i guess an easy way to tell from the photos posted that #3001 has the hood vent and #3000 doesnt?
Bob, I never complained about the pure brake-power of a Bora or Khamsin. Those "green.-stuff"-brakes are propably the best 70ies-brakes ever! But I definitely complaine about the much too short way from zero to max of the peddal! If you use to drive with heel-and-toe aka double declutching (what ALL Italian cars love!) than you have "mucho problemos". Every race driver of an historic race car drives with double-declutching and heel-n-toe (and as you see even the modern electronic gearboxes are double-declutching when downshifting!). This is almost impossible with the Bora Gr.IV and Guikas -who is an excellent driver- confirmed that to me. Cornering and braking on an high speed oval is not the issue! Come to Spa-Francochamps and the ol``Ring (172 turns in 1 lap!!) and I show you what braking in corners really means....! Ciao! Walter
Have a closer look -#3000 has the vent in the front bonnet - but its covered and only opened when nedded! Ciao! Walter
Elton John taillamps! How does one put in in internEt language ah yes: ROTFLMAO!!! MY GOD THAT IS SO BAD....DOES IT HAVE PURPLE NEON LIGHTS UNDERNEATH!?
For the record:there were 3 reasons why the Bora GR4s did not get to race: -Did not fit the rules. -Francois Migault had a crash in a normal Bora while doing note gathering on the itinerary before the event in a normal road Bora: it was a bad crash, he borke his knee and there might have been a fatality involved. -Someone involved with Thepenier, with the team, ran off with the money. I tried to contact the son of Thepenier who passed away long ago but he never answers, seems totally uninterested...
To miss the rules was the major reason although a very stupid one as the rules were well known! In general the project was totally underfinanced from the Thepenier side. As far as I know Maserati never got any cash for at least 1 of the two cars! The reason why the son is not responding is perhaps the fact that they had a clash with De Tomaso later! The "Tricky man" was capo di capi of Maserati and had -as always!!- his own ideas selling cars. So, Thepenier turned their head to Lamborghini to forget everything Maserati! I don`t see the crash of Migault as the main reason as other -and perhaps better- drivers were available at that time to take over. Ciao! Walter
any more in-depth detail information of the car? is it just a cosmetic poser car or has it been modified with performance parts? the reason i ask is the car was for sale last year. it would make a great track car platform for stripping and lightening starting with the elton john taillamps. if people thought those lamps where vulgar, they should see the interior. it would be great to gut it out much like the gr4 bora's. has anyone every put a 4.9 v8 in a merak? old quattroporte motor are EVERYWHERE for cheap. meraks and bora's are so darn heavy. maybe thats why there are a little more solidly built than the contemporary ferrari or lambo? This makes for a good gt car but poor track car. fundamentally both the merak and bora have a great chassis design. they are just in need of honing to realize there performance potential. Imo, its no mystery why they should run rings around a daytona or a boxer even with the inferior masser motors. here's a god awful slow mostly stock merak racing in a HSCC 70's historic series at donnington. cheers hf Image Unavailable, Please Login
I took about 120 kg out of my car, updated the suspension and I enjoy every track day in it since! Ciao! Walter
I never said that ! This is a reason why I bought a Merak SS which is build in much more examples like the rare Bora! But - you can`t imagine how many Boras I out-turned on circuits with my optimised car! Ciao! Walter
Walter...I interviewed everyone left to interview in 1995 for my article on the Bora Gr4s for Sports Car International. I stayed at the house of Francois Migault. The reasons I state are the factual reasons. Your statements are suppositions. We are not here to compete about knowledge and always have the last word. The cars would have been able to do the Tour de France, the rules there did allow it (unlie at Le Mans) but the Migault crash as a big setback (just before the event) and then somone invloved with the the team ran of with the budget. Stole it. That is a fact that I uncovered. Thank you. Marc
Marc, the Le Mans-mistake was a real stupid one! Of course its always a punch when a driver who developed his car can`t race it for whatever reasons! Also the theft issue is very significant and blew away any chances that were left. But: the Bora Gr.IV-project was underfinanced from the first moment on. Maserati was about 10 years behind any official race activity incl. development when this project was born. The Bora never raced nor did some of the earlier GT-cars from the 60ies (exeptional some 3500 GT) do. To convert the Bora into a propper race car would have take tons of money and facilities - and continuous (!!) experiance. Either Maserati -who didn`t want to get oficially involved!- not Thepenier had the cash to do it. Then -finally- the theft got it down on its knees. I am pretty sure that if the car would have bee accepted by the rules and the available money would have secured the project from the beginning, then Thepenier would have found a replacement for Migault after his crash. In those days sponsors became more important, day by day and the starting money was exeptional important for this privateer team........! Ciao! Walter
...which is totally GaGa as he had entered cars in Le Mans before (in the prototype-class)!!! This was the first shot to kill their efforts! Ciao! Walter
Perhaps they thought or were encourage to think that they might get waiver? Have the rules never been "adjusted" for anyone before? Bob S.
walter 250lb+ is a lot of weight to remove from what looks like to be very streetable car with glass and interior. i gather you have removed the AC and put on some composite panels? have you ever put your cars on the weight scales...what does a stock merak weight? i dont have much faith in 70's printed specifications when it comes to claims curb weight of actual weight claims, they tend to be very inaccurate. I weight all my cars on independent scales. i gathering your merak would be around 2750-2900 lbs? thats a huge +300kg difference from a stock bora at 3570lbs (road & track) or 3484lb (factory kerb). I can see why your 600lb lighter merak would run rings around a stock bora on a twisty circuit. whatever the case, its great to see people are bringing these antiquated exotics out to the track. my hats off to you, bob and others that exercise the machines on the circuit. i hope bob wasnt suggesting that the merak is a vastly inferior car compared to the bora. btw what are your lap times at Pocano bob? all the best hf
hf, I removed: a/c the heavy steel pipings for oil & water from the frond radiators to the engine (replaced by much lighter race-pipings) front hood (replaced by one of fiber-glass) and rear hood (replaced by one of kevlaer), both with racing clip-locks! Both hoods are unbelievable heavy! rear window (replaced by one of makralon-plexi-glass) standart exhaust system (replaced by one of stainless steel without the very heavy silencers). the rear seats the electric radio antenna the front bumper the carpets of the trunk (All removed parts had been weighted: 120 kg - when I recall correctly) The engine got hotter cams, racing manifolds with bigger diameter The suspension was lowered with additional changes of the track measuments and better anti-roll bars. The gearbox was a little "preciced" for better gearchange but syncromesh is still the weak point here (I drive it only with double declutching by heel-and-toe). I love it and never regret the purchase! Ciao! Walter
walter, your build sound like a great recipe for merak owners interested in a dual purpose car. so what modifications are next on the horizon? further lightening by drilling out existing panels and components? I have a variant of this citroen gearbox in my old lotus esprit and im not sure if it can take more torque if you add anymore power. IMO, along with smaller displacement motor, the most significant component downgrade from the bora is the nice ZF gearbox.... they can handle an immense amount of power. The bmw M1, lancia 037, pantera uses the same basic transaxle. Some GT40 and the mangusta use an "upsidedown" version to lower the motor another 100mms. some people out have suggest late meraks came with ZF boxes... i have never seen one and i doubt they even exist. anybody out there have a ZF gearbox merak? Anyways heres another GR4 replica done in Sweden that I found of the net. I do believe these wheels are the real campagnolos like the ones found on the Gr4 cars. Al Constenino use to import these wheels in the USA as Campagnolo distributor. cheers hf Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
OMG! This thread is producing some interest. Walter finally reveals his racing tricks. Sounds good Walter and very expensive. Bob S.
Yes the Bora GR4 replica shown in post 97 is the car of my friend Johan Helenius photos of which I posted earlier. He did an incredibel job with that car, he is one of the best mechanic restorers anywhere: very smart guy: he trained a s alwyer and decided...no I want to play with cars for a living! I I ever do a 7 speed Khamsin it will be with him
It's just my own opinion, but I think Bora's are rather rare and should stay in her original condition. How many Daytona replica's and how many Daytona spider replica's? Don't do the same with the Bora. Maybe just one or two...
