Springfield Flyer.

[tauruck]

Sid, we're living parallel lives.

Just when you think you're getting somewhere you get hammered.
My shop was all clutter and I fell backward over some offcut. Rang my bell pretty good but I was wearing a Beanie!!!!!.
Two days later I was aching. I don't drink anymore and I'm crashing more now so there is no easy way out.😂

Burkert Fluid Systems is my latest backer. Had a back and forth email with Tom Burkland and he suggested I use my left foot rest to activate the parachute release and as usual he gets me thinking.
I'm this sponge for knowledge and a small thing grows into a full blown project. I have 2 chutes so one pedal is a bit of an issue and then I remembered the momentary switches I have. My steering wheel is more like an Indy Car unit so I'll have the chute releases on each side within easy reach of my thumbs. Burkert manufacture the best solenoids I've ever seen. The quality is unreal and I was given exactly what I need. Alvin Seitz is coming around later this week to drop the 3 units off AFTER the shop is clean.🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Things are happening and the excitement level is ramping up. God has been good to me guys. I've learned from this build that stressing changes nothing. I just have faith, try hard and eventually things fall into place.
I still can't reduce the file sizes on the images so I'm stuck. This PC ain't what it was. Later.👍👊

[floydjer]

Forward progress is always good. Carry on J.B.

[kiwi belly tank]

Mike, not that you intend to run here under SCTA rules but we are required to have a manual backup for chute releases. Having an electrical problem without that could turn a good run into a holy $hit one.
  Sid.

[tauruck]

Thanks Sid and yes I understand the rules.
Where I intend to run I have 23 miles.

I'll worry about redundancy when I get to that stage.
I'm still far off and cleaning up the shop is priority right now.

Second is to get the Aluminium tig welder set up and working.
I can't figure people out. Guido was my buddy/welder supplier and I bought a 300A Mig machine, Dc tig and plasma cutter from him but he refused to sell me an AC/DC machine I could use for Aluminium. His story was I'd be wasting my money because welding is a 8 hour a day vocation. When I was broke he used to pay me 300 bucks a day to turn Copper tips for the big spot welders the auto manufacturers use so I spent a lot of time at his place. He forgets that I was with him when he welded components for water pump housings he made for Rovers. His welding was horrible so one day when he had to go to a meeting I fired up the machine and fried 14 of those suckers with no grinding required. He wasn't happy. I could have damaged his machine!!!!!!. Maybe he's envious, who knows?. Weird.
A son of a late friend took over his father's business and he donated a brand new 20 grand machine to my cause. Guido lost out because after all the problems I had with the race shop guy I was determined to weld my own stuff.

I don't play for the "B" team and never will. I'm a humble guy but I tell it like it is. I made my first goalie mask for my brother when I was 13. 1968. I got told where to buy stuff and got instructions from a cool old guy. I pulled that off and every year my brother Jerry got a new updated version. In 87 a guy who was a competitor in F2 is a condescending jerk and was upset that I had bought a Countach and was at his dealership to buy some parts. How could Mike from the poor side of town afford a "look at me" car?. He asked what I do and it just came out. I work with Carbon Fibre!!!. I had never seen the material in the raw or even used epoxies but I had intentions of replacing the damaged Aluminium body parts with Carbon.
It was a bit of a backfire because he asked if I was any good?. My gut said knock him out but I answered "the best". A white lie became something big. My first order was R185,000. I had to learn in a hurry and met some awesome people who helped when I asked for advice.
Today I'll go with anyone on the planet whether it's wet lay up or prepreg.
If I say I'm welding Aluminium you can bet your bottom Dollar I'll get it right. This Aluminium deal has been a thorn in my side since I started racing. My first guy Norman went to the US. Jaapie had a stroke and Nick left for Australia. Norman's son Duncan is an ace but the last job was ruined because he gave the job to one of his apprentices. Podunk CNC'd the most awesome runners for my inlet manifold and I had to tear it apart. I won't let him down. Not in my DNA.

Never again will I rely on others for Aluminium welding. I'm done!!!!. Nothing beats independence.
I upgraded my mig with a new torch to weld Aluminium but it's not a double pulse machine. My welds aren't that ugly, in fact they're pretty good. I ran a few test passes and afterwards cut the material to check for penetration. Perfect and I could weld the plenum plates to the runners because the manifold is going to be milled and O ringed but when the bungs for the injectors and water injection go in I want good looking beads and there's no way I'm grinding and polishing those mig welds.

This long car deal is journey of discovery and I'm in it for the long haul. Without the sponsors I wouldn't be here. In a country full of risk averse people I managed to find the good ones. I'm Blessed.

[tauruck]

Forward progress is always good. Carry on J.B.

Thanks Jerry. God Bless you brother.👊

[kiwi belly tank]

In the case of an emergency like an engine blow-up or a fire you're not going to want to be hanging out in there for 23miles mate! It's a lot easier to build in some cables now than after you're done building.
Speaking of fire, I came up with a cheap & effective fire warning system back in the 90's after we had a bad fire that burnt everything on the back half of the liner including the glass body. Al was hunting for a 400 pass when a fuel return line leaked. Although it was on fire it was still charging hard & he had no idea there was a problem until it burned through some plug wires & by that time it was junk.
 I used some furnace snap switches wired to a warning light on the dash & back then it cost about 6 bucks. Al didn't think it would work & on the very next pass after the rebuild, sure enough the light came on as he expected but after climbing out of the car he saw it actually was on fire again! An injector line on the distribution block on the back of the blower had leaked & caused a small fire.
 Stopping is the most important part of a run & sometimes you need to do it in a hurry. I've shared this with a few other rear engine guys & I have 10 sensors in my liner at about 4bucks a piece plus a light. If you have a big fire, the air speed turns it into a big cutting torch & can burn the chutes right off the back so you need to protect them. I built a firewall & exit into my liner that ducts any fire out the top & above the tail. You can't have too much safety.
  Sid. 

[tauruck]

I agree 100% Sid. All wisdom right there.

Somewhere earlier in my diary I posted about my fire suppression system. It's Belgian made and normally used for tour buses. It's a huge container along with some trick electronics. It also has harnesses that run from the motor to the back of the liner. All heat sensor complicated stuff and nozzles. The guys from Safequip will install all the bits when the chassis is painted. My only job was to build the platform and mount the tank. I'm in the dark when it comes to the detail but my guys took one look at the liner and had similar sentiments to you. I haven't been round the back of the vehicle in a long time so today I checked and it's a no brainer to install a manual chute release. The company that used to make cables is no more but I found a cool guy that's now doing all their work. He's willing to help.

The most pertinent issue you brought up that got my attention was the chutes burning up. Matthew has been jonesing to get stuck into the liner with his thermal blankets. He manufactures custom stuff for the foundry industry. I'm thinking we should wrap the chute tubes as well. Can never be too safe. Tom has drummed safety into me over the years and I hang onto every word.

I think I'm further away from finishing this project than when I started. Packaging is a huge problemo!!!!!.

[manta22]

In a rear or mid-engine car, the driver is the last one to know that his car is on fire. I learned that the hard way in a Porsche 911.

I made provision in my homebuilt for an engine fire sensor make by Kidde Aerospace. It is a 2-wavelength infrared flame sensor that turns on a dash-mounted warning light indicating "FIRE". I found this brand new sensor in some aircraft surplus stuff and I contacted Kidde to get a wiring diagram for it but they were very uncooperative. So...no fire sensor.

[WOODY@DDLLC]

Mike,
Another Mike I know did a fire detection scheme for his lakester that might interest you.
Starts at post #419 in this forum:
https://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php?topic=14960.405

Some of his other shenanigans might interest you, too! 

[tauruck]

Thanks guys.
I appreciate all the advice.
This fire system isn't some off the shelf item. It's a complex thing. The sponsors took one look at the car and already made up their minds on what I was getting.
I know you all like backup systems but I promise you the unit I have is enough for ten cars. It has heat sensors and when a spike is detected it activates. I'm not
one bit worried.

Been busy doing induction work and then I remembered Tom said I needed bracing from behind the roll cage to the chassis behind the motor. I got the brackets and tubes out.
I fitted the whole deal and I see sleepless nights ahead. My Coil packs might not fit on the rocker box covers and my turbo cold side pipes are going to be a bag of Pythons.

Build a long car. It will be fun they said!!!!!
Bravery isn't running headlong into a hail of bullets. That's just dumb. I'm an idiot but I burnt my bridges so the only way is forward.

On the lighter side a bunch of sponsors pulled out in that they won't supply any more product or materials. Times are hard here and I've taken too long on the build.
I take things in my stride and there is zero panic.
One sponsor referred me to another and he came on board. Then the second guy said his buddy wants in too. From solenoids to Stainless Steel elbows to aircraft wiring.
I also scored Mil spec connectors made by a Swiss manufacturer who supplies all the F1 teams.

The email proposals are dead. I call and get the responsible person over to view the long car and they are all in.
Things are really ramping up now. It's all coming together.
Divine Intervention!!!!. Prayer, the breakfast of champions. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[floydjer]

Be my hero and name the turbo pipes "Monty"

[tauruck]

Done.
Anything for my brother Jerry.

[tauruck]

If I was George Poteet we wouldn't be having this discussion. 

I'm all about sponsorship because I don't have a budget.
Small things add up. I'm determined to reach my goal so I've taken a different tack.
I contacted a company about their product and they wanted my location so they could send a rep out to see me.
I should film these interactions because they're hilarious. Once the rep sees the long car he forgets sales and wants in.
 In a risk averse country like South Africa the Flyer is making waves. The sponsors that want no further involvement said
good luck and it was a pleasure helping so they get decals on the car. I wouldn't have it any other way. They helped.

I've been upgrading the shop, repairing equipment I almost threw out and just servicing older stuff.
I've never been in a frame of mind where I just go ahead without that constant angst. I'm cool with where I am.
Got the missus in the hospital with a broken Femur and she's waiting for surgery.
The long car takes my mind off the problems.

[manta22]

Hang in there, Mike. A good attitude can take you a long way...and you're doing it!

[kiwi belly tank]

A one man band has to play it at his own speed. The fact you're still playing is huge Mike!
  Sid.