What's a Booger Mobile with no Boogers?

With the engine replacement parts done and dusted, Damian turned his attention to getting the finer things ready for the 2015 Camp Quality esCarpade, which is less than three weeks away!!

First up, the 2015 stickers...

A rare photo of Damian working on Booger Mobile... not because he doesn't do any work, but because there's usually no one there to actually take the photo for him!!

After some measuring, drilling and careful application of cable ties, the boogers were installed on the new rooftop pod...

And after some wiring was completed... voila!!

The paint in the lettering on the front was beginning to look a little sad, so Damian carefully reapplied some green paint...

And in the inserts of the bonnet emblem...

And last, but not least, Damian thought that Giggle would look far better with some cracking boogers of his own!!

So the theming is slowly but surely coming together, the engine problems are hopefully sorted (touch wood), and if Damian doesn't get to do anything further this year before the esCarpade starts, enough will have been done... 

Oh yeah, one last thing...  the fundraising tally for Team Booger Mobile has now reached:

$10032.15

Pesty Problems - Replace Anything Not Yet Replaced!!

With the thoughts of last year's debacle fresh in Damian's mind almost 12 months later, he had a bit of a thought about what was left in the fuel and spark area that hadn't yet been replaced.

After a trip to the local auto parts store, it was time to replace the spark plugs, leads and coil pack, and also to install the new electronic distributor that he had previously purchased and was waiting for Angus to swing by to give him a hand...

This picture is just so that the boys knew which direction the rotor button was facing before removing the old distributor.

After lots of jiggling and wondering if it was the right size, the new distributor dropped snugly into place, and after a few more goes, the boys even got the rotor button to point the same direction as it had previously!!  On with the distributor cap (with shiny new leads and rotor button).

In breaking news that is sure to bring a smile to the faces of the scrutineers/mechanics on esCarpade, Damian has finally relented and removed the mechanical fuel pump (even though it was replaced unnecessarily in 2013 as regular blog readers would remember), and blanked off the hole in the side of the engine...  What would be used now?

A shiny, new, ridiculously priced, self-priming electric pump!!  The best part of the electric pump is that it does not attach to the side of the engine, it is attached safely behind the strut tower on the passenger side of the car, allowing it to keep cool.  Also replaced were all hoses, and the fuel filter!

Funny story - Damian figured that he would simply use the spare pole on the existing relay that feeds the coil pack (installed last year while chasing the sporadic problem around the engine bay).  Of course, most relays have one set of inputs, and two output poles that operate concurrently on the same switch.

With the switch in the OFF position, Damian hooked up the electric pump, only to have it spring into life...  Angus switched the switch to the ON position, and the feed to the coil pack came alive, and the electric pump stopped.  After much scratching of heads, Damian figured that the relay must use an ALTERNATING set of out poles...  and with a quick test of the relay with his multimeter, discovered this was the case!!  Luckily, he had a spare relay still in its packet sitting on the shelf in the shed, and with the new relay installed, both the coil pack AND the electric pump are now receiving power when the switch is on, and not when it's off!!

After a quick tune, Booger Mobile was humming beautifully... the engine seemed quieter and smoother - would this translate to better fuel economy?  Time would tell...  Lord knows it couldn't get any worse!!

2015 Corvettes on the Coast

Sunday morning rolled around, so Damian headed to the shed to wake up Booger Mobile... it was time to head down to the Gold Coast as special guests of the Queensland Corvette Club for their annual Corvettes on the Coast car show.

The sun was just rising...

But the headlight LED's looked awesome!!

So did the rooftop pod LED's...

Close up...

Damian a picture of concentration...

Gratuitous rooftop pod shadow photo...

Time for Damian to break out the green sunnies!!

Deja vu... pretty sure Damian crossed this bridge in Booger Mobile the previous Sunday morning!!

And down the other side...

Safety socks on as always!!

Heading the right way... Gold Coast straight ahead!!

And at Southport Parklands... parked waiting for the show to begin!!

The show has begun!!

A bit later, a whole bunch of Ford Mustangs parked beside Booger Mobile... good to have other Fords to keep Booger Mobile company!!

The officials working hard...

The stage was set...

Another angle of Booger Mobile and the car show...

A nice red convertible... framing Booger Mobile in the background nicely!!

Always time for a selfie!!

Just in case people didn't know what Booger Mobile was!!

Bonnet up for Damian to speak to interested passers-by...

Trophies lined up...

The sky was turning dark...

With rain on the way, Bob kicked off the trophy presentations early...

All set?

Trophy time!!

The rain started to fall gently, so the show was finished up early and a whole line up of cars waited patiently to get out at the lights...

The storm clouds rolled in...

It did rain a bit on the way home, but by the time Damian got there it was bright and sunny...

Shiny beast!!

So, that was the last long run for Booger Mobile before the 2015 Camp Quality esCarpade... Damian did 240km and the fuel gauge is still between quarter of a tank and empty, so this year with any luck Damian will get around 250km per tank full!!  Good times!!  Perhaps the new rooftop pod is a contributing factor - it's far more aerodynamic than the previous ornament!!

Stay tuned - there are still a bunch of little things to do before the esCarpade rolls around!!

2015 Brisbane Billycart Championships

The 2015 Brisbane Billycart Championships were again being held by the Rotary Club of Carindale, who once again had called on the Tall Man Talking to play MC... It was an early morning start given that all vehicles had to be onsite before 7am!!

Damian's green sunnies made their first appearance... they worked well!!

Up and over the Gateway Bridge...

All the way to the Carindale Recreation Reserve, where Damian was told to park Booger Mobile in the mulch behind the mustering area for the Billycarts... every entrant had to walk straight past Booger Mobile... good position!!

Damian hung the Camp Quality banner at the finish line...  There were limited places for banners this year as the event was being held in conjunction with the Green Heart Fair, who were in control of signage, tent position, parking, pretty much everything, really!!

Looking from the finish line to the top...

Shiny new ramps... 30cm higher than the previous ones, with an improved ramp-drop for the start of the races.

Looking down the track from the top of the ramps...  The lanes were a little lopsided at this point, but rest assured they were adjusted prior to the commencement of the racing!!

The trophies waiting for their winners...

Damian - the Tall Man Talking!!

Close up...  with the track and banners in the background...

The quality of the carts this year was spectacular!!

Adjudicators watching intently as the racing continues...

Two prize-winners... most imaginative cart (the yellow sprint-car)...

And the best dressed team...

After a long day talking, having a go on the carts (while simultaneously commentating on the wireless mic) and driving home, Booger Mobile got back safe and sound. 

Many thanks to the Rotary Club of Carindale for their generous donation to Camp Quality in exchange for Damian attending to perform MC duties.