Landracing Forum
Bonneville Salt Flats Discussion => World of Speed-specific stuff => Topic started by: RayTheRat on September 13, 2010, 11:31:55 PM
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Where to start. Ok...the old farts. That would be me (Ray the Rat) and my buddy Jim Halladay (aka Texican.) We both wanna race big time. I started a project with my 85 Monte Carlo SS a long time ago. Life got in the way. My health failed. Quad bypass that became single bypass in 4 months and then the loss of my wife. Life happens. So there's this 70 percent complete Monte Carlo with a big fat roller cam, AFR head 406 and a buncha other goodies in the suspension, TC, transmission, etc.
But we got a late start on it this year so we had to resort to Plan B. That being Jim's 2009 Chevy Colorado truck with a 2.9L motor and 5-speed trans. Problem was (among other things) a rev limiter and possibly a speed limiter. We'll get to that in a bit. We started like all shade tree mechanics by putting some performance stickers on it. Hey...all them NASCAR guys got tons of stickers. We can use a few.
In the 4th foto, Jim's applying a Target 550 sticker so we can fly the flag of the site where I do my web elfery.
continued...
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I have always loved the Monte Carlo SS such as yours!! Such beautiful lines on that car.
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That boy, Jim, got good blood in him.
Thanks for the advertising.
None on a NASCAR so far as I no.
By the way....think the Burb can tow that truck home from Bendover?
One of u gonna break it.
FREUD
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Heck buddy you feelin' froggy I'll let you drive my Fiat.
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That boy, Jim, got good blood in him.
We both got good blood all over the truck. Every time we found a sharp edge, we made a blood sacrifice.
Thanks for the advertising.
I couldn't think of a better use for the sticker. We'll have to add some landracing.com stickers, too.
None on a NASCAR so far as I no.
I can't think of any, no.
By the way....think the Burb can tow that truck home from Bendover?
One of u gonna break it.
FREUD
Hush your mouth! I know the Burb can tow it and we have a trailer. (refer to our redneck trailer episode.)
Ain't nobody gonna break that sucker. Bad karma for even thinkin that.
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I fell asleep before I could get to the rest of it. Since RLS woke me up, I'll continue for a while.
We even got a bit of sponsorship from a local garage. And they had the stickers made up and applied 'em.
Once we got the speed parts stickers, it was time to do something constructive...like start gettin the speed parts together and installed. We fell back on my experience with Warlock mufflers on the Monte Carlo. They worked very well for me when I drag raced the car. So we bought one for the Colorado and decided that we'd install it ourselves. Shortly after looking things over I offered to pay to have a muffler shop install it. Only smart thing I did all dammned day.
http://www.summitracing.com/search/Brand/Flowtech/Product-Line/FlowTech-Warlock-Bypass-Series-Mufflers/?autoview=SKU (http://www.summitracing.com/search/Brand/Flowtech/Product-Line/FlowTech-Warlock-Bypass-Series-Mufflers/?autoview=SKU)
We ended up with a straight pipe that exits just in front of the rear wheel. Best hunnert bux I ever spent.
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We removed the passenger seat so we could mount the fire extinguisher.
Then we installed the "performance chip." I've never used one of this brand. It better override the governor or we'll each get 5 98 mph passes. I could do that in my Burb....maybe even 99 before the governor kicks in.
And then it really went to helll. Any self-respecting Chebby motor otta have its thermostat at the end of the upper radiator hose where God intended it to be. No. This POS Vortec DOHC 4-banger has it at the housing where the lower hose connects. I misread the manual (3 frikkin times) and overlooked that. The bitch is that I can't blame it on anyone but myself. About 8:30 pm (we started around 7 am) we decided to call it a day and finish up (we hope) in the morning. I can't begin to enumerate the number of times we resorted to "Rocky Mountain Cursing" as a method of appeasing the gods of things mechanical...but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.
We'd played around with ideas for the team name and finally decided to use one I'd come up with for the Monte Carlo project years ago: Fox Paws Racing. Fox Paws had been my "handle" for years in the early days of the internet before Al Gore invented it and I figgered that it might be time to resurrect it. After Monday's thrash/crash session the name just seemed appropriate.
The UBT (Ugly Brown Truck) is supposed to deliver a K&N intake snorkel sometime Tuesday. Whether that gets installed before the truck heads for the the salt is anyone's guess. It may just be a last minute thing on the salt.
Stay tuned for more reports of two crazy old men's stealth, treachery and ineptitude as the saga continues.
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I have always loved the Monte Carlo SS such as yours!! Such beautiful lines on that car.
I have to agree with you. I wanted one from the first time I saw an SS advertised in 1984. I had to wait for about 10 years before I got one for various reasons. I've owned that one for quite a long time in different incarnations.
Matter of fact, I've owned 4 or 5 of 'em including an Aerocoupe that I never should have sold. It was an 87...they only made 6500 of 'em and I got that one at a bargain basement price because the seller and I both believed it had a flat cam. No, it was a cracked vacuum line. But it was possessed of evil spirits. I musta had the instrument cluster in and out 30 times tryin to get the gauges and dash lights to work properly. And every time I did that, I'd lose another chunk of skin on my hands and bleed on it again. It had to be possessed. No simple mechanical device could have been that bloodthirsty. When I finally got everything working, including the red LED dash lights I made one of the more profound discoveries of my life. Well, I should say re-discovered something I'd learned years before in basic electronics training: you can't dim an LED. Once the voltage across it drops below the bias level, it stops conducting. Period. On or off. Maybe by this time someone has come up with something that will work for that use, but 10 years ago I got retraining in something I'd learned 35 years before.
There's the whole story of that car here:
http://www.chevyasylum.com/85monte/Welcome.html (http://www.chevyasylum.com/85monte/Welcome.html)
The way it sits now, it has a roller-cam, AFR head 406, street/strip 3500 RPM stall TC/TH200-4R transmission, a buncha poly bushings underneath here and there, Delrin/aluminum bushings in the control arms (front and rear), Eibach springs, KYB shocks and so on. It'd probably make a better start on a pro-touring type thing, but I was halfway into it when I caught a bad case of salt fever. It's been downhill since then.
Oh...I also had another 87, a Notchback that I owned for quite a long time. There were 2 things I didn't like about it: 1) it was white and 2) it had a column shift. I know those things could have been easily rectified, but since my wife drove it...well, I didn't worry about it too much.
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Unh, Ray, I've gotta be honest with the folks here on the Forum. They need a reminder of the last project you two yah-hoos built:
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii147/SeldomSeenSlim/Speedweek%202010/IMG_1742.jpg)
Sorry-- I just couldn't help it. I know -- I'll say it was Nancy's idea to post that picture of the Tiltin' Hilton trailer. . .
Nah, I can't do that -- it's my idea. But, ladies and germs, keep in mind that they labored for days on this photo scaffold. Maybe working faster, on Jim's truck, will make it turn out better. . .
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Now that's a nice trailer/scaffold set up thingy. Yeah, LOL!
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This is the Rat on Texican's computer. Even tho the trailer was a redneck special, it accomplished what I wanted to. I was able to get up on it with my camera and tripod and get long exposures before and at dawn. That's all I really wanted to use it for. And it worked...although we sure could have spent less time and effort on it if...well, if "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas...or so said Tom Sneva many years ago.
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It's 10 peeyem. I just got back to my house. The race truck is ready...as ready as it's gonna be. If I listed all that went right/wrong/left...whatever, it'd take me all night.
The attached foto is of the rear wheel spinning at about 100 mph which drove the stability/traction control nuts, but it's running and we picked up another sponsor, as seen by the sticker. Jeff, who runs the place bailed us out big time. So here's a plug for him:
http://www.nutboltanchor.com/ (http://www.nutboltanchor.com/)
We had gone to another nut/bolt place and got there just at 5 peeyem. Their door was locked. Jeff's door (next door) at Nut Bolt & Anchor was open because he stays open an extra hour in the evening. So if ya need something after 5, well...ya know where to get it.
I gotta choke down a 5-hour energy drink, jump in the shower, pack my stuff and Pork Pie's stuff and drive to Wendover. I'll get there sometime around 1 am. I hope.
We may screw up, but we don't give up.
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Got to the motel in Wendover. All is A-OK at this end...we'll see what happens tomorrow when Jim brings the truck out.
must sleep now.
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Ray ... looking forward to the photos .... Joe
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Ray,
"We may screw up, but we don't give up" - I like that attitude!
Ed
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:-D Very profound statement brother Rat! Good luck,,,,and be safe!
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Ray, did UBT deliver the BRAVE PILLS that I sent you?
Normal dose for you is one pill. For Jim, give him two.
It's his truck and he'll be hearing noises before the one mile.
FREUD
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Jim was here a little while ago. The truck has a decent rumble to it with the Warlock -- and the sneaker plug is still all closed. Oughta be nice in the morning. Jim says he's on the way to take all of the "tools" out of it -- I guess he's got everything including the 220VAC three-phase air compressor and most of the Chicago Pee-new-matic tools.
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Did you get a chance to look at Nancy's bike ?/
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"The truck has a decent rumble to it with the Warlock -- and the sneaker plug is still all closed. Oughta be nice in the morning."
Is this in code?
Stan
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In response to both Joe and Stan's questions: Yes.
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Jim stopped by our truck earlier -- and said he got the truck up to 112 before giving up the effort. He was happy, so I guess all was not in vain - even though they really wanted a 130. He sure seemed happy.
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Jim stopped by our truck earlier -- and said he got the truck up to 112 before giving up the effort. He was happy, so I guess all was not in vain - even though they really wanted a 130. He sure seemed happy.
jIM IS SUPER HAPPY :-D :-D :-D : !cheers:! Oh, yeah, we gave them up, after a severe case of the Tavern House Blues,* induced by Barley soup, which I guess is some sort of food.
*(Maybe I'm getting too old for certain sports; my cousin told me so 15 years ago when I was just a young pup of 60 or so.)
I sure learned a lot; namely this sport is not as easy as it appears. Most likely true for most things are done well.
I'm still decompressing and already in withdrawal. :wink:
As I was heading East on I-80, there were alrady several haulers at the end of the soon to be course for Mike Cook's shootout.
WHAT A GREAT MEET!
Many Thanks to all the vounteers and worker bees that expended efforts above and beyond to make it happen.
And to the fine folks that run the Club, Y'all really done GOOD!
More later; safe running to all.
Regards,
Jim
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JIM....THANKS for bringing Ray Therat out of his shell.
He has multiple talents and he has now shown another facet of his life.
You done pretty good 2.
FREUD
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Ray, looked for you and Jim said you were "working" WTF????
catch you next time!
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Well...first off, I'm really sorry I missed ya. Second, I was working. I was trying to get shots for landracing...and a few other people. I feel like I've been at a dead run since July...and I gotta split real early in the ayem to be at the Shootout.
I'll be posting here...I otta have more time to post updates without having to run from the timing tower to the starting line to the pits and back....and onandonandon....
I'm prolly gonna stay thru Saturday so I can get some still foto coverage of "The World's Fastest Lawnmower" that Dick Lague is shooting. It could be kinda interesting. Anything would be better than the Factory Five Cobras that "raced" at Miller's. Man! Those suckers were sad. Yeah, they gotta run a 2.73 gear...but I never heard any of 'em rev over what sounded like 3 grand...maybe 4...maybe.
I gotta get to bed so's I can get up early.
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Ray - I was on the salt as a spectator all day Wed and until noon on Thu and didn't see your truck. If I had, I would have definately stopped over.
I've been working on my GMC Canyon (a sister truck to your Colorado) to run at WOS but didn't get everything done that I wanted to before this years event so I came out to watch. Probably a good thing as I now know how the event runs and what it's really like out there. Next year for sure I'll be running my Canyon.
I saw in several posts that you were concerned about the top speed limiter in the Colorado. That can be disabled via a computer tune using HP Tuner's or EFI Live software. I can give you some leads on where to go for a tune - some firms offer mail order where you send them your computer (or a core) and they will flash it with a performance tune and disable the speed limiter, among other things. I had mine done at Wait-4-Me Performance in Warsaw, IN back in June during a Colorado/Canyon dyno day. It's made a world of difference in how my truck performs.
It would be really cool if there were at least the two of us in similar trucks battling it out next year!
Check out my blog (see my sig below) to see how my build has gone over the summer. My postings have been sporadic because I was really busy at work but I hope to get back to it as I gear up for the 2011 WOS.
Bob
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Mr. Therat --
How fast do you think that thing would really go if the computer wasn't limiting it? I think you guys got more than I woulda guest. What's the stock HP? 130??? Hellava effort.
Stan Back
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Stan - with a K&N intake system, MBRP exhaust and computer tune my four cylinder Canyon is putting out 188 HP at the rear wheels as recorded on a Mustang dyno. I've lowered the truck a couple of inches and figure that along with some aero tweaks should be good for about 115 mph in the mile. Anything more than that is a bonus in my book.
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Mr. Therat --
How fast do you think that thing would really go if the computer wasn't limiting it? I think you guys got more than I woulda guest. What's the stock HP? 130??? Hellava effort.
Stan Back
We got the computer limit problem solved. I unplugged the VSS sensor at the transmission. Lost the speedometer for those runs, but had the GPS. I think the stock hp is rated at 180, but based on fross's dyno reading the rwhp is considerably less. Jim made a seat-of-the-pants guess at 20 hp gain from the bolt-ons...it's hard to say what my subjective guess would be, but I'd put it between 150 and 200.
Jim got 112 out of it and I got 110. I'd agree with rfross that lowering should help a little. We were gonna disconnect the fan and tape up the front end, but ran out of runs due to the VSS thing. Jim is looking into some other modifications as over the winter projects, and I'm hoping to have my Monte Carlo there. 130 otta be real easy for it. 150 in street trim might be a little more interesting. we'll just have to see, huh?
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Do you think the camper shell helped or hurt?
Wooda been neat to run back to back with and without it.
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It hurt. We picked up 5+ mph when we removed it and the tailgate. Those itinerant LSR dudes (Marlo, et al) provided us with a great deal of help on that and taking the shell off and then disabling the governor were the two biggest "helps" that we made. Now...where's that turbocharger??? Maybe NOS?
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Did you run with and without the tailgate?
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I don't remember. The "pit crew" was doing the work while I manned the camera for landracing, and all I have photos of them doing is opening the tailgate and the shell's vent windows. That got us up to the governor (100 mph) which I disabled by yanking the VSS sensor from the transmission. (Good think it was a 5-speed or it wouldn't have worked.) After that, I got real busy and I didn't get any photos until Jim ran it without the shell or tailgate.
I think they removed them both at the same time, because of the limited number of 130 Club runs, but I'm not positive.