Drove it home from the shop last night for the first time. I stopped and got gas and had two old guys that were out for a night ride on their Harleys stroll over for an inspection. They liked it and asked a lot of questions. Those interactions are my favorite moments of all and why I build old cars. Grass roots cars and grass roots people make for some good, warm conversations. I dig that.
My first impressions mostly came from the Ridetech suspension. I can't believe this car rides and handles as well as it does. It's super soft and plush over bups. I have the shocks at "9" out of "18" clicks and that seems like a decent balance for road work. Even with that iron giant under the hood, the car stays flat and feels really sharp. The alignment specs I put into it last night on our rack in my shop were:
L R
Camber .5* .5*
Caster 1.2* 1.2*
Toe .10* .10*
It seems pretty crisp as a starting point so I'll start there. It'll probably need a bit more camber and maybe a few tenths of caster more.
Now it's down to installing all of the glitz and getting the shots out in the sun you guys requested! 20 days!
The car is all done. We were invited to bring the car down to SEMA to appear in the Car Crazy booth and get interviewed by Barry Meguiar. The Meguiar's folks were an amazing group of people and took care of the car as if it were their own. I was impressed to say the least. Barry was such a class act and a true ambassador for the sport- no doubt. We were picked by Goodguys to participate in their Gold Award. Being up against stuff from Ring Bros, Kindig, DSE, Alloway etc etc, we knew it wasn't gonna happen- but what an honor to be chosen. Lenie's bad ass 'Bird got one too! Our cars can't compete with that kind of firepower, but the decal is a badge of honor for me. This truly was a nirvana experience for a car guy.
Here are the pics from the trip as well as a few detail shots. We took the car up and down the strip a few times as well as an evening cruise after SEMA ignited was winding down. The torque this thing makes is unreal. Dyno numbers are neat, but torque makes the nether parts tingle when unleashed. The Richmond is super tight and shifts with that perfect "chunk chunk" that feels right. 5 miles on the odo so far- many more to come.
A quick clean up at the hotel before the drop off.
In line at the infamous "Green Lot"
At her resting place Sunday night. Let the games begin!
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
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