Is this the future?

[Old Tymer]

As much as we all love building / racing Detroit v8 steel, the future of finding these cars to use is getting farther away everyday. Most of the old "full size" cars are gone and the "metrics" are becoming harder to find at a reasonable price. Scrap yards are reluctent to sell the whole car and unless it's a 4 door, they probably don't have something worth using. So what next? I'm not a fan of smaller cars, (4 cyl buzz boxes), yet looking ahead I can see where they will be taking over like termites. Times and technology change due to neccessity. Racing is not imune to this. Unless all we race are camaros, firebirds, mustangs, etc, we will have to begin to go "to the dark side". Everyone dissed fuel injection, but now it is becoming the norm, once it's advantages were seen, can front wheel drive cars be the next thing? As a builder/fabricator I will admit that it would be interesting to see what can done with one of those cars, but as a fan, I'm not sure. People like to see what they drive everyday race on the track and stats show that the younger crowd likes Toyota, Nissan, etc. If that is what it takes to put more people in the stands, cash strapped tracks will have to give in.

[kendo]

I surely do not have the time or desire to search through junk yards and I can still race on a low budget.Just about every thing I need to race an entry level class is available reasonably priced shipped to my door through catalogs,or there is always ebay/craigslist/forums.

I would like to see a company reproduce a GM full frame,such as the metric chassis,available in sections or whole.If someone can reproduce a Monte Carlo door skin for $69 shipped to my door,someone can reproduce a cost effective full frame.

As for what the distant future holds? I have 2 stepsons 18 & 25 and they (and all their friends) could care less about car racing,or cars in general period...That's the bigger problem for the future.

[Matt Albee]

As much as we all love building / racing Detroit v8 steel, the future of finding these cars to use is getting farther away everyday. Most of the old "full size" cars are gone and the "metrics" are becoming harder to find at a reasonable price. Scrap yards are reluctent to sell the whole car and unless it's a 4 door, they probably don't have something worth using. So what next? I'm not a fan of smaller cars, (4 cyl buzz boxes), yet looking ahead I can see where they will be taking over like termites. Times and technology change due to neccessity. Racing is not imune to this. Unless all we race are camaros, firebirds, mustangs, etc, we will have to begin to go "to the dark side". Everyone dissed fuel injection, but now it is becoming the norm, once it's advantages were seen, can front wheel drive cars be the next thing? As a builder/fabricator I will admit that it would be interesting to see what can done with one of those cars, but as a fan, I'm not sure. People like to see what they drive everyday race on the track and stats show that the younger crowd likes Toyota, Nissan, etc. If that is what it takes to put more people in the stands, cash strapped tracks will have to give in.

Interestingly, it's not just the young folks who like the imports. Pay attention to the cars you see in the parking lot at the next short track race you go to. We know that the majority of fans are older, yet you'll see a lot of imports in the parking lot. Of course there's still a difference in what the young people drive, just as there always has been. Young guys wanted Chevys, just not 4 doors or Monte Carlos. They bought Novas, and Camaros. Same thing now, the young people who are into cars drive imports, just not 4 door Corollas.

[Old Tymer]

I agree

You guys are right. Young people don't have the desire to get out there and get dirty. After all, why spend a lot of money to build / race a car that might get wiped out in the first 5 minutes, when for $300 you can sit in the a/c-heat of your living room and race on every nascar track as many times as you want. The only safety equipment you need to have is an endless supply of cheetos and drinks.
The idea of someone making the frames is great. Tubular frames are fine for upper classes but if it were possible to get reproduction frames I'm sure they would sell as long as they were cost effective. Wish I was 30 years younger and had the resources to do it. Don't they still stamp out 70's and 80's cars in mexico or cuba?
As for the fwd cars, I've seen them run on dirt in TN a few times and they seem to do quite well, (asphalt might be different). There are hardly no speed parts avail for these cars, so they just crank up the fuel inj, bore out the motors and camber the rear tires. No 4cyls, just 6cyl with I think 3.9 max. I hate to say it, but I suddenly have the urge for some cheetos.

[luke81]

There are companies out there making street stock style chassis, with the OEM dimensions and mounting points of a GM metric. DCA Fabrication has had one available for years. I've yet to ever see one around here. My guess is that's due to the cost. Buying that frame as a roller frame only is about 2 grand, and then you have to add your cage, floorpans, firewall, body, and then all of the actual "racing stuff" that you would add to a junkyard car. And then you have to deal with whether or not it's actually legal and/or if the tech man knows what he's looking at.

[Boneman]

I think most racers are too hung up on the idea that everything has to be a full-frame V8. Look at the classes that are doing well, and that have no street car parts on them: all sorts of karting, mini-sprints, Legends, full sized sprints, configurations of late models and sportsman cars with manufactured frames. There are plenty of non-entry level options that use no junk yard parts. I would not go through great contortions to make sure everyone can still race an antique.

Keep the entry level classes cheap and easy. That means we have to mix in junkyard cars with FWD, EFI and 4 and 6 cylinders, with everything else. I've driven those cars in races like this. Do you know what it felt like? It was a race like any other, just with more cars!

[kendo]

I think most racers are too hung up on the idea that everything has to be a full-frame V8. Look at the classes that are doing well, and that have no street car parts on them: all sorts of karting, mini-sprints, Legends, full sized sprints, configurations of late models and sportsman cars with manufactured frames.

!

Those classes are fantastic but nobody is going to come out of the stands and build one with their friends under a car port with a welder and a set of torches...That's what grass roots low budget racing is about

[Boneman]

That is right, a weekend warrior is not going to build any of those. That is my point. We agree there are fewer and fewer who will weld up good racecar in their garage. Maybe they will do the basics to make a junkyard car into a bomber or strictly stock, but the days of home-fabricated racecars are almost gone.

So since fewer and fewer are getting built at home, why worry so much about making antique car designs available for racing? Either get a modern one from the junkyard, or get a pre-fab, tube frame racing chassis for any number of interesting classes.

Lets evolve.

[Old Tymer]

Burp !!

Well after a half bag, (large), of cheetos and 3 coke zero's, I think I just might try and put together a fwd racer. Probably start with something that has a 6cyl 3.8, not sure about auto or stick. Any suggestions? I kind of like the way 2dr Dodge Avengers look, and Grand Prix SE isn't bad either. Then again, maybe I'll just finish the bag of cheetos and see how I feel about it then.

[kendo]

Well after a half bag, (large), of cheetos and 3 coke zero's, I think I just might try and put together a fwd racer. Probably start with something that has a 6cyl 3.8, not sure about auto or stick. Any suggestions? I kind of like the way 2dr Dodge Avengers look, and Grand Prix SE isn't bad either. Then again, maybe I'll just finish the bag of cheetos and see how I feel about it then.

Don't bother,go out and buy a sprint car,,,,or try Doritos...

[kendo]

Lets evolve.

Come out to VSP this year for the Benny Corbin Memorial to watch 50+ pre evolution V8 antique home built weekend warrior Montes race for $2500+ contingences

[Boneman]

Sounds like a fun night, I'll even let you buy me a beer.

Hey, here is a picture of my old Monte. It looks just like the cars that are still racing today. By the way, this was taken 33 years ago.

[kendo]

Sounds like a fun night, I'll even let you buy me a beer.

Hey, here is a picture of my old Monte. It looks just like the cars that are still racing today. By the way, this was taken 33 years ago.

Almost equivalent to when 40yr old 1932 coupes were racing in 1972,,,were they not awesome.

Hey,you took my #,,,and my Monte looks much better than that

[Matt Albee]

It's nothing like the 40 year old coupes. Yes they were awesome. And the reason they were awesome was the variety. You had every possible make and model, 2 doors, four doors, sedans, and coupes.

I wonder how important it really is to use only metric GM frames. Every Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Olds, and Chevy used the same design frame for 30 years. If the metric frames are becoming scarce, why can't the big car frames be used instead?

[Matt Albee]

Come out to VSP this year for the Benny Corbin Memorial to watch 50+ pre evolution V8 antique home built weekend warrior Montes race for $2500+ contingences

You think that race wouldn't draw cars and fans if they used newer cars and engines?