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2012 Hot Rod Power Tour

Reply #30 –
Chris, too bad you're not coming to the first stop.  You'd be able to stop by and at least see what I've been up too!  Gumby will be here Friday night.

2012 Hot Rod Power Tour

Reply #31 –
Cant wait to get there either!

As for me, I hurt the trans last night so I got my own thrashing to do now. Thankfully, got a spare in the corner and an old rebuild kit ready to go.
gumby - beauty may fade, but stupid is forever!

2012 Hot Rod Power Tour

Reply #32 –
Boy you guys are scaring me with all this breakage!!  Now if my 'bird breaks down the circle will be complete, lol.  Gumby I am sure you will thrash and get yours ready to whip a$$ in the autoX.

That reminds me I need to double check that my spare tire 1) fits 2) Is in good working order.  I also need to do an oil change.
'88 'bird, 10.9:1 306 w/TFS top end, forged rods/pistons, T-5 swap & bunch of other stuff, 1-family owned, had it since ‘98, 5.0tbrd88 on Instagram and YouTube

2012 Hot Rod Power Tour

Reply #33 –
Trans is swapped, and I registered for the Tour today. As long as I dont break anything on the 28th...
gumby - beauty may fade, but stupid is forever!

2012 Hot Rod Power Tour

Reply #34 –
Just read on bangshift.com that there will be a Pizza place hosting partint burnouts after the main event is over in Muskegon, MI.  Last year the burnouts were done downtown and it got a little crazy!  This should be a safer alternative to having tons of people crowding the side of the street.

Location:

Fricano's on the Lake
1050 W Western Ave
Muskegon, MI

I will probably go check it out as I love watching other people tear their stuff up, lol.

Here is a video I took last year of some of the excitement:  http://youtu.be/KVTmnhopXyQ
'88 'bird, 10.9:1 306 w/TFS top end, forged rods/pistons, T-5 swap & bunch of other stuff, 1-family owned, had it since ‘98, 5.0tbrd88 on Instagram and YouTube

2012 Hot Rod Power Tour

Reply #35 –
Hope everyone had a great Tour! It's a shame we got cut short by my IRCM failure, but from reports it doesnt seem that we missed much in Champaign(no official major activities planned, and rain in the evening).

Thanks for the good traveling company. Hopefully the Tour will be close enough next year to do it again.

Results from Muskegon's autocross are up
http://www.furrin.org/Results/tabid/56/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/88/Hot-Rod-Power-Tour-Autocross--Final--632012.aspx

also found this:
http://jalopnik.com/5915824/watch-a-cadillac-cts+vs-airbags-explode-during-a-pre+wedding-autocross
gumby - beauty may fade, but stupid is forever!

2012 Hot Rod Power Tour

Reply #36 –
I got back early this afternoon.  Yes Gumby, Champaign did not have a ton going on at the venue other than just the normal walking around and looking at cars.  Sorry we all couldn't meet up due to your mechanical problems, but I understand!  Maybe next year?

Yesterday was pretty enjoyable at the stop at Gateway Motorsports Park.  Good amount of drag racing action and the weather was nice.  I didn't see every pass by any means, but the best I saw was a 9.xx pass by the 2.3T powered "Huber" Mustang that has been shown in the magazine partiting in Hot Rod's drag week.

My T-bird did very well this year.  Only problems were a loose tach wire and my windshield washer not working due to a plugged line (I haven't used the wipers for years, lol).  Both were easy fixes.  My car averaged about 23 mpg on the way to MI and 19 mpg on the stop-and-go Power Tour route.  I have yet to fill it up and see what I got coming back from St. Louis but expect it to be in the low 20's.  My biggest issue was that the car is a little too low in the rear now.  I lost count on how many times I drug my tailpipes coming in and out of parking lots.  I am going to need to do something to get the rear up just a tad.  Other issue is a sore left leg from pushing in my clutch...the Steeda alum quadrant and adjustable clutch cable are a lot stiffer than the stock setup and took its toll on my knee, lol.

Overall my Uncle and I had a very good time and can't wait to go again next year.  3 days seems to be a nice sweet spot for us though, I can't imagine going all 7 days.  I think I would be totally spent by 5 days in!
'88 'bird, 10.9:1 306 w/TFS top end, forged rods/pistons, T-5 swap & bunch of other stuff, 1-family owned, had it since ‘98, 5.0tbrd88 on Instagram and YouTube

2012 Hot Rod Power Tour

Reply #37 –
Sorry for my late chime in on the event!  Things were pretty crazy after only being gone a few days...

It was a great time, even being a little shorted by Gumby's intermintant loss of power and subsequent tow home. 

Our little caravan consisted of Gumby's Thunderbird, my friend Mike's 2002 Honda S2000 and Ryan's 2008 Jeep SRT8 Grand Cherokee. 

The starting point at the GM Proving Grounds was impressive.  Ryan, Gumby and I got there at 10 AM.  The place is about the size of a county!  We drove about 15 minutes from registration to get to the venue.  Getting out at the same time as "almost" everyone else, took about 2 hours!  Ryan's Jeep had a few upgrades since last year and it was getting hot in traffic.  The heater had to come on to cool the engine.  It got a little toasty in there until we could get on the road.

We beat it to Muskegon on Sunday morning, getting there about 11:30 and signed up for the Autocross.  We were first in line.  The times listed in the link in Gumby's post greatly understates his performance on the track!  He was #2 or #3 until a couple C5 Corvettes and the '12 Mustang hotlapped the course with 5 and 6 runs, dropping their times.  Ryan's Jeep was an animal (5,000 lbs of SUV).  He was kind enough to let me beat it around the track.  Here are a few links.  I'm in the white helmet, he's in the black. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3bwA4z0xFk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNIdVW4Y1Qw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmX3DejU4mk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD_guPKvSL4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_iUcbfUeOs

Being with the truck was kind of like dating a super model.  Everyone wanted to see it, not us.  It received attention from Hot Rod Magazine.  They interviewed Ryan and the car was shot for a feature.  He was invited to the Optima Invitational Challenge too (which is kind of like be asked on a date by a super model)! 

We got late start on Monday, due to a late evening by Gumby and I.  Two hours outside of Champane, Gumby's intermitant loss of power became too frequent to continue.  We got to hang out for another three hours waiting for the truck and then headed for home. 

It was only a Friday evening to Monday evening, but it felt like at least week! 

We missed Chris Wilson in Muskegon and of course didn't hook up on Champane...

Have to see what the route is next year!

2012 Hot Rod Power Tour

Reply #38 –
Quote from: 86T-bird;392127
Have to see what the route is next year!

 
Unless it goes waaay west/too far from home, I'm definately in again!  My uncle sent me a text yesterday, "work sucks, when is HRPT?"  lol...
'88 'bird, 10.9:1 306 w/TFS top end, forged rods/pistons, T-5 swap & bunch of other stuff, 1-family owned, had it since ‘98, 5.0tbrd88 on Instagram and YouTube

2012 Hot Rod Power Tour

Reply #39 –
Quote from: 50tbrd88;392159
Unless it goes waaay west/too far from home, I'm definately in again!  My uncle sent me a text yesterday, "work sucks, when is HRPT?"  lol...

 
Historically they've started it where they end it the year before and then head either north or south, depending...  I suspect it will pass within a couple hours of you on the way back up.  We'll have to wait till Nov/Dec for the route!

2012 Hot Rod Power Tour

Reply #40 –
Quote from: gumby;391639

also found this:
http://jalopnik.com/5915824/watch-a-cadillac-cts+vs-airbags-explode-during-a-pre+wedding-autocross

 
We were watching this car do the course and wondered what happened when we heard the pop and the car stopped.  There's a bit more to the story on the understatement of his being "slighty perturbed"!  He provided a bit of entertainment to the crowd with his reaction as he got out of the car:  He proceeded to dance around getting his helmet off, throwing it into the car, slamming the door and then issued a few screaming tiraids!  We were all a little stunned by his reaction, because it wasn't clear what happened.  If someone caught that on video, it would probably gone viral!

2012 Hot Rod Power Tour

Reply #41 –
i went to the power tour , i live in muskeon. sorry didnt take the Tbird, drove my 70 cobra. I watched these two get the wedding photo, their car was parked just down from mine.
-pete
july/88 turbo coupe auto

2012 Hot Rod Power Tour

Reply #42 –
NIce Cobra!