Joined
·
2,840 Posts
Well, it was superseded by the Lobster Claw Brabham.
Posts by Gripping Pneus
41 - 60 of 2630 Posts
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
Maybe they just fitted very long seat runners.
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
An excellent nostalgic film on the 300SLR. Thanks. Lucky those cops didn't pull him in for having no front number plate though.
It looked like John Watson driving.
I always loved the sound of straight 8's. V8's are wonderful but we hear them all the time now. No one will ever build a new (car) straight 8 again for a lot of technical reasons. A long distant memory was of a British dragster at one of the very first Santa Pod meetings which was powered by an alcohol burning straight 8 Buick. It sounded terrific, but the engine would have been more suitable as a boat anchor.
It looked like John Watson driving.
I always loved the sound of straight 8's. V8's are wonderful but we hear them all the time now. No one will ever build a new (car) straight 8 again for a lot of technical reasons. A long distant memory was of a British dragster at one of the very first Santa Pod meetings which was powered by an alcohol burning straight 8 Buick. It sounded terrific, but the engine would have been more suitable as a boat anchor.
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
Chris Amon's Ferrari, British GP Silverstone 19/7/69
![Clothing Tire Wheel Car Land vehicle]()
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
I love the run-off area at the side of the track and the exposed timber pole! How times have changed.
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
Didn't the 917 CanAm cars have lots of cubic inches and turbos? That's what it took to win that class. Of course, they would have been a handful at the Targa.
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
To introduce some slot car content, here is a contemporary photo of an ECRA CanAm Porsche that I built at the time. The lexan body is showing its race battering. There were no decal sets in those days!
![Motor vehicle Guitar accessory Automotive design Vehicle Hood]()
This one really took a bashing when I pranged it because it was much heavier than the others I put two Mura Group 20s in it to try and replicate the sort of power that the real ones had. I discovered the remains of the chassis a few weeks ago in a long unopened tin. The motors were contra-rotating which is not the most efficient way to go but when you have that much surplus power, who cares?
![Auto part Wood Metal Event Machine]()
It was not a success of course as it was too heavy, but it was fun trying. Various bits have been robbed out for use in other cars but you get the idea.
This one really took a bashing when I pranged it because it was much heavier than the others I put two Mura Group 20s in it to try and replicate the sort of power that the real ones had. I discovered the remains of the chassis a few weeks ago in a long unopened tin. The motors were contra-rotating which is not the most efficient way to go but when you have that much surplus power, who cares?
It was not a success of course as it was too heavy, but it was fun trying. Various bits have been robbed out for use in other cars but you get the idea.
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
I have just been sent a link to some old Targa Florio footage, previously unseen by me. It's a right old mish-mash of clips culled from various sources but worth a look. The in-car practice shots are revealing! In Italy in the 1960's you would have been applauded for this. In the UK now they would lock you up.
The disjointed film ends with some footage of the start ramp of the Giro D'Italia, an entirely different event on the lines of the Tour de France Auto. These are really stage rallies with the stages on race tracks.
The disjointed film ends with some footage of the start ramp of the Giro D'Italia, an entirely different event on the lines of the Tour de France Auto. These are really stage rallies with the stages on race tracks.
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
Ha! He still resembles that man too.
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
Did you know Mrs Stewart-Menzies that well?
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
Another esteemed F1 driver also had a bad experience with tin-tops. Nigel Mansell and Donington Park spring to mind.
It's best to stay away from the rough end of the playground.
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
Sure do! "The man's an animal !"
I was inclined to agree too. It was many years ago though and now it's nice to see Steve Soper back racing historics after a nasty period of ill health. He drives a mean Lotus Cortina.
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
Beardy, That is an interesting version of the BRDC timekeeper's box and pre-dates the photo in Trisha's post. You can see in the photo that the panels below the ground floor windows have been knocked out so that competitors and crews could walk straight in to see the practice times and race results which were pinned up on the walls. I remember it well.
The old timber bar was close by, and when racing was finished you could drive in and out of the paddock by crossing the track at Woodcote Corner and going close by the bottom of the box, just to the right as viewed on the photo. On one occasion the driver I was crewing with and myself had been in the bar for a couple of pints with his arch rival and we all left together. I often drove the tow car back home but on this occasion John jumped into the driving seat and headed to the exit followed by his rival Hugh. As we came to Woodcote John turned right, on to the circuit, followed by Hugh. It was obvious to me that this was likely to end in disaster as both tow cars with trailers and their precious cargos accelerated towards Copse.
After a hairy side by side rounding of the corner common sense prevailed luckily and a more sedate tour of the track ensued. Racing was finally over for the day.
The old timber bar was close by, and when racing was finished you could drive in and out of the paddock by crossing the track at Woodcote Corner and going close by the bottom of the box, just to the right as viewed on the photo. On one occasion the driver I was crewing with and myself had been in the bar for a couple of pints with his arch rival and we all left together. I often drove the tow car back home but on this occasion John jumped into the driving seat and headed to the exit followed by his rival Hugh. As we came to Woodcote John turned right, on to the circuit, followed by Hugh. It was obvious to me that this was likely to end in disaster as both tow cars with trailers and their precious cargos accelerated towards Copse.
After a hairy side by side rounding of the corner common sense prevailed luckily and a more sedate tour of the track ensued. Racing was finally over for the day.
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
That's a Potvin crank driven blower which as you say were almost obsolete by about 1964/5. They were replaced by the ubiquitous GMC 6/71 top mounted belt driven jobs - the ones you collected in the face if you dropped a valve.
Most the European machinery that I can readily think of had direct crank driven blowers, usually at the front. AU's was vertically mounted at the rear and I think the Alfa straight 8's were low down on one side, driven from the power take off in the centre of the crankshaft
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
Sorry! Couldn't resist.
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
I hope she has a strong enough constitution to cope with the bogs at 7 a.m.
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
I wonder how many of his unsavoury aspects will be included?
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
Nope. Monaco, Pau and Angouleme are still running.
Joined
·
2,840 Posts
I must say that I very much like the latter two tracks, but Angouleme is licensed for a maximum 120 mph speed and Pau for 140 mph so this limits the cars that can be raced there.
There was no such limit at Pescara where Fangio in a 159 Alfa Romeo was timed at 192 mph! This is on a cambered public road with trees kerbs and houses on each side and no special surface in a 1950 technology car. It's bum clenching just to think about.
There was no such limit at Pescara where Fangio in a 159 Alfa Romeo was timed at 192 mph! This is on a cambered public road with trees kerbs and houses on each side and no special surface in a 1950 technology car. It's bum clenching just to think about.
41 - 60 of 2630 Posts
