What is happening to vintage FF?

[Bud Byrnes]

In SoCal where I race the feilds are full with Club Ford and Vintage running together. But I see very little posting on the vintage boards and I've noticed several very nice cars for sale garnering no attention. Is it summer doldrums? Is it just my perception? Or is the level of interest waning?

Bud

[heapcoup]

Bud;
I think Vintage is a captive audience in a sense. I would love to have a vintage car. But I cannot afford to buy one and, more importantly, I cannot afford to break one. So vintage is a class of true FF lovers. Oddly, just about any car that races in SCCA other than a few IT cars costs more than a vintage FF.
Plus, SoCal is one strange duck of a region (SCCA anyway). Open wheel just does not seem in vogue right now. I think anyone who gets in a FF would be hooked. But that is just me...

[LolaT440]

I guess they like to buy old NASCAR Busch cars rather than VFF's.

I bailed out to find something to run with the SCCA.

2nd. I got to thinking, a lot of guys died in the 60's running formula cars and SR's. They are faster now and just as unsafe. I like more protection around me than a roll hoop behind my ears.

[Craig Jones]

This vintage Merlyn 11a (with a 17 body) was bid up to $24,500 and did not meet the reserve on eBay. That is top dollar for a vintage Ford, in my opinion. I am really surprised the reserve was higher than that!

That was way more interest than was shown in my Crossle 20F.

I heard that Merlyn's are especially prized in the UK. Maybe that is where the bids were coming from.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

[flat broke]

Well Craig,
I can not work that one out myself. That Merlyn may have been good (the body shape/fit looked wrong to me) but that is top dollar! A Mk17 sold on Ebay not that long ago (similar condition to your Crossle) for mid teens.

I think some of these "transactions" on Ebay are a little suspect.

What do you think of Shamu's concern that these early cars are unsafe and therefore less popular? Or any other Vintage FF racers want to comment for that matter.

Anyway, I hope your 20F finds a good home. It is a fine example.

Tony

[Craig Jones]

Tony, thanks for the compliment on the Crossle 20F. I think it has found a good home, but they haven't picked it up yet.

I think vintage FF's are a little less safe than a Club Ford, which are a little less safe than a current FF. But, I think the sanity of the drivers in vintage outweighs any inadequacy of the cars. I always felt very comfortable in the Crossle 20F because of my respect for the other drivers and because I never tried to go 10/10ths.

However, my Crossle had a beefed up roll hoop. I am concerned that many vintage roll hoops I see aren't tall enough.

I too am headed to current SCCA, but not really because of a concern about safety. More for a change of pace than anything.

[flat broke]

Craig,
A little history. I started looking for a Vintage FF last fall. Your car was on my short list. It was well known here in VARAC and the reports were excellent.

I did discover a Merlyn MK17 locally that was complete but ended up needing a full restoration. Needless to say, alot more money than your Crossle in the end, and the learning curve has been steep.

I think your comments on the relative safety of the cars and the attitude of the drivers is spot on.

Tony

[LolaT440]

As for safety concerns, that plus some other reasons I sold the car, not that alone. Someone I know once saw the underside belly pan of a FF pass by his face. It had nothing to do with the quality of the driver, just a racing accident while running up front in 2nd place. I also choose not to drive a motorcycle because of the potential damage caused by a fender-bender. Don't pretend the risk is not there. It is very real, that is why they build cars with front rollhoops and forward anti-decapitation bars. It is very silly to say driver quality will keep you safe, So Bob Akin was a novice? I am not judging anyone, just explaining that if I am going to go out there, I want to be as safe as possible to come home and see my kids. An open wheel formula car with no protection from my chest up seemed a little too risky.

[LolaT440]

And to my point...look at Dan's posting about the driver in the hospital. But that of course could happen in any type of car. But things happen out there.