Grab a hand full of this

Today besides some miscellaneous and minor details I installed the rear valance as well as the rear quarter panel extensions. Be sure and notice the inserts that I installed in the rear vallance so that a licsense plate will be installed. I still have to chuckle everytime I remember per the rules this will be a registered and legal car that can be driven on public highways.

On other topics today I received a call from Mike Maier from MAIER RACING ENTERPRISES. Mike had built me some custom spring saddles where the coil springs seat onto the upper control arms complete with bushings so that they will work the way good suspension is supposed to. Almost all suspension when new is too tight thus has a difficult time freeing up the suspension to perform up to our standards. When it comes to good race suspension free moving is good... Loose is bad. VERY bad. Mike's father Bill Maier used to build a similar part back in the days when he ran the Trans-Am circuits but before releasing them to me Mike built a prototype and installed them in one of his autocross cars and went and ran some races over the weekend. He says they are the hot set up and after he puts some finish touches on them like lube fittings they will be ready next week along with the entire front and rear suspension package.

Included in the all inclusive custom built package will be;

Shocks front and rear.
Upper and lower control arms with reinforcement.
Front and rear sway bars.
Spring saddles.
Strut rod bushings.
Front coil racing springs.
Rear rear leaf racing springs.
Rear adjustable panhard rod assembly.
Urethane bushing kits throughout and new U-bolts.
Shackle kits.
Adjustable rear end angle alignment shims.
And a few more goodies but if I told you everything then I would have to shoot you.

Why is it for every item I finish I have to order 10 other things?
Along with these miscellaneous parts will be the original Shelby Quick Steer idler and pitman arms used on the original GT350 R model Shelbys and powered by a Coleman Racing power steering pump system.

Have you ever wanted to smell like a Mustang? LOL

Introducing Mustang - The New Fragrance for Men: Bold. Daring. Legendary. Real Men Inspire and Drive Today's Fragrance Market -- Available Nationwide Beginning July 2007
NEW YORK, May 07, 2007 -- Aramis and Designer Fragrances, a global leader in the Prestige Fragrance industry and a division of a subsidiary of The Estee Lauder Companies, announces its partnership with Ford to introduce Mustang, a new men's scent that embodies the spirit of today's man: strong, confident and driven. Mustang, the new fragrance for men will launch in July 2007 to retailers nationwide and rollout to mass merchandisers and chain drug stores in August 2007.

"We are so excited to be launching a fragrance with Mustang, an American icon that today holds international recognition and an undeniable established reputation. This fragrance will bring the Mustang man to life while remaining true to the core values and classic tradition of the Mustang brand," states Robin Mason, Vice President, Global Marketing for Aramis and Designer Fragrances.

The Mustang fragrance exemplifies the allure of the Mustang man - bold, daring and legendary. The heart of the fragrance, a fusion of pipe tobacco and cedarwood, evokes a daring ruggedness. The legendary masculine notes of amber, fir balsam and patchouli complete the fragrance, giving the scent an appealing aura for all men.

"Today's man has a presence that is strong and confident with an innate masculinity that does not go unnoticed. He's a guys' guy, yet is both modern and authentic," says Trudi Loren, Vice President, Corporate Fragrance Development Worldwide for The Estee Lauder Companies. "Mustang captures these qualities by infusing a blend of warm ingredients into a dynamic signature scent." "Aramis and Designer Fragrances is a global leader in the industry and we are proud to partner with them. "It is a great partnership when you can bring together two companies that are so strongly rooted in American culture as our two companies." The bottle and packaging created for Mustang complete the vision of the new scent. The bottle is simple and sleek, but masculine in shape. It has a graphite cap and collar with a silver hot stamping and the Mustang Pony logo on the label. The outside packaging is a graphite metal reusable "Collector's Tin" with the iconic Pony logo.

Beginning in July 2007, Mustang, the new men's fragrance, will be sold in the U.S.

Mustang is one of the greatest automotive sales success stories of all time.

Nearly one out of every two sports cars sold in the United States is a Mustang, and remains one of the hottest-selling cars in America. It's also America's best-selling convertible.

I got a hot scoop for you....

Today I finished installing the side scoops as well as the functional rear brake ducts. All Shelbys had the side scoops but very few were in fact functional. They are a great help in cooling the rear brakes. You have no idea how hard it is to take a three and a half inch hole saw and begin cutting a hole right in the side of a car with a brand new paint job on it and if that isn't enough then I had to perfectly align and drill holes to attach the side scoops as well. Whew... am I glad that's done successfully!

Something old... Something new

I have said it before but keeping up with today's technology is really something. I remember as a young boy what was considered high tech as opposed to today's high tech and all I can saw is Wow! It's amazing how far technology has brought about so much horsepower in such few years. And it's even more amazing when you realize that back in the 60's if you wanted horsepower you just built a bigger motor. Nowadays it's clear to see the bigger is better mentality is all but history. Instead of finding heavy boat anchor big blocks many high performance engines are of a far smaller caliber many of which have far more horsepower than was to be found in the big blocks of yesteryear.

The horsepower department is not the only area that has succumbed to the advances of technology. Everything from stopping power, tire quality, suspension and anything else imaginable have been improved upon. But then we must also take into consideration the time old tradition of respect for the works that got the ball rolling. It was those very same big blocks that tore up the tracks that got everyone's adrenaline flowing and in turn got some folks asking questions like, "Hmm, what can I do to make this thing just a little faster than the other guy?" And don't forget records. Records are the icing on the cake. They are how the score is kept and what good is horsepower if it doesn't serve a purpose or make a statement? A few years ago a friend of mine asked Carroll Shelby if the Viper would ever be as famous as it's predecessors like the GT350, GT500 and the AC Cobras. His reply was, "Absolutely not. The Viper is one hell of a car and one I am proud to have been part of but it will never make a statement like the Shelby's from the 60's have. Back then there was a sanctioned race being run almost every weekend where the bragging rights between Ford, GM and the rest were being put to the test. This was war and as the records show the Shelby's made the statement and took those bragging rights many of which still stand to this day. Since there are not the numbers of races that there used to be, the Viper will never make such a statement or deserve such honors. The Viper is just a hot rod, it's just that simple." Having owned a Viper GTS coupe at the time Carroll said that I must say it was a little hard to swollow. That is until it sunk in as to who just said it and who am I to argue?

Since I am one of the few original owners of a rare Shelby GT500 I respect the tradition that accompanies the name and am more than proud to look back at my personal involvement with the Shelby heritage and history. At the same time I can't think of a car that has been more exciting than the GT350 that I am presently building. While the majority of this car is built on the exact same foundation as was the case back in the 60's, much of it is finding little items here and there that bring out the real beast using today's technology. Old school meets new school if you will. I have a suspicion that guys like myself share many of the same dreams and visions that Carroll Shelby did. When I close my eyes not only can I hear my little white GT350 screaming at 7000 RPM but I can see the road from the driver's seat as the windy, twisty mountain roads of Mexico go flashing by in a blur. I can't help but know that Carroll is smiling with all the satisfaction that any one man can ever have.

Day at the track

Even though I love running Sears Point (Infineon) in the rain, yesterday the weather couldn't have been better. Lots of friends, fast cars and an awesome barbecue if I do say so myself. I started cooking at 4 pm and didn't finish until 8:30. NASA spares no expense for their famous Saturday night barbeque's booze included and it's free for one and all. There was more than enough for over 500 that lined up.

Besides the barbecue and track time there was lots to do. I spent some quality time with my son and my friend Jerry Kunzman, owner of NASA, up in the tower as they directed all the racing and managing what seemed like an unusually high amount of towing for one reason or another. Jerry had flown in just for the weekend from his sabbatical in Japan so we could share the day together and then he goes back. Thanks Bro. Little did I realize when my son was a little boy and was playing in the back yard trying to run down Cobra the family cat with his electric Big Foot truck that he would someday be the race director for a major race venue. He sure is an inspiration.

I was pleased to spend some time with Gerie Bledso the North American La Carrera Panamericana director as well. Gerie stayed pretty busy instructing in his new bright red Vette but he is always a gentleman who finds time to talk racing. There were some La Carrera cars in attendance as well but it seemed like every time I walked over to say hi, they were getting in their cars to get on the track so I never got to meet them. Maybe next time. Speaking from lots of experience I'm happy to report Gerie has a very good handle on Sears Point. Good seeing you Gerie.

I was sure bummed out all day because I wanted to see the Nascar race so I could see if Jeff Gordon can keep up the pace he has been on. The good news is that when I got home last night I found out the race had been canceled due to rain and so the race will be run on Sunday! How ironic... I was walking around all day in a T-shirt and never had even a remote clue that the race would be rained out. Will got in some seat time in the new SIRIS MEDIA Spec Miata that Jon and him are building for a run at this years national championships. The little car ran great considering it was just a shakedown run to get things sorted out before going to be painted. The only thing that could have made the day better would have been if Jon was there. All in all the entire day was one of relaxing, meeting up with old friends and proof that racing cars is such a fine way to spend ones free time and more importantly for some of us a way of life.

Fast cars, fast food and fast friends

What an unbelievable day... Paris Hilton is told by the judge she will serve 45 days and then he took away all her possibilities of getting off easy with electronic monitoring, jail time in Beverly Hills style jails and all of the above. No sir, she's going to a plain old dirty jail cell. Never thought I would see the day but I am glad to see the judge dish it out. I don't care who you are, drink and drive and you go to jail THAT's reality Miss Hilton.

And how about that Jeff Gordon! Yet another pole for the Californian home boy! Is he on a hot streak or what! NASCAR

While I am waiting for some parts to arrive I find myself with more than enough detail work to complete. There are more than enough items that need attention as I find myself installing new fasteners for everything from brake lines as well as new brake metal lines and electrical fasteners and simple items such as heater/defroster cable adjustment fasteners. What's that? You say you have a heater in a race car? You bet I do. There will be times in the jungle of south Mexico near the Guatemala border not to mention those long, cold and rainy stints during the 25 Hours Of Thunderhill when the defroster is man's best friend. But there are other important reasons for having a heater as well. The extra supply of water in the cooling system can help make a difference in keeping the engine run just a little bit cooler.

This week I was able to finalize installing the clutch/brake pedal assembly and I also had the underside of the car undercoated in hopes it will help deflect heat away from the cab thus helping the driver and navigator comfort level.

Time to take a break for the weekend and run up to the track at Sears Point (Infineon as the corporate crowd would call it) for the weekend. What could be more appropriate than a barbecue with a few hundred friends at one of the most beautiful tracks in the U.S. that sits right in the middle of the Napa wine country? I can guarantee you that nobody throws a better barbecue than the ones NASA provides all the racers every Saturday evening after a long day of racing. I also enjoy watching my son race as well as seeing him run the NASA race events as he is the acting race director and Gerie Bledso is having a few La Carrera gang over for some track time. If I'm lucky I may get in a few laps with my son in Jon's new Miata. Then I will be helping out at the NASA Saturday evening barbecue. What a great way to pass the day... Getting out on the track, friends, fast cars, food and ale.

Can you hear me now? We are now an authorized AVCOMM dealer.

Clear, concise communication between driver and navigator is one of the big keys to succeeding in a rally format race like the La Carrera. The driver has got to hear exactly what the navigator is telling him, and trust that what he hears is accurate. Heading over a blind crest at 120MPH is no time to be saying “what did you say?”

When deciding where to source the in-car communications system for our Shelby GT350R project we did a lot of research, and talked to a lot of experienced rally racers. There was one name that kept popping up – AVCOMM. Since 1992, AVCOMM has manufactured and distributed quality headsets, intercoms, and accessories for aviation and racing, and come highly recommended by many of the experienced racers we spoke with. So we contacted Roger Lords at AVCOMM in Las Vegas, and hit the Jackpot.

Prior to becoming part of AVCOMM Roger spent many years preparing off road trophy trucks for competition, including assuring that their communications systems were in perfect working order, so he clearly understands the requirements we have. On top of that Roger is a HUGE Shelby fan. Could it be any better? Somethings were just meant to happen. After speaking with Roger for some time, we have designed what we feel is the perfect system for our communication needs.

We will be running their AR550 intercom system, along with new helmet kits and in-car cables for driver, navigator, and interfaces for our car-to-crew radio system, our in-car video system, and even cell phone and iPod for those transit stages where we can mosey along to the sounds of our favorite music, and even call our families to let them know how things are going in the wilds of Mexico. We’ll be able to use any of these communications systems with our helmets or headsets on. Simple, elegant, and perfect for our needs.

Needless to say AVCOMM is taking very good care of us, and we want to in return take very good care of them. We will be running AVCOMM logos on the car for all of the events it enters, and will be promoting them any chance we get. We are now also an authorized AVCOMM dealer, so we can provide you with the best in headsets, intercoms, and accessories for your in-car or car-to-crew communications needs. Go to AVCOMM to see the broad range of quality products and accessories they offer, and contact us at radios@sirismedia.com for more information and pricing. We’ll provide you with the best prices on the best equipment in the industry.