LocostUSA.com

so, last night in preparation for the overnight thunder and rain storms, I spread this small tarp over the interior (because the car cover is water-permeable), stepped back, and started thinking, "bikini top"...



hmmm.

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The B-3 build log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=13941 unfortunately, all the pictures were lost in the massive server crash

The beginnings of the Jag Special,
https://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19012
Again, all pictures were lost.

Don't drive it over 45 with that top or it'll flutter like crazy.

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Locost builder and adventurer, and founder (but no longer owner) of Kinetic Vehicles

You ought to measure the thickness of the two ring gears and the diameters of the pinions.
If the factory put the 11 pinion on the 32 ring, will the 12 pinion fit with the 34 ring? That would give you a 2.83/1. ..

_________________
"There are times when a broken tool is better than a sound one, or a twisted personality more useful than a whole one.
For instance, a whole beer bottle isn't half the weapon that half a beer bottle is ..." Randall Garrett

hi guys, been chilling on the vaca, going to the beach, taking the B-3 on joyrides, grilling etc. Not today though, its raining...



Jack, I was thinking that speed would be more like 4.5 mph.

oldjack, I thought about that, swapping gears from housing to housing, but I'm not sure I can get adjustment shims for the rings and pinions. even though the cases are all very similar in size, (and you can absolutely swap the VS800 and VS1400 drives back and forth without doing more than elongating the drive mounting bolt holes) I still don't know whether the gears are all the same as far as bearing surfaces and overall length (for the pinion anyway).

to my mind, the safer bet is making the GV1200 drive case mate with a VS1400 swingarm...of which I have a second now, as this fine example showed up the day before we left for vacation.



most likely, I'm going to mount one of my 3.09 drives on the B-3 using that pretty red swingarm, and modify the one there now to fit the GV 1200 drive case.

ANYWAY... this vacation has been a significant test of how well the B-3 lives outside, and the verdict is, okay. there are several places where rust has appeared due to the last rainstorm (the car cover is permeable to water) and I'm going to have to have give those spots a scotchbrite/steel wool scrubbing and touch up.

also, I think I've figured something out regarding the detonation I can hear when the engine is at full temp, at half throttle around 3200-3500 rpm. Often, when the engine is up to full temp, it will resist cranking over on a hot restart, which says to me its sparking too early, and causing the piston to stop when it fires before TDC.

I'd been chasing that detonation issue thru jetting, but I also know that too much spark advance can cause detonation as well. I'm beginning to think that the combination of the Suzuki automotive ignition coils, and the upgrade to 896CC and over 10:1 compression, that perhaps I do need to retard the ignition timing a degree or two. unfortunately, the ignition plate is on with breakaway bolts, which I'll have to drill out, and that will have to wait until I'm back home.

about which, watching the weather, I may get that "driving in the rain" test I've thought about. since there is rain predicted for next Saturday.

I have to say, its really been a lot of fun having the thing with me on vaca.

_________________
The B-3 build log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=13941 unfortunately, all the pictures were lost in the massive server crash

The beginnings of the Jag Special,
https://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19012
Again, all pictures were lost.

well.

drove home from plum island Saturday morning, 82 highway miles at a steady-ish indicated 70 and 3200-3500 rpm (the tach needle bounces a bit, most likely from torsional issues in the 5-foot long tach cable) the CHT was generally lower than on the ride up averaging about 360-370 F on the gage, touching 400 a couple times, and getting all the way down to 350 for longish downhill stretches.

I attribute the lower CHT - a bit anyway - to installing spark plugs that were one heat range cooler than stock during the first week of vacation.

it lived outside successfully for two whole weeks! yeah it grew some rust on untreated steel here and there, and is dusty and dirty, mostly from the trips we took up and down the Parker River Refuge road (3.4 miles of which are dirt)...

...dirt road ahead, dust in the mirror...



...but it trucked on down the highway without any real drama. I don't know why I was so anxious. Drove it to work today (even though its going to be in the 90s temp-wise today and the next couple days) and it ran great like it always does.

I'm gonna leave it alone for a week or so, just drive it, then maybe get on with treating the rusty bits, and messing with the ignition timing and swing arm/final drive project.

I've also got a line on another XS850 I want to obtain as a spares bike, but haven't heard back from the owner as yet.

_________________
The B-3 build log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=13941 unfortunately, all the pictures were lost in the massive server crash

The beginnings of the Jag Special,
https://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19012
Again, all pictures were lost.

last night and $500 later, that line turned into a ratty old 1980 XS850 that I am now the owner of, got the title too, tho the dimwit owner signed it in the purchaser's space.

brought home two small-ish boxes of other spares, and two leather saddlebags that are gonna get thrown out, because they reek of cigarettes (drove the whole way home with the windows open so they didn't stink up my car).

will have to rent a truck to bring the bike home, after which its getting the disassembly and chopping treatment. the engine will be worked - over time, into another good XS896 like the one currently in the B-3, and the frame and headstock with VIN will be stored away for use as the basis for another B-3-ish proj.

_________________
The B-3 build log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=13941 unfortunately, all the pictures were lost in the massive server crash

The beginnings of the Jag Special,
https://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19012
Again, all pictures were lost.

So, last night on the way home from work, I noticed that the B-3 odometer had rolled over 7000 miles.

"Well, damn." thought I, "It actually would make it to the west coast and back."

_________________
The B-3 build log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=13941 unfortunately, all the pictures were lost in the massive server crash

The beginnings of the Jag Special,
https://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19012
Again, all pictures were lost.

Very impressive! So, now you have your vacation plans for next year, yes


--ccrunner

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Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com

maybe not next year, but a "Retirement Adventure" certainly. Two More Years! Two More Years!

_________________
The B-3 build log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=13941 unfortunately, all the pictures were lost in the massive server crash

The beginnings of the Jag Special,
https://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19012
Again, all pictures were lost.

..Oh, and a story from Vaca that I've forgotten to tell.

I got pulled over for the very first time.

early on the second week, I was out running an errand to the Tendercrop Farm store. Purchases complete, I pulled out of the parking lot and headed on down Rte 1a - not pushing it especially as there were cars in front of me - and then I notice a big SUV with blue lights flashing behind me. I thought it was on its way to some emergency or other but as I pulled over to let it by, it swung in behind me, lights all a-flicker.

Oh, Fark, I thought.

I unbuckled the belts and then just sat there, as the officer exited his vehicle and approached. Then while I pushed myself up out of the B-3 he said, "Nothing wrong sir, I just couldn't see your license plate in the glare from your fender...and I wanted to take a look at your vehicle."

After giving him The Short Story, I said "...and, you're the first Policeman to pull me over in the two years its been officially on the road."

He replied, chuckling, "Oh, I feel honored.

I said "Congrats!" and we shook hands.

After complimenting me on the build, we parted ways and I headed back to the cottage, told Pam the story and we both laughed about it.

_________________
The B-3 build log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=13941 unfortunately, all the pictures were lost in the massive server crash

The beginnings of the Jag Special,
https://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19012
Again, all pictures were lost.

so last Saturday this came home with me...



Parts Bike! A1980 Yamaha XS850, older than the bike that became the B-3, as this thing was mfged in 1979, and the data plate on mine shows a 1980 mfg date. its got some older xs850 details like the cooling scoop on the fwd cam cover (intended to ram cooling air down into the valley between the cams, was deleted on later models).

its in about the same shape as my original XS850 was when I got it way back in early '04 - an utter, non-running rat. it won't be resurrected to street runner status though, its getting disassembled and parted out. Bet part is I've got the title. So, the "Martian Buzz Bomb" proj has a titled donor

last night I finally got around to pulling the carb needles up a notch, and given the noticeable improvement in off-idle strength and throttle response, I wish I'd done it earlier. still doesn't jump out of the hole the way it did with the short gearing, but its much easier to pull away from stops with a little vigor. this morning's commute indicates I may very well have fixed the light crackle of detonation I'[ve been hearing at full temp and 1/2-3/4 throttle and 3K rpm.

after messing with the carbs I took it up to the CAP cruise night, and pulled in next to this really sweet Deuce coupe



notice the big rectangular tube behind the front axle spring? yup, saw that right away. its got a hand-built frame of 2x3 steel tube.
nice, fat 45-deg mitered corners at the front, and a metric crap-ton of Speedway motors front-end gear. trust me on this, I'm an expert.



of course I had to lay down beside it for inspection...



more nice work on the frame kickup, the ladder bars had a definite home-brew vibe as well. look, I know its not the truss-frame business most around here prefer, but I but I always gravitate to the hot rods, and if they've got a home-built chassis, well, hello kindred spirit! This car is as much a scratch build as mine, and the chassis certainly far stronger than any stock deuce rails, even boxed deuce rails.

the burly 2 in sq tranny mount.



it would not surprise me to find that all the tube in this frame is .125 wall, maybe even .188. never got a chance to talk to the owner. that hand built frame is why I parked next to it. we two had the only scratch built chassis in the parking lot.

not much else of note, except for this really pretty 1968 tri-power 427 corvette ragtop with factory side-pipes...



...a 1979 Honda 740 four in a aftermarket HD-ish custom frame (the owner had painted "Honda-Davidson" on the tank, which of course I LOVED, because heresy!)...



...and a Plymouth Prowler.



I really dig the Prowler, its really got a lot in common with the cars built hereabouts - pushrod operated coil-over front suspension, multi link fully independent rear suspension, radical engine setback, front engine, rear transaxle (that's pretty hip - Chrysler engineers took the Intrepid drivetrain and separated the tranny from the engine, put the engine up front, and the transaxle in the back. that's a gearhead move.). this car is from the second year of production when the engine became all aluminum. DOHC 3.5 Litre V-6, 270 hp or so. according to the owner, these things can be found for $30 K or so these days. sticker was $40K about. 11,000 were built over 5 years. in true hot rod fashion, the trunk has space for two beers and a pair of jeans.

Got close to 8 pm, and dark, so I bagged it for home.

Oh, and the B-3 Odo turned over 7000 miles last Friday. piling them on, I am.

_________________
The B-3 build log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=13941 unfortunately, all the pictures were lost in the massive server crash

The beginnings of the Jag Special,
https://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19012
Again, all pictures were lost.

Hmmm, Prowler... There are a lot of good points to the hood, grill area and windshield. That stuff might copy well onto my car. I'll have to get back onto Ebay and search for Prowler parts. Probably rare but you never know. The windshield looks like it has real possibilities.

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My car viewtopic.php?f=37&t=16434
1930s Style Sports Car viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16888

Y'know, you could probably get prowler replacement windshield glass new, though that leaves fabricating the frame.

I imagine there's been wrecks amongst the population, but since so few were made...never know though, can't hurt to search.

_________________
The B-3 build log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=13941 unfortunately, all the pictures were lost in the massive server crash

The beginnings of the Jag Special,
https://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19012
Again, all pictures were lost.

_________________
Marcus Barrow - Car9 an open design community supported sports car for home builders!
SketchUp collection for LocostUSA: "Dream it, Build it, Drive it!"
Car9 Roadster information - models, drawings, resources etc.

I am 99 44/100s sure the Prowler windshield was off another production vehicle. it's that last little bit I'm missing that would let me remember which car.

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mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.