Well, as has been my luck over the years, final race of the season arrived and I was in good shape with both the buggy and the jeep being ready to roll onto the trailer a day or two before the race.
Now, if you all know how my luck heading to the races goes, you know that statement isn't quite right .... I'm never finished a day or two prior to load time!
Well, i've had an engine knock in the Suzy for 2 seasons now that I could never pin down. It finally let me know what it was ... while doing a couple quick test laps before loading on the trailer. Loose exhaust valve seat slapping away. It finally dropped and snapped the valve head. Tasty carnage pics for everyone, who don't like that
So the 7-miler was a jeep only affair, finally beat the demon in completing a lap in the jeep. Pretty decent accomplishment for its second season. Took me 5 years to get 1 official 7-miler lap in with the buggy. Made it 7.5 miles of the 8 miles on the second lap but blew the rear driveshaft on the hillclimb. Recurring issue caused by axle wrap, made a ladder bar for it that i took out this season. Its going back in.
Meantime on the buggy side of things I scored a "complete" 400 for $400, which is dirt cheap for an LTZ. I grabbed it for the top end parts, which turned out to be full of butchery issues. Spent a week fixing wasted bolt holes etc. and installed it with my cams, valve springs, clutch, carb and pipe. Only to find they'd buggered the bottom end too. 1 forward gear, shifting up to the next put it into reverse .... not good LOL.
Out it came for a split session and I finally managed to split my original case after a long session drilling out the swingarm shaft that's been seized in it since i got it. Turns out they missed the reverse lockout shaft spring, a small roller spacer on the shift shaft end and an oil pump pin that locks the gear onto the shaft. Good thing they messed up with the spring.
So she's back and running, but down to 400 ccs. Plan is to pick up another bbk and head over the winter and restore my old bottom end with a few parts to have a full stock spare engine that i can resell or keep.
Jeep doesn't run anywhere near as quick as the buggy on course, here's the 2 part vids of Lap 1. Language warning for the little ones LOL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXcE-NzcYms&t=893s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdRuLEgWaeY&t=322s