Lotus 7 D mod. - Page 8 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

t walgamuth · #**106** 08-16-2015, 09:02 PM

Here is the second finishing Lotus Elan of Mark Huffman. I am in serious envy of his aero front splitter and rear spoiler. He was super fast in the slaloms.

t walgamuth · #**107** 08-17-2015, 04:40 PM

On Friday when we walked the course Jeff decided we needed a taller gear in the rear end. We had a 7.95 in it. So we changed it in the morning to the 7.56. When Denise ran she still was hitting the rev limiter at the very fast finish. So we changed it to the 7.26 gear. Jeff and I both hit the rev limiter even with that gear which means we were around 80 mph. On Saturday they revised the course drastically. After walking it we changed back to the original 7.95 gear. Perfection. Was it enough to make up the difference between first and second? Maybe not, but it definitely helped.

t walgamuth · #**108** 08-18-2015, 08:37 PM

Got the broken bracket welded, and the connection reinforced and additional welding around the previously not welded in place bushings. Cool!

We also discussed things needing decisions on the Studebaker Coupe express.

t walgamuth · #**109** 08-22-2015, 05:37 AM

I'm off to Grissom today for a test and tune.

I Bought a new steering wheel with a thicker rim, 1" larger diameter and a little more dish. The purpose is to see if I can get more comfortable in the car. I have found myself straining in the car, using the steering wheel to hold on while cornering.

Mike D · #**110** 08-22-2015, 06:00 PM

Well?

t walgamuth · #**111** 08-22-2015, 06:51 PM

The steering wheel was a success I think. I was very competitive with another D mod from Ohio who has been significantly faster than I in other events.

I made four runs, each progressively faster until the next to the last when I lost a tenth. I had a fifth run going, and it felt like a fast one but I spun out on the prison turn and the car went into limp home mode when I restarted it.

I had to be heading home by 100 pm for a 330 funeral so I looked a the clock and loaded up after that and came home. My lovely looking Harbor freight aluminum floor jack stopped working so I'll have to return that POS.

Otherwise the car ran fine and handled great. I'll be looking at a wrap around seat for next year though, and I will want to do some aero over the winter too.

I need a place to practice slaloms so I can get my car placement closer.

sloride · #**112** 08-22-2015, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Here is the second finishing Lotus Elan of Mark Huffman. I am in serious envy of his aero front splitter and rear spoiler. He was super fast in the slaloms.

Are people in auto cross now showing up with three vehicles to compete with?
From what I remember there is no purse or very little if any. My very little knowledge goes back to the late 70s early 80s.

t walgamuth · #**113** 08-22-2015, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sloride

Are people in auto cross now showing up with three vehicles to compete with?
From what I remember there is no purse or very little if any. My very little knowledge goes back to the late 70s early 80s.

Not that I am aware of. No purse, but at big meets if you win or place second you can win tires which are worth quite a bit. It is strictly amateur racing. Folks spend a lot of money on it but you don't have to.

My car cost less than most sports cars bought new and I can run it for a good while and sell for about what I paid for it most likely, the trailer too. This has been true of most of my autocross cars. My costs include the fuel to tow to the venues, repairs to the race car, tires and cost of improvements if I do them.

If I bought pretty much any sort of car new every two or three years it would cost me more than racing probably.

sloride · #**114** 08-27-2015, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

The steering wheel was a success I think. I was very competitive with another D mod from Ohio who has been significantly faster than I in other events.

I made four runs, each progressively faster until the next to the last when I lost a tenth. I had a fifth run going, and it felt like a fast one but I spun out on the prison turn and the car went into limp home mode when I restarted it.

I had to be heading home by 100 pm for a 330 funeral so I looked a the clock and loaded up after that and came home. My lovely looking Harbor freight aluminum floor jack stopped working so I'll have to return that POS.

Otherwise the car ran fine and handled great. I'll be looking at a wrap around seat for next year though, and I will want to do some aero over the winter too.

I need a place to practice slaloms so I can get my car placement closer.

FYI There is Art In Motion this weekend in South Bend IN. at the Tire Rack track. It is not likely that there is D Mod competition but who knows. It is held on the proving grounds of the Tire Rack so should be much better than a parking lot competition. For more information go to motorsportreg.com no idea if you are allowed to practice slaloms or not.

t walgamuth · #**115** 08-27-2015, 06:51 AM

Thanks for the heads up. their track is great (its asphalt) but not any better than an airplane parking area where we run often. It is where the South Bend region of SCCA has their autocross events. I have run there many times. It is a favorite of mine because they nearly always have a 3/4 lap of the skid pad as a part of the course and you can get into a four wheel drift there if your car will do it.

I'll be running a test and tune at Grissom Saturday put on by the Fort Wayne region of SCCA and then competing on Sunday in their event there. All the really hot shoes like running on the concrete because the nationals are held on concrete in Lincoln Nebraska. I'll be going there for the first time in a couple of weeks.

My car might win in the hands of the previous owner who is an 8 time national champion. If I drive the best I ever have I might be able to snag a trophy which would mean top five or six depending on how many competitors show up.

t walgamuth · #**116** 08-28-2015, 10:03 AM

I just checked and there are 29 drivers entered in DM for nationals. It appears there are a bunch of new cars in the class. Looks like there will be trophies for the first 8 finishers. I don't know if it means I have a better chance or not. I suspect it might.

t walgamuth · #**117** 08-29-2015, 08:18 PM

Today the alternator fell off, taking the oil pump belt with it. The engine did not hammer but ran a good while with no op I am pretty sure. Seconds at least.
The alternator is mounted on an adaptor with two bolts, the adaptor bolts into the block with two bolts that were there originaly for some other purpose. One turns out is stripped in the aluminum block, the other backed out. there is a third bolt on the alternator that has a homemade bracket from it to a bolt in the block which is broken off about 1/4" down from the surface of the block. The PO says that one has been broken over a year. (heh heh!).
so I have a bolt hole in the block which is hard to get at that needs new threads. Another one which has the broken bolt to get out and replace, and the bracket possibly redesigned so that it will have a second bolt used to secure it.

Mike D · #**118** 08-31-2015, 08:44 AM

Ahhh, the "joys" of racing your own car.

I remember spending all week going over my car, repairing, adjusting, triple checking everything, double checking my triple check and then have some oddball failure during the second or third run knock me out of the running.

Back on the trailer, back to the shop and back under the hood. Somehow I managed to convince myself it was "fun" and relaxing.

I still miss it, sometimes.

t walgamuth · #**119** 08-31-2015, 10:30 AM

This car has been pretty trouble free for the most part. Honeymoon period I guess.

t walgamuth · #**120** 08-31-2015, 10:49 AM

On Saturday while I was practicing with my D mod Lotus I kept noticing the Formula Ford of two time national champion Brandon Lavendar parked nearby. It looked all hunkered down and had that look of an F 16 fighter from the back where the large flat tail dominated the appearance.

I have to admit the allure of the Formula car is strong. I love my Lotus's rocketlike acceleration but the aesthetic of it just does not compare to the needle nosed FF.

When I strapped into that Reynard I was mentally channeling Michael Andretti exploding out of the pits at Indy!