RK Series Racing; Prologue
writer’s note: this is also meant as the introduction of the team and car; TLDR at bottom of this post
about two weeks before the race; somewhere in the suburbs of Flint, Michigan
The three team members are walking to the address given in the online ad and can already see the car “they” intend to buy.
Tonsom: “Really? THIS is what we are going in?”
Redwood: [energetic] “Yass!”
Tonsom: [face of skepticism]; “Well at least it supposedly passed Inspection a few weeks ago.”
They walk up to the nearest door and ring the doorbell
DING DONG
Some middle-aged woman opens the door
Woman: [confused] “Hello?”
Tonsom: [pushing Connor up front] “You do the talks!”
awkward pause
Connor: “Greetings, Miss… [sneaky look at doorbell sign] Dinklestein. An online advertisement for an Anhultz Dione led to your address. Is the vehicle still for sale?”
Ms. Dinklestein: “Err…” [turns earound into the hallway] “HAAAAAAAANS!!! DREI SELTSAME LEUTE WOLLEN DEIN AUTO KAUFEN!!!” (Hans! Three weird people wanna buy your car!)
Hans: “Ja M-M-Mutter! Ich k-k-k-komme!” (Yeah M-M-Mom! I’m c-c-c-coming!)
Ms. Dinklestein heads back into her house. Soon after, a young man in his early 20s shows up in the doorframe.
Hans: “So… you are i-interested in this here A-A… Anhultz?”
Tonsom: [half-aloud] “Interested would be an overstatement…”
Redwood: “YYUPP!”
Hans pulls out a set of four keys.
Hans: “L-L-Lemme s-show you a-a… around.”
Hans fiddles around with the set of keys and opens the driver’s door. Then he proceeds to pop the hood and then walks over to the front passenger door to open it using a seperate key. Redwood is eager to get a drive and immediately claims the driver’s seat. Tonsom is not impressed by the car at all and Connor goes to lift the hood for a look at the engine and chassis numbers.
Connor: [out of nowhere] “Anhultz Dione C. Built in sometime in February of 1985. Bonnet, Both bumpers and presumably the driver or passenger door lock have been replaced at least once by non-OEM parts. Same is to be applied to the rear window, as it does not feature the defroster, which comes as standard on any trim level except the “B”.”
Hans: “I-Impressive… B-But the Hood is f-f-from the higher “D” T-Trim… Made of a-a-aluminium.”
Connor double-checks this statement and finds an Anhultz Manufacturer Stamp under a sill on the hood.
Connor: “I Stand corrected then. The Bonnet indeed is an OEM part.”
Tonsom: “Wait… how did you not get that?”
Connor: “If you expected me to be perfect, then you need to lower your expectations.”
Tonsom: “Fuck you and your smartassery!”
Hans: “Err… can we get back to the car.”
Tonsom takes seat in the passenger seat. Meanwhile Connor does some further inspection on the engine.
Tonsom: “Wait… what is THIS??” [points at gear-stick]
Redwood: “A shifter knob?”
Tonsom: [mildly annoyed] “Yeah… but what’s up with this 1 2 3 4 5 R bullshit?”
Redwood: [confused] “Ever heard of a manual gearbox?”
Tonsom: “Fuck… did i tell you that i’ve been driving automatics for like 35 years?”
Redwood: “You’ll get the hang of it.”
another our of conversation and car-inspecting ensues, until they finally head off for a test drive.
It is revealed that the dampers have seem much better days, the brakes don’t have much pad thickness left either, the tyres lack grip due to being bald to the point of “just about legal” and the engine is experiencing severe power loss.
Other issues include:
- Interior lighting broken (dash light works)
- Casette Deck broken
- Heater is weaker than anticipated
- Gearbox has difficulties getting into Reverse
- the car needing FOUR seperate keys (driver door; passenger door; ignition; trunk)
- squeaking from the engine bay from a cold start; goes away once warmed up (presumably a belt of some sort)
- only gauges working are speedo (shows 4MPH faster than actual speed); and fuel tank (reading highly dependant on driving situation; most accurate on flat, straight roads)
- only window roller working is rear left one
they head back to the seller
Hans: “S-So?”
Redwood: “Fact is, we’ll take it.”
Tonsom: [interrupting] “Oh god oh Fuck…”
Redwood: “Fact is as well that we definitly WON’T pay 890$ for that thing.”
Connor: “If we repair the critical damages ourselves and deduct their costs from the original price, the net price of the car equals to about 410$.”
Hans: “I-I’ll get that s-s-squeak fixed and t-take 450$.”
Redwood: “Deal.”
a day later, they pick up the car with now actually working engine and set to work fixing the critical bits. (sealing the intake hose with quite a bit of FlexTape, new brake pads and dampers, plus making shure the car is in good condistion mechanically). If time is sufficient they’ll fix the rest in this order: Heater; Gauges; Gearbox; Interior Lights; Casette Deck; Window Rollers; whatever else they might discover)
TLDR
Team
Captain Frank Tonsom. Team Leader
56 year old policeman on paid vacation. Generally a grumpy guy. Incapable of driving a manual gearbox.
Does not have any actual interest or hobby (yet). Hates Connor because of him being pretty much perfect in nearly every way possible.
Connor
Not exactly human… (see GAR2 thread for more info on that one). Very calm and attentive nature. Intelligence far above average. Only use when fixing cars is a talking instruction manual. Has difficulties interacting with others on a casual basis (i.e. small talk). Has no real opinion of the other two.
Right arm potentially not useable due to damage after an attack.
Tim Redwood
The reason they race in the first place. 19 year old kiddo wants some fun 
. Highly energetic and joyful. Doesn’t want anyone to be hurt during this. Interested in cars and sports. Good with toold but a complete dumbfuck when doing stuff himself. Admires Connor for intelligence and capablity to stay calm under stress.
Persuasive power allows him to (mostly) prevent Tonsom from going haywire on Connor (again).
Car
1985 Anhultz Dione C
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143520 miles
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116hp 2.0L straight-5 (98hp if intake leak cannot be sealed)
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quite a few minor issues…
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Interior lighting broken (dash light works)
-
Casette Deck broken
-
Heater is weaker than anticipated
-
Gearbox has difficulties getting into Reverse
-
the car needing FOUR seperate keys (driver door; passenger door; ignition; trunk)
-
squeaking from the engine bay from a cold start; goes away once warmed up (presumably a belt of some sort)
-
only gauges working are speedo (shows 4MPH faster than actual speed); and fuel tank (reading highly dependant on driving situation; most accurate on flat, straight roads)
-
only window roller working is rear left one
-
brake pads worn
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intake piping leaking (loss of boost)
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tyres currently barely legal in terms of tread depth
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Otherwise good
Why they are racing
Redwood actually enjoyed the trip last year in bolivia and wanted to redo it sometime. And now is the day.
Tonsom fell victim to Redwood’s persuasion.
Connor is geographically locked to the vague vicinity of Tonsom and thus has to participate as well.