Happy Father's Day

For many of us it was our very own fathers whom instilled our love and excitement of all things automotive within us. Today is the perfect time to reflect on those memories of rides with the ole man, those times we watched as he "tinkered" under the hood and we thought they knew everything. That's why we asked, "What are you doing dad?" and they responded, "It's to make little boys like you ask questions." Then later in years it was them that watched over our shoulders and asked, "What are you doing?" I'm not sure if both of us were really working on the car or simply showing off but I do know there is nothing I wouldn't give up to hear my father's voice again saying, "Hop in and let's see if she starts."

Happy Father's Day

Can you say, Big Toolman grunt? Oh Ohh Ohhhh!

When I originally started planning the build for this race I was considering utilizing a late model Tremec 5 speed transmission and since the rules specifically say we can only use a four speed transmission I was simply going to remove the fifth gear. But after talking it over with Gerie Bledso, the LCP North American director I decided to nix that thought.

It was then that I decided to drag out one of the transmissions I had been saving for a special occasion. While this specific transmission is a Ford Toploader, it's not just any old toploader. This transmission is an original NASCAR, close-ratio toploader used in the original GT350 R model Shelbys.

The Ford Toploader Transmission was introduced in 1964 to replace the Borg Warner T-10. This is the super-tough transmission built by Ford Engineers to stand-up to just about anything demanded from it. The toploader was used in production from 1964 to 1973 in almost every model Ford car.

I knew this transmission to be a good one but not leaving anything to chance I decided to open it up to have a look. Everything looked great but since everything else on the car is perfect I asked myself why take any chances? It was then that I called my old friend Dan Williams, the world's leading guru of the toploaders. Dan is the guy who builds and sells all the toploader parts to the exact NASCAR guys you watch each weekend on TV. I figure if the likes of Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. can't break them even in a Chevy then I sure as heck don't need anything better. After a nice talk Dan set me up with a road race version of his master rebuild kit which also includes a set of special road race bronze rings, the finest ever produced and they will be here next week.

Dan is also sending along a nice little present to compliment the transmission. Now it's beginning to sound like I am trying to decide which wine goes well with lobster doesn't it? Along with the other goodies Dan is sending is a HURST Competition Plus "road race" shifter but once again, not just any shifter. This is the exact shifter with reverse lockout used on all of today's leading race-cars including NASCAR.

After the engine is installed the transmission will be matted with the LAKEWOOD SCATTERSHIELD for some added protection to protect us of any flywheel/clutch issues ands also a common safety item found on the GT350 R models.

Lucky get's his first number

It's official... Lucky has been given car number 367 as his car number to run in the 20th anniversary running of the La Carrera Panamericana. Typically here in the U.S. cars with three digits signifies the car is in a school group and for years it has been a tradition that all Team California's Best cars are badged with number 44. However, for many years it has been a tradition that cars running in the La Carrera Panamericana are given certain three digit numbers which tell you what class the car is in so with pride and tradition Lucky and Team California's Best will wear 367.

Here are the numbers and how they relate to various classes...

Category Competition Numbers
Turismo de producción 2 al 99
Turismo Mayor 100 al 149
Sport Menor 150 al 199
Sport Mayor 200 al 249
Históric “A” 250 al 299
Históric “B” 300 al 349
Históric “C” 350 al 399
Original Panam 400 al 450
Exhibition 451 al 499
Unlimited 500 al 549

Today I finished installing a few items. One was the bezel that houses the fuel gauge for the FUEL SAFE RACING CELL and the switch for the multiple fuel pumps as well as some additional wiring on the emergency shutoff switch.

Feel the need to get away

What better way to relax than to go south of the border, see some sites, visit some local watering holes and meet and enjoy watching some of the bravest and most famous race car drivers in the world during the running of the 20th anniversary of the world famous La Carrera Panamericana. Now is your chance to take part in all these festivities and more. Simply click here to learn more about La Carrera Panamericana Tour

Death and Rebirth - Cause and Effect

One of the main reasons the La Carrera Panamericana was closed down from 1955 until 1987 was a direct result of the major loss of life in the 1955 Le Mans. It was a 300 SLR Mercedes driven by Pierre Levegh that was built specifically for the 1955 Mille Miglia which they won that year and the Le Mans 24 hours endurance race that resulted in such a large number of fatalities which crashed into the audience. That single incident had an untold effect not only on the Le Mans and La Carrera Panamericana but also auto racing around the world.

That specific 300SLR (Super Light Racecar) had a device called the air-brake. It was a device that helped the driver with hard braking by raising a large body panel behind the driver and in turn also helped to reduce brake wear a major concern for all endurance racing. It had the same effect as a large parachute and it closed when the driver released the brake pedal which allowed the driver to quickly accelerate back to speed. Mercedes not only dropped out of the race but in fact stopped racing for many years.




While it's obvious that much has happened with respect to spectator safety, crowd control and equally as important many technological advances in race car safety I still find some irony in the fact that the Swiss considered bringing back auto racing after Mercedes has recently unveiled the air brake again in the SLR Mclaren. Equally as ironic is the pure and simple truth that the fatalities of this and other races are responsible for implementing safety barriers, equipment, driver safety devices and so much more which make it possible for hundreds of thousands of automotive race fans around the world to enjoy complete safety while attending such events. For more information as to what caused the Swiss to undo it's ban check out the story over at our friends THE GARAGE. For a more detailed breakdown of exactly what transpired in causing that infamous crash go to Mike Hawthorn - A Tribute.

TEAM CALIFORNIA'S BEST is proud to join other teams and organisations in practicing the absolute highest standards with regard to preparing a race car with nothing short of the finest safety devices and building ethics available. During the build of our cars (Including Lucky) nothing is left to chance. From the first engineering designs and welds performed by IMPACT ENGINEERING right down to the very last checks performed on test day before the car is actually placed on the trailer for the long trip to the Guatemala border not one single item will be overlooked. (several times)

Another famous crash that resulted in ending the famous Mille Miglia resulted with Enzo Ferrari saying it best... "When I talk about the Mille Miglia, I feel quite moved, for it played such a big part in my life. I knew it as a driver, a team director and a constructor ... and was always an admirer of its champions. In fact, the Mille Miglia not only provided enormous technical advances during its three decades, it really did breed champions." This same compassionate quote could easily have been said by any team owner of the La Carrera Panamericana.

One less thing to do

The dash is finally complete and all the testing and checking is complete. All we need now is verify they all read accurately after the engine is installed and running. The dash bezel is an authentic Shelby part and all the gauges are AUTO METER SPORT-COMP and they are the best instrumentation available. Next week I will install the fuel gauge in a seperate dash bezel and then wire it up to the FUEL SAFE racing cell.

Getting everything just right

Today I began hooking up various wiring behind the dash in preperation for installing the gauges so that finaly I was able to mount the dash bezel. Hey, I even got the turn signals, ignition on and high-beam lights working. YEAH! As crazy as it sounds it was eaiser said than done. As soon as everything was in place to test the turn signals and should have been perfect.... Well, up poped the first gremlin. As it turned out one of the brand new tail light assemblies had a bad socket which caused a feedback short which in turn was a bear to figure out. After all, you wouldn't expect any brand new part to be defective. But this is just one more reason to not be dilly-dalling around because you never know what might pop up next. After that I hooked up and tested the master circuts as well as the emergency shut off switch all before installing the wiring before the gauges get installed.

Speaking of getting everything right... In the afternoon one of my friends stopped by with one of her old school Mini Coopers with right hand steering. My buddy/navigator Jon just happen to be in the area so we obsconed with her car keys and took it for a spin. Jon owns a late model Mini but the nostalgia of an old school Mini left us both with an afliction. This may be the only time Jon will get to have control of the car while sitting on the right side of the car. At one point he said, "I don't think we will need brakes on this next turn." Now I know how he's going to feel when we get to Mexico.