77 replies to this topic

[chris haldeman]

Could have borrowed mine

[chris haldeman]

Didn't even think too mention it 😔

[tLinder]

Could have borrowed mine

Another oops 

[Johnny D]

Plasma Cutter.
 
next time

FYI, there's one in beautiful downtown Plano.
https://www.sunbeltr...plasma-cutters/
 
J~

[Tom Hampton]

Could have borrowed mine

I don't think I knew you had one. :-)

Another oops 

Its been one of those years. :-|

[Tom Hampton]

FYI, there's one in beautiful downtown Plano.
https://www.sunbeltr...plasma-cutters/
 
J~

Thanks for the link, J~. Looks like I might go rent one tomorrow morning, and get this part over with.  I tried for a little while last night with the power tools without much improvement.  But, knowing I could rent one for a small amount of money....I kept looking at it, and thinking "this would be a lot easier with a plasma cutter."  So, I bailed on the power-tool approach pretty quickly and went on to other more productive tasks instead.

 

The old car is completely stripped of almost everything of value that isn't attached to the roller-skate (doors, front fenders, hood, headlight covers, front bumper, etc).  I've left the engine connected, in case I need to reposition the car in order to get the cage out.  I need to get the cage out by tomorrow evening to stay on track.  I've got a lot of things that I can't do until after the cage is out to finalize preparations for transferring to the new tub.

 

I expect the new tub to arrive Sunday or Monday night.  Obviously, that's going to take more than a week clean up and then put back together.  I haven't seen pix of the new tub, so I'm not certain how much cleanup/prep will be required before its really ready for "assembly".  Something more than "none".

[Johnny D]

Thought you were going to get Chris's ??

 

My post was more of a FYI for those reading the thread later of "Oh I can go rent one??"

 

But if you want to...

 

Are you getting the tub all striped down like one of Jim's Blog ?? super light, etc.

I guess the plasma cutter would come in handy for the tunnel/seat cut out too.

J~

[Tom Hampton]

Chris is in Houston this weekend for the SCCA Major's event.  I think I need to get it done before he's back from there.  I'm feeling pressed for time already.  Doing nothing for two days...seems like a bad idea.  Besides, at $40 / day its NBD. 
 
Trans tunnel notch is NBD with an angle grinder/cutoff wheel.  3 straight cuts and done, 2 minutes tops.  BTDT. 

Lightness is, of course, a goal.  It has to be on a 1.6L, right?  Most of the excess weight in Kermit (name of current car) was added by me during the initial build. I didn't realize how quickly stuff adds up.  I won't be putting that excess into the new car.

 

I'm not HAVING anyone strip the car for me.  It'll be whatever I have time/patience for while holding to the schedule goal of making it to Hallett on 11 June.  That's one of the reasons for the push to be done with the old tub, asap---To leave myself time to work on the new tub.  I certainly want to clean up/remove the junk/weight behind the dash, and in the trunk, and the various other places that the ounces turn into pounds.

[Johnny D]

Ok,
 
I'd make it the best you could and if you miss the date, you miss it, still a goal to shoot for.
Than
I'm going to do what I can and maybe cut some corners to make the date.
 
I'm not saying you're saying either here, just my opinion...
J~

[Tom Hampton]

Well, guess what? Apparently, I did turn on the cameras. So I have video of the crash. Here it is:



I still don't understand why it happened, but there it is. It's also interesting how your memory makes up details to fill in gaps.

[David L]

!

[MPR22]

Well, guess what? Apparently, I did turn on the cameras. So I have video of the crash. Here it is:

I still don't understand why it happened, but there it is. It's also interesting how your memory makes up details to fill in gaps.

From the video it appears you turned in early and knew you did and lifted, which sent the rear around. The tank slapper was a bad one.

If you find yourself turned in early at that corner straighten the wheel and track rt and gather the car as you ascend the hill. You had full left hand turn input when you lifted.

[Tom Hampton]

Thank. No one likes to hear that it's their own damn fault. But, that's more or less what I've assumed happened. It's hard to see in the data traces alone. I don't have a tps just a wot switch.

I'll be trying to sync the data and video next and see if that reveals what you suggest.

I also have rear camera video.

[surlynkid]

Too bad you don't live close. I have a miller cut mate 375 plasma cutter. You would have been welcome to use it.

[surlynkid]

Yes. Turned in early and then just the twitch of steering wheel to undo the early input but it was over when you turned in early with nowhere to go. You can hear the lift as Michael says. A lift in 7 or 12 is kiss of death. It looks like you were fidgeting with helmet, visor, face or something with your right hand on back straight. I would guess that distracted you just enough to not be on your A game at turn in. Sorry it all happened but glad you walked away unscathed.

[Rob Burgoon]

Car looks (looked) kinda loose.  Was it bottoming out too?

[Tom Hampton]

Car has always been loose... Er was always. I don't (didn't) run the rear bar in order to help. It wasn't any more loose than usual. I've driven much worse at tws before.

[Tom Hampton]

Cage is out. A friend from high school is a metal worker (big construction contractor). He offered to loan me his 1" plasma cutter.

I ended up having to cut the a pillars and along the base of the windshield. I broke the back of the windshield and was able to extract the cage whole. It will NOT go back that way.

[Rob Burgoon]

Car has always been loose... Er was always. I don't (didn't) run the rear bar in order to help. It wasn't any more loose than usual. I've driven much worse at tws before.

 

My 1.8 has always been annoyingly loose, but I'd guess that no rear sway would be way too pushy.  That's pretty odd that you were that loose with no rear sway.

 

If you watch the shift lights, it looks like you didn't lose rpm until the car was already going.

[Danny Steyn]

Tom, agree on the turning early, but you were doing something with your belts or helmet, or maybe picing your nose before you turned in. What was that? Never do anything that distracts you in a mission critical part of the course. Get your drinking, belt tightening, ball scratching, nose picking and texting done on the straights, but not in the high speed sweepers. Oh and the straights are also for checking all the vitals on the gauges.