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For me the driver's compartment is much more comfortable with the seat's bottom cushion. I will admit the steering wheel feels weird being at a 90 degree angle to the floor, but if it doesn't work out in test runs it can easily be changed to something else now.

Yesterday at Chris' he welded up the modifications to the Flyer's steering assembly. The mods were made to tighten up the play in the steering shaft, and to allow the fitment of a standard round steering wheel. Thanks Chris for all the work you put in aon these parts!

Today I re-installed the modified steering assembly and reconnected the steering cable. I had added two additional steering pulleys wich greatly reduced the effort rquired to turn the wheels. I also added threaded turnbuckles attached to the front axle with carabiners also in an attempt to eliminate looseness in the steering system. Lastly I installed spring loaded idler pulleys to take up the slop when steering direction is reversed. Static testing of the steering showed it to be easier to turn the wheels, and the slack that was once present between the pulleys and steering shaft when direction was reversed is now nonexistant.

After I finished up the steering I rewired the horns to the new rear battery location. I relocated the on/off toggle switch to a position on the floorboard just ahead of the seat cushion. I mounted the horn button on the left side of the cockpit at approximately arm level with my hands on the steering wheel. Mounted there I can activate the horns with my forearm without taking my hands off the steering wheel.

Next it was time to put her on the scales. My total weight estimate from the previous addition of cement and lead was 274.5 lbs. I figure the scales to be about + - 5 lbs. The scales showed the Flyer to now be 176 lbs. front, and 98 lbs. rear, for a total weight of 274. With the prior weight of the car measured at 225 lbs. that is a net gain of almost 50 lbs. The original weight bias was 60% front to 40% rear. At 274 the bias is now 64% front to 35% rear. I figure if I add the final 23 to 26 lbs. right behind the seat the bias should end up around 59% front to 41% rear at 300 lbs total weight.

So all in all I feel I have accomplished my goals for the Flyer. I completed the work to tighten up the steering and make it more sensitive to input. I installed the additional rear brake system. I increased the overall weight of the car without upsetting the original front to rear weight bias. And I even made the car a little more comfortable (well at least for me!).  Next up is a couple quick test runs, after which the Flyer goes back up to Dennis Hart's shop for bodywork and paint.

I think you're pretty close to right on that Rico!

I weighed, checked and double checked. If anything I am a little light of where I want to be. I've weighed everything I've removed, re-located, and added and this puts the front end about 10 lbs. heavier than it originally was in relationship to the rear of the car. With my total weight estimate at 274.5 lbs. there should be about 25 lbs. left to add wherever needed to balance it out at around 60% front, 40% rear. Oh, and I still have PLENTY of lead!!!

Took some time out today from packing to get a little more work done on the Flyer. Time to work on adding some ballast. My intent is to get the Flyer up to the maximum allowed weight of 300 lbs. However I do not want to alter its original weight bias front to rear which was approximately 59.5% front to 40% rear at 225 lbs. total weight.

After removing the rock ballast of 14.5 lbs. and moving the 15.5 lb. battery to the rear of the car I was down 30 lbs. on the nose. I replaced that weight with 57 lbs. of ballast in the way of lead and concrete. The extra 27 lbs. over the weight of the rock ballast and the battery will offset the weight of the battery being moved to the rear of the car (in theory anyway).

So as of today the car's total weight is roughly 274.5 lbs. with a bias of approximately 55% front to 40% rear. Before addind anymore weight I will re-weigh the car using the Official Scuderia Kouba Worx Scales! Stay tuned, we're getting close to done!

This is what 48 lbs. of car lead wheel weights look like sitting in the nose of the Flyer!

Thanks Smooth.

Just for fun, and a little insight to all you NASTE guys in case I should perish before all is moved and done, as I have packed stuff into boxes I have tried to put at least some slot cars in every box. I figured when it comes time to unpack it will make it a lot more enjoyable to find slot cars or something slot car related in every box. So a little insight for my friends, if something happens to me before I get a chance to unpack all this stuff a $100 per box to my widow would be fair to both of you! But please keep an eye on her as I have over 100 boxes of slot car stuff!!!!

I also took time to install a couple foot rests. Having the heals of my feet sitting atop the center pivot front axle was a little unsettling for me. Now I can rest my heals on these nifty little brackets I bolted to the bulkhead. One of the ideas in Dennis' original design was in the case of catastophic steering failure the driver could guide the front axle and direction of the car with his feet until he could get the car stopped. With the foot rests mounted in this manner that emergency action is still possible, although I'd rather not have to find out if it works!

I also moved the front brake pedal over about 1 inch for more clearance from the left side foot rest.

This morning I acquired roughly 400 pounds of lead in the form of used car wheel weights to use as ballast in the gravity cars!

A special thanks goes out to Nolan's Point S Tire & Auto Service in Gresham!

http://www.pointstire.com/nolans

I am so lucky to have a good friend like Chris Kouba who allows me to use his shop where I am totally spoiled having every power machine and tool (except for a freaking VISE!) available to me to build cool stuff! Thank you Chris!

I had almost forgotten you can actually make metal parts without the use of power tools!......And then I remembered, why would you?

Case in point - Mounting bracket fabbed at my place for the Flyer's hand lever operated rear brake:   

This is the completed installation of the battery in its new rear location:

With help from Beau and Rico we successfully completed the registration process of all 3 gravity cars this morning. Our 500 A.M. arrival time put us in the number 9, 10, and 11 spots in line. The car/team numbers are drawn randomly and for a three car team we did very well. The Scuderia Kouba MKI will be car # 2, the MKII will be # 21, and the Hawsbill Flyer will be car # 12. Pretty cool draws huh?!

After registration we went out to The Stagecoach for breakfast and some bench racing. Then we came out to my place to do some work on the Flyer. Again with Beau and Rico's help we were able to get the installation of the rear brake completed and relocate the battery to the rear of the car just ahead of the rear axle.

I'd like to thank Beau and Rico for all the help today!!!

I like the idea Doc, but I am up to my eyeballs in MESS! I just don't think I can pull it off. I have 12 days to finish packing up my crap in my upstairs mess-o-leum, and the stuff in my garage which includes TooBad Motorplex!

Sorry guys.......

========Bill