Slow and Steady

[Mr9146]

It's been said time and again that these cars are works in progress. You build 'em, take 'em apart and then build 'em again. It's a funny process, really, and I believe that EVERY person in this forum goes through it in one way or another with their 911. Some projects are big, and some projects are small, but the fact is that the journey NEVER ends - it's a slow and steady process of evolution.

When you start the journey you have a mental picture of the PERFECT 911 ... your perfect 911. Parts are bought and sold, ideas are accepted and rejected and slowly, steadily, the project takes shape. Sure, there are times when you step back and think to yourself, "Damn, that just didn't work." So you take it apart and do it again. Then there are times that you take a look and say, "Yup. It jus' don't get no better than that." And, if you're like Bob (nod and a wink to ya Tilton ), even your initial idea of perfection gets boring; so you tweek the idea a bit and end up with something equally as cool.

The reason I bring this up is because I've reached the boredom stage. It's been one year - almost to the day - since I finished my 911 and I'm just not happy. Over the past year I've made some changes, some more significant than others, but for the most part the overall package has remained the same. I refined the fuel injection - and subsequently ditched the ear-busting trumpets - updated the cooler (in the process of), raised and lowered the car about a hundred times, changed my window cranks, and added about 5,000 miles to the odometer. But, like I said, I'm just plain bored ... which is why I took the motor and trans out this morning and re-geared the tranny.

Yup, that's right, I re-geared the trans on a whim. I recently came into posession of the most worn out RSR gearbox left on planet Earth. It's an old hill climb trans with some really wild ratios ... I figure living at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains almost requires me to have these ratios in my car. Here's the box (numbers, not letters)

Ring and Pinion --> 7:31
1) 15:36
2) 20:32
3) 23:29
4) 25:26
5) 38:30

Basically, 3rd is a stock ratio (SN, if I recall correctly). 1st and 2nd have been brought up and 4th has been brought down ... I used a long 5th for highway duty. The box had a different 5th but I don't have the tooth count with me at home.

I figure this'll give my car the wake-up call that I'm looking for and help re-ignite the love affair. Well, that and the coming of Spring. So as I look at my motor sitting on the engine stand I think about the processes we go through with these cars. Even now, 30+ years on, the cars are still evolving; we build 'em up and tear 'em apart just so we can build 'em right back up again. I think, while I'm in there...

Cheers, gentlemen.

[bob tilton]

It's been said time and again that these cars are works in progress. You build 'em, take 'em apart and then build 'em again. It's a funny process, really, and I believe that EVERY person in this forum goes through it in one way or another with their 911. Some projects are big, and some projects are small, but the fact is that the journey NEVER ends - it's a slow and steady process of evolution.

This is perfectly acceptable behavior and is officially called MAD (modification attention disorder) or the MADonna syndrome. It happens to people who don't like being told what to do by the Man or the Factory. Plus look at it this way - it's cheaper than building a second car.

My name is Bob and I have MAD (says the man who keeps staring at the hoodlamps on the shelf and has thoughts of adding color).

[bob tilton]

Double post due to MAD.

[Paul Schooley]

Tsk, tsk, tsk....what can I say? Oh never mind, time to go crawl back under my 911 and complete the winter projects.