The strangest "Formula Vee" I've ever seen for sale

[Agitator]

On Ebay. Absolutely NOT mine or anyone I know. If you look closely at the first pic, it states it is a Super Vee. In the very brief ad description it says it is a Formula Vee that was "updated with Formula Atlantic" bodywork. No mention of displacement or any other details for that matter. Needs a clutch....

I know there's some weird stuff out there, but this one takes the cake for the time being.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Formula-Race...item3399e2bfe0

[dc]

Those wheels are worth more than the car is.

[Swift17]

.........another of those Shriner's Parade Cars ?

[David Locke]

.........another of those Shriner's Parade Cars ?

I would almost guarantee it. This looks exactly like the Shriners cars that take part in the annual Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade.

[Terry Hanushek]

++ 1972 Formula Vee early air cooled race car updated to Formula Atlantic Body work. ++

A sheep in wolves' clothing?

T

[Chris Robson]

...more like a mouse! A sheep might be able to get out of it's own way...

[Matt King]

I know there's some weird stuff out there, but this one takes the cake for the time being.

I think these "Indy cars" just passed it, especially since they are posted in the Road Racing cars section:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Indy-Car-/12..._Street_Legal_

[BLS]

Looks to be an actual FV under that "Formula Atlantic". VW front end, and I can see a "Z" bar in the rear.

3K for a FV with FA bodywork. It's a steal.

[Daryl DeArman]

Maybe Halanbran wheels are imitation Halibrand and the wheels really aren't worth more than the rest of the car.

[Pop Chevy]

They sure look like real Halibrand wheels to me. They could be worth a chunk of change to the right person. Years ago you could buy them cheap, not now. The right color for coated mag.

[Agitator]

Barry, you may have hit the nail on the head. I sent the Ebay listing to my dad, and he's convinced that may be a '72 Zink C5 under all that garbage.

[BLS]

James, the "Z" bar looks like the later model Zink. But, I see no evidence of the front framework used by Zink. There was an oval shaped tube that should be seen behind the front beam tubes in one of the pics... Of course, it could have been cut off as I've seen pics of more than one that got modified this way. Not enough evidence visible for me.

[Agitator]

You guys would know better than me. The ad says it's a '72, but the sign in the pic says '75. What came after the c5? My dad drove a Zink in '74 and '75, I believe. Sold it to Jay Adams (good race photographer) after the '75 Runoffs and built the first two Agitators that Winter. We still have Jim Whaley's, one of the original ones, in our shop. John Lampley (with some help from my dad when he's in town) is restoring it. Hopefully you'll see it on the track next year. If not, maybe dodging cones in a parking lot around NC. He's from Hendersonville.

[BLS]

I always find the names confusing. I always thought the "C" stood for a Lathrop (Citation) built Zink chassis. As far as I know Lathrop did not build any of the original Zink designs, but started with the Z12. I may be wrong as I have read confusing statements... It was the Z12 that came out after the original Zink design. I know John Gaither got one of the first Z12 customer cars around 76. I bought his old frame to replace my crash totaled one. No way I could fit in the original Z12, not even close.

I think the Z12 came out around 76 and I'm almost certain what your Dad drove was the same as mine, whatever the designation was, but not the Z12.

I've been trying to remember Jim Whaley's name, so thanks for that reference. Any idea what he is up to these days? My memory is that his Agitator was in '78.

[Amon]

How are you guys able to determine if it's a Zink? The photo's I've been looking at show very little of the car except from the exterior? Good eye on your part!

Mark

88' Citation 002'

[BLS]

Mark, not sure it is a Zink. James dad thought it might be. The only thing that looks familiar to me is the rear Z bar. It looks like the later model Zink Z bar. The shot I see of the front beam does not look like a Zink chassis as I do not see the oval frame tubing that extends out pretty far. Who knows...

[Agitator]

Gaither lurks on these boards somewhere. He chased points like crazy in '75 or '76 to make the Runoffs. I'm pretty sure he towed all the way to Watkins Glen to get out of division points so that he qualified one of those years. He then went FF racing. I crewed for him a few years ago at Savannah when he bought a Zink Club Ford. He's a Zink freak and could probably chime in.

Jim Whaley lives in Kentucky now, I believe. My dad still stays in touch with him. He and my dad designed the Agitator together. If my memory is correct, my dad built both chassis before the '76 season. Whaley was building our engines (and many others) at the time. I think he campaigned his car a couple of times during the '76 season, and rented it to a guy in California for the Runoffs that year. My dad then sold his car to Phil Barringer before the '76 season was even over. The car left impound at the Runoffs straight onto Phil's trailer. He then built 2 or 3 more cars the next winter. We have a pic from Talledega in '78 of five Agitators within 3 car lengths at the finish line - Brian Vandercook, Jim Whaley, KP Jones, Noel Atherley, and Gordon Webster, I believe....There was a crap load of welding going on in our small basement in the late 70's! Meanwhile, my dad bought a Z16 and went FF racing, as well.

Getting totally off topic! Mark, I think the rear end is what leads some to believe the car on Ebay is a Zink.

[BLS]

headline on drudge:

"Agitators shut down NYC bridge during morning commute"

James, do you know where all those Agitators are?

My memory fails me as I do not remember any race at Talladega in 1978. I *thought* I ran every national race in 78 which was the year I got to the runoffs. I know all the names... I was thinking I remember Whaley in a new Agitator at Rockingham in 78. I finished 2nd and Jim was in 3rd as I recall. Of course I cannot remember stuff from yesterday so who knows.

Off topic for sure, but it's always interesting.

[BLS]

A pic showing the oval shaped tubing on the Zink front. You can see the tubing is out near the shock tower:

[Agitator]

I now see what you're talking about with the front end. Is it bowed out like that to reinforce the nose? Our Zink was the first car I remember going down in the shop, climbing in, and making racing noises for long periods of time. I didn't cop to it till much later in life, but when I was old enough to know better, I went down when my dad wasn't home and tried to start one of our cars that was up on jack stands. I pushed the starter multiple times and it wouldn't turn over. Turns out the valve covers were off. I can't remember what the details were, but a huge puddle of oil ended up under the car. Needless to say, Pops was a little upset...

There were 17 Agitators built. I know roughly where 6 are. Two are in our shop. Donnie Isley has two. Chip Leonard's was totaled a few years ago. The original is probably still in Phil Barringer's warehouse. He had an affinity for collecting cars, including a badass Pantera (of course, that was back in the 70's, but I lusted after that car, even as a 10 year old) You may remember Glen Harcus - pretty sure his was totaled under the bridge at Road Atlanta (before the track was castrated). I'm sure the rest are cobweb queens, never to see a track again.

My memory is probably just as poor. I know the Talladega race was either '78 or '79. Whaley may have not driven his car in '76, but I know it was built that year. I can't remember the name of the guy, but he rented it for the '76 Runoffs. Didn't qualify very well (20's). When I go home for Christmas, I'll look back at some photos. I'll try and scan that pic from Talladega and send it to you. In '80 or '81 we had quite a few running in the Southeast - Chip Leonard, KP Jones, Roger Minnick...

[BLS]

The curved tube had two functions - the Zink had curved side panels and the front fit over the curved tubing, and there is a support tube that passes across the bottom of the chassis to the frame and then out to the bottom of the curved tubing. In a front impact the beam would push into the curved tubing adding some support to the beam. I bent it a couple times, one that was fatal to the chassis...

I think every boy has some experience with trying/starting a car before they are of legal age, race car or street car...

17 cars, I wasn't sure how many may have been built after I lost track of FV. I would have guessed a few less.

I'm having "glimmers" of a Talladega race slipping through the brain cells, but nothing concrete. Maybe it was a regional race in 78, maybe I missed a national race and just don't remember. Possibly I just didn't go to Talladega knowing my car would not be competitive on that track. But, in any event, if you could scan that pic I would love to have a copy.

The dumbest racing thing I ever did (among many) was not taking up your dad's offer to build me a car in 1977/78.

[HayesCages]

Since the curved tube came up I thought I'd add this:
When we rebuilt a C4 years ago I had to replace that front tube. Wondering how to get the right curve/radius and ended up using a 15x4.5 VW wheel....had to bend the tube around the smaller section of the inner wheel to get the right radius. Made it perfect though!
So if anyone's wondering, just use an old wheel.