This is the epitome of Grassroots!

I'm with Javelin too! 4-rotors should be allowed in F1!!! Maybe i'd actually watch it, then.

I wonder what the Hartley V8 costs....Cool project.

I heart the article, and the project.

Gearheadotaku wrote: I wonder what the Hartley V8 costs....Cool project.

$30k give or take.

mike wrote: I *heart* the article, and the project.

+1

Thanks again for all of the accolades gents! Thus far it is the most "actively liked" article on the site, so thats cool! You guys rock!

Maroon92 wrote: Thanks again for all of the accolades gents! Thus far it is the most "actively liked" article on the site, so thats cool! You guys rock!

I linked it to Facebook.

On another forum, I have had nothing but naysayers. It seems like this story is a GRM universe style story!

The carbon fiber work on that thing is incredible. I would die inside if I wrecked something like that!! But it's awesome that he won't just be parking it like some rich person's ornament.

DILYSI Dave wrote:

Gearheadotaku wrote: I wonder what the Hartley V8 costs....Cool project.

$30k give or take.

I figured a 5 figure price point but for 3 stacks of high society, I'd would have gotten this: http://www.race-cars.com/engsales/cosworth/1116014848/1116014848ss.htm

The car I drove at Indy 101 was an IRL chassis with a 500hp Chevy V8 and a 2-speed trans...for reliability and longevity. This guy will be having more fun than Jay Pritchett.

Maroon92 wrote: On another forum, I have had nothing but naysayers. It seems like this story is a GRM universe style story!

I love the story, and applaud the guy for doing his own thing, but I can understand where they're coming from. I hate to admit it, but I'm somewhat of a naysayer myself. Not to the idea, it's just not how I'd drop 100k.

(Engine+Chassis+consumables+fabrication work on composite=$$$$)

Tom Heath wrote:

Maroon92 wrote: On another forum, I have had nothing but naysayers. It seems like this story is a GRM universe style story!

I love the story, and applaud the guy for doing his own thing, but I can understand where they're coming from. I hate to admit it, but I'm somewhat of a naysayer myself. Not to the idea, it's just not how I'd drop 100k. (Engine+Chassis+consumables+fabrication work on composite=$$$$)

Hopefully all of the naysayers are not suggesting that this guy drop the same kind of time and money into some other track day specific car, which there are plenty of them available out on the market.

If I had a choice of spending $100k for a track car, and this was one vs. other track day cars, I would totally go with the former F1 car. Sure, there's a lot of work involved, but considering he's already worked up a new gear box, it appears that he enjoys this kind of work.

So for this project, you get to work on a fun, and incredibly rare, car, do some serious engineering, and in the end, end up with a track car that was a former F1 car. Seems like a good deal to me!

In reply to alfadriver:

Again, not trying to hate on what that guy chooses to do, it's just 180 degrees apart from what I'd do. I could run a whole season of B-spec, eat 5 star meals, crash a few times, and still have money left over.

He probably thinks the way I would spend the same money is goofy.

In reply to Tom Heath:

Yea, I probably would not drop $100k on a dedicated track car, either.

but given his goals.... I like the F1 car over an Airal Atom V8.

Maroon92 wrote:

Javelin wrote: Is it bad that I'd want to put a 4-rotor in it a-la 787B? At least it would still spin 12K RPM's and spit fire...

12K? More like 20K!

I priced one out from Pineapple Racing for $18k ready for turbo's. LOL I was looking at closing a $30M real estate deal and was going to take home over $1M myself. I was going to build a badass.

Deal fell through, I was depressed.

Tom & Alfa:

When you have 10+ mil in the bank already, $100K is cheap for a toy. There's R/C racers who can drive a whole season with the best of everything for a Challenge car budget, but we'd still do the Challenge.... right? Perspective fellas.

I like to look at it like this.

A brand new Porsche GT3 cup runs about 140K. This is much cheaper and much faster!

Person - "I have an old race car that I track"

Lady - "Really? Sounds cool! Can I see it?"

Person - "Sure"

(unveils car)

Possible reactions:

To B-Spec Mazda2: "Huh"

To fleet of B-Spec Mazda2's: "Huh"

To Porsche GT3 Cup: "Neat"

To fleet of Spec Miata's: "Huh"

To a FREAKING F1 CAR: "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!??!?!?!!?! Awesome!"

That's why it's worth it.

Who would have known that this guy accomplished so much?

This is a new article that I just got published today. Chronicling Carroll Shelby and all of his exploits! If anyone wants to know more, I have it all sitting in my brain, just ask!

I'd be way more interested to here about the actual engineer, Ray Brock, then that curmudgeonly old attorney-lover.

Now who's the curmudgeon? (Although I like the Ray Brock idea)

Keep 'em coming Brad.

Tom Heath wrote: In reply to alfadriver: Again, not trying to hate on what that guy chooses to do, it's just 180 degrees apart from what I'd do. I could run a whole season of B-spec, eat 5 star meals, crash a few times, and still have money left over. He probably thinks the way I would spend the same money is goofy.

And here we hit the definition of grassroots again. $100k to put a re-engined F1 car on the track is pretty grassroots when you look at similar alternatives. He's doing a lot of the work and research himself. It's not as if he's dropping a small block Chevy in there, it's as close as you can buy to an F1 powerplant with a reasonable expectation of lifespan.

Grassroots is relative, not absolute. Would I do the same thing as him if I had the cash? Quite possibly. It'll be one heck of a ride when he's done.

Keith wrote: Grassroots is relative, not absolute. Would I do the same thing as him if I had the cash? Quite possibly. It'll be one heck of a ride when he's done.

Do the same? Absolutely not! I'd see if I could find an old Audi R8 instead.

I respect F1. I looooove me some endurance sports cars.

Just joking. I love what the guy's doing with the Honda. It may not be Grassroots money, but like Keith said, it's a Grassroots attitude. Take something obsolete, do the work, and have something different!

Javelin wrote: I'd be *way* more interested to here about the actual engineer, Ray Brock, then that curmudgeonly old attorney-lover.

It was Pete Brock. I met him at the Mitty last year. Great guy. Hell of a guy, in fact. Very nice, very accomplished... He's the same guy that ran BRE...Maybe that will be my next "vintage" article.

Like I said about Shelby in the comments of the article.

Bradley C. Brownell said: I like to pretend that I can remain blissfully ignorant of Shelby’s legal actions. I can’t fault the man himself, as it is mostly lawyers pulling his old man puppet strings these days. Even though his reputation has been tarnished as of late, I still contend that all of his accomplishments between the 1950s through the 1990s would more than make up for it. Long live Ol’ Shel!