The wife-
Ms Robin Lamar
Enters the discussion

Don;
I was there.

Wing:
There was a "small wing" on the stock body that day. Paul's suggestion was
to apply tape across the "gap" to make the fashion wing a functional spoiler.
It would have taken 5 min to accomplish (1 hr to find the tape) They said it
needed to look stock. Paul suggested clear scotch tape and it would work.

I could tell that he was worried about Jim getting hurt, because he was so
sure that the car would go airborne at 220 MPH - Sadly it did - happily Jim
was not hurt.

The rebuild:
Yes, they did do just what Paul had tried to suggest for the rebuilt car and
it is shown in the video clip - at least it was in the original show. If it
has been edited out it should be replaced because it proves the theory.

Robin

The rules would discourage converting a wing to a spoiler with tape of any kind. Assuming a record is broken, the car is picked apart to make sure it is legit. You two have remarkable memories of stuff that happened ages ago.

I forgot how many speed records you set.  My personal count is 4, one of which still stands after 22 years of folks trying to break it.
Don

Yes but in no case did you engineer the car. There are stock cars that go 160 MPH. No big deal. Did you measure the lift on the front or back?  The RX3 had lots of nose lift and that was why it was stable at 160 MPH.

Paul

I thoroughly tested, then constructed the whole first effort except for the engine which came in a box from Racing Beat.
Using what you taught me, I borrowed a press RX3, installed a pitot tube, lots of surface pressure taps, and Magnehelix gauges, then mapped points all over the car.

When we landed at Bonneville, my car with cowl induction set a 160mph record (after the exhaust was fixed) while John Lemster's poorly engineered RX3 ripped its mailbox hood scoop clean off.

Don

So you took some data. What chassis changes if any did you make?
Did you build a belly pan?

Paul Lamar

This was 34 years ago.  I had my memory surgically removed since then.  As I recall, here is what worked according to on-the road aero checks using a fuel flow meter at steady speeds as the drag indicator:

lowered ride height [doubt if a belly pan was legal]
moon disc wheel covers
delete chrome trim in windshield and roof gutter areas
delete ugly escutcheon at rear corner of rear side glass
add front air dam, rear spoiler (legal factory accessory parts)

We had a custom-made stainless double-wall exhaust system manufactured by header builder Jere Stahl in Pennsylvania.  There was moisture trapped between the inner and outer walls.  Exhaust heat softened the inner wall which subsequently collapsed like bubble gum nearly sealing the opening right outside the exhaust port.  Before it was discovered, it destroyed the engine.  Jim and Oku rebuilt same in the hotel room tub and sink.  When a section of pipe blew off due to back pressure, we figured out the dilemma and fixed it.  Then the car ran straight to a 160mph record.  Mederer still has the collapsed piece of pipe in his 'trophy' case.

Donald Sherman