The van is dead - It's getting fixed!

[lagunamiata]

Hopefully someone from the board will read this...

CCR has an autocross on SUNDAY.

All of the autocross stuff is at Mark's house with no word as to how it will get to the event on Sunday.

Mark has passed along several options to the board, but hasn't heard anything back.

Will we know something after tomorrow night's board meeting?

[C4Shane]

Interesting point - without the van and the equipment it carries we may not be able to have an event.

There was a social tonite at the Flying Saucer - and we discussed the van at length, but I am not sure if anyone who can make a decision is aware of the situation.

It would seem that we need a solution quickly, unless we want to hold an autocross in Mark & Sue's driveway!

[damnyankee]

saabstory said:

It would seem that we need a solution quickly, unless we want to hold an autocross in Mark & Sue's driveway!

Not sure if the Vette's can make the turn around, don't they like large sweeping corners?

[markt]

It's 1/10 mi and has 2 turnarounds at the top that could be run as a figure 8, still only about a 15 second run and it's gravel. We could do Tech in the barn

Seriously, the issue is reliability. We all joke about the van and its shortcomings but, is that the kind of vehicle we want representing the introductory level in SCCA? Ironically, the new decals were applied to the old van about 40 miles before its demise.

Mark

[roundman]

I dont have a van, but i can bring my e-z up for timing so they will have shade..I will do what ever i can to help getting the eqip. set up.if you can stand my wife screamin gas gas gas!!! wene i make a pass ..or we can use my trailor to set the tables on for the printer and stuff the e-z up will still cover it..thats about all i know i can offer


Joey Sutton es#60
p-dawgs back up safty dude
"gas gas gas"

[caSSino]

Has anyone thought about asking triad if we could borow their truck for this event. I know they don't have an event this weekend and they let us use it for the 24hrs last year.

[sleeper]

Worst case scenario is to rent one...

[ROADBOY]

Thats a good idea, but somthing we shouldn't get used to.

To what cassino said.

[ROADBOY]

This is to get the point across.


THE VAN IS DEAD!!!

[ROADBOY]

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!!!?

[jmiklas]

Is the van beyond repair? I have a friend at a local service department that might be able to help...

[ROADBOY]

I believe the engine did this

Markt could give us better details.

[ROADBOY]

And so hopfully the powers that be, notice this.






We have an autocross THIS SUNDAY

[ROADBOY]

and
























THE VAN IS DEAD

[ROADBOY]

ohh the horror

[jbyrd]

Seriously, is there any reason we can't get a decent van?

Isn't autocrossing big enough in CCR to support a van?

When I see the setups that Highlands, Triad, and now SCR have, it makes me wonder what we are doing wrong.

Is our autocross program self-supportive?

If not, what do we need to make it so?

How do Highlands, SCR, and Triad programs support themselves while CCR can't?

Is our Solo program supporting something else?

Every year, we hear about how successful we've been. What gives?

[markt]

To answer the technical question, what happened?, it seemed a bit down on power leaving Knights but then it never had a lot of oomph from a dead stop and starting up hill(last year Jason took it to the hillclimb and came back to retrieve his car because he didn't think it would make it up the mountain pulling a trailer). About the 19 mile marker on 85-S it backfired, at first we thought it might be a tire so Sue & I looked in the mirrors to check the rear tires. That's when it did it again and Sue reported flames shooting out of the tailpipe. About 3 more BFs later it quit and rolled to a stop at the side of the road.

Will Mahan stopped to look at it on his way back to Atlanta. He thought it was either a head gasket or a burned piston or two. I talked to the guy that rebuilt the carb a couple months ago(it was leaking gas down the front of the engine) and he thought it might be a dropped exhaust valve or two. Martin Adams, who now has the van at his shop, thinks it's the timing chain. When I talked to Martin and told him what vehicle it was he said, "Oh, yeah, I remember working on that when the club first got it."

I think it died of old age.

Mark
Van(when we have one) Guy

[C4Shane]

I think RoadBoy hit the nail on the head - We have an event Sunday > And the van is DEAD!

[pleiades]

Guys, please don't blow this WAY out of proportion. We need a van, we will get this solved. It might require renting a vehicle for this weekend. I should know after the board meeting tonight, what the plan is. If we have to rent something, Mark will need a hand loading everything up in the van.

Our solo program is profitable, but after trying some new events the past couple of season, and not having the profits from them we had hoped, we can't just go drop 10k+ on a new van. I would like to see us with reliable equipment.....How about the new timing system we have? How about a computer that doesn't crash. We'll get there, it just takes a little time!

Steven

[m3]

jbyrd said:

How do Highlands, SCR, and Triad programs support themselves while CCR can't?

I can't speak for anyone else, but we pinched pennies for a looooong time before we could afford the new trailer. (When we finally retired the old trailer, the roof was starting to peel off at highway speed )


Speaking of trailers, if you have one or two regulars who could pull it, a trailer would probably be a lot cheaper than a van.

[lagunamiata]

The problem is that Mark autocrosses in CSP and doesn't drive his car on the street. So, how is he to get the autocross stuff and his car to an event?
We're already asking A LOT of him as things are now, IMO.

[lagunamiata]

While not ideal, I'll throw this out... my dad is selling his former tow vehicle. It's a '94 (I think) Suburban. It's been used as a tow vehicle for a long time and is in great shape. Mileage is over 120k, but it doesn't look like it. He's in Wilmington, so no way to just stop by and take a look at it, sorry.

I know a Suburban doesn't have the headroom of a van, but the price is right, under $4000.

[jmiklas]

I just spoke to a friend who has a '94 Astro Van for sale.

I think it would be a bit smaller than the old van -- not sure if it would work or not. It would be cheap though -- and local (Fort Mill)

[markt]

One correction, my car is still streetable.
Mark
CSP111

[fb1]

I've contacted Justin about your van woes. Even if you pick something up quick, it would be tough to get everything ready for Sunday.

If our van is available, I'm sure we could work something out.

[pleiades]

fb1: Thanks for the offer.

I have a handle on the van situation. We will have an event Sunday, the cones & the equipment & Mark (I hope) will be there.

Mark, please call me tomorrow afternoon when you get home.

Steven

[Justin B]

Steven...I'm off this whole weekend and it would be absolutely no problem what so ever to bring the Triad van down there. I'll be on standby in any case. You can email me directly at:

[e-mail]

My car is still busted so I wasn't planning on bringing it down anyway. At least this will give me a good excuse to come down and maybe I can bum a ride in another car.

[prancingdawg]

Thanks to Triad and a big exalt to them for their magnanimous offer- whether we use them or not!

Pdawg

[C4Shane]

Big thanks to Triad!!! My other club - that is a huge offer.

[ROADBOY]

I too say thanks to Triad for their offer.

And thanks Steve for letting us know u've got a handle on it. A little update like that is all I need to keep me happy. And I think I speak for many of us.