USLC Updates

[knoxracing]

I just came back from USLC late last night. I am very impressed with the changes taking place!  The new improvements to the chassis and rear end housings are really nice! They have a new chassis jig that is the nicest I have seen! The rear end housing jig is the same way. The attitude and plan in the fab and engine shop is to make the key elements nicer and better than other shops that are making money on these cars. GE  Chapman has the right plan, there is no reason anybody should buy a new chassis and take it somewhere else and have it cut up, clipped or altered, they have obtained fresh chassis from several chassis shops, compared them and based on these ideas they built a brand new jig table.  They also want racers to be able to bring wrecked chasis to them for repair and rebuild. the engine shop is randomly dynoing engines, they are bringing the dyno numbers up, they are getting pretty impressive! I saw a motor off the floor, brand new engine pull 142.7 in the chassis dyno, those are great numbers. This program is FINALLY going in the right direction!
Dennis Knox

[IraceLegends77]

Dennis that is great news. We all know that is what should have going on the whole time. Your right that you should never take a new car and cut the cage off to make it right. This is a great series and I really don't see anything out there that is as good as the Legends car. I do wish they would do something about the motors being so expensive. There is no reason that a Yamaha motor should cost more than a GM create motor. I wish they were water cooled and had reverse but with that the cost goes up. Anyone have any good ideas what motors would work better because it will not be long before Yamaha stops making these motors. Thanks for the update from the mother ship. Things are looking up.

Scott

[NJRacer510]

LOL, when you were at USLC you must have been lied to. I just bought a new chassis about a month ago. When I was in N.C I decided to have the chassis looked over before I brought it home. I took the new chassis to RPM Proformance and here is a list of things that was wrong with it. First the chassis didn't even sit flat, the front clip was pushed up from being level in the front and the front lollipops were at two different measurements from the shock towers. Along with that the one shock tower was welded on leaning back and one of the lollipops wasn't even legal. Once RPM cut the front clip off the chassis went "pop" and then it sat flat on the jig. That is due to not welding and allowing to cool in the jig during assembly. So after that a new clip was welded on and everything gone over to not only find other welds wrong or just plain old missing. Once we were all done this brand new chassis cost us over $2,000.

I explained all this to the dealer we purchased the chassis through and he was not happy. Now It was our choice to do this but USLC has such a bad track record that we just don't trust them. I will believe all this when I see it because I don't see them changing anytime soon with the chassis program.

As far as the G.E and the engine shop goes, it would be good to see them turn it around and put out more consistent builds to where everyone gets the same thing.

[knoxracing]

Lied to?  Do you think this is my first day in busines, I am one of the most knowledgable people in the Legend Car business and thats a fact, its also a fact that I know EXACTLY what I see! Why didnt you talk to USLC about the chassis before you spent $2000? Why would you buy a $1500.00 new chassis and have it redone, there are a boat load of $300 to $500.00 used ones out there. As I stated the jig is new and just into production. I was just there on Tuesday and saw it. It is not right that you purchased a chassis and had to have it altered, thats for sure. It is also not right that they were not producing the best product available. Anything you buy can be made better, you can buy a brand new Corvette Z06 and take it to a specialty shop and thousands later it will be better than the other production cars. Does that mean GM sold you a piece of crap, no it does not. I would not have went that route but thats your business.  I have had LOTS of chassis that Jeff has done for myself and my customers , Jeff and I are not only friends but we work together on other areas of our Legends business's together weekly. Jeff at RPM is a SUPER fab guy and one hell of a good friend. There is nothing personal here, just information. I was extremely pissed when my good friend Ken Ragan left USLC, I predicted it to be the beginning of the end. I heard promises for the first year and a half with small changes taking place but nothing real. I will say I am becomming  a believer. The changes are getting better as GE settles in and builds SMI's trust. I am at USLC monthly from Ohio, most folks on this list hear nothing, they rarely if ever get to USLC . Information is a good thing and Inex memebers deserve to hear whats up. A couple of the  biggest things I am pushing for as a dealer are newsletters and better tech training. There is virtually no training for a tech official, just trusted knowledge and the ability to translate the book. Thats NOT good enough, it needs to be better, much better! The other issue is communication with the Inex members through new letters. We had the magazine, it was a good source of information to people away from Charlotte. Magazines are expensive to produce and mail. My suggestion is a monthly news letter with new product info and stories from around the country. There are few people letting you guys know what goes on at USLC and I am just trying to keep you posted. If anyone has question, problems or if need info I will be happy to try and help you in any way!!!!
Dennis Knox
330-310-9212

[slack11]

I'll just say that I appreciate that you do post things like this on this site.... I very rarely go to the 600 site, because I find it hard to find any real pertinent info on there.... Honestly I really am not interested in everyone's points, I am much more interested in things like what you post here (new jig, updates, etc.) but the website there does not really seem to value that type of info....  In regards to your newsletter, why can't they make a page within their website with these tech updates, pics, etc. to let all their racers know of the improvements that they are making to produce a better, more consistent product.... The only mention I hear of these things is form Dennis Knox, not INEX themselves...  If I were in business and I was investing money in my company to benefit my customers, I would be plastering it all over my website....

[NJRacer510]

Dennis,

I apologize for the confusion but I did not spend $2,000 with Jeff, that was total between purchasing the chassis and also the work that Jeff did. You are right though, it was my choice to let Jeff look it over but at this point in time lots of people including myself don't trust anyone at USLC when it comes to chassis's or engines. I always get my stuff looked over to make sure they have given me what they bill me for LOL. If it doesn't come out the way they say it will I turn around and hand it right back until they get it right.

Missed welds on chassis's and sealed engines only pumping 120lbs of compression is not quality work in my opinion.

You are right though with many people don't get to see what is going down on there. Everytime I go down we intentionally walk in the back way just to be nosey and say hello to some of the guys we know. I really learned a lot while going down there more, it is a shame that the knowledge can't be shared more with people who can't get to them. The newsletter would be a great idea, we have said that for years because with the smallest things in tech. We race in NC with S.Reinhardt and he says things are legal then we come home and the tech guy says no. We have to go through this whole process to get the information from Scott up here. A newsletter would prevent all of that which would help reduce stress and arguments throughout the Legends Country.

[knoxracing]

Todd i totally agree! racers whp pay to be Inex members should expect to be treated equally and have trained tech officials, this is all on Inex. On the USLC side, they have to provide a quality product and they have to back it up when folks like you have issues. I take my customer issues to them and they do help, but ANY customer should get the same results. Will you be at the Winter Nationals, if so lets get together and chat. Again, I really want people to get what they pay for and if you buy a race chassis you deserve a quality piece.

[NJRacer510]

Dennis, I will not be at the Winter Nationals this year. Due to work schedule changes I need to save my vacation for racing throughout the regular season and hopefully the 2012 Asphalt Nationals.

I agree that it would be nice for USLC to start putting out a product where you don't have to go elsewhere. People like Jeff Jordan, Mike Gwaltney and other fab guys will always be around because some people save money by not having to always travel to USLC for chassis repairs. I personally think there is to many heads trying to accomplish the same thing down there. Everyone should just back away and Let G.E personally go over all the engines to make sure they are perfect and I mean perfect. Then they should hire someone like Jeff or Mike to oversee all the chassis work. A good idea for tech may to break the country into regions, have a voted in "Head Official" for each region then those officials are the main people who have meetings and speak with Scott R. Then those officials could relay and teach the other officials in the region all procedures and updates.

What do you think ?

[rob]

A news letter sounds good.
maybe sending out the magazine they already have once a month instead of once a year might work.

[Chunk]

I am hoping that some people can try the new chassis update and post their thoughts about it on here. I think the update will take a ton flex out of the chassis which will create a lot more consistancy. However I am worried about it creating so much more strength at that point, that more energy will be transfered to the center section of the chassis. I would rather junk a clip than a whole chassis for sure. I think there will be positives and negatives to it. Luckily we dont start racing until April up here and hopefully some racers get to test it out and post their findings on here!!!!

[IraceLegends77]

I wounder if USLC did it to a couple of house cars and tried it or just thought it would be a good idea. I will hold off for now and see what happens.

Scott