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Transplants

To: WSpohn4@aol.com, Vintage Race List <vintage-race@autox.team.net>
Subject: Transplants
From: Jim Hayes <hayes@mediaone.net>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 22:44:10 -0500
WSpohn4@aol.com wrote:
> How about the D type
> that ran at Westwood, fitted with a big block Chev motor 
Or the Ferrari Testarossa that Neil Cargyle (Nashville, TN) ran in SCCA
C Mod in the late 50s and 60s with a Corvette Fuelie engine after
telling Chinetti where to go when the second engine blew up. Or the
Maserati 300S I found in a barn in Brockton, MA in '73 that had been
raced with a 400 ci Pontiac? Or the T series MG with a Flathead Ford
that runs VSCCA? Or the Riley/Flathead "Ardent Alligator" from VSCCA.
And then, the most whacko perhaps of all, Briggs Cunningham's SSK
Bu-Merc with the straight 8 Buick engine?
Everyone should read Alan Girdler's "American Road Race SPecials" book
to see what a variety existed!
Long before the sports racing cars became high tech, the modified
classes thrived with modified production cars mixing it up with the real
race cars. Many were created by engine swaps when it became unfeasible
to replace the engine with originals or the owner simply wanted the
extra speed of a small block V8. 
The BOP aluminum V8 probably holds the record for the most varied engine
swaps due to its light weight and small size. Worked great in Lotus 19s
and Cooper Monacos - started the movement that became the USRRC and
CanAM. In fact we (my brother and I) owned a Cooper Monaco modified by
Ed McKee for Roger Ward with a 333 Traco Chev and an aluminum body by
Troutman Barnes. (Photo on the second row of the archives page:
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/hayes/archives.htm )
And, man, did those V8s sound good!
Jim 
-- 
Jim Hayes                  Fotec/Cable U
hayes@mediaone.net         http://www.CableU.net
jeh@fotec.com              http://www.fotec.com/
All generalizations, with the possible exception of this one, are false!

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