A 30 year journey, and a 2nd chance.

[Chuck Weissberg]

...... more than a few called me Lucky!

Ah, but you truly are LUCKY to have an understanding family, and so many racing friends willing to assist and help you, and the opportunity to re-engage old friendships made along the way....not all of us are blessed that way.....Great story

[Cglrcng]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Hey Gary, ya know I've been wanting to respond to your build for a while but I've been concerned about the possibility of me going blind reading your response.
I actually have a little bit of experience with the mid-80s 2.2s and, if it were me, I would go in one of these two directions;

#1. Leave the engine combo as it is, get your Holley system up and running and commit to running E with the car.
My reasoning being that (from my experiences) the 2.2 makes good torque for a smallish engine and it doesn't like to see RPM. AND the .95 that you get in index.

#2. (What I would do) Change it to a Holley carb and IMMEDIATELY contact Pat and show him that your '84 combo is EXACTLY like the same engine that is in a '85 Plymouth Turismo (again EXACTLY!!!). The only difference being '84 combo, 107HP and the '85 combo, 102. Specs, part #s and all. And run it in E.
If you decide to do this ^^^^^^ then do it right away before the NHRA crew leaves for the holidays and before the new HP revisions come out.

Oh and spend a little more time wrenching and a little less time typing! ;-)

I just got this advice Billy (I was actually too busy wrenching over the winter to even read my own build thread responses. I will try not to blind you), I took you up on advice #1, dropping the car off in Lake Havasu City, AZ in 7 days to finish up the Holley Term. X install, get it dyno tuned after the finish up of the software. Car has been tested at DF/S weight as is in Vegas but is currently
altitude finicky on the stock efi system and it was right on the index there at lower weight (and that can be restored to DF/S wt. In about an hr).

But, I am going to also follow the advice you listed in number 2, and then start collecting the parts if Pat makes the allowance to run the 84 Daytona as a carbed edition and agree that is very valuable advice if possible and the argument seems more than reasonable to me...and agree that I present it just as you stated it without adding a single word to your explanation. Brevity is key.

I know your experience & advice is solid and that I could use another option. It is worth more than just a try. And I really appreciate the info big my brother.

I know the 2.2/135 usually does not like the higher rpm range, but something we did in building this one really likes it (albeit with a different 1 off cam with a ton of overlap and duration, but it needs the brakes converted to full manual and converter loosened up, along with a much needed transaxle rebuild (next winter scheduled changes).

TY for the #2 option to try! It will be easier w/ the Holley up and running soon...and yes....I am very 🍀 lucky to get this late life do-over and am having a blast doing it. Even after a race weekend that started with a 3:00 AM wakeup Saturday and not hitting a pillow again until Monday at 2:00 AM.

Today I feel much older than 67 from wrenching all night Saturday night in the pits instead of the garage, but I will recover and be back at it again after resting another 2 days before I get back at it again...CV axles just do not magically reboot themselves.

[Cglrcng]

Originally Posted by J.R. Haddad

Gary, the advice you received in the post above is 3-4 Thousand Dollars
worth of advice for free. The years of experience that went into that advice
boggles the mind. If I can be so bold, TAKE THE ADVICE!! Do not reply with
pages of questions, just TAKE THE ADVICE. When you contact NHRA, do not be wordy or lengthy. In fact, show them Billy's post. They know he has done all the research, and it will save them time. You also had Robin Lawrence offer to help you, you now have two fantastic resources in your
corner. I would suggest when either one gives you information, I would
TAKE THE ADVICE. If you can follow this, you will end up with one very bad
Hot Rod.

J.R.

That is the plan now J.R. and that is exactly what I intend to do. I know exactly how valuable that free advice is, and I really appreciate it too. And how lucky I am to receive it.

[Cglrcng]

I just got back from a 38 day 5 week racing/campout adventure in the Great Pacific Northwest (Div. 6), 5 weeks of class/bracket racing (Woodburn 2 times, Pacific Raceways 2 times, and Bremerton 1/8th mile No Box Double, after going to Grand Junction, CO for a Div. 7 Nat. Open...Went rounds at all of them except the Nortwest Nats. Where again Jason Lamb stopped me first round in his Copo. (That result turned around 3 weeks later in Race 2 of a double there).

Long story short a ton of firsts and personal bests for both the car and I up in the great northwest and will list them later. But though it may not last very long (we shall see just how long), after 32 consecutive 1/4 mile passes under the vacant EF/S National Record I asked if they were able and willing to certify! National Stock record...and they told me go for it!

Record set, backed up, torndown,, passed and reset in 3 Q passes in Race 1 of the Seattle Double at 16.578@77.98mph...at least for now we own it.

Who knows what the future holds, the car is still in learn mode 1 on the Holley Term. X only manageing fuel, not timing, and all passes are in Drive.

The season resumes in div 7 next month with class racing at a double at Bakersfield@?$ ?@# And I am not touching it between now and then.

It was just rebuilt in a midnight to 9Am reassembly in the grassy wet pit area and it was 2 10ths quicker in Q3 than it was in Q1.

Good things come to patient hard working people it seems. I am stoked, there are more improvements planned this Winter but more racing yet this season. More to come!

[Cglrcng]

Tired of this window closing and losing the details. So, 2/10ths came from a timing belt that was slightly stretched 2 degrees after 764 race miles. The weighted timing belt tensioning factory tool was the cheapest 2/10ths I ever found. Note: re-tention belt with every oil/filter cg....not just every unscheduled record teardown. After Q3 I realized that was the prior issue as the deck ht check required me rolling the crank forward about 2 thou or 2 degrees and a remeasure once it was truly at TDC to get .003 deck ht. And the cam is dialed in at 3 degrees Adv. It was after re-tensioning the belt back at the correct spot.

[Cglrcng]

I actually nutted/retorqued the whole car last winter and ckd torque of that tensioner bolt (if it ain't broke do not fix it, just maintain it), I never thought to grab that tool, loosen the bolt, tap th?e weight twice downward and torque the bolt. I will often now!

[Cglrcng]

When you build it yourself, it is easy to remember your own successes, and find your own failures...and create new success stories. The correct tools help though.

[Cglrcng]

I struggled to even run the 1/8th mile high altitude index at Grand Junction (shortened due to high winds), still went rounds Sunday in the S/SS Combo and R.U. in non-elect. Bracket Sunday.

But,, I backed out (half way already in distance of drive miles), from going to the D-6 Double in Montana due to the prior struggles. Sry I missed that double now. Did get to meet the Track owner and his son and other from there in Seattle at a late night starting line party of sorts.

[Cglrcng]

Originally Posted by Chuck Weissberg

...... more than a few called me Lucky!

Ah, but you truly are LUCKY to have an understanding family, and so many racing friends willing to assist and help you, and the opportunity to re-engage old friendships made along the way....not all of us are blessed that way.....Great story

You are correct Chuck, my wife of 39 years this month is beyond supportive as is the rest of the family. In fact this late in life go around and 2nd chance was all her idea drummed up while I was watching an SRC video on New Years Eve 2020. She said let's do something with that barn find across the garage 20'
from where I was sitting when she asked me if I missed drag racing...my answer that day was every single day for 25 yrs. while the boys and her attended college and earned degrees. And so the comeback began within 2 days...the Rest of the Story is being written now.

And I am having the time of my life!

[Cglrcng]

Did I say time of my life yesterday?

Not part of the build thread per say, but for an older but not old guy who roughs it racing and camps out the old die harder way. This 2nd racing chance actually makes me feel younger and the only thing that could make this stuff better for a 68 yr. Old graying semi-self retired guy is maybe to be actually retired.

So, a single trip to my local (which today thanks to DOGE, is an all day trip to the heart of the State), trip to the SSA Office, and yesterday I officially retired back in February 2025! Well past retirement age so no reporting of income necessary at this point, just pay your taxes and live well. Med Part A now, Part B in Jan. 2026 SS straight into the racing account.

Life is good if you work hard enough at it for long enough. The key though at this point is to live long enough to enjoy some of it.

My own mother did not...As her executor I returned her 2nd SS check at the age of 65.5 to the SSA and that was why I waited so long (like 65 was a bad omen, but came to the realization that the good lord takes us us all when he is good and ready to), not when you want to wait to do so. And retirement does not figure into that decision.

Note to self: change that online tech card data from semi- to Retired so it is accurate. Whoohoo! No Golden Watch, but decent planning. Don't go crazy, bit go, go, go race as long as I am physically able to in the future.

Just 1 (or 2 steps I found out when I got home from the Northwest trip-which actually necessitated the trip to the SSA office), of a future home downsizing and moving as close as I can possibly get some land reasonably across the street from a longtime not closing anytime soon full long season racing dragstrip to call my new home track so I can drive out my driveway and into theirs and live out my final days in bliss. Still will travel and tow-and the family the track noise will not be bothered by, as when the noise is going on, we will be helping to make the noise 9/10 times!

Once I got home, after all the pics sent, and all the green seen (we now live in a quite brown desert), it was mentioned immediately that not only is my wife of 35 plus years ready to do that deed (cannot this year as school contracts are locked in and both High School and Community College Assoc. Prof. Years started already...until next MAY. But, that our 2 youngest grown boys are both beyond interested in doing the get outta Dodge thing with us as long as we downsize 2 homes and a business and upside on the other end and maybe even formulate a new business together...along with that shop out back I want and need.

The desert is a hot place to race, and makes slow even that much slower.