New Race Program vs. Old Race Program

Finally put all my stuff together and got the 'new old' race program hooked up and took her to the track.

Pretty fun comparison shot. Wow! The Cayenne makes towing sooooooo much easier than the Wagoneer. The Waggy got the job done for sure, but it swayed and groaned around the road. Wagging more than Ulysses' dog.

I believe I've lost some of my grassroots cred with this setup, but the 901 looks great. I have more pride of ownership of it now. And being 1" lower, it handled easier(not faster though) than last year. But ease of driving means more consistent lap times and better tire wear.

Out of pocket additional expenses(those not covered by selling other cars and parts) to upgrade the tow car and paint the race car as well as get new tires and alignment and decals? Near as I can figure $1,000. No one is cheaper than a Connecticut Yankee.

The Plaid Waggy Is Gone.

My beloved Wagoneer has found a new owner in the north. From Colorado it is going to Michigan. It served me well for two years of snow driving and race car towing.

But I was feeling the pinch of too many cars. So I sold my 82 911 Targa to Germany about a month ago. And, just sold the Wagoneer on eBay. I was shocked at how enthusiastic the bidding was. There were 4 bidders over the $9,000 mark. Wow.

But, the transport guy who picked it up said he was moving a lot of Grand Wagoneers recently. I believe they are on the cusp of becoming expensive collectibles.

So, with the 911 and Wagoneer gone, I am on the hunt for a Cayenne. I guess it is the best there is at combining the two together.

I'm looking forward to it. The MK2 and racecar and family just have me too busy to mess around with so many needy beasts.

Grand Wagoneer Plaid Headliner

Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger are at a cocktail party right now bemoaning how their Hampton's or Nantucket beach vehicle lacks as much style as mine.

I could not be more pleased with how much this brightens up the interior of the Wagoneer. And when I pull into the pits this season, there will be some looks from the competition. They will think, 'if this guy has this much time and energy on hand to prep his tow vehicle, his race vehicle must be prepped beyond belief." That's right. Fabric can intimidate.

I want plaid headliners in all my vehicles now.

Headliner Restoration

The headliner of my Grand Wagoneer was as saggy as the cast of Cocoon. It was just a bit floppy in the back and I could abide by this. But when it started grazing against my head as I was perched on the delicious corduroy(the etymology for this word is cloth of kings) it got a bit bothersome. So, I decided to redo it.

First step was removing the two cardboardish panels. This was the work of five minutes and a phillips screwdriver to take down the visors and coat hooks.

Once out, before you put on any fabric, you need to clean off the old, deteriorating foam. This is an odd job. Some people suggest a wire wheel on a drill. I felt that was too aggressive. So, poking around the tool box I found the three-inch hand held floor scraper I last used when removing the old linoleum from my house. It did a peach of a job taking off the old foam but not damaging the fragile twenty year old cardboard.

The results? Well, I bought the fabric, the pattern will be a surprise, and was about to start the job when my wife stumbled upon me. She saw me throwing fabric and scissors around and suggested I pay a pro to do the job. I agreed. There was no way I was going to cover the 4 foot wide by 9 foot long roof without a wrinkle.

Ok. I pick up the pieces in a few days. All I can say is, yacht club on wheels.

The Things I Do So The Porsche Does Not Get Driven In Bad Weather

20 degrees. Dark. The heater blower motor went on the Jeep. It of course rolled over and went dead on a day in Denver when it was 8 below. No joke.

So, after waiting a couple of days for the part to get here I put it in. Of course, the wiring and squirrel cage alignment were not plug and play. But the end result of copious and silent heat was worth it. Frost bite on fingers is not permanent, right?

Grand Wagonner. A Woodie Tow Rig

I need a tow rig. But most of the vehicles up to the task in my sub -$3k budget were just so aesthetically unpleasing. So brutish. So mediocre. So blah. I could not bear to pick up a late 90s Explorer or mid-eighties F150. 

Many other options were small and ugly. Rodeo? Ranger? Blazer?

After looking around online I settled in on full size Bronco or a Grand Wagoneer. After looking at my first Grand Wagoneer I knew I had to have one. The plush interior. The solid Dana 44 axles. The big, hard-to-control-the-emissions 360. The wood paneling. OK, vinyl paneling. But it does look stylish. Growing up in Connecticut I would see these at the yacht clubs (where I worked) and on The Vineyard (where I day tripped).

Mine is an 87. 117,000 miles. All original. Lots of records. No rust. All it needs is an alignment and some floor mats. That's it. I spent 12 hours, it is a BIG car, cleaning the inside and outside. 

Leather cleaner and Lexol on the leather. Carpet cleaner on all the carpet. Outside, it got a wash, a polish with my buffer and then a final application of Klasse. I'm going for protection, not ultimate shine. 

Once it was all clean I hooked it up with my Harbor Freight tow bar and gave it a go. I couldn't even tell I was towing something. Fantastic.

First race is the 27th. A three hour enduro. Now I have something to tow a potentially damaged car home with. Knock on wood and all that though.