Automobile racing.

[KeyGrip]

Does anybody else here race? My family has been participating in amateur time trials for about ten years now; we race with the Alfa Romeo Club of Southern California. I bet there are a few vintage racers here.

 

[KL15]

Don't race vintage cars. I would love to but my taste in vintage race cars and my income don't meet just yet. But I'm working on that. I used to race late models on the local dirt tracks where I live. But on account of the rising fuel price, and when I moved away from my shop I got out of it. I sold my race car about 6 months ago and it's killing me.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Moved this thread to a more appropriate room.

Brad

 

[The Wingnut]

I attend and work a lot of vintage races and I've got a '74 Datsun 260 Z that I'm slowly working to turn into an autocross and track car.

There's nothing quite like the sound of numerous engines winding their way through a tight road course.

 

[frijoli]

Does anybody else here race? My family has been participating in amateur time trials for about ten years now; we race with the Alfa Romeo Club of Southern California. I bet there are a few vintage racers here.

I used to race Volvo 122, and a 64 Studebaker Gt hawk! Wrecked the Volvo, and was afraid I might wreck the hawk and quit. Then sold the hawk to a friend.

Clay

Ps. mine was Black: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Studebaker_GT_1964.jpg

 

[KeyGrip]

I like the looks of those 122s, Volvo should look to them for some new styling cues.

 

[frijoli]

I like the looks of those 122s, Volvo should look to them for some new styling cues.

I agree. That would make a great retro style car!

Clay

 

[StraightEight]

I run a '91 SpecMiata with a friend of mine in SCCA and NASA. On the vintage front, a pal of mine and I built a '53 Ford Mainline V-8 for the 2002 La Carrera Panamericana in Mexico. We were on the road three weeks, had a great time but were exhausted. The car dropped its overdrive on the last day and we had to do a head gasket change (not a big deal on a flat head), but otherwise ran far better than we dared hope for.

 

[frijoli]

I run a '91 SpecMiata with a friend of mine in SCCA and NASA. On the vintage front, a pal of mine and I built a '53 Ford Mainline V-8 for the 2002 La Carrera Panamericana in Mexico. We were on the road three weeks, had a great time but were exhausted. The car dropped its overdrive on the last day and we had to do a head gasket change (not a big deal on a flat head), but otherwise ran far better than we dared hope for.

What A PERFECT car for this race! I bet it was a blast.

Clay

 

[JimInSoCalif]

In the late 50's I raced with SCCA and Cal Club - they were seperate organizations at one time. At first I drove an AC-Bristol rather poorly. In 1959 I switched to an Alfa, won a few races and had a lot of fun. It took a couple of races to get used to the Alfa because it had so much understeer. I drove a rear engined Elva with a Coventry Climax engine a few times - had a few mechanical problems.

Stopped racing in the early 60's and found that being a spectator at the road races was not much fun. During the 70s and 80s I spent most Saturday nights at the Sprint Car races - the most exciting racing I have ever seen.

I guess I was a much better Sprint Car spectator than a sports car driver. I did spend some time shooting photos of Sprint Car racing - that was probably more dangerous than racing my Alfa.

Cheers, Jim.

 

[Tiger Pilot]

I used to race some vintage Formula Ford (eek! Can it really have been 13 years ago?) and now mostly do vintage rallies in my '65 Alfa Spider Veloce or '67 Alfa Duetto. Lots of Alfas in these posts, I notice. My dad and I restored the Veloce from a wreck he bought while I was in college (1972) and the '67 we bought new for my mom. Too much family history to ever part with.

Kent