RASC Snowflake

Rainier Auto Sports Club  

The Wishbone Alley Gazette

April, 2003

Rally News

*April 27: Raindrop- One of the rare opportunities for a Sunday Afternoon TSD rally, remember to get the word out to all your friends.

 Steve Willey, Rallymaster, says:

"Raindrop will be twisting and turning on scenic roads scrolling through the valleys and foothills that run up to Mt Rainier.  The silent volcano speaks only with frequent blue and white 'Volcano Evacuation Route' signs along the course.  Sometimes we'll be tempting fate by following, not the evacuation route but the potential mud slide route, then sometimes we'll be heeding sound advice and heading for the hills. 

Look forward to four hours and some minutes of rally fun covering about a hundred and ten miles.  With copious bathroom stops and a snack break you'll be able to enjoy the scenery and pleasurable driving in comfort.  With challenges for both novice and veteran competitors and both drivers and navigators; all will get their fill of fun."

The finish is at Godfather's Pizza in Spanaway,

*The March issue of Northwest Region, SCCA's newspaper, "Northwest Sports Car News" includes minutes from the Region Board meetings.  To quote, "Rally workers will have license numbers in 2003 from the National office."

*  The clash is coming- SCCA National office wants the Club Rally series to follow all the National series rules.  This would exclude some perfectly fine cars that don't quite fit into the rules. This would be OK, except that organizers need those extra cars to make it profitable to put on stage rallys.

This could lead to a 3rd "structure", at the local level, for those "oddball" cars.  There are probably 10 such cars in the NW, plus 4-5 more, just needing some TLC to get them on the road.  (see Ed Storer's car For Sale)

Trivia

* Corroded electrical contacts revisited: Nolte's Jeep has a block of exposed buss fuses. The tube-type fuses are nested in an old Mazda RX2 fuse block, with a fabricated bracket, under the hood, but as exposed to the elements as can be. The brass parts of the block corroded over the years (1988). The thin layer of corrosion builds up heat, which is a waste of good electricity, but doesn't burn off the corrosion. But the fuses consist of a glass tube with the fusing element soldered to the end caps. Solder melts when it gets hot. Do you see where this leads to?

This may be yet another reason why the tube-type fuses are out of favor, and blade-type fuses are in vogue.

This knowledge brought to by a bad experience when leaving the Brooklyn Stage in the dark. Flick the lights to high beam got darkness! Field repair consisted of knife blade cleaning contacts and WD40 on all the connections.

* The long anticipated Mitsubishi EVO has arrived. With only 4500 due to be imported, these are going to be rare cars. What is the dealer reaction to such a state of affairs?  Tack $5000 on the sticker!

Meeting

General Meeting, March 10th, 2003

Treasurer's report: Paid annual insurance of $653. Bank balance $1339.81

Alcan report: Entries: 15 Winter and 4 summer. Summer motorcycle guys are tracking down a cycle TSD rally computer.

Raindrop report: Flyers will be passed out at March Friday Niter. Now planning to go to the South.  Basically reusing 1997. Checkout is April 13.

Old business:  Thunderbird:  Results passed around.  Ed Millman didn't make it, but now has an entry credit for Totem.

DooWop:  Garden variety rally.  Propane tank fire was the highlight.  Cops were good with the spectators.

New business: Announce: Dryad/Shitepoke in June. WAG has a good list of the upcoming events.

Announce: NW Alfa club high performance driving school coming up.  See http://home.att.net/~borrani/ for info and forms.

WAG news:  Plan is for paid members to get paper copy.  Web person will put on web in full color.  More on this as it develops.

Ed on stickers: It would be quite a lot easier in this modern age to do a new batch of stickers.  A sheet of stickers like the current ones but edge cut would be about $10 per sheet.  We need only provide an EPS file from software like Illustrator or Freehand.  Most people like the idea of new stickers but no pressing need.  Steve Willey has an interest and is willing to work with Ed and others over the next six months to come up with a plan for future stickers.  Input is welcome.

 

FOR SALE / Wanted:

* Lucas' 1994 Ford Explorer XLT is for sale.  It's a 4WD 4-door with brand new automatic trans & brakes, looks & runs great.  Factory alloy wheels, tow package, tinted glass   $4400, J. Hines 425-823-6343.

* '79 Plymouth Arrow (made by Mitsubishi) - The Fire Arrow version was the hot rod with a 2.6L 4-cylinder engine.  It was a favorite on the ProRally circuit for years because of its great torque-to-weight ratio and straightforward construction.  It also came standard with 4-wheel disk brakes - nice for rallying and fairly uncommon in an inexpensive car.

My Fire Arrow became a carport queen when I attempted to change it from an automatic to 5-speed transmission.  I knew that the engines were transmission-specific.

The zero-hour rebuilt engine is in the engine bay, I spent $2500 having the engine rebuilt - it has new 0.020 over pistons and a new oil pump in addition to full overhaul.  The car does not run/can't be driven because the rear cross-member doesn't line up with the transmission mounts.  This is where the project stalled.  Much to my surprise and dismay, I discovered that the chassis for a car with an automatic is not the same as the chassis for a 5-speed.  I've had a cross member fabricated, but can't bolt it in.  About the same time I got hooked on golf.

The car would make a great back-road TSD machine if you like doing gravel with rear-wheel--drive open differential car.  Here's a list of what would need doing:  1)  drill and reinforce frame to accept crossmember.  2) Have driveshaft lengthened.  3) drain gas tank.  4)  check carburetor.  5)  Hook everything up.

There are 3 sets of wheels:  13-inch stock aluminum, 13-inch aluminum "minilite" look-alikes, 14-inch aluminum from a Plymouth Sapporo.  The shocks/struts are Tokiko "Sport" and were in really good shape when the project took the vehicle off-road.  I had the rear springs recurved and a leaf added. 

There is a rebuildable engine and automatic transmission that would be included as well (worth taking to have the spare head which is in very good usable condition.  3 carburetors, two stock Mikuni-Solex, one Weber 32DGAV with adapter.

          The body is straight and in good shape.  All of the stock seats have been removed and the front buckets are from a mid-80's Mercury Capri.  Very nice for somebody 5'-8" or less, but too high for anybody taller.

No reasonable offer refused. Ed Storer, 206-282-3145; edstorer@attbi.com

* Future Classic : TSD rally-ready 1983 Audi Turbo Quattro Coupe.  Mars red.  170K miles.  Lots of goodies, well maintained by owner (retired mechanic) $ 7,500.00). e-mail Peter Linde at pjnconn@yahoo.com.

 

RASC Calendar

• Call the NWRC Hotline (206) 256-9627 for latest info on Puget Sound TSD events. NWRC Friday Niters start at the Eastgate (Bellevue) Park and Ride. Reg opens at 6:45, FCO 7:31.

NW Rallys- TSD & stage

  • April 12 Reno I, Reno, NV
  • April 13- Reno II, Reno, NV
  • Apr. 18 Friday Niter (Cascade, Portland)
  • April 27-Raindrop , RASC
  • Apr. 26-27- Heart of Darkness,TSD, Hope, B.C.
  • May 9-Friday Nighter (ORCA)
  • May 10-11- Rim of The World, PRO-Rally, California
  • May 16- Friday Nighter (Cascade/Portland)
  • May 31-June 1 - No Alibi, RASC (eastern Washington)
  • June 7- Dryad Quest, Shelton, WA
  • June 8- Shitepoke, Shelton, WA
  • June 7/8 - Susquehannock, PRO-Rally
  • June 13-Friday Nighter (ORCA)
  • June 13-14 - Pacific Forest Rally (stage), Merritt, B.C.
  • June 20-Friday Nighter (Cascade/Portland)
  • June 28-29 - Coast to Coast, Vancouver Isl., B.C.
  • July 11 - Friday Nighter (NWRC)
  • July 12- Oregon Trail, Hillsboro, OR
  • July 13- Trail's End. Hillsboro, OR
  • July 18 - Friday Nighter (Cascade/Portland)
  • July 19-20  Gold Digger,TSD,                                                 Pemberton, B.C.
  • July 20 - Mountains to the Sea, Cascade SCC, Portland
  • Aug 2  ORV Rallysprint I, McCleary, WA
  • Aug 3- ORV Rallysprint II, McCleary, WA
  • Aug 2-3 Maine Forest PRO-Rally
  • Aug 8 - Friday Nighter (ORCA)
  • August 9-10 - The Road Not Taken (SCCA Nat'l) Grand Ronde, OR.
  • Aug 15 - Friday Nighter  (Cascade/Portland)
  • Sept 6- Sou'Wester, Olympia, WA
  • Sept 7- Simpson Stages, Shelton, WA
  • Sept 12 - Friday Nighter (RASC)
  • Sept. 19 - Friday Niter (Cascade/Portland)
  • Sept. 26-27  Mountain Trials (stage), Merritt, B.C.
  • Oct. 4 - Night on Bald Mountain (ORCA)
  • Oct 10 - Friday Nighter (Torque Steerers)
  • Oct. 17-18 - SCCA National TSD championship, Portland, OR
  • Oct 25-26 - Midnite Rally,TSD, Victoria, B.C.
  • Nov. 1 - Armageddon, Chuckanut, Bellingham
  • Nov. 15-16 Totem, Cache,TSD, Creek, B.C.

 

 

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