I was a little nervous leaving the truck down there unattended, but slept like a rock anyway. Got up at 0'dark 30 and headed south back to Newport for competition day. They run practice from 8 until 10, then hold opening ceremonies and run competition from 11 until they are done.
We stopped in Boswell for breakfast as is our tradition. Ate a good breakfast and as we are walking out of the restaurant a guy walking in asked if we were headed to the hillclimb. Now the old truck is already down there so we are in dad's truck and nobody is wearing anything that would tip anyone off as to our destination so it kind of took us aback. We told the guy yeah that's where we were headed and he said "Yep, you guys go every year" so apparently we make an impression in Boswell the one weekend a year we eat there.
We got to Newport about 8, found the truck exactly where we left her, uncovered her and fired her up. She started without too much difficulty and we headed into town to get in line for a practice run. I offered dad the wheel and he declined, saying it was my truck and I did most of the wrench work on it. Nate even gave up his seat up front for the practice run so Dawn could sit up front and work the siren. Dad, Nate and Cody loaded up in the back and up we went. Another uneventful run. She sneezed through the carb a few times but she powered right up for another run in the 82 second range.
We brought her back to town and the real circus began. They were trying to stage all the vehicles for the competition runs. This wouldn't be so bad except for the fact they had 280+ vehicles and only about 2 blocks worth of staging area, that being the case and the fact they run the fire trucks toward the end I got stuck out North of town. The problem with that was I had to babysit the truck pretty much all day instead of watching the other cars run so I didn't miss when they wanted me to bring the truck up. Not a big deal but I'm going to come up with a new plan for next year.
We finally get the call to bring her up and get in line, our class is next. Mom and dad go down toward the base of the hill to get some decent pictures while the rest of us load up in the truck and get in line. I was last to run in our class so I had a pretty good idea what I needed to run to get close. As I'm moving up my heart started beating quicker and it's show time. I found it was not all that different of a feeling from suiting up for a sports event. It's the same kind of butterfly feeling.
We get on the line and the queen gives me a commemorative hat pin and wishes me luck. Turn on the headlights and the red flashing light and wait to go. The starter asks if I'm ready and points to the tree. Red, yellow, yellow GREEN and we are off. I felt like I cut a pretty decent light (time starts when the green comes on) and make a good shift to third. The downshift to second went good as well. The only thing I would have liked to do different was once the hill started leveling out at the top I stayed in second gear a little long and floated the valves so that cost us a little bit. On the way back to town they stopped me to give me my timeslip. 78.98. WOW shaved off 4 seconds. I was VERY happy with that run and figured we were good for 3rd in our class.
Parked the truck and watched the rest of the runs and then it was time for the trophies. They give out trophies for the top 3 in each class so we stuck around figuring we were going to run 3rd. Got to my class and said "in 3rd place in a 38 chevy" and my heart sank since we have a 32. Thought I must have miscalculated. Oh well, win some lose some. But then he announced "2nd place in a 32 Chevy, Bill Boldman." Apparently the 3rd place truck, which beat us on time, must of had some penalty points added, but I'll take 2nd. Posed for some pictures and proceeded to head north to mom and dad's. Nate and I were the brave ones to deal with the chilly conditions on the way up there. Truck ran strong all the way back with no issues.
For our first competition I couldn't be happier. For only having the truck 3 weeks it was something in itself just to show up, let alone take home 2nd in class. We fulfilled a dream my dad has had for the last 16 yrs and had an absolute blast. It was quite a bit of stress with as fast as we had to throw it together, but we pulled it off. Monday was kind of an odd feeling though. With as much fun as we had I was really glad it was finally over. I'm not sure I realized just how much stress we were under to pull it off. Then at the same time as being relieved I was giddy with the possibilities for next year and wishing it was next year already.
Now all that is left is to make a few improvements to the truck and have some fun with it next summer with the ultimate goal of returning to Newport in October. Hopefully we will have her running better and the Half Fast Fire Company can make an even better showing next year.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Practice Day
Since Dakota had a football game Saturday morning the plan was for dad and Nate to take the truck to Newport early in the morning to run practice and I would get there as soon as I could. We had a tool kit packed up, spare tire, 4 way lug wrench, various fluids, jackets, the works. We felt like we had a plan for everything and were in really good shape. That is until Dad and Nate got up Saturday morning and it was raining. That's not a big deal unless you happen to be in an open cab truck. They decided it wasn't raining too hard and they'd try it so off they went. I woke up about an hour after they left to HARD rain. I texted Nate to see if I needed to chase them down with dry clothes but he said it wasn't raining too hard at the time and they would be ok. Shortly after that the rain picked up but they persevered and got her down there with no incidents.
Dad and I had discussed earlier in the week not letting anyone else ride up on the first run just so we could see how she was going to run and to make sure she would make it. First text I got from Nate was "The queens are already in the truck". Apparently as dad got to the line the Hillclimb Queen and her court came up and asked if they could ride along. Dad, being a Boldman, and a sucker for a pretty face couldn't say no so up they went. The truck ran in the 95 second range on the first run. It was wet and we later found out that dad wasn't giving her full throttle, but she made it. That in and of itself was an accomplishment. For those that don't know the Newport hill is main street in town. It is a blacktop road of which we run for 1800 feet from a standing start with 140 ft worth of elevation change before we get to the top. The record run is in the 26 second range but that was with a Ford V8. The record was in no danger from us, but with a name like Half Fast I didn't think it would be.
I got down there about noon and dad already had her in the staging lanes for another practice run. I jumped in the driver seat and low and behold here comes the queen and her court again. Now, me being a Boldman and a sucker for a pretty face, they loaded up. There are 4 lines of staging and my line is moving up nicely and the anticipation is building. I get 1st in my line (next to go) and the starter gives me the cut sign, he's gonna run some from the other lanes. Damn it. So I sit there idling (the truck doesn't like wet and cold) with the anticipation building. I have some experience in high adrenaline sports and this wasn't quite on the level of skydiving, but pulling up to the start line I could feel my heart beat quicken and started breathing a little shallower, just like in a plane. We got her lined up on the start line, the starter asked if I was ready and then pointed to "the tree". Red...Yellow....yellow...GREEN. Let out on the clutch and we are off, red light flashing and Nate working the siren. The thing is geared so low we started in 2nd gear let her wind up, make a fairly decent shift to 3rd (considering the transmission is almost 80 yrs old) and keep my foot matted. I felt like I was getting a pretty good run on the flat part and then we hit the hill. Gravity is a bitch. Let gravity bring us down to about 8-10 mph, looked over my shoulder to warn the girls and jammed it into 2nd. It fell right in gear and we powered on up over the top for a time in the 82 second range. Not great, but happy with the run anyway.
I came back into town smiling harder than I had in a long time. What a great feeling to finally run "The Hill". Dropped off the queens court and parked the truck. Our friends Sam, Jo, and Ed showed up just in time to watch my run and Dawn came down shortly after so we all hung out to watch the parade.
We had decided to just leave the truck down there Saturday night. Well the original plan was for me and the boys to camp over night but with night time temps gonna drop into the 30's I decided against it. We parked the truck in the field they use for parking, locked her up and covered what we could with a tarp and all of us went to moms for some lasagna and much needed sleep. Tomorrow is the big day. Competition runs.
Dad and I had discussed earlier in the week not letting anyone else ride up on the first run just so we could see how she was going to run and to make sure she would make it. First text I got from Nate was "The queens are already in the truck". Apparently as dad got to the line the Hillclimb Queen and her court came up and asked if they could ride along. Dad, being a Boldman, and a sucker for a pretty face couldn't say no so up they went. The truck ran in the 95 second range on the first run. It was wet and we later found out that dad wasn't giving her full throttle, but she made it. That in and of itself was an accomplishment. For those that don't know the Newport hill is main street in town. It is a blacktop road of which we run for 1800 feet from a standing start with 140 ft worth of elevation change before we get to the top. The record run is in the 26 second range but that was with a Ford V8. The record was in no danger from us, but with a name like Half Fast I didn't think it would be.
I got down there about noon and dad already had her in the staging lanes for another practice run. I jumped in the driver seat and low and behold here comes the queen and her court again. Now, me being a Boldman and a sucker for a pretty face, they loaded up. There are 4 lines of staging and my line is moving up nicely and the anticipation is building. I get 1st in my line (next to go) and the starter gives me the cut sign, he's gonna run some from the other lanes. Damn it. So I sit there idling (the truck doesn't like wet and cold) with the anticipation building. I have some experience in high adrenaline sports and this wasn't quite on the level of skydiving, but pulling up to the start line I could feel my heart beat quicken and started breathing a little shallower, just like in a plane. We got her lined up on the start line, the starter asked if I was ready and then pointed to "the tree". Red...Yellow....yellow...GREEN. Let out on the clutch and we are off, red light flashing and Nate working the siren. The thing is geared so low we started in 2nd gear let her wind up, make a fairly decent shift to 3rd (considering the transmission is almost 80 yrs old) and keep my foot matted. I felt like I was getting a pretty good run on the flat part and then we hit the hill. Gravity is a bitch. Let gravity bring us down to about 8-10 mph, looked over my shoulder to warn the girls and jammed it into 2nd. It fell right in gear and we powered on up over the top for a time in the 82 second range. Not great, but happy with the run anyway.
I came back into town smiling harder than I had in a long time. What a great feeling to finally run "The Hill". Dropped off the queens court and parked the truck. Our friends Sam, Jo, and Ed showed up just in time to watch my run and Dawn came down shortly after so we all hung out to watch the parade.
We had decided to just leave the truck down there Saturday night. Well the original plan was for me and the boys to camp over night but with night time temps gonna drop into the 30's I decided against it. We parked the truck in the field they use for parking, locked her up and covered what we could with a tarp and all of us went to moms for some lasagna and much needed sleep. Tomorrow is the big day. Competition runs.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
The "Thrash" or What I Did On My Summer Vacation
With the truck safely at my parent's house it was time to start trying to scare up some parts. She didn't need much, but what it did need it needed pretty bad. Dad called on some of his connections and I scoured online and got what we needed to at least get it ready for the hillclimb. The only snag we ran into was tires and those were fairly easy to find, just back ordered. More on that in a bit. Dad located some spark plugs and all the fluids we needed. I ordered an ignition tune up kit, a gas tank and a couple light bulbs online and had it all shipped to his house. It was like Christmas at my parents for awhile with packages showing up every couple of days.
I was on vacation for the week before the hillclimb so the plan was to get down there as soon as I could and work on the truck between football games (had 4 that week). It worked out that I got down there late Sunday night in order to get an early start on Monday morning.
Get up Monday morning and take off one of the tires that had gone flat and took it to the tire guy to see if he could do anything with it. Dad had a parts run to Watseka so I called to get the "cop check" for the title work and started gapping spark plugs. The cop check was fairly uneventful except for the fact that the numbers on the truck don't match what's on the title, but the number he ran came back clean. I got the plugs installed while waiting for dad to get home with no trouble. Dad got back and we commenced to tune up, points, cap and rotor. Cap and rotor were a piece of cake, the points made up for it. It took me, my dad and my girlfriend Dawn about half an hour just to get them installed. I'm sure we were quite the sight, all 3 of us bent over the fender of the truck cussing. Finally got them installed and gapped and it was the moment of truth. I jump in and hit the starter, she cranks...and cranks....and cranks. Hmmmm, no spark. The damn thing worked before we started messing with it and now won't run at all. Reset the gap, still nothing. Lots of head scratching ensued. Dad went over to the Chevy garage to ask their mechanic what it might be and I kept tinkering. On a blind shot in the dark I pryed up on the points where they go over the post and what do you know she fired right up. With that hurdle cleared it was off to the BMV to try to get plates.
If you'll remember earlier I said the numbers didn't match so this could be a problem. I go into the BMV in Morocco and conveniently forget to mention the part about the numbers not matching. The girl goes through everything and I'm thinking I'm in the clear and then at the last possible minute she realizes the title and the cop check don't match. UH OH!!! Had to fill out a couple of forms so they can issue me a new VIN number. Ordinarily that wouldn't be a problem but the hillclimb is in 5 days and I don't have plates. Hmmmm, have to figure something else out on that one.
Got home from the DMV, picked up the tire (new tube and flap) installed that and called it a day. Football in Tri County that night.
The big job for Tuesday was a fuel tank. The original had gone bad and the previous owners converted a fire extinguisher into a fuel tank. Worked good but only held 2 gallons. I had ordered an 11 gallon dune buggy tank and the plan was to install that in the bed and just run a line from there. Dad was gone on a car run all day so this fell to me and Dawn. This went surprisingly smooth. I think I only made 3 trips to the hardware store and Napa for various fittings etc. With the tank installed I put a couple gallons in and decided to take it to the gas station to fill it up. Take off down the road and get about a half mile and she starts coughing and back firing and basically just running like shit. So much so that when I got on the clutch to pull into the gas station she quit...hmmmmm. I was hoping it was a fuel problem but no such luck. So I start tinkering and remember about the point problem from earlier. Yep same deal, pry up on the points and it fires right up. Apparently there was a fiber washer or something that was supposed to go in there that we either didn't get or lost. Got the truck home and started thinking about what to do about the points issue.
We decided to just head over to Watseka to the big hardware store and see what I could come up with. Finally decided on a plastic washer I found. While we were over there I picked up a muffler too. Got home and installed the plastic washer under the points (this time they went back in no problem) and so far she's been running fine. Installed the muffler in about 10 min time (has to be a record for me for anything automotive). Boy what a difference that made. I liked it loud but it's much more tolerable quiet.
With that done on a whim I decided to kick the tires. Damn, found another flat. I really wish the new ones weren't back ordered. So I pulled that wheel off and took it back to the tire guy at B&G. By this time is was late in the day and he didn't have time to look at it then, said check back on the next day.
When Nate got home him and I did the oil and transmission lube change. No real problems with that. Just some good quality father son time spent under a truck. We BBQ'd some pork chops for dinner and celebrated Nate's birthday early that night.
Wednesday was spent cleaning and polishing. Dawn worked her butt of on the old brass nozzle and got it shined up pretty good. When Nate got home he polished up the bell and siren and got those shining better than they have in 30 years. Checked in at the tire guy, gonna have to order a tube. Might be here Thursday (oh shit).
Thursday dad was off on a car run and there wasn't much to do to the truck so I put up an air hose reel in his shop and built a step for the deck to cover the broken concrete. Only big problems with that was when the ladder came out from under me putting up the airline. That could have turned out bad but didn't. Checked with the tire guy, still no tube. Went to Nate's football game in Seeger that night.
Friday was just odds and ends, mounting a slow vehicle triangle and fretting over the tire. Cody had a football game in Caston that night and I had to leave about 430 to make it on time. Waited all day and hadn't heard from the tire guy. On my way out of town I decided to stop by. He was locking up the shop when I pulled up. Asked him about my tire and he said "Oh yeah we just finished it up." Swung by the house on the way out to drop off the wheel and went to Caston to the football game. Got home about midnight and proceeded to swap tires around. Nothing like wrestling 200lb wheels around by yourself in the dark but I got it done.
Dad talked to his employer at Sondegrath Motors and they loaned us a dealer plate to get the truck to Newport and back. We were going to run it without plates if we had to but it was nice to at least be somewhat legal. I'm not sure a cop would have bought it that it was a dealer vehicle but it worked out.
So the truck was as ready as we were going to be able to make it. Cody had a football game Saturday so the plan was for dad and Nate to get up early and take the truck to Newport for practice day while I went to the football game. I went to bed that morning feeling pretty good about what we had accomplished over the course of a week and hoping, that with a little luck, we'd be able to pull off the weekend.
I was on vacation for the week before the hillclimb so the plan was to get down there as soon as I could and work on the truck between football games (had 4 that week). It worked out that I got down there late Sunday night in order to get an early start on Monday morning.
Get up Monday morning and take off one of the tires that had gone flat and took it to the tire guy to see if he could do anything with it. Dad had a parts run to Watseka so I called to get the "cop check" for the title work and started gapping spark plugs. The cop check was fairly uneventful except for the fact that the numbers on the truck don't match what's on the title, but the number he ran came back clean. I got the plugs installed while waiting for dad to get home with no trouble. Dad got back and we commenced to tune up, points, cap and rotor. Cap and rotor were a piece of cake, the points made up for it. It took me, my dad and my girlfriend Dawn about half an hour just to get them installed. I'm sure we were quite the sight, all 3 of us bent over the fender of the truck cussing. Finally got them installed and gapped and it was the moment of truth. I jump in and hit the starter, she cranks...and cranks....and cranks. Hmmmm, no spark. The damn thing worked before we started messing with it and now won't run at all. Reset the gap, still nothing. Lots of head scratching ensued. Dad went over to the Chevy garage to ask their mechanic what it might be and I kept tinkering. On a blind shot in the dark I pryed up on the points where they go over the post and what do you know she fired right up. With that hurdle cleared it was off to the BMV to try to get plates.
If you'll remember earlier I said the numbers didn't match so this could be a problem. I go into the BMV in Morocco and conveniently forget to mention the part about the numbers not matching. The girl goes through everything and I'm thinking I'm in the clear and then at the last possible minute she realizes the title and the cop check don't match. UH OH!!! Had to fill out a couple of forms so they can issue me a new VIN number. Ordinarily that wouldn't be a problem but the hillclimb is in 5 days and I don't have plates. Hmmmm, have to figure something else out on that one.
Got home from the DMV, picked up the tire (new tube and flap) installed that and called it a day. Football in Tri County that night.
The big job for Tuesday was a fuel tank. The original had gone bad and the previous owners converted a fire extinguisher into a fuel tank. Worked good but only held 2 gallons. I had ordered an 11 gallon dune buggy tank and the plan was to install that in the bed and just run a line from there. Dad was gone on a car run all day so this fell to me and Dawn. This went surprisingly smooth. I think I only made 3 trips to the hardware store and Napa for various fittings etc. With the tank installed I put a couple gallons in and decided to take it to the gas station to fill it up. Take off down the road and get about a half mile and she starts coughing and back firing and basically just running like shit. So much so that when I got on the clutch to pull into the gas station she quit...hmmmmm. I was hoping it was a fuel problem but no such luck. So I start tinkering and remember about the point problem from earlier. Yep same deal, pry up on the points and it fires right up. Apparently there was a fiber washer or something that was supposed to go in there that we either didn't get or lost. Got the truck home and started thinking about what to do about the points issue.
We decided to just head over to Watseka to the big hardware store and see what I could come up with. Finally decided on a plastic washer I found. While we were over there I picked up a muffler too. Got home and installed the plastic washer under the points (this time they went back in no problem) and so far she's been running fine. Installed the muffler in about 10 min time (has to be a record for me for anything automotive). Boy what a difference that made. I liked it loud but it's much more tolerable quiet.
With that done on a whim I decided to kick the tires. Damn, found another flat. I really wish the new ones weren't back ordered. So I pulled that wheel off and took it back to the tire guy at B&G. By this time is was late in the day and he didn't have time to look at it then, said check back on the next day.
When Nate got home him and I did the oil and transmission lube change. No real problems with that. Just some good quality father son time spent under a truck. We BBQ'd some pork chops for dinner and celebrated Nate's birthday early that night.
Wednesday was spent cleaning and polishing. Dawn worked her butt of on the old brass nozzle and got it shined up pretty good. When Nate got home he polished up the bell and siren and got those shining better than they have in 30 years. Checked in at the tire guy, gonna have to order a tube. Might be here Thursday (oh shit).
Thursday dad was off on a car run and there wasn't much to do to the truck so I put up an air hose reel in his shop and built a step for the deck to cover the broken concrete. Only big problems with that was when the ladder came out from under me putting up the airline. That could have turned out bad but didn't. Checked with the tire guy, still no tube. Went to Nate's football game in Seeger that night.
Friday was just odds and ends, mounting a slow vehicle triangle and fretting over the tire. Cody had a football game in Caston that night and I had to leave about 430 to make it on time. Waited all day and hadn't heard from the tire guy. On my way out of town I decided to stop by. He was locking up the shop when I pulled up. Asked him about my tire and he said "Oh yeah we just finished it up." Swung by the house on the way out to drop off the wheel and went to Caston to the football game. Got home about midnight and proceeded to swap tires around. Nothing like wrestling 200lb wheels around by yourself in the dark but I got it done.
Dad talked to his employer at Sondegrath Motors and they loaned us a dealer plate to get the truck to Newport and back. We were going to run it without plates if we had to but it was nice to at least be somewhat legal. I'm not sure a cop would have bought it that it was a dealer vehicle but it worked out.
So the truck was as ready as we were going to be able to make it. Cody had a football game Saturday so the plan was for dad and Nate to get up early and take the truck to Newport for practice day while I went to the football game. I went to bed that morning feeling pretty good about what we had accomplished over the course of a week and hoping, that with a little luck, we'd be able to pull off the weekend.
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