June 12, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011

[jayb]

Just a quick update this week.  I had hoped to get the chassis all cleaned up and painted, and the suspension installed this week, in preparation for getting the car painted next weekend.  However, as I got going on that work I decided to make a minor change to the front fender mounting bracketry, so that ate up some time during the weekend.  As I got going on getting the chassis cleaned up on Saturday morning I realized that I had forgotten some detail work that needed to be done, such as reinforcing the sheet metal around the hood hinge mounts and putting a metal patch on the firewall to closely fit the new Wilwood master cylinders.  Plus there was still some finish welding to do around the large patch that I'd put in the firewall, some TIG welding to finish up on the front frame tubes, adding a reinforcement to the upper strut mounting plate, etc.  I also had to remove the engine and transmission of access to all this stuff, which was no big deal, but took extra time.

It takes no time to write this down, but it took me most of the weekend to get it accomplished.  At 6:00 PM tonight I was all ready to start scraping off the undercoating and starting to paint, but found that I was out of the DX-330 wax and grease removed that I needed to take off the undercoating with!  So, after all that work this weekend I still didn't even get to put some black paint on the engine compartment.

Based on how long it took me to get all this stuff done this weekend, I think that it will probably be next weekend before the suspension is in the car and it is mobile enough to get pushed into the booth.  Right now it looks doubtful that I'll paint the car on Father's day, probably more like the weekend after.

I'm still really concerned about how far behind schedule I am on the car, but I'm trying not to worry about it too much until I find out from the Hot Rod guys whether or not I can even run the car in the class I want this year.  Power Tour is over now, so hopefully I will get an answer from them this week.  I'll post another update next week, hopefully with some pictures of the car resting on the suspension and ready to go into the paint booth.

[Qikbbstang]

Can obviously get messy with dust but nothing removes undercoating like a grinder and a cupped and flat wire wheel the  7/9"  are overkill. The smaller 4-1/2" grinders are a bunch more controllable and great for getting in close areas and still go through undercoating like butter.  I had a opportunity to upgrade my 4-1/2" DeWalt to a Milwaukee finding the later at a bargain from a garage sale. The Milwaukee is way smoother and has way more power and worth the difference in $.
           On a related not a friend told me he had an irritation on his arm and was probling at it.........Turned out to be a wire wheel wire that he'd shot into himself a month or so before and did not know it went in

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=milwaukee+tools+grinder+4-1%2F2%22&_sacat=0&_odkw=milwaukee+tools+grinder&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

[jayb]

Thanks for the tip BB, I've got one of those wheels and will try it out.  But I'm pretty sure it will still leave a residue that will keep the paint from sticking, so I'll have to get after it with the wax and grease remover anyway.

[machoneman]

So.........is the back up plan for the rent-a-racer still operative?

[jayb]

Yep, but the longer it takes me to find out the decision from Hot Rod, the more my options shrink.  Right now going back with the Galaxie is looking more attractive than starting with another car, unless the other car is pretty much ready to take the engine/trans combination.

[Qikbbstang]

Yes Jay the wire wheels remove 99.99% of the sound deadner in seconds and even the paint under that if you go slower.  For sure a solvent/acid wash is required to prep for primer/paint. Just be warned wheels literally spray the sound deadner and dirt off the wheel it cuts it so fast.
   Can't believe the "Hot Rod Drag Week crew is leaving you out to dry like this!"

[plovett]

Jay, if you have to change plans again and use the Galaxie my opinion is that you should get radical on the weight loss program for it.   The plastic seats and lexan windows are great ideas.   What else could you do?  Super light wheels with super skinnies up front.  "Swiss Cheesing" metal parts all over the car.  Is everything that can be fiberglass, fiberglass?  Like bumpers?  Remove anything unnecessary.   Rear seats, sun visors, window crank mechanisms, headliner, etc.  You don't have power steering and brakes on it do you?  Certainly not a big heavy A/C compressor?

It will probably make your week considerably more uncomfortable, but that's all the more glory!    

JMO,

paulie

[jayb]

Great news today from Hot Rod!  They have posted an updated version of the Drag Week rules, and removed the prohibition against non-stock strut front suspensions in the Modified class   My Shelby clone is good to go for Drag Week...

[WConley]

Woo-hoo!    I was telling my buddy Rodger today about how sweet that car is going to be! 

It's nice to have friends who make the rules LOL!

[machoneman]

Hey, way cool! Good luck on getting it ready now...gotta call out your troop of pals to help get it done.

[Cyclone03]

Yes!Yes!

That's great news.
Go Get 'em Jay!

[plovett]

Congrat's Jay!

I'm glad to hear that it worked out in your favor. 

It was still fun hemming and hawing about what to do if it turned out that you couldn't use the Shelby Mustang.   

paulie

[Kerry j]

Great news Jay, has to be a relief after all the thrashing you're been doing to get the Shelby ready to rumble!