Dave, List,
At 07:42 PM 2/5/99 -0800, Dave Lum wrote:
>How many are on this list and how about some bio's? Or did I miss them
already? You guys already know about me somewhat. Next?
I'll try not to bore everyone with this, but sitting around with my foot
in the air after surgery I have nothing else to do. I'll try to keep it
entertaining, but since my whole life revolves around machines...
I'll be 38 next month, grew up on a small farm in rural Michigan
surrounded by mechanical oddities. My Father is a Computer Tool Design
Engineer, and self taught machinist. He would drag my brother and I all
over the Midwest to antique tractor shows and steam thresher meets when we
were little, and always had either an engine under construction (from rough
castings) or restoration. This early exposure to steam, hot air and early
gasoline and diesel engines set the stage for my continued fascination with
all things mechanical.
After filling the barn with discarded outboard motors and other small
engines (many of which are collectable today) throughout High School, I made
the decision at 18 to join the U.S. Marine Corps. I had become fond of
antique and military firearms when I first began hunting and had become
quite a target shooter with a variety of front loading long rifles. I was a
recruiters dream, walking in and asking how many years I could sign up for.
For some reason my mechaninical skills test scores were unusually high, and
after a glance at what gunsmithing jobs might be available in the Corps I
opted for the "Z-4, Mechanical/Electrical" program. While on the delayed
entry program prior to Boot Camp I spent the summer testing the off-road
potential of a '68 Pontiac LeMans, four wheeling through the Michigan
backwoods in a '63 Jeep Wagoneer, and spent a month on a bicycle, touring
the State.
Nobody ever clued me in that I wasn't supposed to have "FUN' at Marine
Corps Boot Camp, so I had a great time. What could be better? Trucks, guns
and travel! I was living my childhood dream of being a "World traveling
bum." Other than being the guy with the highest rifle range score in the
recruit series I wasn't really a stand-out as a recruit. I didn't run very
fast, unless someone was chasing me, and although I had the mechanics of
swimming down pat, I lacked boyancy. (swam ilke a brick.)
Follow-on training after Boot Camp brought me to Camp Johnson, NC. I was
trained as a basic Motor Transport Mechanic, and graduating first in that
course, went on to the U.S. Army Automotive and Ordnance proving Grounds at
Aberdeen, MD. There I was "trained" (somehow, the Army school failed to
live up to my expectations.) in Fuel & Electrical System Component Repair.
If the Marine Corps had a component with a wire or fuel line, and it wasn't
off an aircraft, it was mine to fix. Straight from school I was ordered to
Quantico, VA. where they had no clue what to do with me. I bounced from a
job as Assistant Harbor Master (!) to a fiberglass canoe repair shop at a
camp ground! I didn't even wear a uniform that first summer! When I heard
they were looking for volunteers at the Rifle Range I raised my hand and was
snatched up in a minute. I was on the line teaching young Lieutenents how
to shoot rifles, pistols & shotguns for about 6 months when I was finally
discovered and ordered to Okinawa, Japan.
Finally I was working in a shop! 1790 cubic inch V-12 air cooled Tank
engines, turbocharged and blown truck engines, transmissions, axles,
you-name-it and we fixed it. I learned how to rebuild and calibrate every
diesel and gasoline fuel system and every Starting and charging system on
every piece of ground equipment the Corps had. I was in hog heaven!
Okinawa was like a trip back in time. It was the 50's all over again.
Cruising the A&W Rootbeer, street racing late at night, even the attitude
and feel of the place were a step back. One popular spot an a nearby island
there was a 2 kilometer straightaway between an oil tank farm and a sea
wall. This was Okinawa's version of land speed racing, and as a regular at
the long, early morning "drag races" out there I began to see the potential
that small cars could have. The cars were different, naturally, but they
were indeed Hot Rods. There was no doubt about that.
That was my introduction to small cars. I returned to the States after
that first year overseas and bought a BIG American car, a '72 Pontiac Grand
Prix. I rebuilt the heads and changed the intake, but I was never
completely happy with it. (Maybe the fact that it weighed 5500 pounds had
something to do with it.) When I returned to Okinawa a year later I
planned to explore these small cars. I stayed for 3 years. Getting a job
as the Commanding General's driver gave me a chance to go to college, and my
professor, Harry Brobst, (Himself, a World Traveling Bum.) just happened to
be a former Mazda mechanic. That first rotary engine was all it took to get
me hooked. I built one as a college project, and finished my Associates
Degree in Automotive Service & Repair completing the car that it would
ultimately go into. (How it came to be a Datsun 510 is a whole 'nother
story.) I went through 11 different cars during this stay and got to know
local speed shop owners, who taught me engine tuning tips in exchange for
translation services. We put rotary engines in VW Bug's, two Porsche 914's
and a variety of Japanese cars. I was rebuilding turbo's and blowers at
work, and learning about turbo applications on rotary engines at the speed
shops. The Group B Pro Rally series was in full swing during this time too,
so I saw some truely AWESOME little cars.
When the Yen-$ exchange rate got bad in '87 I bailed from Okinawa, came
home and settled down, got married, got promoted a few times (Like Keith, I
also went the Warrant Officer route, but remain grounded as a Maintenance
Officer.) and drove the overpowered little car that I had shipped home to
work every day for several years. The 510 kept getting faster, but I had
nowhere to really drive it. I attended The Chimney Rock Hillclimb every
year, and seeing other rotary powered cars there got me interested in SOLO I
and hillclimb events. It was at one of the hill climbs at Beech Mountain
that I first heard about the ECTA. I was a subscriber to lots of car
magazines back then and had followed the salt racers for years. It was
fascinating to see those familiar flathead engines and read about Racing
Beat's rotary engine performance, but it was just too far away. The ECTA
provided my chance to see some Land Speed Racing close to home.
I had started autocrossing at Maxton with the Tarheel Sports Car Club, but
after my first visit to the speed trials there I had finally found something
that my 510, dubbed "USS WANKEL" by a couple of my best friends and racing
partners, (I came back from Norway last spring and found "USS Wankel"
stenciled on my windshield.) was suited for. My first season went well, and
I look forward to many more. My son Matt is already claiming the RX7
project car as his own. Meeting nice people like Keith Turk, John Beckett
and a score of others with similar interests in cars has made this the
perfect sport for me. While the rotary projects (peripherial port 13B is
under construction) continue, I have spread the LSR virus to my friend Eric
Pare', who has collected all sorts of interesting vintage cars. We'll be
exploring the XO engine classes as soon as we get something together.
Having fun with our toys and meeting nice folks. That's what it's all
about for me.
I'm hoping this list will help us hold together friendships while we're away
from events, keep us up on the latest gossip and allow us to get answers to
those nagging little tech questions that come up during project construction.
Chuck "Is there a Special Construction Class for wheel chairs?" Rothfuss
ECTA
Pole Cat Hollow, NC
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