In a message dated 21/05/03 4:07:16 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
listreader@pvision.co.uk writes:
> This raises a very good point. If no "original" parts exist (eg NOS) then a
> replacement must be allowed - else the car ceases to race
>
> Logically, then, all historic cars would eventually cease racing and we'd
> have to race modern cars
>
> Because we don't want to do this we must "agree" to allow non-original-spec
> parts in cars. And the extent of this modification must be set out and
> policed by the clubs - and supported and agreed by the racer
>
I think that this is the rationale for the use of larger than 2 litre engines
in 911s - they are hard to find.
I think hard to find is relative - many rarer cars had fewer engines made
than you can find for a 2 litre Porsche with very little effort and even if
they couldn't, they could use a 2.2 with small barrels and pistons. Basically
the "I can't find one" plee is a crock.of ______!
I have no problem whatsoever with the use of billet cranks in cases where the
stock one would last a couple of races before destroying itself, or modern
mods for reliability in other areas.
I don't even mind the idea in principal of using larger displacement more
mildly tuned engines in place of fragile highly tuned engines. There is, I
believe, a class of former Formula Vs in the East that allows 1500 cc engines
but restricts carb size, and the result is reliable engines that you don't
need to rebuild every couple of races.
What I would not allow, and what some have indicated does happen, is larger
engines in cars with body mods.
If a guy shows up in a stock looking Bugeye with a 1275, I'd be inclined to
let him run. If he showed up in a 1970s/80s SCCA car with flairs and asks to
run, I'd send him home (whether he had a proper engine OR a 1275). The former
looks just fine from trackside (the '50 foot test'), the latter just doesn't
look kosher/vintage.
Bill
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