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Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
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PostPosted: September 25, 2008, 12:42 am 
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Location: Oregon, usually
A heck of an entertaining competition is coming up, click http://escapefromberkeley.com for info. It's a science fiction themed time/distance rally for alternate fuel vehicles (",,,the year is 2020, petroleum is a controlled substance...") from Berkeley to Las Vegas. I'll be converting KAR 12K (my latest Kubota Locost) to straight veggie oil next week. Meanwhile, this week, we're painting it up in green and yellow a la Patric McGoohan's Lotus Seven in The Prisoner. Now all I have to do is find a black blazer with white piping, and I'm good to go.

It ought to be fun. If you're local, you should at least come to the sendoff party Saturday night.

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PostPosted: September 25, 2008, 8:23 am 
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Sounds like a hoot Jack. Post plenty of pics! What is this KAR you speak of? How does it differ from Max. (other than running on SVO) *edit*-Gotcha, I found the other post. :wink:

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Last edited by chetcpo on September 25, 2008, 11:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: September 25, 2008, 9:39 am 
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Excellent! Wish I was there... and good luck!

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PostPosted: September 26, 2008, 3:45 am 
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Entirely too cool, Jack!

-dave

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PostPosted: October 8, 2008, 7:52 pm 
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And we're off--leaving numerous unfilled obligations, such as. my 2007 income tax filing. But we're rolling toward Bekeley.

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PostPosted: October 8, 2008, 8:12 pm 
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whip em!!!


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PostPosted: October 14, 2008, 1:03 pm 
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Quote:
The Final Stretch to Vegas
0 Comments Published October 13th, 2008 in Uncategorized

kristiesflyerallgrownup.jpgAn interesting adventure had by all racers yesterday as we had to navigate around Tioga pass which had been temporarily closed (opening mid day yesterday, such is life). Some chose to go south over the 178 some chose to go north and try their luck with Ebbetts pass. At the end of the day we lost two more and had a surprise change in the ranks, with the Prisoners of Petroleum coming in First.

We followed the Neverwas crew with Judge Michael Michael North to go over one of the Northern passes. We even found Ol’ Beth, in Angels Camp to show Kristie’s Flyer what she could grow up to be some day. Going over Ebetts pass proved to be quite a challenge and Home School Heros and Kristie’s Flyer stayed the night in Lee Vining planning to catch up with us later today.

Vegas is our destination today. We will update with highlights from the awards cerimony.


Way to go Jack!

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PostPosted: October 15, 2008, 12:57 am 
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Thanks Chet. Yeah, woohoo! We won it. And came home with a check for five grand. Who would have thought that racing these things would be more lucrative than building parts for them. When I do get around to my income tax, I can list my profession as Race Car Driver.

It was a rally, of course, since the highway departments of both states forbid racing--or even speeding--in organized events on public roads, and this event was surprisingly high profile. My cell phone messages have a plethora of interview requests (one's a guy from the BBC, the rest are North America). We were told the target speed formula just before they dropped the flag: the speed limilt plus 10% for scavenging (that is, if the speed limit was 60 any the distance to the next checpoint was 60 miles, a perfect arrival time would be 1:06; an hour for the drive and 6 minutes for finding fuel. So in practice, yeah, this was a race. There was a truck there that could (and did) go 90 mph on the steep downhill straights and a Mercedes sedan that moved out all right, but there were a bunch of twisty mountain roads and man (he said humbly), we smoked the competition in the twisties.

I'm not home yet and I'll tell you more when I get back and get a chance. For now, I think the best coverage was the New York Times, which has a couple stories and a nice slide show on their web site. Here's some links.

This is their story today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/us/15 ... ref=slogin

This is the one that came out Sunday:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/us/13eco.html

And here are a couple of photos. The latter link is in a slide show of all the competitors (those that started, at least). It starts in the beginning since only a couple shots have locost content, but it's worth clicking through. A street legal flaming snail may be off topic, but hey, how often do you see them out here in the sticks:
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/ ... ready.html

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/1 ... ECO_8.html

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PostPosted: October 15, 2008, 1:36 am 
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woooo

congratulations jack and team!

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PostPosted: October 15, 2008, 8:41 am 
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Congrats Jack. How about a spec sheet, R&T style, with gearing, curb weight, accel, mpg, driving impressions, etc? Were you guys limited to no less than 4 wheels?


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PostPosted: October 15, 2008, 4:06 pm 
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You ROCK, Jack! :hail: :hail: :hail:

-dave

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PostPosted: October 15, 2008, 9:07 pm 
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Very Awesome

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PostPosted: October 15, 2008, 9:45 pm 
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70 mpg, man, imagine how good it could be in something streamlined!

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PostPosted: October 15, 2008, 9:45 pm 
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I love Jack's quote from the Sunday NY Times:
Quote:
“It’s extremely no-frills,” Mr. McCornack said of his car, which has no windows or doors. “It’s everything you always wanted in a sports car, and less.”

:lol:

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PostPosted: October 15, 2008, 10:52 pm 
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Awesome - congrats on the win. 8)


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