How to get the "Tuning for Beer Tour" to your Area
#1
Tech Contributor
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 1999
Location: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Posts: 13,654
Received 4,926 Likes
on
1,931 Posts
How to get the "Tuning for Beer Tour" to your Area
I’ve received quite a few inquiries about the “Tuning For Beer” Tour and how to get the event into your town. Thought I’d post up some info on the Tour for those of you who might be interested in putting on an event.
The Tuning for Beer Tour Events started about 3 years ago when a few of the Forum members realized that it was actually cheaper to fly me in for a tune-up than to take their Vettes to a local garage and have some questionable work done at the going rate. Since that time, I have taken the Tuning Tour to Detroit, Memphis, San Antonio, Cocoa Beach, and New Orleans.
In spite of its reputation as a beer drinking festival, the Tuning Tour is actually a hard-core working session where I not only do some tuning and tweaking, but also discuss the “how-to” of timing, distributor setups and carb work. It’s an educational process where we discuss and demonstrate proper setup techniques for the cars and teach the owners how to do it themselves in the future. As an interactive seminar, the Tour is a lot of fun, in spite of the work involved. We have also done front-end rebuilds, cam changes and other work when the number of participants has been low.
Typically, I deal primarily with ignition system setup & blueprinting and carb setups. These are the two areas of tuning that usually provide the biggest bang for the buck in terms of performance gains and vehicle drivability. They’re also the two most neglected and misunderstood areas of the car, and lend themselves well to seminar group activities. I bring all the tools and parts needed to work on these systems in a specially set up toolbox, and I try to tailor the sessions to the specific vehicles that will be attending.
I don’t charge anything for these Tuning Tours. I donate my time at no cost. I do ask that I be reimbursed on my airfare expense and that I be provided a place to stay. I also request that the vehicle owner pay my cost on any parts I install into the vehicle – I don’t mark up the parts. As such, it’s a pretty cheap tuning session. I typically put in a full 8 to 12 hour day on the tuning seminar. With usual shop rates at $75/hour for good work, that’s a $900 value for the price of the airfare – not a bad deal in most cases.
I often bring my wife with me on these weekend excursions, but I pay her fare. Thus, the tuning tours typically cost me as much as they do the hosting group. But for the fun we have on these events, it’s well worth the money. And, yes…. we do drink a bit of beer on the Tours….
If you would like to bring the Tuning Tour to your area, simply get a small group of interested people together and split up the cost. Send me a proposal for place and time, and we’ll come out and run a fun and educational session for you. Keep in mind that I like to have at least 2 hours to work on each car, so don’t try to line up 22 cars for a one-day session… 4 is a good number for a relaxing day with a lot of personal attention, 6 is hustling, and the most we’ve ever accomplished in a hard-core 12-hour day is 8 cars – that’s pushing it…
Feel free to contact me by e-mail if you need further information on getting a session together for your club or group of enthusiasts.
V8FastCars@msn.com
The Tuning for Beer Tour Events started about 3 years ago when a few of the Forum members realized that it was actually cheaper to fly me in for a tune-up than to take their Vettes to a local garage and have some questionable work done at the going rate. Since that time, I have taken the Tuning Tour to Detroit, Memphis, San Antonio, Cocoa Beach, and New Orleans.
In spite of its reputation as a beer drinking festival, the Tuning Tour is actually a hard-core working session where I not only do some tuning and tweaking, but also discuss the “how-to” of timing, distributor setups and carb work. It’s an educational process where we discuss and demonstrate proper setup techniques for the cars and teach the owners how to do it themselves in the future. As an interactive seminar, the Tour is a lot of fun, in spite of the work involved. We have also done front-end rebuilds, cam changes and other work when the number of participants has been low.
Typically, I deal primarily with ignition system setup & blueprinting and carb setups. These are the two areas of tuning that usually provide the biggest bang for the buck in terms of performance gains and vehicle drivability. They’re also the two most neglected and misunderstood areas of the car, and lend themselves well to seminar group activities. I bring all the tools and parts needed to work on these systems in a specially set up toolbox, and I try to tailor the sessions to the specific vehicles that will be attending.
I don’t charge anything for these Tuning Tours. I donate my time at no cost. I do ask that I be reimbursed on my airfare expense and that I be provided a place to stay. I also request that the vehicle owner pay my cost on any parts I install into the vehicle – I don’t mark up the parts. As such, it’s a pretty cheap tuning session. I typically put in a full 8 to 12 hour day on the tuning seminar. With usual shop rates at $75/hour for good work, that’s a $900 value for the price of the airfare – not a bad deal in most cases.
I often bring my wife with me on these weekend excursions, but I pay her fare. Thus, the tuning tours typically cost me as much as they do the hosting group. But for the fun we have on these events, it’s well worth the money. And, yes…. we do drink a bit of beer on the Tours….
If you would like to bring the Tuning Tour to your area, simply get a small group of interested people together and split up the cost. Send me a proposal for place and time, and we’ll come out and run a fun and educational session for you. Keep in mind that I like to have at least 2 hours to work on each car, so don’t try to line up 22 cars for a one-day session… 4 is a good number for a relaxing day with a lot of personal attention, 6 is hustling, and the most we’ve ever accomplished in a hard-core 12-hour day is 8 cars – that’s pushing it…
Feel free to contact me by e-mail if you need further information on getting a session together for your club or group of enthusiasts.
V8FastCars@msn.com
#2
Le Mans Master
Re: How to get the "Tuning for Beer Tour" to your Area (lars)
I'm interested ... but I want some attention for my vette (which is just a chassis now).
We'll try to get you out here next Fall during foliage season.
Leaves, Lobstahs, and Lars. ... and Sam Adams will be there.
We'll try to get you out here next Fall during foliage season.
Leaves, Lobstahs, and Lars. ... and Sam Adams will be there.
#3
Re: How to get the "Tuning for Beer Tour" to your Area (NHvette)
Anyone in KY interested besides me? As I am ready to shoot mine.
Louisville, Elizabethtown, Bowling Green are all fairly close to me.
Louisville, Elizabethtown, Bowling Green are all fairly close to me.
#8
Tech Contributor
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 1999
Location: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Posts: 13,654
Received 4,926 Likes
on
1,931 Posts
Re: How to get the "Tuning for Beer Tour" to your Area (PRND21)
The C2 guys have a good group in the NJ area - try 'em out on the C1/C2 forum...
#9
Re: How to get the "Tuning for Beer Tour" to your Area (lars)
I have a 3 bay shop in my back yard with a lift , trans jack and tools to do most any job also have a brake lathe . Any north Al. or Southern TN owners interested in a Lars Tour . I am willing to use my shop as a gathering point.
#11
Le Mans Master
Re: How to get the "Tuning for Beer Tour" to your Area (81ZZ4)
I hope to be able to drop by at some point Saturday, if so will bring a few pints over from a microbrewery that one of my friends is part owner of.
#14
Race Director
Re: How to get the "Tuning for Beer Tour" to your Area (lars)
We got half nekked hula woo-hoo's :shocked: with their bressesses hanging out in the cool Hawaiian breeze over here
8T1 Bionic Vette could certainly use a twist and turn of Lars wrench and scew driver...However finding a group of Vette owners here willing to cough up the cost of a round trip ticket and lodging may be a challenge.
I may have to go this alone.....Anyone out there want to jump in or have a burning desire to be a part of the "Tuning for Beer Tour" here on Oahu?
Hello....Aloha....Hello....Aloha.....Is there anybody out there???????
If we all jump in it shouldn't cost more than a few bucks.
8T1 Bionic Vette could certainly use a twist and turn of Lars wrench and scew driver...However finding a group of Vette owners here willing to cough up the cost of a round trip ticket and lodging may be a challenge.
I may have to go this alone.....Anyone out there want to jump in or have a burning desire to be a part of the "Tuning for Beer Tour" here on Oahu?
Hello....Aloha....Hello....Aloha.....Is there anybody out there???????
If we all jump in it shouldn't cost more than a few bucks.
#15
Drifting
Member Since: Nov 2003
Location: Northern NJ
Posts: 1,634
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
St. Jude Donor '04 & '05
Re: How to get the "Tuning for Beer Tour" to your Area (PRND21)
DaddyO - That's 2 of us (I am in NJ near NYC).
#16
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Feb 2001
Location: VA
Posts: 2,115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: How to get the "Tuning for Beer Tour" to your Area (454Can-Am)
Count me in in the VA area !!!!!!!!!!!!!
The big-block can use your tweaking ..........
The big-block can use your tweaking ..........
Ron
#19
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Jul 2001
Location: Reston VA
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: How to get the "Tuning for Beer Tour" to your Area (mike229)
Mike 229 I am in Reston, VA. I have miles AA to fly him in lets do this. Who else can we get. Email me.
Moss
Moss
#20
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Jul 2001
Location: Reston VA
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: How to get the "Tuning for Beer Tour" to your Area (454Can-Am)
454Can-Am with you and Mike229 and me that makes 3 lets get one more and do this. Email me.
Moss
Moss