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Question Anyone Autocross against a Spitfire?

My boss keeps bragging about how great his times are in Autocross, "would have had the winning time, if I hadn't spun a rod bearing in the second to last corner" yada yada yada..... He's driving a stock '72 Triumph Spitfire GT-6 (with all the interior removed)and seems pretty confident that he can whoop any car in his class. Of course, there aren't any 914's out here racing against him (yet). Just wondering if anyone has whipped the "Limey" car on the course. Or are Spitfire's really that good?

Old 07-17-2001, 03:47 PM
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Dont know anything about the cars for handling.. But how great does he feel when driving those hoopties?? Im sure he has to brag a bit cuz he's mad that he isnt driving a porsche.. Just my $.02

danny
Old 07-17-2001, 04:02 PM
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Spits are good-handling cars, even in stock form! At least, good-handling for mid-60s British roadsters. Earlier ones have "swing axle" rear suspension, which will push the tail end of the car up into the air in a corner. Not great for handling--but generally better than the live rear axle of earlier Brit metal.

A decent stock 914 (like the 73 2.0, or a 74 2.0 with the swaybars) should out-handle it as long as it is wearing half-decent tires. It may still lose, though, as the GT-6 did have a pretty decent amount of power!

When modified to specific class limits, it may be tough to keep up with the Spit. SCCA rules are pretty notoriously anti-air-cooled, and by some accounts somewhat specifically anti-914. This is supposedly changing, though.

Then again, a well-done Lotus Esprit is an early-60s Brit roadster that will kick both the 914 and the Spit all over the map. And there are a number of other of Mr. Chapman's creations that would do likewise.

--DD

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Old 07-17-2001, 06:26 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by Dave_Darling:
Then again, a well-done Lotus Esprit is an early-60s Brit roadster that will kick both the 914 and the Spit all over the map. And there are a number of other of Mr. Chapman's creations that would do likewise.

--DD


Lotus Elan... one of THE true original roadsters...I wouldn't mind having one of those someday.






[This message has been edited by campbellcj (edited 07-17-2001).]
Old 07-17-2001, 06:59 PM
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At Road Atlanta Grassroots Motor Sports Magazine had theirs out there on an auto X course. It did very well. The 2 biggest factors IMHO are tires and the driver.
Old 07-17-2001, 07:09 PM
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If you squint you eyes real tight, that Elan looks like a 914 with the edges rounded off.
Old 07-18-2001, 01:37 PM
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...And if you don't squint at all, the Elan looks like a smaller and nicer-looking Miata.

Oh, wait--I've got that backwards. The Miata looks like a larger and uglier imitation of the Elan.

--DD

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Old 07-19-2001, 07:35 AM
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A lot of people tried it in these things


but they came 2nd overall
Old 07-20-2001, 10:14 PM
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In 85 I restored a 70 Elan.They are a neat little car. The sound of the Twin cam at redline is unmisstakeable, I built the engine with some special stuff from Dave Bean in SB, It was fitted with 40 DOCE's and uprated cams. The funnest job on these cars is replacing the roto-couplings on the half shafts. If you ever buy one before warned that the body is VERY fragile and the GRP bumpers are just for looks. I own a Miata at present they are very simialar but the Elan is much faster. Steve

[This message has been edited by SteveStromberg (edited 07-21-2001).]
Old 07-21-2001, 06:22 AM
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Hey Gruntie.....2nd place=1st place loser....


Old 07-21-2001, 07:31 AM
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Well, I got into this 914 thing while looking for one of these - a Lotus Europa. this photo isn't the best of breed IMHO, though it is a clean, original, early one.
I decided against it because many Lotus shops and POs that I spoke with told me that they were awful to own and very fragile in many repects. To me the 914 is kind of like a Europa that had a pragmatic german designer correct its flaws - and some of its charm.

Dave





[This message has been edited by DDS (edited 07-21-2001).]
Old 07-21-2001, 12:29 PM
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Hello

The Spitfire have one hughe advantage: You can sit on the tire while you fiddle on the engine.

The Spitis are small slik and quik.
The GT´s have a massive 6 with makes oversteer very amusing and the car feels sooo fast with a hanging out rear tail.

If you watch Olttimerraces you will see them fighting with 356. The Spitis are wild and use the whole curve while the 356 just look as they roll around.....


The Lotus Elan is the quikest 60´s Sportcar for the money. basically the Elan is a Formula 2 Monoposto in a car hule and two seats. In germany some have 550 Kg Elans with 220+ HP engines, they are faster then the Lotus seven. They fight in the same class as the 911 and still some 911 driver are faster. But if the track has some straights they are off.

The europa has a Renault 16 engine, Some wher 16V TC engienes and one V8 ( made for GKN ). The problem with the Europa is to fit inside. The 914 interiour is compared to that like a tennis field to a soccerfield.

The Europa is also like the X 1/9 very sharp on off throtle response in tight corners.

The best Lotus to live is a Eclat nicest 2+2 made in GB ( Ok in value for Money as a Aston Martin is hard to beat )

Can someone explain me the joke with the BF 109 F ?

Grüsse
Old 07-22-2001, 02:12 AM
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Roland....the plane above is a WWII fighter that fought against British Spitfire fighters....
Old 07-22-2001, 05:37 AM
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I can't help with the joke Roland. The Europa is tiny - inside and out and at 6' tall I'm too big. Interesting you mention the Eclat - a friend was offered one partially complete eclat project car for free, perhaps I'll investigate. One quote from my disucssion with Lotus folks sticks in my mind. After warning me off the Europa, the guy said "You know, Porsche is really the only company that ever got this production sports car thing figured out."
My wife also pushed things too. I had made collage of Europa pics for wallpaper on my PC, and she asked the fateful question - why? I explained to her that I was thinking about it and explained the problems with Lotus. In a weak, panicked moment she said "Why don't you just buy a Porsche?" The rest is history. As the costs climb, she just loves to be reminded that it was actually her idea.




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Old 07-22-2001, 05:44 AM
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For autocrossing the driver makes a much larger difference than the car. If you have never autocrossed before and this guy is any good, you'll get spanked. It takes some seat time to get your times down.

Go give it a try and have fun.

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Old 07-22-2001, 04:10 PM
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Hello

Lotus is constructet the "other way". As light as possible untill it has a failur but then it just get a light fix.

The problem is there are to much unfinnished cars out there and to much weak parts and corrosion makes them even weaker.

C.C had his drivers as testdrivers and they feared big failures but on the other side it was the winning machine back then.

C.C also had the same attitude with his streetcars. Thats why they sold then as kit car ( and to underrun the taxes ) in the first years.

C.C was a bit a moeney freak and turned F1 from gentleman racdrivers fighting for there nations to the fast racers drive for comercials. Money get more important then Honor........off topic danger

@mikez

Hugh ! didn´t know that. This plane was a killing machine and one pilot made more kills over afrika then the best brits on all fronts. And the Spitfire was nice but only the Mustang could be dangerous for a BF 109 or FW 190.

But the Spitfire was the only airplane that fight a missle ( accidentinaly ).

I know that stuff but on killing noone should be #1 as all do lose on that game.

Thank god that those rivalerys can be handled more sportive today.
But some still think that being #1 is worth all costs. I have no problems to stand in the back rows especialy if the front row gets cut there heads or is a row from stupid people.

Ups off topic risk again.....

Grüsse
Old 07-22-2001, 04:32 PM
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I know how ya feel Roland....my family is very cosmopolitan. My sister in law is from Austria, Zell am Zee (sic)...the place where the Porsche family goes on vacation. The rest of the family would fill a United Nations table....

She is so tired of the crap about who won the freakin' war....so am I....

BTW....I just bought an original 914/6 to go with my 83 911 cab, euro....

Wooo hhhhhooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

[This message has been edited by mikez (edited 07-22-2001).]

Old 07-22-2001, 04:36 PM
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