In a message dated 98-04-02 07:53:27 EST, rdmallory@earthling.net writes:
<< Thanks for the comments, The way I read it is cosmetic trim pieces (hood
scoops?)
are permitted as long as they were not added to increase clearance.
Well, it's not so much the way you read it, as the way your competitors will
read it, and the way the "officials" ruling on the protest will read it. You
just might get away with bolting a scoop on the hood, and calling it a
"cosmetic trim piece." But punch a hole in the hood underneath and it would
be a pretty stupid "official" who wouldn't interpret that as a performance
enhancement.
> I would love to run the LAT hood. Where do you see it is allowed in the
Solo
> rule book.
This is a gray area, and I have heard that in some SCCA regions, they don't
see the LAT options as legitimate "factory" options, which are allowed. Here
in Southern California, several of the major "movers and shakers" on the SOLO
II Committee are Tiger owners, so we get a most favorable interpretation of
the situation.
The "situation" it seems, is based on the assumption that if you went down to
your friendly neighborhood Rootes dealer around about 1964, 1965, 1966, or
1967, and ordered up yourself a brand new Sunbeam Tiger, and if you ordered up
a number of doo-dads that we call LAT options, they would be installed on the
car, by "factory" personnel, at one of two locations--one on the east coast
and one on the west coast--before your dealer ever took deliver on the car.
That would make 'em "legitimate" factory options, and thus blessed by the
SCCA.
I don't know for a fact that that's the way it really was. We had an ex-
Rootes dealer speaking at a C.A.T meeting once upon a time, and when I asked
him to verify that that's the way it was, his not-so-exciting response was
"What's an LAT option?"
(I hope we don't have any SCCA spice lurking here!!!)
Anyway, in reality, you aren't likely to draw a protest unless you start
running close to your local hot-shoes in the class. Have you had a chance to
run against the new 'vettes that they just bumped down from ASP 'cause those
poor weenies were tired of gettin' thier silly asses kicked by ancient Lotus
Elans and brand new Mazdas?
Maybe Norman or Barry can shed some light on the "factory-installed" version
of the LAT options for us. In any event, unless you have somebody in your
region with a major bonner against Tigers, you're much more likely to draw a
protest on an aftermarket hood scoop than the LAT hood. And besides, you
won't screw up a good original hood! And the car will still look like a
"real" Tiger!!!
Ramon
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