((( Note: This is an old diary for a car that I sold in 2009. I will be going through this diary and editing the posts to re-insert and attach photos that no longer appear because of problems with photo posting from Photobucket. What follows in the original text fro 2008 and 2009. )))
I will eventually be posting a build diary for my Gas Coupe but wanted to post some info on the car I (hopefully) will be running at Maxton in a few weeks. Sorry for this long post but I need to get through the background on why and how I decided to buy this one instead of build it.
June 08 Admitted to self that finishing the gas coupe this year ain't gonna happen. Time for Plan B
Researched ECTA records. Found some open or soft Maxton records that the right street car could snag.
Logged on to ebay and started searching for a good car that could possibly be a record setter. Found one and started to bid.
June 30 – Won the auction
July 1st – paid the deposit via PayPal - contacted the seller and arranged to pick up the car.
July 19th flew from Baltimore to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Met the seller. Took a test drive. The car is a beast. Barely street drivable. Touchy clutch, rough idle with racing cams and really really LOUD. No air, no heater, no defroster, no radio, so-so paint, rides pretty rough (lowered suspension), blacked out windows, no cat, no emissions gear. In short, Perfect!
Transferred title and got temp-drive-home plates. By 2 pm I am on I-95 headed north with 1000 miles to go. Did I mention that it was in the high eighties, sunny and humid with passing showers? Did I mention the car does not have air? Did I mention the ‘no-season’ tires that sure ain't rain tires?
10 pm in South Carolina and the engine quits. Did I mention that the gas gauge is not real accurate? Add fuel but car won't start. Owner didn't mention that there was an anti theft system nor did he mention that there was a hidden switch. Apparently when I locked the car to go for gas I somehow activated the alarm/anti theft system. So I assume the starter is shot (wrong) and call triple A. Got to meet some real nice state troopers. Tow rig comes and says that the garage we were going to would be able to get er running with no trouble. They didn't mention that the repairs wouldn't happen till Monday. Did I mention that there was a full moon?
Spent Sunday in Bluffton, SC. Think ‘Mayberry RFD.’ Nice Holiday Inn. Maybe after staying there I will be smarter since I did spent two nights in the Holliday Inn. Monday morning I catch a cab (well he said it was a cab but wasn't marked) back to Tommy’s Towing. Turns out Tommy is a real live dirt track racer with a really first class late model. One of his guys crawls under the dash, finds the secret switch, fixes a few other problems and by 10 am I am back on the road. I highly recommend Tommy’s. Really good operation and nice people.
Unlike Saturday, Monday is even hotter! Mid to high nineties and clear. No rain in sight. Did I mention that there is a non-stock turbo stuffed under the hood in this small engine compartment? Within two hours I am re-living my youth, back in the 50s when it was common to experience ‘vapor lock.’ At least three times I have to stop, get off the highway, find shade, and let it cool down. Finally I pull into a truck stop near Dunn NC. Park it with the hood up, go in, get something to eat and wait till the sun goes down. Tried to work on the laptop (my vacation in Bluffton caused me to miss a day’s work). A guy at the truck stop keeps trying to get me to accept Jesus.
I get in the car around 8 pm. It starts and runs fine. Back on I 95. Making good time. Did I mention the speedometer is about 5% off? Cooler air, no more vapor lock. I get to my apartment building near Washington DC at 2 am Tuesday. Did I mention that the car has a Turbo Timer? I did mention that it is LOUD. I stop down the street and let it idle for a few minutes to allow the turbo to cool then quickly drive up the block, pull into my apartment parking lot and over-ride the Turbo Timer. Didn't get cited for disturbing the peace but could have. Did I mention that one of my neighbors is an Arlington VA cop? Home at last.
In the next installment I take the car to Pennsylvania . . . plus I'll post a few photos.