17th ANNUAL RUN FOR THE HILLS--SEPT. 14-16. 2012

[Fierofool]

In Fiero GTB's 2nd link, the Fiero pics start on page 12. 

[Donster]

Before I forget:
Thank you very much to Dean (WhoDeanie) for bringing a group on Saturday morning just to do the run with us and leave right after/during the run. Heaven knows he doesn't really have the time to spare but he came out and played anyways!

BTW: I fixed the raffle so Darryl would win a RFTH # 17 cup with one of your raffle tickets; I knew you wanted one!


Thanks Dean!

\D

[CowsPatoot]

Figured I would post the other videos.  Not as exciting as that first one, but for people that haven't been there, these give a better idea of how RFTH is actually driven.

Franklin, NC until I maxed out the file size...

Following Whodeanie on the Cherohala Skyway until I ran out of battery...

Tail Of The Dragon...

TOTD to Fontana Dam

I think the video from the GoPro was good...but the sound left a bit to be desired.  Next time I will use a remote mic and drop it in either the spare tire area or the interior.

[CowsPatoot]

Woo hoo ... Aerodonamic and the convertible made Killboy's weekly highlights...

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151249062358140.519970.211220253139&type=1

[Fierofool]

....and so did you!

[GTRS Fiero]

Just a thought, and probably already been done, but I'd instruct the cars that want to run fast to line up on the left side of the lot, and the cars that want to run slowly to line up on the right.  Everyone should park facing the center of the lot.  When leaving, cars exit in order, by row, based on closest to the exit.  First the rows on the left, then the rows on the right.

Air horn?  Really?

I guess hellboy didn't catch any funny expressions.  The driver was facing forward, and the passenger looked normal.

Whodeanie's pirrouette?  Did Dean spin out previously?

How do you deal with sun angles?  Also, it seemed to be a bit wet.

[Fierofool]

People do divide into one of 3 groups.  The first ones out are the ones we dubbed Maniacs.  Whodeanie was among those.  All out.  V8'sm superchargers, turbo's, etc.  Lots of 2.8's and 3.4's run with them, too.  Second group out we call Agressive and the third group are named Tourist or Sightseers.  At fuel, rest, overlooks or any stop, people jockey around among the groups.  Depends upon how they think they did up to that point.

As you see in the beginning video, it was very foggy to begin with.  The sun started to break through within the first hour and the whole day turned out good.  Even on the sunniest of days, you will frequently see wet windshields on the cars.  Fiero windshield washers are prone to spritzing a little water when taking a curve very hard.  It's the car's way of letting you know that you're finally understanding what Pontiac Excitement is.   

[GTRS Fiero]

There seemed to be a lot of confusion, leaving the parking lot, with people not sure who was going next.  Usually the driver of the SAG wagon ensures orderly flow.  Each group woud fire their engines together, then pull out in turn.

I can just see the third group, ”Let's swap places in line.  You're seeing too many sites, this tour.”

The V8's don't run off and leave the 2.8's?  I'd figure, all out, the 2.8's and 2.5's would rapidly fall behind.  From the brake zone to the center, the heavier cars may suffer, but from the center down the straights, the faster cars should be gone.  Of course, anyone familiar with the course would have an advantage.

[Fierofool]

Some of the higher powered cars do run away but there's often bicycles and vehicle traffic that will slow them down.  They also stop at points along the way to wait for the others.  TopNotch has often run his 88 Duke along with the Maniacs.  He was just a few cars behind Whodeanie when he spun out in the 88 Supercharged GT.  The little convertible is an 84 Duke automatic, and one year it and my 88 Duke were the first two cars, leading the whole RFTH. 

It isn't a race.  Everyone drives at their own pace.  Most will move into another group at a stop if they feel they're being held back or if they're slowing others behind them.  When I've led a group, I might run away for a while, but then slow down for folks to catch up so that we can keep the weekend leaf-lookers out of our midst.  Last year I led but was sometimes being pushed by some of the Capital City Fieros members. 

The only persons who are familiar with the route are those who help to do the scouting, so most of us exercise a lot of caution.  Going on 22 years without an accident.  There have only been 3 spinouts.  Two on wet pavement with less than optimum tires and Whodeanie.  CowsPatoot broke a rear hub on the convertible but handled it well enough that it almost looked like he decided to pull to the side to rest.

[GTRS Fiero]

Ah.  Dean did spin.  I thought TopNotch spun, one of the other years.

[TopNotch]

The V8's don't run off and leave the 2.8's?  I'd figure, all out, the 2.8's and 2.5's would rapidly fall behind.  From the brake zone to the center, the heavier cars may suffer, but from the center down the straights, the faster cars should be gone.  Of course, anyone familiar with the course would have an advantage.

The curves are a great equalizer. Fierofool (a maniac) usually lays out the course, and he doesn't like straights. I rode with him on the dragon once. His oil light would come on on some of the curves -- he was driving hard enough to sling he oil away from the pump.

[GTRS Fiero]

Doesn't the 2.5 have poor oiling, or does the 2.8 do it, also.

[TopNotch]

Fiero's car has a 3.4, I think.
I don't know about earlier 2.5's, but my 88 has excellent oiling. It also has an accelerated motion cam, big block chevy roller rockers, and is board .040 over. And it does Ok on RFTH.

[Fierofool]

The same engines were used in rear wheel drive vehicles without the same issues.  The problem is when the engine is mounted transversely.  The pan sump is on one end of the oil pan.  Exceptionally hard turns can cause the oil that's not up in the engine to slosh away from the pump pickup allowing it to pull air and loose pressure. 

[GTRS Fiero]

Does that cam help with oiling?  The oiling in the 2.8's is pathetic.

If bored .040 over, is it a 2.7?

I don't know who Fiero is.  Fierofool?  My understanding is that the 3.4 with high-volume oil pump, the baffles in the oil pan, clean journals, a good pickup, and deep galleys oils very well.  With a 4-speed and 4.10 final drive, it'd be a blast.  Fierofool had some driving instruction, I think.

Does your Fiero have the SD heads?