1969 Toyota 2000GT

[fndrbndr]

Going to try something new here.  After all, all the cool kids are doing it.  Sincerest apologies to Blooze for blatantly ripping off his storline...I mean...um....taking his suggestion and running with it.  

It was just another day at the university.  It was February, so it was a frigid 81 degrees for a high, and the wind reminded Fndr why it was nice to live in Florida.  He and Doc were having an incredibly unhealthy lunch, a bit of a tradition of theirs.  That's when things got interesting.

Fndrbndr:  Anyway, Lynn's all about taking that trip this weekend, and I'm glad to go, but I've got too many irons in the fire.

Doc:  I know what you mean.  It's funny, I retired five years ago, and now I'm working fifty hours a week instead of thirty.  Oh well, at least I've got good guys running the business for me.  How's your thesis going?

Fndrbndr:  You don't wanna know.  I've typed up my appendices and everything, and I've read most of the lit review stuff, but I'm having trouble putting it all together.

Doc:  Well, you'll get it done.  Can you come over for a couple beers tomorrow?  

Fndrbndr:  I'd love to.  Really, I would.  

Doc:  But?

Fndrbndr:  Actually, Lynn's going to be workin late tomorrow.  I guess I could swing by.  Why?

Doc:  Eh, just figured it'd be fun.  

(Fndr's cell goes off)

Fndr:  It's my grandmother.  I'll call her back.

Doc:  Naw, man, take it.  Hell, you never see any of the folks back home anymore.  They might wanna hear your voice.  

Fndr:  Well, ok, then, if you don't mind....

Grandma:  Hey, dear, how are you?

Fndr:  I'm fine, Grandma, how are ya?

Grandma:  Well, I'm good, but I've got some bad news.

Fndrbndr:  Oh no..what's up?

Grandma:  Do you remember Uncle Lester?

Fndrbndr:  Vaguely.  I remember seeing him at family reunions and such.  Why?

Grandma:  Well, you know he lived down near Winter Park, right?  (silence)  Well, he passed away Thursday.  The physical therapist found him.  Anyway, no one else is down there, and I wondered if you'd go by his place and clean things up.  He was a little bit spartan, to say the least, so it shouldn't take long.  Cousin Richie is getting the house, and he says he's going to sell it.  He'd give you a good price, but I know you're moving this fall.

Fndrbndr:  Yeah, I'll go by, but I'm not much of a cleaner.  

Grandma:  That reminds me; tell Lynn she should check her voicemail more often.  Thank you for doing this.  I appreciate it.  Are you still coming up in a few weeks?

Fndrbndr:  Yeah.  I'm really looking forward to it.

Doc:  Is everything OK?

Fndrbndr:  Yeah.  My great uncle passed on, and .... Grandma, I'm sorry, but I'm kind of with someone right now.  Doc and I are having lunch.  Can I call you back later?

Grandma:  That'll be fine, dear.  Stormy says hi.

Fndrbndr:  Well, tell Stormy I said hi back.  Love you.  (click.)

Doc:  Were you close?

Fndrbndr:  Not as close as I'd like to be.  I saw him at family reunions, but that's about it.  He hadn't made it up to the last few.  They need me to clean out the house.  That's probably our plan for this weekend, since Lynn and I are headed up to Chattanooga the one after that.

Doc:  Well, if there's anything I can do, let me know.  By the way, who's Stormy?

Fndrbndr:  My grandmother's poodle.  Yeah yeah, laugh it up....

They ate in silence.  When Fndr got home, he and his wife made plans for cleaning the house.  Grandma tells them there's a main house and a converted guest house, which is now a shed.  It should be a big job, and Cousin Richie has agreed to let them keep anything they want for their troubles, aside from the obvious heirlooms and such.  Since Lynn can actually clean, she takes the inside, and Fndr will take the shed.  They arrive at the address early Saturday morning.

Fndrbndr:  Well, this is the place.  Shall we?

Lynn:  Well, this should be easy.  It looks pristine.

Fndrbndr:  Don't judge a book by its cover.  Let's see what we're in for.

Sure enough, the house is beautiful inside.  Everything is exactly where it belongs, and nothing looks out of place at all.

Lynn:  You're right, dear.  This is going to take a while. Look at this mess.

Fndrbndr (shrugging):  Um, ok, if you say so.  I'm going to the shed.

The shed looks like it was once clean and well-organized.  It's still well-organized.  Tools are on pegboards and in drawers all around.  After removing a few cobwebs and what we'll hope isn't a brown recluse, Fndr gets down to the dry-rotted tarps in the other half of the shed.  First is a riding lawn mower.  It's still in good shape.  A few others are covering large, industrial-type toolchests, with more drawers than Fndr has in his dresser.  Then came the real kicker. Fnd just had to call Doc on this one.

Fndrbndr:  Doc, you won't believe this, man.

Doc:  Hey.  Aren't you cleaning up your Uncle's house today?

Fndrbndr:  Yeah.  You might wanna get over here and see this.  It's something.

Doc:  You wanna be more specific?

Fndrbndr:  It's got four wheels and it's probably older than I am.  And I think it's European or something.

With that, Doc came right on over.  About twenty minutes later, he came in, and his jaw dropped.

Doc:  Fndr, you know what that is, right?

Fndr:  Yeah, it's a car.  Must be one of those old European jobs, with the wheel on the right and all.

Doc  Man, what do they teach you in school thesedays?  That's a 2000GT.  As in, Toyota.  Do you know whether it still runs?

Fndr:  Probably not.  I mean, the tires are dry rotted.  It's been here a while.

Doc:  Well, not much of an interior left either.  Let's pop the hood.  (Fndr obliges, careful not to find another of those spiders we hope isn't a brown recluse.)  Hm....that's no good, no good at all.

Fndr:  What?  It's set for too long, hasn't it?

Doc:  Well, that's part of the problem.  It sure won't start in this state.  It's missing a coil wire right there.  Of course, that's no good without the battery.  And you know what else it needs, right?

Fndr:  Well, I'm no expert, but a battery isn't any good without an engine, is it?

Doc:  That too.  I hope they don't just sell it off for scrap.  There weren't many of these that made it to the states.

Fndr:  Hope not.  Maybe it's one of those heirlooms grandma was talking about.  I don't know.  I sure can't just throw this in a trash can though.

Doc:  Didn't stop you with those paint cans.  I thought you were a tree hugger or something?

Fndr:  Yeah, um, a professor told me straight white men were responsible for all the world's problems.  I figured I was behind on my quota.  I'll make a few calls and see what she wants me to do with this.

Doc:  Well, the parts might not be here, but you've got the tools to do just about anything.  Have you looked in these boxes?  This is professional stuff.

Fndr:  Yeah, he was a machinist or something.  I'm not sure, exactly.  (Fndr pulls out a $20)  Um, would you mind makin a beer run?  Something other than Natty Light please?

Doc:  For a college kid, you sure are picky....be happy to.  It's on me.  Make your phone call.  When I get back, I'll be waiting outside.  Take your time.

Fndr:  Ok.  (scrolling through his cell phone)

Well, seems Fndr's got a situation on his hands.  But where are we headed next?  What will they do with the old car?  And what about the tools and such?  And more importantly, will Doc bring back a halfway decent beer?

[Blooze]

Cool!

I turned the page...

$

[fndrbndr]

Glad you're enjoying my blatant plagiarism of your idea, Blooze.  Here's the next page:

Grandma and Grandpa never kept a quiet house.  Stormy was barking, the TV was cranked so Grandpa could hear it, and between the five kids, 13 grandkids, and three church committees, the phone was usually ringing.  This was one of those times.

Grandma:  I'll get it.  Pete, can you turn that down?  (Grandpa doesn't move.  He's in front of the TV, and, um, "not asleep.")  Hello?

Fndr:  Hey, grandma, it's me.  Listen, do you have Richie's number?  I think I need to talk to him about this one.

Grandma:  What's wrong?

Fndr:  Probably nothing, but it seems Lester had a classic car at one point.

Grandma:  Well, sort of.  I don't think it ran the last few years.

Fndr:  Well, it needs an interior, tires, battery, engine, starter, and paintjob, but other than that, it's drivable.

Grandma:  Like your Buick?

Fndr (jokingly):  You will not speak ill of the beast....

Grandma:  I don't think Richie would want that thing.  Let me get his number for you.  And by the way, he was Les to that part of the family, not Lester.  I don't think it would offend anyone, but just to let you know...

Grandma, who never imparted her organizational skills on her scatterbrained grandson, goes through her "brain," a red address book that's been corrected so many times that the common initials cover more pages than they were originally alotted.  She gives Fnd the number.  After the obligatory poodle talk, Fnd hangs up to call Richie.

Richie:  Hello?

Fndr:  Hey, Richie, this is Fnd, Carol's grandson.  I'm down here at Les's place, and I need to talk to you about something.

Richie:  The place isn't bad, is it?  Dad always kept a fairly clean home.

Fndr:  My wife's a neat freak, and she's in hog heaven.  It's not that bad at all.  She's the kind to re-vaccuum a carpet so it has "the lines," whatever that means.  Anyway, I'm out in the toolshed, and...

Richie:  Take it.  There's nothing in the toolshed I'd want.

Fndr:  Well, let me finish.  He's got an old Toyota in here.  My buddy says it's some kind of classic.  He's also got a ton of tools.  I don't know what to do with half of them, but they're worth as much as anything likely to show up inside.

Richie:  Take them.  Neither of us lives in the area, so I'm listing the house for sale.  I talked to my sister, and all we want are his pocketwatch, a couple of knives....if you have an email address, I can send you the list. 

Fndr:  Yeah, sure.  What about the car?

Richie:  I don't know what kind of shape it's in, but I don't have any use for it.  If you want it, it's yours.  Knowing Dad, the title will be in a drawer in his desk, in the living room.  I'm the executor, and I'm coming down next week.  I'll sign it over to you.  Look, other than the few things in the email, we really just want everything out, and we appreciate you doing this.  I even pay somebody to change my oil.  I don't care about classic cars or whatever, and the tools would just take up space.  If you can find a way to use them, they're yours.  I don't know whether Carol told you, but you can have anything but the few heirlooms, and trust me, there weren't many.  He wasn't a material guy.

Doc was waiting outside, choking down somethin that tasted like milk, day-old coke, and a loaf of bread.  It was about as heavy, too.

Doc:  I thought guiness was supposed to be the best beer in the world.

Fndr:  Well, I don't know about that.  Thanks for the gesture, though. 

Doc:  Uh, sure.  Well, what's the story?

Fndr:  The just want the garage empty.  I can have the tools and the car.  Richie just wants to sell the house.  He can't make any use of it.

Doc:  Well, I've got a buddy who's got a rollback. 

Fndr:  Seems like a lot of work, though.

Doc:  Yeah, but it's the good kind.  I've got a garage big enough to keep it in, if you want.  It looks like you couldn't ask for a better toolkit than you just inherited.  Might as well make use of it.

Fndr:  I guess you've got a point.  I can't clean this place out til it's out of here anyway.  Could I put the tools there, too?

Doc:  I think I could trade you the use of the space if I could borrow the tools here and there.

Fndr:  Sounds good to me. 

Doc and Fndr were hammering out the details when Lynn came out.  She was more enthusiastic about cleaning than anyone you'll likely meet, and it showed.

Lynn:  I got the baseboards, and I've swept, mopped, dusted, vaccuumed....I even got the lines.

Fndr:  Um, great, dear.  Listen, I think we just hit a little snag.

Lynn:  What now?

Fndr:  Well, I think we just inherited a classic car and a garage full of tools.

Lynn:  We don't have room for all that.  You're already taking up an extra parking place in the apartment complex with your bike.  Oh well....so it's really nice?

Doc:  Well, sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between "classic" and "dilapidated."  Sometimes it's pretty obvious.  Sometimes we respect the dead, and don't speak ill of their dilapidated rustbuckets.

Fndr:  Doc and I were talking about fixing it up over at his place.

Lynn:  I'm fine with that.  Do you have time, with the thesis and applications and everything?

Fndr:  I should.

Doc:  That stuff comes first, of course. Just come by every couple of Saturdays, and we'll get a little more done on it.  It'll never be a show car, but it could be a decent something.  Come take a look.

Lynn (walking into the garage):  Yeah, dilapidated is about right.  Is it fixable?

Fndr:  It probably needs a few parts.  I'll probably call your grandad and see what he thinks.  He's a car guy.

Lynn:  That's a bad idea.  The only European cars he likes are the Mercedes sedans. 

Doc:  It's a....nevermind.  Kids today....(grumble grumble)

Fndr:  Apparently it's some rare old Toyota.  I'd never seen it before either.  I thought it might be some sort of Elise at first.

Doc:  A what?  Why, I.....Tell you what.  I drove the truck today.  We can probably fit the tools in the back, if some of the smaller stuff goes in your car.  In one trip, maybe two, we can have most of this knocked out.  Let's get to it.

Lynn:  Aren't you going to finish your beers first?

Doc:  Um....that's ok, you can have it.  Let's get to it, man.  I'll call Zeke on the way, see if he can come out and tow this thing for us.

Well, it looks like we're gettin somewhere.  I don't know just where, but somewhere, anyway.  Richie just wants the things out of the way, and Doc's gonna let Fndr put 'em up at his place for a while.  But what in the world will a retiree and a grad student do with make-your-own Toyota kit?  Stay tooned...

[fndrbndr]

Doc's garage is about the size of Fndr's apartment.  They start rolling the toolboxes off the truck and setting up pegboards.  Of course, this is never done in silence.  Janice, Doc's wife, is looking on.

Janice:  Good grief, that toolbox is the size of a refrigerator.

Doc:  Yeah.  It's got a lot of tools in it, too.  I'm gonna let Fndr use part of the shed.

Janice:  Whatever, dear.  You know I don't care what you do out there.  Want some lemonade?

Fndr:  That'd be great, thanks.  Hey Doc, you hear from your friend with the rollback?

Doc:  Yeah, he said he can be over there about 6:30 or so.  I told him we'd buy him a burger or something.

Fndr:  That'll work.  I'll do him one better and cook out tonight, if there's time.

Doc:  There's time.  If there's not, I'll pack him a doggie bag.  You know how to use all this stuff?

Fndr:  Well, some of it.  I'll be honest, I can do the basic stuff, but I'll be picking up a few books for this project.

Doc:  And what is this project, exactly? 

Fndr:  When I know, you'll know.  I didn't even know what that car was when I saw it.  You know I'll have to read up before I know what to do with it.  I just couldn't let 'em junk it.  (hanging the last of the wrenches) Well, that about takes care of that pegboard.

Janice:  Here's that lemonade.  Did I hear you two say something about a car?

Doc:  Yeah.  You remember that old 2000GT your brother had?

Janice:  Yeah, he thought he was hot stuff, had a new sportscar from Japan and all.  Why?

Doc:  Fndr just inherited himself one.  Or salvaged one.  Whatever, something like that.

Janice:  Ooh, nice.  Is it in good shape?

Doc:  Zeke's gonna help us bring it over later.  Listen, are you planning anything for dinner yet?

Janice:  No, why?

Fndr:  Well, I'll have to get the wife's blessing, but I'd love to have everyone over and cook out.

Janice:  Sounds good.  Should we bring anything?

Fndr:  Nah, I'll talk to Lynn, but this is a thanks for everything. 

Doc:  Zeke will be there, too.  Should be a good night.

Fndr and Doc spent the rest of the afternoon hauling tools and such to the shed from Uncle Les's place.  Around 7, Zeke proved he couldn't be on time for anything, but Fndr and Doc didn't say a word.  Beggars can't be choosers, after all.  We join our heroes about 7:30, at Doc's.  It's getting dark, and they're unloading the 2000GT by the floodlights attached to the shed.

Zeke:  So you just came upon this in the old man's shed, eh? 

Fndr:  Yeah.  They let me have to tools, too.

Zeke:  Good thing.  You'll need 'em, from what I saw.  That thing's gutted.  Do you know what you're doing for parts?

Fndr:  Not yet.  I figure I can grab some stuff from junkyards and throw something together.

Doc:  Well, that's pretty ambitious.  You sure you're up to it?

Fndr:  Well, I'mnot gonna find out unless I give it a shot, right?

Zeke:  Well, I can't help you put it in, but if you want an engine, I've got an old beater I wrecked in the back end a few weeks ago.  Transmission's shot.  Car's worth maybe a couple hundred, not worth fixing, but it'd be good for something like this.  It'll do a lot more than that 150hp the real thing did, too. I wont' haul it over, but if you wanna come get it, you can have it. 

Doc:  Heck yeah, man.  You got anything else you don't want around?  Maybe a couple of Lamborghinis that are in the way?

Zeke:  I'm already hauling this thing around for a hamburger.  What more d'you want?

Fndr:  I think he wants a Lamborghini.  Anyway, wanna take a look at this thing?

Zeke:  Sure.  You already knew you needed an engine and battery, right?  This thing's light, so don't get anything too bulky for any of it.  You do, and you'll blow the power/weight ratio.  Any performance you get, that's where you'll get it.  I'll bet the transmission ain't for crap, and since you're getting new tires anyway, may as well get some new wheels.  Lighter rims will do this thing a few favors.  You can probably get something that works over at Sear's or whatever.  You got some work ahead of you, though.  You might as well turn it into a racer, 'cause it's gonna be rough making this a daily driver, and you'd put a fortune into it as a restoration.  At least the body's good, even if it is scuffed up.

It was a late night.  Dinner was postponed, to be a cookout Sunday evening instead of Saturday night.  A couple of hours' work that morning finished off the work on the house, and Fndr and Doc picked up Zeke's engine, then stared at the car for a while.  They just had time to strip out the interior.  The radio and most of the "creature comfort" stuff was beyond help, so they ended up with a pile of wires and upholstery that would never again see the light of day.  Then it was time to get ready for dinner.  Fndr sprung for steaks instead of burgers.  Luckily, the Guiness episode was a learning experience, and the guys drank something a little more American with their dinner.   

Zeke:  Nice job cooking on that little grill of yours.  Say you got that for $10 at Walgreens?

Fndr:  Yeah.  You work enough crap restaurant jobs, you learn a few things, anyway.

Doc:  Well, it's good.  Anyway, I wanna say something.  I'm tickled about this thing.  I got on the net and took a look at a few things, then started figuring.  If we strip out all the heavy stuff from that car and turn it into a racer, we can get pretty good horsepower on a pretty small car.  Zeke's right about the weight to horsepower thing.  I don't know what kinda hp we can get outta this thing, but it's promising.  My guess is about 275 hp and around 2,000 lbs.  That's right up there with some of those real racers.  You could run that thing over at Sebring or something on one of those amateur days.  I know a track where we could get some time once things are put together.  Anyway, I'm getting off track.  Put this on your keyring.  It's a key to the shed.  I'd let you in anytime if you just ask, but just know you're always welcome over here.  Just make yourself at home in that shed.  We can get that engine in tomorrow if you want.

Fndr:  Well, I've got a meeting on campus, so it'd be late before I can come over.  How's three or so?

Doc:  That'll work.  Listen, one more thing.  I've got a few friends who do a lot of this sort of thing.  I know we're not exactly swimming in money, but I can get pretty much whatever we need at wholesale, just so you know.  I made a few calls, and we should be ok.

Well, it doesn't usually go like this, but the next couple of days went according to plan.  The engine was in, and a lightweight battery and racing seat arrived in a brown truck a few days later.  Fndr got nice and comfy on the couch, splitting time between school work and scouring Ebay for parts.  Sometimes he could beat wholesale, and sometimes he couldn't but every little bit helped.  All was going well.  Over the next couple of weeks, the pile of sheetmetal in the garage slowly turned into a car.  Then came the moment of truth.

Doc:  OK, fire it up.  (nothin)  OK, now.  (Still trying, still nothin)  One more time.  (This time, the engine comes to life.)

Fndr:  WooHoo!  Finally!  Put 'er there, man!  (Doc and Fnd exchange high-fives and clank together their longnecks.)  Thanks for all your help.

Doc:  Well, you're the one who found everything.  Nice job.

Fndr:  Now if you'll move that drawer, I'll see if this thing will get into gear.

(Fndr puts it into gear, eases out the clutch, and the car lurches forward.  It's a little different from the modern cars and bikes he's used to, but he heads down the road.  A few more starts, and it's going fine.  Second gear is much less encouraging.  It sounds about like a scene from that Cloverfield movie.)

Doc:  Well, that's not good.

Fndr:  It could be better.  I think it's the transmission.

Doc:  Gee, ya don't say.  Well, might as well get back on Ebay.  While you're at it, a new clutch would cut down on shift times, if you're serious about running this thing.

Fndr:  Yeah, I know.  I've actually got a clutch coming, but I kinda regret it.  I coulda spent that money on a racing transmission.  Guess I should have checked before I ordered.

Doc:  Well, the old one probably needed to be replaced anyway.  Remember, you just put in a new racing flywheel. 

Fndr:  Yeah.  I'll start looking around.  Ask about a new tranny at your buddy's shop.  Oh, and a cage.

Doc:  We'll do the cage ourselves.  I'll show you how.  It's not that bad.  Well, let's call it a day.

We're almost there.  Looks like a few more parts, and we'll be off to the races, literally.  We just gotta find a transmission.

[fndrbndr]

OK, I can keep weaving a tale here, but I guess I should get to the car at some point.  When the transmission arrives, it'll be a racing transmission.  I had to stiffen the suspension to get things like I wanted them, and this is probably the best job I've done yet of finding, diagnosing, and fixing a problem with a build.  Anyway, here's the build.

Power:
HKS Street Exhaust
TRD Street Cams & Valves
HKS Race Intercooler
RWD 1G-GTE Powertrain (I'd have worked this into the story, but don't know what car it's from originally)

Handling:  Full race everything, including race weight reduction.  We yanked all that ol' crap out.

Tires:  Goodyear 215/50416 race slicks, upgraded one rim size, stock rims. 

Aero:  Forza rear wing.

243 hp
229 lb-ft. of torque
2,154 lbs.

0-60: 4.591 seconds
0-100: 12.361 seconds
Top Speed 160 mph (most I've hit is about 146)

60-0: 101.3 ft
100-0: 271.7 ft

60 mph = 1.11 g's
120 mph = 1.07 g's

Toon is 54.5% front bias, 68% swr, as follows (front/rear unless noted otherwise):
Tires 29/29
Gearing 3.30 fd, gears 2.89, 1.99, 1.51, 1.20, 1.00, 0.85

Camber -.5/-.5
Toe -.1/-.1
Front Caster 5.5
ARB 14.94/17.84
Springs 399.2/333.2
Ride height 2.9/4.5 (haven't messed with this yet, but it may get lowered.)
Rebound 8.8/7.4
Bump 4.4/3.7
Aero 125 lbs rear downforce.
Braking 47% front, 90% pressure
Differential 40/30

You can definitely see FDog's fingerprints all over this one, as well as blooze and tonka's.  However, this is also, as I said, the furthest I've deviated from their findings thus far.  Baby steps, baby steps.....
Once Photobucket comes back online from scheduled maintenance, I'll post up pics from the newest Tiny Terror at its first trackday.  hehe

[Snyder005]

Lol, i came from Hoplee's FCT 2000GT, to a Peuguet, to an Vauxhall, and now i might end up back with a Toyota 2000GT.  But a new car has emerged from my garage, that might push this car out. 

FYI, the Pug, is my LB car for B-Class, and the rest are fighting for the daily driver car, now.

[fndrbndr]

Um, hey.  I'm here to narrate.  Apparently the Dukes of Hazzard guy heard what Fndr said to Spiny during a road america race this afternoon, and quit.  Anyway, I'm in the drama department, so I went ahead and wrote my own lines.  I mean, I support the writers politically, but I'm tired of ramen, and Dad says I can't have the Mustang if I don't start pulling my weight.  Here goes:

As surely as the night follows the day, Fndr and the misnomered Doctor were in their hour of need, seeking a transmission to bring their plans to fruition.  Verily, they did search both high and low, never relenting in their seemingly-sisyphian task, dauntless despite their setbacks.  We join our resolute heroes in media res....What?  What do you mean in English?  That was English, I assure you....OK, fine, in Doc's truck.

Fndr:  Can't believe we finally found one.

Doc:  Eh, just takes time, man.  Just takes time.  Consider it a graduation gift. 

Fndr:  Really?  Thanks, I don't know what to say.

Doc:  Well, thanks was a good start.  Let's go ahead and install it.  I figure we'll run the stock ratios at first.  Listen, there's one other thing.  Do you have any Spring Break plans?

Fndr: Not yet.  Why?

Doc:  Well, I know where you're from and all, and an old buddy of mine has a friend who knows a guy who knows a guy over at Maple Valley.  I was thinkin I could get you in at a track day over there, if you're interested.  Maybe take the trip together?  Janice wants to go up that way, and you and Lynn are always talking about how great the Young Harris area is.  We could see it on the way.

Fndr:  Sounds great, yeah.  Don't we have to do a bunch of tech inspections and stuff before a track day, though?

Doc:  Yeah, but I'm pretty sure we'd pass.  We might have to run a higher-class race than most beginners do, but I'm sure we could get into something. 

Fndr:  Sounds good.  I'll talk to Lynn, but I'm sure she' love to.

Fndr was elated to have his thesis writing behind him, the most arduous task of his academic career thus far awaiting review.  Truly, the week of Spring Break would be the respite all industrious folk require, and the four of them did embark, Doc and Janice in their truck, Fndr and Lynn in his ragtop, Doc's CB in tow. 

Lynn:  So you're finally going to drive this car?

Fndr:  Yeah.

Lynn:  And you built it?

Fndr:  Yeah.

Lynn:  And you're going to drive it around a racetrack?

Fndr:  Yup.

Lynn:  On Purpose?

Fndr:  That's the plan.

Lynn:  Are you sure that's a good idea?

Fndr:  Absolutely. 

Lynn:  Is that why you equipped it with a fire extinguisher?

Fndr:  Well, yes, but because it's a safety requirement, not because I think the car will explode.

Lynn:  Just tell me you paid the life insurance.

Fndr:  I love you, Dear....

The trip through the mountains was truly a spectacle.  The flora did display their beauty for all to see, as the fauna frolicked in the fields.  What?  Yeah, it's called illiteration.  Just keep the tape rolling.  As Janice and Lynn did the scenery take in, Doc and Fndr did their chariot prepare, a great test  awaiting upon the morrow.  What?  Uppity crap?  What's that supposed to mean?  And I thought you said I'd get to meet Morgan Freeman if I did this gig.

[DirtDriver]

Got your thesis writing behind you, eh? You ARE writing fiction! LMAO

Good story, Young Harris reference and all.

DD

[fndrbndr]

Yeah....Forza's all about fueling your fantasy, right? lol

Glad you're enjoying it.  I'll have some pics from the track day later.

[fndrbndr]

Fndr and Doc were up bright and early.  Janice and Lynn would be off in a local town all morning shopping.  Tech inspection went fine, but nothing went as expected.  Oh, and some college kid said something about severing something and tying this place...I dunno. 

Doc:  Fndr, this is Rick.  He's an old friend.  He said you can run today if you like.

Rick:  We're doing a qualifier for Friday's Enduro, but I can squeeze you in.  By the way, technically, you've got a sponsor's exemption.  I wouldn't expect you to get into the main, but it's the only way I could get you track time.  By the way, you'll have to have a shop name.  We'll do a little quick paint this evening, but you can qualify in your current trim.  Anyway, drivers' meeting is in half an hour.  Take notes; the lines are a little tricky around here.

Fndr, being a student, is more than capable at taking notes, and grabs a legal pad and pen and heads for the meeting.  Rick and Doc hang out to shoot the bull.  The ladies are in Helen, a local German town, shopping and the like.

Doc:  I appreciate you lettin' us in.  We found this car in his uncle's garage.  You wouldn't believe how much work he's done on it.  The kid didn't know a thing about cars a few months back.  He thought it was a European job.

Rick:  Yeah, you said it's a Toyota or something?

Doc:  Take a look.

Rick:  Wow, that's a 2000GT, isn't it?  Man, not too many of those in the US.  Wow, that thing's not too big, is it?  At that size, I almost wanna look for the windup key.  I was surprised to hear we'd have a rookie running B class.  They're usually in D-class imports around here.  Like I said, we'll have to put paint on it, but that shouldn't be a problem.  Is that a stock color?

Doc:  I dunno.  It's what was on it.  You'd have to ask Fndr; he's the one who did all the internet research on it.

Rick:  Well, I like it.  That deep green kinda suits it. I've always liked the long fronts on the old sportscars.

Doc:  Yeah, it's something else. 

Doc and Rick hung around and caught up on old times for a while.  Fndr sat in the meeting, and made sure he knew about the flags, the turns, and all the funny little bumps in the track, and there were lots of them.  Some time later, about 10AM, drivers drew qualifying times. 

Fndr:  Hey, Doc.  I drew a late qualifying session tomorrow.  Any word from the ladies?

Lynn (sneaking up behind Fndr):  Yes, and we're hungry!

Fndr:  Hey, dear.  Have fun in Helen?

Janice:  We had a blast.  Should we head back over that way to eat?

Fndr: Sounds great.

(The four of them pile into the Sebring, drop the top, and head back to Helen.  Fndr drives, and all enjoy being out of Florida, away from the miles of straight, boring roads they drive the rest of the year.  In Helen, they stop at a local winery for lunch.)

Doc:  We gotta come up with a name for this thing.  And just for the record, way I figure it, we should be under 250 hp.  This is a fairly technical track, but you've still got your work cut out for you.  I swung by the tech station, and I saw a Lotus, a Panoz, and one of those old Mustang Cobras from about 2000 or so.  You're not going to set any lap records or anything.  Just go out there, hit the turns as best you can, and have some fun.

Janice:  Well, that's the point, right?

Lynn:  Have you met my husband?  He threw at his dad in last year's Church father-son softball game (cool points for people who get the reference/plagiarism here).

Doc:  Well, that's fine, I'm just saying not to expect to be top ten or anything.  Anyway, if we're done, Fndr and I have to do some painting.

Fndr:  Yeah, I've been thinking.  You said this class has a pretty good mix of stuff, but it sounds like I'm going to be in about the smallest thing out there, and definitely the oldest.

Lynn:  So we should call it the "little old man?"

Janice:  It's Japanese.  How about "Miagi?"

Doc:  Nah.  We've already ripped off enough ideas in this story, as well as breaking the fourth wall just now.  Fndr, you told me you did a little work on your buddy's miata back home.  We're actually supposed to name our racing company, not the car.  Maybe we should call ourselves "Tiny Terror Racing?"

And that's how Tiny Terror Racing was born.  Doc and Fndr worked til about 4am, putting together the paint scheme and applying it.  They got to bed about 5AM.  Fndr's qualifying run wasn't til 6pm, so there was still time for some shuteye.  Here's what the boys came up with.

[fndrbndr]

Lynn was already up when Fndr rolled out of bed. It was about 1pm, and it was time to go to the track.  He met up with Doc there.  The ladies headed up to the stands to watch the cars.

Lynn:  So when does he go?

Janice:  It's a little while.  He gets a few warm up laps, then after three to get the tires warm, they start the stopwatch. 

Lynn:  He was looking over his notes all morning.  He should be OK.

Janice:  Just don't get your hopes up, hon.  These guys are sporting some pretty nice cars.  See that one out there now?

Lynn:  Fndr showed me one of those at a car show a couple of weeks ago.  He called it a Lotus.  Those are so cute!

Janice:  Well, on tracks like this, they're also fast.  Fndr's running the same kind of car; light, quick, without a lot of horsepower.

Lynn:  But you need a lot of horsepower to race, right?

Janice:  Well, it rarely hurts.  Sometimes, though, being lighter is just as good, if not better.  Lighter cars handle better most of the time.

Lynn:  How'd you learn so much about this?  You sound like Fndr.

Janice:  Honey, my husband worked his way up from the bottom in the construction business.  You pick upa lot.

Lynn:  Could you teach me some of it?  I'd like to be able to do some more of this car stuff myself.  Fndr's hopeless with house work, but I wish I could work on cars.

Janice:  I'd love to.  We'll go down to the pits tonight, OK?  (Lynn nods)  Wow, did you see that?  1:34.219.  That's not a bad time.

Lynn:  Can we beat it?

Janice:  Thought you didn't wanna be in that car with him?

Lynn:  Like he always says, for better or worse.  If this is all the "worse" I ever see, I'm lucky.  With all Fndr's crackpot ideas, I'm VERY lucky.

Janice:  Well, you know men.....Say, Fndr's up next. 

So Fndr had his work cut out for him.  The radio chatter was constant.

Fndr:  That sweeper, I'm gonna head in about 85 this time, but I know to go about 95 when it counts.

Doc:  Yep.

Fndr:  I can carry a little over 110 through this next spot if I do it right, but I'm doing 90 this time.

Doc:  That's fine. 

(and so on..)

Doc:  OK, you've got five laps, best time counts.  Go through the needle at full speed.  You say you can hit 145, so hit it!

Fndr:  I'm through, 142 mph.  Had to saw a little to straighten it out, but I'm good. 

Doc:  Alright, let's see that sweeper....

Fndr:  There we go, went in at 98 mph.  Man, it's pulling, but it should hold.  120...letting off...made it through at 112. 

Doc:  Good.  Floor it through this section.  Remember you're just shifting to 4th at the endof the straight.  Try not to lose any speed on that little hill.

Fndr:  Made it.  Hittin' third for the next left, should hit 4th again for the straight and the uphill left?

Doc:  Yep.  Man, why do you need me to tell you?

Fndr:  Just wanna let you in on the fun man....WHOOOO!!

(up in the stands...)

Lynn:  How's he doing?  He was flying past the start line.  How did he get through that turn that fast?

Janice:  He took that turn well.  Basicallly....I'll explain later.  Anyway, this is the first time trial lap, the ones that count.

Lynn:  So he needs a good time to get into the race?

Janice:  Well, sure, but I wouldn't get my hopes up for that.  I mean, he's up against some pretty high-dollar cars.

Lynn:  But his is a classic, right?  doesn't that count for something?

Janice:  At a show, sure.  Here, it just means it's old.  Whoa, did you see that split?

Lynn:  Yeah, plus 0.228.  That means he's ahead by that?

Janice:  No, other way around.  He's behind less than a quarter second from that Lotus we saw earlier. And I think he'll make up about a tenth in that rhythm section, which should be the next part of the track.

Lynn:  So that's good?

Janice:  That's very good.  I think he has a higher top speed than that car.  He could get into the race.

Lynn:  Really?  Great!

(Fndr runs his five laps, and sure enough, he's in.  Three more people run, and Tiny Terror Racing has the top time.  It holds, and Fndr sits the pole with 93.773 for a top lap.  A short celebration ensues, they run a few more tuning laps over the next couple of days, and then it was the day of the big event.)

[bimmerlovere39]

Coincedentaly (sp?  lol), I finally got around to running the MV B-Class Enduro yesterday in an E36 M3 (Tune is up, here).  I managed to lap the entire field with the AI on hard.  It made me happy  .

I, sadly, never managed to break into the 94 second range.  I will likely make an effort at it tonight.  That track is a blast.

[fndrbndr]

I lapped all but the podium, I think, passing the #4 guy on the last straight. 

And just for the record, I set that hotlap time in free run.  I think I was a solid half-second slower in the Enduro itself due to having to fight through lap traffic in the second half of the race and not having a ghost to race, which always seems to make me faster.

[bimmerlovere39]

I think I was always in the mid to high 95's.  I drove like a maniac the whole time to catch and pass Rossi.  I was also pretty consistent (read: lucky).  I also lucked out a little, with 7^th & 8^th both seeming to have wrecked (The SVT Cobra R had a blown engine when I passed him, the RS4 was missing a rear end).

When did you pit?  I think I went in on 19 or 20.

[fndrbndr]

I usually go about halfway in this races.  I think it was lap 14 or so.  If I'd have waited that long, the tires would have likely been red.  If there's just one pit stop, I figure I'll stick to my non-worn tires as much as possible.  Then again, maybe the 2000GT is harder on tires.  They were starting to turn at about lap 11, but I was running well, so I snuck in a few more laps before trading worn tires for cold ones.