What chassis are best for CF

[cdona]

I was wondering what chassis are best for CF regional racing.In the SW Division there are very few cars in CF.If someone wanted to go to Road Atlanta to the ARRC in a Club Ford what chassis would do well there.

[Dennis Cleary]

Before your question can be answered, the definition of Club Ford would need to be defined. Here in the SF region, we have Spec Ford and Club Ford classes. The Crossle dominates teh Spec Ford class, while the Lola and Crossle 25 do well in the Club Ford class. Of course, the unknown is the driver talent that can cause overlap.

[Jeff Smith]

Hi Mike,
Thought I would just throw something out at you. It seems from the competitors I have run against here in the SE that the chassis type isnt as important as the productive seat time sorting the car out.
There are prolly more Van Diemens then any other but a few crossles, royale etc.

Seems that the guys that are fast have just spent the time and effort to know their cars.

Hope one day I get there too.
John
P.S. Isnt this about the same as nationals?

[Dale Carter]

In NEDIV the CF rules are simple: 1)Outboard suspension at one end and 2) Spec Tires - GY600 or Hoosier60. We do not have the Spec Ford Class. The fast cars are Citation Z10 and Z16, Crossle 35 and 45 and Van Diemen RF 79,80,81.

[DENIS]

The best one is the one you can afford to purchase, put a few bucks into and GET OUT AND RACE!

Forget all the hype about buying the 'best' car out there, unless you plan to own it forever and lauch the careers of your kids, get a car that fits the local rules, has a reasonable line on parts available for it (that's what we are here for to help you), see what the others in the area are running, then talk to a few local shops about what they have worked on good and bad.

With this much info you should be able to find a reasonable car for about $8-10K and not be upside down in it (financially at least) the first time out.

Too many people 'look for the one off, special deal' and never make it to the track. What a shame.

[bscotti]

Mike, I attended the runoffs in 80 and 81 both club ford years. If my memory serves me correct an ADF was on the pole both times. Lola 540s and VD RF 81s also performed well at Road Atlanta in the early 80s.

[timmy]

You can find the SEDIV rules at:

[url="http://www.sedivracing.org/2002_SEDiv_Class_Rules.html"]http://www.sedivracing.org/2002_SEDiv_Class_Rules.html[/url]

The ARRC will probably run under those rules...

[Jeff Smith]

Froggie,
I have been asking but no definite answer yet as to the tire situation. I think for the most part (atleast from the people I have talked to) that everyone is going to run the hoosier spec tire.
See ya at Savannah!!!
John [img]smile.gif[/img]

[DENIS]

Ok Mike, I'll bite. Why the question? Are you considering my suggestion of making CFs?

[cdona]

Todd- No not necessarily but I would like to own one.If I thought I was gonna race one I just like to pick a competitive chassis.I have do have some experience with FF'S and Club Fords but I just wondered what would work.Thanks for the info.

[ennis bragg]

Mike, my understanding is that SOWDIV doesn't currently recognize CF, so you might want to check before you invest....remember my old Royale?

Dave

[cfrank]

Mike,
First, I give you props for having raced in Canada in the past we need more to go there. Second, I ran a Crossle 35F at ARRC and I think the Crossle is the best CF you can get. Crossle 32, 35, and 45 are all very good for the class. Late 70's VD's are also good but I have a killer setup for Road Atlanta with my Crossle so that is why I say Crossle over another chassis.

[pkr]

Mike, I thought you had a VD RF-75 for sale? You can use that if need be. It has about the same rear suspension as the later RF-79 so the set-up would be similiar. The big drawback would be the weight as it was designed as a driver's school car. I raced one in CenDiv in the mid 80's with some success.

However, given a choice go back and look at the finishing order for the late seventies/early eighties Runoffs.

[zcar72]

Todd is right on the mark. We have the same issue in Vintage and that is people chasing the "hot" chassis. It is a moving target because when a really good driver joins the group, the chassis he has becomes the "hot set-up" In Club and Vintage there is a wide range of driver capability and the range of chassis differences are small. let's say that there is a 1% difference in chassis speed potential, when there is a 10% difference in driver capability, it makes very little difference which chassis you start with. At the risk of being a heretic I might point out that this is a skill sport. Seat time and driver training will not put a driver on the front row. Seat time and training will bring a driver to the top of his or her ability and no more. This is like any other sport, it takes a set of skills that you are born with to get to the front of the grid. The best approach is to get a good deal on a well set up car and then work on driving skills and see where that takes you. As once said by Roger Penske "if you are looking for 5 seconds per lap, work on the driver, if you are looking for 1 second a lap work on the car"

[PRSCHMN]

Crossle or VD (the CAR type [img]smile.gif[/img] ) I chose Crossle because of competitiveness. familiarity & availability of new parts (from Porter Racing in Merced) The 45 has the advantage of being able to change suspension settings w/o removing a-arms from chassis. Frank Hammette has no problem getting 32/35 to go VERY quickly. As stated before, in this class the limiting factor is the driver experience, generally not the car. It still helps to have a well prepared & clean car so you can concentrate on the driving part.

[markD]

Murray is right, you can chase any number of hot CF's, Crossle, Gemini, Zink Z10 and Van Diemens have all be fast over the past few years in Cen-Div. It all depends on who is driving them and preparing them. Whatever you buy make sure you have someone that is familiar with the model close by and willing to help. Richard Pare and Steve L. are in Indy and help the guys with the Zinks, Jim Morsch at Continental Motorsports knows Crossle's, Jim Locke knows Gemini's. Particularly when you are starting out you need someone for advice and assistance in getting the car on the track and keeping it there.

[drbs]

Hi, y'all!

Mike, I think that most of the responses to this topic are on the mark. Murray's comments are particularly germaine. A good basic setup is mandatory for a car/driver combo to be competitive. However, a good driver will often be able to drive around the faults of a particular car. I'm sure you've seen this when someone is involved in a shunt, tweaks the car, and then proceeds to drive lap times very close to what they were doing before the accident. It is very important to check and recheck the basic alignment settings before each session with these older cars because they are not as stiff as the newer chassis. They have a tendency to move around a little when you ride the curbs or go off track. Sometimes just the forces generated in a hard session will cause the alignment to shift ever so slightly. When you go back out the next time...the beast will have a different personality. Consistency is the key.

That said, I chose a Crossle 45 for the reasons that Rick J mentioned. It was the last of the outboard suspended Crossle chassis configurations. It isn't significantly different than the 30 Series except that the alignment adjustments can be made without removing any suspension bits. It really saves a lot of time when you're trying to be conscientious about consistency. Also, all the parts for the car are readily available. That's a big deal when you're running at the front because that's where the action is, as you well know. Parts are relatively inexpensive and can be had on short order from a couple of sources here in the States.

There are a number of Crossles available, although the 45 is a little harder to find. I know of a couple of 35s that are currently for sale. All the best stuff, fresh engines and gearboxes, too. The cars were both champions in the NW where CF is a hotly contested class. The owners are going racing in the FranAms so they want to clear some floor space.

[size="1"][ November 26, 2002, 05:45 PM: Message edited by: trout roberts ][/size]

[jerry]

Dear Mike:
I'll jump in here and add my vote for the PRS. I think that it is a very even tempered car and I have not even begun to wring out it's full potential. I've had mine for the last three years and I couldn't be happier with the choice. Glen Taylor owns one here in the NE and he consistently puts it on pole. Even against DB-1's and newer chassis. The Gemini is a direct copy and Jim Locke has been doing damage to the competition in CenDiv. I can tell you with certainty that the PRS Davy D is offering for sale is a real beauty. They did a frame up rebuild and its choice. It's what my car would look like if I ever hit the lottery. Scott Flatt is also offering 2 PRS's for sale as well. Suspension parts are available, but the rear uprights are getting scarce. Hope this helps.
Best Wishes,

Greg Kokolus
NCF#56
PRS RH-01
Phila Region

[Dan Q]

Mike:

Yeah, we do have a CF PRS for sale, and I appreciate the kind words that Greg offered on the state of the car. It is in real good shape, having only been driven by a little 17 year old on the weekends.

New fuel cell, new belts, new shocks, new master cylinders, new hydraulic lines, new annular slave, fresh powder coat, one set Revs and two additional sets new Panasports, and some new gages. Well you know, you open the wallet and all the bucks jump out!

We lost the engine at the last race so the car is offered as a roller. We can fit an engine, and adjust the price, if the buyer insists.

You can see the car in the Cars for Sale area, under "1980 PRS For Sale".

John D.