Chassis/Suspension ID help: FV?FSV?/F?

[PlanB]

Hey All,

Was hunting for an FV to convert to AX/hill climb ride and have run across this chassis:
(below)

Appears to possibly be some type of mash-up FV/FSV/F? conversion? Wondering if the rocker arm front suspension, with enclosed A-arm tops is familiar to anyone here? (or where else I might post to ask) It looks like an early 60'd Lotus F? style
front suspension?

It's got VW drums all around. (nickel plated?), and a VW transaxle in place. Everything's safety wired
and the tube frame has great looking welds and gusseting… And doesn't look like 'home-brewed.'

It's been suggested that it's an Indy 500 'Parade Car' - driven by celebrities in the pre race parade.
If so…It's waaaay overbuilt for 'parading.'

It's got no log books, or records, but does have USAC stickers on the roll bar.
The open wheel sites I've posted at show zero interest in anything that doesn't have log books and SCCA provenance?

Thanks in advance for any insights anyone might offer.
I currently AX a 'big 4' Porsche 914 and race a VW Fastback in LeMons btw…

Thanks for your time!

-Ric

Frontsuspension2b.jpg

[ps2375]

Wish I could help you, but I have only watched FV's at AutoX/Hillclimbs.

[buildabiggerboxer]

Unlikely to be from a VW racer, FV used T1 axle beam front suspension so that's eliminated, and super vee used disc brakes, so that's out too, try posting on google+ or Facebook?

[PlanB]

Unlikely to be from a VW racer, FV used T1 axle beam front suspension so that's eliminated, and super vee used disc brakes, so that's out too, try posting on google+ or Facebook?

Yeah…I hear you. Local Indy folks have told me that many early FSV and FV cars were rebuilt as 'parade cars' for the Indy 500 pre-race parade. Some by a builder named Grant King: http://www.victoriaautoracinghalloffame ... tking.html

This car appears to have been built to race (at some point) Safety wired, rocker suspension, carerra coil-overs, etc.
Perhaps it was converted to a 'parade' car from earlier VW racing background.

Again; It's got a swing axle VW transaxle in back, that the tube frame's been built for, VW brakes, etc...

I'm most interested in whether anyone recognizes the front suspension (rocker ) design?

[Ol'fogasaurus]

I almost posted before but that upper a-arm with the airfoil shape sure does look familiar to me too. I thought as you did it was from an earlier time when they were making serious changes to the cars one step at a time.

Could it be a movie car? I know they can hash up something that looks good and moves or take and make one thing from something else. Just a thought.

Lee

[FJCamper]

Gentlemen,

That front end looks very late-60's British, to me.

SCCA had a formula libre in the early to mid '60. This might be a crossbreed car from the last of the FL to the late 60's Formula B (1600cc).

It almost looks like someone grafted a FB front end onto a FV.

FJC

[PlanB]

Gentlemen,

That front end looks very late-60's British, to me.

SCCA had a formula libre in the early to mid '60. This might be a crossbreed car from the last of the FL to the late 60's Formula B (1600cc).

It almost looks like someone grafted a FB front end onto a FV.

FJC

Yep…Exactly; Very 60's Lotus/Lola design of the enclosed top A-arm , inboard rocker suspension.
It came with a set of beautiful 15" Halibrand magnesium knock-off wheels, like the ones on the Ford GT 40's. My plan is to sell those to fund a rebuild/refresh over the winter. I have a few VW power plants in various states of finish that I might use to power it.

What are your thoughts on the RIGHT amount of power for AX' ing a light open wheel vehicle like this?

[FJCamper]

Hi PlanB,

Very intelligent question for somebody who road races a Type 3. I hope to see you at the track one day. We're running LeMons CMP the weekend of the upcoming 20th.

To autocross a light chassis you need very little engine. A stock dual port 1600 will make you have to launch in 2nd gear.

If you were really road racing, you'd need more tweaks, but for autocross, it's all immediate response and low-end grunt.

You could even taunt the competition and run a single bbl Solex. With the accel pump adjusted right, they kick in fast.

FJC

[PlanB]

Hi PlanB,

Very intelligent question for somebody who road races a Type 3. I hope to see you at the track one day. We're running LeMons CMP the weekend of the upcoming 20th.

To autocross a light chassis you need very little engine. A stock dual port 1600 will make you have to launch in 2nd gear.

If you were really road racing, you'd need more tweaks, but for autocross, it's all immediate response and low-end grunt.

You could even taunt the competition and run a single bbl Solex. With the accel pump adjusted right, they kick in fast.

FJC

Thanks FJ,

I closely followed your 'Ghia road course set-up' for the type 3 build. I swapped 944 turbo trailing arms and brakes all around, and made adjustable spring plates that, along with fabbed / lowered spindles - made for a really sweet handling road racing type 3 fastback. Would love to see more VW's a LeMons. Last year Charles Navarro (of Nickies fame) showed up at LeMons with a Type 3 wagon - and it was fun dueling Type 3's. We race in C class - with (sometimes) - NO laps added. Your motor looks BIG - are those 50's+? (carbs)? Exhaust looks like a big block drag race diameter? (1 3/4"-2"?)

I definitely don't want to get caught up trying to manage an over-powered autocross 'er . What would you consider an ideal power to weight ratio of AX'ing an open wheel car?

[FJCamper]

Hi PlanB,

The Blitzwagen has 94mm cylinders and a 78.8mm crank, 42mm intake valve heads, and a 1 5/8" exhaust. What keeps it alive is a CB Performance dry sump pump and an eBay 3-gallon oil tank in an enclosure where the passenger seat used to be.

The carbs are garden variety dual single bbl Kadrons, on 34mm venturis and 44mm throttle bodies. We used shortened springs up front and cheapie no-name adjustable rear spring plates. Our brakes are four-wheel Karmann Ghia ATE-type VARGAS.

Your AX car will keep traction and run great at a power to weight of about 9:1. A GT3 Porsche is closer to 7:1, as an example. But you need controllability.

FJC

[ONEBADBUG]

You can never have too much power, but you can have too little traction!
That being said, we blew a spark plug out of my 1915 while out of town, and decide to just keep driving it. We actually went faster on 3 cylinders because it allowed us to focus on our line, rather than managing wheelspin. You do want a big enough engine to have torque at all speeds, not shifting can save you time.