I like the idea of keeping the cars period authentic. One of the
problems
that I struggle with is that I think my car is really neat and I want to make
it the best Honda S800 race car that I can. I want to do all the things that
will allow my car to show off it's potential and run up front. Those last
three words are what everybody wants to do. It also leads directly to red
mist. Of course, when I say 'up front' for my car I don't mean overall
victory, just 1st in class.
So, I sometimes get some great ideas of what would make the car faster
before I stop to think if that would be period authentic. So far, my budget
has pretty much restricted me to the period authentic 60's technology for
most items.
Another problem that is somewhat unique to my car is that so few of them
were raced in the States, that I really don't know exactly what a period
authentic 'G' Production Honda S800 would have been like. My aim in
preparation has been to recreate what could have been done in 1967.
Of course I have electronic ignition. I also put a Quartermaster racing
clutch on the car. It's probably not period authentic (in that they probably
used the stock clutch) but I got real tired of wasting a race weekend if the
clutch gave out. Naturally the new clutch is much lighter than the stock
clutch. Little advantages like that tend to creep in with changes to any
part of the car. I can see where this could lead someone to think about
swapping out the entire front suspension of a Comet for Mustang components
(as part of a brake system upgrade) without stopping to think whether it is
period authentic.
There seems to be some real strong sentiments about keeping the cars
period
authentic as if everyone always knows exactly what that means. It is not
always that simple. It can be a very fuzzy line between what is period
authentic and what is 'modern' tech. on some cars. I thought it was very
enlightening to read what Mr. (Thicko) Thompson said about his vintage car
and how it was a currently "legal" car but out-ran his time capsule car by
such a dramatic margin at Road America.
Which reminds me, I hope I get the opportunity to show him what 850cc of
Team Escargot Honda is capable of doing at some race next year. Of course it
really isn't fair, he only has 948cc of BMC power to work with. I suppose I
should watch out for devious team tactics with the rising popularity of this
Team Thicko operation. I wonder if all those Bugeye racers are smarting from
getting beaten by a Honda in HP at the National Championships this year?
Doug Meis
Team Escargot - "Rub shoulders, not fenders"
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