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AJ in the Great Race


George Cole

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Just now, Grimy said:

And another big deduction for leaving late....

 

Somehow we did not find time to attack the surviving jug of Maker's that I brought to the Pierce meet.  The other one went to Greg....

I had a makers old fashion in a hotel bar at a Holiday Inn in one of the small cities we stopped in. I’ve already forgotten which one. It was actually pretty good, as old fashions go. Seems like most bartenders have a really hard time making them correctly.

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On 6/28/2022 at 5:37 PM, edinmass said:

if I had a 1915-1919 Pierce 48 I would jump at it……….anything newer just doesn’t seem entertaining enough. George T, can I borrow your car? And your gas card?

Yes to the car, no to the gas card.  The way you drive, about 5 mpg at best....  And a *1920* Series 51 also qualifies; I'll have to educate you about RHD Pierces....

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2 minutes ago, alsancle said:

I had a makers old fashion in a hotel bar at a Holiday Inn in one of the small cities we stopped in. I’ve already forgotten which one. It was actually pretty good, as old fashions go. Seems like most bartenders have a really hard time making them correctly.

You like candy drinks, AJ?  I'm shocked...

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33 minutes ago, Grimy said:

And another big deduction for leaving late....

 

Somehow we did not find time to attack the surviving jug of Maker's that I brought to the Pierce meet.  The other one went to Greg....

I drained the entire bottle of Crown at the bar.......and the one in my room!😝

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29 minutes ago, Grimy said:

You like candy drinks, AJ?  I'm shocked...

 

The ladies never drink anything straight up.........AJ need's the Kool Aid!

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Just now, Grimy said:

Are you bragging or complaining?

 

Both.......it was 9 bucks a shot.........I could have bought another Pierce!

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39 minutes ago, alsancle said:

And I tell everyone you’re Portuguese.

 

Puxe sua cabeça para fora de sua bunda!
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1 hour ago, edinmass said:

 

Both.......it was 9 bucks a shot.........I could have bought another Pierce!

Or paid for a college education that you say you had a lack of. I think you qualified for a PHD in mechanics a long time ago. 
dave s 

 

ps- is a PHD piled higher and deeper?

Edited by SC38dls (see edit history)
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30 minutes ago, SC38dls said:

Or paid for a college education that you say you had a lack of. I think you qualified for a PHD in mechanics a long time ago. 
dave s 

 

ps- is a PHD piled higher and deeper?

 

I is a collage graduate............51/2 years worth. And no, that wasn't just for a certificate or associates degree. Did I mention I had 18 ASE certifications? 🤐

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On 6/28/2022 at 8:08 PM, alsancle said:

Costs.     It is not a cheap thing to participate in.   Probably less than bringing a car to Pebble, but a lot more than going on a tour.

 

1.  Car Prep - the car really needs to be dialed in.   No corners cut or they will bite you in the middle of nowhere.    5k?  10k?  20k?  Depends on the car.

 

2.  Registration,  - off the top of my head I think it is 7500 per car,  and then another 2500 if you want a corporate sponsor logo on the car.

 

3. Transport - some of the cars were driven to both RI and home from Fargo.  It is an advantage if you live near one of the end points.    Otherwise, you are trailering or paying the transporter.  Figure 2500 to get the car home  or 5K both ways.

 

4.  Hotels,  rates were 135-145 for most of the stays.  There might have been one expensive one mixed in.   You need a room from Wed night through the following week to Monday.  That is 12 nights.   If you are sharing a room between Navigator and driver then you can keep that to around 1500.

 

5.  Food.  You are getting fed 3 meals typically every day.  So food costs are minimal.

 

6.  Rally Clock & Speedo,  2k.

 

7.  Support team - if you have one you don't care about anything else I've said for costs.

 

So,  lets see...

 

10K  + 7500K  + 5K + 1500 + 2k = 26K for one race?

 

      That's pretty good guess for the first year, but after that about $15,000 if you use the same car and have no pit crew. ,  The

      temptation is to get an older car for the handicap.  I always wanted to run Class Brass, but you start over on preparation.   

      Better to run the same car again and work getting your driver to be as up on the navigation as you are.    Once you get in the       

      Championship Division the competion gets real strong.   4 Aces is not always a winner, sometimes ot takes 5.    The 10 & 15

      MPH legs are real champion killers.   Practice, practice practice.

       1186040148_Beforethe87Race.jpg.e01b48d7cb59c478677d62a45685917b.jpg

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1 hour ago, TAKerry said:

AJ, do you know how long Tom had been on a wait list to participate this year?

I’ll have to ask him when I see him.

 

We’ve talked about sending a deposit in by the end of the month for next year.  

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A.J.    I liked your almost daily blog.  You may be the first person to do that, at least you were here.   I had to call the Sportscaster in Tampa to keep him up with our whereabouts, which he sometimes shared with viewers.   Your system was very informative for this Forum Bunch, especially me.   You caught on really quickly.   If you prepare better next time, youl'll do a lot better and have a lot more fun.   Thanks for sharing.1800070666_BonnieCydeMe.jpg.82ef6f1dadbaba4c889c427f4cca199c.jpg

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1 hour ago, Paul Dobbin said:

A.J.    I liked your almost daily blog.  You may be the first person to do that, at least you were here.   I had to call the Sportscaster in Tampa to keep him up with our whereabouts, which he sometimes shared with viewers.   Your system was very informative for this Forum Bunch, especially me.   You caught on really quickly.   If you prepare better next time, youl'll do a lot better and have a lot more fun.   Thanks for sharing.1800070666_BonnieCydeMe.jpg.82ef6f1dadbaba4c889c427f4cca199c.jpg

Thanks Paul!

 

I really knew little of the race before this year, and it seems many of my friends were in the same bucket with me. Definitely an experience, and we are leaning toward sending our check in for next year.

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6 hours ago, edinmass said:

Maybe AJ & Tom should run it backwards? 🤔

Eddy,  reading the instructions forwards is bad enough.    But your point about the cooling system is well taken.   We were boiling gas on those 95 degree days last week.    Any changes need to be in keeping with our motto of "100% stock".    Maybe "99.9%" stock will need to be our motto for next year?

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I’m a 100% stock guy. But when running modern pump fuel, minimum modifications are necessary. If I was doing the great race with any pre-war car I would run a return fuel line. Just upping the pressure isn’t enough. I’m not sure I would run a stock radiator either. In a stock automobile driving according to conditions you will not overheat, but the demands of the race when you have to drive accordingly, Will most likely cause issues. 

Edited by edinmass (see edit history)
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After pondering it for a few days, I think if I tried running this in a brand new car with a competent navigator, The odds of coming in the top 20% are about zero. 

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2 hours ago, EmTee said:

AJ, aside from the carburetor swap, did you have any other component failures that required replacement?

 

THE LOOSE NUT BEHIND THE WHEEL............!!!!!

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4 hours ago, EmTee said:

AJ, aside from the carburetor swap, did you have any other component failures that required replacement?

 

 

The new brake switch failed,  the replacement leaked and the third was  the charm.   Tom had to rig up manual brake lights for one of the days until we got the 3rd switch.   

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5 hours ago, SC38dls said:

The officials would have to come find me days late if they could at all. 
dave s 

 

About forty years ago, one of the Endurance Runs I went on? At the end of the day, the clubs sent about six modern cars to search around many miles of back roads for a missing car! A couple other people had seen him miss a turn, and he hadn't been seen since. He finally found his way to his house just about sundown. This was before cell phones, so some of the searchers didn't show back up for another hour or two! The guy couldn't follow directions hardly at all, and did the same thing a couple years later. That time, the club just waited for him to show up. Which he did a couple hours later.

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Tom, most of these posts have been directed towards AJ, but Thanks for 'dragging him' along with you on the race. It was very entertaining for us hobos on the sidelines! I for one am looking forward to following along with you guys next year. If I ever get back to New England I would love to look you and he up and take a closer look at your collection of autos.

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5 hours ago, Tom Laferriere said:

Do what you have to do. 

IMG_1654.jpeg

I think Tom may have a bit of dirt racing enthusiasm in him.

I suspect some may refer to that as Farmer, or Tractor Mechanic.

I did alot of work under the shade trees in my past.

 

By the way, I have greatly enjoyed this thread  

 

 

 

Edited by JACK M (see edit history)
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Always carry duck tape and some extra wire. 
Tom, that was a heads up fast fix to keep you going. To me that is not a tractor mechanic fix it’s a McGiver fix. Got the job done and on your way. 
I too have enjoyed this tread and your adventures. Hope next year the two of you can do it again. It looks like you will pass within a couple hours drive of Aiken so I will definitely be going somewhere to see it in person. 
dave s 

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Not to sideline this thread, but I just read a blip on the Hemmings site regarding their entry in the race which was a ss chevelle. Sounds like they had a plethora of problems, especially compared to Tom and AJ. And their mechanic was following along with a support vehicle!!

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3 hours ago, TAKerry said:

Not to sideline this thread, but I just read a blip on the Hemmings site regarding their entry in the race which was a ss chevelle. Sounds like they had a plethora of problems, especially compared to Tom and AJ. And their mechanic was following along with a support vehicle!!

Ability to do a "Quick and Dirty" repair to "Git-er-Done" is an aquired, and much need blessing,

but extensive preparation is still the the most important thing we can do.

 

Genius is 10% Inspiration

and 90% Perspiration.

 

I travel a lot, and carry tools and spare parts,

as well as two(2) spare tires-

but then, I'm sometimes accused of wanting to wear a belt and suspenders.

Folks who mock the amount of "stuff I bring along,

change their tune when my "stuff" helps them out of a jamb.

 

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One more after thought.

In 1989, 5 years after beginning my Great Race Career, my wife and I bought our first Class A motorhome.   With my race experiences

we had an endless list of nice small towns to go visit together.  In addison we discoverd AACA Tours that we could do together without risking our happy married life.  For a long time I kept old route instructions from the Great Races and we traveled a lot of those backroads together, where we had the oportunity to stop if we something special.   On AACA Tours I met many other Great Race participants and spectators..   Kind of a lasting bonus for the next 33 years.

 

14065590_GMCRightSideAwning.jpg.1cd838d540ad02d6a28a98f6f747e5df.jpg1868102459_smallRH34.jpg.6ff2719aa05c786e8b703ef4a9201592.jpg

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I just hope the section on the map of the race coming through the middle of Arkansas is correct for next year. Looks like they'll be tooling right through my area. I'll take vacation time to watch for them to come through.

And re: cooling systems- it's 109 degrees in my shop right now, and it's shaded by a huge oak. 103 outside. So, yeah, bring your A game on that. Or your Triple A card. LOL

Edited by Roscoe (see edit history)
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