Sorry I couldn't resist, after the good natured references to solid axle
Corvettes (and 63'/64' "broken axle Corvettes") with our "Lord Humungus"
stone age drums and damn near primitive steering...All true and we love
it! I am just entering the organized world of vintage racing, but having
experience in my 62' Corvette in the Pony Express 100 and hill climbing in
the 60's in a 55' AH/BN1 (no, not an "S"...but I did consider louvers in
the hood because it looked so kool) my take is that you simply drive within
the capacity of your car, the road and your skills. That dance or
balancing of cause and effect events is what draws me to driving "at speed"
and ultimately what generates my big S..Eatin grin.
Do drums pull? Sure, if not adjusted properly and frequently; and, even
sometimes if they are. Do drums fade? Certainly, but you expect that and
compensate for it. I am attempting to enhance the heat dissipation and
fade resistance of my drum brakes, but my personal decision is not to use
discs...not because of any puritanical ethos but because I really love the
"steers like a tractor and rides like a truck" character of my 62'.
One more rambling anecdote. With the splendid help and advice of a fellow
Corvette driver and his wife who followed behind me in their car, I was
able to have great fun making my first laps around the Thunderhill track in
my 62'. But before I went out on the track I conducted a "reality
ceremony"; I gave his wife a slip of paper to hold for me for safe-keeping
until we were off the track and then she could return it to me, written on
that slip of paper was: "Phil's Ego". I guess what I am trying to say is
vintage anything is supposed to be fun! I hope as I progress into a venue
that a lot of you have been in for many, many years that I will find myself
surrounded by people driving very fast, driving within their abilities and
driving with huge grins. Beyond that I could care less what you have under
the hood or disc brakes, only that you know how to drive.
Just my perspective....Phil:::
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