Rennsport Reunion?

Hey Fran
Are you attending the Rennsport Reunion in November?
It's a great opportunity to showcase the 917 replica body/chassis.
I would think there would be at least a couple of sales made while there. The folks who have more money than god are usually in attendence......Seinfeld was there last time....they were looking over the Kraftwerkz chassis...don't know if he bought one or not...
 
So you can take the replica and beat the piss out of it and not risk destroying the 2 million dollar "real" car.
 

David Morton

Lifetime Supporter
Probably the same reason as to why people buy cobra replicas when they already have a real cobra, put the real one minus its Vin plate/ID Plate (call it what you will) into a container and stash it away safe from prying eyes, then campaign the replica and as JohnC so eloquently puts it, beat the piss out of it. I know of several cobras that are being passed off as the real thing - the guy who made them is a good friend of mine and he made them better than the real thing.
A 917 would be a slightly different proposition simply because of the engine/gearbox
and anything else would be very difficult to pass off as a real Porsche 917 car.
 
First Cobras, now GT40s and soon 917s ? The exclusitivity of these wonderfull machines becomes clouded with the oversubscribed replica market, with too many manufacturers, too many unfinished projects, too many cars on the market for sale. How many Cobras originally built, 300+ ? How many Gt40 originally built, 150+?, how many 917s ? What will kill the mythical excitement of these cars, poor replicas that never achieve the reallity of the originals, and of all of these the 917 must be the one car that should never be replicated, nothing will get near the original, its an evil, blood curdling beast that should never be uncaged, you cant get the essence of a tiger out of a pussy cat !
 
Frank,
Are we all to assume that you a packing up working on these replicas then.

I seem to remember you berating me for saying that the GT40 was like a comfortable sofa compared to a 917. Perhaps you would like to tell us all about when you did a comparison between an original 917 and a replica. I don,t think you have. I can tell you here and now that there are many very close comparisons except for the number of cylinders and gearbox, but the power to weight ratio can be easily matched. Some of us want to achieve an experience as close as possible, but at an affordable price.

I also remember you saying how Redman had driven Robin Batts WEALDEN modified 40 round Spa and that it was as good as an original. Don,t remember you saying anything about poor replicas then.

Strikes me that if it is,nt a Wealden modified car, its no good.

One of these days , hopefully you will say something positive about what OTHERS do and achieve.
 
First Cobras, now GT40s and soon 917s ? The exclusitivity of these wonderfull machines becomes clouded with the oversubscribed replica market, with too many manufacturers, too many unfinished projects, too many cars on the market for sale. How many Cobras originally built, 300+ ? How many Gt40 originally built, 150+?, how many 917s ? What will kill the mythical excitement of these cars, poor replicas that never achieve the reallity of the originals, and of all of these the 917 must be the one car that should never be replicated, nothing will get near the original, its an evil, blood curdling beast that should never be uncaged, you cant get the essence of a tiger out of a pussy cat !

I am not sure I understand this comment, do you think that by less people having access to something then it is better? If that is the case Henry Ford should have never mass marketed cars and only rich folks would have a horseless carriage. Will there ever be a mass production of 917 replicas, in my opinion, no. It is too small, uncomfortable, evil (as you say), and only useful on the track. So lets pretend that in all dreams there are 1000 917 replicas ever created (way way to high to be realistic but we can pretend). What harm has this done? It could excite someone too young to have seen them ever race, it could excite someone that does not attend the few vintage races a year where real 917's race, it could plain just be fun.

I like cars, let me rephrase that, I love cars. I am also nowhere near as rich as some folk so I am forced to watch a 917 run unless a replica is created that I can purchase. Since I like to drive rather than watch I love the idea of having one that is obtainable. Maybe it is just me but I hate exclusivity and will never understand why a quality replica does not benefit "mythical" cars rather than kill it. Maybe it is just me but I say mass produce them, let me get one at 30K and I will wave at my neighbor that has one as well. Okay maybe that is an exageration...

Conclusion, I love the idea of replicas. If the car ends up not built but in pieces for 30 years, not my problem. It does not detract from finished examples, it is simply a bargin for someone else to finish it.

Just my opinion

Kevin
 
An overabundance of replicas can hurt the market for the real thing to *some* degree, sure. But I would be shocked and amazed if that happens with the 917. It has probably happened some with the Cobra, but I doubt any Cobra owners are unhappy too much since they probably never planned to sell them anyway. There are so many fewer 917's to be had, and it's so not a car that you can drive to Sonic to show off (Sonic is a drive-in burger chain here in the US that often has classic car gatherings on weekend evenings for those that don't know). That said, my monocoque replica will get driven on the street some. *shrug*

Also note that one of Fran's replicas will be better than the real thing in a lot of ways, so it *could* be desirable to even a real 917 owner who wanted to "play" in one, as has been pointed out. For one thing someone with stature should fit in a replica much better. It'll have more room for a second person, should your needs require that. It should also be stiffer and much more crashworthy than an original.

I don't care to even approach the horsepower numbers with mine that a real one had. I had a Lotus Elise (early Federal car) and have experienced tiny, hard to get in and out of, loud, and uncomfortable. I was fairly fine with all of that, but the real problem was it was 200HP at 2000 pounds, and you didn't get the power until high in the revs (and it came on with a switch...ugh). I think 350HP or so with some torque in that same weight will be more than enough fun for any sane person (not that I begrudge those of you who require more...go for it! It's just enough for *me*). I'll get my jollies making the thing handle on track rather than trying to win a long series of drag races rudely interrupted with brake zones and turns. ;)

And if I ball it up, well, it won't have been THAT expensive when you talk about what I have in it.


--Donnie
 

David Morton

Lifetime Supporter
How strange. I must be missing something. I didn't read anything near what 9174GT seems to have read into Frank Catt's posting.
Maybe if I play it backwards.........
 

Fran Hall RCR

GT40s Sponsor
Back on topic boys...no thread drift required....

Mr. Catt can express his concerns in another forum if he wants...but not in this thread.


The question, if I read the thread title correctly is "will I be attending the Rennsport Reunion "...not should we build replicas of otherwise unattainable cars ..and I say we should and WE WILL !!!!

We were planning on attending but I have sold the tubular chassis demo car and it will be gone prior to the Reunion...

I dont want to take a mono car to the Reunion and we dont have time to build another tube chassis car.....

So I will be there with some pals but minus a car...
 
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Hey folks, go visit Mershons, really. Link is above. Nice looking car.

Would be interested to see if anyone knows of this car? Construction craftsmanship and all.
 
Fran,

You have a return PM.

My appologies for placing the link in this part of the forum. I have no association with this car or Mershons. It will never happen again.
 
Yes, David.

Read it properly and go back over previous postings to see relevance. As Fran has said this thread is not the one.
 
Warning Flag!!
 

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