Event Coverage Welcome to Uncle Sam's Pie Eating Contest (USPEC)

There will be special parking for old GUYS that attend as spectators!!LOL

 

One week to go. Pretty much have everything ready. The new rear axel for the 55 is all installed, as is the new Muncie.

Swapped the Muncie in the GMC out for a Saginaw 4 speed. With a 3.50 1st. gear, the Saginaw should be much better for towing than the 2.54 1st. Muncie.

 

I am ready to go as well. It is going to be a blast!


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Took the Furious down the street last night , its ready to rock.

 

looking forward to this....

 

Me too. I won't be running my car this time, but just to be there to see how this all comes together will be fun.

 

I'm looking forward to it as well. After a long winter it is good to go out and stretch some legs. Pretty close to "being ready". Have to install new tires on the trailer and replace a fuel line and clean it up etc. Took it out for a run last night and it did not stumble so probably as OK as it is going to get.

The one thing I finished up today was some extensions on the headers. When I uncorked the headers a few years ago they echoed like crazy through he X member so I made some turn down collectors two years ago and I noticed that they kicked up dust last year in the staging lanes etc. I added some 3" stainless extensions to the exhaust this year.

Some of the old Vettes in the mid 60s ran some longer extensions/collectors but were shortened somewhat by 68/69 so the theoreticians may claim I hurt my performance but such is life. I think they look good and they keep the dust down so it is not all bad. Now whether I can slay a dragon with them is up for debate. Nevertheless looking forward to the event. It is a way to go back without a wayback machine.

 

During some unsanctioned acceleration trials I destroyed the clutch in the Chevelle today. I dont think it's fixable before the weekend. My work schedule wont allow any car time late in the week to fix it. This sucks.

Don't forget to prep the tires everyone. It makes a big difference.

 

Well folks here it is in all it's glory ready to install lol man has it been a long hard weekend of work I now have a very high appreciation of a engine machine shop after the debacle I've encountered this weekend my machinist that normally does my work is not well and since he could not do the work he taught me how to this weekend I normally just let him do his magic but due to health reasons he couldn't so I was gonna throw in the towel and just have to miss this event but he wouldn't let me do that so 100 hrs later it's together lol now as long as all goes well in the next two evenings I will be there I have been looking forward to this for a entire year so keep your fingers crossed I don't hit any snags cause if I do I won't have time to fix anything

 

Looking forward to this weekend.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-journey-of-our-98-slingshot.1072640/

 

anyone heading out from the Milwaukee area sat morning?
would be fun to roll with a group, as i'm guessing i'm rolling solo otherwise

 

Darn it!!!! I wanted to see that 66 run.

Got nothing running with pie crusts but it still should be a blast coming to watch the 1st show, Tickety Boo is too far out of the box but maybe the 64 will get a pair of piecrusts for next year. Still apart from new paint yet.

 

Also have to be there to help push Bob back on the trailer again.

 

Well folks it's now official I am out i will not be at the first pie eating contest I hit that snag I can't recover from The oil pump housing cracked when I torqued it down and I am done I am tossing in the towel something so stupid yet so vital to the engines well being has happened however I will get it replaced and will be at meltdown it's just not in the cards to press on this time


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I have a 354 pump if that helps.

 

James I have one and also a 331 pump but the damn bolt pattern is different I also have another one but it's for a center sump pan and I can't use that either not to mention I've kept on assembling it and that's not the only hurdle I have thanks for the help man


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I have a 340 pump adaptor you can have. I could over night it. a pump is just a call away from hot heads.

 

I realize that there are only 2 manufacturers making pie crust slicks (that I am aware of). I went with Towel City as I am restricted to 8" and did not want to go with the smaller Radir slicks. Whether either would hook like a newer designed drag racing tire is not something I am expecting but I wanted to know from those that have run Towel City slicks as to what is the best air pressure to run?

 

Tire pressure from other guys cars means nothing on yours. Weight; trans; power level; use of inner tubes; rim width are just a few of the variables. Running the most pressure without spinning the tires is the way to the fastest ets. Towel city tires are recaps. The carcasses they recap are old and not always the same. There is no consistency. Radir tires are all new tires. They are consistent batch to batch. They also hook hard. With the proper tire prep they can and do hook like a modern tire. The radirs work best with no inner tubes. This makes the side wall more flexible so the tire will wrinkle. Proper rim width is a huge safety thing. The thinking back in the day was to put a big tire on a small rim to increase the foot print. This resulted in very spooky handling. Grab your tire gauge jump in the car and find a country road to test on. Start high on pressure and work your way down letting out a half pound at a time. I would not be opposed to putting 100-200 lbs of ballast in the trunk and see how that helps. Testing is everything.

 

I realize all cars are different but I assume there has to be a starting point that makes some sense. I have run pie crusts Hurst for years and both Hurst and Towel City get a little goofy on the sidewall the lower you go so there is probably a point of diminishing return. I have tried to see how the car performs with the Hurst in the past and 18 lbs is about as low as it goes before they do not look right. Your statement that all Towel City carcasses are old is probably selling Towel City short. I had them make my set from new tires. I would have bought Radir but they do not have an 8" tire and that is the limit that is allowed within the rules. We all know how you feel about Radir and if they are paying attention they should be leaving sets by your shop door. I realize they are most likely a better tire.

Not a big deal but trying to get an idea. I live in a residential area and the headers are open so will probably get out my oiuja board and take a stab at it at Byron.

 

Maybe Radir should be listening and make some 8 inch tires.
I would consider buying some some even though I can run a 10 inch.

 

Have fun this weekend kids... play safe !

 

X2 and somebody pleas take some pics and video as I now have to live vicariously through everyone who is there

 

Rich from radir will be there. They are giving a few sets of tires away. Talk to him about what sizes you need. If there is a demand for a size he will make it. I ran my 12x32 radirs at 14lbs on the track and 21 on the street.

 

I met Rich from Radir at the Detroit Autorama this year. He seems like a really good dude. I'm hoping to try some Radirs soon. My Towel Citys are about worn out.

Wish I could be there for the event, but its the same weekend as my daughter's graduation party. I hope everyone has a great time and a safe weekend.

I'm mounting up some M.T. slicks on the #Goldchainer today in preparation for the Meltdown and hope to get some testing in at the Detroit Dragway Reunion next weekend.

 

Thanks Tickety boo, I may need some one to push. I think I scared Salty away. But if My car survives the weekend he will be gunning for me at the melt down.

Wrenchbench, Sorry to hear of your debacle, See you at the Meltdown.

 

This will be the first time that I've run Towel City cheaters, so I don't have any first hand experience with them. However, with my old Hurst cheaters, I ran 32 lbs. and never had the problem of too little traction. Although, the Hurst's were supposed to be 8" wide, they actually measured out at 8 1/2". With a track as sticky as Byron, the traction should be pretty good, no matter what.

When ordering Towel City slicks, there is an option to go with new casing, rather than used ones. That's how I ordered mine.

 

...just heard from the "crew" that there will be a special parking area for spectators who drive old cars and hot rods...cool.

 

My Plan is to head out tomorrow night (Friday)with my truck camper and stay over at the Petro truck stop in Rochelle IL
Want to scout it out for a gathering place for entering/parking/camping together at the Meltdown Drags.
If anyone is doing the same walk on over for Bench Racing at the green 98 Chevy dually with a slide on camper.

Norb

 

Bob we will be at meltdown with a fresh tuned hemi in the digger and wish I could be there but it is what it is lol I would be using this for a tune up for meltdown if I were you lol I'm sure the salty one will be gunning for that mopar lol.

As far as the towel city tires are concerned in my willys I ran 35 psi in the tires on the track and 45 on the street it hooked good enough to pull the front wheels up at Byron even hot rod mag got the shot lol but in my dragster I run 50 in them however my tires are the 10.0 on both cars I tried to get the dragster to spin with high pressure but instead it pull the wheels up high enough to remove all 4 of them from the track lol. The track will be sticky enough I don't think anyone will have much trouble Anyway just think though if it's smoking the tires down the track it will look real good lol and be one helluva show. Just be safe that's the number one thing to remember