Blair warned me about keeping tires on it, but I guess that's a problem I'd like to have! 

Throw caution to the wind.  Time to make friends with the local tire guy :-)

Jay--

Wondering if you happened to make a drawing of your hitch on the Galaxie, I'd like to pull a small camper with mine and I'm coming up zero on the commercial product front.  I've got a talented welder that will fab one up for me if you've got a hint or two...

Thanks,
Chad

Maybe fiddle with the PCV choice to pull a bit more crankcase vacuum?

Thanks for the update.  I'm quite curious to see how temperature cycling, crankcase moisture, and oil pH will affect them over time.  Will you be running crankcase vacuum on this engine, or just a simple PCV/breather setup?

Disclaimer:  I'm an information security professional at $DAYJOB.  A separate computer can certainly be worthwhile to use exclusively for sensitive transactions, though I'd add at least one element:  a separate email account used only for secure transactions, that will never be used to originate email.  Something like a dropbox; an account vendors can use reach you if they need to send a notification, but nothing you'll ever exchange messages with.  Since email accounts are pretty much free, feel free to segregate your online persona, as the compromise of one account will limit damage potential to services linked to that account.

The 'leaving it unplugged all the time except when in use' part can backfire, as most modern operating systems require the ability to call home to mama, or they stop working.  They expect to be able to get updates and do other maintenance for the operating system and other crapware that they load on the machine before you buy it.

Another option is a 'live CD/DVD'.  Download the .iso (disk image), burn it to media (CD or DVD), and boot off it.  Basically, it's an operating system that is run completely from a CD or DVD, that writes NO files to the hard drive, and cannot be modified, as the media is read-only.  If you absolutely need to, you can use a thumb drive to store temporary files, but this increases your risk slightly.  In layman's terms, it permits you use a second (or as many as you like) operating system on the computer you already own.  It is considerably slower because CD/DVD reader speeds are much slower than a hard drive.  If you have a relatively modern machine (<=3 years old) they generally run well if you have sufficient patience.  Older hardware may require a 'lightweight' distro.  If you really like the new operating system after you try it, many have the option of permanent installation on the same computer if you have sufficient hard drive space.

The 'live CD/DVD' and private email account(s) is most definitely my preference from a security standpoint.  Here's the live distro that I prefer:  http://www.debian.org/CD/live/  Give it a try, and if you need help, drop me a line if you have trouble addressing it by reading the FAQ:  http://www.debian.org/CD/faq/

About the only choice I'd recommend against for secure online communication is your cell phone.  Security on Android (and Apple too) is abysmal, and you're at the mercy of any software developer that has software on your phone/device.

**edit:  Just a note that the 'live' distro mentioned above is free, as in speech and beer.

Chad,
 No worries here. Its going to take a whole lot more than that to insult me. lol I'm all ears. I've never heard of PI but looking at the links you posted I still don't see anything that's more than 1000hz unless I missed it.

What are the issues with your friends clutch? What clutch is he running?

Pi Research is now Cosworth, news to me!  Here's one that I thought was on that page... obviously I wasn't paying attention:

http://www.cosworth.com/products/motorsport/data-loggers/sigma-lightweight-systems/

Cousin has this ECU, modded a bit by Menard Racing:

http://www.cosworth.com/products/motorsport/control-systems/engine-control-units/pectel-sq6m/

There's also an external data logger of provenance unknown to me (guessing Pi also) that interfaces with the ECU.

The clutch is a 'hybrid' to put it politely.  Car is a tube framed Opel, engine is a General Mayhem Ecoblecch, with a lightened aluminum SBC flywheel, Ram 8 inch billet clutch, DNE 5 speed, Dana 60 (5.13/spool) rear.  I'll probably burn in hell for mentioning all that on this board... apologies for the hijack, folks.

Hey Chad,
 Here's a link to Autometer's new Data loggers and their best system "Pro System" is only 500hz which is half of what the RacePak is and they are also using the CAN bus system.
http://autometer.com/datasystems.aspx

I'm replacing this http://autometer.com/cat_data_tachdetail.aspx?pid=10 with the RacePak system and I've used it for about 10 years with a two magnetic collar and its only 100hz so I think the RacePak with a 1000Hz and an 8 mag collar should be a whole lot better.

Like Jay mentioned. 90% of what I'm looking at is in the first second of the run and the rest is at the gear changes which all take place in the first half of the track. After that the clutch is locked up and we're just on cruise control from that point on.

If the Racepak or whatever satisfies your requirements and is at an acceptable price, then by all means use it.  I was just trying to explain how you could be limited.  Certainly my own bias was revealed, my apologies if you were insulted.  I think you might have missed where I said 'It does offer a nice one stop shopping package, though, and may be quite appropriate for your application.'

Racepak may work fine... or Autometer, or any other brand.  My main gripe with Racepak is how they are advertised as being the latestgreatestomfgdatawhutsit when they are not, and that the price tag is quite shocking for what you get.  Personally if the price tag is going to be that high, I'd start with Pi http://www.veracitydata.com/NewFiles/PiProductLine.html, but the packaging and setup may not be in line with what you expect.  Perhaps piece your own together from parts at http://www.mccdaq.com/, but I'm guessing you want a packaged solution.  Innovate also offers excellent products.  Many product similarities exist between brands, simply because they're often rebranded reference designs at extremely different price points, just like many other electronic products.

Personally, I find the resolution of Racepak to be wanting, but I'm pretty damned picky, and accustomed to doing data analysis in the >=12 bit range, and 10KHz/channel and higher sampling rate.  Seeing the rise and fall (and rate of change) of sensor values from nominal to maximum is useful to me.  Knowing the event period and scale is an important part of deciding how to measure.  High resolution does make data storage and transmission path considerations a part of the package, some el cheapo off the shelf stuff simply doesn't play along.  The principle I live by is that you can always mathematically smooth or compress a data set, but you can't just 'imagine' where dips, spikes, or frequency changes may exist; you must measure them.

For example, my cousin and I are trying to sort the clutch on his 9000 RPM bracket car.  The eight magnet driveshaft collar wasn't enough, so we're changing the sensor to a 60 tooth trigger wheel and moving it to the input shaft, to give us a better picture of the relationship between the flywheel and the input shaft when the clutch is released at the line.  His 'box' (a used Pi Indycar piece from Menard) is quite capable of handling the data stream, where a Racepak would not.  It's overkill, but the parts were on hand and offered the necessary resolution.