Just one of those "racing incidents" I guess.. rubbing is racing may apply ?
Oh well, better luck next time, thanks for the update too.
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Just one of those "racing incidents" I guess.. rubbing is racing may apply ?
Oh well, better luck next time, thanks for the update too.
Yes, I probably could make some sort of chain enclosure, but it may make servicing the chain a problem. Funny thing is, I've been racing in Electrathon for 18 years and I've never had it happen before and never heard of anyone else having this particular problem either.:confused: We race only on asphalt and the courses are always pretty clean of any debris. It was really a freak incident.:HMMM:
I've had worse days at the track, so I can't complain too much. At least the damage was easily repaired and only cost me a little time and a chain, which I already had.:cool:
I've been really lax in my reporting this season.:rolleyes: After the November race I sort of "fell out" for a while. I didn't go to the December race in Lee County. It's a two-day event that is 5 hours from home and requires a two-night stay in a motel. I do this for fun and I just can't justify the expense and time for a race where I don't particularly like the course. I also skipped the January race at Wharton high School because it was unusually cold that weekend and I was encountering some health issues. Finally, I got back in action on February 20 as a "team owner". That is, I took my car to the race at Plant City High School, but I didn't drive it. My old friend, Jerry Bristow, was here for his annual winter visit and I let him drive both races. He started mid-pack both times and was leading within a few laps. He won both races, so he was credited with finishing first overall and first in our class (Open Standard Battery). He turned 177 laps total.:3dSMILE: Jerry is the 3rd car back in the left row (pic below). 2nd pic is us with our trophy (Yes, we are required to wear masks when not driving.)
The March 6th race was cancelled because of rain and rescheduled for April 10th. It's our annual "Dash Races" where the races are shortened to 20 minutes instead of one hour each. In lieu of babying our batteries to make them last an hour, we get to run as fast as we dare - FUN TIMES! Also, I'm building a new car that I hope to have done in time for this event. More on that later...:D
Glad to see you post, Jim! I was about to text you to be sure you were alive & kicking on your Birthday!
Thanks for your update Jim. Sounds like that last race was a blast for you guys! No so much for the others... LOL
Is that your custom Tee Shirt?
9 car race is pretty good group for the times.
The T-shirt came from inkpixi.com. They have a bunch of standard designs to choose from for all kinds of of events, places, businesses, etc. Just pick out a design, shirt style, hat, beer mug, whatever and fill your name in on the order blank. Pay the total and a week or two later your personalized stuff arrives. The shirts I got are good quality material and the prices were reasonable.;)
Hi Bat! Yes, nine cars isn't bad under the circumstances (Covid crap), but if you look real close we actually had eleven cars in that race. A couple of them are hard to see. Of the eleven cars in the field, I built seven of them... (Yes, I'm bragging.):D
Always good too toot your own horn,no one is likely to do it for ya!
Funny old expression!. But fits! That is a super group of zappy cars !
Not much happenning in Miami,been slowly making a fan shoud for my old hot rod. Taking me way too long,getting lazyer slow at 78yo now.
I'm not far behind, Bat; I just turned 73. I should have had my Deuce 3-window done a year ago, but I've probably got almost a year left to go before it's finished. I keep getting slower and slower...
I know the feeling. In my prime I arose at 4:30am started work at 5:00am and worked until it got too dark to see. (Apart from meal breaks. Although after a bad motorcycle accident She dictated that I had to be home by 6:00pm) The tanker arrived at 7:00 am and we had to be finished milking.
Now at 74 I start at 8:30am and knock off anywhere between 3:30 and 4:30pm.
What I used to do all day now takes me all day to do.
Great update Jim. Nice to see your still racing and building electric cars! I'm still working on the 48Ford F1. I just mostly start it and run the engine to make sure the carb doesn't clog. I've been stewing for years whether to keep front suspension stock and get new leafsprings about 1K by time you get new connecting parts or if I try and find some smart fellow who works at a wage I can afford to get a mustang 2 setup front, which opens a big can of worms for steering ect! Or I could just do what a friend suggested and put the inner and outer fenders back on the front and put rest of body back together, finish wiring and lights and just use it! I have, all the parts to do the last part! So just time.
I consider us friends, even tho' we've never even met! :D
I'll echo your other friend, don't get bogged down in the details and deny yourself any time in that truck. Bolt it together and do the things in life that can make you smile! Paint what you can / while you can and enjoy it for what it is. Life is to short and very imperfect.. We all cannot be MP&C... We don't have Cosmo to back us up.. I can only offer you some advice. That and 2 bucks will maybe get you a coffee.. You are still in California right? :eek::eek::eek:
Bolt it back together and drive it! Now you've got 2 friends tellin' you that! :eek::LOL::D
Sorry to derail the thread! :cool:
Attachment 73537
Another echo! Make that three! Bolt it together, and if you really want to do more to it pick up parts as you can. QA1 offers a sweet F100 IFS, and IRS too, but only back to '65 :( I expect that once you start driving it and using it like a truck it'll be "done".Quote:
Originally Posted by 34_40
And now, back to our regular scheduled Electrathon Hot Rod Updates!
Thanks, and I'm pretty much decided to get her back together. Will at least need her for the front yard Cider Busness sign once that gets going in the next 7-9 years, depending when I retire. And yup, still in California Officially the Fire State area of Northern California! ;)
Hijacked thread?? Nah! We're all friends here and we all like to hear what ya have to say.:HMMM:
Well, we had our annual "Dash Races" last Saturday (4/10/21) at Brandon High School. Originally the race was supposed to be run on March 6th, but rain forced a postponement to April 10th. That worked well for me because I was in the process of converting an old go-kart into an Electrathon racer. I had barely started the conversion in March and actually was planning on running it at next year's Dash. When the Dash was postponed, however, everything changed. I shifted into "banzai mode" and the rush was on.**)
This go-kart was partially modified by a pair of Engineering students a couple of years ago. They had a plausible idea, but their execution was lacking.:whacked: My good friend and racing cohort, Rodney Schreck, obtained the kart from them and brought it to me. I cut their roll bar and a few other cobbled pieces off and basically started over. The kart was originally made to turn left on oval tracks. The front spindles were offset at different lengths and the rear axle was also off center. I replaced the front spindles and hubs with an equal length pair, replaced the rear axle with a new one 3 inches longer and centered it. I built a new roll cage and modified the old motor mount to hold the motor in the correct location and position. I replaced the seat with a new one, but I had to make significant modifications to it, too.:rolleyes:
For power I chose a Motenergy ME-909 motor and an Alltrax SR-48300 controller. A couple of pics below show it in progress after I painted the frame and one finished shot ready to race. I finally buttoned it up about 4:00 PM Friday and loaded it in my truck for Saturday's race. The first race Saturday was not good. The battery management system in the Lithium battery pack kept shutting off the power unexpectedly.:mad: Between races we plugged in the laptop and Rodney reprogrammed the Alltrax controller. The second race was much better. Rodney had the acceleration parameters set too low and the car was really slow leaving the starting line, but once it was wound up it flew. I don't have a speedometer in it yet, but lap times indicate I was running approximately 40 mph.:eek:
The leading car had tire problems in both races, so he logged a DNF and was awarded 3rd Place. Because of his misfortune I got second place (3 cars in the Advanced Battery class). The important part is I was pleased with the car's performance in the second race. We will tweak the programming in the controller to help with acceleration and I may need to try different gearing, but I think this configuration has some real potential.:3dSMILE::3dSMILE:
Sweet design. More room for yah! probably a cooler ride too
Interesting design. Does it end up with the weight majority over the rear wheels.?
I also wondered what the weight difference is from your original design vehicles and if the wide tires require more battery power?
OK, I really don't know what the weight difference is compared to my "Silver Bullet" cars. I haven't been able to weigh this one yet. I was busy building it right up to the last minute before it was time to load it up. Just guessing, I believe it's heavier than my purple car by at least 15 or 20 pounds.:confused: I think it's probably pretty close to 50 - 50 weight distribution with me in it, but I haven't had it on scales yet. Without me in it the rear is heavier. Also, like almost all modern go-karts, the motor is on the right side and the driver is offset to the left. I really want to scale this thing and find out what the percentages are.:HMMM:
The good news is it stuck to the track like it was on rails.:cool: In the second race I was running wide open the whole way without slowing for the corners. That's what leads me to think I can change up the gear ratio next time for a higher terminal speed. I do think the wider tires and "live axle" rear end use more power, but in a 20 minute race it wasn't an issue. Our next race, the season ender, is also on an oval, but it will be the usual full hour-long races. That will be the real test of the practicality of this machine. I suspect this vehicle is strictly an oval-track car and the locked rear end will make it impractical for the tight parking lot road courses we run most of the time. Whatever happens I'll report it here.:)
Just ideas;;As long as your running those wide fat tires,I would think making one of your drive wheels a free floater=then it would be one wheeldrive>that would save power{it not a standing start dragrace}. Also depending on the turns on a track,tire PSI could be added to lower rolling res..
Looks like fun. Love red!!! Not so much the number.
Golly, Bat, are you superstitious?:) When my son was racing he always ran 13. I've kept the number registered in case I ever got a second car again. Now I have two cars and needed a second number so I resurrected the 13.:3dSMILE: When I was racing stock cars years ago, my cars were hot lime green...:eek:
YUP,,, LOL both 13 an green I avoid,but not crazy like,I drove a #13 race car for another guy a shot time,it's bad luck had a lot more to do with how he put it together then the number. I had a paint job also a short time at first,on a English Ford Angla race car, Did red nose/white center/green ass. Britsh colors. Raced it 4 nites an got crashed in the ass< the green end. Fixed an repainted it > red/white/blue+ I won next time out. Never used green again LOL:LOL:,And by the way never let peanut shells be in your pits. Actully I like bioled peanuts,but keep shells in a trashbag. A buddy was racing Speedworld,an dropped some shells in my pit! Pick your crap up,said I,,,FU he said,so I picked them up an dumped in his his race car seat,he LOL at that. But in his next race,he broke a rod. He said don't give him BS about that !! But on his tow home,his van broke also. I sent him a Bag marked "FOR Peanut Shells" what are buddys for,but too help !! LOL
you ask about Electrathon - A Different Kind of Hotrod i suggest you to search google to find the answer for this question.
Wow! Thanks for the compliments 34_40. I don't know if I'm any kind of master or particularly smart; I'm just a compulsive tinkerer with too many hobbies.:o:3dSMILE:
Don't sell yourself short Jim. You've shared mountains of information and knowledge just in this thread alone.
Sorry for the delay in posting. Since our last race on May 1, I have been going 6 or 8 directions all at once and frankly forgot to update here...
OK, the last race of the season took place on the oval at Plant City High School on May 1, 2021. My good friend Jerry Bristow flew in from Indiana to drive my purple car in the Open Standard Battery class and I drove the converted go-kart again in the Advanced Battery class.
In the first race, Rodney Schreck from Miami beat Jerry by one lap in the Open Standard class. In that same race, I was flogging the go-kart a bit too hard and only lasted 41 minutes. I coasted into the pits with a dead battery, credited with third place out of three cars in the class. Cliff Rassweiler #39 took first and the Fortuna car #444 was second.
I finally figured out that I had the wrong gear ratio in the purple car. Unfortunately, the motor sprocket I needed was at home on my workbench, so Jerry was stuck driving the second race with the same combination. The outcome was the same; Rodney simply outran Jerry and beat him by one lap. I did a little better in the second race than the first. I managed my wattage a little better and completed 56 minutes. Again I coasted into the pits with a dead battery. Cliff had only lasted about 9 minutes in this race before a blown tire sidelined him. The Fortuna car #444 had made multiple pit stops and dropped out about 5 minutes before me. I thought I might get a victory by default.
As it turned out, Jerry of course got second behind Rodney in the Open Standard Battery class. The Fortuna 444 car had run enough laps in the first race that she won the day by 4 laps over me in Advanced Battery class.
I don't think I have found all the potential in the little go-kart yet. I think it needs new rear axle bearings to start with. After that I may experiment with narrower tires to reduce rolling resistance. Only time will tell, but it sure is fun to drive!
Oh yeah. Here's a picture from that last race. I chose this one because I built every car in this picture. (Yes, I'm bragging again):D:p
Bragging?
Brag as much as you want to.
You've got every right to brag about what you've achieved.
Post a picture of the go cart when you have time. Sounds like a lot of fun!
There are a couple of pics on the previous page in post #535 of the go-kart with and without the body panels. Here are a few more action shots from the Plant City race. The last pic was shot in the pits between races - you can see the motor location and the blue thing under my gloves and the seat belt latch is the 48 volt Lithium battery.:)
Are there any rules prohibiting a back up pedal drive?
What if the pedals spun a generator?
I don't know.:HMMM: I've never been asked that question. We can have regenerative braking, but I think all other means of battery recharging are prohibited during competition. I will need to look through the rules and see.:confused:
FYI - There used to be an event called Solar Bike Rayce (sic) where solar panels and human power were used as supplemental power to the batteries. Their race lasted 3 hours.:eek: It was a really interesting event and a tremendous challenge, but for some reason it disappeared about 10 or 12 years ago.:(
Thanks for the pics. Looks like it would be a smoother more comfortable ride than the bike tire ones?
It wouldn't be charging the battery, if it were shunted directly to the motor.
We had our 2021-'22 season opening race yesterday (9-11-21). After a brief memorial ceremony commemorating 9-11, 10 cars took the first green flag of the season. I took both of my cars to this race at Hillsborough Community College. Ryan Norden drove my purple "Silver Bullet" car #94 in the Open class and I drove the #13 converted go-kart in the Advanced Battery class.:)
The Open class was very competitive with 5 cars running closely all day. Ryan finished in second:3dSMILE: behind our good friend and sometimes teammate, Rodney Schreck. I got a third place out of three cars in the Advanced Battery class.:rolleyes:
Since the last race I have made several adjustments to the go-kart to improve its handling. It performed pretty well, but I ran out of battery power at 52 minutes in both races. According to folks more knowledgeable than me about Lithium batteries, they need to be run through at least 5 charge/discharge cycles before they reach their full potential.:confused: I was using brand new batteries, so they did pretty much what was expected.
I'll post some pictures later if I can get some from somebody. Since I was busy driving one car and servicing both between races I wasn't able to take any myself.:HMMM:
The Electrathon of Florida group had a race at Plant City, October 9, on the parking lot road course, but I didn't attend; I had another obligation that day.:rolleyes:
On November 6th we had our annual "Dash Races" at Plant City high school on their oval track around the football field. For the Dash Races, the usual 1-hour race format is suspended and we run short races of 20 minutes each. Instead of finessing batteries to last for a full hour, we are able to run at much faster speeds.:D Jerry Bristow from Indiana was here to drive my purple #94 car in the Open Standard Battery class. He easily dominated both Open class races and took first place in that class. I took the converted go-kart again to run in Advanced Battery class. In the first race I placed 4th of 4 cars, about 3 laps behind the 3rd place car. Rodney Schreck drove it in the second race and the key stock came out of the rear axle sprocket hub on the 12th lap, sidelining him for the remainder of that race.:HMMM:
Every year at this event, between the regular races, the organizers have a race for sponsors and officials. Since I was entered only in the Advanced Battery class as a driver this day, I was able to drive my other (purple) car in the sponsor's race. Jerry had already run his first race with the batteries in the car, so we weren't sure how long they would last. When the green flag dropped I jumped into the lead. A few laps later, David Kocher, the teacher/mentor from Plant City, passed me. A few more laps and I passed him back. It was fun while it lasted...:D He pulled alongside a couple of laps later and we ran side-by-side for a few laps, neither of us able to get an advantage. Then my batteries started to wane and I began losing speed. David pulled away then and began stretching his lead. At the end he beat me by a full lap and a half. I finished in 2nd place with Todd Thuma right on my tail.:)
All together it was a fun day. I think I may retire the go-kart, though. This was the third time I have run it and it simply isn't meeting my expectations. I already have a spare "Silver Bullet" chassis that I can finish up and then transfer the motor and controller from the go-kart to it. Time will tell; I need to give it some more thought...:confused:
And Lucky 13 just doesn't have "The Look" that your other cars have. fwiw!
OK, I did it. I have officially retired the converted go-kart and replaced it with one of my "Silver Bullet" chassis.:rolleyes: I hadn't intended to do it so soon; I thought I might get around to it after Christmas, maybe in time for the USF race in February... But then my old "snow bird" friend, Jerry Bristow showed up for his winter visit and prodded me into jumping into this project with both feet. On Saturday December 4th we took this unfinished frame down off my shop wall and started work on it. By the end of the first day I had fabricated the rear swing arm and Jerry cut and shaped the front axle components. I finished all the welding on the formerly "tacked together" frame and we were well on our way. First pic below is the frame as it appeared after Saturday's effort.:HMMM:
We took Sunday off for other family obligations and got back to work on Monday. By dividing the tasks at hand, we made pretty good progress. Jerry isn't an experienced fabricator, but he's good at following instructions and a fast learner. By Friday afternoon we had the car far enough along to race it. It still lacked the tail panels and cowl, but it was complete enough to race; we made it to the December 11 race.:D The second pic below shows it at this stage.
I wish I could tell you all that it performed perfectly and I had a great day at the races, but it wasn't meant to be.:( As it turned out I led the first 5 laps of the first race and then it threw the chain off. I spent about 30 minutes in the pits tinkering with sprocket alignment and idler tension and rejoined the race with about 20 minutes to go. After about 5 or 6 more laps it threw the chain again. Between races we fiddled with it some more, but 12 minutes into the second race the chain departed the sprockets again and I parked it.:mad: As it turns out, the problem was the motor mount. I made it from the same 10-gauge steel I've used in the past, but the Motenergy ME-909 motor has more torque than my old Etek motor and it was flexing the motor mount enough to pull the sprocket out of alignment.:eek: Thanks to Keven Dye for pointing out the problem - he had the same issue with his car!
So, I ended up getting second place in the Advanced Battery division because there were only two of us in the class! Meanwhile, Jerry won the Open Standard class in my purple car, beating Rodney Schreck by one lap.:3dSMILE: This week I cut out the motor mount and replaced it with one made from 1/4 inch plate steel. Preliminary tests in the street show the problem is solved. Next race is January 8.:cool:
Lucky 13 looks like a winner, Jim! I know you've told us before but it's too difficult to search specifics on here, at least for me. What type of tubing do you use for the frame? TIG welded?