The refurbishing of a early 90s aluminum race trailer

About 18 months ago, I bought an early 90s Aluminum Trailer from a racing buddy. The reason was that I had a Motorhome and a Stacker Trailer for week long races, a pick-up truck and gooseneck for weekend races, and a Toy Hauler and pick-up for motorcycle trips. The Toy Hauler needed to be replaced because it was shit and cost me money every time I took it out. I came up with brilliant money saving idea that buying an older, quality, aluminum trailer would allow me to sell both the Toy Hauler and Gooseneck. I could take the Motorhome and trailer (If I set up to carry both my son’s and my Harleys) on motorcycle trips and pull it behind the pick-up for weekend racing.

So I buy this early 90s trailer from Jim Bailey. I paid a premium for it, but it was well cared for and I felt I could freshen up reasonably. To this date, I modified the interior floor to accept the “Lock ‘N Loads to transport bikes, added a winch, some D-Rings, and move the wheel stops to accommodate a bigger car. I then scuffed, prepped and painted the exterior walls white with Red & Blue Stripe. It cost me a gallon of Rustoluem white and a quart each of red and blue Rustoleum – plus some supplies. I also painted the A-Frame gloss black. I later replaced the red and blue stripes with red, white and blue reflector tape – and wrapped the bottom in red/white safety tape. Electrically, I replaced all marker and tail lights with LED and the 7-blade trailer wiring. Finally, I installed an electric jack. Below are a list of shop update links on Maniacal Ravings of Dave Schultz, where I posted Details and Photos of this work.

• https://www.daveschultz.com/2019/08/shop-update-for-early-august-2019/
• https://www.daveschultz.com/2019/09/shop-updates-for-last-week-august-2019/
• https://www.daveschultz.com/2018/09/polish-d-rings-new-seats-engine-assembly-and-paint/
• https://www.daveschultz.com/2019/11/october-2019-1-month-recap-in-1-post/

So the above brings you up until this last week. Everything on the wall was removed and the interior walls were scuffed with 400 grit on a DA Sander, wiped down, taped off, and painted while with a roller.

Then I started to outfit to my convenience. I started with buying a black Yoga mat, cutting it in half, and riveting into place (with 1″ aluminum stock) at the back of the trailer. I then mounted a broom holder, strap holder, cord and hose holders and the Spare tire. I also mounted a hanger for the Director’s chair carrying case.

Moving to the front, I mounted a double helmet closet next to the bench. Onto it I installed a Kenwood stereo and a pair of speakers. To pick up the track radio from pitted in the Boonies, I mounted a high quality antenna on the street side – extending above the roof.

You’ll also note the 12,000 pound winch with a wireless remote mounted against the wall and a removable snatch pulley in the center. Also on the floor are the Lock ‘n Load plates for the removable motorcycle chocks.

Moving to the door, I mounted a door cabinet with fold down table. Below that is an oil bottle shelf, which also holds wrenches and screw drivers. That should alleviate some of the running in and out of the trailer for the most basic tools.

And speaking of convenience, I bought another cheap Yoga mat with carrying strap and riveted the sprap above the door. That makes it easy to grab for those times in the pits when you need to lay on the ground or work under the car.

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I still need to:

• Replace the trailer lights junction box with waterproof new
• Mount dual batteries with cutoff switch under bench
• Wire stereo and speakers
• Wire roof exhaust fan
• Run air lines under the trailer from rear and side door to air compressor under bench, and wire a on/off switch on bench
• Make a rack for a set of 4 jack stands
• Mount a rack for two bottle jacks and tire spinner under the spare
• Mount a front strap holder and wall protection
• Mount a 12V fan under upper cabinets
• Mount a intelligent trickle charger for when the trailer is plugged in
• Mount a set of Charging Lug on A-Frame to charge batteries
• Install an inverter to provide AC power from a pair of DC batteries
• Replace 4′ florescent ceiling lights with LED
• Mount a LED pit light

More work on outfitting the Stacker.

The goal is to organize a 2′ shorter trailer with far less storage than the last one.

I still have to mount and wire up the winch, mount a cord-reel and air hose, install a radio and speakers, make a rack for Jack stands and mount some arrangement for hardware.

Ginger, My Magnum XE

The Gear Vendor Overdrive unit is on the transmission.

The master power switch is mounted in the console as is a USB port and 12V outlet for Bluetooth my Amazon Music and Sirus from my iPhone. The LEDs and the enable/disable switch for the overdrive are mounted on the console plate.

I’m waiting on the driveshaft from Victory and I’ll have to modify the exhaust system as the overdrive interfere with the cross-pipe and need to make it curve away from the solenoid on the overdrive.

MoHawk

MoHawk is going to be part Mopar and part Studebaker Hawk. It is a custom Tube Chassis frame, rack & pinion steering, a Mopar 8.75″ rear end, a 340 ci Mopar motor, Tremek transmission, 63 GT Hawk body with 60 Plymouth rear fins, and a 53 Commander front clip.

This is where MoHawk’s chassis stands. Frame is powder costed in Satin black, as is the 8.75″ rear-end and Super Stock leaf springs.

The Skipper – My GT Magnum

Trunk has been taken tp bare metal, repaired and painted. I’m waiting on the floor pan plugs so the carpet can be reinstalled.

The grill is removed and will be dechromed and painted black. The bumpers will be removed, blasted and powder coated gloss black.

I’ll be reconditioning the clear plastic headlight covers and corner lens. The motor and transmission will be pulled, cleaned, painted and dressed up. Everything in engine compartment will be removed and the compartment also cleaned and painted before the engine and new under hood components replaced. The door jams will also be cleaned, scuffed and repainted.

And that’s it. The next report will also include work on the Screamin’ Woody and the Petty Tribute.

Petty Tribute

I aged some 15″X8″ Wheel Vintiques wheels to look Rusty, and mounted 245/60-15 Goodrich TAs on the rear. I still need to do the same for the fronts.

I repaired the old steering wheel, primed and painted to match the interior.

I tried three different shifter handles and all hit the seat, dash, or both. I finally made a 6″ adaptor to raise a pistol grip shifter 6″, which was enough to clear the bench seat and stay under the boot.

I bought all of the pipes needed to get the block hugger collectors to 2.5″ side exiting exhaust. This is all that is required to finish the car. These are the pipes needed to do the right side.

Magnum GT

If you’ve been following along on the Magnum GT, You’ll know it was recently treated to a new poly-urethene paint job, and the leather dyed before that. This week, everything was taken out of the trunk, the Surface flash removed, it was then masked, primed and painted. Since the car is pure black, it was an easy rattle can project. I’ll give the a paint a week to get hard, and then clean and replace the carpet.

The Screamin’ Woody

The engine was reassembled with a new crank, rod, and set of lifters; and stabbed into the car. It will be started and tuned next week.

Outfitting the Stacker

I spent a day getting the Stacker trailer mostly outfitted. On the door I installed a door cabinet fire bottle holder, tire gauge holder, rack of screw drivers and a pair of clamps that hold the weather station in travel mode, and the telescopic pole it goes on (to raise 5′ over the stacker’s roof) when in the pits. Another set of clamps were installed inside the door to hold the pole in travel mode.

On the front wall of the trailer, I mounted a stainless coat rack with 4 stainless steel hangers for my safety suits. Above the coat rack I mounted a pair of stainless steel baskets for racing shoes and gloves. On the ceiling I mounted a swiveling hook to hold my helmet.

Next to the overhead cabinets I mounted an Oil Rack and used Industrial Grey Velcro to hold the lift’s remote control in place. To the rear of the trailer is a strap holder, jack pouch, a blower holder and a couple cord holders.

I also put the hand tools in the appropriate drawers, but I’ll need to go back to clean and oil them before the first race.

In the attic I mounted a holder for four 5gallon fuel jugs.

I still have a day left to finish organizing myself into a 2′ shorter trailer.

Other

• Installed an electric gate
• Replaced all bulbs in Magnum XE with LED
• Replaced AC blower motor on Magnum XE
• Removed the Grill to the Magnum GT to paint when it gets warmer
• Figured out I had the wrong parts to install an overdrive in the Magnum XE, and ordered the correct ones
• Did a little cleaning and organizing in the shop

Shop today:
Detroit locker waiting for the carrier bearings and chunk gasket.
Took the rear wheels I painted along with the rear wheels to the Magnum XE to my bud at Discount. He took the 245s off the Magnum wheels and put on the Petty wheels, and put 255s on the Magnum.
Painted up the shifter handle extender and bought some Stainless Steels bolts, nuts and split washers.
Remounted the door cabinet 1/2″ to left as it interfered with other door.