Book on Trans-Am Cars

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Expand view Topic review: Book on Trans-Am Cars

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by Ellis » Tue Jan 14, 2014 8:10 pm

A story in one of the TA books I read...
(a) Tech Inspector having a beer with one of the teams after the races leant on the roof of a race car.
Said something like .." You fellas have a bit of work to do before the next meeting"

(b) May have been Dan Gurney testing a car a day before a meeting on a hi speed track and the roof
was bending in and touching his helmet from air pressure. He asked them to cut the roof off and replace it
with a standard one which they removed from a car at a dealership.

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by Steve Holmes » Tue Jan 14, 2014 6:06 am

Shoreboy57 wrote:Just one theory (from Car Life Mag in 1970). I'll leave it to the experts to argue its validity:
The forward part of a car roof is a negative pressure area. Venting the higher pressure cockpit air into that area would noticeably reduce lift. With a vinyl skin covering a series of pin holes, this could have been accomplished without the inspectors noticing (they tested the car with magnets). Nobody ever figured exactly why they ran the vinyl, though and finally got them off on a technicality. (The roofs didn't appear on the homologation papers.) The rules didn't say Penske couldn't use them, so his record was safe.


According to Mark Donohue's book, The Unfair Advantage, the vinyl covers were put on the '69 Camaros because the bodies had been left in the acid bath too long to try and get as much weight out of them as possible. The roofs became quite badly dimpled. Also, according to Donohue, because the team repainted the cars usually after every race, by not having to paint the roofs saved them money. I can only assume this is true, as he is quite open about everything the team did to gain an advantage.

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by Steve Holmes » Tue Jan 14, 2014 6:02 am

Acid dipping was pretty common in the Trans-Am, particularly by the factory teams. Dan Gurneys All American Racers team built both the factory Plymouth Cuda's which they'd be racing themselves, plus the Dodge Challengers that the Autodynamics team would race. Apparently the Challengers were left in the acid too long, and the shells became very weak, which was to affect them throughout the season, as the shells kept sagging.

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by kiwi285 » Tue Jan 14, 2014 3:45 am

I have recently been watching a DVD about American muscle cars and part of it is about the race history of each car type that raced.

Sam Posey was being interviewed about the Dodge Challenger and he mentioned that on one of its first outings it passed scrutineering and when the chief scrutineer came over to talk to them and wish them all the best he leaned on the roof and part of it caved in. He waved his finger at the crew and told them they had better find another shell as that one wouldn't be racing in its current state. The crew chief phoned Dodge HQ and was told to go to the local dealership and take the first customer car they could find and transfer all their race bits to it and use that in the race.

Wonder what the dealer principal told the customer on Monday morning when his car had disappeared.

It appears that most manufacturers was bending the rules trying to prove that their latest race bit were standard production and were therefore homologated.

Mike

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by Ellis » Tue Jan 14, 2014 3:09 am

kiwi285 wrote:My copy has arrived and there are some great period and modern photos of the car and heaps of info on all the tricks that were employed in trying to gain that winning edge. Plenty of info from the engineers about what they were up to and how they hid the results from the scrutineers. Not all tied up with race reports and results.

A book well worth having for the background info about the series and how it all unravelled.

Mike




Ditto what Mike wrote...Good reading

Mine arrived a few days after Xmas from Book Depository...A$38 inc postage

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by Shoreboy57 » Tue Jan 14, 2014 2:31 am

Just one theory (from Car Life Mag in 1970). I'll leave it to the experts to argue its validity:
The forward part of a car roof is a negative pressure area. Venting the higher pressure cockpit air into that area would noticeably reduce lift. With a vinyl skin covering a series of pin holes, this could have been accomplished without the inspectors noticing (they tested the car with magnets). Nobody ever figured exactly why they ran the vinyl, though and finally got them off on a technicality. (The roofs didn't appear on the homologation papers.) The rules didn't say Penske couldn't use them, so his record was safe.

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by John McKechnie » Tue Jan 14, 2014 2:14 am

The vinyl would be much thicker and stronger than the roof of many Trans Am cars, and vinyl doesnt rust.

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by Kiwiboss » Tue Jan 14, 2014 2:03 am

Shoreboy57 wrote:
kiwi285 wrote:Heaps of info on all the tricks that were employed in trying to gain that winning edge.

So who is going to run a Camaro with vinyl roof in HMC?


Might have to put one on my mustang? Dale M

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by fullnoise68 » Tue Jan 14, 2014 1:30 am

Strange things happen when you acid dip a bodyshell Shoreboy!

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by Shoreboy57 » Tue Jan 14, 2014 1:20 am

[quote="kiwi285"]Heaps of info on all the tricks that were employed in trying to gain that winning edge.

So who is going to run a Camaro with vinyl roof in HMC?

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by Terry S » Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:45 pm

Interesting that in in Aussie, when I look in Pitstop Bookshop, supposedly Australia's leading motoring bookshop, it says price AUD 66 (plus post) and Availability " Not in stock. Future Release"

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by kiwi285 » Sun Jan 12, 2014 7:28 am

My copy has arrived and there are some great period and modern photos of the car and heaps of info on all the tricks that were employed in trying to gain that winning edge. Plenty of info from the engineers about what they were up to and how they hid the results from the scrutineers. Not all tied up with race reports and results.

A book well worth having for the background info about the series and how it all unravelled.

Mike

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by Shoreboy57 » Sun Jan 12, 2014 1:52 am

David Toms' book didn't quite arrive in time for Christmas but is certainly a great read as lead up to NZFMR and HMCs. And Alan Mann's autobiography arrived too which looks to be a fascinating story of '60s saloon and sports car racing. Thanks Santa

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by kiwi285 » Sun Dec 22, 2013 9:02 pm

My copy is on the way from Amazon.

I haven't heard of the Book Depository but will certainly look it up.

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by nzboss » Sat Dec 21, 2013 6:17 am

Another from The Book Depository.com.
These guys are awesome to deal with, and priced well.
.....And with free shipping as already stated.

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by Ellis » Thu Dec 19, 2013 7:04 pm

The Book Depository .com
AUD $ 38.15 ...free shipping worldwide

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by Robert Bailey » Thu Dec 19, 2013 10:04 am

For me Amazon books $40.06 us including shipping to Melbourne.

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by Steve Holmes » Thu Dec 19, 2013 6:28 am

nzboss wrote:It does fit here, and I've got my copy!
An awesome book, I highly recommend it :)


Where did you buy your copy?

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by Robert Bailey » Tue Dec 03, 2013 4:25 am

x2 on the case and will order a copy.

Re: Book on Trans-Am Cars

by Steve Holmes » Tue Dec 03, 2013 2:40 am

Thanks you Doug, for the heads-up. I did a search on the title, found it on Amazon, and plan to purchase a copy. This is most definitely the right place to post this. Thanks again.

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