Steve,

 

Your radios worked great. The cables that you sent put us in perfect communication with Harry in the chase truck.

 

Thank you for your support.

 

The BeerSter Boys

 

 

I just got back from babysitting my grandchildren, Justin (2) and Taylor (4). I'm not sure which is worse, going through the desert in 110 degree temperatures in the BeerSter on Test No. 3 or the Kids. The BeerSter doesn't have anything against me and does not plot and plan to get Papa. The kids, however, like a pack of wolves, have figured out how to surround there Grandpa and attack to their advantage. There is, however, one advantage to the kids. I can spank their buts and they re-act in a very positive manor. The BeerSter, however, if it wants to miss behaved, I just have to stand there and scratch my head. Thank God for PeeWee being of a cooler mind.

 

Test No. 3 started at my house in Hemet. The test began with PeeWee driving and me navigating and our crewman, and alternate navigator "Harry Klaus" driving the chase trailer and van. The trip was perfect. It was a hot day in the desert and the trucks were out in force to block our every effort to get down the road smoothly. We were more that half way there and 1 mile from the Chiriaco summit when "POW" the radiator hose blew. Green stuff all over PeeWee and me and it also douched the chase vehicle. Immediately the coil loaded up with fluid and the BeerSter stopped running. It looked as if the radiator hose was not tightened enough and or the pump housing was missing some lip for the hose to grab onto. Well we were prepared and we were on our way in about 30 minutes.

 

We left my home at about noon and got to PeeWee's nephew's home Darrell at Hidden Lake about 5:00 PM.

 

I have to personally thank Darryl and his wife Brenda and Pee Wee's daughter Nicole for their hospitality. We had steak for dinner and the best potatoes I've ever had. The next morning we left early to beat the heat. We arrived at my house before noon. What a trip.

 

Again we learned allot, especially about ourselves and how we could cope in the heat. The car did fine; however, tuning is still an issue on the Windfield's. We averaged about 10 miles per gallon. We were wishing for more like 15, but, for this kind of test 10 was acceptable. The car did well; we did well and we're ready for the next test "Altitude"

 

 

Well if you read the first test to Laguna you know that we learned allot. We planned on having our next test to the Beverly Hills Car show, sponsored by Beverly Hills Mercedes (BHM) Dealer and special friend "Vinnie Manzak".

 

One week before our test, PeeWee took the car down to the Long Beach Grand Prix track, waved to a security guy, and proceeded to run the BeerSter on the Course. The car did fine and PeeWee took it home, again with a plethora of camera cell phones documenting the excursion.

 

When PeeWee got back to his house he noticed a knock in the engine. He wasn't sure of the origin, but it was distinct. He asked Tina (the better half of the Thomas family) to take a listen. She wasn't sure what she heard? Pee Wee called me up and said we have a knock!

 

O'h Sh-t. That's a show stopper.

 

I drove up from Hemet on the Saturday before the BHM show, expecting to spend the day pulling the engine and making it ready to go back to L&R Automotive for a rebuild. I called Larkin at L&R and said Larkin this is Larkin, we may have to do a short turn around on the Buick you built for us. He said bring it down, max would be one week and a half.

 

Whew, that would be great if he could get it back to us in that short of time. I felt a little relieved, but, not looking forward to all the work involved and the extra expense.

 

The day before, PeeWee bought on of those stethoscopes for engine diagnosis. When I got there on Saturday morning we hooked it up and ran the engine over and over again. NO KNOCK!

 

I turned out to be a detonation problem with to much of a rich mixture in the Windfield carbs.

 

As our good friend Pete Brown and long time HILLTOPPER would say "Sh-t Howdy" what a relief. 

 

You can say that again Pete!

 

Pee Wee and I quickly concluded that we could make Vinny"s car show. We got directions and off we went Sunday morning. What a Gas!!

 

The show was spectacular and the people really like the car. Especially a young Oriental gal that came over and did a special pose with PeeWee and I. She had someone take the picture with her camera. I would have attached it, but, she has not sent it to us. The only shot I had was one that PeeWee tool with our new found friend Baron Margo. What an interesting and talented guy. Check he and his bike out with a picture of my future wife, (Just Kidding) Check out Baron's web (http//baronmargo.com)