Topic: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

Ok, we are resurrecting a retired SCCA fire chicken and heading out to race.  My legal name is really Bobby, and although we will not win a thing, I hope our team gets selected for the race.  The motor is a chevy 302, that runs and sounds mean, but is cracked from frozen water in the block.  If we can manage to weld the block shut, think they will slap us with penalty laps because it sounds like a race car?  I honestly picked up the whole thing and spares for way cheap, but that does not always matter.

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

I need to make 2 posts before adding pics

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NdVd2H … p=drivesdk

4 (edited by yoursmiledoc 2023-03-25 09:35 PM)

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

Here is a folder with some pics

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ … aXj8Tq3t_q

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

I'm pretty new to this as well, but it looks like you might have trouble with that cage passing.  I'm sure it's very safe and all, but looks like there might be some violations of Lemons specific cage rules.  (Specifically the rear down bars and the harness bar) 

Might just wanna make sure you ask a judge or someone prior to paying lol. (Or whoever I'm bot sure how this works)  Or at least comb through the cage rules.

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

Yeah, you'll want to run this by pagel@24hoursoflemons.com  Although those downbar nodes look strong to me. I know John doesn't like downbars that don't directly land on the body.

1990 RX7 "Mazdarita"  1964 Sunbeam Imp (IOE 2013 Sears Pointless) 2002 Jaguar x-type (Winner C-Class 2021 Sears Pointless)
Gone bye-bye
1994 Jaguar XJ12 (Winner C-Class 2013 Sears Pointless)  1980 Rover SD1 (I Got Screwed 2014 Return of Lemonites)

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

I think you are more likely to get some penalty laps for suspension, but who cares.  Check with Pagel on the cage, make sure you follow all the other safety rules, take your laps, and have fun.  Depending on how bad you do, you will probably get A zero the next race.

Some things I noticed:
You will need to move the kill switch to a spot the driver can activate while strapped in, I only saw one on the right side window.  Accusump needs to be completely encased, no fuel or oil in driver compartment.  Does the steering system collapse as required?

You could drop in a junkyard motor and stock suspension.

Team whatever_racecar #745 Volvo wagon

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

Thanks for all the input, I sent an email with the cage pics.  I will most likely add a bar that is lower for the seat belt to attach to no matter what. 

So, is it better to try and weld the block and take my chances with a race built (very old school) motor or put the junk yard truck LS motor I have in my shop in it?  I thought in the spirit of Lemons we should weld the old block and see if it leaks, but if it sounds like a race motor the judges may penalize us. (I really don't know if that matters) I have learned that racing is fun, no matter how fast you are if you feel like you have a chance.  I don't want to get 100 penalty laps when in all reality, I doubt this car will actually be very fast. 

So, weld up a block and show the judges, or swap an LS like everyone else?  The motor was not valued in the sale because of the cracked block.  Will the judges care?

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

Thanks for the recommendations on the kill switch and accusump.   We will work on that

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

cheseroo wrote:

Yeah, you'll want to run this by pagel@24hoursoflemons.com  Although those downbar nodes look strong to me. I know John doesn't like downbars that don't directly land on the body.

+1 for this.

I would also send John pics of where the A-pillar bars land. It's hard to tell from those photos, but they also look like a non-standard design. It might be there's just an additional foot-protection bar (which will need padding, BTW), but it's hard to tell how everything relates to the spreader plates there.

Eric Rood
Everything Bagel, 24 Hours of Lemons
eric@24hoursoflemons.com

11 (edited by chaase 2023-03-27 09:42 AM)

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

therood wrote:
cheseroo wrote:

Yeah, you'll want to run this by pagel@24hoursoflemons.com  Although those downbar nodes look strong to me. I know John doesn't like downbars that don't directly land on the body.

+1 for this.

I would also send John pics of where the A-pillar bars land. It's hard to tell from those photos, but they also look like a non-standard design. It might be there's just an additional foot-protection bar (which will need padding, BTW), but it's hard to tell how everything relates to the spreader plates there.

The back stays look wrong. The bars that land on the body/plates are diagonal and not continuous. The ones that are straight attach to the diagonal bar. The front down bars/A-pillar bars should really hit the floor. They should really go further forward as well. Egress looks tight. One of the passenger door bars is missing as well.

I'd toss the cage and start from scratch.

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

I don't think the cage is a toss.  If John nixes the rear downbars, I'd ask if acceptable to just add two outboard of the existing ones.  There's room to land them.  I originally didn't look much further but now that I did, better pix of the A pillar landing area would be good.  What I can see on the passenger side looks like it might be okay.  You'll want to replace all the padding, stuff gets old and crunchy.  Steering shaft appears to have been replaced by a Late Model or similar one.  Probably doesn't have collapsible function anymore so you may need to find a junkyard column.  In general, I don't see anything that can't be fixed with some work but best run it by John.

1990 RX7 "Mazdarita"  1964 Sunbeam Imp (IOE 2013 Sears Pointless) 2002 Jaguar x-type (Winner C-Class 2021 Sears Pointless)
Gone bye-bye
1994 Jaguar XJ12 (Winner C-Class 2013 Sears Pointless)  1980 Rover SD1 (I Got Screwed 2014 Return of Lemonites)

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

cheseroo wrote:

I don't think the cage is a toss.  If John nixes the rear downbars, I'd ask if acceptable to just add two outboard of the existing ones.  There's room to land them.  I originally didn't look much further but now that I did, better pix of the A pillar landing area would be good.  What I can see on the passenger side looks like it might be okay.  You'll want to replace all the padding, stuff gets old and crunchy.  Steering shaft appears to have been replaced by a Late Model or similar one.  Probably doesn't have collapsible function anymore so you may need to find a junkyard column.  In general, I don't see anything that can't be fixed with some work but best run it by John.

You're right on the passenger side. From one of the back views, you can see the second bar. The other view has the bar blocked by the diagonal.

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner

14 (edited by chaase 2023-03-27 01:24 PM)

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

Actually, There is another problem that Manny pointed out. There are bars going through the firewall to the front strut tower. The harness bar is not 1-3/4" either, not sure if that matters.

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

I don't believe the bars going to the front struts are a deal killer.  Crush zone is generally ahead of the struts and I've seen those pass on other cars.  Easy to cut off if an issue.  Harness bar is up to John but again, I don't see anything obviously fatal that can't be mitigated with work.  Still seems a lot easier/cheaper than starting from scratch.
.

1990 RX7 "Mazdarita"  1964 Sunbeam Imp (IOE 2013 Sears Pointless) 2002 Jaguar x-type (Winner C-Class 2021 Sears Pointless)
Gone bye-bye
1994 Jaguar XJ12 (Winner C-Class 2013 Sears Pointless)  1980 Rover SD1 (I Got Screwed 2014 Return of Lemonites)

16 (edited by yoursmiledoc 2023-03-27 09:55 PM)

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

Thanks again,

Pagel said the rear section of the cage was fine, if not I will add a few tubes,  what is there ties to the body and is pretty stout.  I should send it on to John just in case though.

The harness bar will need to be larger and moved down.

The forward bars run from the rear main hoop, forward and down all the way to the floor.  If I have to move those forward I will just remove everything from the main hoop forward.  The cage was originally built to accommodate the factory dash, which was HUGE.  If I put a dash back it would not look so weird.  Ingress is actually fine only because the doors were just shy of 12 feet long.  Yes the passenger side does need a second door bar. 

I am now debating a junk yard LS or try and repair the current block.  It is a 350 block, 283 crank, blah blah blah. It would rev high and sound cool, two things that don't lead to finishing a race.

17 (edited by Mkotzias 2023-03-28 05:16 AM)

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

The 302 is Iconic !  a must do for cool factor.
I love the "wedge screws" on the front and rear suspension!

Manny

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

Speaking as someone trying to get an LS set to run where an SBC lived in my C4, it’s harder than you think. Nothing insurmountable but if I had a 302 SBC already in the car, I’d make it happen. Best sounding SBC in my opinion….

Tradewinds Tribesmen Racing (The road goes on forever…)
#289 1984 Corvette Z51 #124 1984 944 #110 2002 Passat
Gone but not forgotten, #427-Hong Kong Cavaliers Benz S500
IOE (Humber!) Hell on Wheels (Jaguar)

Re: Rickie Bobby Racing is preparing for Buttonwillow

yoursmiledoc wrote:

I need to make 2 posts before adding pics

me too!