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"Swamp thing" JBC 510 racecar


Icehouse

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If you said race seat, you win!

 

large.5a849c5d42900_02132018swampthing(1

 

I'm surprised no one has asked about wheels/tires yet.

 

We wanted to get the seat in there right away because the cage is really short and far forward and we needed to see if we have to make any adjustments.  Jeff is the tallest straw so with the seat on the floor and helmet on, we find we are not within the rules which is top of helmet 2" below the top of the roll cage.

 

large.5a849c5e98f29_02132018swampthing(2

 

So, we will have to flatten or lower the floor.  Enter Sam and his cutting wheel of death!

 

large.5a849c622f9e4_02132018swampthing(3

 

large.5a849c6a4f1c1_02132018swampthing(6

 

A second mock-up with the seat on the plywood shows we will be okay with a flat floor.

 

Sam also got the window net mounting mocked up. 

 

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While Jeff worked on the engine bay wiring harness

 

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And I POR15'd everything but the actual floor pans since we are still kind of working on those...

 

large.5a849c6e996a9_02132018swampthing(7

 

For those keeping score, we have a LOT to do and not much time to do it so we each have a homework assignment this week.  Check back for progress...

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You ain't kidding!  The time is counting down.   

 

 

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Engine bay harness ready to go in.   Moved the fuse box inside since there is roll cage in the way of the stock location.  

 

 

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I don't have any other pictures :(  

 

 

 

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You are missing the point

 

No, actually, your point is taken Ted.  And it is the reason why we changed the race series we are aiming to compete in.  The first series turned out to be a glorified smash-up-derby bump-to-pass type affair.  The Lucky Dog series is more gentlemanly.  There will be obvious risks to racing.  But all the other guys in the series want to race their cars again at the next race just like we do.  We are putting a lot of time and effort into this car because we want to have fun building and racing a Datsun 510.  We don't want to race a BMW or Integra or whatever else which we could probably just buy ready to run.  We also don't want to see it come back to the pits on a flatbed, or get hurt in the process.

 

If we make the Shelton race in April, you should come down and hang out!

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Heavy racing contact is a tough thing to deal with in a series, especially if it is ingrained in the group’s racing philosophy.

 

Most every series has a level of racing contact that is acceptable. It can run from a spin the guy out to win mentality all the way to any contact, your fault or not, parks you for 13 months.

 

How a race series is "managed" regarding contact has much to do with what is allowed by the officials. They will be the ones that determine what amount of contact is acceptable. As a new comer tto the series, you should have a conversation with the organizers to determine how they handle contact if it is a concern.

 

Officials generally will work with the drivers to keep unacceptable contact out of the series. They do this based on the feedback (or lack of) that they get from the drivers. If contact escalates and drivers don’t complain, don’t expect the officials to reduce it. They have enough on their plate and will not go out looking for added work if no one is complaining.

 

If the contact is unacceptable to you and the officials are not correcting it, you may need to work with other like minded drivers and reach out to the officials. Keep in mind that if the officials are not reacting to increased contact and no one is letting them know it is a problem, they will assume that the racers are willing to accept more racing contact.

 

If you are looking to raise a concern to the officials, numbers matter. Concerns expressed by one driver/team may be passed over by officials as “whining” especially if there are no others and you are doing it multiple times. Your best bet for change is to find other drivers/teams that feel the same as you. You may be surprised that there are other folks feeling the same as you, but just don’t want to make any waves.

 

When going to the officials, go as an organized group. Approach the officials in a calm and rational manner with your safety concerns. Do not make demands; just express concerns based on safety. You will have a better chance of creating change by letting them know it is more than just one driver/team that is concerned. 

 

For the best results, organize the group’s thoughts in advance. Appoint a representative for the group and have that individual approach the officials asking for a meeting with them and your group’s representatives (keep it small, 2-4 people). Maybe the group’s representative can catch the key official at the end of a driver's meeting and set up the meeting for later. You don’t want to bring this up unannounced at the driver’s meeting; it will put the officials on the defensive and likely end any possibility of change right there.

 

If you can't find like minded drivers/teams or cannot get a meeting with the officials you may want to search out another series that better suites your racing style. 

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I mentioned we all had a homework assignment last time we met.  Mine was to install a set of adjustable "Byron Brackets" on the rear crossmember.  This is my first fab job so I was excited and nervous but ready to go.

 

First thing I had to do was clean my garage.  It was a real mess after disassembling The Twins.  But once I was able to see the floor again, I made a spot for some saw horses as I didn't have enough workbench space for the rear crossmember and trailing arms.

 

large.5a9708c9e37db_02222018swampthingre

 

Byron's instructions are here:  I studied them carefully before starting:

 

http://www3.telus.net/byron510/meston_motorsports_003.htm

 

I started by cutting off the up-standing flanges on the inner mounting brackets.

 

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Next was the laborious job of grinding out the welds so I could finish removing the rest of the brackets.

 

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Then I notched the flanges and cleaned up the metal where I would need to weld.

 

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Byron's instructions suggest making a jig in order to help locate the brackets properly.  Jeff said that's dumb and just use the rear control arm.  Well, Jeff talks a good game but I really didn't want to wrestle a big heavy control arm on top of a couple of plastic saw horses.  So I compromised:

 

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Ah, that's better.

 

Shims and clamps in place:

 

large.5a9708dd67276_02222018swampthingre

 

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Tack welds

 

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More welding:

 

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Done!

 

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Gathering parts for the next Turbo Tuesday.

 

large.5a9708f6a1dab_02242018swampthingpa

 

What the other cars will see (on their way past)

 

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Gotta be something good in here:

 

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That'll work

 

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Brand new (aftermarket) side markers lights

 

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The boys will be so pleased!  : )

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  • Icehouse changed the title to "Swamp thing" JBC 510 racecar

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