Winter Work 1

Following the October outing at Watkins Glen, we put the car asleep for the winter. In all honesty, I was ready for it. 2011 had been a great experience but I was ready for a break from car work and wanted to spend time grouse hunting and doing so training with our new German shorthaired pointer, Sharp Shooters Doppler Effect.

Doppler with his first ruffed grouse

Before Crew Chief Dave Buettner changed into his snowbird outfit we took the motor out so it could be freshened as the backup for the 2012 season. The new motor from Competition Specialists was due to be installed while the original (now dubbed “Motor A”) got the once over from Steve Blom and the guys at CS Racing Engines.

Winter 2011-12.  No. 1 asleep.

Dave suggested that while we had the time, we should clean up the bottom of the car and maybe do a little painting on the engine compartment. Oh, and let’s have Pat at Automatic Rebuilding take a look at the transmission, just in case.

We had a couple heads that needed some significant attention, so they went off to Indy Cylinder Head to seal up the exhaust port cracks.

Motor A about to go off to Competition Specialists

The lead up to the “winter work” sort of follows the lyric of one of Warren Nelson’s songs about his stints at Patsy’s Bar in Washburn WI, which goes “… One more and I gotta go. One more and I gotta go. One more and I gotta go…”

November became December, with a trip to PA to visit Duane at R Sport Engineering, NJ to pick up a couple blocks and heads from Sharon Heaton, and RI to visit the Farringtons. (Doppler and I bonded on that trip.) December became January, January became February with intense work on the new car shop...

Rhode Island, we have arrived! Car parts and a nice visit with the Farringtons

Stay tuned for Winter Work 2 coming soon…