* Let's have a test and tune day in So. Cal.

[400Eric]

It's not too early to start planning for the next date!

May: 10
Jun: 28
Jul: 5, 26
Aug: 2, 23
Sep: 20
Oct: 4
Nov: 1
Dec: 6, 13

I have a plan for dealing with Lady Dog that day, I am very determined to go. Justin seems confident that he'll have his wagon engine swap done by then, and his brother now has a S420 that has a decent chance for making it as well. (That should be a good match-up for B5!)

So we have a hodge-podge of 3 MBs: a wagon, an old M103 300E, and a S420. Not ONE 500E in ALL of So. Cal.? Really?

We now have some 400E/E420s on this site as well. None of them available either? Really?

Dave, Glen, I've always been very confident that the "resistor mod" works well for pre-90 M103s, but have always doubted it's usefulness on 90 and later M103s. Since I now have a post-90 M103, I intend to do some back to back dragstrip testing! Finally! Some dragstrip testing on the resistor mod! I will update the "zombie thread" on PeachParts with my results so we don't open that can of worms here. I just wanted to give you two a heads up. Is there anybody else here on this site who cares about this subject? (I will of course update this thread with a Rock & Roll Race Report.)

Seriously, we need to make this date! The weather in May is usually pretty decent. The next date is at the end of June, I guarantee you it will be bunk-ass-hot by then! That means that this May date is our last chance!

 

[400Eric]

Sauceman, the kids will not be coming with me this time. There's some train day thing that they want to go to that day. Is your GF going to be able to go that day? Your brother is going for sure, correct?

What's up with Stevo? Where's our Stevo?

Less than a week to go!

 

[J-Sauce]

What? No. None of this has been confirmed, and my brother is out as we didnt get to work on his car this weekend. I don't think the wagon will be done either as its going to take a few extra parts I did not have on hand.

 

[400Eric]

Well bring the Titan then.......

 

[400Eric]

The Sauceman has informed me that he and his gang are out.

Lady Dog's current condition dictates that I bring her with me, but I can't do that unless somebody can stay with her while I'm in the staging lanes.

 

[gerryvz]

***facepalm***


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[400Eric]

I went ahead and went. As I said, I was VERY determined to go to this date, as the remaining dates are probably going to be bunk-ass-hot. At least until October. They need to bring the twilight dates back! I'm not going to a Summer date unless they do!

I rigged up a very elaborate bed area for Lady, one that should have served her well in my absence. It didn't. I rushed home to find her in another bad mess and miserable. For her remaining days, I am not going to do that to her again!

You goofballs missed a stellar day! Nice, decent conditions, as the heat wave that we are currently suffering through hadn't started yet. For once things worked out! And low turn-out! I got 19 runs in, which I'm sure is a record for me at any track going all the way back to 1978!

A 500 showed up! Too bad it was a Fiat 500, not a 500E. It was one of those turbo ABARTH models. We ran and I beat him by a half second. Today's going to be a great day! I felt bad for him though so I gave him a few tips and pointers. He heeded my advice and proceeded to spank me on the next two runs! Arrrgh! He then called it a day and I was left trolling the pits again.

It's getting increasingly difficult to find a fellow 16 second car to race with at the track. Not many people left bothering with cars that are that slow. Not many cars left that are that slow either. I trolled the pits forever after the Fiat left and ended up with a V6 Altima coupe that spanked me three times in a row with high 15s despite my vastly superior reaction times. The races were fairly close though which is what I was after when I invited him to join me. I figured he'd be able to spank me. I was right! It's better than being beaten by 12 second cars though! Being able to run with a 4 valve 3.5 liter is at least a moral victory for B5 though.

The strange thing is that my M103 cars actually hold their own quite well in daily driving, where everything is generally from a roll. It's just getting out of the hole quickly at the drags where they come up short, because of their lack of low-end torque.

Got a best of 16.299 @ 87.69 out of B5, which ain't bad when you consider that I've hardly done anything yet to this car. I haven't even checked the air filter yet! At this stage of development, B1 was only able to muster a 16.9, and that was with a clean air filter! Even after the mods, the best B1 has mustered at this track in Fontana is a 15.95 @ 87.27! (The ET in the sig was attained at Pomona.) Interesting how unmodded, B5 is already beating B1's modded MPH! (In similar conditions.) So we are definitely off to a good start here with the new guy.

B5 has the disadvantages of having the taller 2.87 gears (vs. B1's 3.07s) and taller than stock tires (even taller than B1's taller than stock tires). B5 is also spinning a smog pump that B1 doesn't have to spin. On the flip side though, B5 has less than half the miles that B1 has. We are talking more than 100,000 fewer miles! Even on the mighty M103 W124, that has to count for something!

Those who know me well will tell you that I would never use the words "cool" and "Honda" in the same sentence. Stand back cause that's about to change! After the V6 Altima coupe left I was left to racing whatever I ended up with in the lanes. There was a cool late-80s-ish naturally aspirated 4 dr Honda Civic that ran a 14.057 against me. Car was running a functioning STOCK exhaust tip! No fart can! That's cool!

Above all else though this day was about testing "the resistor mod". The only folks here on this site who care about it already know where the discussion on this topic is occurring on the Peachy site.

Regards,
Eric

 

[400Eric]

Long term forecast is calling for mid-80s a week from today, which ain't half bad. Surprisingly decent in fact for this time of year in the knappy I.E. The Sauceman and I are thinking about going. This is absolutely our last chance to go until October. Come-on! Let's put something together!

 

[400Eric]

It sure gets quiet around here when I start trying to put together a track day. I can talk about anything else under the sun and this thread starts jumping. No wonder it gets off track so often! Nobody wants to go racing! Start talking about a track day and it becomes like a ghost town around here. Or more like a ghost thread actually!

Now they are saying that it is going to be 90. I'll still go if someone else is going, if not I won't. Sauceman, what is the latest on your end?

 

[gsxr]

Hey hey now. I wouldn't say nobody wants to go racing. We just spent two full days at the track, at the 37th Annual Fox Hunt, complete with Pro Mod cars (new record, 5.85 @ 252mph), BB/Funny cars (high 6's at 200+), and Jet cars (mid/low 6's at ~250mph).

Yes, that's a 500E in the staging lanes, right behind the Warhawk Jet Funny Car...

 

[400Eric]

I hope that jet car didn't roast yer paint!

So how's about coming to race out here?

 

[gsxr]

Fortunately they don't fire them up with anything behind them.

I was wondering when YOU were going to come up here to race in the tater fields! Come and try out our 2700' altitude!

 

[400Eric]

My best friend, the one who was going to move to Idaho, ended up moving to Bend, Oregon instead, which is still fairly close to you, relatively speaking. If and when we go up there to see him, we will make it a point to go see you as well. You can tolerate the presence of children, at least for a little while, correct?

 

[400Eric]

Are you there Dave? What happened to you? Where did you go?
I said: You can tolerate the presence of children, at least for a little while, correct?

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[gsxr]

Huh? Wha? Oh, yeah, sure! Just remember they're not allowed in the staging lanes unless they are at least 16 years old...

 

[400Eric]

Does anybody know what has happened to Stevo the Stevenator?

 

[400Eric]

Worth noting that a drag day came and went yesterday without so much as a peep from anybody here. It's OK I suppose as it was crazy hot and humid anyways, plus I was busy taking my dog to this new vet I found.

I'll ask again: Where's Stevo?!?

 

[Glen]

I'll ask again: Where's Stevo?!?

Steve left the board several months ago. See this thread: http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?5772-First-post-and-some-questions

 

[gerryvz]

Vookster is welcome to come back at any time. There was a period of about a year back in the 500Ecstasy days when I got pissed and didn't log in/participate either, because a member there (and here) gave me a lot of grief. Usually a cooling-off period takes care of the situation and the person comes back.

With Vookster's true love & passion for the E500E, I hope he does come back -- he is missed.

 

[400Eric]

Dallas says 88-90 for this Sat., our next date. Low humidity too. This sounds tolerable to me. Let's do this!

Sauceman, that C36 swap done yet? What's going on with the 500E?

Anybody else?

Do you all realize that the last time anybody from this site ('cept for me) made it to this track was January 2012? That's a shamefully long tiime! This track has been re-opened now for 6 months! You would think that almost losing this track for good would've made folks more prone to take advantage of the chance to run their cars if ever the opportunity presented itself again!

Now don't get me wrong, I still haven't changed my attitude about this track. I still feel it's knappy compared to the tracks I've raced at in the past, but it's still less knappy than no track at all!

Sauceman, call Casey!

 

[gerryvz]

Vookster is welcome to come back at any time. There was a period of about a year back in the 500Ecstasy days when I got pissed and didn't log in/participate either, because a member there (and here) gave me a lot of grief. Usually a cooling-off period takes care of the situation and the person comes back.

With Vookster's true love & passion for the E500E, I hope he does come back -- he is missed.

Eric, did you reach out to the Vookster?

 

[J-Sauce]

I cannot make this Saturday. The C36 swap is killing me as every time I think I'm almost done, something else needs to be redone. This time it's the water pump, I used a new gasket and sealant on the necessary bolts, but its still leaking at the block.

The 500 is totally out of the running until the wagon is running and I can take it out of DD duty long enough to completely overhaul the suspension. Have fun though, it sounds like a great day.

ps Friday is Casey's birthday and he is camping in the Grand Canyon national park all weekend.

 

[400Eric]

Can you please wish Casey a happy birthday for us? Either that or PM me his number so I can do it myself? Today is Lily's birthday! Talk about your living coincidences!

Can you also PM me Stevo's number?

Please keep in mind everybody that I ain't going by myself this time. SOMEBODY has to go with me!

Eric, did you reach out to the Vookster?

Not yet, but as you can see, I'm finally working on it. I wanted to have a track day to invite him to first. Then, while we're there, I can convey to him in person how everybody on the board has told me how much they miss him.

 

[400Eric]

True, but his governor can hold a bong hit longer.

For the record, my governor came out AGAINST the legalization of weed.

Sauceman, please, I need those phone numbers.

Everybody else: Track time is only two mornings away! Who's going?

 

[gerryvz]

For the record, my governor came out AGAINST the legalization of weed.

Well, personal experience does speak for something ....

Hey, our Governor just got indicted, yours can't say that !!!

 

[400Eric]

Um, that's a good thing?

Yeah, I know all about that. I just didn't want to rub it in.

I miss-counted the time in my post above. We have less than 24 hours to go before our next event. I literally can't go unless somebody joins me. I need somebody to hang-out with Lady dog while I'm in the stagging lanes!

 

[gerryvz]

It's a good thing because it's so ridiculous it's funny.

In the end it will end up helping his political career.

 

[400Eric]

So I take it you are not "into" Christy as your party's next presidential candidate?

If not it's too bad because he would have a better chance of winning the general than Perry would.


OK, the next date is Sept 20. Let's start planning NOW so that we can make this one happen! The weather by then should be decent.

Since we seem to be having some difficulty getting Casey to bring his Volvo back out for the Benzes to pick on, I'll bring one of MY Volvos out for Benzes to pick on! NOW can we get some Benzes to show up?

 

[400Eric]

Hey Uncle Gerry, I just remembered something about my governor that totally trumps anything and everything about your Governor, anything and everything he has ever done, and anything and everything he is into (cars, guns, etc).

Back when Linda Ronstadt was at her absolute peak of hotness, My Governor was servicing her. Top that!

 

[400Eric]

Oh, come-on now, don't tell me you all are scared of the Bolbo! No need to be. It's basically the same car as Spacey Casey's, 'cept it's 4 years older, has more miles on it, has a smaller turbo, a lower hp and torque rating, fewer mods (a LOT fewer), and has a 4 spd auto trans instead of a 5 spd stick. Should be cake for a Benz to spank.

OK, no biggie. I'm thinking to do an exhaust on B5, and then bringing him back to the track to document what, if any gains I obtained. I gained a full second when I did a ghetto exhaust on B1, but that was only because B1 had a much worse than stock cobb system that some despicable shop had cursed the poor car with sometime in it's past. It would be interesting to see what kind of gain I could get over a decent stock system. Stu Ritter's "Bible" tells us that there are no gains to be had, that the stock system is as good as it needs to be, AND I've been told the same thing by various folks on the net as well. I've heard that before and I ain't buying it. We'll see. If nothing else the weight loss will net me a gain. I just weighed B1's old resonator and even with EVERTHING stripped off of it (even the mount is cut off), it came in at 23 pounds on a crooked recycler's light scale! That's more than my 400E's resonator weighed!

It will all depend on if other folks are comming, and what they're bringing. If Saucer's ready to bring his C36 powered W124 wagon, I'll need to bring my turbo Volvo, so we can have some good, close racin'. If no one is coming, I might as well bring B5 with a new exhaust system. Still gotta figure out what to do about Lady dog though.

Why is it so hard to get folks to go racin'? I think I'll PM that new member who has the BMW 840i. BMW pilots are usually game. That should make for some fun racing!

 

[400Eric]

Stevo called me, and he's a "maybe" at this point for the 9/20 date.......

The 840 pilot's out for the Sept date, but a maybe for a future date! GSXR, please tell him how much fun he'll have!

 

[400Eric]

Saucer, how are you looking for 9/20/14? How's the wagon coming? I'm really curious what that is gonna run!