TonyK's X is crazy fast

CnC79X19

CnC79X19

True Classic
Made the 4 hour drive yesterday to finally put a face to the name so to those who know TonyK , you won't surprised by this. For those who don't well, you're missing out. There's not one aspect of the meeting that wasn't totally impressive and I could easily fill a page with the many talents and creations this guy has accomplished. His modest nature makes you like him even more because he brings everything right down to a language that is easily understandable to a novice without bragging. Trust me, he'd have every right to though from what I saw. Took out his time to lift an engine off a shelf with his tractor, remove the transmission, help load it in my vehicle, pour out a jug of gear oil to send home with me, offer myself and a friend drinks (and I'm sure would have made us stay for dinner if our drive was back wasn't so long) then wouldn't take a penny for any of it?? Just wanted to help out where he could. To top it off, took me for a ride in his X and showed me what one with some tweaking (in this case a lot!) can actually do. Can't thank you enough Tony
Cliff
 
Tony is indeed one of the good guys. I have been to a few FFOs over the years travelling on my own. Tony and Bob Martin (another one of the good guys) have always pulled me into their group for meals and other events. Their wives are lovely people too. ;) I saw Tony's Abarth swapped X at an FFO a few years ago and it is very impressive.

I think my first TonyK experience goes back to the 2005 FFO in Missouri. Show day was 105F on a freshly black topped parking lot. It was so hot that the carb fan on my 78 came on even though the engine hadn't been run in many hours. TonyK was parked nearby with his 79 and was kind enough to show me how to disconnect the fan till it was time to go. :)

Here is Tony in the white shirt behind his 79.
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Here is my 78. I only post this because just the other day I was thinking I had never taken the 78 anywhere, but here it is at an FFO! I need to get it running again someday.
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Abarth swap with all kinds of gadgets that were so far over our heads it consumed our conversation for the entire 4 hour drive back home. We'll, that and everything from his mechanics/machinists dream layout right down to fabricating a garage door opening system sideways to work on a barn door track? Who does that? Simply genius kind of stuff. The things he tried to "simple" down in explanation so we could understand it with regards to what he's doing on Bob Martin's car (another gorgeous vehicle with the same type of swap by the way) would require a degree in mechanical and electrical engineering to figure out. Just a mound of spaghetti wires, sensors and gizmos that looked like the leftovers from an electronics class I took back in high school. He's definitely one of our SteveC's of the west. I hate to go on about it but seeing what kind of evil people that exist in the world after working where I work for so long it's hard not to comment on how refreshing it is when you experience meeting someone like this. Just like Jim said "One of the good guys" and I couldn't agree more.
 
I sadly have yet to meet Tony, I have seen his car in the distance but was never able to engage him when I have been at FFO. Hopefully the next one I attend (next year at best) he will also be there.

His work is remarkable without doubt. Reverse engineering the installation of the Abarth engine is an amazing feat.
 
I too want to meet Tony and am fairly close being in Metro Detroit. Also, we are all waiting on the how-to he was going to write up on the swap. What are all the lessons learned that he struggled months over? Hopefully some were fairly simple after diagnosis. But this is knowledge that the rest of us would benefit from greatly.
 
Hey Mike, I'm not convinced that the guy actually "buys" anything so its most likely fabricated by him in his shop. He made small scoops to draw air into the elephant ears for rads or intercoolers or some thingies he told us about. Seemed like every single thing that was not stock served as one piece of the puzzle. Really cool stuff
 
Just hadta add my thoughts after reading this... TK is a genius with social skills! I've had the pleasure of spending a day with him and his lovely wife when they were in LA a bunch of years back.

TK... Yur always welcome to stop by... spend time, stay over anytime ya get this way! Hope all is well!
 
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