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My brother and I are thinking about purchasing two vintage formula fords. Two questions. Of the vintage eligible cars, which makes/models are easier to find spare parts for? Second - which vintage FF makes/models are easier to setup and/or have more predicable handling characteristics?
It would take too much space on the board for me to answer all your questions. Give me a call at 619-294-7012, or email RJCSandiego@sbcglobal.net
read this: www.formularacingservices.com/How_to_Buy_a_U.html the gaps in those last words are the space where a _ goes. For what it's worth, both of you buy the same 2 cars for sure - your experiences, knowledge of the car's mechanics and the ability to borrow parts/spares would be a plus to having 2 similar cars, might eye suggest a couple of Crossle 30,32,35,40,45's
Regarding set-up, all the pre '72 cars are fairly similar to set up, however not all chassis are created equal.
Titan & Merlyn are two of the best chassis of the era, parts are readily available and they are both easy cars to drive quickly. Once you have the car 'set up' to suit your personal preference all you really need worry about is alignment.
The real trick will be finding 2 similar cars that are available when you want them.
Good luck, it's a great class.
Make sure the car(s) you buy are vintage legal per the Monoposto rules. They have 2 levels. Generally, the '72 and older cars are vintage FF. The newer ones are accepted as Club Fords, but you won't find much participation in vintage for CLub Ford except on the west coast where it is strong. Titan and Merlyn are the dominant ones and a truly good one ('72 and older) will go for $22K plus. Contact Monoposto for details and get some good advice before you buy.
JG
Call Roland Johnson - (first reply to your post) he's been doing this stuff for a long time, knows alot about the cars & will probably have some leads on cars for sale. He can also rent you a ride for a weekend to give you a taste of what you're getting into.
I've raced against a couple of Roland's drivers the last few years during the BRIC at Road America in my Lotus 51 & have had an absolute ball with them. The cars are well prepped, first to the grid for almost every session & he brings a real friendly bunch with him.
Titans are the fastest around here, but Caldwell, Alexis, Lotus, Lola, etc. they are all fun to drive - seems hard to go wrong with any of these.
Pat Prince in Illinois makes parts for & can repair most of these cars.
Steve Grundahl
Blue Mounds, WI
The Lotus 51 is one of the prettiest cars ever made. There are plenty (comparatively speaking) being raced, and parts are available from a number of sources at decent prices. I know this, because I thought about adding Lotus 51 parts to the IRP inventory when I owned one several years ago, and I found several suppliers already in the business. Their prices were quite reasonable--so I chose not to enter the fray.
While the Lotus might not be the fastest chassis, it will do well in good hands. I would also consider Merlyn, Titan and of course, Crossle if I could find the correct model. Having said all this, if I had the choice I would have kept my beautiful Lotus 51! It was a dream of my youth--kinda like boinking the head cheerleader in high school...
Larry Oliver
International Racing Products
Don't forget the Winkelmans. There are quite a few of them on the west coast. I don't see a lot of WDF-1s for sale (they look like the gurney F1 eagle) but I have seen a lot of WD2s and 3s for sale in Victory Lane.
Don't forget theLola T-200 series. There were over 250 of them made and all of the parts are available new. They are a really good looking car and can be driven very competitively.