Milwaukee Midget

[fordfan289]

MM I have been a huge fan of your build. any luck on getting your parts. Well Ill keep thinking good thoughts for ya.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Thanks for that - it's been depressing, but I'm holding out one more week, and then all of the stars have to align.

Still no crank, although I did correspond with Greg this week.  He's now at the mercy of the nitride guy - as am I.  I've moved the money for the balance over to my checking account so I can have a cashier's check drawn up, and I've got a "Next Day" envelope all made out and tucked away in my trunk.  He'll receive his money the day after I receive notice it's ready.

The problems at this point are these -

I still need to do a final shave on the block or pistons (looks like the block, as close as I can measure it WITHOUT A CRANK), skim the head and then determine what lengths my pushrods need to be.  I'm dealing with a new billet cam, too, and of course, I didn't measure the base circle on last year's regrind  . 

I won't be installing the cam bearings until the block is completed, so I can't even put forth an educated guess as to the length they're going to have to be.  I'm hoping I'm able to shave enough to use a set of shorter 948 pushrods, but most people working on 1275 block tell me I'd be pretty lucky if that fell into place.


It's not looking good.  One would think by having all of your custom parts ordered in December and January, one would have a reasonable expectation of being able to assemble a variation on one of the most common four cylinder engines in the world by August.

It's almost as though Washington got involved with this . . . 

[fordfan289]

As I posted earlier I'm a fan because you chose such an odd car for the us and your attitude through the whole build.

[Milwaukee Midget]

A mea culpa.

I’m guilty of sexism, I know better, and I intend to mend my ways.   

I called Stroud last Friday to talk about a net for the Midget.  A very cheerful lady answered the phone, and I said this –

“Hi, my name is Chris, and I need to talk to somebody about ordering a door net.”

Now Stroud makes nets for every imaginable form of racing – stock cars, drag cars, hot rod tractors - so her next, one word question absolutely floored me.

“Bonneville?”

I asked her how she knew I was racing at Bonneville. 

Her reply – “I’m a very good salesperson”.

It was clear she had cards she wasn't showing, but I can't argue with her response.

During this build, dealing with racing parts suppliers around the country and around the world, in what is arguably a very male oriented industry, some of the most insightful and informative help I’ve received has been from women in the industry.

Pegasus Racing in New Berlin, Wisconsin has been another example of women behind the counter who know their stuff.

I’ve been humbled due to my prejudices, and to my wife, my sisters, my mom, I bow my head in shame, I will knock it off, and I will never underestimate women again.

[38flattie]

Yea, Kathy's (Cathy?) great isn't she?

I ordered my net from her, and she's on top of her game!

[Bob Drury]

  Midget, well that's all great but I am more concerned about your crank................... er, I mean, blush, your thingy, blush, you know............... those parts you are waiting for......................  
 whew,  the Dang crankshaft..............................   Bob

[Dr Goggles]

If I knew the word for it I'd pull it out now, there may not be a word for it but one thing is for certain ....it exists.

what is it?


It is the chance of everything in a landracing build happening to plan........ sometimes you get lucky like we did this year....... If the meet wasn't cancelled here we would have taken the car ( which had a rev limiting bug in it) and probably broken something just like we did the year before at about 193mph.......then we would have gone home about 10k poorer and no faster...

Sometimes you get really unlucky..( insert any one of a million stories here), or injured.......

Compound errors in time management get expensive when you're impatient......"bugger it , let's just buy one"...."but they're three times as expensive!"...." it's do that or wait til next year".......

It gets us every time.....them Langlos are burning the midnight oil right now .......

The fact is ,if it was easy, and predictable , and there was a schedule, and a plan ,



we wouldn't be here.

[Milwaukee Midget]

  Midget, well that's all great but I am more concerned about your crank................... er, I mean, blush, your thingy, blush, you know............... those parts you are waiting for...................... 
 whew,  the Dang crankshaft..............................   Bob

Boy, howdy, Bob - Tell ya' what, man, you're talking like ol' Boomhauer there on the dang ol' television set, what tripping over yor crankshaft and what all . . . gimme a dang ol' beer, man . . .

It shows when it shows.  I've been a Cub fan long enough to know the phrase, "There's always next year".  I haven't given up, but September is coming up fast.  It's still at nitriding, then off to balance.

If I knew the word for it I'd pull it out now, there may not be a word for it but one thing is for certain ....it exists.

what is it?


It is the chance of everything in a landracing build happening to plan........ sometimes you get lucky like we did this year....... If the meet wasn't cancelled here we would have taken the car ( which had a rev limiting bug in it) and probably broken something just like we did the year before at about 193mph.......then we would have gone home about 10k poorer and no faster...

Sometimes you get really unlucky..( insert any one of a million stories here), or injured.......

Compound errors in time management get expensive when you're impatient......"bugger it , let's just buy one"...."but they're three times as expensive!"...." it's do that or wait til next year".......

It gets us every time.....them Langlos are burning the midnight oil right now .......

The fact is ,if it was easy, and predictable , and there was a schedule, and a plan ,



we wouldn't be here.

Thanks, Doc.  You’re wise beyond your years.

I do have a backup plan, and if the class isn't oversubscribed, I'll head up to Minneapolis on the September 10th and attend David Vizard's "How to Build Horsepower" seminar.  The guy literally wrote the book on the A-Series engine, and has been making silk purses out of pig's ears for years.  I've read his book "Tuning the A-Series Engine" front to back a dozen times, and a two-day seminar with the guru might prove to be the smarter bet in the long run.

I'm thinking I'll have a decision by this Friday.

[Bob Drury]

  Cris, if you can lower your standads a bit, you are welcome to hang out in a pit full of Studebaker nuts who sniff nitro for breakfast................
  I have, however, lowered my standard's and have a crewman who own's a MG............... perish the thought.
  I think he is just here for the glory........................... not a real racer..............

[grumm441]

  Cris, if you can lower your standads a bit, you are welcome to hang out in a pit full of Studebaker nuts who sniff nitro for breakfast................
  I have, however, lowered my standard's and have a crewman who own's a MG............... perish the thought.
  I think he is just here for the glory........................... not a real racer..............

Bob
That sounds better than where I'll be
I don't seem to have any trouble getting into impound
seems I'll be working there

If I knew the word for it I'd pull it out now, there may not be a word for it but one thing is for certain ....it exists.

what is it?


It is the chance of everything in a landracing build happening to plan........ sometimes you get lucky like we did this year....... If the meet wasn't cancelled here we would have taken the car ( which had a rev limiting bug in it) and probably broken something just like we did the year before at about 193mph.......then we would have gone home about 10k poorer and no faster...

10K??

Was I at that budget meeting


G

[Dr Goggles]

budget meeting?
G

ha....ha..hahah.....bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha




i just did a little bit of wee.............

[Milwaukee Midget]

I will say this - as soon as the crank arrives, this diary will be as active as it was last August.  I might not be able to run this year, but I've only got a few months of weather where I can realistically attempt any drag strip testing.

If I don't race, well, I'll just roll this year's "budget" into a better header and some anti reversion valves.  There's always room for improvement.

budget meeting?
G

Grummy, If you still have food and beer in your fridge, you haven't been tapped.

I'd buy a padlock . . .

  Cris, if you can lower your standads a bit, you are welcome to hang out in a pit full of Studebaker nuts who sniff nitro for breakfast................
  I have, however, lowered my standard's and have a crewman who own's a MG............... perish the thought.
  I think he is just here for the glory........................... not a real racer..............

Studes and MG's have shared the salt for decades - I'd by proud to hang with you, and commiserate with your crewmate . . . 

[Anvil*]

*snip*
During this build, dealing with racing parts suppliers around the country and around the world, in what is arguably a very male oriented industry, some of the most insightful and informative help I’ve received has been from women in the industry.

Tend to be sexist the other way myself, proffering to wait for the lady behind the counter and such. There are a good number of gents that are good, but most of the lasses had to work harder and prove they were knowledgeable to get there. You get extra points for treating them like they deserve to be there also. 

[Milwaukee Midget]

This just in -

"Chris,  Picked up your crank late yesterday...  Couldn't balance it till this afternoon... Came back and did a quick str./pol.... Boxed her up.... Hunted down Mr. U P S .... and its commin your way...Whew!   Greg"

Wow - it's nice to be breathing again!     

[Elmo Rodge]

Cool.  Wayno