Ah yes, Myles - but like nirvana the spirit of preparation is often an ideal
to strive for, never to be achieved...
Our rules (VARAC) contain many ambiguities, which if implemented as though
the spirit of the rule was the fact of the rule, would result in unsafe cars
that would not meet the CASC rules that our races are santioned under. So
we compromise the spirit to meet the reality of modern safety. For example,
our rules state that a roll bar/cage may not be installed so as to improve
the stiffness of the chassis. CASC rules mandate that it does, of course -
that is after all what a roll cage is for!
I love to see well prepared cars of all types, and I certainly like to see
originality. But as a licensed CASC scrutineer, I tend to be obsessively
looking for safety hazards, and I tell the drivers about them. After that,
if the car meets the rules, it's their choice. Examples: stock seats that
either haven't been locked upright, or are relying on the stock mechanism to
do so, stock headrests that are more cosmetic than functional, vinyl door
panels and headliners, but also poorly mounted window nets, seat belts,
copper fuel lines, aged rubber lines, marginally loose wheel bearings, worn,
but not worn out steering boxes and racks, main breaker switches that the
driver can't reach when belted in, original tempered glass windows, and a
host of other things. Maybe I'm just nosy ;) but I always do it, and I
doubt that I'll stop...
Cheers, Brian
At 04:37 PM 6/29/98 -0400, you wrote:
>To those interested...
>
>I'd certainly agree that a fully stripped interior is safer from a fire safety
>point of view. But it also violates the spirit of preparation of many
>sanctioning groups. Personally, I'd hate to see ALL vintage race cars show up
>with all aluminimum interiors.
>
>Myles H. Kitchen
>1965 Lotus (fire trap) Cortina Mk1 #128
>
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