All machines needed!

There's a well established truth among car guy's. Which goes likes this:

 -You need machines to build a (fast) machine.

That's normally not a problem if you like machines. Which is to fair to say that the Salt Slush Racing team does.

The only problem is that you need a full set of machines in order to not bump in to embarrassing problems. 

Tonight it was a nice evening in Gothenburg area, the sun was shining and it was machine pick-up time. No cloud in the sky, no problem on our minds. Just pure pleasure, until... 

Rule number one: You need a machine to pick up a machine. We borrowed Carina's pick-up truck. Check!

So, we went to machine heaven where our new (i.e. old solid, Swedish machine) were located. So, we found it. (Isn't she beautiful? ) Check!

 In a certain angle and a certain light...this device will help us to cut up metal in a slow but reliable pace. Watching it work will provide piece of mind.

Yes, we've bought an old grinder as well.

 

Recap, you need a machine to build a machine. You need as well a big machine to load a machine. If you have a wheel loader or similar... 

...machines fly up on a truck bed faster than you can send an SMS. Check!

Anders and I home at bay with a "who-need-a-fork-lift" attitude.

Tail gate open 

 Grinder off. No problem.

At home, with a -the-old-robust-Swedish-machines-are rather-heavy kind of feeling. But we'll get it of. One of these day. Saying of the day: Don't grasp over more than you can handle...if you don't have a wheel loader or a tractor, that is.

 Meanwhile we enjoy an original SAJO RC30 manual and wait for deus ex machine or similar.

Think Tank and Management System.

Saturday. Work continues. The water tank will soon be formed and Santa Claus made a summer visit.

Santa in the Garage ? Well, Magnus arrived with our long debated and thought through engine management system.

AAAAA let's see what is in the bag ?

Ignition coils with the power to create Thunder and lightning big time.

Cable harness

Black and White, Yin and Yan, Magnus try to feel what it would be like to take on the nailhead with today's technology instead of yesterday's. Ragnar and Magnus kept on debating today and yesterday. Meanwhile useful work was performed.

Here we go. The stuff that will control the speedy beast.

 

Håkan, the blacksmith, made turbo brackets. Design strategy: Sophisticated engineering, farmer design.

 

I'm working with the think tank... making a frame and a lid to make it possible to load ice and water quickly. 

In action. Koncentration with K. Magnus offering as much support as he possibly can.

Yes, we did have a debate. A constructive debate.

Håkan will most likely bore you to death with bore and stroke, pistons, conrods and deck heights. More about that late. Anders is here trying to get make the cam cover look beautiful. With chemicals. Environmental friendly chemicals. Did I mention environmental friendly?

Short sheet metal notice.

The headache caused by Schnapps, Beer and Herring (?) is gone. The Midsummer weather in Gothenburg was better than expected. As consequence, Anders formed some sheet metal today. Again, every little step...

Yes, we're trying to mimic the Volvo Amazon original dashboard design. And yes, it will still be possible to lift the body from the frame.



 

I started to create brackets to support our two turbochargers, but those were in a too dark area and in a too early phase to be exposed to the public, yet. My motto: Support and allow movement, but keep them in place... 

Midsummer!

It's midsummer in Sweden today.  A national tradition with deep roots. What it is? To cut a long story short; everybody gets a day off when it's appropriate to start to drink beer and schnapps even before lunch and as a consequence people are dancing around a pole (a contraption covered with leaves- phallus symbol?) and go to bed late.  A relaxing day.

 

The Midsummer specification state that the weather should be sunny. But that (almost) never happens. Rain, however releases creativity and sweet dreams about speed and desserts and hence its good for our Landspeed racer. 

A typical Schnapps.

 

Ah, I forgot this part of the Midsummer story. Midsummer = Herring. The picture above shows a typical can of Herring. Goes well with Schnapps, luckily.

A normal Midsummer sky. The rain is coming within a couple of minutes.

But how about our piece-by-piece strategy? Does it really work? Well, we can here see Anders in action as he's welding the last part of the race car floor together. It's his way to deserve a beer.

 We can start to talk about an interior. If there is a risk for a plastic feeling? Nope.

 

By now, I think it's time for a beer.

Meeting customer while getting Gatebil experianced!

It was early Saturday morning.  The sun was shining trough the blinds. I was tired and I felt dizzy after a week of work and a social Friday evening. But a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do and I was able to rise to the occasion, put myself together and go to our SSR workshop and all of a sudden the short night sleep only felt effective.

 

After some coffee I remembered where we were heading. We were going to a place were boost pressure is a necessity, huge power is a must and tires does not last too long. We were going to a crazy, but nice, place. And for some reason the sun was shining.

07.00 Kalle arrives in his screaming Z28. He woke up the Seagulls.

For those of you in doubt, Volvo Amazon cannot only be used for Landspeed racing and hot rodding it can obviously be used for drifting as well.

A Volvo 5 cylinder engine and a turbocharger of reasonable size is a beautiful and promising combination. SSR like it. 

 

We're all gathered our stuff for a day in the sun and high pressure discussion.

 

Mattias Jönsson, the speaker, is joining our checkered EFR table over which dreams of power can come through. As can be seen Mattias has an unheard of, simultaneous capacity.

There were fast cars.

There was sun and speed. Salt Slush Racing team is of course only at Gatebil ( means Street Racer in Norwegian, I think...) by strictly professional reasons...but still, Kalle and Anders does not seem to suffer to much...

The local fog came with a unmistakable smell of having fun and feel-the-power kind of feeling.

There were Supra's, there were Volvo's, there were BMW's and Corvette's and...and ...a 32' Tudor!

Yes, we had prejudices about Gatebil before we went there and yes, they were all correct. But again, nice. What can a Skoda pick-up be used for? A Party Platform. Of course!

Sun burned with rubber smelling clothes we were howling home the 252km (160 miles) at 4000rpm. Always with an encouraging torque response and lots of visions. Anders Coyote powered pair of wheels was even more comfortable and on top of this, faster.

 

 

 

Do you wanna talk turbo? We're at Gatebil tomorrow!

Since the Salt Slush Racing team loves high power engines, tire smoke and gear head creativity, we'll visit Gatebil at Mantorp Park (a race track in Sweden) tomorrow morning. 

 

This means that if you want you talk engine boosting in general and fast response (+400hp) in particular we'll be there to advice, debate and discuss life's essentials (i.e. Speed and Power)

 

Where you'll find us? In the Seabeach Stand!

 

See you!

 

 

Every little step...makes great progress!



There's a well known garage (and project) saying:

If you want to get something done, work with it continuously.

Make small efforts each day and you'll eventually get there. Design, plan, order or build something small ever day and your dream will come true!

This weekend we worked according to this device, with one exception....we made something big as well. A coolant tank for our Land Speed racer!

Anders and Kalle started on Saturday to plan the manufacturing and the tank design.

Today, they had built up a strong wish to use the folding machine. Already at lunch time, the aluminum sheet was folded.  

Cooperation, Cooperation and a Bead roller. A moment of concentration and peace of mind.  

The Bead roller is tooling its way in our tank to be.

Did I say that I like the bead roller as well? I'm still working with building the inner compartment. Maybe not snugly, but a lovely fast-machine feeling. Please note that Anders has made a bullet proof transmission tunnel as well.

Karl-Johan in action

So...the coolant tank is almost ready...but does it fit? Can we get it in?

Yes, it fits like a glove! (view from right door)

 View from the left.

 And yes, they're a bit proud...and yes, they are thinking about the next step.

Meanwhile, Carina, our CFO is taking care of our bills. She seems happy with that...at this very moment at least...