Sitting here in my lounge chair in air conditioned comfort on a lazy August Sunday morning in Atlanta, GA with my remote in hand watching "HP (horse power) TV" and thing about this thread. This might represent our cultural facination with HP. They just mentioned a fuel drag boat putting out 7000 (yes) HP-not sure if this is SAE or DIN. Was wondering if with a proper transaxel, would one of the fit into a GT40-blower through th rear deck extending above the roof line? cb
Dreamers World
- Thread starter wealdenengineer
- Start date
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bob Sparks:
Race cars, hillclimb/sprint cars and road cars. Each use has their own required transmission and powertrains so really there is no arguement.
Stir it up. More contraversary.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I totally agree here. The vehicle should be designed and specified for the intended application. HP is only part of the equation as are well designed braking, safety, and suspension systems with reliable components.
Bob's point is well made in that if a car is only used for spirited highway driving then it should be configured as such.
The SAAC-27 vintage Cobra/GT40 race unfortunately did not have any GT40s
. Also the Cobras that stole the show were primarily the new Shelby Spec Racer cars which are properly sorted race cars with all of the safety, braking, transmission, and engine systems handled appropriately. They did have ~550HP 351W engines and most of the other cars could not keep up especially on the oval portion of California Speedway. They did not have a problem getting all that HP to the ground
Conversely I would not want to go get groceries in it.
[ August 04, 2002: Message edited by: CCX33911 ]
Race cars, hillclimb/sprint cars and road cars. Each use has their own required transmission and powertrains so really there is no arguement.
Stir it up. More contraversary.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I totally agree here. The vehicle should be designed and specified for the intended application. HP is only part of the equation as are well designed braking, safety, and suspension systems with reliable components.
Bob's point is well made in that if a car is only used for spirited highway driving then it should be configured as such.
The SAAC-27 vintage Cobra/GT40 race unfortunately did not have any GT40s
[ August 04, 2002: Message edited by: CCX33911 ]
Hi Frank,
My twoppeneth, for what its worth.
I think the emphasis on horsepower is summed up well as a cultural difference, like oval racing versus F1, like typical American soft suspension versus European firm ride. UK cars chase each other down twisty roads, US cars cruise in straight lines and have traffic light grand prix (or is just in the movies?). MikeDD's comments make sense. The positive combination of these differences created the 40 (and previously with the Cobra as a 'hopped up' AC Ace).
GT40s were aimed at Le Mans to challenge the crushing superiority of Ferrari (as F1 now!!) which meant they had to be a true racing balance of power, cornering and braking. Having said that Ford won first in the MkII with brute strength (in numbers and HP), reliability and not much finesse (is this heresy?). The real GT40 only came into its own in the 68 and 69 when (probably via political pressure from Enzo) the bigger engines were outlawed. The GT40 had the perfect balance and was fortunately beautiful too.
We have our own objectives and reasons for interest in the GT40. I personally love the shape and the sound of a crossover V8.
I have an 1966 289 motor, no major mods, giving maybe 220 bhp (read and weep). I will want much more bhp later but in common with another contributor I would rather have better braking and handling than too much power, especially when new to the car.
I think this forum is brilliant and although I ignore many threads (including the esoteric HP debates) I still derive a lot of information and ideas from others - e.g. I downloaded the first proper view of the seats you can provide
Vive La Forum - or is it Le?
David Champ
My twoppeneth, for what its worth.
I think the emphasis on horsepower is summed up well as a cultural difference, like oval racing versus F1, like typical American soft suspension versus European firm ride. UK cars chase each other down twisty roads, US cars cruise in straight lines and have traffic light grand prix (or is just in the movies?). MikeDD's comments make sense. The positive combination of these differences created the 40 (and previously with the Cobra as a 'hopped up' AC Ace).
GT40s were aimed at Le Mans to challenge the crushing superiority of Ferrari (as F1 now!!) which meant they had to be a true racing balance of power, cornering and braking. Having said that Ford won first in the MkII with brute strength (in numbers and HP), reliability and not much finesse (is this heresy?). The real GT40 only came into its own in the 68 and 69 when (probably via political pressure from Enzo) the bigger engines were outlawed. The GT40 had the perfect balance and was fortunately beautiful too.
We have our own objectives and reasons for interest in the GT40. I personally love the shape and the sound of a crossover V8.
I have an 1966 289 motor, no major mods, giving maybe 220 bhp (read and weep). I will want much more bhp later but in common with another contributor I would rather have better braking and handling than too much power, especially when new to the car.
I think this forum is brilliant and although I ignore many threads (including the esoteric HP debates) I still derive a lot of information and ideas from others - e.g. I downloaded the first proper view of the seats you can provide
Vive La Forum - or is it Le?
David Champ
I think the cost of fuel has been a cultural factor as well: regular gas in the Atlanta area is presently at $1.17 a gallon. Has slipped to $1.06 in the pat few weeks. Had gotten as low as .69 cents a few years ago. we have never had to worry about effeciency. We get horse power by going bigger cubes. Recent car show I participated in had a 502 Chevy v-8 motorcycle show up (Boss Hog built and marketed out of Tennessee). Most cars at these shows are the straight line go fast cars-not built to turn. People love my Cobra replicia because it represents one of the early American hot rods: Light car big american V-8 combo. People always want to know if it is a big block (it is)
While GT40 racing is not yet big, we have a "Cobrafest" each year that includes a track day on a road race course. We pull about 40 Corbra reps a year. The small (302) and sometis medium (351) block cars dominate` ie have the best over all tracktimes. Thhis is up against some bored-stroked 427 side oilers putting out 550 hp in a Cobra. Thes cars are ill handling weapons. But when it comes to resale and bragging rights, the big blocks dominate!
Do you want to GO fast or LOOK like you go fast?
In truth, I have always had sports cars (TR-3 my first) because they "handled". At a recent informal track event, I LOVED to watch the 944 outrun the Cobra 427 and the MG Midget fially pass the hotshot 911 Porche. I have always enjoyed a "drivers" car.
When I motocrosses, it was the new guys with money who would go out and getthe 500cc Huskavarnas. Had to load up one after showing off to his family his new bike and no skills. Put a splint on his broken arem , got the bike loaded and sent him off to the Emergency room. The experienced guys rodw 175 cc bikes and could outrun the larer ones. Remember when the 350 cc Yamaha road racer would out run the 750 cc bikes!
The reaon I have alway been attracted to the GT40 was it's styling, and effecient performance: acceleration, turning and braking. That's what a road car should do as well as a road racer. I really know that more is not always better.
Yesterday I went to two car shows here in one day (have 2 to 3 a weekend). Was a Lamborgini Diablo v-12. Sounded ok as it arrived but nothing as good as the very basic almost primitive
soud of a big, understressed american V-8 with a flat torque curve from 1500 to 5000rpm.
. I am aways saddeded to see the Lotus with a beautiful body but an over stressed peaky turbo charged 4 cylinder.
The GT40 represents the best of all worlds (cultures). cb
While GT40 racing is not yet big, we have a "Cobrafest" each year that includes a track day on a road race course. We pull about 40 Corbra reps a year. The small (302) and sometis medium (351) block cars dominate` ie have the best over all tracktimes. Thhis is up against some bored-stroked 427 side oilers putting out 550 hp in a Cobra. Thes cars are ill handling weapons. But when it comes to resale and bragging rights, the big blocks dominate!
Do you want to GO fast or LOOK like you go fast?
In truth, I have always had sports cars (TR-3 my first) because they "handled". At a recent informal track event, I LOVED to watch the 944 outrun the Cobra 427 and the MG Midget fially pass the hotshot 911 Porche. I have always enjoyed a "drivers" car.
When I motocrosses, it was the new guys with money who would go out and getthe 500cc Huskavarnas. Had to load up one after showing off to his family his new bike and no skills. Put a splint on his broken arem , got the bike loaded and sent him off to the Emergency room. The experienced guys rodw 175 cc bikes and could outrun the larer ones. Remember when the 350 cc Yamaha road racer would out run the 750 cc bikes!
The reaon I have alway been attracted to the GT40 was it's styling, and effecient performance: acceleration, turning and braking. That's what a road car should do as well as a road racer. I really know that more is not always better.
Yesterday I went to two car shows here in one day (have 2 to 3 a weekend). Was a Lamborgini Diablo v-12. Sounded ok as it arrived but nothing as good as the very basic almost primitive
soud of a big, understressed american V-8 with a flat torque curve from 1500 to 5000rpm.
. I am aways saddeded to see the Lotus with a beautiful body but an over stressed peaky turbo charged 4 cylinder.
The GT40 represents the best of all worlds (cultures). cb
David
A point or two. As any woman will tell you finesse is often more important than size. The Ferrari P4 (If you search the forum you'll find a photo of mine) only displaces 265 CI but it makes 450 HP. Even though it lost to one MK-IV in 1967 it did win the overall championship that year. The MK-IV's were not banned because of size. They were banned because PROTOTYPE rules changed. The P4 was banned as well. Indeed Ferrari didn't race at LeMans for many years. In 68 and 69 had Ferrari been allowed to run their P4 ( They weren't because they only built 4 not the 25 that allowed the MKI's to run) the outcome likely would have been different. In 1967 the P4 beat all MKII's and MKI's that were entered and were only beaten by one MK-IV.( Mine came in fourth after two P4's.) The rule changes certinally weren't to Ferrari's benefit as they banned the only Ferrari that was capable of winning. I think the rules were changed because the 223MPH that my MK-IV obtained 75 feet from spectators scared them. The teams that were helped by the rule change were Ford who won in 68 and 69, Porsche and Matra which was of course French. Ferrari has not won LeMans since.
[ August 04, 2002: Message edited by: MK -IV J6 ]
A point or two. As any woman will tell you finesse is often more important than size. The Ferrari P4 (If you search the forum you'll find a photo of mine) only displaces 265 CI but it makes 450 HP. Even though it lost to one MK-IV in 1967 it did win the overall championship that year. The MK-IV's were not banned because of size. They were banned because PROTOTYPE rules changed. The P4 was banned as well. Indeed Ferrari didn't race at LeMans for many years. In 68 and 69 had Ferrari been allowed to run their P4 ( They weren't because they only built 4 not the 25 that allowed the MKI's to run) the outcome likely would have been different. In 1967 the P4 beat all MKII's and MKI's that were entered and were only beaten by one MK-IV.( Mine came in fourth after two P4's.) The rule changes certinally weren't to Ferrari's benefit as they banned the only Ferrari that was capable of winning. I think the rules were changed because the 223MPH that my MK-IV obtained 75 feet from spectators scared them. The teams that were helped by the rule change were Ford who won in 68 and 69, Porsche and Matra which was of course French. Ferrari has not won LeMans since.
[ August 04, 2002: Message edited by: MK -IV J6 ]
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Guest
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I hadn't spotted this thread before today, until it was pointed out to me. Once I had heard that Frank had started some controversy I just had to get on the forum to read it! Snag was the forum was down all day and has taken me upteen attempts to log on to read this.
Here I finally am and, embarrassingly, yet again I must partially agree with Frank. (On principle, neither of us can be seen to fully agree with each other as that would not be the done thing! For one, it would make meetings boring.)
However consider...
I have posted virtually my complete order list of engine parts on the GTD club site. I left out the bolt specifications (B&Q weekend specials according to Roy! Halfords actually...) It seems that more people have read it than I thought. I bought my short crate motor from PAW, in California. £700 all in but then it was 2 $US to the £. 1991 or thereabouts. Another £800 on a pair of ready built up Dart 11 CAST IRON heads. A mate built it up for me for £250. One engine rebuild only to the spec listed on the club site came to £1398, including the labour for a drag race engine guy to build it for me based on a £250 cut out block from Real Steel. That was 1997. That has been my total engine budget for 10 years of competition and track days. Well, maybe I spent about £100 on oil over 10 years, but not much more mind you.
Now I wish I had more horsepower. I wish I had a full quaife box, even the Quaife Renault parts fitted would be nice. I wish I had a light weight chassis, with light weight body of course. I wish I had a lower engine in the chassis. I wish, I wish, I wish...£20,000 later....
But I have what I have and I know I am very lucky to have it. Especially from having now done so many fun years of hill climbing and sprinting, and the 28th July! Preparing my write up for the Star is the Car page on the club site just made me realise what good times I have had. And with great friends too, ie that lot who were at Goodwood last weekend plus some others. Some of them have my wish list. We all enjoy beating each other on the track. Ha, just that some of us do it more than others. Just not this year. Man, has it been a s**t season for me so far. Doubt it is going to get better. Not if Paul and Dave have anything to say about it. I think Paul is enjoying kicking my butt. Me and my big mouth.
From these events and from these freinds I have also learnt shed loads about car engineering. Still not brilliant at it and I am very grateful to have more than 9 1/2 fingers! But I am happy to pass on what I have learnt and have had the pleasure of having helped more than a few dreamers to the reality state of owning a car. GT40 replica that is! That is a very satisfying part of my club committee work.
I have also gained a lot from this forum.
We all started out as dreamers and some will progress to owners and some not.
Some will get involved with the cars, hands on without ever being owners, and be involved in the club too.
Some will be owners but never use the car. Buy one of these if you can as it is the cheapest route into ownership going. Peanuts compared to a new build.
Some sit on the outside doing nothing, contributing nothing, but pick holes in what we do. In fact some of these can be owners too from my experience. Bollocks to them.
But everyone starts somewhere. I didn't even know what a GT40 was when I started out, only that a GTD40 was better than the Cobra replica I had made and wanted to replace. I was as young as Ron Earp looks in that picture he put out a while back when he was signing off a posting! I know just a little more now than I did then. I think.
If we were all the same the world would be a boring place. Maybe safer, but boring. So if you don't like the threads from dreamers, treat it like F1 and turn over.
Now, I would like to see as much info published on some other guy's car as I have put out about my own. I won't name names as I know they won't consider it. I know enough about their cars personally anyway to keep me going. And if Roy put out all his info it would scare the rest of us into instant submission! It is bad enough knowing the little he lets me know as it is.
I see Bob Sparks still reads this forum. I owe Bob, not that he knows it, as a long time back we did a little business together and I then later found out he was a fellow GTD owner. Citing this example of how I met important, decision making people as GTD owners (honest guv!), I persuaded my work to sponsor me fully for a years Karting with their company name on my back. Great fun but rubbish business opportunity.
Anyway, Bob, not at all surprised you busted so many gearboxes. Back then you ran a dry sumped chevy 350 at very high bhp levels through a non "quaifed" renault box. To be fair those quaife parts didn't exist then. Snag was, you were a guinea pig in mating high horsepower to renault transaxles. Never pays to be a guinea pig. It didn't work for you. You wanted controversy and you ran a Chevy in a Ford GT40 replica?...Boo Hiss....
Of course hill climbing and sprinting is not racing. Hence I like to refer to it as competition, unless I am trying to impress Rebecca. 10 weeks and 4 competition events old and loving it, I think. But I would question whether our discipline is easier on transmission components than yours. We do repeated launches on an unlimited choice of tyres as opposed to a single standing start on skinnier control tyres. Maybe you did more on restarts having all piled in at the first corner? We also stay in the lower gears more than in a race situation as our venues tend to often be tighter and twistier than we would really like. Barring Goodwood and the like that is. My telemetry says I did 70 mph in 2nd at Wiscombe for the Esses. That's on a standard Renault box. Not even sure if I beleive that bit yet! You also don't get the odd 1 in 4 inclines to cope with either.
Maybe our events are shorter in duration (you get better value for money than we do) but our chaps do a lot of track days too and they don't hold back there. I think you need to sit beside Paul to see what Roy's car can do. It will open your eyes. Close your bum but opens your eyes! The video clips do not really do the cars justice but we can't do much about that.
Anyway those are my thoughts for now.
Malcolm
PS What the heck does IMHO stand for? This is bugging me.
Here I finally am and, embarrassingly, yet again I must partially agree with Frank. (On principle, neither of us can be seen to fully agree with each other as that would not be the done thing! For one, it would make meetings boring.)
However consider...
I have posted virtually my complete order list of engine parts on the GTD club site. I left out the bolt specifications (B&Q weekend specials according to Roy! Halfords actually...) It seems that more people have read it than I thought. I bought my short crate motor from PAW, in California. £700 all in but then it was 2 $US to the £. 1991 or thereabouts. Another £800 on a pair of ready built up Dart 11 CAST IRON heads. A mate built it up for me for £250. One engine rebuild only to the spec listed on the club site came to £1398, including the labour for a drag race engine guy to build it for me based on a £250 cut out block from Real Steel. That was 1997. That has been my total engine budget for 10 years of competition and track days. Well, maybe I spent about £100 on oil over 10 years, but not much more mind you.
Now I wish I had more horsepower. I wish I had a full quaife box, even the Quaife Renault parts fitted would be nice. I wish I had a light weight chassis, with light weight body of course. I wish I had a lower engine in the chassis. I wish, I wish, I wish...£20,000 later....
But I have what I have and I know I am very lucky to have it. Especially from having now done so many fun years of hill climbing and sprinting, and the 28th July! Preparing my write up for the Star is the Car page on the club site just made me realise what good times I have had. And with great friends too, ie that lot who were at Goodwood last weekend plus some others. Some of them have my wish list. We all enjoy beating each other on the track. Ha, just that some of us do it more than others. Just not this year. Man, has it been a s**t season for me so far. Doubt it is going to get better. Not if Paul and Dave have anything to say about it. I think Paul is enjoying kicking my butt. Me and my big mouth.
From these events and from these freinds I have also learnt shed loads about car engineering. Still not brilliant at it and I am very grateful to have more than 9 1/2 fingers! But I am happy to pass on what I have learnt and have had the pleasure of having helped more than a few dreamers to the reality state of owning a car. GT40 replica that is! That is a very satisfying part of my club committee work.
I have also gained a lot from this forum.
We all started out as dreamers and some will progress to owners and some not.
Some will get involved with the cars, hands on without ever being owners, and be involved in the club too.
Some will be owners but never use the car. Buy one of these if you can as it is the cheapest route into ownership going. Peanuts compared to a new build.
Some sit on the outside doing nothing, contributing nothing, but pick holes in what we do. In fact some of these can be owners too from my experience. Bollocks to them.
But everyone starts somewhere. I didn't even know what a GT40 was when I started out, only that a GTD40 was better than the Cobra replica I had made and wanted to replace. I was as young as Ron Earp looks in that picture he put out a while back when he was signing off a posting! I know just a little more now than I did then. I think.
If we were all the same the world would be a boring place. Maybe safer, but boring. So if you don't like the threads from dreamers, treat it like F1 and turn over.
Now, I would like to see as much info published on some other guy's car as I have put out about my own. I won't name names as I know they won't consider it. I know enough about their cars personally anyway to keep me going. And if Roy put out all his info it would scare the rest of us into instant submission! It is bad enough knowing the little he lets me know as it is.
I see Bob Sparks still reads this forum. I owe Bob, not that he knows it, as a long time back we did a little business together and I then later found out he was a fellow GTD owner. Citing this example of how I met important, decision making people as GTD owners (honest guv!), I persuaded my work to sponsor me fully for a years Karting with their company name on my back. Great fun but rubbish business opportunity.
Anyway, Bob, not at all surprised you busted so many gearboxes. Back then you ran a dry sumped chevy 350 at very high bhp levels through a non "quaifed" renault box. To be fair those quaife parts didn't exist then. Snag was, you were a guinea pig in mating high horsepower to renault transaxles. Never pays to be a guinea pig. It didn't work for you. You wanted controversy and you ran a Chevy in a Ford GT40 replica?...Boo Hiss....
Of course hill climbing and sprinting is not racing. Hence I like to refer to it as competition, unless I am trying to impress Rebecca. 10 weeks and 4 competition events old and loving it, I think. But I would question whether our discipline is easier on transmission components than yours. We do repeated launches on an unlimited choice of tyres as opposed to a single standing start on skinnier control tyres. Maybe you did more on restarts having all piled in at the first corner? We also stay in the lower gears more than in a race situation as our venues tend to often be tighter and twistier than we would really like. Barring Goodwood and the like that is. My telemetry says I did 70 mph in 2nd at Wiscombe for the Esses. That's on a standard Renault box. Not even sure if I beleive that bit yet! You also don't get the odd 1 in 4 inclines to cope with either.
Maybe our events are shorter in duration (you get better value for money than we do) but our chaps do a lot of track days too and they don't hold back there. I think you need to sit beside Paul to see what Roy's car can do. It will open your eyes. Close your bum but opens your eyes! The video clips do not really do the cars justice but we can't do much about that.
Anyway those are my thoughts for now.
Malcolm
PS What the heck does IMHO stand for? This is bugging me.
In My Honest Opinion
Malcom,
IMHO is "In My Humble Opinion". Took me awhile to figure that out as well! Or others see it as In My Honest Opinion-either way.
I wish I'd gotten into GT40's before I lived in London from August to December of 1999, with all this talk of English GT40s- Maybe I'll just have to head back over there and revisit good times. I think I have a sabbatical coming up in 10 years or so
I imagine a GT40 tour of the English countryside would be more fun than a tourbus
Cheers,
MaTT
[ August 05, 2002: Message edited by: MaTTerZ ]
IMHO is "In My Humble Opinion". Took me awhile to figure that out as well! Or others see it as In My Honest Opinion-either way.
I wish I'd gotten into GT40's before I lived in London from August to December of 1999, with all this talk of English GT40s- Maybe I'll just have to head back over there and revisit good times. I think I have a sabbatical coming up in 10 years or so
I imagine a GT40 tour of the English countryside would be more fun than a tourbus
Cheers,
MaTT
[ August 05, 2002: Message edited by: MaTTerZ ]
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Guest
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Nice to touch base with you again Malcolm.
Just to recap and correct just a couple of things; All my engines have been dry-sumped and in two years I blew seven race-prepared Ford 302s trying to keep up also either snapping 5th gear in eleven Renault boxes like a carrot or stripping fourth gear completely.
I gave up on 302s and Renaults at the same time as Trevor Taylor who went Hewland, Vic Nutter also Hewland and John Bailey a ZF. With these guys I also uprated to a so-called bullet-proof 351 (£8,300) in 1994 with a Porsche 50/50 box with Quaiffe straight cut gears but destroyed the engine completely at Thruxton, it came apart at 5,800 rpm in fourth on the ninth lap (pieces still falling from the sky) - not over-revved as all my engines had a soft-touch limiter and was veeeery careful on the over-run as confirmed by the tell-tale every time. All the engines were built for low-down torque 1500-5750rpm. Having spent a fortune on Ford bits I decided to buy Chevvy which were half the price at the time, was assured more reliable and would rev a lot higher if necessary (with Spa in mind). The Chev mated to the Porsche 50/50 box was a perfect match and no problems at all for three seasons or so until I became vaguely aware of small people in my house calling me Daddy.
Going to Chev SAVED me a prospective £38,000 per year on broken Ford and Renault bits ... Boo-Hiss?
The learning curve was experienced by the four of us together at the same time as we had more or less the same experiences so it would be uncharitable to the other guys to say I was any sort of fore-runner or guinea pig.
Bear in mind that this is running 225x60x15" on 6" front and 8" rear rims treaded yoko 008 road tyres. Imagine if we'd had anything sticky or even reasonably wide?
Having said that, the level of high-speed accidents and a fatality was enough for us to effectively boycott the race series until we were allowed to run safe rubber and eventually we had a virtual majority of mid-engined cars not running so just last week it looks as though our safety request has been met. More on this when we see it in print as things have had a way of changing.
Now, please don't get me wrong, I don't take issue with what anyone has said .. other than to clarify that what we're talking about are three entirely seperate disciplines - road-use, hillclimbing/sprinting and circuit racing and that they should not be confused or criticised.
I've no doubt that many in the club have stonking machines; all I talk about is what I know from my own racing experiences and those of my friends. Hopefully now that the tyre debacle is about to be resolved we will see a few more GT40s circuit racing.
I've booked a slot for Goodwood later in the month with a pal's road standard suspension 302 GT40 and very much look forward to seeing you again Malcolm for a pleasant social day. We'll be down with daughters, 2 and 4, with appropriate distractions possibly for a mutual chreche so we can saunter off to play.
IMHO in financial circles is: In My Humble Opinion.
[ August 05, 2002: Message edited by: Bob Sparks ]
Just to recap and correct just a couple of things; All my engines have been dry-sumped and in two years I blew seven race-prepared Ford 302s trying to keep up also either snapping 5th gear in eleven Renault boxes like a carrot or stripping fourth gear completely.
I gave up on 302s and Renaults at the same time as Trevor Taylor who went Hewland, Vic Nutter also Hewland and John Bailey a ZF. With these guys I also uprated to a so-called bullet-proof 351 (£8,300) in 1994 with a Porsche 50/50 box with Quaiffe straight cut gears but destroyed the engine completely at Thruxton, it came apart at 5,800 rpm in fourth on the ninth lap (pieces still falling from the sky) - not over-revved as all my engines had a soft-touch limiter and was veeeery careful on the over-run as confirmed by the tell-tale every time. All the engines were built for low-down torque 1500-5750rpm. Having spent a fortune on Ford bits I decided to buy Chevvy which were half the price at the time, was assured more reliable and would rev a lot higher if necessary (with Spa in mind). The Chev mated to the Porsche 50/50 box was a perfect match and no problems at all for three seasons or so until I became vaguely aware of small people in my house calling me Daddy.
Going to Chev SAVED me a prospective £38,000 per year on broken Ford and Renault bits ... Boo-Hiss?
The learning curve was experienced by the four of us together at the same time as we had more or less the same experiences so it would be uncharitable to the other guys to say I was any sort of fore-runner or guinea pig.
Bear in mind that this is running 225x60x15" on 6" front and 8" rear rims treaded yoko 008 road tyres. Imagine if we'd had anything sticky or even reasonably wide?
Having said that, the level of high-speed accidents and a fatality was enough for us to effectively boycott the race series until we were allowed to run safe rubber and eventually we had a virtual majority of mid-engined cars not running so just last week it looks as though our safety request has been met. More on this when we see it in print as things have had a way of changing.
Now, please don't get me wrong, I don't take issue with what anyone has said .. other than to clarify that what we're talking about are three entirely seperate disciplines - road-use, hillclimbing/sprinting and circuit racing and that they should not be confused or criticised.
I've no doubt that many in the club have stonking machines; all I talk about is what I know from my own racing experiences and those of my friends. Hopefully now that the tyre debacle is about to be resolved we will see a few more GT40s circuit racing.
I've booked a slot for Goodwood later in the month with a pal's road standard suspension 302 GT40 and very much look forward to seeing you again Malcolm for a pleasant social day. We'll be down with daughters, 2 and 4, with appropriate distractions possibly for a mutual chreche so we can saunter off to play.
IMHO in financial circles is: In My Humble Opinion.
[ August 05, 2002: Message edited by: Bob Sparks ]
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Guest
Guest
I first thought it stood for
Imagine My Horror Of....
Didn't always fit. Didn't get round to a second thought. Maybe that was just as well!
You don't want to tour the English countryside, fantastic as it can be, as 40's get a bit big on the tiddly roads. Can over heat too if traffic builds up. May be better up north but in the south east its horrible at times.
Malcolm
Imagine My Horror Of....
Didn't always fit. Didn't get round to a second thought. Maybe that was just as well!
You don't want to tour the English countryside, fantastic as it can be, as 40's get a bit big on the tiddly roads. Can over heat too if traffic builds up. May be better up north but in the south east its horrible at times.
Malcolm
After Bob Sparks Renault (pronounced Re No in the USA
) experiences I am really glad I started the Quaife (dreamer) thread. Wow.
[ August 05, 2002: Message edited by: CCX33911 ]
[ August 05, 2002: Message edited by: CCX33911 ]
G
Guest
Guest
Crikey Bob, you sure trashed some gear! Your annual budget looks like my career budget. Maybe you should come hill climbing and sprinting after all and save the money for daughters weddings!
See you on the 19th then, but my 40 is unlikely to be there as I am not rushing to put it back on the road after its off. Look out for the Lotus though...
Malcolm
See you on the 19th then, but my 40 is unlikely to be there as I am not rushing to put it back on the road after its off. Look out for the Lotus though...
Malcolm
G
Guest
Guest
We all did a lot of mechanical trashing of Renault boxes and 302s whilst racing Malcolm. The cost couldn't be sustained of course that's why I switched to Chevrolet and outed the Renault box in 1994 as did the other guys.
That's not to say the Renault isn't ok for other purposes, it seems to stand up well to non circuit racing use.
Just to let you sleep at night my latest racing GT40 presently in the build will bear a Ford with Weslake heads and a ZF.
If my guest drive in the 40 falls through I may threaten you with my pre-war ex-racing, speed hillclimb and twice-Monte Carlo Rally finisher 1935 3&1/2 Bentley Continental Drop-Head Sports Tourer which is being prepared for racing again. Bags of lock and sliding fun.
[ August 06, 2002: Message edited by: Bob Sparks ]
That's not to say the Renault isn't ok for other purposes, it seems to stand up well to non circuit racing use.
Just to let you sleep at night my latest racing GT40 presently in the build will bear a Ford with Weslake heads and a ZF.
If my guest drive in the 40 falls through I may threaten you with my pre-war ex-racing, speed hillclimb and twice-Monte Carlo Rally finisher 1935 3&1/2 Bentley Continental Drop-Head Sports Tourer which is being prepared for racing again. Bags of lock and sliding fun.
[ August 06, 2002: Message edited by: Bob Sparks ]
52 replies in one week to one topic, is this a record?
Maybe but it is only three ahead of the "New Quaife Coming Out.... Things are looking up" thread.
