Autocross Fuel Cell Install

[Steve Parmley]

Hi Tom, I was going to ask the bulkhead question over on SCCA Forums when I got closer to finishing it. The bulkhead to the ceiling is just an effort to make the rear hatch area less of an open parachute as I understand it. If I did the traditional aluminum fuel cell cover and box covering the spare tire area, do you think it would be legal to put a lexan window shelf to roof? I am guessing no since it isn't listed as O.K. but then I could see all the angry course workers picking up cones behind me.

[tholt29]

I think you are correct that it is not legal... if you were going to call it a bulkhead it needs to be metal, otherwise it's really an aerodynamic aid of sorts... don't know that it would be a good aero aid, but an aero aid none the less...

Tom

[tube80z]

Hi Tom, I was going to ask the bulkhead question over on SCCA Forums when I got closer to finishing it. The bulkhead to the ceiling is just an effort to make the rear hatch area less of an open parachute as I understand it. If I did the traditional aluminum fuel cell cover and box covering the spare tire area, do you think it would be legal to put a lexan window shelf to roof? I am guessing no since it isn't listed as O.K. but then I could see all the angry course workers picking up cones behind me.

A lot of the GT cars are allowed to run a window in the bulkhead but it appears as Tom mentions this is not okay for prepared. In reality I don't see where this is really any help. Just use a couple of those convex mirrors hooked to the cage down tubes by the windshield. You'll see enough to back up and you don't need to worry about course workers unless they are in front of you

Cary

[John Coffey]

You'll see enough to back up and you don't need to worry about course workers unless they are in front of you

Hah! You've obviously never seen me on an autocross course! I've gone through the finish backwards and that run was only .006 slower then my previous fastest run of the day.

[Steve Parmley]

Thanks Tom, Cary and everyone. Without a Sunbelt engine John, I don't think I will be as fast backwards as forwards.

Here is an old shot of me over shooting a corner at the Oakland Colesium. You can't see it in this smaller pic but I am pushing a cone along too. Since I take the cones with me I won't need a rear window.

Now if I could just remember that formula for transparent aluminum Scottie came up with in one of the Star Trek movies the problem would be solved.

How is your season going Tom, any new tweaks to the car this year?

[EricB]

hahaha John... WOuld have loved to see that run in person...

-e

[tholt29]

To Cary's point, if it is GT legal, you can still run it in FP, but you have to take a 10% weight penalty. I don't think adding a mid window is worth 200 lbs!

My season is going along okay... I havn't worked on the car at all this year. Our local club has lost all of it's sites and won't have it's first event until next month. With the lack of seat time, my tire use is pretty light right now, so decided to go to the Houston Tour on my tires from Nationals. They had about 45 runs on them, but they seemed okay. They sucked, but everyone else in the class either broke or hit cones. I was third fastest, but still won! :classic: (that was good for 2 free tires) I ordered new tires for the Texas Pro Solo last weekend but Hoosier was backordered on the 22x10x16 and I could find a distributor that had any either. So I mounted up the old tires that I ran last summer... They sucked worse than the tires that were on the car, but they had about 20 fewer runs on them. Maybe there was hope? Nope, they sucked pretty bad too! I still managed to finish second to Stan Whitney's monster BP vette. (that's one more free tire!:classic: ) He hammered me by 2 seconds, when I had normally been about even with him. I guess I've been pretty lucky! Slow but lucky.

I have been running the bigger 23.5x11.5x16 tires for the last year, but I am switching back to the smaller tires. I think they are significantly faster in transitions. The bigger tires have worn very well, and would probably be great on a road course or very open autocross course, but they give up too much through slolams or tight offsets. I've been tracking my nationals finishes against the winners and had been making steady improvements until last year when I dropped back about 3%. Not a very scientific sampling, but it's good enough for me! I'm going back to what had worked better before.

Tom

[fp280z]

Yes, it's been a tough year for me too. Dragging the car to two National-level events this year only to break the car at both of them (Houston Tour - front diff mount, and Mineral Wells ProSolo - three u-joints). It's been an honor padding Mr. Holt's class so that he can get his free tires. My glory will have to be reserved for our little local events where there is absolutely no tire contingency. Tom's luck has to run out one of these days...

Oh yeah, on the subject of autocross fuel cell installs, you can see mine here:

www.typeischeap.com (click on Specs->Fuel Cell).

Rick Martinez

[Steve Parmley]

Thanks Rick for the website link. I love your car. The fuel cell cage, pump, filter and location look earily familiar. I am very jealous of your Arizona Z car suspension!

We lost all of our airport sites in Sacramento, Tom after 9/11 and the closest events are 1 1/2 hours for me once I get up and running. A benefit event is held annually at one of our lost sites 15 minutes from my house in two weeks, so I am thrashing to get the car back to its old spec self for that event. It has been 3 years so I can't wait.

[Steve Parmley]

Here is a Prepared Datsun with the floor to roof metal bulkhead.