Brian Evans wrote:
>
> At 04:17 PM 11/07/97 -0400, you wrote:
> >Vintage racers,
> >
> >OK, Now I'll bite.
> >
> >Ive been listing this list server for over a year.
> >
> >As a new member of VARA, I see that there are a lot of "questionable"
> >modifications performed as standard prcatice. I am sure that other
> >clubs are more strict about internal mods, but what exactly constitutes
> >allowable mods?
> >
> >Feel free to resond by club.
> >
> My interpretation of VARAC's rules (I'm really curious to see what Mike
> thinks of the same rules, BTW) are divided into two groups - engine and car.
> The following describes our production rules - pre 1962, for sports cars,
> and sedans up to 1965. Formula Juniors should be per their rules (and
> Monoposto rules now) and our Historic class - up to 1972 - can pretty much
> run Trans-AM, or CANAM, or whatever rules the car fits in to. All cars must
> meet CASC safety rules, which for VARAC are a little relaxed from current
> CASC reg's.
>
> Engine: you can do just about anything to the engine as long as you use the
> original type castings for block and head. Extensive head porting is
> allowed but don't actually move the valve locations (much). Compression is
> as much as you can afford! Cams and valves are free. Cranks are free but
> must use the stock stroke. Journals may be increased in size. Rods are
> pretty much free, although I'd question changing rod length. Bore can be up
> to .065" over. The engine must remain the same basic size as originally
> sold in the car that you have - so that bugeyes and midgets must use 948cc
> for pre-62 class, for example. Dry sumping is not allowed in production
> classes, unless it came that way stock. Speed equipment available in the
> era of the class is allowed - so a mini could run an 8 port head unless the
> head design was different than what was available then. Roller rockers
> weren't available then, so don't use them now. Carbs are anything that was
> available then, so Webers are allowed.
>
> Car: Transmission has to use the original casing, and gears must be the
> same ratios as available in the era - OEM or aftermarket. There's a really
> good argument to be made that synchromesh must be as original, so dog boxes
> would be illegal. Rear ends must use the original housing but ratios are
> any that fit, so swapping in a 9" ford ain't allowed. (This has caused
> problems for some guys who had cars with poor rear ends as stock).
>
> The bodywork of the car must remain in the original material. Replicas of
> neat cars that had much modified bodies aren't allowed (no sebring sprites
> that didn't run at sebring, for example). Flared fenders not allowed except
> for Minis, which must run grp 2 flares only. Inner fenders shouldn't be
> modified although most people do. Roll cages are allowed - max 6 point and
> the roll cage must be contained within the passenger compartment. Roll
> cages should not be designed to stiffen the car materially, and they can't
> be multi-point attached to the car. Two door bars are allowed. Hoop must
> be two inches over the drivers head on open cars, as close to the roof as
> possible on closed cars, no detachable fiberglass tops allowed.
>
> Suspension must be as stock, but bushing material can be upgraded. No
> adjustable heims allowed (welding them up after they're adjusted ain't
> allowed either). Pickup points can't be moved. Shocks and springs must be
> as original (no tube shocks replacing lever arms, no coil overs). Windows
> can be Lexan, in the original thickness of the glass, but windshields must
> be laminated glass. Aero screens can be lexan. Wheels can be up to 1" over
> stock in any dimension, track can be up to 1" greater, ride height can be up
> to 1" lower. Brakes must be as original, or availble as an over the counter
> upgrade.
>
> Common rule breakages? Lot's of cars have the ribcase BMC gearbox rather
> than the smooth case that they should have. Lots of cars have 1/8" lexan
> windows rather that the 3/16" that is the proper thickness. Quite a few
> cars have one or two heim joints, primarily to ease installation rather than
> any nefarious intent. I suspect that few cars in our club have illegal
> engines, but every single Mini is a dry suspension Cooper S 1275cc car,
> which rather boggles the imagination - that's actually a rather rare
> combination in the history of Mini's! The aforementioned inner fenders,
> roll cages that extend into the trunk, and so on - mostly fairly innocuous
> but some cars have ALL the common stretches, so they puch the edge as far as
> I'm concerned. I think that a fair number of the faster cars have Dog gear
> tanny's, and that they are starting to have weird LSD's that definitly
> weren't on the dealers shelf in 1959!
>
> Brian.
Does this mean that Shelbys and Boss 302's cannot lower the upper
control arm mounting points like Shelby and the Trans Am teams did back
then??
Bill Dalton
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