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KendtEklund · **Joined:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:29 pm **Posts:** 1204

Wes Eargle wrote:

KendtEklund wrote:

The first rule of Italian Driving is...

... to apply seven rolls of painter's tape to the hood?

Hint: 'Gumball'

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:42 pm

jimpastorius wrote:

I know Karl was laughing at me for using my equipment at Rockingham. But better safe than sorry.

I was making fun of Jim for being what a bunch of us call "That Guy." But usually, "That Guy" is the guy who shows up for the driver's meeting in his Ferrari Challenge suit (with his wife dressed to match, naturally). "That Guy" was also frequently spotted in the **spectator area** at the 12 hours of Sebring this year, with his predictably matching wife, quaffing ales in their Porsche-logoed nomex. That's not Jim (even though this won't stop me from giving you a hard time

)

For the record, I unequivocally support Jim's policy of using his safety equipment at a DE weekend. Trust me, single-car incidents are no less likely at a DE than they are in a race. A mistake, a tire going down...you just never know. So good for you Jim for using all that stuff that you spent a lot of money on (and even better on you for buying good gear to start with).

I've actually gotten about five false starts on preaching to Bernie and Graham about how they need to put bars and belts in their very fast cars if they're going to use them on a racetrack. But I decided that you guys are both adults, and hopefully you can find a fabricator that will build you one that is both safe and meets your needs for visibility or whatever else. Good luck.

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:29 pm

"That Guy" who is wearing his bright red Momo race suit

at 6am

at the hotel

eating breakfast :roll:

Yeah, I have seen that guy.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:34 pm

damn corvettes. must be why mine sits in the garage. nah, i am just too big a pussy to run it on the track. tried it once, didn't really like it. i think one has to be just a little bit crazy to race a corvette. i might be crazy, but just not quite enough.

Karl, unfortunately Bernie & Graham are stuck between a rock and a hard place on the rollbar issue. GM didn't do anyone any favors with this car.

and BTW, Jim is that guy. :wink:

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:43 pm

"That guy" was driving a new Ford GT at my first HPDE at VIR in Feb. He had a complete matching Ford driving suit that he wore everwhere.

PS: I will be buying a driving suit for HPDE as it is a safety item. I will just try to keep the "Porsche" patches, etc. to a minimum.

MilesBeam · **Joined:** Fri Aug 15, 2003 1:57 pm **Posts:** 427

Quote:

Bernie, you actually have me wondering ... what the hell am I doing wasting my money on BMWs?!? I need a Corvette. Badly.

Mike, I can fix you right up.

I can put in the car, and offer you the roll bar, rims, extra top, safety harnesses with the convenience of one stop shopping.

My car is just begging for an owner like you.

Miles

steve remchak · **Posted:** Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:05 pm

MilesBeam wrote:

Quote:

Bernie, you actually have me wondering ... what the hell am I doing wasting my money on BMWs?!? I need a Corvette. Badly.

Mike, I can fix you right up.

I can put in the car, and offer you the roll bar, rims, extra top, safety harnesses with the convenience of one stop shopping.

My car is just begging for an owner like you.

Miles

schwantz status notwithstanding. come over to the dark side Mr. Whitney.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

steve remchak wrote:

MilesBeam wrote:

Quote:

Bernie, you actually have me wondering ... what the hell am I doing wasting my money on BMWs?!? I need a Corvette. Badly.

Mike, I can fix you right up.

I can put in the car, and offer you the roll bar, rims, extra top, safety harnesses with the convenience of one stop shopping.

My car is just begging for an owner like you.

Miles

schwantz status notwithstanding. come over to the dark side Mr. Whitney.

Thanks Miles, but when I come over to the dark side (and I will eventually) it will be with a C5 ZO6 or as Bernie has me thinking now, maybe a nicely modified plain C5. Probably 2010 at the earliest, maybe later if I decide to build a Brunton Super Stalker for my next autocross car.

Graham Jagger · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 12:53 am **Posts:** 1718

Gwen Baake wrote:

Graham Jagger wrote:

I sure hope it isn't catless to boot. I can't wait to see if that car doesn't resonate so bad Bernie's fillings all fall out on the way home :wink:

It is catless, by the way. Also, the whole house vibrates when Bernie starts the engine and lets it idle. Riding in the passenger seat is like a full body massage, and I’m ordering helicopter headsets so that we can communicate while driving down the road.

Gwennie

Now that is funny Gwennie :lol:

I'm glad you're keeping your sense of humor about being stuck in a household with one of those Corvette people. As Steve noted, you do have to be a little bit crazy to own one... Ann plays along much like you do. Ya know we love you gals for tolerating us

Graham Jagger · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 12:53 am **Posts:** 1718

Vincent Keene wrote:

Graham Jagger wrote:

He didn't like the bar I picked and suggested the Autopower. Great bar if you don't mind not being able to see a thing out the back window...

My diagonal tube sort of blocks a portion of my vision out the back which has forced me to use the side mirrors very often. I now find that on track I hardly use the inside mirror at all.

Besides, if you can drive a 400 HP Vette right why worry about what's behind you?

There is always someone faster than you regardless of how many horsepower you have. I like my rear view and use it a lot. I couldn't live with just side view mirrors. I need that view of left, center, right or it would drive me crazy.

While the car is moving more towards track and seeing a lot less street time. It will remain a street legal car. I want to drive it to work on Friday or go cruising on the weekend, or take a trip with it. So the rear view stays and needs to be functional.

The right fabricator can make a roll bar for this car that runs the roof line tight and most of the rear view mirror will work.

Graham Jagger · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 12:53 am **Posts:** 1718

jimpastorius wrote:

Bernie Baake wrote:

The thought of cutting up the car makes me cringe. This thing is like brand new. Its almost too good to be true. Scary fast and in pristine condition, the other owner said he had it on the track five or six times and the only chip I saw was done by a coal truck on the high way seven days ago. I'm going to rent Adam Breakey's mazda slowtege for the Chin event till I get this car sorted out. But I'll still bring the traq mate so Graham can record some of his laps.

You guys seem pretty intelligent. But I think common sense has gone out the window when you start putting timing equipment in a car that does not have the proper safety equipment.

Getting into a 400-500hp car with the timer running and stock seats, belts, etc is plain scary to me. The best money I have spent on the Camaro is all of the safety equipment in it. But I still need the fire system and (no excuse) a HANS device.

I know Karl was laughing at me for using my equipment at Rockingham. But better safe than sorry.

As for the wink mirror, I use mine 90% of the time and the remaining 10% the outside mirrors. My mirror is positioned so that it is pretty much in sight all the time. There is usually too much happening for me to move my eyes that far or move my head. Plus when your class is the lowest hp cars in the Thunder group, you want to see those guys coming up on you real fast.

I think you are making an assumption about why I'm wanting to use the Traqmate. I don't need it to be a lap timer. No need for a $1000 DA system to time laps. A $10 stopwatch covered that. And all camcorders have a built in timer. So the timing your lap argument went out the window a long time ago. The Traqmate will give me information about my line and consistently running on it. More articulate data. That's all. There are a couple of changes I want to make to my line. Just because it feels faster/slower isn't necessarily true.

I have a race seat and 6 point harnesses and they are properly secured. And so is my butt when I strap in. The upper harness is mounted to the harness bar. Not going down that road with anyone about the bar thing. If and when I get someone to make me the right bar then the car will have a roll bar. I should have an Isaacs before I start up in 08. I will also install a fire extinguisher too. Not up to your standards I know. I can't fault you for wanting to go as far as you have with safety gear. I'm not building a spec racer, you are.

Graham Jagger · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 12:53 am **Posts:** 1718

Karl Shultz wrote:

I've actually gotten about five false starts on preaching to Bernie and Graham about how they need to put bars and belts in their very fast cars if they're going to use them on a racetrack. But I decided that you guys are both adults, and hopefully you can find a fabricator that will build you one that is both safe and meets your needs for visibility or whatever else. Good luck.

Karl neither Bernie or I will argue with you about whether we believe a roll bar makes it safer. You are right. Bernie is where I was 2 years ago and doesn't want to cut into the car. I know how he feels. I'm past that. But if the bar isn't going to meet SCCA standards and doesn't meet my requirements then it doesn't happen. I'm ok with that. I'm running a harness bar, with 6-points, and a race seat. I am held in place very firmly. But it lacks roll over protection. We had this debate a year ago in the track section about harness bars.

It isn't just high horsepower cars though Karl. You can't single them out. Jim did the same thing. I see several people on here do the same. Almost like a 100hp car is immune or doesn't need the safety equipment as much. The story needs to be more consistent. Safety is safety. Some of the small low powered cars I've witnessed on track wouldn't pass a basic street safety inspection. I wouldn't want to be in one, at it's mere 100mph top speed, if it punts a wall. I think I'll stick with my Z06.

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Thu Nov 01, 2007 7:09 am

Wes Eargle wrote:

KendtEklund wrote:

The first rule of Italian Driving is...

... to apply seven rolls of painter's tape to the hood?

You know the funny thing is, out of all the DE's I have ever done, a 350z is the car that sticks out in my mind with the most painters tape. I remember at CMP that 3M stock must have been up that day after looking at the tape job on a 350z

jimpastorius · **Posted:** Thu Nov 01, 2007 7:42 am

Karl Shultz wrote:

I was making fun of Jim for being what a bunch of us call "That Guy." But usually, "That Guy" is the guy who shows up for the driver's meeting in his Ferrari Challenge suit (with his wife dressed to match, naturally). "That Guy" was also frequently spotted in the **spectator area** at the 12 hours of Sebring this year, with his predictably matching wife, quaffing ales in their Porsche-logoed nomex. That's not Jim (even though this won't stop me from giving you a hard time

)

I know you were just busting on me

If I find the perfect "Camaro" girl, trust me she will be in a skin tight driving suit, parading around the pits. Now if Bernie would lend me his new Vette for a few weekends, it would make the search easier.

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

Richard Casto wrote:

"That guy" was driving a new Ford GT at my first HPDE at VIR in Feb. He had a complete matching Ford driving suit that he wore everwhere.

Y'know, if I had a Ford GT, I'd wouldn't give a hoot what the commoners thought of my attire.

<-- In case Chuck is reading this, this means I'm joking.

MikeWhitney wrote:

Thanks Miles, but when I come over to the dark side (and I will eventually) it will be with a C5 ZO6 or as Bernie has me thinking now, maybe a nicely modified plain C5.

Apparently 3.7 liters is not enough advantage to ensure victory in AS.

<-- This means I'm pulling Mike's chain. For my part, if I didn't hate Chevys with every fiber in my body, I'd be negotiating with Miles. C4s shake and rattle, but they get the job done.

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