Cars, Computers, Society in General
All things automotive
Last year I installed a TurboTweak ECU-GN in my Grand National. I had really reached the limit of what could be done with the original ECM. Even with a Powerlogger added on, I didn’t have enough inputs for all the sensors I needed. And mailing chips back and forth to deal with changes to the …
Read More “An episode in the life of living with a TurboTweak ECU-GN”
Racing season has sprung! This past weekend, the Period Correct Tow Pig hauled the Buick and myself to Charlotte, North Carolina, for the 2019 SCCA Champ Tour/CAM Challenge in the parking lot of ZMax Dragway. Unlike last year’s event, which was a Match Tour format, this was a full-fledged Champ Tour. Two hundred ninety eight …
Well, I have a composite front bumper now. The stats: Material: Fiberglass impregnated resin Weight: 7.3 pounds naked Aluminum bumper support weight savings over stock bumper shocks: 3 pounds Total installed weight savings over stock bumper (also weighed naked): 46.7 pounds I could drone on about how to refinish a fiberglass part, but I’ll just …
Many cars, mine included, have issues with air management under the hood. As speeds increase, the ability of air to pass through the radiator opening and then out of the engine compartment becomes somewhat troubled. In almost every instance, the high pressure that builds up inside the engine bay can actually stall airflow through the …
READ THIS ENTIRE POST BEFORE BUYING ANY PARTS! There seem to be lots of people wanting to do disc brakes on the back end of their G-Body. There are kits from various vendors like Baer and Wilwood and Aerospace Brakes, but those kits are REALLY pricey. They’re likely worth it, but we’ll talk more about …
The actual event! After 21 days of prep, three days of driving, four days of the car in the SEMA show, where I also walked nearly forty miles, it was finally time for the actual event. The invitational follows the same multi-segment format as the regular season events, but runs are somewhat limited, and the …
Read More “2018 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational – Part 3: OUSCI”
After getting the invite to the Optima Ultimate Street Car invitational, I faced a daunting task. I got the invite on October 8, 2018. Load-in for SEMA was 8pm on October 29. I had 21 days to secure lodging, make sure the car was set, clean the car, make sure the tow vehicle and trailer …
Read More “2018 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational – Part 2: SEMA”
First, a brief history on my involvement in the Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car series: Back in 2015, my friend Brian Mason sent out a feeler to our local SCCA region about the Optima USCA event that was coming to NCM that year. At the time, my car was not in the kind …
Read More “2018 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational – Part 1: The Run Up”
It’s been a month since my last entry, and things have been interesting. After the meltdown at Birmingham, I thought I had licked the transmission issues with an additional cooler, and I had replaced all the melted MAP lines and covered them in heat-resistant sleeve. I also found a turbocharger gasket that had burned through, …
My third and final Optima USCA event of 2018 is in the books. I’d gone into the event with high hopes, but sadly I ended the weekend with my sails deflated. After having recently installed the awesome new ECUGNÂ in the car, it was running great. More than great. It was awesome. Full boost in every …