See everyone soon Frank, my buddy finally finished machining the new front spring perches, so I have all the parts
Thats great. I know that these last few Warm days have probably got you wanting to take her for a spin....
Well,will have to see what the Weather brings if I drive the Ferrari or not.I really want to. But,If I do,It will probably Rain. If I don't,it will stay nice....Have to watch the Weather Guru...Tom Skilling....
Not really an issue, that's why I didn't mention it: The only thing you're supposed to wear are closed shoes (no sandals), which I didn't expect anybody to wear in March anyway. The "pedals" are bigger than your Ferrari's so no worries about size of your shoes. They will make you wear a coverall/jumpsuit, a neck brace (or as I call it the poor man's HANS device) and a helmet. Everybody will get a ballaclava, so the hygiene of the helmet is assured. You are free to bring your own suit and helmet though. Oh and one more thing: They have a peculiar rule about cars being parked in their lot: They must have two mirrors...
Hope everyone had a great time... Unfortunately I'm not really healed enough to be out driving a racey kart...my roomie yells at me when I just drive to the store... let alone a track... sheesh - you would think with all the new titanium screws in my head I would be plenty strong enough for racing.. and I woulda had a heck of a weight advantage too, 3 weeks of no solid foods and I got skinny lol oh well.. see everyone soon! Chelle
Hey!!!! Hope that you are O.K.!!!! I just got 4 nice shiny,new 3" Titanium screws,and a couple Titanium plates/implants in my lower back,a month ago. (To add to the Other plate and 6 Screws in the Front of my neck '03. 6 Wires in the back of my neck.'85. And,2-10" Rods in my right Femur.'82. Plus,4 small Titanium Clips somewhere else in '98. Can't say where,but,it was about 6 months after my Son-last child-was born... ) That Titanium...Great Stuff! For us,cars,etc... I really hope that you are doing well.
Yes indeed! We had a good time,too. I had a ball just watching you guys... Remind me not to go on the Track at a Track day....you guys are Brutal!!! Thanks again,also to Andreas for setting this up. Now we know what it's all about. Very Cool! Also,really nice to see everyone again. And,to meet the "New Guys" and put some faces to the names. Nice to have met you guys,and hope to have you join in the rest of the Activities that we are planning for the year. I kept doing "Car Checks" periodically. And the people coming in and out were really thrilled at the Ferrari Show in the Parking Lot... Yes,Mrs. had a nice time too.(Good Food there. We were really surprised.) But,methinks that In the Future,will check to see if the other Spouses,Girlfriends,or Special someones' are all coming along. Frankie,Jr. would have had a better time. With all of those Games. And,watching the Races. But,she was glad that She went. She really likes to experience New stuff,and Boy oh boy,has She been exposed to some stuff since she met me... (Meeting 2 members of Aerosmith. Meeting Alice Cooper. Numerous Heavy Metal concerts-mostly at the House of Blues. Ferrari's. Corvettes. Freestyle Motocross-observing ONLY!!!. Monster Trucks. Just to name a few.) So,she says she doesn't want to miss a thing... Yes,the Woman is a Saint...
: ) Oh, i'm okay Frank... I'm curious tho - will I set off metal detectors now? I honestly don't know... I heard that Titanium is non magnetic and won't set it off...we shall see.. What happened to you that you have so much metal in you?? car accident? I had my upper jaw cut off and repositioned so 20 days of no solid food so far and I'm loving this diet.. I've lost like 26 lbs : ) I still have my mouth tied shut with a dozen or so rubber bands and some wire and a 1/4" thick piece of plastic to keep me from bumping my teeth the wrong way now that they have been moved.. it's been an interesting way to spend $50k... and it has made a difference already so I'm sure it will be worth it .. even though I could have had another toy or two for what I've spent fixing my bite...
Well,in '82 I was hit by a Bus,while I was on a Motorcycle...OUCH!!! Was in traction for almost a Month. And,in the Hospital for a Month and a Week. I Broke my Right Femur & Tibia. They had to put the Rods in my Femur. Then,I had a cast on my leg for almost a year. It was pretty brutal. It was really touch and go if I was going to lose my Right leg,below the knee,for most of that Year.) And,Not my Fault Then,in '85. I was driving my first,(of 7,ultimately) Corvettes,and had a big Olds 98 drift over into my lane,oncoming,so,I went off the road to avoid a head on collison,and when I got back on the Wet Road,started spinning,and went up sideways into a telephone pole,and almost cut the car in two. No time at all to react to that one. The Whole passenger side-floor,door-everything, was all the way up to the center console,which was also pushed into my right side (Leg). You could walk halfway into the car. I broke 2 vertebrae in my neck,then had the 6 wires and some bone put in to "Fuse" my neck.(4 vertebrae). Once again. Not my fault. (I'll try to post pix of that one sometime. The Car,that is) It looked like Vince Neils Pantera... The last accident,was about 3 years ago. I was at a Stoplight,in a Double Left Turn lane. On a local Illinois State Hwy. The 3 forward lanes still had a green light. I was in the inside of 2 left turn lanes. No one next to me,to my Right. No one behind me. BAM!!!!! (and it wasn't Everill) I get rear-ended by a Work Van doing 60,by a guy who fell asleep at the wheel. Totally blew out my neck,(previously broken neck) and lower back. Thus,the extra hunks of steel,screws,etc... once again...Not my fault. But,I have flown alot,and heve never set off any metal detectors...yet. That was before this last set of steel pieces last month. And,I gained alot of extra weight from being inactive.(Pain) Maybe I should get either my Jaw wired shut...or,my Refridgerator door!!! Better hope that Bob doesn't have an FChat Pool Party...All of my Scary Scars will be out. I'm glad that you are O.K.
Wow Frank - glad you got through that.. I broke C1 (top vert in neck) back in 1985 - oddly in a Vette as well.. I was passenger in a just restored 65 Fuelie.. nassau blue/white coupe, A/C 4 speed.. last of the FI cars.. it was sooo pretty - and the idiot driving tried to take a 25mph offramp doing about 75 we took out a big piece of gaurdrail and the left front wheel was no-where to be found.. I was more upset about the car than me till they showed me the x-rays.. lol fortunately no real rehab beyond some traction : ) Chelle
When I crashed My 'Vette in '85. I was walking around immediately after the accident. The car was wrapped around the pole. Alarm was wailing away. It was in November. A week before Thanksgiving. I was still in my Biker/ Metal Guitar player days. So,I had on a Black Leather Motorcycle jacket,and Hair halfway down my back. I had blood dripping down my face from a Rip in my upper forehead,at the Hairline,where the T-Tops broke off,twisted,and popped me in the head before they flew away. And,glass from the little rear window all in my neck and shoulders. Anyway,an Old couple stopped to see if I was O.K. even as Scary as I looked. (Think: Rob Zombie... ) Then,the Cops and Ambulance arrived. They were asking,"Where's the Driver?" because I wasn't in the car,but,walking around,in shock,and,same as you. More Worried about this pretty little Red Corvette,with only 29,000 original miles. I kept saying..."My Car! My Car!". They said,There has to be something,(physically) wrong with this guy,(BTW. It was around 10:30 AM. I wasn't drinking,ofcourse. ) as bad as this car is wrecked. So,they took me to Loyola in Maywood,and did a complete scan of my whole body. The whole time,"My car! My Car!". Then,they come out and say,"Well,you have 2 fractured vertebrae". Then all of a sudden,I'm like."Hell with the Car! Am I gonna be O.K.?" Then,they Screwed a "Halo" into my head.And,I was in traction. I did it for a couple days. It was horrible...like Torture. Since my Head and Neck was in traction,I couldn't move. Then,they strapped me to the special Turning bed,and would Flip me around,so that I was facing downward,through a hole in the Fabric,periodically. So,I asked them how long would I have to do that. They said about a month. I thought,NO WAY! I'll go crazy by then. What are the alternatives? They said Fusion Surgery. And,I'd be out in a week to 10 days. I said,Lets GO! Then,I wake up from after the Surgery. I turned to look at the Night Stand,to my left,to see if there was a clock. I saw a big,"Pound Baggie" full of Hair. I thought. Oh No!!! They couldn't have. They didn't. I hit the Call Button "Nurse!! Nurse!! Come here". She comes in,and I ask her what the baggie full of hair was. She said that they cut off all of my hair for the Surgery. I was in shock! First,I lose my beautiful car. Then,Torture. Then Surgery, Now,they actually cut 4 years growth off my hair. Those Bastards!!! Needless to say I was very upset. I needed the Hair for the Band.(well,I liked it too) AND...AND...to top it off. They didn't even do a nice short haircut. Just all cut up and choppy.(which might have been O.K. if it was '77,and Punk was "In". ) They could've just lifted it up and shaved underneath where they cut. What an experience that was. (I'll never do THAT again!!! )...
O.K. enough of that already!!! Anyway. The significance of me giving everyone the latest version of the Illinois Map. Is that the F.O.C.'s motto is: "We DRIVE". So,please keep it in your Ferrari,and,check it out. Maybe you can come up with more Drive ideas to suggest.
Somehow this thread turning into broken bones and metal surgery. Hmm, we didn't drive that brutal on the go kart track, did we? Anyway, thanks to everybody for showing up, including the non drivers who added to the comraderie. Great event, we'll make that at least an annual event and who knows, maybe repeat it in the summer time? Anybody know of some cool summer outdoor karting places? I know some, but nothing really interesting. Still looking for one. Maybe we should mention to Chicago Indoor Karting to open those big garage doors in the summer and expand the track into the parking lot.
There's a place somewhere out southwest. I can look around and try to find it. It's supposed to be pretty nice.
There is an Outdoor Karting Track less than a mile from my House. It's right on Route 83,South of Route 38,(Roosevelt Rd.),or,North of St. Charles Rd.,in Oakbrook Terrace. They have a bunch of Karts,with Lemans style bodies on them. Some are 2 seaters. They go pretty fast. Probably not quite as fast as the Karts were yesterday. But,still fun. Nice Curvy Track,too. The place is called. "Jus Fun Amusements". They also have Batting cages,Mini Golf,a couple video games,and Snack Stand. I think it's only a few $$ ,and you don't need any gear,helmets and the like. BTW...Saw alot of Mini Coopers around there.(Yesterday,at Chicagoland Indoor Karting) I Wonder if they drive them on the track?
