1 Topic by rmcdaniels (edited by rmcdaniels 2018-03-07 01:33 PM)

  • Registered: 2009-07-19
  • Posts: 1,585

Topic: Duff Mercedes at Sandblast ****NOW WITH MORE PICS!****

The Duff Beer Mercedes 240D competing at the NASA Rally Sport Sandblast event in Cheraw SC. I was working as a Marshal and Charles was driving while our friend Pete navigated. Just another chapter in Duff Beer's continuing story of bringing our slow and awful cars to all types of motorsport. Look for the Electrica 007 to race in the GP at SPA. That's for hybrids, right?

https://youtu.be/lJB44yVIHAw


In case you haven't seen it before, this is what a real rally car looks like:

https://youtu.be/uC5mP57tw70


Found more pics!

http://www.carolinahondas.com/members/roger-albums-pj-picture6732-sandblast1.jpg
http://www.carolinahondas.com/members/roger-albums-pj-picture6733-sandblast2.jpg
http://www.carolinahondas.com/members/roger-albums-pj-picture6734-sandblast3.jpg
http://www.carolinahondas.com/members/roger-albums-pj-picture6735-sandblast4.jpg
http://www.carolinahondas.com/members/roger-albums-pj-picture6736-sandblast5.jpg

Everybody grab your brooms, it's shenanigans!
  • From: Life's great in 21158
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
  • Posts: 3,361

Re: Duff Mercedes at Sandblast ****NOW WITH MORE PICS!****

I love that the next recommended video comes up as "How to make a shop sand blaster fir under $10!"

Great time.  Always wanted to do the Sandblast.

Tunachuckers: 15 Years of Effluency
'08 - '10: 1966 Volvo 122, "Charlie"
'10 - '18: 1975 Ford LTD Landau --> 2018 - current: Converted into 1950 "Plymford"
'22 - current: 1967 Volvo 122, "Charlie ]["

mechimike's Website

  • Registered: 2009-07-19
  • Posts: 1,585

Re: Duff Mercedes at Sandblast ****NOW WITH MORE PICS!****

I was working stage 4 and they never came through my station. I asked around and someone saw them slowly driving on the shoulder of a local highway and said the car was making an awful racket. I figured it was broken. Later I saw them come through my station at stage 7 looking good, and when I caught up with them later they said they got off course in 4 and basically got lost, so they found a road and crept along while looking for a path back to the stage before giving up and proceeding to stage 5. Apparently the awful racket was just the normal noise of the car, which does not sound like the other cars.

Both guys said that it was a blast, even though the car was hopelessly slow compared to the other cars. I may have to cage my Sentra and run with them next year. It would be fun to have a battle of the horrible crapboxes at Sandblast.

Everybody grab your brooms, it's shenanigans!
  • jfbeam
  • jfbeam
  • Ripened Lemon
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  • From: Earth
  • Registered: 2011-09-18
  • Posts: 166

Re: Duff Mercedes at Sandblast ****NOW WITH MORE PICS!****

They got lost on the way to SS4. Apparently the pages were stuck in the manual and they ended up in outer nowhere. It seems it's rather difficult to turn pages wearing g-force gloves -- even more so when they're a size or two too small, and haven't been worn in ~3yrs. (since Sebring.) They called Charlie ("crew chief") and he sent them back to Service C to rejoin the stage.

Rally is hard on the tank. The diff is leaking (slowly) on the trailer. And it no longer has power brakes. (no vacuum assist) And the alternator probably wasn't up to running a pair of HID lights.

We'll blow all the sand out of it, refill the diff (or put the actual welded diff on it, which we couldn't figure out how to do at 11pm the day before they left -- Jimmy did joke it would be easier with a hole cut in the floor...), and sort out the vacuum issues... and take it Wilson NC in two weeks for the THSCC rallycross and novice school. If you're remotely in the area, come join us. Wilson Country Fairgrounds is very easy on cars. No special setup required. (just don't bring a convertible. that miata needs a hardtop!)

http://www.sandblastrally.com/
http://nasarallysport.com/results/2018- … -index.htm

Surprisingly not too far off pace (2WD), esp. for a pair of first time novices trying not to break the racecar. And yes, they were on proper rally wheels. (which, btw, are a serious pain in the ass to mount. it's like trying to slip a chunk of marble on the rim)

Duff Beer Civic (#128) -- 2014 Sebring - Class B (#1 of 7), 2016 Barber - Class B
1981 Jet Electrica 007 [Plymouth Horizon TC3] (#128) -- Mk.1 - Index of Effluency Eco (IOEe) @ 2016 Lemons South Fall, Mk.2 - Judges' Choice @ 2017 'Shine Country Classic, Mk.3 - Index of Effluency @ 2017 Southern Discomfort