S197 3V Fabman's build; How did we get here? Build Thread

[CobaltFilly]

I have always been fast, but not always the fastest....there are those guys who can put down amazing qualifying laps but get them in a crowd and they go straight to the back of the pack.
There's qualifying and then there's racing....some are better at one than the other. I have always been able to beat faster cars with bigger budgets and lighter cars/more HP.
This is why I'd be no good at TT. I was born to do battle, and I got lots of practice on the ovals.

I would love to get trained by you, having watched your videos as some of the first I have ever watched to help me learn more about tracking.
I'm just a kid trying to learn how to go round a track.

 

[Mad Hatter]

I know Fabman is a fan of Blayze online tutoring. For me as well it was a huge help, and in many ways better then personal training in the car. Its hard to get tips from the passenger seat when your are concentrating on pushing the car to the limits. Getting a pro like Dion von Moltke to go over your videos with you is really really useful. AND its cheaper then a track day.

 

[Fabman]

I know Fabman is a fan of Blayze online tutoring. For me as well it was a huge help, and in many ways better then personal training in the car. Its hard to get tips from the passenger seat when your are concentrating on pushing the car to the limits. Getting a pro like Dion von Moltke to go over your videos with you is really really useful. AND its cheaper then a track day.

Agreed, Dion was very helpful with my transition from oval track to road racing. You approach the corners very differently on a banked track with a locked rear end and stagger in the rear wheels and I needed to adjust. Once I got the hang of it, I was able to apply the racecraft I learned in oval track with much success. He was there at Laguna Seca when I won the NASA nationals. I gave him full credit, I told him that he won the race for me, I was just the guy holding the steering wheel. if anybody is on the fence about using his service let me tell you, you should do it.

 

[Fabman]

I would love to get trained by you, having watched your videos as some of the first I have ever watched to help me learn more about tracking.
I'm just a kid trying to learn how to go round a track.

What tracks are you going to? I can share some of his coaching video with you.

 

[blacksheep-1]

Meanwhile, not far from me....

Small, Dated Home Priced At $2 Million In NorCal Causes Social Media Uproar

The 1,134-square-foot house with stained olive carpeting and dated appliances is listed at just under $2 million.

patch.com

" no one lives in Alabama or Oklahoma because nobody wants to live there" from the article, tells you all you need to know about the standard commiefornia mindset.

 

[blacksheep-1]

I’m pretty sick of sh1t right now….this state is going to hell and the economy with it. My sales were down 160k from 22 to 23 and at the same time all my materials and overhead have gone through the roof. $10k in rent, 1k in power just for the shop….plus another $400 power bill at home.…not to mention crushing taxes. Its just not viable anymore.

Hey, I offered...
10 years ago, this was a $175K house.
Still not bad for almost 3 acres

 

[Fabman]

Hey, I offered...
10 years ago, this was a $175K house.
Still not bad for almost 3 acres
View attachment 96626

I appreciate that, really I do.
Wherever I go I have to be able to survive. If I still have to work for a living, I might as well keep working for myself. At least I have some control of my life and besides, there’s toys here.
What I need is a place that I can afford to live on my social security. Unfortunately I’m not sure where that is, and until I find a place where I can do that, I’m hanging on to what I have for as long as I can.

 

[CobaltFilly]

What tracks are you going to? I can share some of his coaching video with you.

Thunderhill 2-mile west and 3-mile east. Later this year or next I am gonna take on Laguna Seca and Sonoma I hope.

EDIT: In fact looks like I live about 50 miles from you. I commented on your insta about providing you a S550 to test fab things on...I didn't realize we were so close!

 

[blacksheep-1]

I appreciate that, really I do.
Wherever I go I have to be able to survive. If I still have to work for a living, I might as well keep working for myself. At least I have some control of my life and besides, there’s toys here.
What I need is a place that I can afford to live on my social security. Unfortunately I’m not sure where that is, and until I find a place where I can do that, I’m hanging on to what I have for as long as I can.

Where that is located, you can work out of your outbuilding, I think it's zoned AG, so borrow the neighbors cattle for a few weeks and get that tax write off as well.
Blacksheep-1 llc is located at my home address.

 

[Dave_W]

Wherever I go I have to be able to survive. If I still have to work for a living, I might as well keep working for myself.

With your fabrication & prototyping skills and racing background, I wonder if something in Charlotte, NC (NASCAR) or Indianapolis (NHRA. IndyCar) would be up your alley.

 

[blacksheep-1]

Kohr did this in 2021, they were in Michigan, with the lockdowns, then the owner of the building raised the rent right after everything went back to normal. It would've been impossible for them to survive, so they took the year off, packed up everything they owned and bought a warehouse in Daytona beach. I wouldn't be surprised to find the local government gave them some tax incentives to help them do it, that is done pretty regularly down here.

 

[SMGDHG]

I would love to get trained by you, having watched your videos as some of the first I have ever watched to help me learn more about tracking.
I'm just a kid trying to learn how to go round a track.

How good would you say your car control is? Getting the fundamentals down is a pre-requisite to caring about lap times on a racetrack imo.

I'm in norcal too so maybe we'll see eachother at the track one of these days

 

[Fabman]

With your fabrication & prototyping skills and racing background, I wonder if something in Charlotte, NC (NASCAR) or Indianapolis (NHRA. IndyCar) would be up your alley.

The deal is....I'm over it. I don't want to work anymore, I've worked my butt off since I was 15 without a vacation and I've had enough.
I just want to find a nice cave out in the wilderness and move into it.

 

[Fabman]

Thunderhill 2-mile west and 3-mile east. Later this year or next I am gonna take on Laguna Seca and Sonoma I hope.

Here is something I don't usually share....my personal coaching video. This one is for Thunderhill 3mile.
(I have sonoma and laguna also when you get to those tracks)
Its from Blayze coaching but this one is not Dion, its Chris Weirheim who is a pro racer and Blayze coach as well.
Its from 2021, my first season in a road race car so it's not current but the track has not changed so the coaching is valid.
Hopefully you find it helpful.

 

[Fabman]

How good would you say your car control is? Getting the fundamentals down is a pre-requisite to caring about lap times on a racetrack imo.

I'm in norcal too so maybe we'll see eachother at the track one of these days

Yes, car control is paramount. Once you have total control you work on being smooth in stead of being fast.
As I often say:
"Speed comes with smoothness, not the reverse."

 

[CobaltFilly]

How good would you say your car control is? Getting the fundamentals down is a pre-requisite to caring about lap times on a racetrack imo.

I'm in norcal too so maybe we'll see eachother at the track one of these days

That would be awesome! Signing up for the Thunderhill East 3-mile in September with TNIA SCCA if you are interested. Clicking register as I type right now!

 

[CobaltFilly]

Here is something I don't usually share....my personal coaching video. This one is for Thunderhill 3mile.
(I have sonoma and laguna also when you get to those tracks)
Its from Blayze coaching but this one is not Dion, its Chris Weirheim who is a pro racer and Blayze coach as well.
Its from 2021, my first season in a road race car so it's not current but the track has not changed so the coaching is valid.
Hopefully you find it helpful.

This is great, thank you! Signing up for the 3-mile literally right now with TNIA SCCA.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Agreed, Dion was very helpful with my transition from oval track to road racing. You approach the corners very differently on a banked track with a locked rear end and stagger in the rear wheels and I needed to adjust. Once I got the hang of it, I was able to apply the racecraft I learned in oval track with much success. He was there at Laguna Seca when I won the NASA nationals. I gave him full credit, I told him that he won the race for me, I was just the guy holding the steering wheel. if anybody is on the fence about using his service let me tell you, you should do it.

Another happy Blayze customer here. I have done lap coaching with a few of their team and it's worth the money every time. Kept the subscription for access to the track breakdowns and videos.

 

[dragoon]

Yes, car control is paramount. Once you have total control you work on being smooth in stead of being fast.
As I often say:
"Speed comes with smoothness, not the reverse."

something like this :