Dear friends
I am pleased as punch to have been invited with Don Long and pals to participate in the filming and photo shoot for the launch of the Shelby Super Snake
I spoke with The Snake Thursday and this is going to be fun. The people who did the movie and Rodders Journal are renting a famous track, soon, and a lot of guys who helped on the car were invited. Snake can still fit in to the very firesuit we saw him wearing at the local tracks, back when. He says it is,,,a bit tight,,,hilarious.
The car was finished by Don himself, I got pictures of him sliding the engine in, then out, to trim the candlestick 030, then a re fit. He told me, 'You know, it took a while because it was a lot like building a new car'. ' 'We had to figure it all out again and make it perfect'.
So people used to think the Snake was mostly a driver, and focused on winning and sponsors. The truth is, and he and many have been remembering this, he knew every single piece on every car he ever ran, knew how the car was tuned, assembled and it was all to his specs, or inside his data base. He said to friends and me;'I didn't win all of those championships by just staying behind the motorplate' ' I had my hands on all of it'. And he is an excellent builder, wrench and tuner. Of course he employed many great crew men, but he could do the job of any crew guy he had, so on this car, he just did a bunch of it himself.
He went on to say; 'This project took much much more time and money that I expected' 'We spent about an extra year', and ''a lot of money for the engine''. We laughed as he said; 'I am still feeling that cost'
But he also suggested that our collection consider acquiring it, and, I will try my best to see if this is possible.
So he ran the car at his big, pretty shop recently. I had to discuss the settings which I will share a few of.
The hat(Bugcatcher) has the side hoses that went to the shower head nozzles and also the plate, below the injector, with hoses on both side
So some guys are going to think, wait, 2 shower heads equals 8 jets, 4 per line, AND??? 8 more nozzles under the hat, 4 per side, AND??? 8 port nozzles down in the intake? he ran 24 nozzles?
Now for the guys who run a lot of mechanical fuel injection you would ask a question, if you know nitro tuning. How can that pump feed 24 nozzles? So you look at the pump, and see a HILBORN. So if you recall, you know, in 67, they only had the Dash 2 Nitro pump, at about 12 Gallons per, then, the awesome Dash 4, that was/is 16 plus gallons per minute. That -4 won and won hundreds of AAFC and AA/FD races, and then won in Nostalgia, for another 20 years
You can go over 250 and ET in the 590 600 range with one....but everybody only runs 16 nozzles, 8 above the blower, and 8 in the intake, below the blower.
Well here is the solution to this puzzle,,,,and the head scratcher.... I ask DON, who did his own jetting ! Awesome !
Don,? How are you getting away with a Dash4 and 24 jets? He does that chuckle, chuckle ha, ha thing, and you can kind of hear him with that big grin of his....he says " I left the shower heads in, and the hoses on, to look correct, but, we stopped running the shower heads and left them in there, disconnected, and ran the hat nozles in the plate only' We did run 16 nozzles and went faster, but we just left the hoses and shower heads for fun'' I laughed too hard,,,and said ; 'Uh huh, just to mess with people' 'Blow some minds a little' He starts laughing agin...
HE says; '' They were used, and fast, but then made in to a dummy system,disconnected. For others to ponder. Kind of get inside other peoples heads I think. Some things never change!
But back then an old pal, the legendary Jim Brissette, did the same thing all the time. He had about 48 hoses all over the place, just to mess peoples mind up. Racers did tricks to fake the others out some times. This might hand you a win by getting them to chase their tail . Let them waste time and money trying some wild set up. Kind of like SPY, COUNTERSPY or something..ha ha
Jenkins had similar tricks.
.hahahaa
I will try to get ya all some pictures, I hate doing photos, it distracts you from working and thinking, and learning how the car is, and what she wants. However, I will try
Plan is ,,burnouts and a lot of film then staging her, and he is going to hit it
Man, I wish every FE forum guy I have met could be there, even the few,,,,special guys...LOL
I will have friends there,but maybe they can get us some video.
If not, I will share what goes on
This is a really rewarding thing for me and some friends. Seeing, feeling and hearing a blown fuel FE is a special thing for some of us.
I was given a few new Crew Shirts, Long said I earned them, but seriously, all you FE builders were a key motivation to help see more fast FE's get back on line.
This dude is gonna pound the ground, wake the dead, smoke the hides Ford style, get up on the tire and haul (m)ass !!
Only down side so far is,,,,the track is predicitng 106 degrees.....well,,,,I am predicting around 1500 degrees,,,,,out the headers !
The MAGNETO is set safe, only 40 degrees locked out. The blower is cranked up though !!
YEEEEE HAAAAAAAAA Load he up for bear !
Thanks
Tom and the gang
Bringing 2 friends '
The Magazine will tell the story
Iwill try to get sound and video
So cool !! Well, to some of us I suppose
Hey JAY, hop a plane, you can be my guest ! catered gourmet food, all that Snake style stuff !
This is a quiet, private thing, hope I aint getting in trouble,,,LOL Wouldn't be the first time !! ha ha. Wht's tough is I always mean well ! LOL At times, no good deed can go un punsihed..ha ha so sorry ! (Jokes)
Fire in the Hole !
The Super Snake is alive and well....and loud as Hell !
See ya soon
Stoked !
