on 5/21/03 10:34 AM, MHKitchen@aol.com at MHKitchen@aol.com wrote:
Doug:
To add to your thread on this..and perhaps to the confusion...
I, for one, favor practicality, safety, reliability, and operating cost
impact over originality, and believe that acceptance adjustments need to be
made by the sanctioning groups to allow certain modifications that generally
"make life safer and easier" for the vintage racer. Some of these can be
argued to be performance enhancements, but in my view are not substantially
so. For the most part, these exceptions are invisible to the spectators.
Such examples include:
1. A distributor-based electronic ignition (not a crank fired,
distributorless one), to replace points/condensers.
2. Replacing a generator with an alternator.
3. Replacing often hard-to-find and rare glass with Lexan/Plexiglass.
4. Using modern DOT treaded radial tires (an increasing area of difficulty
for some racers/tire sizes).
5. Using a proper driver's seat to replace a standard OEM seat (BTW - I
still use the original seat in my Cortina and a number of people have
commented on seeing me hanging on to my window net in a hard corner!....I've
gotten used to it by now!).
6. Using straight-cut, dog engagement transmission internals with the same
ratios as OEM, and in the same case/configuration as OEM.
7. Use of modern, "billet" or other reproduction components to replace
critical, hard-to-find, or out of production OEM suspension components, such
as brake rotors/hubs, wheels, spindles, arms, and/or any other parts that
are subject to critical fatigue and cracking/failures. A case in point is
Lotus Cortina front brake hubs. No NOS hubs exist. All hubs that I am
aware of that have been in service that have been recently crack-checked
were found to have cracks. I know of 3 failures in use (1 was mine). The
ONLY replacement choices are a used, potentially cracked one, or a NEW,
aluminum-billet fabricated one from the UK.
Depending on the organization, some or all of these modificaitons may be
allowable, but most would not be if the SCCA GCRs were enforced to the
letter. There must be room for exceptions to accomodate the vintage racer
for the reasons cited above. Does anyone else agree with this??
Regards,
Myles H. Kitchen
1965 Lotus Cortina Mk1 #128
Miles,
As far as I am aware, most race organizations allow each of the items
that you mentioned. I completely agree with all of the items you have
listed. None of those items offer any substantial increase in performance
(some may argue the trans. internals but most production cars have either
alternate ratios or alternate final drives listed in the SCCA regs. I would
simply add that the same number of forward gears must be retained). All of
the above items are reasonable, practical modifications that make the racing
safer and more reliable.
P.S. Treat yourself to a proper racing seat before you fall out of your car!
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