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July 2018 | Pismo Mid Week After Hours Session

“Dude, we’re going to the beach!” One of the perks of living on California’s central coast is easy access to the legendary Pismo dunes. For over 100 years, gearheads of all type have been able to test their courage, and their vehicles capabilities on the steep sandy slopes of this unique beach front. Pismo also serves as a great centralized gathering place. Friends and customers come from all around to meet up and enjoy frolicking in the sand, as Pismo also serves as a refreshing place to beat the stifling heat of the Central Valley and greater So-Cal areas.

The 2018 summer season has been a bit funky, with the ‘June Gloom’ spilling over into July and beyond. While the weather this year hasn’t quite been the clear summer sun we always expect, one thing we have been rewarded with is some truly epic and colorful sunsets. Since our shop is only a quick 20 minute drive away from the beach, making it out during the week is a breeze. Having the locals advantage means we can easily head out when the weather is right and the crowds are low.

Our sales manager already had his 4400 car all setup on the trailer, having recently returned from a race in Oklahoma, so getting his toy out to the sand was no problem at all. His friend Kenny had brought out his 1400 class prerunner to the beach for the July 4th holiday as well, so it was shaping up to be a good trip. We all met up on the beach, aired down, setup the safety flags (they are required on the sand highway and in the dunes), and headed out to the sand highway in search of bowls to shred. It didn’t take long before both Eddie and Kenny were flying around, each finding the different lines that their race car could handle.

 

Eddie was flying around looking great, when his car started to miss a little bit and the dreaded smell of raw fuel starting wafting into his cab. Not wanting to turn into a crispy hot dog, we made sure he killed all electrical and began the trouble shooting. Although he was able to get the car to sputter to life a few times, we noticed that raw fuel was weeping around the valve cover gasket and through the exhaust collector as well. With a few more races left to go this season, Eddie opted for a strap off the sand highway and back to the trailer. Even with multiple fire extinguishers on hand, you can never be too cautious about fire safety, it’s one of our biggest fears. Once he got home, a faulty injector was found to be the culprit; after swapping them out and changing the oil he’s ready for the next race in the Ultra4 series. In the days of fuel injection, it’s almost taken for granted that engines seldom flood with fuel; however, best practice from the days of yore is that any engine that’s been flooded or had the cylinders fuel washed should have the oil changed out as soon as possible. Fuel can wreak havoc on bearing surfaces and seals, and any carbon buildup that might have been dissolved is now flowing around in your engine oil, which is far from ideal.

 

With a little light left before dark, we opted to play around a bit  longer and see what we could catch with the cameras. Our GM borrowed his wife’s car, a Lexus GX470, for the evening and did a little high speed frolicking through a notorious whoop-de-doo section for the drone to capture, showing off how dialed Icon Vehicle Dynamics bolt on solutions are. With their S2 secondary shock front system, and Omega bypasses all around, there isn’t a speed bump at the mall that his wife can’t handle with supreme confidence. Kenny found a nice little hill to session in the last remaining light, and quickly decided that he needs far more motor if he wants to push his King Shocks to their true limits. Once the sun finally slipped below the horizon, the trip ended as quickly as it started and we all went our separate ways, waiting for the next group text that starts with that same old line….”Dude, we’re going to the beach!”

(805) 783-2060

870 Industrial Way
San Luis Obispo, California 93401