When I drive this car there is little room for me. I could not fit in with my coat on at all, so I wore a long sleeve shirt and my thermal vest.

Getting back in the swing of getting all the five point belts fastened , was a bit of a challenge after the months long layoff for winter. The trick is to not sit on any of them getting in and remembering to loosen the shoulder straps before unhooking them. I cannot have anything in my pockets either.

My shoes which I had modified the pedals to clear last season were catching a bit on the edges. I had them resoled last fall and they added new wearing surface on the bottom, so I'll have to take that and get the bottom edges chamfered a bit. As for steering the car, the steering is a bit too slow and requires more turning than wanted. I found myself hitting a cone because my elbow was catching on a frame tube on the left. I remember now that I had to shuffle my hands to get it over and back.

I may see how much it would cost to reduce the turns needed. My Lotus had one turn lock to lock but used electric assist. This Van Dieman has 2.2 or so turns.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Cool .

I try to get folks to chalk their tires for better traction on any tire, it helps make your daily plodder a better, more fun and safe driver .

The Norton guys were all very nice, this car doesn't smoke atall even when I romp on it a little bit .

It looses fuel out the filler cap on hard left turns dammit ~ I've replaced the cap and use a blue silicone gasket.....

I wonder if the sealing surface is distorted ? .

? How much does your race car weigh ? .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

bout 900# without me.

How do chalked tires help? What is meant by chalking?

Check your big rubber hose connecting the filler to the tank.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Chalking or painting is the process of making a stripe across the tread and driving it a bit stop and look where the chalk / paint wears through first :

In the middle ? too much pressure .

On the outer edges ? too little air .

This method can be used to find tune the traction of anything, not just fancy high end racers .

Only 900# plus driver, that must be very fun to drive .

The W123's fuel tank has a solid welded on filler neck, no hose .

I tried to remove it nut the junkyard guy insisted his yard ape do it, that guy was nice but clueless and yanked the crap out of the tank, pulling the inner, left edge whilst bending the filler neck on the right edge by a good 2" .

This was the only junkyard I found that didn't punch big holes in every tank....

Most oldies go to the crusher with the fuel tank still in , maybe I should find someone local breaking a 300D, I wanted the 22 gallon tank on my 240D instead of the 18 gallon original one .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

It is a gas to drive.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I sold off the extra trailer I bought to facilitate delivery of the race car from Oregon yesterday. Woooo hooo!

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I have been looking forward to running in Columbus In on the 28th and 29th March. I see now it has been cancelled.

Drat! I am getting stir crazy.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Well ;

They're telling us we should still go out and get fresh air and so on, why not just take a drive ? .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

yeah, good idea.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

....Just don't be like the stupids in Los Angeles who discovered largely empty freeways and decided to run at 100 + MPH.....

It's raining here so many of them wound up crashing, a few died .

Los Angles is the only place I've ever been where it's normal to speed up in the rain..... .

Even the dolts in Centro - America who drove like maniacs on bald tires slowed down in the rain .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Looks like an event is scheduled for April 19, 25 and 26. Not cancelled....yet. Today I brought the FF inside to change the tires, and the oil. I hope to find a better place for my battery too.

I'm also itching to paint a wavey stripe of bright orange on the sides and nose.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

If in IN I doubt that will happen. The Governor today added two weeks to the lock-down order.

Look at section 7c. Outdoor activity is permitted with social distancing. Still may be cancelled though.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Today I put the slicks back on the car and re-arranged a few clamps and hoses a bit to suit my sense of order. It will make changing the oil easier.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Is that April 19th event happening?