[AMC-List] Rambler Hot Rods - con't

["Brien Tourville" <hh7x@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [AMC-List] Mid Engine d Hot Rod


On Tue, 3 Oct 2006, Brien Tourville wrote:

> here's my buckets worth:
> 
> take a hammer - place it on a cleared table.
> 
> spin the hammer - try to make a circle.
> 
> you can't.

Hmm well try this: perform your test twice. Once with the
hammer head pointing forward, and once again with it pointing
backwards. Compare results.

  

===     ===



two dents in the floor Tom - ~!

some 'concepts' - cars & aircraft - seem good,
in narrow applications they are - street apps.
is a whole 'nuther world of bad road angles,
oil sweat pavement and many, many, stupid
drivers.........

front engined cars will let you know ahead of
time when you're at a traction limit - you can
kick the rear end out to correct perhaps - unless
you're running a '56 Golden Hawk with the 
352 PACKARD 'boat-anchor' up front stuffed in
the Studebaker 'rubber-frame'.........

with this car - the condition of
'Snow-Plowing' thru curves was
coined - nose would wash out as 
the rear lifted - and swung.......
while seeking traction on the white
wall portion of the side walls........fun....!

the PORSCHE 914 mid engined was OK with
the 4cyl. 2.0 yet as weight went up with the
914/6 GT , the Factory added 'Fender Flares' to
accommodate the wider rims on the Performance
versions - but they saw the writing on the wall
as to their current technology and what could
be 'death ride for cutie' .

they hung into curves until they let go - without
much warning and not many techniques could
recover control once lost - rear didn't swing out
as much as you left the road pancaking sideways.

the WW-II AirCobra mid engined fighter was 
hated by American Pilots - so we sent them
to the Russians....that should tell you something.

plane did not handle well at all beyond a ground
attack aircraft.  saw one pilot gesturing the handling
to a group - yaw & pitch body language was terrifying
to anyone who has flown.

Rear engined Formula 1 cars of the 60s were
designed for that long wide oval track - 

check the amount of 'squat' they dialed into 
that IRS coupled with humongous at that time
tyre widths just to stay glued.  That era had
the most dramatic wrecks of most racing history.

Current V-12 Ferraris' , have a habit of lifting their
front suspensions over small road irregularities
at slower speeds and ending up in store fronts
- European Racing - seen a few film clips featuring this 'Option'.

Moms' 356 did this to me during some spirited back road
rallying against a TR Spitfire - tyres finally bit as I headed
into the Apple Orchard - didn't wrap the car up that afternoon.

I liked your original concept of an early Track Roadster with
the Navarro 6 - I'm sure all that plumbing could be arranged
for a high 'drool factor' eye candy without fogging up your
goggles.

A tandem seating cigar style Roadster with the short wind screens
& pop up baby carriage style 'convertible' roofing for those
sudden storm situations is taking up room on my sketch pad.

I live in a dirt track racing area - going to do some digging
on frames once I settle on the 60s' race body shell I want to copy.

Soap box Derby Revisited :)


        =Bt=
  milnersXcoupe

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