Maier is not dumping the push rod rear setup. They just took it off their web site for some reason. You can still call up and order it.

Rusto. Sounds like you had fun at T-hill. Driving up to Portland shouldn't be much worse than Scottsdale. My big concern is braking something at the track and getting screwed with a big tow bill. I might chicken out and barrow a trailer.

Maybe if we can get Bryce to go, I'll head up there, too. I start law school in August (a bit late, yes), so motivation for things car-related is a bit weird now...

I figure if I didn't damage anything seriously at T-Hill, I've now got to at least hit the all of the big three NorCal tracks...

The track day has made me like autocross events a lot more...

As a final point, the best food in Portland is in a taco truck, preferably within viewing distance of VooDoo Donuts...

great build! Like the use of RX-7 brakes ;)

Congrats. Which school?

Curious to hear more of your thoughts on this. I typically hear or read of it being the other way around.

It was a sad day for the Falcon
 

I got rear ended last night. I was stopped at a read light and got hit by a 2012 Corolla. They were going about 5 mph. If I did not have my high back racing seats I would likely be in the hospital, not just real sore. Very disappointed that my car banged up good, but I think it will be savable as long as I can win the fight with the insurance company. It will need some time on the frame rack to pull her back out. My custom fuel tank is all but destroyed. If I still had a stock filler, there would have been gas everywhere.

I am going to go look at some replacement part tomorrow and it will be off to Brian's shop and onto the frame rack next week. Hopefully they can get it pulled in time for GoodGuys.

Wow that sucks....

Let me guess......
Texting:snapout:

Wow -- sorry to see/hear that!


Brian can work magic!

bastards!!!!

I hate to be redundant, but that really sucks. On the plus side, I get the sense that your brand-new roll bar down-tubes probably saved some frame (and collateral damage) with the stretched-out landing points.

On the side of the bumper tap, you've immediately won, since you were in front. You'll get paid, and they will of course try to screw you. That said, you've undoubtedly got buckets of receipts (if not, make some) for stuff you've done to the car, so as to prove value. If not, we'll all sign affidavits confirming the value of the Falcon...

Gas savings by Jaguar: Who'da thunk?

Hope to see you recovered and at an event by the summer!

Hey Flash,

I'll try not to hijack Craig's thread too horribly, but I think your new signature is perfect for Craig's predicament. Drinking is definitely in order, and it's what I'm doing (New Belgium Pluot) with the remainder of my long-awaited Saturday.

Law School: Lincoln Law School in Sacramento. It's small, and I'm 38, with no delusion of being corporate, and no need for $200k in bills--they really didn't need this disclaimer, as Sacramento's former/outgoing D.A. is a grad. I simply need to learn something new.

As for autocross vs. track, I've only been to a couple of open track events in my life, for bikes and cars. They just seem a bit more exclusive (monied/supplied vs. driver-built and greased) than autocrosses, for as social as either event can be. My experience is very limited in either environment, however, and I'm a lousy judge of either; I've been into cars for my whole life, however, and my views are messed up with grease and dents. People have been awesome at every racing-type event I've been to, and I look forward to attending more (as a driver). I'll definitely commit to the USCA if it comes back to Laguna Seca, and maybe I'll even spring for good tires...

I still have a thing about being able to drive my car on the street (I live and own property on one of the most awesome roads in the world--just ask Gaetano), which is more likely to be possible after an autocross. A track day, while more awesome in many ways, is potentially (considerably) more expensive and destructive; it likely makes the car's usage more exclusive. That said, I don't drive the Falcon to work or the store...

I hope to make the American Autocross thing in Marina at the end of May, and maybe even the Goodguys thing on the 31st (hopefully Craig's car will make it). I'll be renting a trailer...

The frame got pulled out today. I should be able to pick the car up on Friday or Saturday. Brian and his guys really pulled (no pun intended) this one off. Feeling better both physically (neck finally stopped hurting and back only aches) and mentally that my Falcon will live to race again.

another one saved :thumbsup:

Good to hear everyone is recovering well.

Mad thrash nearly complete. New fuel tank done and installed. Interior reinstalled. Battery hooked up and bolted down. Just need to put in the seat belts in, hose it off and top up the oil.

Goodguys autocross here we come.

Good to hear Craig!


Is that the coolest body shop in the Universe or what?!?!?!

Congrats, glad you and the car are feeling better. As an aside, having just read through this whole thread for the second time, please don't ever paint that car!! It just looks too cool and perfect the way it is. I think the stance, and the wheels perfectly compliment the faded turquoise!

Here are a couple of my best runs from this weekend. Always a great time at GoodGuys. Ed put together a great course, nice flowy and easy to follow, but still very challenging to get right.





This was my fastest clean run of the weekend.

Very Cool!! Nice runs, Craig!!


Troy.

Congrats on your recent publication in PHR!

Saw that! Congrats! The final issue... pretty cool cover to be on.

Just now saw the you got hit. I'm glad your feeling better and the car is going to be saved.

Thanks Guys. I am really pumped. I had no idea it was going to be in this issue. JarHead broke the news to me as I had not gotten my issue yet.

We shot the feature back in November. It was suppose to come out in April, but got pushed back a couple of times. After I heard about all the magazines getting canceled I thought the article was never going to come out.

What a great article, Johnny and Chris did a great job and I am glad to hear Johnny got picked up by MM.

Congratulation's ! It looks good in there.

Congrats on making the mag,car is very cool:thumbsup:

Woops, sorry if I spilled the beans. I pulled over to the mail box (live out in the sticks) I saw it on the cover and started looking for it in the magazine on the county road, lol.

Had to run in read the article, and report :military:

Love this car!

Joe

Congrats, Craig! You still planning to drive up to Portland next month?

Portland! Portland! Portland!

Good to see the car back together, I'd love to see it run in person.

Portland! Portland! Portland!

Not going to make it. I really wanted to go, but life got in the way. We are doing a major remodel of the front of our house and I wore my tires out at the Crow's Landing SCCA event (car did 27 runs including practice). No time for new tires and prep for a long road trip with the house work going.

Wow, that's like a million runs in SCCA autocross terms--nice work! Without Portland, there's Sonoma on the 2nd...

I tiled my kitchen in January, and even though it didn't turn out too badly, I'd like to never do it again. Best of luck with the renovation!

I pretty much made up my mind to paint the car. Once it is painted it will be "finished" for all intents and purposes and I can move on to a blank canvas.

It will loose a little character but having nice paint will turn it into a nice car that I can drive and enjoy while I cook up something really wild.

I just picked up my next project car. Full out no compromises 1929 Model A hotrod. It will be set up with a 60's salt flat look (think oversized T-Bucket) with 18x11" wheels all around, fully adjustable independent front and rear suspension, fire system, roll cage, hand built body and chassis .... I am thinking 4.6L 4 cam motor from a 90's Linclon Mark VIII and a T-56 five speed.

I have a friend that got a T-bucket and a 5 window coupe, he outruns crotch rockets with both of them. That would be a fun project.

A couple quick updates: Getting the car ready for USCA at Thunder Hill next month. I finally got my roll bar painted. And who ever told you you can't build your own leaf springs?

Mike built the cage for me several months back. He did a great job and it is a very tight fit in the interior. I finally got ahead on my "Honey Do" list and pulled the interior back out to spray it before it got too rusty.
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...psac69a630.jpg

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...pscdb9502e.jpg

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...psdfd928dc.jpg

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps87728d11.jpg

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...psd6e647ab.jpg

I actually modified my leaf packs before the November GoodGuys, but I figured you guys would like to see them anyways. Went from a 155# to about 185#. Really keeps the nose down better (no longer lifts the inside front), but my tires are too shot to get a good idea if it will be any faster.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps0dedea8a.jpg
I added an extra leaf below the main, flipped the old #2, and added a new #3, and an anti-wrap leaf to the front half of the pack.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...psfcfdc243.jpg
Formed up a bunch of leaf straps

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps18eb0c03.jpg

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...psdfaa554e.jpg
And had to make a custom aching tool...with adjustable stop.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...psf557272e.jpg
FYI, McMaster-Carr sells a bunch of thicknesses and widths of 5160 spring stock. As long as you use sharp drills bits, keep it cool and use lots of lube, this stuff drills great.

nice work....

Nice work man! Just curious on how you figure out the spring rate? I've got a set of Maeco springs that are rated at 300lbs and would like to reduce them.
Looking forward to seeing the car at Thunderhill.

:thumbsup:
Dan

In all the years I've been doing this..... I've never seen a guy willing (or able) to arch his own springs. I bow in your direction.

Looks really good Craig!

More pics of the roll bar please... And kudos for the home grown leaf spring mods, nice work.

This is a great build. It's amazing what you can build when no one makes parts for your car and you have more time than money. :lol:

nice work, love this build!

Subbing to what is one of the most creative builds on the internet IMO.

I've got a '95 Ranger as a daily/project and aftermarket parts availability is limited at best. After seeing some of the creative stuff in this thread, I am inspired to make the parts I'd like to have. Keep at it.

Thanks for all the kind words everyone!

Dan,

I use a combination of an excel sheet and this online calculator:
http://www.auto-ware.com/calcs/leaf.htm
Leaf are a little funny because of all the 3rd and 4th order effects of friction between the leafs and when they start twisting with body roll (which are nearly impossible to calculate). I didn't actually measure the rates, so everything is approximate.

In college we messed around a bunch mixing and matching leaf packs for 4X4's and hot rods. The most important thing if you start modifying them is to keep the stagger between the ends of the leafs nearly evenly spaced. If you stack them too close together or put thicker leafs below thinner ones you can cause the spring to bend into an "S" which will can cause the main leaf to fail.

Here are a few more roll bar pics: The main hoop and bars are 1.75 x .120 1018 DOM, the harness bar is 1.5 x .120 1018 DOM. Tabs are 7 gage (.177 thick steel). The car looked like a Dexter kill room but I did't get any overspary on my interior.
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps6e0ec2fd.jpg

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...psf6fa2c3b.jpg

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps26277bdf.jpg

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps2dbde4e0.jpg

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps080b3845.jpg

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...psacb0ef36.jpg

Oh and this should be here in a few days:
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps7bfc5fdf.jpg