The electrical system was given a satisfactory initial test today. After a careful rechecking of the entire wiring harness, I flipped the battery master to ‘On’ for the first time (with a fire extinguisher standing by just in case) and was pleased to see the voltmeter register a steady twelve volts. I then flipped on [...]

“Tick tock goes the clock, and time waits for no one.” Who ever said that must have missed a few deadlines as well… I’ve got a new self-induced timeline for completing The Race Wagon: our first test day is on August 20, and the first race weekend Sept. 11, 12. I’ve been working on finishing up some of the subsystems – [...]

I’ve been plumbing the fuel system this weekend. I’m using -6 AN Aeroquip socketless hose and fittings (also called barbed or push-on) inside the fuel cell compartment and under the hood, and then using stainless steel braided hose between the firewalls and through the cabin. A tip that really helped when assembling the socketless connections is to soak the [...]

I’ve been working on the plumbing and wiring in the Race Wagoon. Fuel lines, brake lines, oil cooler, radiator – geez, a whole bunch of hoses!  Then wiring the battery master, coil, starter, MSD, gauges – all this stuff adds up in both weight and expense…

My Lil’ Red Wagon finally got its motor. Since I don’t have a lift in my garage (wouldn’t that be nice), I hooked the transmission up before the installation. I discovered that the length of the early ‘A’ type comp trans combined with the motor makes for one very tight fit. Tilt the motor, lower the [...]

To go along with the wagon’s IRS conversion, I planned to replace the old U-jointed axles with CV joint halfshafts. CV joints have less friction, so that allows more power to get to the wheels. They are also less prone to failure under racing conditions, especially when using a welded differential. I am using BMW E9 CV [...]

My guess is that never in the history of mankind have aftermarket intake and exhaust manifolds fit without quite a bit of filing and grinding.  The “quick” project of making sure the carbs and headers fit properly before dropping the motor in turned into a several hour session with pneumatic, electric, and hand tools.

This is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to design a racecar cockpit from scratch, putting gauges and switches where I’d like them. If I end up not enjoying the ergonomics, nobody to blame but myself. During 23 years as a commercial pilot, I’ve spent a lot of time in both good and bad [...]