Craig I hope you have equally good results today.:thumbsup:

Reading your thread always gets me off my A:censored: and out into the garage. My results may vary from a gap in talent compared to you. :lol:

It's official. First place in Street Machine. Unreal!

Congrats! There's always stiff competition at Pleasanton GG -- that is quite an achievement. Was hoping to make it down there and see your car. Wish I had.

Again, great job. :thumbsup:

Post some vids when you can.

Here are some stills and the video of my fast run. Thanks for all the support guys. Hard work and practice really paid off. I surprised a lot of the pro builders with my plan Jane looking falcon and I surprised myself with how much my driving and car control has improved. The spherical bearings in the strut rods probably make the single biggest difference in the handling of the car. They let you stand on the brakes and turn in at the same time, roll on the throttle and the car rotates exactly where you want it.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps4bc114af.jpg
I didn't think I would get here for a couple of more years.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps32a26630.jpg
Winners Circle (Not a single street rod (that was legal) entered the Autocross. All they would have had to do was drive around the track and they would have gotten about $1500 worth of goodies).

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps5f30662f.jpg
I copied Maier's setup for his car, and it flat works. Look at how similar the cars sit.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...psc8ac2806.jpg

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...psc073466c.jpg

This was my fastest clean run of the weekend, I ran .091 faster, but tickled a cone and it fell over, I think that one was shot in wide screen, I will upload it later and post the link.


Sorry for the long lead in and exit, I thought it was fun to hear the announcer so I did not cut it down.

Greg,

Thanks, I thought you were the most interesting guy on Lat G. I envy your shop. I thought about asking if you had any single sisters (after seeing that build you did with your brother-in-law), but then I remembered that I love my wife.

If you come out to Pleasanton, just make sure it is not in August as they do not run an AutoX so I skip that show.

-Craig

Craig man that is so impressive! I juat re-read the whole thread. Congrats on the build and autox success :cheers:

Man those tires were a squealin!

He likes to save the disappointment for when you meet him in person.

Congratulations on the win :thumbsup:

Very impressive that you designed the parts... made the parts... built the car, and then did so well driving.... nice job!

:trophy-1302: Can't say it any better than that. :trophy-1302:

What's next? :popcorn2:

Craig --- those were all bolt on parts! LOL



Okay -- No August! I don't leave the Pacific NorthWET much in August anyway.... that's the one month we live for! It's usually nice!


I'll have to come down this fall and hope it doesn't rain!

Holy.... Wow!. 1st. Thats just too awesome. Did this qualify you for the Shootout this fall in Scottsdale? That would be sick. Home built amateur ingenuity beats pro builders/drivers with an out-of-the-box ProTouring selection. Love it.

Thanks again guys. Here is my other fast run. Chad from BangShift does a great job with the announcing.

That would have been cool, but unfortunately, only the "National" Events get a ticket to the shoot out and none of the Pleasanton events with an autocross are considered national. Maier is still gunning for a seat even though he got fast times at 2 events this year.

Thanks Ron, luckily it is a short thread with lots of pictures :lmao:


Well technically, all of the parts do bolt on. November is usually nice weather still. March is a crap shoot.

Optima???

In all honesty I don't know what's next. My goal for the car was to win an Good Guys Autocross, so now I guess I am done. We are just now buying a house. Our appraisal was today, so I should know soon if our loan will go through. It has a nice size 2 car garage (that could fit a lift), enough room for side yard access and is in pretty nice shape. I'll be looking for a nice little TIG and a tube bender. Once I have those, all bets are off.

Awesome, awesome job. Great lines on your runs. Did I miss it what's the weight and HP on this beast?

It weighs 3027 lb w/o driver. I'm about 180. It has a very mild 1989 5.0 HO motor with 1.7 roller rockers. I'm making maybe 250-275 hp.

I got some Ink in the local San Francisco region SCCA June issue of "the wheel"

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...psd70040e0.jpg
This was a 1/4 page pic for the April Autocross in Oakland

and I got a little write up:
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...psa6a1fed9.jpg

It's not much, but I have to start somewhere.

We will also be getting keys to our "new" used house tomorrow. I will finally have a shop to call my own.

-Craig

It's not much!?!?!? It's awesome dude!

Ding ding. Double jackpot. :king:

Nice write up, ink is very cool!! :relax: :relax: :relax:

Here are a couple of videos from the SCCA AutoX in Oakland today. I did OK, still working on my driving. I have a few more suspension mods to make, and need to work on linking elements in the course better. You can see how I am not making a smooth arc around the sweepers. Overall, I am getting better, I can actually feel what is going on, and my current alignment is working killer.

Mike Maier got me by 6 seconds and Brain and Steve Hobaugh got me by about 5. I was right there with another setup 67 mustang and a built Impala.

This was run 3. Still learning the braking zones


Run 4 my Dad rode along and had a lot of fun.


-Craig

dang this has been an interesting read! You have skills!

Congrats on the autocross:trophy-1302:

Love old Falcon's, had two myself.

Thanks.

I have some new parts that will be going on in the next couple weeks / months:
+ 1.25" Ridetech hollow swaybar
+ Modified Bilstein shocks with adjustable Penske canisters (On loan from Mike Maier)
+ Optima Battery
+ 20 gallon fuel tank with Jag filler cap mounted passengers side behind the rear window.

Just Awesome.:thumbsup:

Very cool build. If I'm ever at a show you are at, I gotta check this thing out!

The Ridetech bar was a small diameter than described (basic 1.125" mustang swaybar). The posi links only have a 2500# load rating, but it should be ok, hopefully they get loose or crack before failure. I can always install larger ones or 1/2" heim joints at a later date.

I am going to cut off the end of the swaybar and add some collars to make it adjustable and increase the rate. By mounting the link to the upper arm it looks like I can get at least a .64 motion ratio and about a 440lb/in wheel rate.

If this bar is not stiff enough, I am going to cut up my 1" bar and weld or braze in a 1.375 x .188" wall chromemoly tube to replace the center.

[IMG]http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps97458869.jpg[/IMG]

This is a little late in coming, but home ownership and a new puppy have been getting the best of me. Spent 5 hours this weekend breaking up a 7'x7'x5" wire renforced concrete spa pad the hard way with a 10lb sledge. (It is all to make way for my new shed)

These are from last weekend. Torqued up the wheels at 9:30 PM Saturday night and was at the track 8:00 AM on Sunday, then went to a wedding at 3:00 PM.

It took a couple tries to find a spot to mount the Mikes special Penske canister shocks.

Even on setting 1, the shocks feel stiffer, but they have a more plush feel. I think that it has to do with the slower ramp up of the nitrogen pressure with the larger remote reservoir. I also mounted my RideTech bar (using my old end links). I must say, I am dissapointed with the Ford "Muscle Bar." It is just a run of the mill 1-1/8" Mustang bar, came with lower quality mounting hardware, and would not fit the "Posi-Link" adapter without quite a bit of filing (which is no fun on spring steel). RideTech makes some excellent product, but this is not one, more of a fair quality product at a premium price.

I played quite a bit with tire pressure, working on getting good front and rear temps. I got my front pretty close, but I still had a hot center on my rears. At least I have a better starting point.

Some good videos showing the wheels. The geometry looks pretty good, but I think I am going to lower my roll center a little more and add some more front bar.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps53287a8d.jpg
RideTech vs Grab a Tracks bar.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps0034629a.jpg
Normal crush bends, and not too round at the bushings.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...psbf2c3d40.jpg
At least now, I could use the Posi-Links

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...pscfe9a6f3.jpg

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps4a2c2471.jpg
Had to work on the brackets to get them flat and not pinching the bushings.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps2a6e9bd5.jpg
The canister shock had to go in from the bottom, and I had to shorten my adjuster so that the TEE at the top would fit.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...psfc0ffb1e.jpg
Old vs New style mount, I modified my mount so that it can mount on either side (this let me point both shock canisters forward).

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...pse322b9c7.jpg
This one rubbed the tire at bump and full lock.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps73664c9c.jpg
Finally got it.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...psaf00b082.jpg
Street vs Race vs Race Special

Scottsdale or Bust
 

The falcon made the 750 mile drive with no issues. Ready for the big show tomorrow.

Good Luck:thumbsup:

Passed you and Maier yesterday in my hauler. Honked but you couldn't look up high enough to see me waving.


See ya today!

Cool. They won't let me in for another hour hoping to get a pit stall

Be very cautious of who you park next too!

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-F...-F5c3jSf-L.jpg

Good luck and wave that Ford banner high.

Well at the end of the day I just wasn't fast enough. Now I just get to sit back and enjoy the show. And hang out with some new friends.

I got a nice picture in the Scottsdale event coverage in the latest issue of Popular Hot Rodding. Its way back on pg 72.

Hey Craig,

How's the engine going? I saw they're doing a big autocross at whatever they're calling Sears Point these days near the end of May, via TrackMasters. They're advertising tons of track time, like on the level of USCA at Laguna Seca. Post up your next event, and maybe we could finally compare bad paint--I may enhance mine a bit at Thunderhill this weekend (my first track day).

On a weird note, I think we might even have the same distributor now...

Hey Rusto, bringing my thread back from the dead. It looks like the Sears Point event is the same weekend as Goodguys so I will have to miss it.

The new suspension design is almost ready for the first couple of prototypes and the falcon is at Maier's shop right now getting a cage (or whatever you want to call a 4 point bar with door bars.)

I plan to drive up to the USCA event at PIR this August.

Attachment 47908

This should stiffen up the chassis quite a bit and allow me to mount some harnesses for track days.

Comig along very nice.I like it.

Sweet--I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with. I noticed that Maier is no longer pushing that pushrod thing for the rear...

PIR should be interesting--that's a long haul, but hey, for Portland, the Falcon's just got some hipster magnetism that just may teleport you there. My brother still seems to think it's a "goth" car...

If the water that wound up on my intake manifold after Saturday's sessions at Thunderhill doesn't signal something much worse than the heater hose that I think it is, I'll be hitting more autocrosses in the near future, beginning with an SCCA deal on the 17th in Sacramento. Or not...

Oddly (or not), we'll have very similar roll bar structures (mine's nearing three years old or so now). The front four points (main hoop + door bars) land on 2x3 outriggers (sfcs to rockers), and the rear down bars land on the shock crossmember. Had I realized the flex that leaf springs create in the rear, I would have landed the rear down bars far further back (I haven't the will for pictures here, but there's an anonymous blog out there)...

Check out gotbluemilk.com for track pictures. Look for the (only) Falcon for last Saturday at Thunderhill; yes, the passenger's side looks like it participated in hammer-throwing practice. Everything actually worked pretty darn well!

Why is Maier dumping the pushrod and bellcrank system?
Do they have a simpler setup waiting in the wings?