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

[Albino500]

Pssss....Frankie's ALIVE! Vroom-Vroom...

 

[Fabman]

Pssss....Frankie's ALIVE! Vroom-Vroom...

Can’t get the video to load….

 

[Fabman]

 

[JeffV8]

LOVE my s1sequential shifter!

I hope yours works better than mine.. I’m about ready to put my stock Tremec shifter on

 

[Fabman]

I hope yours works better than mine.. I’m about ready to put my stock Tremec shifter on

 

[Fabman]

Now there’s something no one has seen in quite a while. Frankenstang fully assembled, with a fresh engine and sitting on its own wheels. Some cleanup, an alignment and a quick pass over the scales and this thing is ready for the dyno. Then…..look out, cause here we come!

 

[kevo_lo]

Must be out of the loop, Sal. What happened to the previous motor? It just needed a refresh? Or did it expire?

 

[Fabman]

Must be out of the loop, Sal. What happened to the previous motor? It just needed a refresh? Or did it expire?

Something bad happened to it.

 

[dragoon]

Now there’s something no one has seen in quite a while. Frankenstang fully assembled, with a fresh engine and sitting on its own wheels. Some cleanup, an alignment and a quick pass over the scales and this thing is ready for the dyno. Then…..look out, cause here we come!

View attachment 97537

That is 1 bad ass race car !!

 

[Fabman]

That is 1 bad ass race car !!

Well, it kind of was in '21 and '22....But, this is the end of '24 and it hasn't seen whatever is out there now. Someone is always building a better mousetrap.
Might only be a field filler at this point, and it should be. The car wasn't built to be a race car, it was built to be a track day toy so a lot was left on the table.
The HPDE officials kept telling me the other drivers (mostly Porsche and Vette owners) didn't care for the speed in which I went by them and that I needed to go W2W.
So, it became a race car after it was already built as a track car. Had I started with a full race car in mind (and had sufficient funds for proper gear) it would be significantly faster.
It's over weight and under powered with sh!t for brakes and my Tremec is no match for a proper sequential or Dog Box.
However, its does very well for what it is and I'm happy with what I've managed to do so far.
I'll be 66 in October so if I can make the final 3 races of '24 I will close my tool box and I hang my helmet up....again.
I guess we'll see how that goes.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

I didn't hang up my W2W stint till I was 69, and just a few months from 70, so Sal you have at least 3 good years left in youth!

 

[Fabman]

I didn't hang up my W2W stint till I was 69, and just a few months from 70, so Sal you have at least 3 good years left in youth!

Its not the years, its the dollars.
I need to figure out how to retire from this mess, not continue to waste what little resources California allows me to retain.

 

[PatrickStapler]

...not continue to waste what little resources California allows me to retain.

We've down this road haven't we....

Just kidding!!!

 

[Bill Pemberton]

............shall follow Mr. Stapler's advice and not go down that road, ha!

 

[Mad Hatter]

Paul Newman!!... thats all I say when they ask me when will I quit racing. But Newman had more cash at hand.... then again, he did win his last race at 82, in a 900 hp corvette.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

See Fab, proof from the Madman of Chile Circuit Courses that continuing racing will make you a .......New Man!!

 

[Mad Hatter]

Lol.... Now that I am a senior, I feel the need for speed more then ever. Hope Sal can get somewhere where his skills are more appreciated. (and taxed less).

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Madhatt, you are in Chile, so you are not Senior, your are..........Senor!!

 

[Mad Hatter]

Hey, either way now I get to line up in the olde people line up and pay less for the bus.

 

[Albino500]

I'm 67. Maybe I should come out of retirement and show them kids one more time.