LeMons Update:

[A Horse With No Name]

Trying to work things out for a LeMons car...I'll post more later. I'm going to hook up with an SCCA tech guy who is going to teach me about rollcages...

I have a POSSIBLE source for some used safety equipment. Said Possible, don't get your hopes up yet. But possible.

Checking out problems/issues with running an autotrajic in a race like this. Speeds at LeMons are a good bit slower than a typical SCCA/NASA type race, so I am much less worried about things than I was the last time I posted. Tend to be a guy who worries about and over analyzes everything....however...that has served well for the 44 years I've been on the planet.

Looking into cages if we do run the 'Bird...Jegs has a cage kit...$299...I can has friends welder and friend is certified welder...can has cage maybe? Would need to add to cage structure.

Also talked to a guy from Mt. Vernon Ohio who drag races a 10 Second V8 Vega and got to take a GOOD long look at the cage in the Vega. NICE work...if any of the other cage buys fall through, I may have another source.

Showing pics of the "bird to a frame guy so I can get an honest opinion on repair.

Checking out a couple of people I know with frame racks...going to see if I can get it done "free" so we save $$ and keep it under $500. Sadly, every 'bird and Camaro that was 4th gen and in a local yard seems to have been crushed within the last couple of weeks. One yard had 12 good parts cars...all gone

Nearest Race to Columbus next year is Gingerman, which is 6 or 7 hours away. In 8 or 9 hours I could be at Road Atlanta, even towing a race car. So once we know who all is ready to do this we can pick a track and a date.

Thinking if this happens this will happen later next year, as it will take me time to get car, get it put together, have it teched by local SCCA guys so we know it will pass LeMons Tech.

Not sure we can pull this off...but I am working towards the goal. Wanted to talk to some of my SCCA friends at today's Rallycross but the Rallycross got cancelled because our racetrack...errr...ummm...the field we race in was wayyy to wet to race.

Don't shoot me, but also thinking that the 'bird might be worth making into a real race car, one we could all enjoy several times...but don't worry, LeMons is still in my blood and still sounds like fun. Need help right now with creativity more than anything. Got any catchy team names, car decorating ideas, color schemes, themes, promotional ideas, sponsership ideas, et al...BRING IT!

Next weekend I'm cleaning out my garage, so I've got room to work IF we get a car.

Didn't want you guys to think that I had forgotten you.

Not sure yet if it is the 'Bird...but trying to put together everything.

PM me any thoughts or ideas, or feel free to post in this thread. Also have two local guys who MIGHT be interested in trying this...and the kind of people who would follow through. One is an SCCA guy who has run endurance races before, and another is a guy who has run an event like LeMons, only it was about 3 hours rather than 24. Experience can't hurt us. Meeting with one again in a couple hours and the other guy I'm meeting with again tomorrow.

At this point, I am going to keep the discussion light until after the first of the year. If your thinking about this, you don't need to give me a quick YES or NO. I'd rather you think hard and give me an honest answer rather than telling me YES and then dropping out. Also...we could do this or something like it multiple times, so if you say NO this time it doesn't mean it's always NO.

Thank you very much for your interest so far.

Chris

[Blake Noble]

Most of the Madison Co. junkyards have a few 4th-gen 'Birds for parts, just in case you were wondering.

[SAmadei]

It was mentioned that the Firebird didn't have a doghouse... was the hood and pass fender trashed or sold? Obviously for the LeMons, the hood could be hammered out it its stilll around. Plastic fenders are more of a PITA.

IIRC, this is a '98, so it has a 3.8L...

The more known, I could peruse the local pick-a-parts. There were a couple 4th gens in there, but they were real rough... it might be easier (and cheaper) to install a pre-97 doghouse on the bird.

For races east of the Mississippi, I would be willing to carpool anyone from the northeast.

[A Horse With No Name]

Not even really planning on putting much of a doghouse back on the car if this is the car we run.

Have one other driver who has raced before, who is 95 percent for sure.

Another guy is interested...this third guy has a race car that we might be able to "borrow" a race seat and harness from.

SA, how large are you...ht/wt? You can PM me if you want...but one of the guys who may be doing this with us is heavyset and one is 6'5.

Another question-I have another potential co-driver who has shown interest who is female. Does this present a problem for any of you guys?

IF so, PM me.

Chris

[A Horse With No Name]

Most of the Madison Co. junkyards have a few 4th-gen 'Birds for parts, just in case you were wondering.

Biggest issue right now isn't condition or cost, or even fixing accident damage. Biggest issue is automatic transmission. Trying to figure out if an auto is a deal breaker or not, or how hard it is to switch to a manual.

Chris

[SAmadei]

Not even really planning on putting much of a doghouse back on the car if this is the car we run.

That's true... I suppose cardboard and ducktape is as good as anything.

SA, how large are you...ht/wt? You can PM me if you want...but one of the guys who may be doing this with us is heavyset and one is 6'5.

Its no secret... 6'4" and about 400lbs... but I tend to be torso tall, not leggy. If my legs were in better proportion to my torso, I would've been closer to 6'8".

Since weight is the enemy of speed, I am using this project as a motivation to lose some weight.

Another question-I have another potential co-driver who has shown interest who is female. Does this present a problem for any of you guys?

No problem here. Females tend to take better care of the car. ;-)

[A Horse With No Name]

Actually if this does go through...all of the other guys are big. I am 5'11 or so, and about 250 lbs. The other three guys locally who are interested in doing this are larger than I am.

Thinking if we do follow through with this and take the 'bird I may just leave the autotrajic in it with fresh fluid and a cooler.

Chris

[Camino LS6]

I kinda like the "real" race car idea...

A 4th gen would be great for that.

I'd go 3rd gen for LeMons.

[A Horse With No Name]

Camino-Do you like the "real" race car idea??? Let's brain storm about where this could take us.

Here is the 4-1-1 at the moment. Showed white nights 'bird pics to a few really, really good frame and body guys. The news...it's gonna need some serious time on a frame rack to bring it back. Calling in favors, it's gonna run me $750 or so to do it if I'm lucky.

Can get the rest of the parts to put the nose back together for about $250...

Figure a hundred for a balljoint and an alignment and your at $1100.

I can get paint and supplies and get the nose painted and still be under $1500 for the repair.

Thus I could repair the car correctly and we could do drivers schools and open track days events with it and so forth. But a correct or safe repair would put us over LeMons budget.

Wouldn't repair it that well for a LeMons car...but...two ayem on a rainy night with a newbie driver is NOT the time to figure out that the car hasn't been made straight correctly.

Don't know If I've said this before, but a LeMons legal cage will cost us about a grand...the autopower rollcage kit is the DOM steel approved and we'd need to add an extra door bar for LeMons.

Checked out a third gen today after I got the news from my body guys about the shock tower on Whitenights 'bird...but that car was a no-go.

Need to find some way to bring everyone together on this.

Chris

[Camino LS6]

4th gens are real performers, but they just won't work with the LeMons rules without a bunch of questions.

3rd gens can work within the rules and be made to perform almost as well - so I see the 3rd gen as a better choice for LeMons.

Personally, the "real" race car has more appeal for me but I'm fine with either choice and will help in whatever way I can when the time comes.

[A Horse With No Name]

Thanks-I agree a third gen car would be better.

I'm going to start working behind the scenes and let Z06 kind of take over from here-

He will probably be leading our effort.

Still have one more frame guy to talk to on Whitenight's bird.

Chris