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[Fot] New Cars, New Parts

Subject: [Fot] New Cars, New Parts
From: steve at artwithcars.com (Steven Belfer)
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2018 13:44:29 -0700
References: <002701d3baf6$3fe28f90$bfa7aeb0$@klaenv.com> <CAMJWJcHTvEsh5NhJadyPR6EijkWbNVzEEWvctSJH6w+Wdv6OXg@mail.gmail.com>
I was lucky enough to drive Ken?s TR4 and I?m pretty sure it?s got rocket 
boosters in there somewhere. 

~Steve


> On Mar 13, 2018, at 12:51 PM, John Styduhar via Fot <fot at autox.team.net> 
> wrote:
> 
> ?I agree with Ken. As long as my car will pass the safety tech inspection, I 
> should be able to "fix" my TR any way I like if it keeps me interested in 
> this hobby.  If I want to shoehorn in a SBC, just put me in a different class.
> ?
> 
> 
>> On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 2:08 PM, Kenneth Knight via Fot <fot at 
>> autox.team.net> wrote:
>> It is good to see that other clubs are allowing newer cars into their races. 
>>  VARA has been doing this for several years so that we could survive, keep 
>> the club solvent and the cost of racing reasonable.  The future of vintage 
>> racing is an expansion to cars from the 80?s and 90?s, they are long past 
>> their prime in other venues, cheap and they bring in new drivers.  They are 
>> in fact ?vintage?, like our cars were in the 80? and 90?s.  More important, 
>> these are the guys and gals that lusted for a certain hot car of the that 
>> era and now have older kids and the bucks to go racing.  Without these folks 
>> our sport will pass along with us.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> The same is true of parts.  Much of our equipment is worn out and not 
>> maintainable without great cost and effort any longer.  Gear boxes are an 
>> example.  I am down to my last good transmission case for my dog box.  When 
>> that goes, or the gear set is toast, I am making the switch to a modern box 
>> (same ratios) that I can maintain.  Like many of us I have missed races 
>> because of transmission failures.  Tony runs a Ford 8? because he doesn?t 
>> want to get hurt, and it is bullet proof for racing, even has a weight 
>> penalty.   A gear box switch is inevitable if we want to keep our cars on 
>> track at an expenditure of time and money that makes sense.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> There are tons of other parts that make engines last longer (and yes they 
>> make more power).  An old TR motor is nothing but half a Chevy Small Block; 
>> those guys spent hundreds of millions developing motor parts that we can 
>> take advantage of.  Same is true of blueprinting techniques, there are much 
>> better ways to build engines than ?back in the day? and if you read a book 
>> and learn how to do it the bloody lump lasts twice as long.  Last time I had 
>> my motor out I could have put the coated bearings with 25 races on them back 
>> in.  At 36 races I had <5% leak down on the rings and valves.  Started out 
>> building the old school way, with old school parts, those days are over as I 
>> don?t have the time to spend five days in the shop for every day at the 
>> track.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Oil.  There is no such thing as cheap racing oil.  Modern oil is the best it 
>> has ever been and makes the motor last.  I had technical help from Lake 
>> Speed who is the ?man? for Joe Gibbs Driven race oil.  The stuff is $18 a 
>> quart but will last 500+ miles in the car (4-6 race weekends).  Just change 
>> the filter after every race and add on quart, total cost $30.00.  I can run 
>> all the way down to 27 wt. (mixing) but just run the 30 wt. racing oil even 
>> at +100 degrees in the desert and the oil pressure is always spot on.  Tight 
>> clearances, light oil and great bearing life, well worth the cost.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> My point in all of this is that ?vintage? racing is changing, both the cars 
>> and the people.  We are going to have to accept and adapt or slowly see our 
>> sport fade.  They will always be a special place for those cars with a 50 
>> year race history, prepared exactly like it raced in 1965.   For the rest of 
>> the grid, and those of us that don?t have cars with history, there are going 
>> to be cars with certain changes that get us to the track.  Besides some of 
>> us are just SoCal Hot Rodders at heart with a touch of ?good ole boy? NACAR 
>> ingenuity.  Now I need to get back to work on that 85% scale TR-4 body in 
>> aluminum, or possible carbon fiber???..Everyone have a great 2018 season 
>> racing!
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Ken
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
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>> 
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>> 
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>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
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> 
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