Roadsters

[mkilger]

I dont know about 2in would fly, our roadster isnt done yet but its came up a few times about our wheel base/ body  length .It  only matters whos in your same class, that will protest you.. Street roadsters are the worse for protests, dont know why?

[Buickguy3]

Would the Roadster be more aero if you drove it backwards?

[maguromic]

Would the Roadster be more aero if you drove it backwards?

Its been done and have been baned.

[Stan Back]

A lot of us have tried it unintentionally -- also rotating thru 90º sideways.

[saltwheels262]

Would the Roadster be more aero if you drove it backwards?

 1 gear and rear steer ?  seems like it would
negate the aero advantage.

 illegal anyway.

franey

[DallasV]

I wouldn't trust any +/- tolerance verbally given. Our roadster was protested because it was 0.25" too short from the bottom of the frame to the window line. granted that was almost 30 years ago. This is the best advice i can give because your car can be clearly illegal and nobody will say a thing until you go fast. then the calipers, tape measures and micrometers start coming out of tool boxes. It's a strange phenomenon.

[maguromic]

"I wouldn't trust any +/- tolerance verbally given."  I am with you on this.  Russ gave it to me in writing.  I am building a '32 roadster and I took measurements of  four  fully restored originals at the Palo Alto Concours and none of  them were the same.  One was almost 3" off from the rest.  You figure,   Russ also told me that the SCTA does not have complete drawings for all the roadsters including the '32 Ford. So where does the master measurements come from?

I cant wait to see a full fendered '37 Ford show up in street roadster.  It should get interesting. 

[DSR Bruts]

Guys....Thanks for the information....as it was in 2008, my hood will remain 29" long to make sure I am close to compliance.  To me, it's no big deal, but my past racing experience has told me exactly what Dallas said and Maguromic, you are right, all of them aren't the same, so if we are "ballpark", there should be no problems.

Almost all the 27's should be close to the same wheelbase (my '32 rails are already cut down to 104", but I am probably going to cut another 2" out of it for the deuce grille shell insert) with the exception of different lengths to the most forward spark plug.  With the wheel's centered under the rear fenders, the length of the body, the length of the hood and corresponding suspension layout and the 15% engine setback from the kingpin, they should be very close....right?  

[Dynoroom]

This is one of the reasons I didn't build a Fuel/Gas roadster or a street roadster. I don't know anything about what they are suppose to be and couldn't get any information I felt I could "go to the mat on". If only a few people know what a correct roadster is (I was told "I know one when I see one"), why can't we get it down on paper?   
So as younger & younger people get involved we need to determan what a '27 or '32 is. Or someday the roadster might go the way of the Doo Doo bird. 

I would like to build a '32 gas roadster someday. 

[krusty]

I'm building a rear-engined roadster and needed to know what  measurements to meet to be "safe" if the body was protested. DW directed me to the Roadster  Committee Chairman, who provided me with a list of measurements and tolerances for a '27 body. He told me that these are the #s they use for legality.  I would think that he can provide these #s for most vintage class bodies.   vic

[Dynoroom]

I'm building a rear-engined roadster and needed to know what  measurements to meet to be "safe" if the body was protested. DW directed me to the Roadster  Committee Chairman, who provided me with a list of measurements and tolerances for a '27 body. He told me that these are the #s they use for legality.  I would think that he can provide these #s for most vintage class bodies.   vic

He can but it ought to be in the book imo.

[maguromic]

When I checked Russ did have them for a '27, but for the '32 and some others it was not available.  I will throw another iron in the fire.   What about some of the '33 roadster that are coupes converted.  The doors on coups are bigger and dimensionally they don't match any roadster.  Hmm !  I am with Dynoroom, put it in the book so theirs no confusion.
The tech guys and every one on the roadster committee do a great job!!!  If it was in the book it would make their life a little easier.    

[Stan Back]

Two things . . .

"One was almost 3" off from the rest."  In what dimension?  This whole thing started about hoods, and for all I know (not much), there's certainly not a 3" difference in same year Ford roadster hoods -- or else the aftermarket guys couldn't make them.

And as to putting it in the book -- what about the Chevy, Plymouth, Auborn, Hudson, Duesenberg and Whippet dimensions -- for the various years.  And what about the other makes?  Yes they do run others than Fords, like the very fast Dodge Fast 4 that showed up this year.  And for coupes we want Monzas, Camaros and . . .

[Dynoroom]

Stan you're right. But "most" of the cars being run are glass copies of the originals made by many different manufactures. If a new guy comes along and wants to build a roadster but doesn't know that body X is to narrow is he a cheater?
Russ has the dimensions that the SCTA goes by. Put it in the book.
When someone like JD brings something different he'll have documentation, is it legit? Well that's another topic.........

[interested bystander]

Mike, you've brought up a trully serious point - somebody will find the "Trojan Horse" - an overlooked, slippery body     that fits the rules that nobody else has discovered.

The unknowns are , of course, will they make the power, traction, handling of the crop of "conventional" ones?