Thursday, July 25, 2024

NMS-South Appears in Lemons Race Video!

Screen Shot of The Dodgesons from the video

"The Dodgesons" screen shot
Here's the video on YouTube:  LEMONS AT CMP

Brian (AKA NMS-South) and his friends in the Bunch of Idiots racing team were in a recent Lemons race here in South Carolina, and the final video from the official 24 Hours of Lemons folks has hit YouTube.  To see these drivers and hear what they're up to, go to 8:00 minutes into the video and you'll see the hosts talking about the big purple Dodge, themed as "THE DODGESONS", and then the video goes to our friends "THE DIRTSUNS" in their Datsun 510! Just a crazy family reunion at the race you know!

Later, as the video lists the race prize winners, look closely, and you'll see that the footage is from inside the Coronet with NMS-South (Brian) driving! Hey, I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty cool! 

The Bunch of Idiots video screen shot

Besides the Bunch of Idiots, I think this video gives you a great idea of what Lemons racing is all about, which is mostly having fun with cars, and doing crazy stuff at the same time, all while being safe on track. Oh, but it's not ALL on the track, because the race here in South Carolina features a unique Friday Night Block Party in downtown Camden, and there's plenty of scenes from there also (like the photo above.) The video also includes a lot of quick references to the Dodgesons and Dirtsuns "Family" theme, as in from the Fast and Furious films, so that's kind of extra cool too. 

That's NMS-S (Brian) in-car camera for the video trophy section. 






Monday, July 22, 2024

Car Questions

You want people to know what you're driving!

I went to the Lake Wylie Cars and Coffee (new to me) recently, and enjoyed seeing some old, new, and in between cars. Since I'm in air conditioning class right now, I started looking at how the AC systems were set up on various cars, so that was some good experience. One thing that really stuck out was that old cars either with or without AC generally have a lot less pulleys and accessories attached to the serpentine belt. Some of them looked like there was the crankshaft, and a belt that only went to the alternator. 

Mustang

Anyway, in the midst of looking at AC stuff, I also noticed on an old Plymouth Valiant a brake master cylinder with only one brake line, so from my brake class this told me it was old enough (1960s) that back then some cars just had one brake line for all 4 wheels. The reason you can't make a car like that anymore is the safety requirement to have at least 2 brake lines. This comes in handy if you ever lose brake pressure or fluid, because with the one-line system to all 4 wheels you'd then lose brakes on ALL 4 wheels. Not good unless you apply the Fred Flintstone driving method.

Ford
Along the way, as I was looking at all the cool cars, I thought of a few questions, so I'll throw some of those questions with the appropriate photo below also. Thanks for reading. 

Classic Monte Carlo badge, who doesn't love that?

Chevy Bel Air. Why don't they make this again?

Charger with fake side ports. It still looks cool, huh?



Porsche, why do they call it a slant nose?

Plymouth Valiant Signet.  As Gunnery Sgt Hartmann in Full Metal Jacket said, "Are you royalty?" Signet has a nice ring to it. 

Here ya go, Plymouth Valiant with one brake line for all 4 wheels. The owner stated that sure enough he lost all his brakes one time on the Interstate. Cars are now required to have more than one brake line. 

Nissan GTR. These are great fast cars, but do you even know anyone that owns one?

This was a nice display on this Chevy. How do you like the yellow?

When was the last time you saw a car with timing marks on it?

SPOILER ALERT: Doesn't everyone want a new Corvette?

Corvette interior. 

Corvette tubeless rear tire, 345 width is a HUGE tire. How much does this tire cost? I looked it up and saw $446 for one rear tire. 

I have no questions on one of the coolest logos ever! Carry on!

2009 Porsche Cayman. You didn't think I'd leave out my own car did you?

Shelby Cobra. Should I have moved over 1 step, so that it looked like the snake was eating my head? Maybe next time. 

Plastic head cover. Am I the only one worried about this?

Mid-sixties engine bay. How do you like all that space in there?

Late model engine bay. Where'd all the room go?

Ford Oil Bath and StratoStar labels. Who doesn't need more labels on their car?

Ford Victoria. Don't you love having your name on your car? I'm not sure how many people named Victoria bought this car for that reason, but you never know!

I like a good vanity license plate. If enough people pay extra for them, don't you think the rest of us should get free ones?

Ford 5.0 liter Coyote engine. Not a bad name, but how about "Werewolves of London 5.0?"

Roush is another Ford performance company. This logo is OK, but I still like the Coyote more, how about you?


Friday, July 19, 2024

So, You Want to Buy a Racetrack?


Even if you spell it backwards, it's still a RACECAR!

If you're in the market for owning a racetrack of your very own, you've come to the right place! No, NMS is not selling one, but we've seen a few on the Internet that apparently are up for sale! All you need to become a racetrack owner is what scientists call "money!" I don't know about you, but there's just something fascinating about this, although for most of us, unless we hit the big lotto prize we won't be buying a track anytime soon. Shoot, if you were that rich, why not build your own track! OK, grab your wallet, and step right this way!

Another racecar!

First up, near Topeka Kansas, and smack dab in the middle of the USA, is Heartland Motorsports Park. This facility is part of a larger sale that includes land that can be developed into an industrial park too. I'm not sure if the local intent is to convert even the racetrack into warehouses and whatever you find in an industrial park, but buying a racetrack sounds like a good idea to me! Your mileage may vary! Check out this link for more info:

        HEARTLAND PARK AUCTION

Our favorite SC track, not for sale.

Next, up near Grand Rapids Michigan is Grattan Raceway.  This track has been a family business since about 1960, and the family is looking to sell. The track is still operating, includes various other facilities like a BMX track, in ground swimming pool, and etc. I don't know the current business model, but since it's farther north, I'd think that maybe if it snowed enough you could do cross-country skiing or snowmobiling in the winter. Why not buy it and give it a shot! Here's the link: 

        GRATTAN RACEWAY

Charlotte Motor Speedway, probably not for sale. Right next door to the big NASCAR oval is a dirt track, and the 4-wide Zmax Dragway. Oh, and they're building another track right next to this one. 

Finally, if those two tracks don't get your entrepreneurial motor racing, here's a website that lists a BUNCH of tracks, dragstrips, dirt tracks, kart facilities, and related properties for sale. From across the USA and including Canada, there's sure to be something on your shopping list! Shoot, check out the listing for Greyhound Park in Tuscon for some different racing! The Internet was made for stuff like this! Happy shopping!

        CAR PROPERTY DOT COM