Today I went out to the old Castle Air Force Base in Atwater, CA and watched the Fresno Chapter of the San Francisco Region SCCA do some autocrossing. The purpose of my trip was to pick up some Z wheels from a fellow Datsun racer, Steve Carlson, who was out racing his prepped 240Z. Steve's car is a regular in the Central California Solo scene, and he set fast time of the … [Read more...] about SCCA AUTOCROSS
FUELIN’ AROUND
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 hose ends in boiling … [Read more...] about FUELIN’ AROUND
WAGON UPDATE
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... … [Read more...] about WAGON UPDATE
RACE WAGON HEART TRANSPLANT
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 motor, tilt some more, lower some more, wiggle to the side, repeat ten times, … [Read more...] about RACE WAGON HEART TRANSPLANT
WAGON IRS CV JOINT CONVERSION
To go along with the wagon's IRS conversion, I planned to replace the old U-jointed axles with CV joint halfshafts. In theory, 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 joints and axles (got 'em used from a BMW … [Read more...] about WAGON IRS CV JOINT CONVERSION
THE FITTING OF THE MANIFOLDS
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. … [Read more...] about THE FITTING OF THE MANIFOLDS