Inspection anxiety

There is one thing each year that causes distress more than anything. Inspection time. No, I’m not talking about going to the dentist… No, it’s the yearly safety and emissions inspection of the car or truck in my case. Actually I have two vehicles up for inspection this year.

It starts to feel a bit uncomfortable about 2 months in advance. Will it pass? Did I forgot to fix anything they mentioned last year? Should I clean it? Then I start to look for other cars for sale, in the papers and online. Is there a better, more interesting car for sale? After that it’s usually an internal debate about what the perfect daily driver should be like. Is there such a car/truck/van/4x4/motorcycle? My answer is usually no not really…. but maybe there is something that could be changes somewhat to make it perfect.

What would that be? It should have a personality, nice styling, preferably some performance and hopefully a bit practical. But most important, it need to have a fun factor. Well a VW bug built Baja style would be nice, maybe with a later transaxle? Couldn’t I even do it with a diesel hanging out in the back? Hell yeah. Or a Ford Falcon Ranchero gasser would be awesome. A Porsche 911 made to look like the ones they used to rally? No, why not take the Mercury Cougar a friend gave up on and turn it into a dirt track or stock car? There is just one thing about all these things, they are major projects for which I don’t have the time or space.

This year I had a new great idea. There is a nice looking, fast, somewhat practical and probably super fun little truck out there. The GMC Syclone. Great, now let’s find one….. Oh… only 3000 produced…. Hard to find and not really reasonably priced for a daily driver. The only one I found was also molested by a previous owner putting a 350 in it. But wait a minute, the second gen S10 are plentiful and really nice looking after the facelift in 1998. The 4.3 litre V6 is of course a heavy tired gas guzzler but could probably be helped with a turbo or supercharger. That could make a nice updated version of the Syclone. But I want the same all wheel drive as the Syclone not a in-out 4x4. I did some research. Thank you GM. The Astro AWD and the Oldsmobile Bravada uses the same AWD transfer case as the Syclone and it’s more or less a bolt on thing.

Plans started to develop. Take a 4x4 S10, Astro transfer case, beef up the transmission and put a manual valve body one it, spice it up with a hotter cam, add breathing help in the form of a EFR 7163 turbocharger and tune it for E85. OK all you intelligent readers just noticed what happened there…. Major project. But it would make a insane truck a Psyclone perhaps.

My truck didn’t pass inspection. But after a couple of hours changing the worn out parts and in the process soaking my eye in brake fluid it was OK for another year. So until next year the plans are put away deep in a dusty part of my head…. Or are they?

By the way. The pictures are all stolen from the internet. If you are the owner of the vehicle or the picture don't be offended. I just like it.

We are not on the front page or on the centerfold !

But we've been noticed...

There is something with our dream and our way of saying;
-You ain't seen nothing yet!

On page 40 in No. 5 of Gasoline Magazine and on page 30 in No. 6 of Nostalgia you'll find a small picture of our SSR Amazon Land Speed Racer. In Nostalgia, even with a short text presenting the SSR Team and Amazon.

We're proud to make it this far, in to these extremely good Magazines, run by true petrol heads and life connoisseurs

Not on the front page, but somewhere inside.

Gasoline: no words but as said, a picture…

 Nostalgia: The Amazon and the SSR Team dressed up beyond the highest standards.

Some words, mainly our names and our intention to boost and speed...

SSR Summer Party 2015!

We felt that it was time to celebrate the soon to be hot Summer and our progress with the Amazon. But right now we've learned that we had reason to celebrate the victory of Robin Antonsson, who this Saturday won his class (Pro) in Time Attack! More about that later!

We felt nevertheless, that it was time to have a good party and enjoy The Royal Rocker in their very best mood. Maybe with a slight remark on the acting sound technician who happens to be a member of the SSR team, Magnus B. But let start from the beginning.

Early morning in the Salt Slush Racing workshop. Guitars and Cars. Bikes and Beer. Resting side by side. A poetic moment.

Somewhat later. All hell breaks loose. Ot rather, The Royal Rocker sound check.

Meanwhile, the workshop is being decorated. An Ford frame turns in to a candelabra

When preparing for a party there's always some spare time for dreaming. Especially if you have Buick Nailhead with a Hillborn injection in a frame. Speedy shifting is especially important.

The Royal Rockers. Live in the SSR Shop!

The audience and the band are warming up...

But how about The Amazon? Well, its still under construction. Here with a green touch celebrating being built step by step...

The party from the drivers seat!

Johan Linus Charlotte and Linea making fun of elderly people,  

Black Sabbath 1970? Nope. Royal Rockers second set, here performing their amazing version of Jolene!

Eventually all party ends. The model A frame and its rustic touch in the stillness of the night.

As well a Triumph is resting in the dark... 

Car guy's vs. Normal people -how many vehicles does one person need?

Not so long ago, as it happened, I read through an issue of Hot Rod magazine and I assure you my reading was purely by coincidence. Nevertheless as I was turning pages I found an equation. One of the most important mathematical expressions...

and it goes like this:  p= n+1

where p happens to be the perfect number of cars to own and enjoy

and n is your current number of cars.

I guess you figured it out. This equation reflects the mind of a car guy (no matter of sex).

Those who are heavily addicted to vehicles are normally attracted to very difficult vehicles types. Here's an example of a car guy brain pick (identity remains secret)

A German sports car? Yeah, that would be nice! A Porsche is fast. And fast is good.

An International Scout? Well, these are really cool! And practical!

A Mercedes? Stiff, prestigious but good and surrounded with a certain flair. Wedding's are nice...

Miura? Where did they hide the V12? How does the oil system work? If I only had the money...

Mustang 5.0? These really makes sense! A perfect compromise!

Cadillac: Long black....cool...and long...I definitely need one of those for any kind of use.

But how about a Toyota Prius? What's a car guy (this is a test) reaction to this confrontation?  Answer: Indifferent. No reaction. Bring a mirror! Is he still breathing? Call the Ambulance!

I've learned that normal people doesn't have these thought.

They don't think constantly about cars and bikes.

They're happy with one grey 4 door.

They think; Transportation.

They don't burn tires.

They're relieved  

We're not.


Good!

The Hole and the Wall.

Where should all the exhaust fumes go? Out the door! Yes, we've made some step forward this weekend.

Yes, the door is now closed and yes, we're a bit proud over the result. Not only does it have the potential to deliver low back pressure. It looks nice as well. At least in our opinion.

No, the fender is not mounted in it's final position yet. But the door is.

The sheet metal puzzle is soon a wall and a strong protection over the prop shaft is now in place, which feels good since we don't want to get slapped by a high revving broken shaft...so all good.

But what's this? All of a sudden an old Buick nailhead V8 arrives. It came together with Magnus. And after a short moment of confusion....

...it found a place to rest in.

 

Step-by-step towards the great white open...dessert

As you all know we have a mission. Hint: It's all about speed. But still we have to fabricate our Amazon Land Speed Racer patiently.

What was ones paper is now sheet metal.

  One tailor made piece of metal becomes two.

One low pressure exhaust pipe is now two. No, we're still not able to close the door.

 

No fabrication without sparks.  No Progress without action.

3D fabrication requires holding hands that keeps things steady and a well aimed weld shot. 

 

To be continued....

Flanges, Friends and Fast Forward

Saturday mornings, after the stress and the Friday night stress relief leaves the mind and body, the soul and mind are wide open and good news are more than welcome.

That’s why we were all happy when Magnus showed up with well-engineered hardware and a need for workshop endorsement. Which we, after inspection, rightfully gave him.

 Flange inspection

A wise man brings good stuff.

 

Perfection comes with adjustments

The smoking pipe.

  

Who said that building a race car is not team work?

 

Priority no.1: Low back pressure.

Priority no.2: Close the door.

 

One more piece of the driver compartment is ready. Not the final one though...

 

What's going on here? Well, since we have a new team in the garage there are new dreams, new projects....and therefore the Amazon needs to leave The Table.

Magnus experiance a short moment as Hip Hop King. Or was it a moment of dispare?

New dreams always involves the The Building Table. Magnus famous geometrical sense is here used to its limit. Anders and Kalle practise assembly.

A new A-patient is already ready for surgery

Cina enjoyes a moment of reflection. Magnus can't see no hard stop.

Magnus: -You see, it's almost ready, I just need to....

 

 Question: What do you get when you mix a Beetle and Boxter?

Answer: Something fast.

Sheet metal fabrication. A love story

There is something about sheet metal. A big unformed piece of sheet metal always looks so promising, so full of possibilities, but at the same time, so unmanageable. You know there will be a fight. You know it will be hard to cut out big chunks with simple tools. It will be awkward to carry around on your own and if you treat it wrong it will cut your finger (-s) off.

But still it’s magic. Because deep in your heart you know that with the right touch and the right feeling, it can be used to form to Bugatti 57, sport car, a cool hot rod, a custom or a machine-fever-bare-bone-race car.

But there’s a but…it’s difficult… and it takes time and passion…and you cannot get the sheet forming feeling buy google only. You got to get the feeling. And you have some tools. And a lot of time.

That’s why there’s a hierarchy. A workshop a hierarchy. To be able to change your camshaft (-s) is fine, to be able to make a decent paint job is fantastic, but to be wizard of forming the sheet metal to a raw, artistic, practical, even sensual shape is to be on the top, on the top of the world. 

 

There’s another aspect as well. On your way to become a new Lazze Jansson, you can always buy machines. Or you can do it the Anders way which is to build machines. But keep in mind it’s not a material sport it’s artwork.

But what about Salt Slush Racing? We're into forming metal since we’re about to create the driver compartment and seal of the salt. A lot of sheet metal fabrication is currently on our agenda. Which is nice…because it’s fun and creative, full of joy and swearing.

So, if you don’t have time for Yoga, if jogging is not right down your alley, feel the sweat coming as you’re forming the metal and enjoy the warm feeling of creating something beautiful.

A good example

Yesterdays evening's outcome. 

Anders, homemade machine. Yes, it's electric.

 Where our feet should be. And some basic instructions.

 Metal over the  torque transfer area.