Jump to content

Doc1647545523

Members
  • Posts

    3,033
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    10

Everything posted by Doc1647545523

  1. By far the high point, for me, however, was getting to meet one of my heroes in the automotive world. The backstory: we were supposed to stop by the Lingenfelter Collection in Brighton, Michigan to get a sneak peak at Ken Lingenfelter's personal cars. The facility isn't open to the public but is used to host charity events. A buddy and I were running together that day and we decided to skip a checkpoint because he needed to make some minor repairs to his car. As it ended up, we were about 30 minutes early to the warehouse where the collection is housed. We waited in a parking lot by ourselves when out of the building comes a very unassuming man, perhaps security we thought? I recognized him as Ken Lingenfelter. I couldn't believe he was there himself for our visit. We apologized for being early, and he couldn't have been more cordial or welcoming. He thanked us for our fundraising and then insisted on giving us a personal tour of his cars before the group arrived! He talked about his childhood, told stories of hanging out with Leno (whom he was hosting that evening) and Calloway, and couldn't have been a friendlier man. He apologized that he didn't have all of his cars there -- a Ford GT and a Veyron were on loan currently, but he still had a few hundred cars from his collection in the warehouse! Just a few: A Zimmer A Caballista He especially likes factory prototype cars and has a row of one-off '53 and '54 Vettes A 1984 Bitter next to an Opel GT He has rows of exotics that are 1 of 1, 1 of 3, special editions that the factory supplied him for personal use. If you're interested in some of his cars and their histories, here's a recent video he did. It's heavy on historic Vettes and GM muscle cars:
  2. At Gingerman we had both paced laps and hot laps. My track rat buddy Bill is an instructor at numeous tracks on the east coast and briefs our drivers about what we should expect It's challenging enough for the hot cars (Teams 711, 811, and 911) but could accomodate even the slower drivers amongst us with paced laps The PRI Road Tour was kind enough to cover our afternoon there: Their article (with good photos): https://www.performanceracing.com/roadtour/2021-rally-north-america?fbclid=IwAR3xWIeVKg7MQhGQBNLj8Usy_w6pUQ6CWaKJ8DoapQS_I3936VtWN8ZL0KU The planners on the trip strive to keep us off interstates and on picturesque and challenging roads. They did not disappoint on this rally. Northern Wisconsin and the Upper Penisula of Michigan have remote, beautiful areas and the cities we overnighted in had vibrant restaurants and music venues (and good bars, too).
  3. Fayette Historic State Park which houses a ghost town which had in the late 1800's had iron smelting operations. The blast furnaces and kilns are partially intact and the major town structures are restored, with period interiors on display the old harbor is open for use We had to locate Michigan's largest natural freshwater spring (the light spot in the water is a very deep spring source) It had a very slow moving passenger ferry to give visitors a look into the depths We visited Holland Michigan to find the largest Dutch windmill in the U.S. and our teams were allowed to tour the village driving our cars on the walking path
  4. Although the rally officially kicked off with a charity auction and drivers' meeting, the evening before driving began, We met at a local quarter mile dragstrip as everyone arrived in the area and made a few runs. It was an 86 degree afternoon, but the ol' Benzo (car #1) managed to get out of its own way without any drama. Each day we lined up 80 teams in the downtowns of Eau Claire, Marquette, and Sault Saint Marie, meeting the town folk who turned out and talking with the media. Each day the teams receive a route card with clues to where we are to go. We spent the next three days trying to find checkpoints all over Wisconsin, the UP, and central Michigan. It seemed as though obscure lighthouses (the Great Lakes has a bunch) and these weird Hodag monsters were popular to use as checkpoints. But there were also some pretty interesting stops including the Saginaw Museum, originally a post office built in 1898:
  5. Last month I returned from The Great Lakes Rally, the Rally North America event which was originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic. Originally scheduled to be partly in Canada, this year's events were limited to Wisconsin and Michigan because of the border closure. This year I was the only team from CR competing and I drove it alone. Rally North America was started in 2009 by a dozen or so rally fans who were unable to attend a national rally. Among that original group was CR member Scott Speilman. In the twelve years since its founding, Rally North America has grown to an organization staging three large annual events and has to date raised over a million dollars for selected charities. Scott is recognized as the co-founder of the Rally and continues as co-director, along with Tony Interieri. This year's charity was Race to Erase MS, an organization funding research for curing MS. The 70 teams in the Rally raised over 220k total and CR helped me raise nearly 7k myself. The rally is a time-limited, checkpoint-based road rally along the lines of a scavenger hunt. It requires teamwork, strategy, navigation, driving experience and internet skills (plus a lot of luck) to successfully complete. CR teams have a strong tradition of podium finishes ever since we began competing in 2010. Cars are required to wear livery identifying their team number, Rally, and the major Rally sponsors. As usual, the field this year was diverse. (Some of the following photos are mine and some are used by permission from Jade Photography) Here's a rare R34: Good representation by Mustangs Corvettes My buddy Bill "track rat" and his Vette, which has seen its share of racing Mazarati, Alfa, Audi, Porsche
  6. Thanks, everyone, for the information. It's been helpful. My great nephew read the thread and we discussed options. For now, he's going to continue with his current car, putting oil in each week. After he gets at least six months on the new job, he's going to reassess if he wants to move, and also by then there may be options to work from home part of the time. He's leaning towards a base Tesla Model 3 for all the reasons already noted. He thinks driving will be less of a chore in something he enjoys more, and I can't argue with that. Out of curiosity, do Tesla's wear out at some point? Or do they rust out in a climate like ours? At what age/mileage do the batteries start to fail? I had a Mk3 Golf diesel with 450k miles on it when I sold it. No problems, no major repairs, looked new aside from driver seat wear and paint chips. Do any Teslas have credible stories like that? This addresses my questions, but seems too good to be true: https://www.motorbiscuit.com/how-many-miles-will-a-tesla-last/
  7. I appreciate the thoughts. The problem with any lease for him would be the high miles. I had also thought about the observation Tom made about trying to take advantage of the current inflated used car prices by trading his car in on a new car. I loved my Honda Accord hybrid which I leased but he won't consider any Honda. I felt the Sonata was probably the next-best of the new car hybrids. The long warranty would be important. The newer Leaf has an extended range on the base model and 220+ miles on the upgraded one. Since he charges at work he would have no worries on those ranges.
  8. worth looking into what would be a good source and a reasonable price?
  9. A young relative of mine has a 2010 Scion TC automatic with the 2.4 which he bought used five years ago. It's always used some oil, but because he was an OSU student and lived on campus, it wasn't driven a lot and he didn't keep track of the oil consumption. His family put a bunch of money into the car last year to try to make it a solid, dependable ride. New wheels, tires, fluid changes, tune up, battery. The car has 150k miles on it. He graduated and now has a great job that he loves but commutes around 1000 miles every week. He's getting 22 mpg and goes through a quart of oil about every 1000-1200 miles. The car doesn't drip oil and the motor looks dry. He works for a rural electic company and can charge for free at work. He's convinced he needs a Tesla, and he argues dependability, maintenance costs, fuel costs. Suggestions/advice? Does an engine rebuild/replacement for the Scion make any sense if the only current known problem is oil consumption? I suggested to him that if he's set on buying a new car he should consider trying to get a year-end deal on something like a Sonata Hybrid Blue. Unfortunately, inventory looks pretty low and most seem to be selling in the high 20's, but that beats the price of a Tesla. Generally better to sell the car to Car Max, or trade at the dealer? I don't think he wants to deal with a private buyer. Any info on what new, high mpg hybrid cars might be candidates for year-end deals? I appreciate your thoughts.
  10. Soooo tempting. But what to bring? I've got nothing that would remotely appeal to a Corvette/hot rod audience.
  11. It would be a shame if CR couldn't fill a Saturday drag strip / autocross. How many more paid spots are needed to make minimum?
  12. 99StockGT (Austin), thank you and thanks to Richard Lucore of Lucore Automotive for a very generous gift. You're always up to the mechanical challenges of my "weird" cars and you've been steadfast supporters of the Rally charities. Cutoff for donations is tonight, and what's left for me is to head out tomorrow to Wisconsin for the start of the Rally. Thanks to the sponsors and members of CR, I've meet my team fundraising goal of $5,000 and the Rally has topped $186,000 for the charity. With the charity auction Sunday night, I suspect we'll go over 200k for the event.
  13. Jordon, the "J" in JET Auto Group and 2hghpsi on CR , again came through with a large contribution for the Rally charity. Sincere thanks for your generosity and for your help with car buying and selling. I'm down to four days left to fundraise and have over 3k yet to go.
  14. Brent1976, thank you for your kind donation, all the way from the Rockies.
  15. Mojoe,thanks for your support, my friend. I still tell people the stories of your rally exploits. And no one who was present in Ft. Walton Beach will forget the integrity and good sportsmanship you showed at the awards ceremony. Some great memories, eh?
  16. Derek TurboRust, thank you for your generous donation to Race to Erase MS. Your money will help speed the cure.
  17. Jim, clone, I appreciate your friendship and today's donation to the RNA charity is just the latest on the list of favors you've done for me. My heartfelt thanks!
  18. Angry BMW (Marc), many thanks for an exceptionally generous donation. Our community needs more leaders such as yourself. Marc's another repeat RNA charity supporter and was a great help to me in navigating home buying and Mortgage 101.
  19. Agreed. Bryce, Hanna and the crew have always come through for me on wheel and tire selection, reconditioning, painting, even last minute rally car modifications for me and emergency service! They define what excellent service is.
  20. Thanks to the good folks at Wheel Medic, longtime supporters of CR and of Rally North America. Your generous gift is much appreciated!
  21. Rick, Jeremy thanks to each of you for your very generous contributions to help erase Multiple Sclerosis.
  22. After a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, Rally North America will launch the Great Lakes Rally in a little over two weeks. The members and sponsors of Columbus Racing have been great at supporting CR teams in every Rally North America event since the beginning in 2010, when the three rookie CR teams took three of the top four awards in the Route 66 Rally. Since that time, Rally North America has raised over $1,000,000 for selected charities, supporting veterans' groups, children with terminal diseases, and medical research. Not bad for an all-volunteer organization formed by CR's own Scott Spielman (Spieldawg on CR). This summer’s rally will take me through Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. We start off with quarter mile racing in Rock Falls, Wisconsin and finish up at Gingerman for paced laps, then hot laps Days in-between will include appearances promoting this year's charity, Race to Erase MS, and activities such as touring the Lingenfelter Performance Engineering Private Collection. I'll be driving alone this Rally in car #1, a 2020 Mercedes AMG E63s with RENNtech mods good for a crank h.p. of 773 It's not been on a dyno yet but had a respectable appearance at the North Carolina Center for Automotive Research track in May in the capable hands of Rene von Richthofen, a good friend and past winner of One Lap of America. Our charity this year, Race to Erase MS, is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure of Multiple Sclerosis. Funding research is the core focus of the Foundation and all funds raised support the Center Without Walls program, a selected network of the nation’s top MS research centers. This nationwide collaboration of physicians and scientists are on the cutting-edge of innovative research programs, working as a team on therapeutic approaches to eradicate MS. More information about the Rally, our organization, and the charity can be found here: https://www.classy.org/event/rally-north-americas-great-lakes-rally/e255856 I would really appreciate your support for this Rally. I pay all entry fees, gas, food, and lodging expenses. In contrast, your donation in support of my team goes directly to Race to Erase MS, and you receive a letter verifying your donation for tax purposes as they are a 501 © 3 non-profit organization. Please click on this link and click on the orange DONATE button at the right top side of the page. https://www.classy.org/fundraiser/2550820 I've got two weeks left to try to make my team goal of $5,000. Thanks, CR, for your friendship and support!
  23. The forecast looks promising. I hope to see a bunch of CR people there. I've been waiting for an opportunity to do Figaro FWD burnouts. :burn:
  24. It's very kind of you to offer this to CR for free. I'm sure it will get put to good use. Thanks, Matt.
×
×
  • Create New...