Tunachuckers Can-O'-Blog

So I feel that I should explain may to our avid reader(s).  I was going to be the May champion.  I was going to handle it, even though a full 2/5 of the team was bailing out.  And then, I ruined my roof.  You see, the hinge pin that the May race rested upon was the big truck restoration project in my garage.  You see, my garage was the only place left that we could feasibly work on the Lemon.  I went out there and worked like a fiend for like four days after the kids went to sleep desperately trying to get rid of the truck.  All four days worked towards one goal: ruining the roof of the truck.  I now have a washboard that I created after seeing the tiniest little fissure in the metal.  Now I have set myself back at least two/three weeks.  Combined with two work trips, one of which took the entire weekend and the beginning and end of the coincident weeks, and it's over.  My lovely wife asked me yesterday if both the truck and the Lemon would fit in the garage - bless her - but it would be tight and unpleasant.  Especially for the three others that have the schedule to accomodate May.

So, that's it then.

Since the anti-climactic LeMons race about a month ago (editor's note: has it really been only a month?  It seems like years and years ago...) I've made a few posts on the race, and the car.  I think Brian made a post and so did Rob.  But, I realize that as awesome and fun as LeMons is (even when your car goes kablooey) its quite possibly not something that'll generate a blog entry or two every week- especially since our team has basiclaly resigned itself to not competing in the May race.

So, for fun and to create a little more participation on the blog, I've created two new categories.  The first is "Tuna Whips".  No, this is not an S&M discussion generator (except perhaps for Citroen SMs).  Each of the Tunachuckers has their own rides besides our mutually-owned 1966 Volvo Amazon race car, and I thought it would be a good place for us to post about them- project car progress, pictures, etc.  I hope to see stuff on Rob's Berkeley, Anthony's Bug, Brian's Volvo wagon, Jamie's RX-8, Matt's Corvette, and McCall's Mustang.  My bother, who created this blog, I'm sure can share stories on his cars too.  And I might post an article or score on my own project car hells.

The second new category is "Internal Combustion Rants and Raves".  This is a pretty broad category, and again, I hope to spawn some interesting discussions.  Just rented a new Ford Focus and loved it/ hated it?  Write about it here.  Got an opinion on some piece of car-related legislation?  Post your diatribe!  And so on.

Let the blogging commence!

--VCH >:XX

What can I say?  Nay, what can anyone say?  They're two great tastes that go great with...racing!  As reported by faithful Jalopnik weekend update dude Murilee Martin, after our race car's crank bearings shuffled off to Valhalla, we decided to reroute our efforts to chili preparation.  Saturday night at the LeMons race was the Great Chili Cookoff.  Not to be too anticlimactic about the whole thing, but we lost.  It just wasn't a Tuna sort of weekend, I guess.  Though we did win some sort of imaginary consolation prize for having the best presentation:

Yes, that is a valve cover.  Yes, that is the valve cover from our race car.  Since the engine wasn't really using it, we decided to take it off and fill it with Chili.  Wise heads prevailed and the valve cover was first thoroughly scrubbed and lined with several layers of aluminium foil.  Could we be trendsetters?  Could future LeMons cookoff entrants follow our lead?  I sure hope so.  Imagine...Oil Pan Gumbo!  Piston Skirt Martinis!  Timing Cover Shrimp Cocktail!

The Vikings sure appreciated Tunachucker Valve Cover Chili, as did the vegetarian who somehow was able to eat turkey - we used ground turkey in our chili, to be healthy (also, it was cheaper than ground beef).

Now, what goes perfect with a steaming pile of chili in your valve cover?  I've already answered that question- beer in your mug!  Judge Murilee is known near and, well, ok, just near, as a beer connoisseur.  And since bribery of the LeMons judicial system is considered de rigeur, it was only a matter of time before someone came up with this:

Now, that right there is one mighty fine piece of glassware.  Any gearhead would be proud to display that in the china cabinet.    As one might discern from the near-empty state of the above-pictured beverage conveyance device, Judge Murilee is requesting a refill of his chosen libation.  And who could deny a man, especially one as hard working and dedicated and communist-medal wearing as Ms. Martin, a cold frosty drink?

Of course, that Saturday night, there wasn't a man to be found who appeared to have been denied a drink.  There's something about the comeraderie of being flat busted, having a broken race car, hundreds of miles from home, resigned to sleeping in a mildewy 1974 camper before treking home in defeat the next morning, huddled under drafty blue tarps and a hastily assembled carport, bunched around a propane heater to fend of hypothermia, that brings out the desire to just try to, in spite of it all (and this incredibly running-on sentence) have one mother of a good time.  Photographic evidence of this phenomenon shall be forthcoming...

Now that we've all had a chance to recuperate from the debacle that was the February 24 Hours of LeMons race at CMP, I thought I'd start amassing the photos that were taken at the race and do a few entries on them.  The other Saturday while at work, Anthony (crazy Peruvian driver) handed me a memory stick full of the pictures he'd managed to snap while not busy working on the car or taunting drivers who came in for black flags.  So I'll start off with some of his pictures.

There were 61 cars (or so someone told me- I have trouble couning past 10 with my shoes on) at this race, and here's a sampling of...the competition.  You know, the 60 other cars all vying for that covetted spot in the winner's circle and those 30,000 nickels.

These guys in a feather-covered Porsche 944 camped next to us.  In fact, I think they've camped next to us for the past 3 or 4 races.  Their car always seems to break something, much like ours, and we've found ourselves swapping tools on more than one occassion.  Good neighbors.

I have only a vague idea of what this car is.  I feel like I've seen it at some races before, and something tells me its some sort of 1970's Opel.  But the first time I saw it I thought it was a Maverick (no, not this kind of Maverick, the crappy 1970's Ford product).  But, let's face it, it could be about any crappy 1970's car.  (Is crappy being redundant?  I think so.)

Ze Germans always come out en masse for these races.  Not because German cars are particularly well suited for LeMons.  Actually, kindof the opposite.  In a weird sort of way, there's usually a lot of German cars at LeMons races because German cars are so bad at LeMons.  They are complicated, expensive to fix, and depreciate fiercely.  So while its very possible to pick up a $500 beater German car, its quite probably not a terribly smart thing to do.  And yet, here we are:

This car actually tried to disguise itself as a Mercedes, but apart from the grille, there was a decidedly Shintoist vibe about this particular vehicle:

Japanese cars have mixed results at LeMons.  Hondas like to blow head gaskets and bearings, but Toyotas do fairly well and Mazdas are nigh unstoppable.  A few Datsuns show up from time to time, and usually don't last.  But they are fun to watch, especially when powered by American V8s and shod with giant plywood spoilers:

This Mitsubishi looked nearly showroom-fresh.  I can't imaging what kind of paperwork they conconcted to slide this ringer through BS inspection.  Surprisingly, it didn't get The People's Curse, but it didn't seem to win anything, either.  And who knows- it could have been a flood car, or had a blown engine that got replaced with a duesenberg straight 8.  I didn't get that much of a chance to inspect it, but apparently the Judges thought well enough of it to let it race.

Gotta go take the puppy to the vet, but stay tuned for Part ][ of The Cars of LeMons...coming up whenever I next feel a smidgen rancateourish.

Some of you may have noticed this creepy character who calls himself "Waterwolf" and lurks among us. I have no idea who this nutcase is, but today he (she?) sent me a recommendation for a book that the team should read:

From Waterwolf:

The book is called: The Checklist Manifesto: How to get things right by Atul Gawande

The author examines many disparate tasks, from flying airplanes to building a sky scraper, to show how checklists can improve outcomes. Read this book and you might find yourself making checklists for the most mundane tasks----and be better for it. The author writes that: "The volume and complexity of what we know has exceeded our individual ability to deliver its benefits correctly, safely or reliably. Unless, of course, we use checklists". There is also a Checklist for the Perfect Checklist----to make complex operations routine, keep these guidelines in mind (with examples in Tuna-talk):

· Include all "stupid but critical" tasks so that they're not overlooked. (Would a true Tunachucker ever forget to include beer on an overnight camping trip?)

· Make it mandatory for team members to let others know when they complete one of those tasks. (Hey, Anthony, I packed the beer.)

·Empower subordinates to question their superiors about the checklist. (Don't be afraid to ask Rob if he packed beer.)

·Allow for improvisation in unusual circumstances. (Hey, Mike, they ran out of premium beer so I brought Genny Cream Ale.)

·Thoroughly test-drive your checklist before putting it into place. (Who drank all the beer?)

/end Waterwolf email

 Waterwolf says he would have bought the team this book, but that s/he is too cheap. Oh well. Personally, I think we should cross-drill the oil drain plug and safety wire it. But that's just me.