Modern Old School Rocket Science

What's old, what's new and what's cool? Some people want new stuff because it's new, others want old stuff because it's old, while some others study what's in front of them and try figure out how a certain machine can be used, updated, and raced.

 

If you need serious power in your ride, an LS engine with turbo or supercharger is an obvious alternative. We've done that journey. Our 6 cylinder, 3 liter Landspeed Race Amazon produce 850-900hp (crank) (183 cubic inch) which means 300hp/l. Only a slightly modified (new conrods) modern engine structure can support that. 

But if you want modern driveability and reliability from an old engine, consider an upgrade of fuel and ignition. It's really amazing to experience how an old engine characteristic changes when these systems are modernized. 

 

Here's what; We took our old 303 Oldsmobile Rocket engine apart, cleaned it, measured all parts and renewed what was worn. Then we added a Holley EFI Sniper (2 barrel TBI) and a Ignitor, (breaker point replacement kit) to the engine.

 

In order to debug the engine and transmission we borrowed a home made trolley from Magnus and fired it up. Result? Well, it started in 3 seconds and were running at reasonable Air-Fuel Ratio at once with almost perfect throttle response. When the coolant temperature reached a threshold the engine idle was stabilized at 850rpm and it started it's self learning journey and soon the engine was running at a Air-Fuel Ratio of 13,5. 

  

The 73 year old Rocket engine matched with a reasonably modern TBI. Suddenly the engine felt at least 50 years younger.

But that's just a golden carburetor isn't it? Nope it's a Holly two port TBI that looks old school. The only thing we needed to add was a oxygen sensor (closed loop lambda control) a coolant sensor and a high pressure fuel pump.

 

 First cold start.

As the coolant temperature reaches working temperature and the fuel starts to evaporate in a good way, the warm idle is stabilized on preset values and the engine sounds and acts more like a much more modern engine.

 

Conclusion? Give the old engine a second chance. Stay conservative. But apply new technology to make it usable, driveable and reliable. 

I'm still thinking about how a low boost (AirWerks S300SX-E equipped) 454 big block engine with...let's say 0.7 bar/ 10psi boost pressure would behave. Should provide 750hp without too much modification. 

Anyhow, a test report will follow. Full of Rocket Science. For real.

Pomona

The early bird gets the worm. I hate that sentence. To start with I'm a night owl not an early bird. Secondly, the vast majority of car swap meets start too early. For no obvious reason. But ok, I admit. There's an exception; The Pomona Swap meet. In this part of the world the early morning torture make sense. Especially in August, when it's 95deg F/35degC already around lunch time.

Actually I'm even happy to raise to this occasion, because Pomona swap meet is fun. Yes, it's a bit gloomy in December and yes there's too much non automotive kitsch for sale too. But still it's one hell of a swap meet /car show /car event.

The entrance. At this point, the bed is forgotten. The legs are not hurting yet and you're full of anticipation.

Too much to see in too few hours. How to cope with that?`Drink water, walk fast and try to determine what's available from each seller based on what's on display. 

  

There are cars for sale too. Of all kinds. Loved this 1949 Chevy Suburban...

...and this Mazda Wankel pick up truck!

 

I'm not a VW man, but if you happen like air cooled engines, there's a big section of cars and parts for you.

I tried to stop it, but Cina still found this old lawnmower.

A non digital search for essential stuff.

 

1948 Cadillac pick-up. Really liked this project car too.

Many square meters of exotic Inlet manifolds.

A Porsche 914 on parade. A car you don't meet every day.

Care for an all original 1964 Lincoln with suicide doors? Available.

No matter if you looking for that special part or just want a day in the sun,  most of car guys and girls will love this swap meet. Because of it's variety of cars, parts and people.

We'll be back soon.

Billet & Boost. Can you get Too high psi?

Some people have a lot of energy. Others have even more. There are those who need more power. Then there are those how have a need for serious power, way beyond what any OEM can provide. Ever.

Let me explain. If your sporty ride feels slow and sloppy, while you still need a reliable daily driver, Magnuson Supercharger have solutions that does not jeopardizes reliability (or emissions). When installed correctly, you can still take a long Gran Tourismo tour and enjoy speed and durability.

But if you want super serious power and transform your daily track sport car to a hardcore race machine there are plenty of solutions from Toohighpsi.

Toohighpsi? Just a creative team with enthusiasm and energy that most of us can only dream about.  

 

Let's assume that you have a Corvette C7 and you've bought a Magnuson Supercharger kit, but your DI injectors cannot deliver more fuel and you don't want to modify the hood. Here's how to solve it; a billet (!) supercharger top cover from Toohighppsi and...

...and this Toohighpsi PFI adapter. An additional set of port injectors that will add the extra fuel that is needed to reach +1200hp in your TVS 2650 equipped Corvette or Camaro.

 

Looks so good!

    

But what's this? Well, this is what happens when you combine creativity, engineering, CAD/CAM, CNC milling machine, a Eaton TVS 900 with an old MG roadster. Love it.

The moral of this post; Everything gets better with some boost pressure and when you're ready for a Rocket Ride far from what's reasonable, Mike and his team are there to support. 

 

Salt Slush can support a lucky launch!

Salt Slush Vacation...a way to get in shape.

Some sleep. Some drink. Some want excitement. Some other are just socializing softly. Magnus, Carina and I felt that all of the above was appropriate when we relaxed from testing, travelling, shipping and shopping.

But more rewarding than anything else is to meet all, literary, amazing people that we meet when we were not alone with the tumble weed, the wind and our howling Amazon at El Mirage. 

Here's what;

 

I was in need of a haircut. So I went to a Barber. Found an amazing guy that I'll never will forget. Ever. Yes, he had prepared most of the people attending The Tonight Show. Including John Wayne. 

Carina, Erik Hansson and Magnus sipping beer and wine while waiting for the T-Bone steaks to get ready.

We took the opportunity to visit Maureen Magnuson too. She showed us the Magnuson Supercharger history and heritage with enviable energy. Yes, she has a Corvette C7 as her daily driver. I mean, what to expect from car girl like Maureen. She and Jerry was a true team. 

Another evening, Ruth suggested a hot rod ride. Consequently, Carina and Ruth took the rod for a late night spin.

Next day, Magnus and I drove the famous track nose roadster under the trees. Palm Trees.

No reverse camera, but all the grace and pace you could every wish for. 

Carina and Ruth drove the hot rod along winding road in a beautiful next door valley. Next door valley i SoCal, not in Gothenburg.

A proper vacation should include some shopping too. So we left Magnus at the airport and went to Pomona Swap Meet to look for treasures.

...we will dedicate a separate blog post to the Pomona Swap meet. Let's just conclude that there's a lot of stuff there... 

...and a rolling car show of epic proportions.

Negative: we killed a +700dollar Good Year Eagle Land speed race tire. 

Positive: as a consequence, we got to meet Nate Jones Jr. at Cowboy Tire. A really nice man, who could crank up hard-to-get race tires in no time. Strong too.

At Nate Jones place we met Hot Rod Chavik, who built this immaculate Buick Straight 8 Indy Car Roadster. What a car and what a man!

Classic vacation? Yes, Carina and I spent an evening at Paolo Verdes. Took these vacation photos to remember the occasion.

Me and the lighthouse. I'm here trying to not look for rattle snakes. Because as always, there are snakes in the close a proximity to paradise.   

 

Test Drive in The Desert!

Test drive. A crucial part of vehicle development. That goes for race cars too. Even more important for Salt Slush Racing since we need to know that the car is race ready when we set off for Bonneville Speed Week August 2022.

Consequently, Magnus, Cina and I flew over to Erik & Ruth in Orange, California to push out our Landspeed Amazon from the storage, load it to a trailer and drive up to El Mirage for a test drive. El Mirage; a high desert area, two hours drive from Los Angles. 

 

We were worried about an electrical issue that we experienced at Bonneville 2019. We found errors and we modified the electrical system, but we needed to confirm if we really fixed it. In addition we want to make sure that we had no other problem. I mean let's face it. Any car deteriorate over time. Race cars too...

 

So we started up the car. Shortly after we noticed that all fuel hoses that has been exposed to desert sun and race fuel were crispy as chips, so we changed them all. Anything else? Well, that big aluminum alternator bracket were loose and the alternator belt did not align. Fixed that too. At that point we learned that our focus on serviceability could have been better.

We killed one of our rear tires too. An expensive mistake.

 

But...the turbo, engine, clutch, transmission, rear end and brakes were just great! Magnus and I drove at least 10 x 1km test drives in the desert with no stop or any other failure.

 

Salt Slush Test Drive at El Mirage Desert on a Monday. Blue skies. Our Race Car and Dust. A lot of dust. And the desert wind that softly howled.

 

 We logged all runs to be able to analyze the tests performed afterwards.

Magnus and I adjusted our new safety belts too.

 

We noticed what we've noticed before. The rear shook absorbers and perhaps as well the springs needs to be renewed and updated. We need more damping to make the vehicle more stable at higher speeds.

 

Our old but solid big block 2500 Suburban hauled Erik's Trailer and our race car with ease to El Mirage as always. Magnus was dressed for desert sun. As always.

 

Carina and the trailer in the empty desert

It's nice to see when a dog is wagging tail. But when a high speed race car do the same...you want to go to the Ohlin Man, i.e. Dough Brenner at Brenner Shocks to stop that rear end from rocking. The man to the left? The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Motor Cross Champion man; Gunnar Lindstrom.

 

When you need one new Good Year Eagle Landspeed Race tire, you need luck and Nate Jones at Cowboy Tire. Luck, because Good Year only produce them in batches. Nate Jones because he knows land speed racing and is a really good guy.

No competition. No top speed. But a very good way to get familiar with the car and find issues that needs action. 

 

We got dusty. We got exhausted. We found things to fix. Still we declare it a success. Are we ready for Bonneville Speed Week 2022? Not yet. Will we get ready. Yes!

 

You can't be serious...

Some of us can be serious most of the time, while some others can be serious sometimes. But we all need to be unserious some of the time. You work hard at your daytime work while you trying your best to work on your private projects and keep your family and friends happy too.

If you're about to hit a race track any day soon, you know that it will require focus in addition to all of the above. Pressure is building up inside.

What to do? 

My advice is to let things go and let that inner kid come out and play. How? When? Where? No rules applies. Just take the opportunity when it's given to you. During a transmission change in the workshop or at a costume party. It's up to you.

  

When you're at a party where grown-ups looks like this and there's a smoke machine, take the chance.

If you managed to get out that Muncie transmission and dog approach you, take the chance.

 If you´re serious about life, never forget to play around.

 

 

Spring?

There are signs of spring in south Sweden; The sun is-a-shining. Birds are loud and annoying. The white hard light that makes trolls burst in no time hit the workshop windows like laser rays. But the road is dry and the time is right to optimize cold start. 

 

Spring is what we're all looking for and warm weather makes us all feel fine. All of us? Nope. The early sunlight brings stress too. Because we all know what's coming up next. Spring and Summer. Race, Shows, Party...and your ride needs to be ready to run.

Everything's cool...but the clock is ticking. 

Salt Slush Saturday Sun. 

Pictured: Magnus and Chicko-The-Dog in waffle battle. Magnus won.

But you cannot dwell in the sun if you're a man with a plan. 

Magnus have plans. A million plans. At least.

 

 Kalle is in transmission mode too. The Tremec TKO has not arrived to its final destination yet, but the Camaro has reached another level and Kalle is planning to gear up.

 When not serving as Salt Slush CFO, Carina is in engine bay mode...

 

..cleaning, painting and preparing for the Rocket to reach the Ride. 

It's still cold outside, but spring is coming up and therefore the mechanical puzzle is coming together and yes, a test drive confirmed clutch function.

Lillebil. A Salt Slush fan who have seen more springs than most of us will ever see. Her view is basically that we need to get our shit together soon.

Me? Since the road were dry, I managed to make a 5=5 this week....meaning....a different commuter car each day this week.

Here's what; 

Pre-war Monday = 1941 Buick Super Coupe

Art Deco Tuesday = 1938 Oldsmobile Coupe

Post War Wednesday = 1946 Freedom Ford Coupe

Modern man Thursday = Cadillac CTS

Feel good Friday =1979 Chevy C20
 

Summary; it's getting colder again. Spring is not here yet. But summer will come this year too and we better get ready.