Elan 26R Upholstery Questions

[cabc26b]

Dag, Gary and Ed - we have 4 cars here - 3 with similar configurations

GA = 1260/572
DH = 1287/585
GS = 1380/627
Ed = 1488/676

I get Gary being the lowest because he is not carring the safty gear -

I have weights on my car from a number of track scales and a couple of corner scales used in set up ( will have fresh data this fall if the car goes back on track) so feel somewhat confident in what I am reporting.

The delta between dag and gary , seems small given the weight of a cage and fire extinguisher but I could see it with the new light weight bodies and the pannels available, maybe a new frame helps to -

Dag are you running the new "GTS" bodywork ?

In my case, for me to get where Dag and Gary are I would have to walk away from my vintage race car with history and the orignal frame and body it ran in period and build a continuation car with the new body and frame and use alloy in places not used in period - skip the knock-ons and used alloy bolt on hubs and magnesium minilite wheels alloy calipers and brackets, maybe hollow sway bar, use carbon kevlar hoses instead of rubber/metal braded - you have to get tricky to net sum out the safty gear, plus any other mandatories the regulators throw your way - this is something I am not willing to dor, in fact I think it would wrong to do so.

Ed's car's weight may a function of not taking any of the reduction measures that the rest of us performed plus some extra's ??? maybe the closest to period configuration ?

I recall reading a quote from Dave Bean saying that it was difficult to get an 26R much under 1400 lbs -

Dag, This is what I am refering to when I say spirit of vintage - which over here use to be non-profit clubs focused on period correct cars and safe on track behavior - relying on cubic euros/BPS/$ seems foolish in light of the fact that it takes you away from originality and pushs you over the line on diminishing returns -

[twincamman]

I can probably over come any weight deficiency with my superior driving skills and cougar like reflexes - - --ed well CabC I tend to agree strongly ----but the amount of money people spend to win a $10.00 trophy always amazed me ----its all about just being there at the vintage level and having fun ---------ed

[Dag-Henning]

- I tell you, if I had a car with racing history from "the old days" , I would keep it as it was , as "correct" as ever possible. Definately !! However, it seems we discuss two different things... If you race, - with a desire to win-, you will do what it takes to be competitive under the regulations ! There is no other way, and you don't do it for ugly crome plastic-cups.....

Keeping "old history" alive is definatly equally interesting, but a different story. I have an old works rally Escort TC , ex. Ford Norway, that I try to keep "as was" . I do not want to modify it to be more competitive, - there are a lot of temptations -, because it is a "history item". I have no problems with understanding that way of thinking .

The body of my Elan is a GTS body from early -90, I believe, with a mix of this and that. According to what I know, it was made in UK. ( Hadfield ?? ) Race incidents made it nescessary to replace various parts, and I have noticed that some are very thin (!).
A Swede once said ; There are three grades of thin : "Thin" , " Ultra Thin", and "Lotus-Elan-thin" ......

Dag

[twincamman]

well Dag you don't have to tell me about the need to win -- --40 years of ACTIVE racing has shown me the competitive nature of racers -- --But Vintage racing isn't real racing !!!! The rules are too loose to control the fact that people will go to very expensive means to get an edge --to the point of presenting a car that mechanically has very little resemblance to the car as it was raced in its period for a tin cup ---the shame of it is the governing bodies for Vintage don't seeem to care ----a fellow can trade his H prod sprite for a Brabham F1 and the next year and go on the track with no more up grades on his licence --- in a car that was driven by some one who had the talent to come up through the lower formulas to drive it ---that was campaigned with a full time mechanic and engineer -----and run it out of his garage at home ----that's highly dangerous ---as is some times brought to our attention with a fatality ------ed--

[Dag-Henning]

I see your point, but I believe things are a bit different "over here" . Guess you refer to the Goodwood or Silverstone Classic type of racing....(?) We don't operate with those sort of budgets, and I assure you, for me "Vintage" ( - we like to call it "Historic" ) racing is "real racing" ! But, I believe you have to make room for people to have different levels of ambition. Some do it for the social part, some for the car's looks, some for "originality", others for "racing"......- and we all do it for fun !

Nice pic ! Your's ?

Dag

[twincamman]

yes ---pit straight going into one at Mosport - -I spent weeks researching the nicest colour blue to paint the car -only to arrive at mosport to find the trash cans freshly painted the same colour ---had to pick coffee cups etc out of the car before each event --fellow competitors have a cruel sense of humour -- -THIS 1/2 WAY DOWN THE DREADED 'TURN 2' -ed

[Dag-Henning]