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2013
We were happy the car finished the 2012 season without any major damage. (See the 2012 tab details of our 2012 season.) Our intention was to add a higher gear and head into 2013 with only minor changes; that did not happen. It may end up looking like the same car from the outside but inside it is getting a major overhaul and it's taken almost two years to make these seemingly minor changes.
The engine was pulled and sent back to Moran Racing Engines ( www.moranmotorsports.com ) in Detroit for a full rebuild. Even though the motor was fine, it still needed a full rebuild (new rods, rings, bearings, etc.). After all, it had 30 miles on it! The motor makes lots of reliable power but it is a bit high strung. Better to rebuild it and be safe, than to blow it up during the next season.
The transaxle was a very good unit but it had reached its limit. A new custom transaxle has been ordered and is being fabricated by Weismann Transmissions ( www.weismann.net ). The new unit will be 8 speed and have more than enough gear to reach the higher speeds. More than enough gear for what you might ask? I usually don't like to talk about our next goal until we reach it, but given our recent 380 MPH single run, it is no secret that we now want to be the first modified car to get a record over 400 MPH. This is in the speed territory that a lot of specialized streamliners are trying to get to.
The front suspension was totally redesigned and replaced. At the speeds we are traveling we were starting to bend the frame and suspension. This was already a very beefy custom frame and suspension, but is still not enough.
We had a few wiring gremlins and needed better access to the control components. We also wanted to add more data logging sensors. This led to a complete removal of all the wires in the car, so it's getting a full rewire.
We also need to have a new chute arrangement. Using the chutes we had at 380 MPH was starting to become a problem. With the new speeds we are hoping for, we're adding two new chutes that will launch a light-weight pilot to deploy the main chute. With a little redesign of the main canopy, extra tether length and the light pilot chute, we hope to have a much smoother chute deploy.
A new safety system will also be tested. We have wired in an automatic chute deploy and fuel shut off. NHRA is starting to run these devices. If an engine blows or a tire comes apart at speed, it will be necessary to get the chute out as fast as possible. The sensors should detect this very quickly and deploy the chutes, cut off the fuel and shut off the engine much faster than the driver would. Mark Hanson of StrangeFab Motorsports has been doing the fabrication. We redesigned and he fabricated the new front suspension, removed and reinstalled the rebuilt motor, designed and fabricated a new interior to handle the new transaxle and a host of other modifications needed to rebuild the car.
2013