11 of Greatest American Race Cars of All Time

[twistedcrankcammer]

Look back in the thread.  I merely gave an opinion.  I did not start the ranting and raving.

You repeatedly tried to badger me in the other thread about Roy first!

[oldtimer]

And where do you get off getting so offended after repeatedly trying to start crap about me regaurding Roy in the other posts, repeatedly I might add.

 

What?  You? I was being light hearted in the Roy thread and you had nothing to do with it. 

[oldtimer]

And I am not offended in any thread here.  You must be projecting.

[twistedcrankcammer]

And I am not offended in any thread here.  You must be projecting.

I apologize for being involved in this crap

Edited July 16, 2015 by twistedcrankcammer

[oldtimer]

You have a pm, big man.

[Travis In Austin]

As far as American racecars, I'll have to say the GT40's that took it to Ferrari at LeMans. Stock cars would have to be the Ford Fairlane Mario Andretti won the Daytona 500 in.

The GT 40, British design and engineering at its finest.

I really loved the looks of that car, especially in the Gulf Orange and Blue colors.

Travis

[twistedcrankcammer]

As far as American racecars, I'll have to say the GT40's that took it to Ferrari at LeMans. Stock cars would have to be the Ford Fairlane Mario Andretti won the Daytona 500 in.

The GT 40, British design and engineering at its finest.

I really loved the looks of that car, especially in the Gulf Orange and Blue colors.

Travis

Travis,

The early, small block cars were designed and built in England, but the MK IV, which was the only Big Block cars that were ever raced were in 1967. The GT 40 MK IV was designed and built in the USA! In 1968, FORD dropped out of Lemans because Lemans put a displacement limit on the engines in order to eliminate the GT 40. A private effort took an original small block GT 40 MK 1 and won LeMans in 1968 and 1968!

https://youtu.be/6Aog4P8ikrw

British GT-40 MK I

https://youtu.be/v_hEzlMYVqY

British GT-40 MK II

https://youtu.be/EuNfhsGjVA0

The GT 40 MK III was a road version of the race car that was sold to the public, only 7 were ever produced.

Holman Moody designed and built all those Big Block 427 GT 40 MK IV cars right here in the USA.

https://youtu.be/lJD4I4AnSkU

Big Block USA Designed and Built GT 40 MK IV

https://youtu.be/qFz7OVmDsTM

Superformance exact replicas like I want to eventually build

https://youtu.be/V4E2uvwirUw

GT 40 documentary

Roger

Edited July 16, 2015 by twistedcrankcammer

[Travis In Austin]

As far as American racecars, I'll have to say the GT40's that took it to Ferrari at LeMans. Stock cars would have to be the Ford Fairlane Mario Andretti won the Daytona 500 in.

The GT 40, British design and engineering at its finest.

I really loved the looks of that car, especially in the Gulf Orange and Blue colors.

Travis

Travis,

The early, small block cars were designed and built in England, but the MK IV, which was the only Big Block cars that were ever raced were in 1967. The GT 40 MK IV was designed and built in the USA! In 1968, FORD dropped out of Lemans because Lemans put a displacement limit on the engines in order to eliminate the GT 40. A private effort took an original small block GT 40 MK 1 and won LeMans in 1968 and 1968!

British GT-40 MK I

British GT-40 MK II

The GT 40 MK III was a road version of the race car that was sold to the public, only 7 were ever produced.

Holman Moody designed and built all those Big Block 427 GT 40 MK IV cars right here in the USA.

Big Block USA Designed and Built GT 40 MK IV

Superformance exact replicas like I want to eventually build

GT 40 documentary

Roger

The Mk IV was in fact, an all American affair, Interesting why they called it a IV instead of renaming it something else. It raced in 2 races that year, Sebring and LeMans.

The big engines were out lawed by FIA after that race which killed off the IV, and the Ferrari V12. The GT 40 Mk.1 Wyer/Lola design reappeared the next year to win again.

The Mk. III was the road car with passenger interior, they sold 7 or 8 of those. Folks in Europe who wanted a road car bought them directly from Wyer after Ford sold him the British company they created to design and build a car to beat the Ferrari, which is how the whole thing got started.

Ford was in the process of purchasing Ferrari from Enzo. As they were finalizing the purchase Enzo said he wanted to retain the racing division of Ferrari in his name and to own and operate it. He also insisted on being able to race his cars in the United States, specifically at Indy. When Ford said this might be a problem he walked away from the deal and wouldn't discuss the sale any further. Henry Ford II was infuriated and told his people he wanted a car developed to beat Ferrari at LeMans. They went to England and approached 3 of British race car manufacturers. Ine was Cooper, and one was Lola who got the deal. I can't recall who the third was. They formed a Ford company there in Britan to build and race the cars. After the first year Ford transfered the team to Shelby in the US and sold the company to Wyer who continued to build and race and win with Mk 1s.

British chassis and American power. I don't know if that was the first time there was such a collaborative effort between Brits and Americans on a race car, but that combination continued for at least another twenty years on all sorts of projects to inclue Indy, SCCA endurance racing at Sebring and Daytona, LeMans, etc.

I have no idea how much of the I was in the design in the IV, they seem to be much different. From the book I read on this many, many years ago, I always thought the real interesting story in all of this was the feud between Enzo and Henry, Henry telling his people to beat him, and than setting out to accomplish that by getting the best people to design and build that style of race car to be able to compete in FIA endurance racing in Europe. That car would have never been created had it not been for that feud.

There was a prototype before the IV that was designed in the US, using aircraft technology and materials. I believe itnwas the J. It was aerodynamically flawed and there was a horrible crash in testing. The redesign was the IV, which was 600 lbs heavier than the Ferrari.

That may be the reason it is not in the American list, I dont know. My list would have the IV in it for sure.

I will check out those youtube videos, thanks for posting those.

Travis

Edited July 16, 2015 by dwilawyer

[CECAA850]

You have a pm, big man.

 

 

Best place for a back and forth, thanks.

[minermark]

 

You have a pm, big man.

 

 

Best place for a back and forth, thanks.

 

Yeah, sure, sometime back that's what i thought, and tried to handle it that way. many saw where that went.

[CECAA850]

 

 

You have a pm, big man.

 

 

Best place for a back and forth, thanks.

 

Yeah, sure, sometime back that's what i thought, and tried to handle it that way. many saw where that went.

 

 

 

Good bad or otherwise, it's still better via PM as opposed to the open forum as far as OTHER members are concerned.  I've never been one to air dirty laundry.  In your defense howevwer, there's a chance that PM's will blow up as there's less restraint there. 

 

[oldtimer]

The original Henry Ford once said: "When I see an Alfa Romeo go by, I tip my hat." 

 

I know off topic but it's our only car thread!.

Edited July 17, 2015 by oldtimer

[WMcD]

FWIW

There was the mid-engine revolution. IIRC Life magazine had a spread on the Lotus Indy car. A beauty. Prior to that there had been only the so called roadsters at Indy, such as the Long John. As a kid, I realized this was the big new thing.

Back in those days cars like the GT-40 Lola/Ford followed.

WMcD

Edited July 17, 2015 by William F. Gil McDermott

[Ceptorman]

FWIW

There was the mid-engine revolution. IIRC Life magazine had a spread on the Lotus Indy car. A beauty. Prior to that there had been only the so called roadsters at Indy, such as the Long John. As a kid, I realized this was the big new thing.

Back in those days cars like the GT-40 Lola/Ford followed.

WMcD

You sir won the interweb today

[WMcD]

Well, I don't know what to make of this. "Interweb" (a malapropism) is a term of derision but I also got a "like" notice from Ceptorman.

I was describing an experience as a youth. Perhaps I did not give sufficient homage to the many other mid-engine cars which preceded the Lotus Indy car. Two examples are the Cooper-Climax and one of the MB / Auto Union Silver Arrows -- and many from Lotus too. Granted, like the Lotus, neither were from the USA.

The tires and wheels are a tip to the vintage of these. But of course you can find a lot more information on the . . . Interweb.

WMcD

Edited July 18, 2015 by William F. Gil McDermott

[Travis In Austin]

FWIWThere was the mid-engine revolution. IIRC Life magazine had a spread on the Lotus Indy car. A beauty. Prior to that there had been only the so called roadsters at Indy, such as the Long John. As a kid, I realized this was the big new thing.Back in those days cars like the GT-40 Lola/Ford followed.WMcD

Jim Clark's Indy winning Lotus 38 car. Yes another example of Anglo design and American Ford power. I loved that car, I had the British Matchbox of that car as a kid.

To me,Jim Clark was the best all around driver of all time, at least at the very top.

[WMcD]

Here is a YouTube on the Silver Arrow. In German of course. Smile.

WMcD

[Ceptorman]

Well, I don't know what to make of this. "Interweb" (a malapropism) is a term of derision but I also got a "like" notice from Ceptorman.

I was describing an experience as a youth. Perhaps I did not give sufficient homage to the many other mid-engine cars which preceded the Lotus Indy car. Two examples are the Cooper-Climax and one of the MB / Auto Union Silver Arrows -- and many from Lotus too. Granted, like the Lotus, neither were from the USA.

The tires and wheels are a tip to the vintage of these. But of course you can find a lot more information on the . . . Interweb.

WMcD

Winning the "interweb" for a day is a fine achievement.

 

During the month of May, while living in Indy, makes one want to visit the museum at the track. I could just stare at the late 50s, and 60 race cars for hours. The only thing better than seeing them, is hearing them during the parade, or before the race starts when all those old classics are brought back to life, some driven by their original drivers.