18. Bits and pieces...getting there

OK so  time is moving on now and we are getting nearer and nearer the start of the season we have identified most of the tools and accessories we need and I think we have most of them either on order or here already, I have managed to get a lot of stuff through my son and his companies discount, The race suit is ordered it is now a case of whether it turns up on time or not, the helmet is already here...

I ordered some gaskets for the engine and the transmission and they have turned up...

..along with some 5 gallon liquid containers, so we can now get on and sort out the oil leak I have borrowed my sons welding gear so we can get the trucks exhaust welded up and repair the silencer....

The welder is in the back of the car at the moment along with the welding shield, oil pan, timing light and low level hydraulic jack...in the back seat foot-well in the car is the large capacity battery for starting the car, the leads are being made up by my son and the two sets of braced axle stands.......

 We already have a compressor in the truck and this morning the generator I ordered turned up ..

The adapter plugs and sockets for it are also on the way, we probably have just enough tools to keep us going so I think we are just about there, well ready for RWYB's anyway ..I will worry about the licence stuff later , next I suppose I had best join the racers association's and the Wild Bunch..then its race time folks.....

17. Moving along

It amazes me how quick you can get things done if you put your mind to it, first of getting the truck exhaust welded up has now been sorted I will go down to Swindon in a weeks time to pick up some gear for the car that my son Steven has ordered for me at the same time I will pick up his welding gear, I will then take all of the gear over to the truck where my brother Dave will doe the welding..if I can get a 240v supply from somewhere.

I have this evening sent off my order for my fire proof gear it will be a two piece suit and black....

Something like this I wouldn't wonder but without the shades, I have also ordered the correct approved helmet which will be white...

We now have the axle stands and low level jack so the tools side is sorted I have a decent compressor for now for tyre inflation, I have a 24 Volt battery charger for the truck and I have ordered various plastics,,,funnels fuel cans etc.

The Engine gasket kit has been ordered along with the power-glide sump gasket....

We have fuel and oil just need my other son to get his finger out now and get my generator but if that fails to happen Steve has got one I can borrow for a while, I have rejoined the gym and start my diet tomorrow so with a bit of luck I will get this blood pressure sorted so i can get m licence then I can enter competition for real.......this is all getting real now..woohooo!!!!

16. Work to do

So an early start got me to the petrol station on the A6 just outside Bedford at around a quarter to ten, I found my son was already there, he had come up from Swindon, we had a cuppa and something to eat then drove up to the Caravan storage depot where the truck and car are parked up. The idea was to have a stock check and see what we needed to complete the equipment store ready for racing. While we were there have a good look round the race car.

While we there my son Steven decided to try out the drivers seat.....

We did  find a bit of oil where we weren't expecting to.......

We also found some on the floor which suspected came from here....

..the timing plate cover but after a call to the ever helpful Ian sorted most of the trouble out for us we still have a bit of work to do on the truck as we found the exhaust had cracked all the way through and we have a split in  the silencer as well oh and we need to clean the dragsters fuel tank out and then give it all a clean and polish up ready for the start of the season.

15. We move forward

Had a busy day today I managed to get hold of the guy that runs the Caravan storage where the truck is parked up as I need to get into it tomorrow to do a stock check and to let my son have a quick look round and see if he can get me some bits and bobs on the cheap...through his discount scheme at work that is...

This is where the truck is parked up

I then spent some time on the phone to Ian Turberville going through a few bits and pieces re: what I still need etc and I found out I don't need to have a licence to do a run what you brung even which is good news for me at the moment.

Ian's homepage

And I also found out that Dragstalgia is also a glorified run what you brung event so with a bit of luck and a following wind I might try and enter that too as this is a brilliant meeting I will attend even if I am not racing.

I have also been in touch with Ed  at DS Racewear to sort out my fire suit and gear so all in all not a bad today, I have got to getup early tomorrow as I am meeting my son at a petrol station on the A6 before going on to sort the car out....really looking forward now to driving the car in anger.

14. Time to sort a few things out

It's been a few weeks now since I last wrote anything on here not since moving the truck to Bedford so I think an up-date is well over due, First of all I have a confession to make, I embarked on this journey with all the best intentions in the word with  regards to getting fit losing some weight etc but those that know me are more than aware that I have had my hands full with some serious personal and family issues over the last couple of months, I wont go into details but life has been nothing short of hell recently but! things are now on the up so time to get stuck back in.

This weekend, Saturday in fact my son Steve, is going to meet me in Bedford we are then going over to the truck to take stock of what we have and what we still need, I think a phone call to the ever helpful Turbo will be in order tomorrow.

I then have to sort out a few things like a fire suit and joining the various racer clubs and then enter the car for the RWYB on the 29th March where, with  bit of luck I will fulfil my greatest dream of traversing the Santa Pod  quarter mile.

I have been trying to sort out a medical problem that could/might stop me from obtaining a licence in which case I will continue with the RWYB's but if that remains the case then I will seriously consider putting my son or my brother in the car for competition, we will wait and see on that one, the diet and the impending gym work may sort a few things out for me.

Which ever way this goes here's hoping for a great drag racing season and a safe one for all teams involved... "Lets get ready to rumble".