while it was all apart! I had great help from Vince over at Meanstreets Performance and he showed me how to use a really cool pressurization tool and change out the valve springs! along with his comp cams tool, awesome GM performance springs, after a quick lesson, it was my turn, I did get it down to about 5min per cylinder(2 springs)

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps8b7a7325.jpg

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps6209c7de.jpg

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good times!!

lets go racing!
 

its Friday night and Jane is all prepped for Goodguys this weekend, I'll keep every one up on it, I know its not as cool as Optima, but were just as stickered up

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps8208476c.jpg

your missing a few, go to sleep man!!

That door is SCREAMIN an OPTIMA decal!!! You got the skills and you should be there at least once...

I did get to watch the OPTIMA cars leave the convention center last nite, i soooo wanted to go to the challenge but i've been gone two weeks (anniversary) and just cant get the time to go. BUt my good friends who were here with me at SEMA were kind enough to show me their tickets....and one of their new employees gets to go and hes not into at all, oh the injustice of life hahahaha....

Got to wish James and Mary good luck today....

Same to you, good luck in Pleasanton today....

Mike

a white real world car will never get invited to Optima, just the truth. Its a shame, Rod can kinda drive.

Maybe one day he can build a car to compete at that tier.

Just read thru your whole thread on PT yesterday at work.. great job, keep it up!

Theres always the qualifiers...plus, all we have is hope lol

Goodguys Event in Pleasanton, CA, November 2013 end of day one report
 

it turned out to be a great day for racing and fun we had a great turn out,

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I got there early and was already far down the line

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the morning started a little cold, and I ran my first lap as a warm up pretty fast and was just 5 tenths behind First place, suzy ran the car today also and she was pretty fast to

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...psa8c365c6.jpg

so I stepped it up on run 2 and took over first place and on run 3 I went even faster and at the end of day one I'm still holding first spot in street machine

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps7d0a29bc.jpg

more tomorrow!!!

Is Jane behaving? nice work!

Great job this past weekend! Wish I could of made it.

That picture above with the hood hinges pushed down makes me cringe.....I did that on a 75' pickup and had one pop up into my face. Luckily it hit above my lip and only required a few stitches at the hospital. I could've lost my eye over that.

same thing happened to me, right in the cheek and ear. they are hooked and have low tension springs that dont pop till they are up a bit.

Looks like it was a fun weekend for you. The Ridetech suspensions seems to be working good for you.

Pleasanton Goodguys update
 

sorry for the delay in the update it was a great weekend and hell all at the same time, in the last few weeks Jane developed a bad attitude, after a year of racing and tuning she had a really bad stumble at 5500 RPM, and wouldnt rev any higher, so we swapped valve springs, and tested everything, mechanically she looked fit as a fiddle, so next was electronics, and after a call to MSD they said charging system, HEY I'm game so I updated the alternator and steering pump setup to a slick corvette setup, same problem, I thought fuel? so I upgraded the fuel system to a Holley billet pump, regulator and made it a return system and Holley Carb!, same problem, called MSD again, they said run the power straight to battery, BAM,,, same problem, so out with the old MSD 6LS box and in with a new one, same problem, I was out of time so off to the races

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps2055c14d.jpg

I finished in second place, never being able to rev the car above 5500, I shortened my lines, hurried my exits, and still couldn't win without a little more speed, after the weekend I called MSD again and finally got a tech that knew something about it all and said the we have to hook up the box to a computer, after walking me threw the connection process I could see janes heart, and a nasty 5500 safety rev limiter, that for some reason on both boxes would not be overrode by the rev limit pills that the box uses, dag nabit!!! so some quick programing and Jane is ready for the shootout :guns: in scottsdale, now to gather some funds together, put the car back together, and go kick some butt!,,, I hope LOL, keep an eye out for post and updates

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...psecc169b9.jpg

:bang: them all's need to work on their tech system too. Everything's a secret till the multiple calls come in.

I bet it was the same guy that was tinkering with the Ridetech shock settings. :peepwall:

ha ha ha ha, even if it did, theres no style points for a Garage built ass wooping real daily driven car, because she aint purtty! so I would loose right there

he works for MSD!! ha ha ha, damnit!!

I dont know Rod, Jane looks pretty hot to me, i wouldn't kick her outa bed for eatin crackers lol. Your car should be goin to Palhurmp next year.....cause you can kinda drive....

That my friend is not losing. :thumbsup:

yeah, just flip that skirt up a bit and show em what they are missing.

:lmao:


:snapout:

so this is what it has come to, we traded our distributor, 9/16" wrench, timing light, weights and springs for a $10 wire and a $300 laptop. Winning?

Goodguys 16th Southwest Nationals, Scottsdale AZ
 

the weekend started great, Friday morning I ran the warmup and the car felt great, a ton of RPM and smooth on the course, with 2 runs before lunch and two runs after lunch, we qualified top ten (in forth actually)

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Saturday morning and the top ten get two runs to get in the finals! for the last four spots.....my first run is a DNF I didn't come to a complete stop after the run in the stop box....only one more chance to get in so I really push it on the cold track at 9am and I run a 70.153, good enough to get into the shot out but I have a one cone penalty making my time a 71.1XX, pretty good and after everyone else runs theres one car left Jimi Days AMX, and after a good run Jimi runs a 70.5XX clean! no cones so I was out of the last spot and Jimi was in

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps92a2a7dc.jpg

Jane and I were done for the day it was a good battle, and next time,I will be in the mix, here's a Jane in the sunset pic from AZ!

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Was great to see ya buddy!


What a fun weekend.

You gave a good run Ron. Very well done. I know you'll be back. :)

Car's looking great BTW!

It was an awesome weekend!!! How come its so awesome to see old friends and theres never enough time to hang out with everyone!!!! it was great to see you again!


thanks brother

You've made a lot of changes to Jane, how'd they do?

I have been very happy with all the changes, the first day on the track I was nervous at Scottsdale, and the guys over at MSD actually came to the car and hooked up Janey on there lap-top to clean up or make sure the ignition programs was working great, they moved the grounds and tested the outputs, and shes a happy Jane now, the suspension is very good I am trying to squeeze more out of her so even now (Monday) I'm heading to Crosbys shop to change a few more things!, and with the carbon panels added to her, I weighed her at the Ridetech booth and shes just over 3200lbs, not bad for a rain or shine daily driven girl with radio, heater and dynamat on floor, doors and roof grocery getter

Good to hear -Jane's looking real good. :thumbsup:

Can you get a copy of before and after alignment and corner weight readings please? Cros wouldn't have access to a chassis dyno would he?

straight and still straight, Vinny the guys over at bridges do the alignment, no computer, no printout, I took it to them with the camber I wanted and said make it work

Del Mar update
 

Well this was the last November Del Mar for goodguys, now the end of season will be scottdale AZ, we arrived thursday night and set up camp for Friday racing and come friday morning it looked like this

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and by the time the rain had stopped at lunch time the track was flooded! heres Chad showing you how flooded, so the day of racing was called off

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...psab2c8993.jpg

back to camp on Friday night and of course after the race was called it never rain the rest of the night, so we BBQ-ed told stories and had fun talking about hopes for Saturday

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...psd29458c0.jpg

Saturday was dry and everyone was ready to watch some racing
http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps97202113.jpg

it started slow but as the track got warmer I laid down a few good times to be in first place
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then Aaron O. from Hotchkis put down a good few laps and went fast and that stuck me forth and I had one run left
http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...psc5667177.jpg

I gave it a good run but I could only squeeze a second spot out
http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...psf91cd421.jpg

and after it was all done we had camp autocross on Saturday night with great food and friends
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cornhole
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that was it for the weekend and the end of a good season... sunday were fun runs and a little tuning since it didn't count for us
http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...psf5ecb833.jpg

forward to 2014!
 

well 2014 is on us, the racing season is knocking on the door and (if you haven't heard) I started work at Ridetech in Indiana, I am lucky enough to have supportive friends, family and an awesome girlfriend of 14 years at my side (who also races) Right now I'm in the middle of a cyclone of activity, packing to move, working, helping friends, and getting one of my builds to a rolling state to push onto a transport truck....but I still found time to get some pre-season Autocross practice in this weekend in marina California, I was testing a new spring rate on Plain Jane and was happy with the results

out at Marina California for a UFO event (United Five-ten Owners) a very well run group of events all year long

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My new racing shoes! :lol: I thought I would copy Mike Maier...it works
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I tape a layout of the track to my center console, while in the staging lanes I can review areas in the track I had issues with or to contemplate an alternate line (you often have 5 to 10 minutes between runs) at local events
http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...pscd4611fd.jpg

heres drawn map layout
http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps48bdba72.jpg

Rodney that's awesome news, I wish you the best of luck. You are living the dream.
Shane

WOW thats awesome! Im only 45 min away from Ridetech... Ill be droping by to check out your car and meet you!! Welcome to some crazy Indiana weather hahaha :lol:

Rod, your car is a total dude magnet. :lol:

I'll admit, I've been caught staring while it was running the cones.

He does it for the applause. :king:

I applied to be an umbrella holder but was turned down. He's a bit of a diva. LOL

Plain Jane is going to the Optima Big Show!!!
 

I was lucky to have received an invite to the Optima Invitational this year....just 104 days from now.....I CANT WAIT! its going to be fun! time to get the car ready

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...psf16cbfad.jpg

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...psbdc2e812.jpg

Casper white paint....Spirit award....I think they may have been making fun of you. :ohsnap: lol

thats cool man.

Congrats Rod!!!:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

ha ha ha ha ha ........BOO!:fluffy: