298 replies to this topic

[Tex]

Good job, Jeff! Very prolific!

[Mike Steube]

Which one is mine?

[Slotgeezer]

Which one is mine?

Hmmmm......



Yours is the one that BEATS my sorry *ss every Jaildoor race, Wisen-heimer!



Thanks, guys...

Dr, says my leisure time has ended... In order to keep my job, I'll return to work on June 8th...

Many thanks to all for your prayers & good wishes... I'm without my auto this weekend, as the Gold Sheild repair station spends $500 of the CA taxpayers $ ( & $20 of mine ) to repair my '94 Ford Gutless ( Taurus ) to comply w/ CA smog requirements... Seems redundant to "repair" a vehicle that gets 22 MPG around town, but that's what they wanna do... Go figure...

One more jaildoor to build, & I'm working on an F1 Jaildoor design, too.... My 1st attempt isn't truly "in the spirit of the class", so I'm re-designing it...

Wish me luck, trying to keep up w/ them fellas half my age at work next week... Good racing, everyone!


Jeff

[Dooner]

Nice job on the chassis, Jeff.
And many thanks for the loaner chassis and "floating" controller.

I guess you are back at work. I wish you all the best.

[Slotgeezer]

Well, I built something for myself, for a change...



After realizing that my Jaildoor F1 car was built too "wide", as per the rules page, I decided to re-build it into a Lotus 40 CanAm car...

Many thanks to our fearless leader, Mr. Paul Sterret, for the "loan" of an un-painted TrueScale Lotus body...

Now, I owe him one...

Mr. Bell & I will run this ( if it handles...) during the up-coming enduro... I'll track-test it, during our next monthly Jaildoor event...

Bryan included some .040" piano wire, for the tilt-pan stops on his 1st-generation chassis kits... I used the wire as rail spacers...












My best-looking Jaildoor build, yet....

I decided to paint it myself, & used cut-up mailing labels to create the two-tone paint scheme...

For an un-talented fat, old, bald-headed slot-car "junkie", it looks pretty good...

Thanks, guys! ....

Everyone take care, & good racing !!!


Jeff

[Tex]

Rock on, Jeff; looks GREAT!

[HarV Wallbanger III]

Love the Lotus Jeff!

[68Caddy]

Dear Jeff
That's a sweet ride and I love it, best of all you getting Lady Fortuna on your side and I'm stoked my friend.
I'm HAPPY that things are turning around for ya because you are a great man and I'm looking forward to see ya.

Nesta

[The Bugman]

they look great jeff,but i have a chassis rule question,
i thought the drop arm was to be bent in the offset,
not a 2 tier like the D3 chassis' are, or like whet Jeff's are
or is that drop arm ruling only for the JD F1's,,
dont wanna be the fly in the ointment,but like Mr Easterly asked when he built his JD F1
"just asking" for the rule,,

oscar

[Mike Steube]

Oscar, the 2 tier drop arms look wrong, IMHO. I wasn't as smart as Noose and Tony P to close that loop hole. The one piece drop arm is so easy to build I think the guys building the two piece are basicly lazy. Yes, you can build it 2 tier but, why? Saying it is too hard is a bunch of BS, IMHO. The biggest problem I have with trying to put rules in place is this idea that if it's not written in the rules that you can't, then it's ok to do it. I like what Noose and Tony said in their rules:
If we didn't say you CAN do it, you can't. I love that saying.

[HarV Wallbanger III]

Sorry Mike I do not agree with:

"If we didn't say you CAN do it, you can't"



It kills innovation a thinking. We are racing a class that did not have such a rule back then. The rules we go by now in both JD and JD F1 are more restrictive then they were back then. We cannot race the same cars as what was allowed back then. What we race now is a snapshot of a racing class. This is fine and I like that but this term has no place in the rules.

Look at solid brass drop arms and drop front axles are just an example, there was nothing in the rules back then to not allow it or other building techniques and materials….. Even the JD F1 rules page shows Lee Hines and Don Peter’s cars with drop front axles. Yes they address this as not being legal and I agree. I just do not like this term in ANY competition rules.

Having said that, I like the rules the way the Jail Door rules are now and will continue to race both but the term: "If we didn't say you CAN do it, you can't" has in my opinion no place in competition and is not Retro anything. It just goes overboard on many things we take for granted. Do the rules say you can use lead wires? But they are on all cars. You can see if you get an overzealous tech person what may happen as there are other areas that this term could be used against a racer.

I believe if something comes up that flies in the face of the spirit of the rules the race organizing body has the right to make a rule to address it. If after that a racer does not like it then all they have to do is vote against it with his non-entry dollars.

Just my 2 cents.

[TSR]

We are racing a class that did not have such a rule back then.

Barn, you forget one detail: THEN, these cars were the present and the most up-to-date technical prowess. NOW, these cars are nostalgia of the past and not an exercise in modern R&D.
What happened in full-size vintage racing (and one of the reason why I am not much involved anymore) is the same as what you are proposing, and now we have 1960's cars with carbon-fiber bodies, hydraulic valve lifters, titanium rods and Cosworth forged pistons. Some have SEQUENTIAL boxes and 6-piston brake calipers for gawd sake!

Keep retro, retro, or it will quickly die.

[HarV Wallbanger III]

Please read what I said, I said I like the rules the way they are now and do not want to change them. I just do not like this term as used in the JD F1 class.

[TSR]

Barn, I am reading:

It kills innovation a thinking. We are racing a class that did not have such a rule back then. The rules we go by now in both JD and JD F1 are more restrictive then they were back then.

That's what I addressed. can't be compared IMHO.

[HarV Wallbanger III]

I'm not proposing anything Dokk. If Vintage racing rules body had the balls they should have stopped it when it started and not allowed these parts or matierals.

[TSR]

Barn,
We all make mistakes...

[Gary Donahoe]

What is being described is true in all forms of racing from slot cars to NASCAR to F1. Rules makers write rules with the intention of creating an even playing field for the competitors. Once the rules are printed many racers start using them in creative ways to gain a competitive advantage. Other racers either intentionally or unintentionally don't read the rules and do whatever they think is right. That's when it comes down to rules enforcement. Unless the enforcer gets some kind of a kick out of forcing his will on others it puts the enforcer in the uncomfortable position of telling a competitor that they can not race unless infraction is fixed, which is many cases can not be accomplished on the spot. Many racers always test the enforcer to determine the level of enforcement. The people who test the rules don't like to be told no and the competitors that have followed the rules don't like to be at a real, or perceived disadvantage.

The best the enforcer can do is to be firm yet polite, and know that he will never please everyone. If all the competitors are a little pissed than he is probably going a good job. Rules enforcement is a thankless job. I have lived on both sides of that fence.

Gary D.

[Slotgeezer]

What is being described is true in all forms of racing from slot cars to NASCAR to F1. ..... Once the rules are printed many racers start using them in creative ways to gain a competitive advantage.....

Well, I'll add my two cents in on this drop arm deal...

Please note which part of Gary's post I quoted...

When I make an A-main podium, then someone can say something about the "compeditive advantage" of my drop arm design...

Yes, it's not a bent-wire design... But, if I'm adding lead to the drop arm to improve the handling, then having added extra brass to create a stepped-style drop arm shouldn't be a big deal...

Obviously, my jaildoor stuff isn't any more compeditive than anyone else's... .... Barney & Craig can drive way better than I can, so I tip my hat to them w/ the success they've had w/ my chassis builds & designs...

The "fast" guys are almost always in the A-main... I'm lucky to race in the C-main...

End of discussion, eh ???

I race because I enjoy building, not because I need the ego-boost of winning.... If winning was my only reason to race within Division III, then I would've quit long ago, eh?

Thanks, guys..... & good racing!!


Jeff Easterly

[redbackspyder]

Support Jeff Easterly, cause he is one of the good guys. And that is not anyone's humble opinion, that is a FACT.

[TSR]

I have lived on both sides of that fence.

Just to make things clear, Gary was the team manager for the very successful AAR Eagle-Toyota IMSA GTP team that won just about everything they entered in 1992-1993. Then he worked for one of the largest racing organizations.
So I would say he is a bit more qualified than most of us to offer good advice.

[Noose]

The best the enforcer can do is to be firm yet polite, and know that he will never please everyone. If all the competitors are a little pissed than he is probably going a good job. Rules enforcement is a thankless job. I have lived on both sides of that fence.

And boy do I know the above to be true...

[Noose]

Barney,
One of the reasons a statement like that was put in was to absolutely avoid having to go through all kinds of interpretations. The main difference between JD Classes (GP and Sportscars) and IRRA/D3 retro classes is that the JD classes were the attempt to really try and recreate the type of cars we ran back then as best we could. The other retro type cars allow for way more innovation and are the basis to enjoy the scratchbuilding segment of this hobby from another period.

[Duffy]

The other [ed: non-JD] retro type cars allow for way more innovation and are the basis to enjoy the scratchbuilding segment of this hobby from another period.

Innovation, yah certainly. But JD, within its limits of layout, opens up other possibilities in both engineering and finish realms. Just by having less options in what goes into my chassis, I'm thinking out the stresses and dynamics of what's still there as I lay up rod; and I'm enjoying the thinking a good deal.

At the same time, having some bit more time on my hands after I've whupped together the undercart means I'm free to explore a littledetail, maybe a real-car scale rendition, some fun with appearance. Good stuff.

Duffy

[Slotgeezer]

Support Jeff Easterly, cause he is one of the good guys. And that is not anyone's humble opinion, that is a FACT.

Thank you, Mill


Jeff