Towed the car to Brainerd on Friday to make the first test passes on the car. It hadn't moved under its own power in 40 years. I didn't arrive at the track until noon. Took my time getting there, as I was absolutely burned out, and it's no fun rushing things. Brainerd it the perfect track to shakedown a new car. The track is wide, extremely long shut down, and the pit area is massive, so you can drive the car around and get used to it. After paying for my tech card, it was time to drive the car around, get some heat into it, and make sure everything is functioning. As I backed away from the trailer, I hear a crunching sound. [censored]. Thought something in the front end was broke. Get out of the car, and notice my winch cable isn't pulled out like normal. "Who wound that up?" I thought... Looked under the car, and realized I forgot to unhook it from the K member. Pulled the cable out from under the car, and got lucky. No damage to the car, but now how was I going to load the car into the trailer? It sits too low to drive it in, and try to get out, as the doors will hit the inner fenders of the trailer. I'll worry about it later. Got back in the car, and drove it around the facility, and probably put 5 miles on the car, just in the pits. Never got over 140*. Back at the trailer, and everything looks good, so I head to the staging lanes. Figured I'd just make a nice easy pass, get the car to 60mph or so, and coast through. Just as I pull into the burnout box, the thought of making a 60' hit crosses my mind. Do a light burnout, stage the car, and as the tree is activated, I put the motor on the 2 step. It's still set from the old car at 5200. Lights go down, drop the clutch, and the launches straight as a arrow, shift light comes on at 6500, I grab second gear, still dead straight. Shift light comes on again, and I pull third, and it hits me, this was supposed to be a easy pass, don't push your luck, so I lifted, clicked it into 4th gear, and coasted the rest of the way down the track. With the long shutdown, it gave my plenty of time listen to things. No gear whine, nothing... pulled onto the return road, and pulled off to the side. Undid all my safety gear, and was going to make my way back the the trailer. When I hit the starter button, the starter would not engage. Battery voltage had gotten too low, as the alternator isn't completely hooked up. After some luck, I did manage to get the engine to wheel over, and fire up. I was almost to the ET shack when the engine started to stumble, and die. I had forgotten to turn the fuel pump back on... I thought to myself "Is this the first time you've ever raced?" With some more luck, I was able to get the engine refired , and back moving. As I drove down the pit road the engine started to sound horrible. Now what? A quick inspection showed the header gaskets were leaking. My spare header gaskets were forgotten at home. Went to another Mopar racer and asked if he had a spare set. "Got a used set you can have." I take them. Got the gaskets replaced, and fire the engine back up. Still making a odd noise. Pull the passenger side valve cover, and everything looks great. Onto the driver side. Didn't take long to see the problem. The rocker shaft hold down bolt had backed out, causing the #7 cylinder rockers to open up the lash. Tightened that back down, checked the lash, and everything was good again. Just as I was buttoning everything up, the staging lanes closed. Guess I'll have to wait for the next day.

Very Cool !!!! great 60

Nice, glad you had no serious issues, my Cousin goes to Brainerd, he's asked me to come over and go to the track with him, I might do sooner or later. Good luck with the car.
Mick

Nice front half , for a easy short pass .
Congrats

Tex

Saturday morning brought on a new day. Feeling better with some sleep and knowing the car launched straight, some of the nerves had calmed down. Paid for another day of Test and Tune, and was told I'd be running after the first round of eliminations of Super Pro, which would be after lunch time. Since I'm in no rush, it doesn't bother me. Around 12:30, they call test and tune to the lanes. Pull the car up, and play the waiting game. About 20 minutes later our line starts moving. As I pull up to the line, my thoughts are racing in my head. Do I make a 660' pass? 1000'? Do the burnout, and stage the car. Lights come down, plant the throttle to the floor, and the 2 step does its job of holding at 5200. Drop the clutch, and the car launches straight as a arrow once again. I'm running this thing out to a 1000'... Well maybe 1100'... maybe 12000'... I lifted at about 1290'. On deceleration, I checked the gauges. Oil pressure=80lbs. Check, Water Temp=150*. Check. What is that odd noise? Click off the ignition, roll the car onto the return road, and call my buddy to come get me with the golf cart, and by the way, can you pick up my time slip at the ET shack?

Beautiful car Jeff! Great to see you and it on the track again!

Jeff what was the odd noise? Was it your heart beating from pulling gears down the track again
Very nice job on the the entire build and I hope to see it at Norwalk next year

Gus

Seems like Joel isn't the only MN. guy that can write a story to keep us on the edge of our seats.

Tis the season. lol
I did my first hit at the Osceola , Wisconsin " Wings and Wheels " car and air show yesterday.
They has a radar run on the main runway.
No prepped surface , but it told me a lot.
I know the feeling about being nervous.........I legged it to about 3/4 track and lifted and I wasn't even sure how to behave on the launch.
I haven't made a lap in anger in a long , long time.
I tested on the street by my house and found a technique that cut down the wheel spin on that surface.........which was about the same as what we ran on.
Leave off idle and roll into it , short shift second and by the time I was in third I just let it eat.
Somewhere around 100 m.p.h. , the car started to porpoise and it was getting more pronounced as the car continued to accelerate , so I lifted.
But I haven't felt that feeling in a good while and the grin is still pretty much a permanent fixture on my mug.
What was the last strange noise ?
I didn't have any of that , but I had about 100 miles of street play in the last couple weeks to try and find those.

Well done Jeff!Your 60' is about what mine does. You put a heckuva lot of hard work into that car. It looks great and it is something you should be proud of. I hope some of the other members here can be inspired by your dedication to your project! And...After all of that work I think you are pretty hungry...Joel! Take the kid out for a nice steak dinner! He really earned it!

Car looks awesome. Hope you get it figured out. What was the odd noise you heard?

Jeff, great to see you at the track! My apology for not taking time to visit. Chased a lot of gremlins that day! Found most of them,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ok Jeff.... the car hasn’t made passes in 40 years. Don’t take that long to tell your tale!

I sure didn't take it personal Greg. Bummer you had to leave early, and hope the issues are minor.

Joel, and I kinda made the decision after Billy's passing, that we were going to take detailed notes about our 2019 Drag Week experience, and try and fill 1/1000th of Billy's shoes. But with the decision to not attend this year, I'm going to try to do my best, and polish up my story telling skills, giving the rundown of this weekend.

Glad to see things went fairly well!

As I am waiting for buddy to arrive with the golf cart, to be pulled back to our pit area, it gives me a chance to look over the car. Nothing dripping, no tire rub, just a nice peaceful day in the woods, on a chilly fall day. Then it runs through my head, "I wonder how it ran?" It felt decent, could it possibly have ran in the 9's? Now the suspense is killing me. A few minutes later, off in the distance, I can see a golf cart headed my way. My buddy driving, with his daughter next to him. But they are not alone. I spied the outline of a Paul Bunyan sized man, riding on the back. I think I know that guy... It's none other than HEMI Joel! Great, he's here to rub it in, that he doesn't have to buy me a steak dinner yet...

So Mike pulls up on the golf cart, his Daughter Becky is smiling, but doesn't say anything. Joel, climes off the back, as Mike is handing me the time slip. Joel says "Well I don't think that run should count, as you do not have a certified cage, and your car needs to be pulled back to the pit." I'm like [censored]... Look at the slip, and it says 9.88... I'm thinking, Hold on a minute, we never made these rules? Joel, starts laughing, sticks out his hand, and says CONGRATULATIONS!!! So on the very second pass the car has made it, and runs 9's.

We get the car pulled back to the trailer, and I pull off the driver side valve cover. There it is.. The intake rocker on #5 had backed off, and the pushrod was just laying there next to it. Pulled out the pushrod, cleaned it up, then rolled it on the countertop in the trailer, and it looked like it wasn't bent. Reinstalled the pushrod, adjusted the lash, put on the valve cover, and fired the car up. Sounded great, so I waited around to be called back up, and got to think about my future dinner choice...

Awesome Jeff! Love reading this!

Sweet
Stout pass. Running 9’s on an initial outing with s stick isnt an easy thing to do
Its a testament to your skill and planning
Super job!!!

Sounds like a fun successful weekend and the car came out awesome. You should be very proud with the results

After a little while, the call comes for Test and Tune cars to the lanes, so I unhook the battery charger, check the fuel cell (by the way, I'd never build car without a clear fuel cell again), do a quick check of air pressure (11lbs), and fire the car up, and head to the lanes, once again. Things are moving quite a bit faster this time, as they are now getting into the 3rd round of eliminations. Figure I better get in the car early, as it's definitely a little more time consuming using a window net, and hooking up the NecksGen (Hans device). Since it's only in the mid 60's temp wise, buckling up in the car doesn't bother me. It's warmer in there LOL. Doesn't take long, and the lanes start moving. The car instantly fires up, and off we go. Pull into the burnout box, and as the car is rolling, go from 1st gear to 3rd, set the brakes, hit the line lock, given the motion to go, bring the engine up to about 4000, and snap the clutch, and mat the throttle. The engine almost instantly revs to 7000. With driving a stick car, you get the feel of the clutch some in the burnout box. Are the tires actually spinning, or just sitting there, and your clutch disc material is waving goodbye? It feels fine, and after a count of three, I release the line lock, and the car starts moving forward. Before the tires dead hook, I lift off the throttle, and stab the clutch. Put the car back into 1st gear, and creep up to the starting line. Once staged, and the lights start coming down, I mat the gas again, engine almost instantly goes to 5200. I'm not really concerned with my R/T, so I leave late. Don't care... Drop the clutch, and I'm off. Doesn't feel bad, but not great. Maybe I'm just getting used to the car? It's runs flawlessly, and again, straight as a arrow. I run the thing out, and it goes through the traps about 6500. Push the clutch in, and kill the ignition. Nice dead silence. No gear whine, and car is running straight. Brakes do not pull. I'm in heaven. Now will it make noise again, when I fire it back up? Nope. The sweet sound of a healthy big block! All I could think of on the return road was, I wonder if that was better than my earlier pass? Pull up to the E/T shack, get my ticket, and a piece of candy, and start heading back to the pits. Glanced at my time slip, and was pleasantly surprised! A new personal best E/T, and MPH, all on the 3rd pass the car has ever made. Now I felt like it was a success!

Outstanding !!!
The car looks great and runs great.
Win - Win.
Congratulations.

That's a nice first outing, I'm sure it will get better.

So whats for dinner?

That's rowing that shifter

Here ya go Jeff you earned it. Porterhouse fresh off the charcoal grill. Sorry my dog Dana beat you to the bone.

Great job Jeff!

Now that the car is working well, I decided it was time to maybe tinker with it some. Do I adjust the shocks? Tire pressure? Wasn't real sure where to start. Talked to a buddy of mine that runs a low 9 second 64 Falco, and we run the exact same tire, and his car used to run a stick. He said he was running about 7-8 lbs in the tires, and then asked what I ran? Was between 12.5-13lbs. He started laughing, and said, air them down. Remembering what Monte Smith always told me about air pressure, "Keep going up, until the car starts going slower"... Not sure what to do, as I've never ran this tire before, I figured I'd lower them a bit, and see what it does, so I dropped the tire pressure down to 10.5, added some fuel, and headed to the lanes. I got paired with another friend, that has been a Trunk Monkey on Drag Week, and had his cool 2 tons of fun '57 Ford there, and it runs low 11's. We both stage, the engine hit's 5200, and off I go. Car doesn't feel bad, but I can tell it's just a tick off. Get my time slip, and sure enough the 60' shows it must have spun. Ran 9.830, at 138mph. I'm over all happy, so I call it a day. See the link of the video from that pass. Labeled it wrong. Should say 9.83

The day was capped off with a group photo, of my buddies, and cars. The 4 of us will be making the trek to Monster Mopar next year. This is the crew that put me up to the "One Year Challenge". It took 2 years, and 3 months, but without the push, who knows how far along I'd be?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYQL-wSgkwU

Car looks great Jeff.

My Cuda is a 3074 M/T stiff sidewall. I run 10.5-10.8 depending on the track. Go pro or pics of the sidewall are always beneficial too. Mines 3170 w/ me in it. 4spd 9.20’s. I really like the M/T over the Phoenix I used to run. Picked up .03 in 60’ with them.

I run the 3074 tire as well. Also running tubes, and double beadlocks.

Sunday morning I was feeling happy with everything, so I made my way to place that sells tech cards. Filled it out, headed to tech, and received my run sticker. We only get one time run before eliminations start, So I was wondering if I should change anything. Figured I'd tighten up the front shock on extension 3 clicks. Left air pressure alone, and Pro was the first class called to the lanes, since it is the biggest group of cars. Also running through my mind is the thought of trying to cut a light. Haven't really tried while testing. The lanes move quickly, and I manage to get all my gear on right away, and I'm maybe 6 pairs of cars back. Was kind of a different feeling, being strapped into the car, and the National anthem starts playing. I can hear it in the car clear as a bell, and Old Glory is right in front of my waving, on a beautiful, crisp morning. About 3 seconds after the Anthem is finished, the first pair of cars fires up. Lets get this party started!

I roll the car into the burnout box, and everything is starting to feel "normal" now, and the car, and I are becoming good friends. But can I cut a light? That question came real quick. NOPE. Red -.039. Car leaves hard though, and I'm thinking it likes the tighter front shock. I'm rewarded with a 1.38 60', the fastest so far. Top of second gear comes up, go to pull third, and the trans is asking what for? Would not initially go into 3rd. Push forward on the handle, and all is good. [censored] was that? NEVER has that happened in 19 years of owning that trans. Pull 4th, and the car is pulling like crazy yet. Cross the stripe, lift out of the throttle, stab the clutch, and kill the ignition. The 4 wheel Wilwood brakes, and super long shutdown at Brainerd, make it easy.

Hmm wondering what it ran, with a messed up 2-3 shift? Get the time slip, and was shocked it still pulled off a 9 second pass. I don't think I could have removed the smile on my face if I tried.

Wow! My beater has nothing for you! Good job! Tell Mike I said howdy!

The for Pro to the lanes is called, and now I have to decide what to put on the car for a dial in. The last passes 330's should have been around a 9.80 or about there, so that is what I wrote on the window. Not happy with how the car responded to lowering the tire pressure, I raised it to 12.5lbs, and then tightened the front shock extension 3 more clicks. I know. Not supposed to be making changes before first round, but figured if I had the other guy covered, I'd be OK, and could wheel race him. Back up to the staging lanes.

Cars are paired off with a card system. Depending on what lane you are in. The Staging lane director shuffles a deck of cards, and if she pulls your lane number, she points, and off you go. I am in the far left lane. I'm two cars back from the front, and cars are being pulled non stop out of the 3 lanes to my right. Did they forget to add this lane? About 10 minutes in, finally the Lady points at me, and I pull into the left lane, and I'm about 10 cars back from the starting line. I look to my right to see who I'm paired up against, and slump my head. The car is a 1973 Duster. The only other stick car running in Pro. The car runs a old NASCAR small block, with a Lenco trans. He leaves at 7500, and shifts the thing at 9500. Wicked piece. BTW, he bought the car brand new in 1973! Great guy, and him and I talked for hours over the weekend, as he stopped by to look at the car multiple times. Anyways, he is dialed in at 9.50, to my 9.80. As the tree comes down, I mash the throttle, and the engine goes up on the 2 step at 5200, but in the other lane I can hear the sweet sound of a P5R7 symphony. I snap the clutch, and the car leaves like it's never left before. As I am about to pull second gear, I see his win light come on. True Start doesn't show your RED light right away. Well I'm done, but I'm going to let this thing hang all the way out, as it feels good. As I reach about the 1300 foot mark, I can hear the nasty Small block getting close, but I never see him. Well? How RED was I??? Pick up my timeslip, and it hurts. -.008 Dang... But LOOK at that! 9.72 @ 137mph!!!! A new best again, and the car is headed home in one piece. Complete WIN for myself I feel.

Here is a video of that run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADLsZ8tzQvk

As I pull back to the trailer, I see HEMI Joel packing up his camper, and is almost ready to leave. He stops by the car, congratulates me, and right away says. "I want a new bet"! LOL. OK, what do you have in mind? He tells me, and I gladly take him up on the challenge.

So here it is:

So in the end, I can't thank everyone enough for the kind words, and for Joel being a good sport. Even though we had a bet against one another, he was always willing to lend a hand, no questions asked. Joel helped with the front end alignment Thursday night, before I left, and the car runs dead straight thanks to him. He is a busy guy, and for him to make the trek to Brainerd, and hang out to watch his second dollar possibly leaving his wallet, says a lot about him. Thanks Joel! You are a true friend.

Jeff, I wouldn't have missed it! The RR really was extraordinary in it's performance and lack of teething pains, you did a great job with it. I don't mind paying up on the bet, you earned it. But don't get used to it, this new bet is going to have a different outcome!

Joel, Jeff and I tried to warn you @ Drag week in St. Louis years ago how fast those old boat anchor 400 blocks could be and Hemi's beware. Lol

Jeff ? very COOL, & you are an AWESOME writer,story teller, cool car too !!!

I'm starting to see that. That big bore is a good thing.

Great job with the car and the storytelling Jeff!

Car looks great, runs great. Time to beat it up and run some laps. Have fun.
Doug

Congrats! Well worth the wait!!!

Awesome car and story!!

Again ...nice work Jeff! successful build...keep us updated.

Thanks Doug! Your car is one of my favorites, and made me raise my personal level of detail work. Hope to finally see your car in person next year at Monster Mopar Weekend.

Jeff

Congrats on the success of your build. Beautiful and fast, right out of the box.
It doesn't get much better than that !

Mark

Looks great and runs nice too! Nice job on the car. I'm sure there's more in with when you figure out what it likes. Had to feel great banging the gears again!