Greg Wolf wrote:
> I have no problem believing a TR6 can keep the big ones at bay since
a lot of
> those older Mustangs and Camaros were low compression smog bound. For
> instance a 1975 Trans Am had a 400 c.i. V8 that produced 185hp! Of
course
> there are a lot of highly modified muscle cars out there and the
Detroit guys
> are starting to appreciate polyurethane bushings and sway bars so
choose your
> competition carefully. I'll take a small light weight sports car over
a
I absolutely agree! Remember that the older muscle cars are now
subject to as much enthusiasm as our own LBCs, so if you do meet a
restored muscle car that is interested in racing, rest assured he does
not have a 185hp big block under the hood!
I get my hp kicks out of my Pantera. Ripping off the strangulating
1972 emissions gear (why then have I keft in on my '74 TR6?), and
taking advantage of modern materials (pistons, rockers, ignition),
machining (lightening, balancing, porting, block-shaving) and
performance equipment (carbs, intake/exhaust manifolds), I can do
12.8 ss 1/4 miles at Carlsbad raceway. I've never been beaten at
a stop-light drag (I especially delight in plastic cars and Japanese
"sports" cars), but I sure have been whipped plenty of times from the
Xmas tree by older road-legal Camaros & 'Stangs with blowers driven by a
crazed driver with blood and grease on his knuckles.
Using new technology on the old iron restores their vigour in a way
small engines, new and old, cannot cut it. "There is no substitute
for cubic capacity", because what cubes gives you is torque. Torque
means more to the novice lead-foot (me) and is easier to control
than a screaming 4-banger with a 1000rpm wide power band. Its kinder on
the clutch too!
Out on the track things are a little different. Although I have
worked the suspension (again with modern materials and performance
enhancements), and the brakes now sport modern linings, the 2900lb
curb weight of the Pantera does show. Once at Willow Springs I was
*following* a tweaked Miata driven by one of the track instructors.
Though I could blow by him whenever the road even looked like
straightening out, I had trouble keeping up with him into and through
corners. Admittedly he was far more experienced, but agility counts
for a lot! I'm still learning, and one year I hope to beat him!
I dont even want to think about trying to keep up with turbo'd BMW M3s.
What I enjoy most is "vintage racing". Both my cars are over 25 years
old, and they are enjoying their second childhood. It really is
silly to compare the old with the new (there are exceptions as I
indicated above), because technology has advanced a lot. But by
merging some new technology into our old cars, we sure can shake up a
lot of new-car owners!.
Shane Ingate in San Diego
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