What COM folks are building...

[horizenjob]

Was considering dual exhaust, but got layed off a couple weeks before xmas, so may wait another year.

Will probably settle for straightening out the radius rod someone bent sliding off the turn before the straight at the last event. Not sure if I should take it out and jump up and down on it or just bang on it in place. Maybe I could drive my street car over it? Probably won't even get the car up on the sawhorses this winter.

Breakaway, you know the NASCAR guys used to fill their bottom frame rails with lead shot - it probably lowers your center of gravity. Might be worth giving it a try...

[breakaway500]

The LAST thing I would to to my car is ADD ballast weight. That V8 Lotus looks like it would be a BLAST to drive.

[horizenjob]

image001.jpg (101.66 KiB) Viewed 2930 times

The LAST thing I would to to my car is ADD ballast weight.

Oh well, I had to at least try. It's an old NASCAR trick because they put a hole in the tubes and cover it with tape until the race start. Then the car loses a lot of weight in the first couple of laps. Eventually they learned to weigh the car after the race...

I like the look of that Lotus. It's very spare - in those days you didn't win a race because of an engineer with a wind tunnel. Notice how small those un- vented rear brakes are! By recollection those were ~500 HP and maybe 1200 lbs.

I think this is a good setup for single exhaust:

[horizenjob]

Um, we do allow keresene fuel I hope.

[breakaway500]

^I guess they don't have to worry about tailgaters

I remember reading about those lead BB's.They used to say "bombs away!" when they released them.

Those brakes don't have to be very big with so little weight to stop. My Atom only has 11" manual brakes (they are vented)and it takes a good two laps at speed to get them to work 100%,even using Carbotech 12 pads.They just don't heat up fast.

[horizenjob]

Well it's an F1 car and may not weigh much, but it's still a little surprising. Formula Atlantics have vented rotors with less then half that power.

Something about that car just tugs at me though. Not a point and shoot job at all. No downforce. Looking at those tires I can only imagine you really need to mean it when you put the pedal down. I am pretty sure that car would be in a serious drift all the way from turn 3 till the long straight. The mental demands must have been tremendous, 1/4" too much throttle at the top of our hill - could really hurt you. Watkins Glen, Bridghampton, and Mt. Tremblont - you look at that car and think about corners with names like "El Diablo" - well that really means something.

I also look at the car and wonder how much of aero these days is just driven by advertising. There isn't nearly enough surface area on that vehicle to pay for itself!

Now for some thread pollution...

Mark, I don't know why you need to keep dragging politics in here. The Kennedy's gave a great deal to this country and are truly part of what has made it great. It took real courage to stand up in front of America and say "Who amongst you would be content to have the color of your skin changed". So few words and such a powerful thought. It was enough to get you killed.

When was the last time we had a politician who would say to America "We choose to do these things - not because they are easy but because they are hard..."

[Dave_G]

Something about that car just tugs at me though. Not a point and shoot job at all. No downforce. Looking at those tires I can only imagine you really need to mean it when you put the pedal down. I am pretty sure that car would be in a serious drift all the way from turn 3 till the long straight. The mental demands must have been tremendous, 1/4" too much throttle at the top of our hill - could really hurt you.

You're not the only one. Those cars were monsters, and dangerous ones. They were unbelievably quick (for the time), but frequently lethal. The driver sat surrounded by a full race load of fuel. They wore no harnesses, because it was judged safer to be thrown from the car than to be strapped into what amounted to a bomb with four wheels. Those guys had some serious attachments.

Have a look at these 1967 clips from the Nurburgring and Monza (Sorry for the thread drift!):

phpBB [video]

phpBB [video]

[breakaway500]

I don't believe aero is voodo science. One of the reasons modern formula cars are so fast is their ability to load their tires well beyond their vehicles weight.It is said they can run inverted they generate so much downforce.
As far as politics..one good apple does not make the whole batch sweet.

[Brendan]

I'm delaying going out to the garage to work on this right now... Back on track this spring.











- Brendan

[breakaway500]

Get some heat in that garage and start wrenching! That way,you will be ready for the first event in spring Your car looks very tidy and professional.

[TroyV]

Brendan's car makes me drool. I can't wait to see that car at the track when it is done.

[Brendan]

It's been a long project. I initially thought I'd be back on track for last season, but at least I'm enjoying the project. Here's how it started:



I don't have much left to do before I try to get it running and tuned. Here's the full build gallery for those of you with time on your hands:

http://bcm.smugmug.com/Cars/BMW-E30-M3/ ... 8715_v9kKi

[jeffw]

Brendan: Is that the IQ3 dash? I've been thinking about upgrading to the IQ3 from the G2x... How do you like it ?

-j

[fact5racer]

I am returning to COM this season with a 2005 Nissan 350Z track version that I bought from DWW. Will be running n ST1

[timmmy]

I am returning to COM this season with a 2005 Nissan 350Z track version that I bought from DWW. Will be running n ST1

I had a 3 students last year with 350Z's, one was a track version and I was lucky enough to get to drive a few sessions in it. I did not really push it as the student was wiht me, however I have to say ti was a hell of a machine.....Unbelieveably capable for a showroom stocker! I think you will love it

BTW, BMW above = Drool