FORMULAVEE.ORG

This site has been so dead for so long, I thought I would ask what everyone is doing? What winter projects are happening?

I am wrapping my car up. I have added all the tweaks except for the LSD. A ball joint front end, coil overs, discs brakes all around, 1915cc, rack and pinion. Of course, the ball joint forced me to rework the entire nose of the car and I just got the body back from the painter.

So, I will be ready to race this year but I'm not sure just where I will be. If I take the job in Alaska, that will change everything.

I hope everyone is doing well.

Johnny B.

Haven't done much. My co-driver is still trying to figure out how to mount the rear calipers. We'll work on it some this week. Then it needs to go to the dyno and get an alignment. Maybe after that we'll see about getting the Zink going or maybe getting the Lynx ready to sell since I can't fit into it.

Yes, going to Alaska will change everything. Especially with the impending ice age.

No huge projects here. Only about a month break for winter. New wheel brake cylinders all the way around (It's nice to actually have predictable braking for once!), tear down the Weber and clean it out thoroughly. New pads on the rear drums.
And lastly, changed the rubber on all corners.

Coming up on the 15th, a few of us have rented a local Autocross area for a day of fiddling with alignment and tune. We are setting up a skid pad and a small timed course.

Edit: I forgot the biggest change.. during our 'tune' day on the 15th, my wife will be taking some time to get used to the SoloVee. She has recently been autocrossing her Solstice GXP, but is going to give the FM class a try. I am hoping she likes it! So far she has only putted around in it, never run a course at speed.

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Scott

Finally braved the cold and pulled the drain plugs on the transmission. Going to take the axle tubes off for the umpteenth time to try and cure the leak at the transmission. Going to try new retainer plates and single piece boots.

Contemplating a third gear change to try and split the huge jump between stock second and third gears on our relatively slow courses.

Also contemplating a new carb on an otherwise stock 1641 engine. Is a single 40 IDF too big?

Otherwise, just need to try and tidy things up to make it more eye appealing.

Johnny,

What this talk about Alaska. You can't go to Nationals and re-establish the Vee as a contender from Alaska. This sounds all wrong.

Mike

Ken, the 40 IDF is not too big. It will need to be jetted properly and might need smaller venturis. Carbs and engines are funny things. My 1600 (not stock) ran a 48 IDF. It bogged at the low end but ran great at the top end. The same carb on my new 1914 runs very, very, very rich. I may need to go to a 44 IDF.

Scott, nice SPS sticker. I'll be having dinner with the owners of SPS prior to our solo committee meeting tonight.

Johnny, can you furnish any history about the Zink?

Lynn,
What Zink? Did you buy my old one from Mark? I notice that you list a 71 C4. If so, I bought that thing from a guy in Louisville, Ky. back around '97 or so. He did not have a logbook for it. The only thing that remains from the original car is the chassis and that has had some modifications. What else would you like to know? I still have some of the original bodywork for the car.

Mike,
Well, it is what it is. I'm not working.. got laid off in January. I expect for it to pick back up as I am doing Electrical and Instrumentation work for oil and gas refineries as of late but it might be as late as June before that happens at BP...
So if this thing in Anchorage develops I might do a short stint up there just to stay busy and see the place. If that happens, I plan to let my cousin down in Missouri use the car and let her daughter drive it. I just hope I have time to get it sorted before I have to leave. Of course, there is also talk that things may pick up in Houston in a month or so...

KillerKen,
The 3rd gear change will make an entirely different car out of it.. I strongly suggest that you do that if at all possible. It will improve the quickness of the car more than any other one thing that you could do.

Johnny B.

Last season I went from stock 3rd and 4th to 1.48 third and 1.04 fourth. It made a huge difference, the car is much easier to drive, never had to go back to second after launch, and never ran out of fourth. Nothing big planned this winter, just trying to stop (or at least slow down) the oil leaks and fix some body work. I might even get it all painted the same color.

Johnny, it is your car. Mark made some major life changes and moved to CA. He'll probably get another Vee sooner or later. I need to pick up his new engine from Mike Gray. The car now has a black chassis and white body.

Lynn,
I hope Marks' life changes were for the good. Did you get the belly pan issue fixed that was caused by the his welder's installation? That is a good car and has run in the top 3 at nationals. I would only say that the Zink needs supplemental cooling to the heads during the summer because they are enclosed. I had a problem with it trying to do two drivers in the past. You should have plenty of room inside the cockpit in it, however.

Let me know if you have any more questions..

All the best,

JGB

Mark didn't mention any belly pan issues. What are they? Maybe he got them fixed. Anyway, since he gave me the car, I can't complain.

Mark was very happy when he brought the car, so I'm sure they were positive. Mark is a good guy and I hope everything works out.

Lynn,
I remember that Mark was going to stiffen up the torsional ridgidity of the chassis by installing a thicker pan. He was some 40 lbs. lighter than me at that time and could afford it. Unfortunately, his welder installed the unit with one long weld and did not stitch weld it into place. This caused the chassis to warp. Mark was was upset to say the least! The body wouldn't even fit any longer.

I just never heard whether and/or how he had gotten it fixed.

JGB

He must have gotten it fixed. The body is is on the car and all the Dzus fasteners work. I wonder what the car weighs now. Mark is something like 150 lbs lighter than me. Time to go back on the diet and get back to 210. And he would still be around 100 lbs lighter.

Lynn,
I was at about 1010-1015 with a thin T6 aluminum pan under it and my body weight at 185lbs. You can figure that was about 825lbs minus me and the belly pan. I don't know what is on it now but Mark was going to add a 1/8" steel plate which would have made up the 40 lbs of driver difference.

Of course, putting it on scales ends all the math.. LOL

It will be good to see the old car out again..

JGB