It still sounds massive -- but I could see some dedicated individual
ramrodding such a project.
I'd think things would still have to be verifiable from some source,
somehow, before they would become part of this bible. How do we know you
aren't lying like a rug about your '33 Widget Speedster's specs, knowing
that finding someone to impeach you is well nigh impossible (the only other
10 '33 Widgets left in the world are not raced, and half of them are in the
private collection of an Arab sheik)?
OTOH, If I were to supply the specs of my '64 Spitfire and fudged something
to my advantage, it would probably be found out fairly easily, which would
be true of most cars we see. It's the rarer ones that would be most suspect
(which has been true in the past history of protests -- a certain Morgan in
the '70s comes easily to mind, and FWIW I've heard [perhaps more legend than
truth] the spec on a Morgan is whatever Peter Morgan thought it should be
when he was building THIS one. LOL.).
--Rocky
----- Original Message -----
From: "Charles" <golden1@britsys.net>
To: "Rocky Entriken" <rocky@tri.net>; "Eric Salem" <eric@mail.brown911.com>;
"'Mark Andy'" <mark@sccaprepared.com>; "'autox mailing list'"
<autox@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2004 5:44 PM
Subject: Re: Subject: Re: shop manuals
> That's exactly the beauty of an online database, it can be self building.
> The info can be aquired from many sources, but put into the database
> primarily by the competitors themselves, without involving any dealers,
> manufacturers, or other outsiders unless they voluntarily want to
> participate.
> If I have the vital specs on a 1933 Widget Speedster model A OK, wether I
> got them from the only original service manual in existence, from other
> Widget owners/collectors, from measuring my cherry original Widget, from
> other online sources, reviews in a 1933 edition of Car and Driver, or
> wherever, I can upload them to the database under 1933 Widget Speedster
> model A OK along with where they came from. That then becomes the defacto
> specifications for determining the legality of ANY 1933 Widget Speedster
> model A OK. If someone else decides to run a WS, he can build it to those
> specs knowing he will be legal, or if say he disassembles his Widget and
> finds by actual measurement the intake valve diameter is different than
what
> the C&D reporter claimed, that would be a more authoritative source and
once
> submitted would then supercede the C&D spec the following season.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Rocky Entriken <rocky@tri.net>
> To: Chuck <golden1@britsys.net>; Eric Salem <eric@mail.brown911.com>;
'Mark
> Andy' <mark@sccaprepared.com>; 'autox mailing list' <autox@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Friday, March 12, 2004 4:56 PM
> Subject: Re: Subject: Re: shop manuals
>
>
> > The problem with an online searchable database is the amount of work it
> > would take to set it up, and then the amount of work it would take to
keep
> > it updated -- and that's assuming SCCA could even get such a broad range
> of
> > information from all the carmakers whose products are used by Solo II
> > competitors. Would Porsche and BMW -- which seem to be two of the major
> > problem areas making cars not uncommon at our events -- readily supply
ALL
> > of that data. A piece here and there to answer a specific question,
> perhaps,
> > but All of it?
> >
> > And again, it is gathering a gazillion bits of information and data to
> have
> > ready for when a dozen or so questions come up. Way overkill.
> >
> > (I would not oppose the idea if SCCA wanted to take it on -- the
idealist
> in
> > me rather likes it, actually -- but the realist in me sees the practical
> > difficulties with implementing it).
> >
> > --Rocky
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Chuck" <golden1@britsys.net>
> > To: "Rocky Entriken" <rocky@tri.net>; "Eric Salem"
> <eric@mail.brown911.com>;
> > "'Mark Andy'" <mark@sccaprepared.com>; "'autox mailing list'"
> > <autox@autox.team.net>
> > Sent: Friday, March 12, 2004 7:36 AM
> > Subject: Re: Subject: Re: shop manuals
> >
> >
> > > I think the real solution is a searchable online database where anyone
> and
> > > everyone can contribute specs from any and all sources. That way even
if
> a
> > > spec on an obscure car isn't "perfect" it still is uniform and
> > referencable
> > > prior to protest for all competitors. It would also encourage, rather
> > than
> > > discourage protests since the protestor would know in advance what
> > standard
> > > the protestee would be held to rather than the current "I think he's
too
> > > quick but I don't know anything about the specs on that car, so I'll
> > submit
> > > a laundry list to the PC in hopes something sticks". IMHO the current
> > system
> > > DIScourages protests, since the car may indeed be illegal, but if you
> > guess
> > > the wrong thing to protest the car could be declared legal and you
look
> > like
> > > a sour grapes fool with a lighter wallet.
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