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I made another camera mount and managed to get some video of the buggy running.

Vid 1

Vid 2

The camera dramatically shifts the center of gravity of the car. Instead of being somewhat low, this moves it way up and makes the car even more unstable than it already is. I took the camera off to see just how much it affects the car. Good thing too!

Because I broke it pretty soon after.  It didn't break after the first rollover.  Nor the second.  The third one did it though.  I'm just happy to have gotten some video this time.

I did give back Andy his Baja 5b.  It was just way too much temptation to go out and get one of my own!  Driving it out on the pavement just made me want it even more today.  Quite fun.  Loud as all heck, but quite fun.

Currently contemplating modifying my current car, or getting a Traxxas Revo.  Fun things to ponder.

The beast lives!  After looking at various message boards and reading an NGK spark plug color chart, I figured the engine flooded and the plug was fouled up.  It looked very much like plug number 1.  One of the things we did on Sunday, was remove the spark plug and clean it.  It looked brand new after some TLC with a rag, brake cleaner, and a soft bronze wire wheel.  Yesterday, I took the beast out to the yard.  It fired right up after two pulls.  One pull with the choke on, one pull with the choke off.  Well that was easy!

The car is also incredibly loud.  Like I turned it off after ten seconds since I didn't want to annoy my neighbors loud.  Still, it was gratifying to see the buggy roll around in the grass under its own power.  I need to find a space big enough to let this little guy stretch its legs.  That will probably prove to be a challenge.  Not too many places where a 25 pound RC car with a weed whacker engine can roam where I live.  I am thinking of taking it to a forest preserve.  I'll need to get the studded tires from Andy before I do that.

I am also looking for some denatured alcohol.  I plan on giving this car a thorough cleaning.  A trip to the big box store is in my near future.

On Sunday, Andy and I went out to goof off with our RC cars.  On my second test run, I promptly rolled my car over and destroyed the camera mount and the headlights.  I was doing a high speed pass in the parking lot and made too sharp of a turn in a small depression in the surface.  The car slid about four parking spaces across the parking lot.  A good thing the car has a roll cage!  Unfortunately I didn't get any video.  A video of the crash would have been great, though I'm not sure the camera would have come out of that unscathed.

I managed to get about three tanks of fuel through the car.  It's running pretty well I must say.  The tires are definitely hooking up and giving me a lot of traction.  On hard cornering, the car is picking up the front inside tire right off the ground.  Not bad!  But it does immediately make it apparent that I need a rear antisway bar.

Andy's car wasn't having a good day though.  It simply wouldn't start.  His car is also huge.  A HPI Baja 5b.  It dwarfs mine in every aspect.  But no matter what we tried, it simply wouldn't start up.  Starter fluid, choke on/off, and countless pulls on the starter string wouldn't get the beast to wake up.  So, I took it home.  We'll see if I can coax it back from it's slumber.  Plans are to get rid of the old gas, clean the car and engine, and tune the carburetor.  It'll be neat to see just how this big behemoth is put together.

Sam had extra tickets to the Cubs Braves game on Friday.  We gladly took him up on his offer.  The trio spent a glorious day at Wrigley field watching the Cubs face off against their former compadre, Derrick Lee.  It was weird seeing him step up to the box and start swinging against Ryan Dempster.  But oh well.  In true Cubs fashion, they lost convincingly in the 9th.

All was not lost though.  Because we got to have some of those talked about Bison dogs.  It seems the Rickels own High Plains Bison and brought in some of their product.  There are a few places where you can get them.  Look for the foot long and get it with sauerkraut.  Here is the regular bun length dog smothered in onions and mustard.  Not bad!  It doesn't have the snap of a vienna, but it's got a smoother flavor.  Now if the Cubs could just win a game...

This weekend was a great weekend.  It was super hot.  It was super humid.  The mosquitoes feasted on my blood as sweat soaked my clothes.  But in the end, it was worth it.  I passed my Basic Rider Course!  That means I can take this card to the DMV, and get a class "M" added to my drivers license.  "M" for motorcycle.  I did surprisingly well.  Though I really blundered my way through the U turn test, and made a silly mistake on the written exam.  Doesn't matter though.  I passed.  I got my card, and I'm good to go.  Sort of.  There's that little matter of actually purchasing a motorcycle...