MORE TRAVELS WITH BOB

Yes, it's finally here. The "Eagle" has landed. Two months, 8000 miles and far too much money later, the container is actually sitting on the ground outside Ken's shop. We didn't have the camera handy when the truck arrived with it, but the method of delivery is very unique. It's a regular tractor-trailer, but with two cranes on the trailer -- one at each end -- which lift the container off the truck and onto the ground. These "sideloaders" are able to handle containers up to 50,000 lbs. with no difficulty. It certainly saved much trouble and effort. Then came the job of unpacking everything, turning the container into a workshop and putting the dragster together.

The first order of business after we'd installed the lights, wiring, crane-rail (full length of the container), shelves and workbench, was to open it up for better ventilation. Even on the "cool" (20 degrees C) winter days, the sunny side of the container reached 117 (F)! So, we torched out a doorway in the nose of the container as stage one of the ventilation plan. Next year, we'll open up the sides and put a canopy over the roof for full flow-through ventilation and a liveable working environment.

Then we had to get the dragster up on work stands and begin assembling it. We've mocked it up several times, including for shipping, but this is the first time we've actually mounted everything where it belongs. And the first time we've had all (hopefully!) the parts needed to finish the car. It's a slow process at first, as many important, and final, decisions have to be made about the best way to do certain things. With Tom already back in Vancouver, Ken, Dave and Darren are doing most of the work. Thank goodness I've got some competent help. You didn't really expect me to do all the work myself, did you?

Even though we arrived with a completely finished chassis, it didn't take long for us to realize that a few more welding jobs were required. The tow-hook must have been done on a Monday, as it was nearly an inch off center... and there was just no way I was going to carve up the brand-new carbon fibre nose just to make it fit. Then the coil and oil filter mounts had to be moved... and on and on it went. No matter what problem presented itself, help was only 10 feet away in Ken's shop. Thank goodness.

Before we could finish much of the car, the engine had to go together. Without enough room, or the right tools to do the job in the container, we hauled all the pieces down to Kevin Kent's shop in Southport and let him go at it. Two weeks, dozens of phone calls, at least a dozen trips back and forth to Kevin's with new, modified, and re-modified parts, we were done and the long-block was ready to drop in the chassis. During that time, we did what we could, mainly concentrating on bolt-on stuff, like the fuel system and the on-board computer. And taking last, long, admiring looks at our brand-new clutch... knowing that it'll never look so nice again, ever.

Now we've got the engine in the car and we can really get busy on it. There's still a million details to take care of, but the car is rapidly taking shape. Here's a couple of shots of Dave and Darren hard at work on the car and a closeup of the cockpit, with the monster blower-injector combo peaking over the top.

Hey, we're in the home stretch now. Turn to the next page and see how the car looks with an engine and a driver in it.