<VV> Fiberglass race cars

[BBRT]

The Yenko Stingers raced in D Production where the body had to be steel or 
as factory supplied (if other than steel). This was from 1966-83. Our cars 
became increasingly less competitive due to advances in other marques and as 
James says, our cars are bricks compared to Datsuns/Nissans, Mazdas, and 
Toyotas, etc. This factor has carried over to today's classes. Roller cams, 
Ovhd Cams, EFI, 4 whl disk brakes, etc.

Later, for a competitive class, the only one a Corvair had a chance in was 
GT3. The road racing rules precluded a tube frame car until the 80's when GT 
3 was formed and D Production (where Stingers raced) was rolled into it 
(1984). However, a totally tube frame car had a narrower track allowance 
than did a Semi-tube frame car. Most were Semi-tube frame, as James 
describes, using a the steel floor pan and rockers. My GT3 car, that Jon 
Brakke developed, is such a semi-tube frame car as were most Corvair GT3 
racers. This car has a carbon fiber thin shell with fiberglass gel coat on 
it - cold carbon fiber fenders, front and rear "trunk/engine" lids. Roof is 
steel and doors had to be metal.
Bob Coffin may remember if there were any other total tube frame GT3 
Corvairs.

One other factor has loomed large and that is the displacement of a Corvair 
engine. The car is has a 2.7L engine which puts it in an awkward position 
between 2.5L and 3.0L (plus it is hvy compared to others).

In vintage racing the cars are grouped basically by performance and size. 
There are always much faster, later and more developed cars in a class. A 
Corvair looks huge on track compared to the competition.

Chuck S
BBRT
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James P. Rice" <ricebugg at mtco.com>
> Autocrossing was in it's infancy back then.  Track days hadn't been 
> invented
> yet.  Given the lack of a place to run them, and lack of competitiveness 
> if
> you tried, nobody built a fiberglass bodied tube frame Corvair, aka: a
> Corvair funnycar for roadracing.  So far as I know.  There wasn't anyplace
> to race such a critter if you built one, and better car choices if you
> wanted to go fast.
>
> Warren's car is built up on a EM floor pan per the SCCA rules at the time,
> with a tube frame doing most of the work.  The body is mostly f'glass he
> made or adapted to fit the short wheel base.
>
> The car Mel refers to is a SCCA GT3 car, meaning a steel LM Corvair center
> section with cage and tube frames extending front and rear from it.
> Suspension design is free.  There are several such GT3 cars within the
> Corvair community.  The Mel's did run at Sebring in a SCCA race or two, 
> but
> not the 12 hr.
>
>