Straya Day

[LoBelly]

According to Winton's web-site there is an open practice day on Australia Day.

Brother and nephew are keen - so what the heck. Need to fire Old Smokey in anger.

But dropping the hammer just brings a lot of snap crackle and pop - a tune up is in order.

Shopping list:
CRC
Octane Boost
Condenser
Points
Coil
Diff Oil

Off to the local parts shop - everything is there except the points
Apparently there are basically two types/models and he has two of the other.

Next stop 500m down the road - none there either but the computer says the store in Frankston has 80 sets (!). Phone call is made to confirm - yup 80 sets.

20 mins later we roll into the store - parts guy is semi-retired parts guy formerly from the Morninton branch - next to where my brother used to work. As we approach the counter there are two small boxes in the middle of the counter.

Brother approaches '..we'll have 81 CS9000 points sets thanks...'
Parts Guy '..you can have 2'
Brother '..what are you doing with 80 sets - are you giving them away - you'll never move them'
Parts Guy (with broad grin) ' we've cornered the market - I reckon we'll do ok'
Brother 'Ok then how many do we want - 4? ...(looks over to me - nod) yeah 4 - how much are they?'
Parts Guy ' those 2 are $37.50'
Brother - apoplectic fit ' what!!! (turns to me) Jim's going to sharpen his pencil - (turns to Jim) Sharpen your pencil mate - they're just dirty old points - cost you $6 each'
Parts Guy ' I had to climb up on a ladder to get those'
Brother ' I'll climb it for you'
Me ' I only have $50 cash'
Parts Guy - smiles - wanders off to the side - comes back with 2 more boxes 'that'll be $48'

Thanks goodbyes etc.

Back home and the new bits are lovingly fitted - I get reminded about cleaning the contacts by watching the Bro clip the points onto his shirt and pull them off - Nephew is bewildered by the process and gets a bit more education.

Set the timing - check the float levels - back is down a bit.

give her a tickle - purrs smoothly then barks when asked.

time for the test drive- I'm to reprise my support role picking up the tools we left in the engine bay - back out of the drive and wait...

and wait

and wait ...... not looking good

the sidepipes fall silent (not sounding good)

roll back up to the Cobra

Brother 'Clutch is stuck in'
Ultimately the old master cylinder is refitted - success

During the preceeding week the kind people at Holley cave me the skinny on my obsolete 'Street Dominator' manifold (idle-5000rpm)

The car is running cleanly up to 5000 and is 'much stronger', the mods to muffle seem to have had some small effect and we hope for clement weather.

Anyone coming?


LoBelly

[REPTYL]

love to get up there mate. but I'll be doing the family thing.
Still haven't cleaned the car after the Winton 6 hour (too busy with the new job).

Let us know how you go.

[LoBelly]

...have more track sense than I had on my first open practice at Winton.

I think I got in everyones way - fluffed every 3-2 downshift (I could tell by the grinding)

and ended my first session with an off that resulted in me being surrounded by a cloud of dust that took several seconds to clear.

to add injury to insult I also boiled the engine.

I clearly hadn't had enough seat time to get the best (or anything really) out of the car and this was so obvious that my (apparently random) driving style was commented on by the sister in law.

I was there with my brother and nephew - nephew had his recently aquired 1977(? long nose short boot) Celica that he's transforming into a track car, I was sharing the Cobra. The sister in law was along too to see how her boys went and to make sure that sunscreen was applied. (30 degrees)

Apart from the self interest the idea is also to direct the nephews energy away from street antics.

After my go the brother went out - his wife put the mobile phone stopwatch on him a couple of times - he started at about 2:06 and later 2:01

Determined to tone it down and stay calm for the second outing - following the advice of the brother and Tony Cram I kept it 3rd most of the time moving up to 4th occasionally when I got a good run onto the straight.

The low down torque of the (probably) stock cam made driving the track in only a couple - or even only one - gear simple, this gave me time to concentrate on the other aspects of what I should be doing and consequently everything was a whole lot easier - enjoyed myself rather than fought my way round. Still not able to hold off the drift boys in their sleek machines but that's only temporary.

Got into the groove, got cocky, pushed too hard (same corner) whipped around so hard I felt quite disoriented - I'm told it looked quite elegant.
Retire with a few mins of the session to go.

Nephew comes in to discover the diff seals have blown so that the end of his day

Brother takes the next ride - sneaks under 2:00 then has an off - engine instantly boils sending coolant out from under the bonnet. Some goes under the windscreen onto him - he parks it inside the track and walks away till the session is over.

We decide that's it for now.

Had a great time, utterly exhausted - have some problems to solve.

Looking forward to next time.


Additional Edit.....
Since you're all so enthralled I thought I'd add some photos

The nephew and me heading out for the first session


This is me clawing my way through the pack..... I think the drift boys were waiting for a written invitation.


As you can see its pretty dry up there

ta

LoBelly