Maddest race cars
Discussion
NFC 85 Vette said:
AmosMoses said:
My first race car was a Nostalgia Top Fuel car - 161" wheelbase and a Big Block Chevy running on 95% nitro. You mention diffs letting go, this one was the traditional 'legs over' arrangement, where you're sat behind the back axle with your legs straddling the driveshaft, and crotch nestled behind the diff casing.
The more dodgy way of doing it was in a 'legs under' arrangement, where you slid your legs beneath the axle. In the event of that letting go, instead of losing your gentleman sausage like you would in a legs over car, it would probably result in the ring gear taking out your stomach and insides, quite unpleasant. That type of car lost its appeal quite quickly, as did most front engine cars after Garlits had his foot blown off.
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My car was something of a handful, it weighed around 800kg and made around 3000bhp. Unfortunately we didn't get much track time and the option to go racing an Altered and get paid (pennies) came up so we transplanted the engine to a Fiat Topolino Altered and had a crack at that.
NFC 85 Vette said:
My first race car was a Nostalgia Top Fuel car - 161" wheelbase and a Big Block Chevy running on 95% nitro. You mention diffs letting go, this one was the traditional 'legs over' arrangement, where you're sat behind the back axle with your legs straddling the driveshaft, and crotch nestled behind the diff casing.
The more dodgy way of doing it was in a 'legs under' arrangement, where you slid your legs beneath the axle. In the event of that letting go, instead of losing your gentleman sausage like you would in a legs over car, it would probably result in the ring gear taking out your stomach and insides, quite unpleasant. That type of car lost its appeal quite quickly, as did most front engine cars after Garlits had his foot blown off.
[url]
My car was something of a handful, it weighed around 800kg and made around 3000bhp. Unfortunately we didn't get much track time and the option to go racing an Altered and get paid (pennies) came up so we transplanted the engine to a Fiat Topolino Altered and had a crack at that.
Good info, thanks for sharing.The more dodgy way of doing it was in a 'legs under' arrangement, where you slid your legs beneath the axle. In the event of that letting go, instead of losing your gentleman sausage like you would in a legs over car, it would probably result in the ring gear taking out your stomach and insides, quite unpleasant. That type of car lost its appeal quite quickly, as did most front engine cars after Garlits had his foot blown off.
[url]
My car was something of a handful, it weighed around 800kg and made around 3000bhp. Unfortunately we didn't get much track time and the option to go racing an Altered and get paid (pennies) came up so we transplanted the engine to a Fiat Topolino Altered and had a crack at that.
Would also be interested in seeing the Fiat!
ChevronB19 said:
Any pics of the Topolino? Love drag cars, but will stick to circuits myself!
The last weekend with the car, with a 496cid KB - made a good amount of power, and we had just started to get the clutch into the operating window. The final run was an early shutoff 6.69/173mph having launched in high gear (in the hope of having a simple A to B run on a new engine). Having clocked 183mph at the 1/8th, had it held together, we were looking at a 6.40 or so at 230-235mph despite it being really soft to at least 330ft. Not record breaking, but decent enough. It probably had the potential to run low 6's and some big speeds - maybe one day I'll have another crack at it, but for now I'm focused on getting the Corvette Funny Car finished (build thread in readers cars for those interested).
Big Block Chevy days - lots of noise and torque, horrible to maintain
For me these have to be up there for road cars appreciate two are concepts as such, but still utterly mad.
Vector W8, just absolutely everything about them
Nazca BMW M12, the doors/roof was just late 80's early 90's "how can we make something even crazier"
Of course the Cizeta (Moroder) V16T
Vector W8, just absolutely everything about them
Nazca BMW M12, the doors/roof was just late 80's early 90's "how can we make something even crazier"
Of course the Cizeta (Moroder) V16T
NFC 85 Vette said:
ChevronB19 said:
Any pics of the Topolino? Love drag cars, but will stick to circuits myself!
The last weekend with the car, with a 496cid KB - made a good amount of power, and we had just started to get the clutch into the operating window. The final run was an early shutoff 6.69/173mph having launched in high gear (in the hope of having a simple A to B run on a new engine). Having clocked 183mph at the 1/8th, had it held together, we were looking at a 6.40 or so at 230-235mph despite it being really soft to at least 330ft. Not record breaking, but decent enough. It probably had the potential to run low 6's and some big speeds - maybe one day I'll have another crack at it, but for now I'm focused on getting the Corvette Funny Car finished (build thread in readers cars for those interested).
Big Block Chevy days - lots of noise and torque, horrible to maintain
For the Nic Mann fans - his hill-climb special is slightly mad in that it uses a separately fuelled helicopter turbine instead of a turbo or supercharger!
http://raceenginedesign.co.uk/the-manic-beattie/
Holds the Sports Libre class record at Shelsley Walsh!
http://raceenginedesign.co.uk/the-manic-beattie/
Holds the Sports Libre class record at Shelsley Walsh!
ChevronB19 said:
Wonderful! Is the cover at the front an aerodynamic device, or is it a radiator (or both)? Sorry, bad eyesight and I can’t tell!
It was the fuel tank - a rather large one (around 19 gallons, the norm tends to be 12-15 gallons). Originally it had a rounded front and relied on self weight to produce enough load on the front axle and keep the front end down. As we wanted to retain a period look, it didn't have a front wing - but like an old Miura, as it burned fuel, the front would become light and would pick the front wheels up and wheelstand at 180mph+.
For the following season, the front of the tank was cut off and re-profiled with some end fences added, to make the tank work in more of an aero way.
It made a slight difference, but it still picked the front up. I expect eventually we'd have gone with plan B, which would be a perspex single element front wing - so something not massively obvious until you're close up, but with some useful downforce. The wheelbase was 125" but looked a lot shorter by clever placement of the front axle (normally a torsion beam front axle would be mounted further back, in line with the back of the tank).
The majority of Altereds tend to be Funny Car chassis' with a different body. The Funny Car front end is a bit better for weight placement over the front end - the fuel tank sitting ahead of the front axle.
Corvette piccy for comparison
Shaun_E said:
For the Nic Mann fans - his hill-climb special is slightly mad in that it uses a separately fuelled helicopter turbine instead of a turbo or supercharger!
http://raceenginedesign.co.uk/the-manic-beattie/
Holds the Sports Libre class record at Shelsley Walsh!
you should enjoy this https://www.facebook.com/STAVTECH/videos/248655373...http://raceenginedesign.co.uk/the-manic-beattie/
Holds the Sports Libre class record at Shelsley Walsh!
Features Nick and also the Subaru Rocket
jimmytheone said:
Max_Torque said:
For me, this is pretty much top of the list:
yes, a race car, but one that took it's most famous drive on a public road:
If you didn't know, you'd think the footage had been speeded up.........
I’ve seen that before but it doesn’t get any less crazy. Surely that must be approaching the limits of human life given the G involved? Fuchsrorh for example and flazgarten2. yes, a race car, but one that took it's most famous drive on a public road:
If you didn't know, you'd think the footage had been speeded up.........
This..
If Carlsberg did racing cars this is what they'd look and sound like:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk89EqfGme4
If Carlsberg did racing cars this is what they'd look and sound like:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk89EqfGme4
Cambs_Stuart said:
Not sure if land speed record cars are allowed, but I've always thought the golden arrow was an amazing thing.
If LSR cars are allowed, then the Golden Arrow is amazing, but not mad. This is mad:
Up to 20 solid fuel JATO rockets. No throttle - once they're lit, they're lit until they burn out.
Literally a case of light the blue touchpaper and stand WELL back!
ker has got lift generating wings on it.
Jim Spencer said:
This..
If Carlsberg did racing cars this is what they'd look and sound like:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk89EqfGme4
Surely if Carlsberg made it then it would just buy a can of piss with nothing really to it If Carlsberg did racing cars this is what they'd look and sound like:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk89EqfGme4
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