Milwaukee Midget

[Milwaukee Midget]

I wonder if enough of those Abarths were produced to qualify as "production"?

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

How do you want to read it?

"This class is limited to 2-seat production sports cars like the Corvette, Honda S-2000 or Fiero as
well as limited production cars like the Factory Five Cobra manufactured by a recognized
automobile manufacturer intended for comfortable high-speed driving. A production rate of at
least 500 vehicles of the same model for sale to the general public is considered to meet the
requirements of a production automobile."

But it does not say that a minimum of 500 is required for limited production cars.

I'm wondering if I shouldn't campaign a Speedwell Sprite next year . . .

[manta22]

Chris;

To me it means that "production" or "limited production" requires 500 examples must have been built. Otherwise, a Porsche 917/30 or Ferrari 512M would qualify.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Stan Back]

Back to improvements . . .

Lowering -- yes.

Lighter gear oil -- yes.

And keep the front (disc?) brakes -- just disable them.  That way you don't have to screw around with them every run.  (Street Roadsters all have lights and horns, bet a lot of them don't work.)  As easy as it is for you to get in and out of it, I don't think you'll be making short hops to the store.  At 123 MPH, the back brakes ought to work in a mile.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Neil, that's how I read it, too, but the example they give, the Factory Five cobra - I wonder if 500 of those have been produced.

500 is "considered", but not necessarily mandated . . .

 

A lot of one-off bodies were put on sports cars in the 50s and 60s.  Is it the chassis they are considering, or the whole package?

I don't really want to rebody the Midget, but I see enough ambiguity in the rule to raise a few questions.

Back to improvements . . .

Lowering -- yes.

Lighter gear oil -- yes.

And keep the front (disc?) brakes -- just disable them. 

Or switch to Bugeye drums? 

[manta22]

Chris;

I agree with Stan but if you do keep both front & rear brakes you might be able to reduce parasitic power loss by backing off on the rear brake drum adjustment and removing the residual pressure valve (if it has one) so that there is no friction drag by the front calipers. Perhaps the front brake pads can be pushed back a little by making a little snakey "S" turn in the staging lane. It might make an extra pump on the brake pedal necessary but you would still retain your full braking capability.

Aerodynamics probably offers the best area for improvement, though.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Andy Cooke]

I'm wondering if I shouldn't campaign a Speedwell Sprite next year . . .

surely you mean Midget Coupe?

http://www.jacobsmidget.com/history.html

I'm a bit late to the party here, but your latest dyno runs sounded just right, unlike the previous clip which sounded strained.. (accepting that this may just be sound quality).  Kudos to Fordboy and yourself for sorting out the valve train.

Andy

[Seldom Seen Slim]

I know, it's a car and not a bike, but when I'm trying to hit top speed on the bike I go through the hassle of prying the pads off the rotors - and then never use the brakes 'til I want to.  At SpeedWeek, for instance, I made four runs - and only used the brakes when putting the bike in the trailer after all of the runs.  It's easy on a bike going 200 -- pass the 5, roll out of the throttle, start sitting up about 160, fully erect at 130, be shifting down through the gears, turn our at about 50-60, get to the return road at less than 30 mph, then do a Fred Flintstone (dragging my feet) to come to a complete stop.  All of that happens and I turn out before the 6 - with no brakes.  Chris, maybe you can put a hatch in the tp of the car and stick your helmeted head up and into the breeze to slow you down and then, with the hole in the floor that you'll have to cut -- drag your (big) feet to come to the complete stop.

See how easy it is to run with absolutely no brake use?

[manta22]

Chris;

I suspect that Factory 5 has produced 500 examples; they are pretty popular.

In my case, for "modified sports", I started with an old kit car, a Mirage produced by Manta Cars of Santa Ana, CA. The SCTA committee researched the production of this model and concluded that it met the production requirements and let me that know some time ago.

In this case, the Mirage was a copy of a McLaren M8 Can-Am car but transformed it into a coupe instead of an open-cockpit. The "Modified" class has much more flexibility that your class But within those restrictions, you've done wonders.

Frankly, record-chasing has little attraction for me; I'd run Time Only if I had to. Everyone has their own goals. For me it is to drive a car that I built myself on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

You are so close to that record-- go for it! You have no idea how many people are rooting for you!

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[manta22]

Jon;

"...then do a Fred Flintstone (dragging my feet) to come to a complete stop."

This brings to mind an old Jeff Millar cartoon in a Moldex crank ad-- "Dang!... burned out a set of insteps!"   

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Stan Back]

I believe they've sold over 500 Factory Five kits -- but would bet there are not 500 completed.  Those projects seem to cost more and take more than the average guy counts on.

[DND]

Hi Chris

At 125  you should be able to just coast to a stop? and not hit the brake petal

[Rob]

There are proprietary springs available to hold the disc pads off in perpetuity but a little piano wire and some ingenuity should see you right for cheap in that department.

I never thought I'd ever utter these words but.. That little Fiat looks cool!

Cheers,
Rob

[Milwaukee Midget]

Cool . . . Fiat . . . 

I'm having a tough time uttering that particular combination of words in a cogent sentence . . . 

Mark suggested I have the front discs ground with a few thousandths run out to knock the pads back.  If I had thought about that before I put the new front end on the thing, I'd have just kept the warped rotors! 

[salt27]

"This class is limited to 2-seat production sports cars like the Corvette, Honda S-2000 or Fiero as
well as limited production cars like the Factory Five Cobra manufactured by a recognized
automobile manufacturer intended for comfortable high-speed driving. A production rate of at
least 500 vehicles of the same model for sale to the general public is considered to meet the
requirements of a production automobile."

But it does not say that a minimum of 500 is required for limited production cars.

I'm wondering if I shouldn't campaign a Speedwell Sprite next year . . .

"comfortable high-speed driving"  Now there's a debate in the works.

  Don

[Milwaukee Midget]

"This class is limited to 2-seat production sports cars like the Corvette, Honda S-2000 or Fiero as
well as limited production cars like the Factory Five Cobra manufactured by a recognized
automobile manufacturer intended for comfortable high-speed driving. A production rate of at
least 500 vehicles of the same model for sale to the general public is considered to meet the
requirements of a production automobile."

But it does not say that a minimum of 500 is required for limited production cars.

I'm wondering if I shouldn't campaign a Speedwell Sprite next year . . .

"comfortable high-speed driving"  Now there's a debate in the works.

  Don

Don, are you trying to get me disqualified? 

Actually, seeing as the seat sits farther back than stock, and a few inches lower, once I'm in, I fit easier in this one than I do behind the wheel of a stock Midget.

I doubt I could drive a stock Midget with the top up.