>It always amazes me to see how many performance enhancing "tricks" are done in
>the interests of "safety" but never is the reverse true.
Sometimes both interests are served, and that's ok by me. But the guy (a
good friend, actually) who wanted to put ventilated brake disks on his
E-type in the interests of safety didn't win that argument!
>
>For example, true magnesium wheels are a much greater fire hazard than
>aluminum wheels, but I have NEVER heard anyone switch from mag to aluminum for
>purposes of the increased fire safety that aluminum offers (they might switch
>for reasons of cost perhaps, but never safety). Why aren't people as
>enthusiastic about safety improvements when it hurts performance?
I think they are, really. Don't forget that you don't sit inside of your
mag wheels, while you do sit inside of you plastic interior. I don't run
original mags because I'd worry too much about cracks. I'd run new mags
without hesitation, cost aside!
>With onboard fire systems, fuel cells and cutoff switches, is a period
>authentic interior really that much of a fire hazard and thus "dangerous?"
Yes. The fumes from burning vinyl can hurt you quickly, and a burning
headliner could slump over you, covering you in flames quickly. It's kind
of like smoking - it's dangerous, but many people do it anyway. Doesn't
mean it's the right thing to do, but it's still legal.
>How many fires have we had in vintage racing anyway?
I seem to recall seeing about one fire a year, on average, perhaps two.
Cars sometimes destroyed, mostly not. I recall about three instances of
serious injury due to fire, no deaths. ( over the last ten years, at races
I've attended).
Our objective should be
>to preserve the old race cars and the replicate the spirit and appearance of
>the era.
That's what we're all trying to do, each in our own way.
Brian
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