Better lucky than good

Not much happening at this time (20 degrees outside and not much warmer in the garage), but I feel I would tell the story about luck sometimes outdoing competence.

I was getting the car ready for its winter sleep (oiling down the cylinders, spraying stuff with WD40, removing the battery etc.) when I noticed something dripping.  I thought I had just gone overboard on the WD40, but something made me check further.  Turns out the fuel line was leaking between the fuel pump and the carb, the hose deteriorated and was dripping fuel on the engine.  This was the old line as I ran out of time to put the new one on....

If the race had gone on for a few more laps, or there was another race later, the car may have gone up in a puff of smoke.

Next up - what needs to be fixed for 2014 (starting with the fuel line!).

At The Track

Aftermath

Well it has been a week and I am still decompressing from the weekend - I am sure many are wondering how I did and the short answer is as good as can be expected, but not as good as I could have.  I had some funny things go wrong - nothing I put together and the race was a typical NARRC Rainoffs, after beautiful weather was predicted for both days, we had on and off sprinkles just before and after the race.  It made for some interesting tire choices, but in the end we all went out on slicks.

I will fill in more of the race story but just to show you how strange it was - in 37 years of racing I have NEVER had this happen - the tach needle broke.  Not fall off, which has happened, or even gotten stuck - this one broke off at the base.  Sorry for the picture, I will change it when I get the car out of the trailer.  If you look closely you can see the needle the bottom of the Tach.  So it made it a little tricky to see if I was making progress in the uphill, but then there was The tire - which I will tell you about next time.....

Race Day 1

Well we made it to the track - got through tech inspection (Thanks Rich Welty fro doing the inspection in the trailer - saved me about a half an hour!) and made on the track for the first practice.

So many things I learned from actually being on the track, like - my trick switch setup cannot be seen, only felt when you are sitting in the car with a helmet on - but it worked perfectly!  Also, the belts cannot be set up right unless you have full driver's gear on.

The first session went well albeit slower that I would like, but nothing came loose or fell off - big relief.

I did a lot of adjustments and went out for the sprint qualifying and despite feeling a lot better in the car - really did not go any faster.  I have a couple of tricks for tomorrow, including a different sett of tires, so let's see what that brings.

BTW - if you really want to follow racing, there is an iPhone app - Race Monitor.  It is $4.99, I think and allows you to see timing and scoring of many of the races around the country.  Most SCCA races are included - right now you can follow the National Championships in Road America along with the local races at Lime Rock.

My race should be somewhere around 1 - 2pm on Saturday - but I have another qualifying race to get through first.

Packed and ready to go

The trailer is packed and the car safely nestled inside.  But there is still a lot to be done.

Right now I am going through all the paperwork I need.  Not just a log book but also a homologation certificate as this car is built after 1985 (I have a car now that is 20 years old - not 33 - can you imagine....?)  That with driver's license (SCCA that is) and I should be all set for tech tomorrow.

Tech involves looking at all the safety aspects of the car and driver equipment. It is done on an annual basis and usually takes about a half an hour. I hope the inspectors will be happy with all the details I have done, to meet or exceed the regulations.  But there is always the chance I have forgotten something.

Next I have to make sure the car is aligned properly and the engine runs correctly.  Starting it on the stand and going back and forth in the driveway is not exactly the test the car needs.

So Friday is practice and qualifying with 2 races on Saturday.  I invite everyone to come out to Lime Rock, not to see me but to take in the beautiful weather and good racing.

I will post more tomorrow night and let you know how the new tires work and how I did.  After the weekend I will post more about what I did right and what went wrong.

Thanks for reading.

Chris Zarzycki

September 18 - Almost there

It is 11 at night and the car is in one piece - not completely finished but good enough to head to Lime Rock this weekend.  Have to get through tech - has the wrong gearbox to run fast, but after all this time I need to get a race under it's belt so I can really be ready for 2014.

More pictures to come.....

9/10/2013 It was one of those days

You might notice there is no entry for the Cheap Date at NHMS.

Well, that is because I did not make it.  Racing is not always a fun and rewarding endeavor, some times it is a real PITA.

Here is the scenario:

Labor Day - 5 days to race.
Wheels attached - car on ground.
Got starter from Steve P (Thanks - found out I made a mistake reassembling my original one - more on that later.)
Rock car to check clutch - not working.
Still need to mount tires and paint tail.
Still need to mount transponder and finish fuel system.
Still need to align and maybe change front spindle.
Still need to mount seat belts and finish seat.
Still need to clean trailer and pack for an away trip
Still need to check loose rivets on pan
Still need to put numbers on and mount mirrors
Get the drift?

Look at everything that needs to be done and most important thing is to get sleep.  Clean up and go to sleep.

Throw in proverbial towel.

A week later with some energy I finish fuel system.  Fix clutch ( car had wrong master cylinder for my slave cylinder.)  Do more body work.  Trying to decide if want to make NARRC Runoffs.

It looks possible - race is nearby and look like low key with it going up against the National Runoffs (whose idea was that?)

So still pushing - still working - will keep you posted (with more pictures soon)

Thanks for reading.

ChrisZ

08/30/2013

Well, we are getting near the end - (time wise) - will I make it?

The pedals are in and most of the fire system, the wiring is finished and partially tested.  Steering is hooked up and II had plumbed the front brakes, only to decide to change it.  I have gone down several roads only to go back and redo something - to the tune of about 20 hours - It still amazes me how many ways there are of doing the same thing!  Battery is in, and I still have to find a place for the transponder.

The engine has been in but now it is almost complete and ready for oil, not shown but now done is the plumbing for the oil lines and the throttle linkage, which I will probably redo at some point, but the system I have right now is so elegant, I hate to change it.

Now - What is the mystery relay?

I will give you a minute to think about it.......

I was surprised how much power the starter solenoid draws, up to 40 amps on start up (maybe 25 on 12 volt).  I went on line and found that some VW owners made a relay close to the starter so you don't have to draw so much power through the starter button.  The nice thing is that is the solenoid fails, it is one plug switched that puts it back to original.

I had to make bushings for the seat belt, need to make a bracket for the seat and still a lot more to clean up and 1 week to go...

I did a rough calculation and I am up to 124 hours in the last 2 months (sorry honey) and I thought this would be a two weekend job - oops!

Pictures to follow

8/18/2013

Long weekend - pictures to follow but here are some of the things I worked on:

1. Firewall, filter mount and overflow bottle
2. Throttle cable - most of the weekend was related to this - believe it or not.
3. Steering shaft and u joints
4. Looked at the cooling scoops that came with the car but am going to stay with the traditional scoops for now
5. First fitment of seat.


I actually sat in the car for the first time - it is definitely different from my old car!  Also I could never drive a FV in street shoes.

Of course 2 hours Saturday night were spend rebuilding the stater - normally a 30 minute job.  Dropping the armature on a concrete floor was not a planned move, but that led to taking it apart 3 or 4 times more to make sure I had everything back together right - then I found a part I had never seen before - it looked like a slug from an electrical box - turns out it was part of the seal between the nose and the solenoid - after finally reassembling it I painted it (eternal optimist) and the next day put it in an old tranny so I could test it.  It seems to be okay but the solinoid draws a lot of power (ironically the only part I did NOT take apart) but this seems to be normal - VW 6 volt starters typically draw 25 - 30 amps for the solenoid.  Still researching this but I may springing for another starter just in case.  Glad I over-sized the wires going to the start button but might wire up a relay for the starter anyway.

Went to Kmart to by oil and low and behold they had the motorcycle battery I use on clearance at 50% - so I will at least have a new battery!

More to come.

ChrisZ

8/10/2013

LOOKS LIKE A RACE CAR

I decided to take a break and do some body work as a diversion.  I have already decided the tail and maybe the side pods will need to be repainted, so I attacked the tail first.  Did a little fiberglass work and then broke out the spray gun to do some primer.  Looks like it is ready for paint but needs a lot of Bondo to make it presentable.  The big hole was where there was a FF2000 scoop that I think I will keep, But will probably bolt on rather than rivet on.  While I was at it, I needed to make new brackets where the center section located on body studs.  I also strengthened the center section where some cracks were starting to appear.  A pleasant surprise was that the tail worked with my old support rather than having to by or make one. Trying to decide it I am going with the old ducts to use the newer Citation scoops.  Still weeks away from having the car on the track - What I thought was a conversion is like building a kit from scratch - but it is getting there.

8/9/2013

Now its a Pedal Car

When I go the cat the pedals were in bad shape.  They looked like the one on the right with the top bent over.  I straightened out like the one on the left and then welded in a brace to keep this fom happening again.  I double braced the brake pedal.

Here is what they looked like before I adjusted the throw. The previous owner had extensions on the pivot brackets, probably to handle a smaller driver. I took them out and installed an ankle brace. Later I will install some anti-skid tape to the floor - I also have to replace some of the lose rivets on the pivot brackets. Later I found the clutch pedal could not be adjusted enough so I had to take the clutch master off and re-thread the push rod to allow me to adjust it.  I was not happy with the way the threads were cut but because it is a clutch pedal, not worried that there will ever be a a safety problem.  I will have to make a new stop for the gas pedal, but I may also may have to modify it if I can't fit my show on the brake pedal without hitting the gas.  On the Citation, like many Vees, the steering column keeps you from putting your foot any more to the left.

Now if you think that this was a simple process, oh well.  The pedals went together and apart at least three time, and that did not count the time to weld the braces, glass-bead and paint.  Bolts had to be cut, new holes drilled, knuckles skinned.  Now I have to make some changes to the brake lines before hooking them up.

8/4/2013

Look - a dashboard has arrived - the new dash includes an oil pressure gauge - the old one just had a warning light - today I think you need to know more in order to protect your engine.  The dash is made of Lexan, it is one gauge thinner than what was on the car originally, so I might end up making another one either out of thicker Lexan or aluminum.

Notice there are no switches on the dash - I made a switch Module:

On the Citation this will be inside the side pods, I built the first one a little on the large side, I think I can go smaller.  This can be built off the car and can easily be disconnected from the car.

Of course the terminal strip I made is now being populated:

  

I made a single terminal to handle the power from the Master switch.

Next the pedals.

Motivation

July 28, 2013

Well the engine went in without any drama.  I placed block under the chassis so as I lowered the engine, if it fell if would land on the blocks before crushing all the push-rod tubes - I hoped.  As it was everything went well and the engine slid right int he first time.  The exhaust is just there to make sure I have the bolts in the

right way on the suspension so nothing hits.  I think I am going to use this one as it looks like it fits better than the one I had - although I might swap out collectors - this is a megaphone and the other is a 4 into 2 into 2 style.  Had to clean up the roll hoop braces but so far everything fit without shimming.  Nothing is tight, just snug, in case I have to take it apart again.....

Two steps forward - one step back

July 27, 2013

Okay - set a goal of putting the tranny in.  One hour later it was in and ready for the next step - no?

Ooops - first clue was the bolt for the tranny bracket was the wrong size - not problem - 

just find the right one.  

Next while tightening the lower transmission bolts, I did not like the grip length of some of them - then the shock, the bracket was cracked where it attaches to the trapezoid.  Now everything had to come back apart, the parts cleaned and ground down for welding.  My new cheap mig welder is going to get another workout.  

One and a half hours later, the tranny is going back in where it was before.

So what had happened?  Due to the bolt not being the right size and the grip length not being right on some bolts there was just enough movement in the assembly to flex and eventually crack the bracket.  The Citation is very well designed when everything is tight and fitted - when things get loose - everything suffers.

1. Make sure the bolts are the right size for all parts they pass through.

2. Make sure that the grip length for all bolts are correct - you should never bottom on the threads - you weaken the bolt and also do not develop the clamping force necessary to keep the parts from moving.

Now to clean up and prepare for engine installation.

Small Progress

Well got some work done this weekend - stripped the car down and prepared it for parts reassembly.

First was to make a new electrical terminal system.  I didn't have to but I am tired of having to unwire the whole dash to take it out - so I am going to make a connection for all the dash wires.  More as this develops.

Next was installing the front end - it came off easily but remember - the complete front end is HEAVY - should have stripped it before trying to move it over. 

I also got the log book and found out the original owner of the car was Bill Noble!  So hope to have the tranny and engine in next weekend and then decide what will be the first race this year. 

Next Step

 Okay - after 600 miles of driving her is the result:

Now after everything of importance is taken out - we clean the garage and put most back in the trailer because:

The next thing to do is a transplant - not as hard to do as you think as the engine is already out and would have to go back in and I have to change gearboxes anyway - but - whenever you work on someone else's car you find things that you would not do - so look forward to learning what I have to go through to put this back on the track.

Jeff Bower

SALISBURY— A crash at Lime Rock Park has claimed the life of a 70-year-old New York man .......Jeffrey Bower, 70, of Chester, N.Y., was fatally injured about 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Our belief is that the crash was caused when Jeff suffered a medical emergency.  Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful and the FV community lost one of our fellow competitors.  

From the blogs:

Jeff was a good man and a tough competitor. And a master bodywork man, too. His restoration of the D13 was remarkable. He was really proud of that car and gave Ann Marie and I the full story and rundown on it on Friday AM. It was hard to deal with his passing on Friday PM. It was even more difficult to race on Saturday especially during and after the Missing Man formation on the AM pace laps.  - Harry White

I took some solace without knowing Jeff that this was his passion as evidenced by his restoration of the D13.  - John Stofka

He was good Friend and a solid "car guy" that I will miss every day. He loved that D13 and was really proud of how it turned out, he put the same kind of passion and effort into everything he did. He was an interesting guy for sure and like all good friendships we figured out a way to deal with each other, and it worked for twenty years. My life is better for that. - Bob Dowie

I remember last year when Jeff twisted his car very badly at the Glen and contacted me about my D13 as he loved those cars and mine was for sale. He decided to rebuild his I believe as he called me back and asked if I had any spare parts. I sent him a spare exhaust system for the cost of shipping because that's how the FV people are, someone (well many have helped me) and this was my chance to help someone and make a new friend. Jeff was a very nice guy on the phone but I never was able to meet him in person. Just remember that he was doing something we all share passion for. - Mark Filip

I feel blessed that I was able to talk to him twice on Friday. Tom and Nick Galuardi went out and got number 58s for the Vee drivers, and Mike Rand and Mike Brent asked for them also for the Fords and F500s. As Mike Rand put it, " We are all family " Dave Panas, a steward came up with the idea of putting the Vees out front with the missing man formation for the first pace lap, and at the start of the second pace lap, the Vees split apart, and the CFFs and F500s went up the middle, and took their qualifying spots. It all worked very well, and I was very moved by the workers all being trackside with their hats off, and hands over their hearts. Thanks to all of your for the gesture of respect.  - Bruce Rodman

Sorry to here the passing of Jeff Bower, He was a good man, always willing to lend a hand when needed. My condolences to his family and friends.  RIP Jeff, you will be missed. - Roger Siebenaler , FV-72

Jeff will be missed. The missing man formation lap was extremely emotional for me as we circulated slowly around the track.
It was a great trubute to Jeff to see all the workers and Stewards pay their respect and salute Jeff.
Thank you to the F500 and CFF guys for putting on Jeffs "58". - Tom Galuardi

I was not at the race, but did race with him over the 20 odd years he was involved.  Looking at the picture of the car and hearing the effort he put into it - he wanted to make it perfect.  I will add to this post if I learn more.

Godspeed Jeff

What's Happening

Well time to bring people up to date as to what is going on with CZRacing.

The car has moved out from the shadows, the bodywork has begun and the engine has been sent to the rebuilder (Dave Carr/Autowerks).  The only big problem is the fuel cell:

When I took it out it was empty and parts of it were so brittle that they broke off.  The cell is 22 years old and is done for, so I investigated new fuel cells - I have prices from $600 - $1000 for a replacement, so I am looking at buying a slider Citation (basically a kit) that is on the market.  That would solve several problems, one of which is, even though the car is the prototype for the current Citation, there are some differences that make this car a little unique.  Changing the parts over to a production chassis would solve these issues, but that does not mean we have seen the last of this car - yet.

More to come.