Rallye Baie des Chaleurs

OK, I was a BIG pussy and flew in to Quebec City this year so only drove 7 hours each way. Thought I'd be more rested for the rally until I stuck on a motion sickness patch as a precaution and it kicked my ass. Two hours after waking from a good nights sleep and I was having trouble staying awake and the beginning of a headache amd really felt like shit. Not how I wanted to start so I popped an advil and chased with a RedBull and then the adrenelene of the first stage had me cured 100%.

Next thing I know we are tied for the lead with ACP and then passed him on the side of the stage. Then our motor started losing power but was still 3rd by over a minute when it eventually blew. As luck would have it, 2 corners after a group of mostly girl spectators with an abundance of beer and a shortage of English. Quebec is rally heaven in N America.

Got the car out of the forest by 2 AM and the Can-Jam crew replaced the motor and transmission and some assorted driveline and suspension peices before the 8Am driver's meeting so that we could restart the regional. We did have our back-up car with us which we used for recce but that would have been too easy.

Damn, we broke a lot shit in 2 days. The Reigers in the reccecar were all but frozen by the end of recee, 2 crispy turbos, 1 grenaded block, trans we replaced had no reverse, 2 half shafts, 2 ball joints, 1 control arm, 1 trailing arm, front bumper cover, codriver fender, light pod and 2 Xenon lights. And we never really crashed.

Spare motor was suffering some of the tuning issues the motor which failed did so we weren't setting the greatest stage times and ran the final 2 stages w/o boost nut still managed to finish 4th in regional (would have been on podium on stage times alone but took penalty for lengthy service resolving having steering again, steering is nice to have).

Great weather during the rally itself. Not a hot or dusty Baie. Took a hike on my roadtrip there to stratch legs and encountered a moose in a remote pond. We ate lunch together until it noticed me.

Congrats to everyone who finished.

Dave, glad you were there with Leo. Sounds like he did his best, and like he was kicking ass as we all expected. Too bad for the issues that came up.

I knew he'd be fast, and I knew he could play with the big kids... never expected it so soon. Hard to make the car reliable though when expensive things keep breaking.

Wish I could have been there. But I did enjoy a weekend at the in-law's cottage, and made a trip to see my father and work on the interior walls of the new shop.

Caught this sucker monday morning.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2008 12:19PM by dtompsett.

"Martin Walter finished with teeth chattering after front boingers that refused to boing."

Yep, bent both front struts again :-(
Will post video of C5 sometime, we laughed so hard we cried watching it Sat night, every bump knocked the wind out of us.

We soldiered on, finished and won our class... because everyone else DNF'd!

John, we need to discuss a new setup. I think they are bending because the tubes are too short and the inserts are only engaged in one bushing on full droop... any sort of sideways whack at that point and they're fucked. Spare tube finally made it's way to me at Baie... it's about 4" longer. I need to see if I can make it work,

-Martin

MRWmotorsports Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Martin Walter finished with teeth chattering
> after front boingers that refused to boing."
>
> Yep, bent both front struts again :-(
> Will post video of C5 sometime, we laughed so hard
> we cried watching it Sat night, every bump knocked
> the wind out of us.
>
> We soldiered on, finished and won our class...
> because everyone else DNF'd!
>
> John, we need to discuss a new setup. I think they
> are bending because the tubes are too short and
> the inserts are only engaged in one bushing on
> full droop... any sort of sideways whack at that
> point and they're fucked. Spare tube finally made
> it's way to me at Baie... it's about 4" longer. I
> need to see if I can make it work,
>
> -Martin
>
Martin look at the tube length. Tell me if, presuming it was full threaded for your special needs, it can fit regarding OAL.
About to do a run of new tubes and I could do 3 full threaded I belive.
We can call it a 'semi-warranty' or something.
I can also send you my jigs used for straightening the inserts if you want.
I'll be back on the 12th so get holt of me when I am not jet-lagged, OK.


>

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

john vanlandingham Wrote:
> > John, we need to discuss a new setup. I think
> they
> > are bending because the tubes are too short
> and
> > the inserts are only engaged in one bushing
> on
> > full droop... any sort of sideways whack at
> that
> > point and they're fucked. Spare tube finally
> made
> > it's way to me at Baie... it's about 4"
> longer. I
> > need to see if I can make it work,
> >
> > -Martin
> >
> Martin look at the tube length. Tell me if,
> presuming it was full threaded for your special
> needs, it can fit regarding OAL.
> About to do a run of new tubes and I could do 3
> full threaded I belive.
> We can call it a 'semi-warranty' or something.
> I can also send you my jigs used for straightening
> the inserts if you want.
> I'll be back on the 12th so get holt of me when I
> am not jet-lagged, OK.


Yep, will check to see if OAL can fit...
If you can do me a super-bitchin deal on 2 full threadded tubes I'll be a happy man!
In fact, why not make them, and not weld in the bottom.. I can shorten them to fit.. if 1' or 2" shorter than full, it'll still be longer than what I have!

These inserts won't straighten! They're bent big time!

-Martin.

MRWmotorsports Wrote:
-
> Yep, will check to see if OAL can fit...
> If you can do me a super-bitchin deal on 2 full
> threadded tubes I'll be a happy man!
> In fact, why not make them, and not weld in the
> bottom.. I can shorten them to fit.. if 1' or 2"
> shorter than full, it'll still be longer than what
> I have!
>
> These inserts won't straighten! They're bent big
> time!
>
> -Martin.

Ok. I'll be back on the 12th but jet-lagged lots, lets work sumpin out.
The length thing for that car has driven me crazy, and I'm sure it has not made you very happy but shit that had some of the shortest stuff AND those wierd ass "hiked up" ear position. Grrrrrrrr.
We'll get it.

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

OAL of the tubes I require is 12.5" Threaded all the way down except the bottom 2" which needs to be undersized so my threaded "eras" can fit over.
I pulled the old stuff apart and the problem was that on full extension the insert wasn't engaged in lower bushing. Inserts are kinked right at the point where they should start to engage.

Can you get me a pair of these tubes by first week of Aug? Next event is Aug 9th.
I don't care about plating...

Let me know.

-Martin.

John,
I tried calling 3 or 4 times. Have sent PM.

-Martin.

MRWmotorsports Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> John,
> I tried calling 3 or 4 times. Have sent PM.
>
> -Martin.

Just tried calling again, no answer.

No answer to my PM.

No answer to my question above...
"Can you get me a pair of these tubes by first week of Aug? Next event is Aug 9th.
I don't care about plating... "
I'd consider any stage of completion.

-Martin.

MRWmotorsports Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MRWmotorsports Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > John,
> > I tried calling 3 or 4 times. Have sent PM.
> >
> > -Martin.
>
> Just tried calling again, no answer.
>
> No answer to my PM.
>
> No answer to my question above...
> "Can you get me a pair of these tubes by first
> week of Aug? Next event is Aug 9th.
> I don't care about plating... "
> I'd consider any stage of completion.

MARTIN,
JUST GOT IN FROM DINNER. Guest from Toranto visiting,
but the answer is YES 98% positive we can get the tubes done full length threaded and to ya by first week in August.
We better order some inserts MONDAY is you're certain we can't straighten those you have.

John
>
> -Martin.
>
>
>
>
>

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Sorry if I seem impatient, I just want to go rallying...

Inserts have already been sent to Bilstein for rebuilding and will be back in plenty of time.

-Martin.

Rebuilt inserts were shipped from Bilstein yesterday.
How's the production run, in production?
98% still?

-Martin.

MRWmotorsports Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rebuilt inserts were shipped from Bilstein
> yesterday.
> How's the production run, in production?
> 98% still?
>
> -Martin.

95%?

We're basically getting pretty close to must ship them to me soon in order for me to get them in time to install and leave on the 8th...

Backup plan will have to go into effect this weekend... It won't be pretty!

-Martin.

MRWmotorsports Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MRWmotorsports Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Rebuilt inserts were shipped from Bilstein
> > yesterday.
> > How's the production run, in production?
> > 98% still?
> >
> > -Martin.
>
> 95%?
>
> We're basically getting pretty close to must ship
> them to me soon in order for me to get them in
> time to install and leave on the 8th...
>
> Backup plan will have to go into effect this
> weekend... It won't be pretty!

Tubes are in the lathe as we speak, will keep you update with blow by blow reports.
How we shipping these?
>
> -Martin.

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

john vanlandingham Wrote:
> >
> > We're basically getting pretty close to must
> ship
> > them to me soon in order for me to get them
> in
> > time to install and leave on the 8th...
> >
> > Backup plan will have to go into effect this
> > weekend... It won't be pretty!
>
> Tubes are in the lathe as we speak, will keep you
> update with blow by blow reports.
> How we shipping these?

Was planning on UPS - To the UPS store in Ogdensburg. "Ground" will likely take too long. Might have to spring for express, want to avoid the bend over and take it overnight air if possible :-)

I can make it there any night after work before they close...
The I get to "bend over" at the border on the way home :-)

Attn: Martin Walter
The UPS Store #2946
2981 Ford St Extension
Ogdensburg,
NY 13669-3474,
United States

-Martin.