Hewland GT-1 Or Trans Am ST Dog Box Transmission For Sale

 We have a used Hewland ST dog ring gear box for sale.  See all the details, below.  Great for GT-1, or vintage racers.  Always good, to have a spare on hand.  Includes extra gear sets, and misc. parts.  Located in the Grand Rapids, MI area.

https://www.gearheadzproducts.com/hewlandst-030sccatransamgt-1fivespeedgearboxused.aspx

A New Corvette GT-1 Car In Our Shop

 A New Corvette GT-1 Car In Our Shop

We will start to try and post some info on this newest car in our shop.  It has some interesting race history, and has been in need of a lot of cosmetic work, wiring improvements, and various upgrades.  

 SCCA NASA GT-2/GTA Port City Road Race Car For Sale

Listing this for one of our customers.  Car is located in the Grand Rapids, MI area.  Click on the link below, for further photos, and details on the car

https://www.gearheadzproducts.com/portcitysccagt2gtaroadracecarforsale.aspx

SOLD-GT-1/GTA/Vintage Tube Frame Race Car For Sale In Michigan

Howe Center Section/Port City Racing Chassis

Former ASA Pro Series Racing Car Driven By Joe Nott

SCCA Log Book Identity # 06-625

Midwest Council Of Sports Car Clubs Log Book

Most Recently Competed In SVRA Events At Indy, & Road America

Ford Thunderbird Five Star Fiberglass Body

Strut Front End Front Steer Set Up

Howe TA2 Three Piece Splined Front Sway Bar Set Up

New Schroder Sway Bar

New Kirkey (PN # 71700) Full Containment Road Race Seat & Cover

New Simpson Five Point Belts (Expire XX/XX) & Window Net

Safety Systems Five Pound On Board Fire Bottle With Remote Button

Sweet Rack And Pinion Steering

Peterson Dry Sump Tank With Steel Braided Lines

Ohlin Canister Coil Over Shocks With Proper Canister Mounts

Newer Fuel Safe 15 Gallon Fuel Cell

Autometer Gauges & Memory Tach

C&R Aluminum Radiator With Built In Oil Cooler

Allstar Performance Brake Bias Gauges

Front/Rear Brake Bias Adjuster

Road Racing Brake Lights

Dual MSD 6AN Ignition Boxes

New Allstar Performance Roll Bar Mounted Drink Bottle

Tilton Pedals & Remote Mount Master Cylinders

UB Machine Upper Control Arms

Winters Quick Change Rear Axle/Detroit Locker Assembly & New Gears

Three Link Rear Suspension & Watts Linkage Set Up

Two Into One /Exhaust/Muffer System

Steel Branded Fuel Line With Filter And Regulator

Four (4) Piston Wilwood Calipers At Each Corner

Allstar Performace Forced Air Brake Cooling Fans @ For All Four Wheels

Allstar Performance Helmet Cooling Fan

Longacre Racing Rear View Mirror

Remote Mount Wix Oil Filter

Wired In Permanent Mylaps Sports Timing Transponder # 08368

Drive Shaft And Yoke

This is a great starting package for someone wanting an inexpensive, tube frame race car, for SCCA, or vintage sanctioned events.  All parts are all oval track, stock car based, and very easy to come by, with reasonable prices for both new, or used.  Just add a motor and transmission of your choice, to be ready to go racing.

Complete Roller Pricing Options (no engine, transmission, or battery):

1.  With Ohlin Canister Coil Over Shocks:  $7,995.00

2.  Without Ohlin Coil Over Shocks:  $6,595.00

Includes Four (4) Extra (Used) Bassett Wheels

Located In The Grand Rapids, MI area

Phone/Text Gary:  616-366-3973

E Mail:  gearheadzmail@aol.com

Installing A Howe TA2 Front Sway Bar Package

Our Ford Thunder Chicken GT1 cars arrived to it's new home, with a 1" Howe bolt on sway bar kit.  We decided to rework the front, with the the current kit that the professional teams are running, in the SCCA Trans Am TA2 class.  With some inside tips  from Dan over at Howe Racing, we were able to get all the right bits and pieces assembled, and put in to place.  Of course the big question of what size bar to run came  up front.  You would be very surprised to learn what  they are running in the pro series.  No bump stops, and bars that are in the 2 inch range.  THAT, is a whole lota front sway bar.   Springs need to go soft, but this is what is being made to work, so be aware of where set ups are at now days.  We will go with something less in overall bar diameter, probably 1 3/4" to start, with somewhat softer springs, than the 600 # units, that came installed on the front.  This is an ongoing work in progress.  Let us know if you have any questions, on your current cars set up.  We are always glad to help if we can.

Note:  The front shock is not yet attached to the lower control arm, in the photo above.

www.gearheadzproducts.com

Do You Want To Race In The Trans Am Series?

"Hey Mom Look, I Am Driving A Race Car"

Actually it is really easy to find a ride in some of the road race pro series, that you see on TV, or may have watched in person, at some of the big name race tracks.  The only thing you need is a bit of previous experience, and the money to put down up front, for one of the teams  "arrive and drive" spare cars.

SCCA TA-2 happens to be the hottest  race group right now, with the cars being fairly equal, and not too over the top expensive, compared to a Trans Am (GT-1) car.  Many of the race buggies come from Howe Racing, in Beaverton, MI, and are an extension of the many short track stock cars, that the company has  already build.  There are some other "approved" car suppliers as well.  When the series was first getting started, you could pretty much show up with an old ASA stock car, and get in the field, without any trouble.  But them of course, the big money came in and took over, and the rules changed, which is so often the case, in auto racing.

The series does draw some big names, including Adam Andretti (a regular).   Bill Elliott, and Paul Tracy, have made cameo appearances.  You will have to behave, or suffer the wrath of those with highly proven driving skills, for any first  laps bone head moves.

A new Howe car ready to dance will set you back something north of six figures, where as the old ASA stockers could be bought for less than $20K.  The gap between the two is fairly wide, in terms of performance.  You will still need a few spares, and a couple people to help out, who know what they are doing, and don't mind traveling, through out the summer.

This is a series for the wealthy sportsman racers, with the funding to buy 2 or 3 cars, and have at it.  There are some very professional, and established race teams (eg:  Mike Cope Racing) who bring cars in, as well.  Be ready to spend large, in order to play with the "family money" guys, and otheres, who are out there for the most part, without aspiring to move to higher forms of racing, such as NA$CAR, or Indy Car.

The other option is to rent your seat time, and there are many teams that will be glad to work out the details with you on doing so.  If the money comes from a sponsor, all the better, so check the TV schedule for next season, and drum up some viewership numbers, because that's what it's all about.  Keep in mind that many of the guy and gals in the lower NASCAR series (Xfinity, Camping World Truck), or ARCA, are there on a "pay to play" basis.  Plan on dropping somewhere in the neighborhood of $25K per race for a TA-2 ride, which does not include the extras, such as flights, hotels, dog sitter, etc.  If you want to go full tilt, in a top level Trans Am car, get ready to drop some money large.  It takes a lot, to keep one of those babies going.  The money has to come from some where.  See the sign below, which was on the windshield of a car, at the PRI Show in Indy, this year.

So now you know the rest of the story.   Don't give up, or get discouraged.  The best thing to do is get some seat time in something, and see if the whole thing is right for you anyway.  Karts are not a bad way to get in the game.  SCCA has many teams who rent cars, at the lower levels, for a lot less bucks.  Look at some of the approved driving schools, as a quick way to get the necessary license to compete.

Sooner or later it's important to show up with money, but money without experience is a very dangerous combination, in the game of auto racing.

www.gearheadzproducts.com

We Are Proud To Announce Our New Association With Win Smith Racing

Gear Headz Products will be on board with this Stanford, Kentucky based racing team, in the upcoming 2019 racing season. With multiple SCCA GTA/GT2 Howe road race cars, and a few additional short track stock cars in the shop as well, the Win Smith organization is serous about running hard.

In the past, they have given new opportunities to up and coming young funded drivers, and are always on the look out, for fresh new talent.

Win Smith Racing has a very speedy background, that includes high speed GT road racing, stock cars, and additional oval experience, with the very fast USAC midgets, and Silver Crown cars, as well.

Watch for them, at the better known race tracks, across the midwest, during the new racing season. With components from you know who.

Visit Gear Headz Products On The Web Today:

www.gearheadzproducts.com

DEI Reflect-A-GOLD Keeps Heat Away From Vital Components

DEI Reflect-A-GOLD is engineered  to keep the heat  going the other direction, in your engine compartment.  We have used this product for years on our own GT-2 racer, after seeing it under the hood of an Indy car, down at the speedway.  Available in a variety of sizes,  you will find lots of uses for it.  Looks great, under any hood.

See all our race related products today at:

www.gearheadzproducts.com

Danger Signs We Found On Our Vintage Road Race Thunderbird

We brought this car into our shop, as kind of a side job, work on it when there is time, sort of project.  It is a former Howe/Port City ASA chassis, which like so many others, has been converted to road race configuration.  These cars are known for being well built, and safe, given the speeds and facilities that they ran on.  It had last been run at two of the very best know race tracks in the U.S.  The sanctioning body for the events is very well established, in vintage racing.  The car had also been raced with a well know national road race group, in non-vintage, "GT" type car configuration.  And that's where the story starts to get scary.  Real scary.

There were a few safety related concerns, which we are working to correct, as time allows.  For starters, the car is equipped with an electrical fuel pump, as are so many road race cars.  The master kill switch was located in the rearward, passenger side corner of the car.  It was no where within reach of the the previous driver, or any driver, unless he has five foot long arms.  If you have ever been in a real bad wreck, you know seconds can seem like minutes, while you try to figure out just what to do next.  Corner workers do not always arrive, in a hurry.

Think about what could happen, if there was a broken fuel line, sparks, and that electric fuel pump is continuing to do it's job.  As a driver, you might be disoriented, and not able to kill the power to the pump, in the few seconds necessary.  All the switches can look the same, and you could even hit the wrong one.  By placing the master switch in direct reach of the driver, there is only one movement necessary, with one arm, in the vital moments, after a big one.  Why not mount the master kill switch, in very close proximity, to the fire bottle switch?  We relocated the previously installed kill switch, which was actually a really easy job.

You can see the new switch location, in the photo below.  Note the LED "power on" indicator light. We included an easy to read, Allstar Performance, "On/Off" decal ( ALL99045).  Also added were some Allstar Performance red terminal covers (ALL76152).  The "shelf" was bent up from sheet steel, and welded in place.  The Sherwin Williams grey spray paint, matches perfect, and looks great.  Anyone can know at a glance, if the car is hot, or hot so not.  Notice those nice welds, from Howe Racing Enterprises.  These cars have good bones.  Maybe it will take a very bad vintage crash, for the vintage organizers to wake up, put down the tea, and  hot buttered croissants, and get serious about car inspections.  There are some pretty quick cars that run vintage, and not all the drivers have had a lot of experience racing.  With enough $$, you can buy yourself something that was a handful, for even Mark, or Parnelli, back in the day.  We are not sure what more to say about this, but of course, there is more.

The next subject is bolt on ballast, which in this case, gave us nightmares.  Same car, same tech inspection crews, same organization, big name tracks, and the potential for horrible results, in a roll over shunt.  Loose ballast flying through your windshield can be a very serious problem, trust on this.  Notice the size of the weight.  Over 100 lbs., for sure. The number "48" is from the cars ASA racing days, so it's hard to say when the install work was done.  Two half inch bolts, were all that was holding this massive chunk of weight, to the car.  The holes are easy to see, in the two photos.  The weight was actually bolted to an 1/8" strip of steel, that runs down the frame rail, put there to hold the fiberglass body door panel, in place.  You can literally lean on it with your big tow, and get it to flex.

We have had some surprising experiences, on the track, and off track, with race organizers, as well.  Once our cars clutch caught on fire, as we sat helpless, waving our arms, at the (regional race) corner workers.  Smoke was literally pouring out from under the front wheel wells, and no one even came over to check it out, despite frantic window waving.

Another time, we watched in amusement, as our car received it's annual tech inspection, very much outside, on a Friday night, and in the dark.  Flashlight, and all.  Seems crazy.  Safety starts with the driver, and car owner.  Don't count on others, even though you should be able to.  Bad things  can happen fast on a race track, don't make things worse.

www.gearheadzproducts.com

OMP Took Hook Is The Best Bang For The Buck

There is nobody, and we mean NOBODY, who has been yanked back to the pits more times than us.  Nobody.  (Except Danica).  We have found that the OMP tow hook out performs them all.  Simply, bright color, low profile, cost effective.  Required by SCCA, NASA, IMSA, and all the rest.  The choice of European professionals.  Great for track day cars, as well.  Test one for your self, and see the difference a quality tow hook can make.

Visit our race shop, on the web, at:

http://www.gearheadzproducts.com

The Most Cost Effective Choice For Replacement LS-1 Ignition Coils

The choices for replacement ignition coils on the LS-1 motor get expensive real fast.  You have to wonder if the extra  money for the brand names are really worth it.  We did a fair amount of research, and settled on PerTronix, for the next set on our GT-2  race car.  We are very familiar with the brand, and the specs looked good.  This is pretty much a replacement for the GM truck coils, that went on the performance LS-1 motors, in the late 1990's.  The headers on our motor run up past the valve covers, and put a lot of heat out, right by the coils.  Plus they sit right on the valve covers anyway, which is a pretty hot area, as well.

http://www.gearheadzproducts.com

ARP Dampner Bolt For The LS-1 ASA Motor

This is the ARP harmonic balancer bolt to use, when replacing the one on your LS-1 ASA race motor.  

ARP Balancer Bolt Kits Feature Heavy duty balancer bolts that are rated to 200,000 PSI. Choose from bolts that accept a traditional 12-point socket or a 1/2" square drive, eliminating the need for a socket. Sold complete with large diameter, 1/4" thick washer.

http://www.gearheadzproducts.com

Quatermaster Clutch Kit For ASA LS-1 Motor

If you are looking to replace the clutch assembly on your LS-1 ASA motor, it can get a little confusing as to which kit to order. You will find this is typically a non-stock, special order item, which cannot be returned. The Quartermaster part number you need to know is:  QTR39817790.  This is the assembly which will bolt up directly to the LS-1 Crankshaft.  These motors were originally shipped by Chevrolet, down to Lingenfelter, in IN, for final prep, work, before installation in AC Delco ASA Race Series cars.

http://www.gearheadzproducts.com

Gear Headz Products GT-2 Camaro House Car At Gingerman Raceway 5-19-18

Here is some in car Go Pro camera footage, from our Howe/Port City, GT-2 Camaro, at Gingerman Raceway, South Haven, MI.  This is a great track, for anyone just starting out in SCCA, or NASA competition.  The car's engine is an LS-1, as formerly used in the AC Delco ASA Stock Car Series.  Mike Cope out of Florida did much of the initial development work on the car, including the new Camaro body.  Transmission is a Jerico four speed, dog box, so no clutch is used for the up shifts and down shifts.  If you have any questions about getting started in racing, we will be glad to answer them.  Our experience includes:  stock cars, midgets, modifieds, F-2000, GT-2, on both the ovals, and road courses.  There is a class for everyone, so get off the couch, and get after it.  

We are on the web at:

http://www.gearheadzproducts.com

Your Dealer For Allstar Performance

We have used this companies products on our race cars for many years, and are now an authorized dealer, for their high quality, performance proven parts.  If you race ARCA, K&N, CRA, SCCA, NASA, IMCA, IMSA, or any other racing series, visit our store on the web.  Lots of great stuff for serious street machines, as well.  New products are being added, every week.  Need a catalog, just let us know, and we will get one headed your way.  Our retail store will be opening in the near future, located in Grandville, MI.  Something for everyone who runs fast and hard.

http://gearheadzproducts.com/

Event Dashboard | MotorsportReg.com

Event Dashboard | MotorsportReg.com

http://gearheadzproducts.com/

Ultrasonic Cleaning Of Your High Performance Parts

The Very Best Way To Clean Your Small Parts

Ultrasonic cleaning systems send high frequency sound waves riping through an ultrasonic cleaning/degreasing solution, leaving superheated  bubbles in the waves wake.  When these bubbles (cavatations) colapse (decavitation), the heat and energy of the their implosions work  with the cleaning solution to remove dirt, oils, resude, and oxidation from the the contaminated item.  This type of cleaning is ideal for carburetor components, non-electrica ignition parts, and a variety of other automotive items, as well.
We are now offering the best, and least abrasive way to clean small automotive parts, as a mail order service. You can send us up to 12 small items, which we will clean and return to you, within 3 to 5 working days. This is the same way jewelery stores, opticians, clean what they repair,  but we use a degreasing cleanser, to remove any and all grime, from your parts. The cost for the service is $39.95, which includes return shipping, within the 48 states. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and Paypal.

http://www.gearheadzproducts.com

 

 

 

 

 

ASA LS1 Race Car Won't Start Is Sometimes The ECU

When the gremlins come to call on race day, they love to find places to hide, in your LS1 electronics system.   The last two times out, we have been "pestered" by the little buggers, that move around like cock roaches, in the wiring system.  Six laps into the most recent SCCA Majors race, the car just decided to come to a dead stop, going around turn number  two, at Gingerman Raceway.  After considering everything, we plugged our code reader into the car, when back at the shop.  Our crew chief, son, and full-time bread slicer assembler, "GT" had a great idea.  The kid is sharp, and simply decided to erase all existing error codes, in the GM factory ECU unit.  The car that would not go anywhere, quickly fired riight back up again, after the weekend was done.
Since we had already seem some burned wiring, and also smoked a brand new "pay it off monthly" racing battery, it stared to seem that we had a problem coming from only one place.
The alternator was removed, and tested for output.  Our local electrical shop rebuilt it, and put in a new regulator, for a mere $85.00.  The unit is back in the car, and we are pretty sure, that this was the issue causing the (most recent) problems that we faced.  The moral of the story, always look for clues, that will lead you back to the root of the problem.  Stay "tuned", for futher developments.
Or stop by at the track if you are there.  You can also visit us at our web garage.  We can easily be found at:

http://gearheadzproducts.com/

ASA LS1 Race Car Won't Start Is Not Always The ECU

We recently drove up to the grid and parked, to go out for the first race of the new SCCA year.  At two minutes, they blew the whistle, and the same car that we just drove up to our spot, would not start.  No way, no how.  The tendency is to blame the ECU right away, especially with these cars.  But the folks up a Schwanke say they rarely if ever see one go bad.  At lease not with out a good reason (attaching a welder ground for instance)  It's real simple, you have to have spark, compression, and gas.  In our case, the fuel pump was not priming the system, and there was no go juice, up at the inspection port we installed, on the engine fuel rail.  After tracing the  dual fuel pump circuit back, we found a slightly unexpected burnt (to a chrisp) four prong wire connector, which kind of ruined the day, and the weekend.  Allstar makes a replacement OEM style four prong unit, PN # ALL76269, rated at 20 amps.  Our very small packet arrived in a very large box, with a couple of air bags, to reduce the chance of damage (?). 

At any rate, we were glad to pay the $13.50 in shipping for this $3.75 shipment, to get after fixing the problem.  Make sure you order extra individual male and female connectors, because there is a reason they sell them seperately.  We ended up building a whole new harness, on the switch side of the system.  There was very little extra wire to work with anyway, so we made sure it will be easier to deal with, in the future.  The LS-1 burped to life at the frst spin of the Tilton, and we are back in business.  See the seperate blog, about the time the pump connection vibrated loose.  These cars are fun, cheap, but somedays, an electrical challenge.

http://www.gearheadzproducts.com

Taylor Switches Have A Great Reputation Because They Work

We have a cool suit panel in our race car, that has switches that look like tooth picks.  Obviously they break, and usually at the worst time ever, on race day.  They are part of an expensive cooling system for the driver, and they might be good for use by a doctor doing heart surgery, but they have no business, anywhere beyond the people who make you sign the race track waivers.

We like Taylor all the way, for serious electrical work.  They are big, well built, and made for racing.
With all the things coming out of China now days, it's great to have a key component that you can rely on, to keep your speed buggy going.
We stock what we use, and use what we sell.  Take a look, you will be glad you did.

 

 

 

Taylor Switches Are  The Only Way To Go On Race Day 

 

 

 

http://www.gearheadzproducts.com