Topic: K-Car after Buttonwillow

For K-Car stalkers that still exist, here is the Buttonwillow report. Briefly.

After the car blew up at Sears Point, a first time arrive and drive member of the team decided to take it on and do the engine swap. He and his wife were refreshingly enthusiastic about taking on the car. Ryan got the swap completed, by himself, and the car made it to Buttonwillow running and shifting and making engine sounds and everything. She ran great (well, K great) for most of the day. Only three drivers. Ryan (his second race ever - the guy that did the swap,) Toni (first time arrive and drive) and me (lots of races and three in the K.) We stayed steady, stayed out of trouble, ran longish stints and climbed up the standings. We could race for a while and then she would start to run a little hot and we would back off and cruise for a while. We never ran her as fast as we could because we were trying to make the end of the race. And she wouldn't run below 200 degrees if we pushed her hard.
Anyway, we climbed the standings as cars started falling out. When the Billy Beer car and the Poorolator Buick broke, we were the fastest left in C at that moment but we were behind a 914 and Dirtbags 282 Luv. During my stint toward the end of Saturday, the 914 and Luv had a few minor issues. Even though the K has the most uncomfortable racing seat known to man, I stayed out for my full stint and we got up on C class by 7 or 8 laps. The K car was leading C class toward the end of the first day. Some people were starting to feel strange little twinges of…hope. Toni got in the car and slowed the pace down but still kept the car about 7 laps ahead. I mentioned something to Doug and Anton that "The K is leading Class C. But, we know she has a way of breaking racers hearts.."
With about 45 minutes or so left, there was an off-track excursion for the car. First black flag of the day, if I recall correctly. Toni brought the car to the paddock and there was some oil dripping that hadn't been dripping before. But we checked all the levels and everything seemed okay. Toni had had enough so an old friend of the K, Steve McDaniel, got in to finish out the day. He made it about two turns before she blew up in a big, fiery way. There was something wrong with it when he went out. After the long tow back to the paddock we took a look and the engine was only held in by one engine mount and was laying off kilter and kind of diagonal. Pieces that may have been from the K were brought to the paddock. One of those pieces ended up going through the windshield later in the night. Some talk of the clutch exploding and taking other stuff with it through the oil pan. Some talk of motor mounts breaking before or after. We never really dug into it to find out. Just sort of used her for a chair and a beer caddy the rest of the weekend.
She is going to need an engine. And a clutch. And a transmission. And a windshield. And a paint job. And, for gods sake, a better seat. The Super Snipe had a seat like a cloud. The K needs one of those.
All in all, I'd drive the K again in a second. She has a C class win in her. Sorry to see her moving back to the mid west and I hope to see her again at some point. She has some sort of bewitching power. After Ryan, the new guy that did the swap by himself, did the swap he was ready to have her be gone. After driving her in the race he was sad she was leaving. After blowing up, he was disappointed. But, he told his wife he was thinking about finding another K car and building one himself. No joke.
Anton overheard his wife telling me that story, by the way. All he could say was…"What?…..What?"
That…is the power of the K.

Re: K-Car after Buttonwillow

http://spacecoast.craigslist.org/cto/4431520396.html

It's been for sale for months.  Go get it.  Turbo 4 - FTW!


http://images.craigslist.org/00I0I_lagCGgJRzOr_600x450.jpg

This space for rent.

Re: K-Car after Buttonwillow

And now she's coming to us.....anything else I need to know?

Carbon footprint diesel chevette: IOE Gingerman '11, ClassC winner Autobahn, 13
Isuzu iMark diesel: IOE Gingerman'13
Chrysler Cordoba: Organizers Choice Barber '14

4 (edited by MasterShake 2014-06-27 08:37 AM)

Re: K-Car after Buttonwillow

The lug nut socket is in the registration pouch, the key for the hatch is zip tied to the cage near the steering wheel, and the transaxle mounting bolt holes are all stripped out.  When the bolts vacated, they pulled the threads w/ them.  It's held in place w/ a tie down strap.  Have fun w/ the car.

Re: K-Car after Buttonwillow

What happened with the windshield?  I got the impression there was some frustration involved.

bs

Re: K-Car after Buttonwillow

bshorey wrote:

What happened with the windshield?  I got the impression there was some frustration involved.

bs

Indeed.

Re: K-Car after Buttonwillow

Alcohol, heat, blown engine = somthin gotta pay.

Re: K-Car after Buttonwillow

Sadly, the offender thought he was saving us from more K misery.  He doesn't  know how much adversity the human spirit can endure.  I hope the K makes it back to Florida for some much needed retrofitting.

This space for rent.

9 (edited by crazymike 2014-06-27 10:39 PM)

Re: K-Car after Buttonwillow

The windshield is partly my fault - I roamed the track looking for bits and found the missing rod - I left it on a gear bag next to the car, and it seems that it gathered the souls of frustration and was telekenised through the windshield. There may have been some damage to the hood, too, but it's already so ugly that I couldn't tell if it was damaged or not.
...next time I'll zip-tie the rod to the antenna!
~I did hear the sigh of relief from the perp - but I'm too polite/not-in-the-K-cadre enough to say who~

Pent(agram emblem) up frustration may have had something to do with it, heh.

I think it needs to have a Steve McDaniel honorarium of some sort - maybe theme it as K-Tours (with some sort of mushroom-cloud logo) and paint it like a tour-bus with state stickers from ever state it's toured, including an NJ with a circle and stripe.

Good luck with it, whoever gets it next!

Re: K-Car after Buttonwillow

NSF wrote:

Sadly, the offender thought he was saving us from more K misery.  He doesn't  know how much adversity the human spirit can endure.  I hope the K makes it back to Florida for some much needed retrofitting.

There was a little talk between a K faithful Texas resident and a K faithful California resident about teaming up and getting her back someday and "making her right."

Invoking the name of Saint….Saint…..
Who is the patron saint of bashing your face into a wall over and over again?

Re: K-Car after Buttonwillow

Wendell34 wrote:

Invoking the name of Saint….Saint…..
Who is the patron saint of bashing your face into a wall over and over again?

The patron saint of futility?  That would be Iacocca, wouldn't it?

bs

12 (edited by SpaceFrank 2014-06-28 10:08 AM)

Re: K-Car after Buttonwillow

The power of K is a curious thing.
Make one man weep, make another man sing.
Treat her right and she'll take you away.
More than a feeling, that's the power of K.

It sure needs money, but might bring fame.
Need a huge credit card to ride this train.
It blows up all of a sudden and it's cruel some ways,
But you'll be glad you paid...
That's the power of K.

First time you drive it, it might make you sad.
Next time you drive it, it might make you mad.
But you'll be glad, baby, when you've found
That strange power that makes the K go round.

Well it sure needs money, but might bring fame.
Max out that credit card to ride this train.
It blows up all of a sudden and it's cruel some ways,
And it might just drive you cray...
That's the power of K.

Re: K-Car after Buttonwillow

SpaceFrank wrote:

That's the power of K.

<Golf clap>

TTFN
Toni

#98 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight - Class A car in the hands of a Class D team - MSR Houston IOE!

Re: K-Car after Buttonwillow

The poetry would make a cool shirt

Pit Crew Revenge Racing   Rolling chicanelimo,95Lamdspeeder,Gimp Pimp Cadi,300zx Car show kaboom!! 90 Wagovan, mazda v8 Lemons LOGO TATTOO!  Aces 84 Cadi Eldo Briattz I O E WINNER
Class C win with LemonOdy Cannonball Run Whambulance !EX K Captain
Lemons Trophy Truck ShaGuar Baby!

Re: K-Car after Buttonwillow

Great, now I got Huey Lewis and the News stuck in my head...

Fourteen time loser. You'd think I'd know better by now.