Question - What do you consider "useless items" on IT cars?

[lateapex911]

1)All IT cars have "trunks, it's just that some are open to the passenger compartment. (However with their floors usually lower than, and out of direct line with, the driver - a position that is in a relatively distant and protected area from the driver.)

key word, "relatively", but we're splitting hairs here..

As far as cost, I really don't know either not having been allowed to use a box, I haven't looked into pricing one. But I bet I can relocate the battery and cover it securely and safely for less than the $200+ the Optimas cost. And I really don't understand why I shouldn't have had the choice. Darin, you know I respect your opinion, but you are beginning to sound a little condescending.

GRJ

Well, as you admit to not knowing, here is a little math. Optima battery the last time I got ne was about $130 or so. Equivilent not POS battery, (why would you put a POS in a race car? bad place to save $)...is about $60 or $70. So, the difference is $65. By the time you get done buying a good box, longer cable, brackets, hardware, and so on, much if not all of that $65 has been spent.

Add to that hours saved dicking around on a boring project when more productive things (like reading a Smith "_____ to win" book, or studying something racing related, could be accomplished. Time is money.

And, no advantage given to cars with front mounted batteries so no change of competive balance, either real or theoretical.

I think it was a good call and the right call.



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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[JeffYoung]

George, it was actually the Japanese car (the 260z) the caught fire. Looked like a kamikaze plunging down from the azure Pacific skies.

You should see what Ron did to the Jensen this week after the fire experience. THREE pulls for the cut off switch (one center, one each side), TWO pulls for the fire bottle and a hand held on the roll bar.

It may not run, but it will certainly kill fire very efficiently.

[lateapex911]

weird double entry....
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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by lateapex911 (edited February 28, 2005).]

[lateapex911]

Originally posted by ddewhurst:
Kirk, it's because you always THINK you have the only valued opinion answers. I have finished 38 races & looked at lots of cars since I started in year 2000. Never viewed or heard of a carb, brake, or grass fire & IMHJ you are the only person who has such a narrow opinion that values two fire extingushers. Have Fun
David

In my humble judgement Mr D, you are wrong as I too value the options and redundency having both a handheld fire extinguisher and a system afford.

There are MANY instances where one is not the right solution, or even instances where BOTH are needed.

I myself have had the need to extinguish a grass fire under my disabled car, at a test day when help was many minutes away. My options with a system? Let it get big enough to be in the engine compartment or the interior, or push my car on soft ground over the flames. Or, use my handheld and snuff it out long before it became an issue. At the time I felt rather smug having it....

Guess I was just silly.....



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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[ddewhurst]

***Kirk (who thinks it's ironic that he's now having to defend having too MUCH fire safety to Mr. D.)***

No need to defend your always correct position. Just stop typing.

***Wow - that's almost five whole years, son! ***

That is what many would call sarcasm.

Two points here sonny boy.

A. I feel zero need to relate my entire racing involved life to you or anyone else about how involved I have been with race cars or who owned & drove said race cars. It all started in 1968.
Actually IIRC it realy started in more like 1946 in a sand box.

B. When you have been retired for 5 years come on back & lets talk about age sonny boy.

Have Fun
David

[lateapex911]

Originally posted by grjones1:
Spinneti,
You realize of course I was disputing Jake's take on the proposition. His remarks suggest that if a rule does not apply equally to all cars in a category, it cannot be considered, and my point is that no rules ever apply equally to all cars (of different makes)in a category. So his position would automatically disallow any rule change - a preposterous condition.

GRJ

Well, let me suggest that there are instances that indeed fit the criteria...and bring the thread back to it's origins at the same time.

No reasonable man would argue that the loss of washer bottles would affect the competitive balance a wit. It would be preposterous!

I hereby support rules creep and will stand aside if those who wish washer bottles to be struck from the car feel strongly about it...



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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[ddewhurst]

Jake, your not even fun to debate with because you use zero sarcasm. My presentation skills suck when typed & when face to face. I can live with that. But when I type something about what I think is the most "usless item" in IT. & boy Kirk starts his rambling for the umpteenth time about his hand held & his fire system it gets REAL OLD.

Don't Have Fun
David

[grjones1]

Originally posted by rlearp:

If you guys would get rid of all that old wiring and instruments rattling around and shorting out on the superfluous cage tubing you've installed, you'd have fewer fires.

GRJ

[Geo]

Originally posted by JeffYoung:
George, it was actually the Japanese car (the 260z) the caught fire. Looked like a kamikaze plunging down from the azure Pacific skies.

Banzai!!!

Originally posted by JeffYoung:
You should see what Ron did to the Jensen this week after the fire experience. THREE pulls for the cut off switch (one center, one each side), TWO pulls for the fire bottle and a hand held on the roll bar.

It may not run, but it will certainly kill fire very efficiently.

Hmmm.... Perhaps he should bring his own firetruck to every event. Old British sports cars don't you know....


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George Roffe
Houston, TX
84 944 ITS car under construction
92 ITS Sentra SE-R occasionally borrowed
http://www.nissport.com

[Knestis]

Originally posted by ddewhurst:
I type something about what I think is the most "usless item" in IT. & boy Kirk starts his rambling for the umpteenth time about his hand held & his fire system it gets REAL OLD.

For the record - first mention of fire extinguishers in this strand:

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">...The most usless item in an IT race car is the hand held fire extingusher for driver safety. That people (Andy, Geo, Darin, protester Bob) is a F**KING joke. & K. don't start your $hit about two fire extingushers.</font>

But, hey - I'm over it.

BTW, David - you type a lot younger than you seem to be, if you beat me to the sandbox race track by 20 years.

Seriously - let's bury the hatchet on this issue. I promise to never make my multi-extinguisher pitch here, and we still need to have that beer...

K

[Knestis]

Originally posted by grjones1:
If you guys would get rid of all that old wiring and instruments rattling around and shorting out on the superfluous cage tubing you've installed, you'd have fewer fires.

Touche.

K

[grjones1]

No reasonable man would argue that the loss of washer bottles would affect the competitive balance a wit. It would be preposterous!
[/B]

Nor would doing away with passenger door glass, unused gauges and instruments, old wiring, etc. And that ain't preposterous.

GRJ

[Joe Harlan]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Seriously - let's bury the hatchet on this issue. I promise to never make my multi-extinguisher pitch here, and we still need to have that beer...</font>

Hehe Kirk if you wait 15mins David won't even remember who you are.....

[Knestis]

...and if I have two beers, I won't remember who HE is. I've become a lightweight having left PIR worker campout bashes long behind.

K

[Spinnetti]

Wow..

Re-reading all the posts, I remember why I dropped out of the SCCA for a few years. It stopped being fun..

I think the original post has merit, and like it or not there has been a TON of rules creep since I started racing. Why stop now? A lot of it has been on dubious safety crap. I've had to modify my cage twice, spend a small fortune on belts, window net, helmets, fire system refills etc, etc, then come ecu mods (I really oppose that one), Threaded 'spacers' , Coilovers, blah, blah blah...

Why not gut the junk so we can have faster race cars? It doesn't have to be production class to do that. The engine and suspension rules have already gone far enough.. Leave the exterior body alone too, and whats left is gutting the junk and playing with the cage...

I've been left out by the rules pretty much every time - no point in worrying about getting 'left behind' anymore...

[ddewhurst]

Kirk, buried.......... in Joe's back.

Have Fun
David