Amici:
Since meeting Jeff Snook at Daytona recently, we've discussed how I should
proceed with the "restoration" of the TR4A I got from Jack Wheeler. Jeff
suggested we take it to the FOT to get other opinions.
The scenario is: The car has raced continuously since the early '70s, being
upgraded continuously to stay competitive in SCCA club racing. That, of
course, means flared fenders, crank trigger ignition, wide wheels, slicks,
etc. By 1987 it was competing regularly in the Runoffs and in 1990 won the E
Prod championship. In '93, it was wrecked badly, then rebuilt and raced again
from '95 through '97. Prior to the wreck the steel bodywork was replaced with
fiberglass so I have the bodywork that was on the car when it won in '90. In
short, although it has a long racing history, its most significant event
occured well after the timeframe the vintage racing groups are trying to
recreate.
I've decided to "restore" the car to be used primarily at HSR and SVRA events
in the Southeast, so I'll be getting rid of the fiberglass bodywork and other
things that aren't compatible, but I'm interested in the opinion of
experienced vintage racers as to how far back I should take it. I'm told I'll
still be able to drive it in SVRA (Group 10) in its 1990 configuration (steel
flares and slicks) but not in the same group with other TRs.
The issue is, how should an old car with a somewhat significant, but very
recent, racing history be restored for vintage racing? If I put the original
steel bodywork back on (with all the original Runoffs tech stickers, etc),
it'll be virtually identical to it's 1990 Runoff winning configuration, but
that means flares and slicks too, and the inability to drive it with other
TRs. If I put on a set of unflared fenders, go to narrower wheels and vintage
tires, it'll be back to what it would have looked like in 1966 or so, but not
like it did when it won its "big race".
I'm not tuned into "history" as it pertains to race cars, so my plan right now
is to take it all the way back to '66, put the flares, etc. in storage and if
someone wants to make it look "1990" someday in the future they can, but in
the meantime I can race it as it looked way back when. Any reason I shouldn't
do this? Am I missing something by ignoring the biggest part of its history?
Am I depriving some young child of anything (other than my boy James, who
might miss a few meals as a result of this project)? Does anybody really care
about "history"? Anything else?
Thanks...
Don Marshall
Jacksonville, Fla
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