Sure Bruce I'm happy to.
1. I had my rear fire bottle turned so that the top (outlet) was pointed to
the front of the car. When chute is open the agent would run away from the
pickup tube.....no fire suppression.
2. I had switches located on the canopy with the gages. Handy location.
What I didn't think of is "when" the car rolls, the canopy would depart the
car and the switches with it. Not good if the switch is for fire
suppression. The result is that all switches are now located in protected
areas away from accidental actuation but easily available to the driver.
3. I had the fuel shutoff valve mounted on a flammable plate.......dumb!
4. I had lock nuts on almost all heim joints. Also dumb.
5. I didn't think that I needed a driveshaft sling on a funnycar shaft
since there aren't any U-joints. I didn't take into consideration that the
shaft could get out of it's couplers and rattle around in the back of the
car and tear up fuel system components. Maybe starting a fire.
6. I had not adequately secured the "fender well" around the front tires
(streamliner configuration). This was a minute detail that Ken Walkey
caught and possibly saved us from a very bad situation.
7. Jim Miller was worried about the leg restraint provisions I had. So he
got into the car (above and beyond the call of duty) and demonstrated for
me what can happen in the event of an upset. I have added a belt to help
keep the driver's legs in the cockpit. Driver restraint is a constant
problem and is most important.
Bruce and Group, that is all I can think of right now. If I remember more
items I will send them.
In looking over what I just wrote, it occurs to me that the rulebook with
it's "innovation allowed concept" and the dozen or so phonecalls to the
rules committee chairman and others during construction must have worked.
The car was actually quite close to passing inspection on the first
presentation.
Thanks for asking, Bruce,
Skip Higginbotham
At 07:04 AM 1/20/00 , you wrote:
> Skip, Can you share any of those very good suggestions with us
>--- we
>all want every competitor to have a safe, fun ride ----- and this list really
>impresses
>me as a great, fast way to share ideas / info helpful to all, and for the
>furtherance
>of Land Speed Racing . Thanks in advance
> Bruce
> snow not here yet but getting close
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