Awesomeness Greg!

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Thanks Big D!

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3/3/22:

I have been working on some small things
- Finishing up the Seat / Belt install
- Adding a Fire Extinguisher
- Adding a recovery strap to the front of the car
- Finishing up some of the interior gauge lights

I hope to actually get to the fiberglass hood this weekend.

Some Interior shots of the seats, Belts and Bar:





Put some Plugs / Tape and Cardboard(for now) to block up some of the openings in the core support.




Front view shows additional tow strap added.




Some materials for getting the gauge lights to match the Dash Lights:
Green lighting gel - cut to size, and attached to the bulb.





Turns gauges looking like this:


Into something more like this:

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3/16/22:

I have been able to work on some small bits here and there.

So Long Stock Hood:




It weighed in at good 60#... Firm.. Rugged.. old Detroit Steel.



Add another 8# for the Stock Steel Hinges and Springs that I also removed.. Not shown.

New Lite Hinges and plates - Plates get bent and then epoxied to the fiberglass, while the hinge arms replace the stock steel pieces.
(thanks Rick!)


Here's the new Hood Ready to be fitted - It's a flyweight Pin on / Lift off fiberglass type hood.


Weigh in..



Total with Hinges included: 14#


Not bad for a day's work, Losing 54# off the Nose of the car.

One of the many Test fits.. Adding some aerocatch bits for the closure.





Those Aerocatch parts are nice, quality, and well made - and I think they look great too.

Summit Racing Has Factory Style Air Dams for first gen 80's S10/ GMC S15/ Sonoma for something ridiculous like $11.. I couldn't pass it up so I bought one and hacked it to the underside of the factory front valence - It Prolly should be lower, but for now it's better that what was there before.. nothing.





Had some paint Problems with the fiberglass - will hafta redo it sometime, but it's good for enough for now.




' Till next time..

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Nice!!

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Rob

I’m Mater
The Kentucky Poser

Wow, Greg, that looks great. The car is really coming together nicely.
-Mattman

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-MattMan
LEANED & MEAN

Awesome work Greg!

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

4/3/22:

Grüne Hölle went on a 100 driving Rally local to my area - it was pretty fun.
The weather was not so great, mid 40's with steady to spotty rain for the first hour.
It was about 100 miles and very close to home. We had Lunch after and I met some nice people and evne got a free CANOE out of the experience! I'd call that a win.

I went with a group from the 412 Rally 412 Rally


I asked if they would let an old MoPar hang with the modern cars and Porsches, BMW's and Ford Hot Hatches, and they said sure, come along.

The Firehawk Indy 500's performed well inspiring confidence on the wet PA State routes in corners approaching 70MPH or more.. Another guy also had a new set of these on his Boxster


Here was a quick pit stop:



The car needed a good bath by the time I got home - lots of grit on the roads (hopefully not too much salt) and rain make the car dirty.


Hey, some horse tradin' at lunch netted me a free canoe.. The Graphics / Wrap Sponsor had an abandoned CANOE at his shop in the weeds... he said come get it.. So I did....Have been wanting to buy one for the river excursions with my daughter anyway!

It was a good shakedown for the trip to CMP later this month.

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Very cool. Look forward to hearing more when we are together in 3 wks...

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Yes sir.

Plotting a route to your vicinity that does not use interstates.

Garbled bits of PA back Roads to US 219 to WV 32 to US 33 to US 220 to VA 159 to VA 311 To VA 785, Past the Elementary school and down the Hill to main street.

Lookin' forward to it.

Plenty of twisty and mountain roads on Thursday nite.

Greg

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4/12/22

Hitch Install - Ready to Pull the ValianTrailer to a race.

I got a Great Deal on a Hitch - Craigslist $tyle for $20.... It's catalogue application lists it for a VW golf. @ 39 Inches it was 3" too wide for the 'ol MoPar A body Frame rails... which are Dead on 36" Wide Centers.

This receiver hitch also had some mounting ears at different elevations... So I had to solve that as well.
No Before Pics, but Here is what CURT MFG says they look like new:

Designed to fit this Generation of the VW golf? MK VII Maybe?


So after Relocating the Mounting ears and Taking 1 1/2" out of each side of the tube to the uprights I Broke out the hot Glue Gun and stuck it all back together.
Some Test Fits for Marking Hole Locations:



Carriage bolts, Mount Plates and Fishwire is all that's needed here.. and they are home in the frame rails.


Bolt up / Mock Up required a re-do of the Battery shut offf switch too.




10" of ground clearance - and maybe some sort of future rear aero Expander frame? who knows?


Not a great Picture, But the Painted version came out nice - and it Towed the empty 800# ValianTrailer flawlessly.

Maybe it serves as a rear Tow Point for the Road Racing Track days too?

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Plenty of beef there, Greg. I built a mini version of that with tubing and plate (mostly scrap) and a 1.25" receiver core on the white 62 Valiant. Towed about 1000 lbs no problem and I can unbolt it like yours. Many ways to skin a hitch...

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Yep, I think the valianTrailer with all the ancillary racing supplies, Spare Set of Wheels / Tires / Welder Jack Stands etc.. Will be on their way to your place in about a week.

Greg

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4/19/22:

Hitch install..

went...

off..


without a hitch.


We'll see how it handles a more serious load soon.

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4/27/22:

Grüne Hölle does a few Mountain trips, HPDE, Lemons Tows a trailer and Has a lot of fun whilst doing it.


Got all prepped for a trip to CMP in Kerschaw SC for a Track Day and a 24 Hours of Lemons Race.
Left Before Sunrise.... Towing the ValianTrailer



I decided to leave very early as I had not towed the freshly Fabbed Trailer More than say ~15 Miles since I built it... along with the Hitch I just Fabbed for the '64 Dart as well.
I had the Trailer Loaded with Tools / Generator, 4 Wheels and Tires, An LA short Block, Racing Scales, Camping gear etc. Tongue Weight Was at 250# - 50# over what it was supposed to be.

I expected to have some sort of towing related maladies so I budgeted extra Time.
That never Happened - Trailer was Smooth, and Stable - Loaded or Not - even up to 90 Mph.. so. Up the Mountain I went - for a little detour to my first stop in Blacksburg, VA.

One of my favorite Routes... VA 311 From I64 to Catawba, VA was the route du Jour..







Lots of Beautiful Bloomin' Purple Tree Flowers this time of year!







Potts Mountain Waysides are excellent Spots for Glamour Shots...




I usually Blast over these Mountain Twisties so Fast that I have never stopped or slowed to appreciate the the Beauty here. But Pulling the trailer I had some time, so that was all good.



Back on my way Down the Mountain, There were lots of Cyclists Heading Up the mountain. - I hope they liked the car and Trailer.


Picked up the Lemons Car and Drove in Tandem to the track:


Stopping for some Custard:


Did Some HPDE and Lemons Racing / Testing:





Block Party with Lemons:



Metup the The EVR Race Team and Swapped Slant 6 Stories..


Got Prepped for some Laps:


Packed up, Ready For Home:



Metup With Michael in Albemarle, NC - He treated us to Lunch! and Showed us his '70 Duster.




Took US 52 and US 601 To I 77.. It was fantastic.


The Blue Ridge Lies ahead of us..


Towing the Trailer up the Mountain Switchbacks on US 52.. The Car did not complain and took the corners at speed. - The Slant 6 was great for track day and Trailer Duty - Custom Oil pan And baffles did it's job - No issues.


At the Top, Crossing Under the Blue Ridge Parkway:


On the Way Home - Made it to the Route 19 Wayside / overlook in the mountain cut.. Another Nice Spot for Glamour Shots - Especially at the end of the Golden hour - I timed it just right on this trip.











All in all Good Trip, and Grüne Hölle, ValianTrailer did not have any problems during the travel.. I call it a win.


'Till Next Time..

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