycle engines into the class, and a fellow Brit-car guy going over the top with an MGB-GT on two cylinders. If these are my rivals, that’s just more fuel for my ambition.
Heading back to Milwaukee with my beautiful bride, a humbling experience behind me, and a clear plan. I’ll keep you posted, and I’ll see you next year on the salt.
PS – I’ve got a really solid 1275 short block for sale – low miles. PM me.
