Austin dorset project.

[tom.marg]

As if my magic I?m able to access the forum every other time I try to log on it just says nope.

Another good day on the wicked witch but then on to The Pressure Machine.

slot cut in the boot floor for the bracket to slide throuhh, all still removable to keep the body removable with minor effort, flexy line to from pump to hard line ran and I?ve made up the -8 by pass return line.

[tom.marg]

I took the plunge and took the welder to the fuel tank after some washing out, purgeing etc and didn?t blow myself up! Fuel system nearly conplete now.

I have decided when I have time I will make a new tank for this, reason being, old fittings about the tank make it look a bit busy and also, I couldn?t get this set up exactly how I wanted it with this tank so think I?ll knock up a different style tank at a later date.

[tom.marg]

Fired in to life yesterday

[jsf55]

Excellent news

[tom.marg]

Cheers John.
Yep I’ve got the slick back on now and just need to do a few small checks before Dragstalgia, wicked witch will take some priority there as need to get that done too and I have more than enough time to tinker at the track as we are coming to test again really. Less than 20 passes on it still so all just seeing what it wants really

[tom.marg]

Well we made Dragstalgia by the skin of our teeth!
On Wednesday the planned tow vehicle done a head gasket!
Luckily a friend who was coming anyway stepped in and took his Vw van instead of his splitty!
The wicked witch got picked up on Thursday evening and taken straight to the track, we loaded The pressure machine on to the borrowed trailer and we’re heading up in the morning.
It was a super busy run up to Dragstalgia with a holiday and no time off work on the days before we just had the evenings to finish witchy and get my car sorted. Amongst a million other things but we got loaded and headed up.
Once there we set up pit alongside our friend nick Hewison in the short fuse fordson.

I had a drive around the pits to try and familiarise myself again / check steering after some joint changes over winter.

Next up hit the track.
1st pass was a bit lazy.
On return to the pits a small discussion that it didn’t sound like it was fully up on the chip.
In the car I felt like it was but reflecting after the run there was doubt, as it was the first hit I wasn’t too fussed but could see the converter in there wasn’t as loose as expected however we should go again and make sure o was on the chip.
unless of course the chip was higher than the stall so the plan was to get up on the trans brake and not worry about the tree see what we have to play with. What we do know is this converter is fully safe, even though it’s working slightly tighter the crank and box shouldn’t suffer as this one has anti balloon plates a must when this motor wants a lot of converter to get up and go.
We ended up running a 10.91, followed by a 10.92
We then went in to Q1, 10.90 dial, went 10.87! Not a bad judge, a break out none the less but we were happy.
In to Saturday morning Q2, decided to dial 10.81 however, that little thought that it might pick up a small bit so went to a 77, guess what, it went 81!!!
We go again later in the day, scorchin temps, the guys were struggling to push the car as the metal was so hot, I felt that in the car, roof was cooking nice big fire suit and helmet! You knew you were in a race car that’s for sure.
We dialed 10.84, went .836 a great guess again just slightly on the wrong side, but closer to an 84 than a dead on 83 so well happy, along with the .069 and .071 lights we had a predictable race car.
Finally the last qualifying run rolls round, a little prediction of an 10.83 and went 10.850 trimmed up the reaction time a tad to an .028
Happy with the current numbers confident in the dials and the RTs now we just had to go racing.
This is the bit I’m here for, qualifying is fun but one shot racing is the thrill.
Decided on a 10.82 dial and confident on cutting a light.
It all went wrong!!! Up on the chip and dumped the button saw a red light appear on the tree I was pretty shocked as thought it was a lot closer than it was. In the car now I’m in to a data run, as it’s basically a test pass, see what it runs to our prediction. 10.821 with a 10.820 dial, thou over index. Not a bad prediction.

positives to take in the hot and sticky air we were only a little down on performance from last year, the fuel system upgrade had zero issue. Carb upgrade has proved worth while with the mph we were seeing in the heat considering we haven’t made any changes so the carb yet so probably can gain some more there.
The car had a tendency to wiggle last year but appears a lot straighter now, I suspect the replaced steering joints have helped this! Had some play developing and suspect that may have given me some play / variable toe setting up the track.

next up is working out when I can next take it to the track there are a fewlrw
rounds For the class yet

[its still redoxide]

see it run here on the Santa Pod livestreem video .. pity about the adds but your in there

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAsXAmiqHok

[jsf55]

Good effort Tom, you need to find those free weekends !!