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Barnstormin': Cheaper Than Yours!

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  • Barnstormin': Cheaper Than Yours!


  • #2
    Re: Barnstormin': Cheaper Than Yours!

    Awesome reading Brian....You have got to love the first "fast" car that is yours....

    Seth
    200 mph or bust.......

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    • #3
      Re: Barnstormin': Cheaper Than Yours!

      sounds like fun but where's a pic of the Firebird?

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      • #4
        Re: Barnstormin': Cheaper Than Yours!

        Honest to God, the only record of the thing is some VHS tape my dad shot from the stands. High School kids aren't exactly the best at documenting stuff.

        Brian
        That which you manifest is before you.

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        • #5
          Re: Barnstormin': Cheaper Than Yours!

          that's too bad

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          • #6
            Re: Barnstormin': Cheaper Than Yours!

            Great read! I can relate to that.

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            • #7
              Re: Barnstormin': Cheaper Than Yours!

              Another great piece of writing, Brian. Thanks.

              I think that a lot of us here like to cheer for the underdog, and many of us have been there and done something similar to your Firebird. Although in my case it wasn't drag racing but autocrossing a '66 Opel Kadett.

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              • #8
                Re: Barnstormin': Cheaper Than Yours!

                I've never actually seen an Opel Kadett that was in normal trim. All the ones I have seen have been "gasser-ized" and even those have been few and far between.

                How was it as an auto-crosser?

                Brian
                That which you manifest is before you.

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                • #9
                  Re: Barnstormin': Cheaper Than Yours!

                  Great story. Sounds like those were some good times ;D.

                  I'd love to be able to hit the track on the weekends with a few buddies.

                  I've wanted to build a budget racer for the longest time but none of my gearhead buddies are ready to commit. At school we get to play "race car engineer" for the SAE student racing series but you work all year to run 3, 2, or maybe just 1 event. It's a blast, but we sure don't get to enjoy those cars enough.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Barnstormin': Cheaper Than Yours!

                    Thanks Brian, great read - I especially liked the Father Son bit, hope you keep it up.

                    Hardy Handshakes

                    DragWeek 07, 08, 09, 11, 12 & 2013 with 2nd place in DD

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                    • #11
                      Re: Barnstormin': Cheaper Than Yours!

                      Great story Brian, and an experience more kids today should have.

                      I've had several cars like that and I think I had more fun in them then most of my faster cars with good stuff.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Barnstormin': Cheaper Than Yours!

                        Originally posted by Brian Lohnes
                        I've never actually seen an Opel Kadett that was in normal trim. All the ones I have seen have been "gasser-ized" and even those have been few and far between.

                        How was it as an auto-crosser?

                        Brian
                        My Opel was a base model. I mean stripped stark naked! No nothin'! My car was not even the hatchback version, but sort of a notch back type of thing. Even back in the day you didn't see many like this. It was not the optimum auto cross car, but it was what I had at the time so I used it. The shift pattern was such that it was not impossible, as a matter of fact it was quite likely, that in downshifting into first you would hit reverse. Nope it never damaged the tranny and just kept on going. I was one of the only people in the area to autocross an Opel, but my guess is that the Rallye version or the GT would have been a great improvement.
                        Needless to say my performance improved greatly when I aquired a 1275cc Austin Healy Sprite. ;D

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                        • #13
                          Re: Barnstormin': Cheaper Than Yours!

                          Sprites are neat. Was it a bug eye?

                          I got to drive one (bug eye) several years ago in at an SCCA event. I think it was an H-Production car. The little thing was working like 14 mo-fos (as Keith would say) at all times. Definite proof that sometimes the fun factor is not directly proportional to the speed factor. I was able to physically count blades of grass next to the straight on the way by, but it was a car that felt more "racey" than just about anything else.

                          Joe, let's see the list of what you've owned and fooled around with because it's becoming more and more eclectic, and I LOVE it!

                          The Sprite
                          The Kadett
                          The Studes

                          what else?

                          Brian
                          That which you manifest is before you.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Barnstormin': Cheaper Than Yours!

                            Great article, Brian! If ever at all you could post the video that features the car, I'm sure all of us would love to see it!

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                            • #15
                              Re: Barnstormin': Cheaper Than Yours!

                              I may do the ol' gehtto taping off the tv with my little digi-cam and you tube it over my X-mas break.

                              Brian
                              That which you manifest is before you.

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