Nightmare

[Racefreak24]

OK I have a 1993 Probe GT...yep a probe. Anyway I attended the school in NHIS back in i dunno...may? Doesn't matter, but I brought it to a shop to get some work done and cost me more time and money to fix the ripoff that I encountered then it did to have the real work done. Now I have it in another garage trying to figure out why I have no spark. The car ran fine its whole life but suddenly it must know whats coming cause it wont make a whimper. So I wasted time at a school I will have to attend again next year because i couldnt manage to complete 1 friggin race. The car is race ready except for the motor (small oversight). Anyone else out there have a nightmare startup phaze of your racing "career"? Id like to hear em......

[matt batson]

I'm in the same boat as I am no master mechanic...and have no reservations about dropping it off at a shop for the more complicated fixes.
It took a little trial and error (and money), to find a good mechanic in my area. Actually, he isnt that close...but it's worth it to know it is being done right.

Post up where you live and I'm sure someone on here knows of a good shop in your area.

[BobsAuto]

You could even post an employment ad.....such as this...
Mechanic wanted for up and coming race team. Pay is minimal because you get the all expenses paid trips to the races and the pride of watching your race prep on track. Perks include membership to SCCA, travel, and the new social life involved with racing. Contact.......

Just a thought, but it might work....

[downingracing]

My brother started racing (in 1998) with a Fiat 850 HProd car! talk about issues! I think we pushed it more than it ran, but we kept it going and he got signed off from the schools. The first race weekend, turn 2 (at Mid-Ohio) in qual. on the out lap - front tire goes down. looking rough at this pioint. Got it back to the pits and changed the tire. After that, things got better! And now he runs an FProd. Fiat 124. Still doing the Fiat thing, but we don't push this one nearly as much :P .

[Dave Ebersole]

When I got into this I had planned to do my first driver's school at the DC Region Fall school in '99. It seemed the stars were all lined up for me. The school was on my birthday weekend (what a present!) and I was going to benefit from an extra hour's sleep that weekend due to daylight savings time. I had the car ready and started to install a transmission oil cooler on the RV. I was going to tow the car in an enclosed trailer. With all that weight the cooler seemed a good idea. I bought one of those coolers from JC Whitney that attaches to the front of the radiator with the plastic things that push through the radiator core. Well, it pushed through alright, right through the core of my rotted out radiator. I couldn't get the radiator repaired 'til the following week so I missed that school. It's probably good in hindsight since I've never had cooling troubles with the RV despite towing 6500 pounds of race stuff through the western PA mountains for several years.

[JLawton]

OK I have a 1993 Probe GT...yep a probe. Anyway I attended the school in NHIS back in i dunno...may? Doesn't matter, but I brought it to a shop to get some work done and cost me more time and money to fix the ripoff that I encountered then it did to have the real work done. Now I have it in another garage trying to figure out why I have no spark. The car ran fine its whole life but suddenly it must know whats coming cause it wont make a whimper. So I wasted time at a school I will have to attend again next year because i couldnt manage to complete 1 friggin race. The car is race ready except for the motor (small oversight). Anyone else out there have a nightmare startup phaze of your racing "career"? Id like to hear em......
[/b]


Dan,
Where are you located? I'm sure someone on the forum in your area uses a shop that is reliable. If you want to tow to central CT, We have someone who is very good. PM me if you want more info.

Don't give up!!

[Racefreak24]

Thanks for the offer....I have it at a garage right now but if I need you i will definately take u up on ur offer.

And hell no I'm not giving up...I see it this way..............I'v put so much $ into this thing I'd be dumb to put more in. Then again I'd be dumb to quit after putting that much $ in. So I'd rather be dumb and RACING!!!! Ya baby.

[JeffYoung]

I run a 1980 TR8 in ITS. It made it through school before the problems started, but I won't bore you with those.

I WILL however relate the Saga of the Jensen Healey, which my good friend and partner in my race business is still trying to get on track:

1. July of 2004 purchase car (allegedly "running") from old guy in Asheville for $1000. Sell ebay parts for $983. What a deal! Plan to take car and driver to school in Feb/05.

2. Check compression on motor -- nada. Dead.

3. Car back from cage guy in fall of 2004. Continue build of car. Al sorts of machine shop issues, front suspension issues (no, you can't call Jensen World and get your shocks and springs), etc.

4. Motor back from machine shop and assembled in mid 2005. Car prepped for August 2005 race.

5. Car won't fire. Shooting compression out of carbs. Miss race. Us and several experienced mechanics cannot determine why.

6. Pull motor, send to JH specialist in Atlanta. He finds aluminum between the mains and the crank! So, if it had run, it would have gone....BOOM.

7. Get motor back, test run it..NICE...sounds great (this is winter/spring of 2006).

8. Have car aligned and set up. Find out it has tons of ride height issues.

9. Take car to track (Roebling, April 2006). 2 laps, and fire. Oil drip on header wrap.

10. Take off header wrap. Fix burnt wiring.

11. Run another session. Car runs good for 3-4 laps, and then temps rise and oil pressure drops.

12. Take car home. Install new radiator and oil cooler.

13. Take car to track (May of 2005, CMP). Test day. Lap 2...bam, dumps all oil on track. We used the wrong size thread take off plate and it blew off.

14. Hunt for and find take off plate in fumbduck South Carolina. Reassemble car. I take car out, runs good for 3-4 laps and then...WHAM....no power, and clickedty-clacky from motor.

15. Earlier oil starvation resulted in spun bearing.

16. Now August 2006, and motor being built again. Hopefully, we race in October.

There you have it. It happens -- read about the guys with the ITS Corrado. 2 years to a running race car as well, but they finally went out and won a race last weekend.

hang in there.

[trd771]

Look at it this way, it can only get better. A few good laps at speed and you will think it was all worth it. Also try and learn to work on the car as much as possible. When my brother and I started we used to send out for some work, until we got tired of dealing with other mechanics screw ups. So we decided that we could screw up and blow stuff up for free rather than paying someone to do that. Now just farm out mechine work, everything else is just nuts and bolts.

[JeffYoung]

That's basically what we do -- only machine shop work goes out to others.

[Ron Earp]

Hang in there Dan. It'll get better - I think.......

Jeff has already described the Jensen experience and it is a rough one. Sometimes I wonder why....why.....why.....

But, there is promise in my car, and I bet there is promise in the Probe. That is a good motor in that car. Much like the VR6 out and running, it might take longer to take the road less traveled but you'll learn a lot more and hopefully the trip will be worth it.

Should I have gotten a more modern car and not tried a rare car? Maybe. But I'll do that next time around for ITR. I've raced nada in ITS since 2005 in only one weekend. I've raced some SM because I'm fortunate enough to be around guys with them and we have SM enduro cars. But I've certainly not made any sort of racing resume since embarking on this adventure in 2004.

2007 is going to be my rookie debut in the Jensen and I hope to have it sorted well enough to actually race. I'll spend the winter and fall sorting the car and going to test days. I hope you do the same and come out blazing for 2007 - stick with it!

Ron

[RacerBill]

Dan: Hang in there! Been there too! Next year will be the 40th year since I first joined SCCA, and after spending all that time working races, I am finally getting to live my dream! I, too decided -for personal reasons - to build rather than buy a prepared car. But I can say that I have had 99.9% of all the bolts, nuts, and screws off the car at one time or another. I have learned a lot, and learned what I have yet to learn. It has been hard, but the personal satisfction is great! On track results? Let's see - blew rear brake lines taking car to shop for alignment, blew departure time to track due to a lost cat, blew first race of a double weekend due to a wheel departing the vehicle, lost second practice/qualifying session due to shift linkage falling apart, lost second race when the same shift linkage came apart on the pace lap, lost first race at second weekend due to electric and fuel issues, and WHAT? finally got a finish, even with the fuel issues.

But, my wife still talks to me - she was real proud when the car finally got on the track. Even my daughter (16 years old!) looks forward to going to the track. (Caught her on the video saying "Come on, Dad. Go faster! Go faster!)

Is it worth it? Sure is to me! Hope everything comes together for you, and you exceed your expectations.

[RSTPerformance]

A bad start... hummm I thnk most of us can relate. I like to think of it as a tough challenge :rolleyes:

Our fist ever track day was a time trial at Tremblant, and it was awsome!!! I finished first and stephen just barely behind in third sharing the same ITA MR2 that my dad let us borrow. :smilie_pokal:

In our second event my brother rolled my dads MR2 during practice... I was sharing the car... needless to say neither of us got to race (time trial) that afternoon :bash_1_:

3rd on track day event for us was an SCCA School at NHIS with the ITB Audi's... We had both built just in time and went to the school together. In the engine building process we made a slight mistake with the oil pump (don't ask!!! :wacko: ) and both cars ended up seizing the top end of the motors after 4 pace laps.

At our second school, Stephen blew the motor in the Audi when the connecting rod went through the block :018: thankfully that was a first and last so far for us. That was his second session. He went on in the school sharing my car running in alternate sessions. Still not sure how the car ran that entire day... :birra:

Since then its been nothing but good things :035: well ok, maybe that is the farthest from the truth, but we have had a blast :eclipsee_steering:

Raymond "enjoy those little challenges, more are to come" blethen

[JLawton]

Try to find someone in your area that is currently running IT and hook up with them. Buy them beer, paddock with them, get their e-mail and grill them every chance you get. Even if your car isn't ready, come on down to the track and start getting to know people. This will expedite your transition from frustrated rookie to a race winner. :figo:

[Ron Earp]

Try to find someone in your area that is currently running IT and hook up with them. Buy them beer, paddock with them, get their e-mail and grill them every chance you get. Even if your car isn't ready, come on down to the track and start getting to know people. This will expedite your transition from frustrated rookie to a race winner. :figo:
[/b]

I pretty much got this routine down pat! Go to track, work on other cars, drink beer, eat food. No problem there! I'm hoping to get the other part down next year, you know, the driving part!

Good advice though, go to track even if you are not taking a car. You'll help someone and build some "paddock points" for when you need help.

Ron

[Andy Bettencourt]

Well Dan is in NER so we can help him out Lawton!

Remember when everyone told you to BUY your first car? :D

Regardless, when it's all done, and you become the countries expert on ITS Probe GT V6's, you will find some solice in that. Plus, you will be racing!!!



Get a freshened stock motor in there, put some suspension on it and have some fun. It will happen - plus you won't have to drive Buddy's POS anymore!!! :P

[BobbieMcGee]

Or you could buy a Honda.... :lol:

[WIZARD Racing]

Get a freshened stock motor in there, put some suspension on it and have some fun. It will happen - plus you won't have to drive Buddy's POS anymore!!! :P
[/b]

Now that wasn't very nice Andy! I guess next time you're coming around to lap me I might not be so nice :bash_1_: .

Dan's borrowing my car at the Last Chance @ the Glen to get a race in, (as long as he doesn't bend it up like he did in the school :018: ) and I get abused! Of course the car is going to be totally different from when he beat it up at the school.

[Racefreak24]

Oh jeez....now you did it Andy. hehe. Hey thatks for the stories everyone. I feel better after some here damn. Oh ya Im ALWAYS at the track been at NHIS every chance this year......and I didnt bend buddys car up the 2 miatas taking me 3 wide around 11 bent it up. Oh well, I got my license and never saw them again.....hmmmm.