Weightya see the darn spot light is actually a directional aerodynamic
diverter (sneaky swedish aircraft designers!) (i figured it would get
protested if i installed one...lol!). now if i can get all my hampsters
in shape after their long winter hibernation AND(note use of the shift key?)
get them all to run in the same direction in their wheel(see saab engine
design) i gotta chance this season to hold off at least one or two cars?
LOL! as for the darn seat? well to tell ya the truth before i lost weight
i could not find a seat wide enough for me! (i guess race car drivers are
not supposed to be calorically challenged and no one told me that?) so i
took an old fiberglass racing seat i had here and cut it in half and
literally added 4 inches in it right down the center! then made a custom
bent steel frame for it out of a stock saab seat with aditional bracing
welded into it. now i find myself a bit lost in my seat! since i have
around 35lbs to go in my planned weight losses i'm not doing anything
serious yet as far as the seat goes. and as far as the losses go i have
lost 198lbs to date and am at 255lbs now. so with a tail wind....going down
hill.....flat out in fourth......the saab can do ...oh....i guess possibly
60 or 70 mph? since i have no spedo in the car just a tach and a temp gauge
i have no actual idea of the car's actual speed flat out on a long straight.
i know that the car keeps slowly building speed on long straights and just
as i'm aproaching a corner i'm finally reaching the bottom of the scale in
"red line area" on the tach. i really enjoy driving the car but i wish
there were more "slow cars" to play with out there....oh heck they'd pass me
too! LOL! (shift key again!)
geez, how many tricks can ya do to a car with no cam , no valves, and no
oiling system and the aerodnamics of a swedish potato?
i can say this much for the car. after driving the car at a few tracks up
and down the east coast i have learned a lot from this car! carrying speed
and attempting to not scrub off too much speed because regaining speed is
almost impossible to do between corners. watching my mirrors...for
evryone...and i do mean evryone! but the most importaint thing i have
learned so far is a better apreciation for my father! driving a car
similar to his (a very close replica right down to the orange color!)having
to learn how to make it perform(as well as it can?). how incredibly hot it
gets in there even with open windows. and his telling me "kid if you get
out of the car and you are not soaking wet, yer not doing it right!". i
now understand why other drivers would offer him rides and porsche offered
him a factory ride in the new 904's. he was able to get into other cars
taking the knowledge he aquired from his years of experience racing indian
motorcycles, driving in nascar and sports car racing and after some
familiarization get almost anything perform well. i'm serious about
driving the slowest and i think near, if not the smallest displacement car
at almost evry event i run. as for all the "ribbing" i get? LOL! hey man
i gotta sense of humour! look at the car i drive! :) yes i wished it
would go faster , i'd love to see what life is like at the speeds of the
mini's and sprites (and a certain red honda...) in our run group. but at
16MPG average fuel economy(on course!), a set of tires lasting a whole
season, and only needing to change plugs evry 2 events(yes all 3 of them!)
and brakes lasting an entire season....i'm not complaining about the car's
economical advantages or it's reliability. a third season without needing
to even replace the clutch makes me rather happy with the car from a
reliability stand point. and yes, i'll wave as you pass me after pointing
you by..... :) what i find funny in retrospect is that those of you who
know me take the time to wave back! :)
chuck.
"that darn orange saab"
soon to be....
"that darn slow H-mod sports racer" (but you'll recognise the smell as you
aproach it 2 corners before you see me!) (a 2 stroke early warning
device...ROFLMAO!) :)
-----Original Message-----
From: Ryan, Richard <RRyan@frk.com>
To: 'Sadek Charles H DLVA' <SadekCH@NSWC.NAVY.MIL>; 'Derek'
<dereklola@yahoo.com>; Charles Christ <cfchrist@earthlink.net>;
vintage-race@autox.team.net <vintage-race@autox.team.net>
Date: Thursday, May 22, 2003 3:31 PM
Subject: Weight
That's not a big "IF". In Formula Vee, the equation is that a 7 pound
reduction equals adding one horsepower to our sewing machines.
Dick Ryan
-----Original Message-----
From: Sadek Charles H DLVA [mailto:SadekCH@NSWC.NAVY.MIL]
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2003 10:45 AM
To: 'Derek'; Charles Christ; vintage-race@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: period correct, etc
Derek,
You DO realize that Chuck Christ has effectively DOUBLED his
horsepower, don't you? If (a big IF), 100lb = 10 hp, and Chuck lost 250
lb-which is probably close, then he effectively "gained" 25hp...which is
about what his Singer Sew.... er, SAAB "engine" produces...... So watch
out, Chuck now has 50hp...
Chuck S
YS73
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