"Faux-mula 1"?

The thread about the movie Grand Prix got me thinking.

From 1960 to 1965 F1 was 1.5 liters, IIRC. Wouldn't a current production car, similar in tube steel frame, using a Hayabusa (or similar) engine with no aero be an absolute riot and economical as well? Couldn't you use common suspension and brakes sourced from salvage (re: Miata?)? I'd think something like that would be fairly easy to build--it'd basically be a Formula 1000 or Formula Hayabusa with no bodywork on it--just aluminum or fiberglass skin and skinny tires.

Any thoughts?

so basically a Formula Skip Barber, with different bodywork, no wings, and a 'Busa engine?

I have been contemplating building a street version of a belly tank land speed car. It would be a tube frame, fiberglass body car with two seats inline. I plan on running a motorcycle engine and motorcycle tires all the way around along with motorcycle fenders. The idea would be to keep it as light and aerodymanic as possible and still be street legal.

This has crossed my mind many times. Would be epic.

they have a class for that in SCCA. They're really, really,really fast.

Here is a whole thread of them from the HAMB board. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=433193&showall=1

C'mon NoHome; here I am trying to downsize the fleet, get out of cars for a while, actually do something constructive and you gotta show me this new avenue of agony, skinned knuckles and night sweats.

Oy!

NOHOME wrote: Here is a whole thread of them from the HAMB board. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=433193&showall=1

StevenFV19 wrote: they have a class for that in SCCA. They're really, really,really fast.

What class is that?

In reply to Slyp_Dawg:

Yeah, that's pretty close to what I had in mind, after looking at the Barber specs. Maybe taller tires, but that's not a big deal.

Sounds like a low budget version of an Ariel Atom.

I saw a Ford Escort diesel engine for sale on Detroit Craigslist last week. Combine that with a belly tank, skinny wheels and tires, maybe even some streamlined fairings over the wheels and voila!!!, you have a 70 mpg commuter !

It's called Formula 1000. But they do have downforce.

I would be in for a spec formula car with a cheap bike engine for power, spec tires and NO aero at all. I want them to look like vintage formula cars but be new, affordable and reliable.

Jimbob, you just described F600... well, if we can get SCCA to accept the proposal to allow 600 bike motors in F500.

In reply to triumph7:

F500/600 definitely uses aero, though. What we're talking about would be the old "cigar" chassis, or possibly something like a Lotus 72/McLaren M23.

http://f1-67.com/

A little more power than you were thinking but perfect with the looks:

only two problems with that, the first being the chassis is aluminum (read: $$$) and the second is that it's got enough power to get going REALLY fast if the rules allowed it.

stroker wrote: only two problems with that, the first being the chassis is aluminum (read: $$$) and the second is that it's got enough power to get going REALLY fast if the rules allowed it.

third problem: I can't afford it.

Oh I was just pointing out an example of the shape. Build the chassis in steel with a bike motor and speeds should be a little less outrageous.

stroker wrote: The thread about the movie Grand Prix got me thinking.

what thread?

This one:

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/grand-prix-remake/28552/page1/

So formula ford, with bike engines.