Doh! Got to OPM for the annual tech/logbooking this weekend. All proud of myself for getting the car ready. The tech inspectors are pissed because there are no holes drilled in the cage. Uh, can I borrow a drill? Thanks.
Everything after that looks ok. They have a minor issue with the way the rear down tubes are mounted, but it's more a question of personal preference than safety. Everything is finishing up, and they stop, "Oh, check to see if the steering wheel lock is disabled." I feel like I was just punched in the gut. Totally forgot about that one.
A huge thanks to Chris and Tom at OPM for the quick how-to on disabling that (and the loan of the tools). A quick mangling of the steering column, a drill press, and about 10 minutes later, and it passes. Yay!
The only things are a cover for the positive battery terminal, and a fuel test port. But those won't keep me out of the school, just be a problem passing tech on race day.

 

I can recommend the http://www.fuelports.com/ for that problem. In my case, there were no clever answers so a simple slice of the FI delivery line and two good hose clamps later, I am in gear.

K

 

Chris D. at OPM was saying that I could put a dry break T and a clamp on the return line. Minimal fuss. It's on the list of things to do after the school. All other notes on the log book have already been fixed, and only one remains in need of signing off.

Edit: Thanks for the link Kirk. Looks like the rules state that the port has to be upstream of the fuel rail.


Modified by madhatter at 10:16 AM 2/9/2004

 

This reminds me of my first tech inspection at the EMRA school in 2002: the only problems were the battery terminal and that my race number was not on the windshield or rear window. Both problems were solved with duct tape.

 

Ahhhhh... the bonuses of getting tech done early.

 

The worst offense they found on my car was the NASA decals. I don't have a fuel test port either, but for HC we don't need it, AFAIK.

Getting tech done a week in advance is very nice! Thanks OPM!

 

When I went through annual tech last year, I too, forgot about the test holes for the cage. But no worries. NNJR uses an ultrasound measuring device! Unfortunately not all sanctions and regions have it... so in the end, I had to drill one in.

I'll get to annual tech this year as soon as I get the head back in the car... unless they'll pass inspection w/o a complete car?? Afterall, its safety inspection and all the safety items are done.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Civic44 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Both problems were solved with duct tape. </TD></TR></TABLE>



-travis, who still needs to drill a hole in the cage after welding the new door bars over the last hole

 

Listening to the play-by-play commentary for you and SPiFF-man getting ready for your school this weekend makes me think that there's a new realilty TV show somewhere out there called, "So, You Want to Be a Racer?" Maybe I should fly the idea by the Execs at SPEED.... then again, maybe not...

Good luck to all attending the school at RRR this weekend.

Casey, who's living vicariously through his friends

 

Interesting about the holes - I contacted my SCCA tech inspector about them and he actually asked me not to drill them yet. He said we could quickly drill them at tech - he wanted to show me where they prefer to have the holes drilled.

Steve - your engine doesn't need to work...just get the car there! Does this mean you'll be doing SCCA racing? Thought you were just doing EMRA.

 

Does anyone have a picture of their install that they can share? Also, which setup is preferred-valve core or dry break? The GCR seems to want a connection that dumps the fuel away from the engine compartment.

 

fuelports.com is the way to go. It cost me ~ $20 and took less than 5 minutes to instal. Very cool product! It has a plastic tube that easily connects and delivers the fuel outisde of the engine.