What's new
By:
Filters

Going Solo - an X3 to race

Dethmachinefab said:
That's rad. I didn't know about that place. What kind of classes do they run? I've got a 2wd motorcycle powered buggy going together that would be cool to race if it fit in a class.
Click to expand...


Buggies are covered towards the end, there's likely something there that could fit your rig. (you will want reverse though) Lots of guys in 1600cc VW based stuff, onwards to Ecotec and Subaru powered buggies.

Always a good time when someone chucks a busted magnesium VW block in their campfire and creates a small sun :grinpimp:
 
Dethmachinefab said:
That's rad. I didn't know about that place. What kind of classes do they run? I've got a 2wd motorcycle powered buggy going together that would be cool to race if it fit in a class.
Click to expand...
It’s mostly on FB these days. Their site went down a few years ago. Known as LM4W if your searching the net for info.

When I started racing Line you would see people welding chicken wire around the window openings that they took the glass out of - redneck window net! chain and combination lock holding the doors shut - positive locking mechanism. I think there is still a 4 door explorer they race with 4 people in it, it looks like a blast.

Everyone who races there leaves with so many stories...

I watched a jeep go buy and leave its oil pan on a rock that was sticking up, they had no clue and kept racing. About a 1/4 mile later I found them with the hood up looking down in the engine bay very confused. They were looking at the wrong side of the engine for the issue :lmao:

I was there years ago when Blyler showed up with Miller chassis #2 for its shake down race. He blew the field away.
 
Poke said:
I think there is still a 4 door explorer they race with 4 people in it, it looks like a blast.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's still there, as far as I know. It's got a pretty rowdy V8 in it. Their pit stops look like chinese fire drills as everyone rotates to get a driving chance.

Don't forget about the dude with plywood sides, he's still running as well :laughing:

Poke said:
I was there years ago when Blyler showed up with Miller chassis #2 for its shake down race. He blew the field away.
Click to expand...

Both Blylers used to run these oddball homebuilt cars with trailing arm fronts (links coming back off the front bumper) and chain/sprocket drive for the front driveshaft instead of a t-case. And 9/10 times they'd still kill everyone. The Miller hardware doesn't hurt but those boys can drive with the best of them in just about anything.
 
Dethmachinefab said:
That's rad. I didn't know about that place. What kind of classes do they run? I've got a 2wd motorcycle powered buggy going together that would be cool to race if it fit in a class.
Click to expand...
I've co driven in a 1300cc Hayabusa buggy for the line mountain race at AAOA. It's just a tad bigger than yours. We got put into the buggy class. Competitive? No. Fun? Yes! The real buggies that run line mountain are pretty big.

It is a big unnerving when the big boys lap you. They are loud and big inside a tiny car.

1619806886851.png
 
TiTRD said:
I've co driven in a 1300cc Hayabusa buggy for the line mountain race at AAOA. It's just a tad bigger than yours. We got put into the buggy class. Competitive? No. Fun? Yes! The real buggies that run line mountain are pretty big.

It is a big unnerving when the big boys lap you. They are loud and big inside a tiny car.

1619806886851.png
Click to expand...
Awesome, it's definitely something I'd like to do one day. Any build thread for the buggy?
 
Dethmachinefab said:
Awesome, it's definitely something I'd like to do one day. Any build thread for the buggy?
Click to expand...
No build thread. It was built out west with an R1 motor in it some years ago. My buddy found it in Maine all Mained up with a 1300 and single seater. He spent quite a while unfucking it into what you see above. He's got a set of slicks for it to race Vermont hill climbs. It also raced the Mint in 2017. The thing is a blast.
 
Fun Saturday morning and the further I get away from it the better I feel.

Line Mountain course are tough, normally a 30-40% attrition rate. I finished 10th out of 29 people. Only 15 of us were on the lead lap. I was 9 minuets off the leader over 28 miles so 3.1 mph slower on average. This is the first time I have ever finished a LM race on the lead lap and only the second time I finished at all. Top speed was only 52mph with a 22 mph average.

A half mile in I knew we were not competitive. I had too much body roll. The co-dog and I agreed that we just needed to be smooth and put the miles down. Pushing the car like it was would have resulted in a roll and its all trees to hit. It was a pogo in the rocks and the back was kicking up off jumps. We had a suspension issue and needed to respect it.

Other than that it was uneventful. I beat my 4400 cars lap times in the X3. Pretty proud I built a car that could handle line mountain and with some adjustments it will be competitive. Both my 4400 cars never handled this place well and broke every time.

Broken or missing...

- At the end we had rear steer :lmao:, one hub bolt wallowed out and the rear tire was shaking back at forth over an inch!! :eek: We could feel it but weren't stopping.
-My siren ripped off the car, its gone
-My hood is gone, MIA
- I hit a rock and bent/broke the welds on my CT raceworx race bumper
-the front skid place is gone... who knows where, the bolts are sheered.
-The chassis is bent up a 1/4"... the only place I left the factory gussets and didn't put my own in.
-The front chassis is all dented tubing where the skid was missing.

So, I guess that's not too bad. I am going to send the shocks out and order tire balls before the next race. I need some parts in the mail asap.
 
 
 
 
Are flats a pretty common issue on the SXS’s at LM? Congrats on the solid finish!
 
JR4X said:
Are flats a pretty common issue on the SXS’s at LM? Congrats on the solid finish!
Click to expand...
Yes. I did not have tire balls in so I was babying them. I’ve broken 4 knuckles at line sliding into trees. I had a 92” wide car and in one place had to wedge between trees.
 
I still all in on chasing podium and that set up was not enough.

the x3 is stripped.

-I dropped a load off at powdercoat
-I’ve ordered tireballs
-I sent the shocks out to a racing shop in Ky that is supposed to be one of the best. Internal Machine work, revalve, springs.

a friend came over and we weighted it, full race trim with the co-driver and I in it. She’s heavy.


8C5F0312-59F9-4BDF-ABE0-6276A96F4CFA.jpeg
FCE42427-FD7E-4012-BF86-9E22F74F4BD5.jpeg
93340F6F-72B4-425A-930D-CD85005B2900.jpeg
 
So after the last race I went all in on fixing the known issues. I did not build this car to accept 10th.

The shocks were sent out to an east coast SxS race shop. revalve, internal machine work, and respring based on the weights.

I ordered and installed tire balls in the last few days. The first tires sucked but then I got the knack.

I have a new front skid and a siren to replace the things that ripped off in the first race.

all the sheetmetal is at powder coat.

I race in 9 days and need to relearn the new shocks. The shocks showed up just now, I’ve got work to do
 
I don’t miss doing tire balls but I miss having them. (U4 banned them).

you tree racers are crazy!
 
JR4X said:
I don’t miss doing tire balls but I miss having them. (U4 banned them).

you tree racers are crazy!
Click to expand...
Yeah, they sucked at first. Just time consuming when you get the process down.

I’ve hurt myself and wrecked a few cars on them. They don’t move. They have never bothered me, I don’t think about them much.
 
My x3 is the same weight as the KOH style cars. 2000-2100 I was told. But I’m heavy for an east coast car by a few hundred lbs. looking at it, I could see dropping a bit of weight but not 200lbs
 
Canam’s are the heavier of the SXS’s and yours weighs nearly the same as mine. I think I posted pictures of mine on the scales in my thread. I cary a spare tire jack electric impact recovery strap 2 extra belts and tools to change it. Mines 2074 race ready without me and the co-driver in it. 2549 with both of us suited up leaving the starting line.
 
Last edited:
Poke said:
My x3 is the same weight as the KOH style cars. 2000-2100 I was told. But I’m heavy for an east coast car by a few hundred lbs. looking at it, I could see dropping a bit of weight but not 200lbs
Click to expand...

I would Lose the tire balls, co driver, and skip the powder coating. That stuff all adds up to a bunch of weight. Or if your going to run the tire balls lose the spare and co driver.
 
Poke said:
My x3 is the same weight as the KOH style cars. 2000-2100 I was told. But I’m heavy for an east coast car by a few hundred lbs. looking at it, I could see dropping a bit of weight but not 200lbs
Click to expand...

Thats a big difference for a bullet proof type rig, what is so diffrent about the east coast rigs?
 
Austin said:
Thats a big difference for a bullet proof type rig, what is so diffrent about the east coast rigs?
Click to expand...
I don’t know but I’ll be all over the other cars next sat to see. My best guess is that they are not as well protected and gusseted as I am.
 
SLOWPOKE693 said:
What does the guy running out front do?
Click to expand...
I believe your reading about that now(or I hope) My suspension was wrong and I had to baby the tires last race. Those issues are gone now. I ran with them for a bit but didn’t have the stability and they ignored the pointy rocks I was steering around
 
JR4X said:
Canam’s are the heavier of the SXS’s and yours weighs nearly the same as mine. I think I posted pictures of mine on the scales in my thread. I cary a spare tire jack electric impact recovery strap 2 extra belts and tools to change it. Mines 2074 race ready without me and the co-driver in it. 2549 with both of us suited up leaving the starting line.
Click to expand...
So like for like I’m lighter than you? Being in a can am?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh