Roadrace cars... vintage, nostalgia, historic

[McKee]

Originally Posted by rodncustom

What would you like to know?

My dad restored it for Bruce Leven here in Seattle in the early 80's. It certainly may have been restored again since that time. When my dad restored it back then, we finished it and took it to Monterey and the car ran at Laguna Seca and then we took it to Pebble Beach and showed it on Sunday. I say "we" only because I was with my dad while he was doing this although I was only about 7 or 8 years old.

Cool!,...any more pics?

[red sled]

A profile shot would be great.

[NHBandit]

Originally Posted by exwestracer

Might even have been a later version... or a team car, depending on whether it was Jim Hall, Roger Penske or Hap Sharp driving. Hall usually had the more innovative parts on his car, while the team cars were more "standard". That's one of the reasons Hall is known more as a designer than a driver. He was as good as anyone, but his cars had problems more often than his teammates. The louvers were an early attempt to kill lift by allowing the trapped air to escape from under the car. Hall's way of thinking about aerodynamics changed the entire face of racing...

You're correct. It's a 2C. Slightly later than the Chaparral 2 they raced in 63,64 & part of 65. The 2C was the later 65 & 66 version and didn't have the gills. Here's my Revell/Monogram 1/32 scale 2C slotcar.

[3AMideaz]

A few groups of pics shot by my Dad at Greenwood Roadway, Warren County, IA (30 miles S. of Des Moines).
The track was only open from 63-66.
Enjoy!

Found a lot of good info on the track (& a bunch more pics) at the following site.
http://www.chuckbrandt.com/greenwood.htm

[3AMideaz]

Here be a few more . . .

[3AMideaz]

& a few more . . .

[willymakeit]

I am cuirous as to what shocks and sway bars they used to make them handle on the straight axles. I beleive the early MG's would be the ones to look at. Remember a book from high school by Felsen that had a story about one.

[Harry Bergeron]

Lever-action shocks were common on the British cars, and changing the thickness of the oil in them was standard practice.

There was also a spring-loaded valve inside you could mess with, IIRC.
You could also destroy a shock by using too thick oil in too cold weather--break it right off.

Tires were so narrow that lean was not such an issue, and you saw lots of wheels lifted right off the ground.

[60'shotrod]

My Boss used to own and race this very famous Cobra, it was in the 1963 Le Mans 24 hrs.

Nick.

[model.A.keith]

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[Harry Bergeron]

Here are late-30s BMW 328 production chassis with special bodies, made for distance racing -- Mille Miglia, Rome-Berlin and Les Mans.

The BMW Museum now owns all these but two, and is very generous about showing and racing them.

[model.A.keith]

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[Just Jones]

I love this thread.

Just a different aspect of traditional hot rodding. Anyone doubting it should go back and look through the old magazines from the 50's and 60's.

[jroberts]

Originally Posted by modernbeat

While it's not the rip-roaring racecar most folks think about when you say "vintage", here's the 1963 SAAB that my friend Jeff and I prepared for Historic Rally. We converted it to a 1967 Monte Carlo engine (850cc, three carbs) which all the experts said was impossible without a custom hood. The engine is a three cylinder, two stroke that's been prepared for racing with full-race porting (porting = cam on piston port engines), full circle crank, high compression lightweight Venola pistons and a replica of the SAAB factory expansion chamber. We've updated the transmission to a built-to-the-hilt later four-speed. The floor and all suspension pickup points has been reinforced and all the suspension arms have been plated for strength. The shock mounts have been converted to double shear. Rally tires are no longer made that will fit the skinny tires and skirted fenders - so we're using Mickey Thompson Mini-Mags which are usually found on the front tires of vintage baja bugs or baja rail buggies. The dash features a circa 1969 Terra-Trip rally computer and factory rally gauges. The auxiliary lights are Cibie Super Oscars. The suspension and brakes have been restored to better than new and we're running Bilstein shocks. The only thing not vintage about the car is the safety equipment - the FIA cage, the Recaro seats with current FIA certs and the SFI tagged belts.

Unlike 95 percent of the cars in this thread, this a a vintage race car that's actively RACED at 10-10ths today. This car is driven in stage rally events, with unrestricted speed limits on gravel, mud, dirt, and hopefully in snow and ice this winter. We damaged two pistons at the last event, but the motor will be back together for New Years.

Man does this ever bring back some great memories. I owned two Saabs and 95 (station wagon) and 96. Both were V4's. My wife and I rallied the 96 quite often back in the '70's. I always wanted a two stroke. Had the chance to buy an 850GT once but was young with few resources beging a public school teacher so I had to pass on it. Lately I have begun to lust after another old Saab built for racing. One day maybe......

[jroberts]

This thread is absolutely fantastic. Thanks for starting it and thanks for the rest of you for keeping it going. Too much cool stuff to comment on everything. Brings back a lot of memories.

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