tSoG wrote:Is a cooler ratchet strapped to the spare tire well considered "securely mounted" or do I need to come up with something better?
Basically, the cooler should be immobile when the car is moving. That can be accomplished easily enough with ratchet straps and some sort of snug location, either just a natural fit of the cooler to a spot in the car or a purpose-constructed seat. Most probably, you'll need to weld at least one bracket in to keep the cooler from sliding, but you might be able to find a spot that doesn't require it.
also, for those running walmart brand "fishtank hose" what kind of connectors are you using?
For any sort of tubing, I'd recommend measuring the inner diameter (ID) and use tube barb matching that ID for the tube side of the connections.
Beyond that, it depends on where you want to be able to disconnect. If you'd like maximum modularity, get quick disconnects at the cooler end of the tubing as well as the shirt end; it will cost you $25 to $30 extra for four additional valve disconnect fittings assuming 1/4 size couplings and 3/8" ID tube barb or 3/8" MNPT. Otherwise, you can just get some tube barb to pipe thread conversion fittings and plumb it that way.
If you don't already have your "fishtank hose", consider getting clear tubing from Lowe's; I got 20 ft of 3/8" ID tube for $7, which is more than enough for the double cooler-to-driver run (cold hot, warm return) as well as some leftover for other purposes. You'll also need something bigger to run from the bilge pump exit; I got a foot of 3/4" ID tube from Lowe's for the purpose---this needs to be sized based on the connection on the pump. This is also a little tricky to work with, I had better results when I soaked mine in hot water first.
finally, do most racing suits have provisions for coolshirts? I'm not sure where to have them exist, and most of my team are using OMP First 2 Suits from Racing Suit Rentals, and cannot cut/modify them, and I can't see how exiting out the neck/wrist/ankle holes would be safe, or convenient, but I've no experience whatsoever w/ racing suits. I'm not worried about mine, when it shows up, it'll get holes cut in it somewhere, if there isn't something already moderately convenient for hoses in/out.
The ones I've seen do not. If I hadn't been able to cut a passage in a pocket, I would have cracked the lower end of my zipper (which is double-ended) and routed the tubing out that way.
#(1)75 (was #74) Dirt Cheap Racing (driver/wrench/cool suit cooler fabricator/accountant/substitute captain) - '88 Mustang turbo-4, in garish stickers over spray chrome!
2011 - Garrapatas (11th / 3rd in B), Heaps in the Heart of Texas (19th / 3rd in B)
2012 and 2013 - Lemons didn't fit into our schedule
2014 - Heaps in the Heart of Texas