Betsy the B2300- Bluej's Build

Drag goals: 14.99 w/out soiling the track cus boom.

Edit: a bpu miata is exactly the benchmark for Betsy this year. What do na8's run?

Edit2: looks like high 15's

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

What if we just put a big button on top of the dash so I have to take my hand off the shifter to use it?  Guarantees the truck gets a moment to settle out before I can hit it again 

I like this.  Especially the visual of "shift and then slap the huge 'easybutton' on the dash until the next shift"

RedGT said:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

What if we just put a big button on top of the dash so I have to take my hand off the shifter to use it?  Guarantees the truck gets a moment to settle out before I can hit it again 

I like this.  Especially the visual of "shift and then slap the huge 'easybutton' on the dash until the next shift"

that seems... not the safest option, hah.

Good news is I tested the fuel solenoid again last night, but this time feeding the inlet side, and no leaks.

It also occured to me that my companies ny office has a bunch of people in it that could help me learn how to program an arduino quickly to do the nitrous control. I'm liking this option..

Taking care of some little cosmetic stuff- half a can of plastidip for the window trim:

And a can of hammered finish rustoleum for the bumpers:

Needs a good cleaning but is looking pretty good for a $350 truck.

saweeet! 

In case anyone doubts the validity of the "free from the side of the road" seats, here's the brand new towel I used to wipe upholstery cleaner off of them:

If thise seats were black, id be trying to get you to bring a drivers side with you so i could take tje flofits back homewith me from the challenge....

Dusterbd13-michael said:

If thise seats were black, id be trying to get you to bring a drivers side with you so i could take tje flofits back homewith me from the challenge....

No way, these are staying w/ Betsy. They're way better than the exploder seats I yanked from the yard.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

Taking care of some little cosmetic stuff- half a can of plastidip for the window trim:

And a can of hammered finish rustoleum for the bumpers:

 

Needs a good cleaning but is looking pretty good for a $350 truck.

Happy to see you did the window trim. I was gonna be annoyed if you didn't have time to :)

Also, watching this thread is making me occasionally look at 80s pickups rather than short-wheelbase 80s SUVs for my next project.......

irish44j said:

Also, watching this thread is making me occasionally look at 80s pickups rather than short-wheelbase 80s SUVs for my next project.......

Ditto

I just want everyone to know that Josh is sending me a nitrous kit he bought on eBay, for me to install on his truck, with less than 10 days to go before I drive it 1000 miles to go compete on his behalf.  He must have more faith in my skills than I do 

Ok, this looks.. involved.  And upon closer inspection the previous owner of this nitrous stuff was at a "pipe tape on AN fittings" level of knowledge.

Did some wiring first, tucking a relay up near the battery and installing the WOT switch, a purge switch, a steering wheel button, and a master arm switch from a pile of random automation equipment I have from my previous employer.  The whole deal is also wired to the ground on the factory clutch switch such that it should shut off when I shift, even with the throttle pinned.

Then, plumbing.  The solenoids need to live somewhere and this big intake chamber was in the way:

So I removed it and made a combination plug and nitrous nozzle adapter out of a PVC cap:

It's all a little bit of a disaster:

I also made the mistake of cranking the wheel back and forth to check that the steering wheel button wires have enough slack and it pumped power steering fluid everywhere.

The current big issue is fuel- the initial plan was to use these adapter things, but they don't actually fit the dumb fuel line clippy:

Then I tried to find a way to adapt to the threads for the Schrader valve at the end of the fuel rail, but after removing the valve, dropping it into a spot behind the intake which is apparently made of knives (ow), and retrieving it from said plastic knife hell, I can't find anything locally that has a small enough pipe thread.  And these fuel lines are weird plasticy things that I'm not sure I can tee into.  Hmm.

If I solve that I only need to do a bunch more wiring, make a bottle mount, and rig up a wideband.  Also pack for a 2000 mile round trip.

Is the schrader valve port a standard -4an?  All my gm stuff is as well as the mercedes, i think it's relatively standard.  Short -4 line from rail to fuel solenoid after pulling the valve core = fuel supplied.  Feel free to text me if you need help (330) two four two 07sevenone

IDK what your travel plans are, but if you want to stopover here in DC and can't stay at Josh's for one reason or another, you're welcome to crash at my place and head out early, or late, or whatever. 

Unless Ford has changed things, the Schrader port in the rail should be 1/16" NPT

In reply to Patrick :

Unfortunately it's a regular bicycle sized one,  and is 1/16npt when unscrewed.  Thanks though!

So you need a 1/16npt female fitting to adapt to a -3 or -4an male to send fuel to the solenoid.  I can check my fittings.  We should be able to make it work somehow.  I think i have a 1/16 npt tap too if something needs made.  

Alright, so technically this AN adapter and a line to go from it to the fuel solenoid are all I need, but I'm Bob Costasing out on the nitrous anyway.  Why?  I'm not convinced this engine arrangement will survive nitrous in the first place- it's the wrong ECU, has some sort of intake manifold adapter, on a plastic manifold, occasionally sputters at low RPM, always sputters when tipping into the throttle, and burns some oil.

I've already lost most of a day to this and now it's got me awake at 4am when I really didn't want to be- I think this idea has gone from "LOL Roadkill" stupid to actually stupid.

You don't want to try and spray down to a 17.2?

In reply to Patrick :

And then oil down the track 1000mi from home trying to reach for 16s with no trailer?  Not particularly 

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Plenty of PA people coming to ride back with...

Sometimes Betsy just fights ya. She must have known it was a bad idea.

Must be opposite day- I usually modify stuff and get it dirty but I'm removing mods and cleaning instead.  Shiny!

Fun fact: a c5 wheel nests almost perfectly inside of an i3 wheel, and a meinl cymbal bag makes a great anti-scuff feature for the front of a nicely painted 20" wheel:

I'm really hoping the tarp doesn't make this look too "rolling probable cause" once I've got it all wrapped up and bungied down, because I really won't want to unwrap it more than once.