The 917 was surprisingly small!

[s_wilwerding]

Me standing next to a 917 at Rennsport (I'm 6'4", for reference):

[Heel n Toe]

[sammyg2]

[sammyg2]

This one is extra small:

[sammyg2]

[GG Allin]

Originally Posted by javadog

Hit Brian Redman's vintage event in July, at Elkhart Lake. Tons of Porsches.

JR

Been there a few times, never seen a 917 in attendance. Sat in a 908 though. I'd like to see all of the 90x cars in a line up with a 917 to see how they all compare in size.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by mbrouder

Been there a few times, never seen a 917 in attendance.

They've been there, though not in the numbers you'd see at a Rennsport Reunion, or the Monterrey Historics. The thing is, there's usually some emphasis on a particular group of cars, so any given year you'll see more of one thing than another. The last couple of times I was there they had the 40th reunion of the CanAm and also a bunch of cars from the F5000 era, the IMSA era, etc. I have photos of both 917 coupes and spyders there; I just can't scan them. Amalfi racing brings their 917 spyder a lot. Joe Buzzetta usually attends with a couple cars (obviously not 917s but nice, nonetheless.) There's always a bunch of Porsches of one sort or another. Frank Beck's 914-6 is one of my favorites.

JR

[GG Allin]

Originally Posted by javadog

They've been there, though not in the numbers you'd see at a Rennsport Reunion, or the Monterrey Historics. The thing is, there's usually some emphasis on a particular group of cars, so any given year you'll see more of one thing than another. The last couple of times I was there they had the 40th reunion of the CanAm and also a bunch of cars from the F5000 era, the IMSA era, etc. I have photos of both 917 coupes and spyders there; I just can't scan them. Amalfi racing brings their 917 spyder a lot. Joe Buzzetta usually attends with a couple cars (obviously not 917s but nice, nonetheless.) There's always a bunch of Porsches of one sort or another. Frank Beck's 914-6 is one of my favorites.

JR

'07 the feature was Porsche, not a 917 in sight. I believe you, just never seen one, unless you count that phony Kraftwerks car. There was a 908 longtail coupe there also that I was convinced was a 917 for about a half hour, then I noticed the number of cylinders. That's Joe Buzzetta's 908 above. "Mark" the older guy who takes care? of his cars, was nice enough to let us sit in it.

[javadog]

I think I was there in '07, although my memory is a little fuzzy. Didn't Mike Amalfitano have his 917 spyder there that year?




Was the Kraftwerk car a Gulf-liveried coupe, number 20?

JR

[GG Allin]

Originally Posted by javadog

I think I was there in '07, although my memory is a little fuzzy. Didn't Mike Amalfitano have his 917 spyder there that year?




Was the Kraftwerk car a Gulf-liveried coupe, number 20?

JR

If that car was there, I mistook it as a 908. (I hate when that happens). I'll have to look through my pictures.
Yes the Kraftwerks car was Gulf #20. For sale at the time too. Nice car, needed a little race patina though.

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by SpeedracerIndy

I love the 928 and respect it for what it is, but it looks like an SUV compared to the 914!

That's why i posted it for size comparison.

And my 928 is lowered!

[Superman]

Originally Posted by Tervuren

Perhaps you mean lower rather than smaller? If you where to move the camera to the center of the two cars, and raise it up it would look very different. Definitely smaller than most roads cars that a 12cyl behind the driver. The 917 pushed the cockpit so far forwards they could do this. In a road car it would make people very uncomfortable(safety)

Not true. I wish that picture of a 914 and 917 cruising a track together were on my computer. Of course, the 917 had to be at least X-distance long. But that distance is simply the length of a 12-cylinder engine, transmission and prone driver. The lengths of the 917 and 914 are about equivalent. The 914 TOWERS over a 917. they are, as many have mentioned here, much smaller than we imagined from watching them race on TV. Back in the early '70's, of course. Yes, I am that old.

[RWebb]

put one next to a Bug-eyed Sprite...

[Noah930]

These spindly tubes were what protected you in the event of an off at 240 mph:

[FastCarFan]

[URY914]

I have a picture of a 914 and a 917 next to each other in a turn at Daytona in 1971. The 917 is about as high as the top of the door, the door with the window down. My main computer has a virus or I would post the pic.

[campbellcj]

Originally Posted by SpeedracerIndy

I'm sure posted many times, but I never get tired of seeing this:

Thank you for that! I have the VHS but never snagged a digital copy of that clip! The sound is effin intoxicating...

[GG Allin]

[TheMentat]

Originally Posted by Noah930

These spindly tubes were what protected you in the event of an off at 240 mph:

I think I'd rather be thrown clear of the car!

That cage looks like it would impale the driver about 20 times over in a wreck!