Vintage racing destroying Ferraris???

Why pretend that the vintage "racers" are driving anywhere near the "limit" of these cars? Fangio is spinning in his grave!!

Watching some rich guy rumble around in a resto/modernized (for "safety", of course) ferrari is not my idea of preserving "history". . .

 

I own a Vignale bodied race car and am very concerned about damaging the car while vintage racing. It has the original body. That's very rare. I think that only 30-40% of Vignale 250MM have original coachwork.
I believe that most the guys vintage racing are concerned about damaging original bodies. There are many vintage racers on the track that tend to race cars with bodies damaged in period and rebodied. A fender bender wouldn't impact the historical value.

I plan to vintage race the car and intend to be respectful to the originality by carefully running the car on the track. I would be devastated if I damaged the car. The objective is to get out there and have a good safe time and enjoy the car. Vintage racing is about sharing the experience of seeing and hearing an aggressive dynamic live machine in an environment that is a historical snap shot of the past. Some of these cars have lived a past life at the track and belong to be seen in their environment. Looking at old cars is fine but the real enjoyment in about using them and a little respectful vintage racing is fine.

Today, I looked at a vintage sports cars collection. The collection had sat for years. The cars seem dead. They were clearly rotting! I returned to my garage and thought how great the smells of fresh grease and gas -- makes for a happy old Ferrari.
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Ditto.

@teterman: I should specify that among the participants of historic racing there are also different kind of drivers/owners.

There are owners who are very careful like Mroz. They drive around at the back of the field.
At the front you either have skilled hired proffesional drivers or owners. the skills of these owners vary (some have a racing background) and yes, some get a little hotheaded sometimes. But I've seen many historic races and most of the drivers know they aren't there to win but to have a good time.
Ofcourse there are examples of people who don't get the point of historic racing and do anything to win (even illegal stuff, but I won't go into this).

However, my original point was: they DRIVE the cars and except for the careful ones are not parading them (which I think isn't that exciting to look at).
But it's still better than putting these cars away to rot in museums where they don't get any care at all. At least these cars on the track get all the attention they need and deserve.

And don't forget the racing fans who can't afford these cars but still want to see them.

 

The question remains in both instances: is it something you would want to have any part of?

 

So how old are you now and at what age will you decide to stop having sex? ;-)

Women even with facelifts and artificial hips still get old, racecars when properly maintained will go on and on and...

 

I´m 29 and the question is: when do I start having sex?

All kidding aside: I´m 29 and I´ll be having sex for as long as humanly and physically possible, not necesseraly with old aged women.

But enough on my current and future sexlive.

I agree that there is nothing wrong with using the cars for the sole purpose for which they were built in the first place. I just think that people should also recognize that we´ve moved on in time and that the cars they race are not only racingcars, built for speed and success, but also priceless pieces of history, and why not treat them that way? And on that note: even if vintage-racing doesn´t mean you keep an eye out for your own proporties, it does mean you keep an eye out for the proporties of your fellow-competitors.

 

Totally agree.

 

At the end of the day, they really are just cars. Who really cares how someone spends their money? Let them do what makes them happy.

 

Oh, I care. I care a lot. If I were in the position to acknowledge the relativity of it all, I wouldn´t be loving these things other -more sane- people call ´just cars´. I wish it were true, because the love is pretty damn expensive. I never asked for it, but hey, it happened and its a part of me. I would hate to see someone owning a (let´s say) 250 GTO, without fully appreciating the historic and technical merits of this particular object. I would be heartbroken to see this car being cut for parts for the hell of it (I know Im being ridiculous, but just to make a point). Damn sure I do care. I can´t do anything about it, but yes, I care.

 

You're not ridiculous - It happened. Remember Lord Brocket?

 

Trying very hard to forget....

 

I think that's what takes some of the fun out of this hobby for me, the fact that many people think their opinion matters on how I'm supposed to enjoy my cars. I fully understand why people with great cars don't show them off and keep them in private. And most of the time, I can't say that I blame them.

 

I merely stated that I care. I am not without opinion where cars are concerned and I´m not without opinion on how these cars are treated, be it by there respective owners or some other random person. I can´t help it. Opinions form themselves, without need or question. I however, fully understand that I am not in the position to even pretend or suggest that my opinions matter to anyone. I know they don´t (if anything, F-chat is enough proof for that) and from that base I would never speak out against anyone treating a car other than I would do (within the legal margin of their (proporty)rights, for outside those margins, anyone is entitled to speak out). Doesn´t keep me from simply having an opinion though.

 

Arlie,

Regarding post 44, if you read the thread on Tom Yang's site, you would see that a number of us were advocating saving that 330. In fact, I was tempted to take it on. Considering rear clips and doors are available from parted out cars and considering that the rest of the car was at or near show condition, it actually made sense.

On the other hand, we were all hovering like vultures wanting parts off of it for our own cars!

You know, that 330 would have been a perfect project for you.

Regards,

Art S.

 

Mroz,

I seriously suggest you race your car in American events NOT European and English events. The Europeans and English historic racing competitors have very small penises and actually think they are Ascari or somebody important and being a hero by flogging to death a 50+ year old car.

The thing I cannot understand is modern racing series are crying out for competitors and yet these foolish rich playboys think that pushing an historic car so hard that they smack the armco is somehow heroic. Read the English classic car mags ... they really do think that rolling a 250SWB is something to be proud of.

It all smacks of cigars and top hat class BS that most of us dispise the upperclass English and snobby Europeans for.

Pete

 

Man would you guys stop robbing me ... no wonder I have no bloody money ... and where is this Paul guy BTW?

Pete

 

I agree.

 

if you want a reaction, why don't you just call us ugly?

would love to chat more, but I'm going for a drive in my 1968 4.4 liter V-12 Ferrari w/ THREE of my friends . . .

 

Where do I come into this, guys ??? I haven't even thought of making a post in this thread.
.... and not for another month or two yet, Arlie - when the weather gets a bit nicer !
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B@stard ...

Pete

 

In the meantime I'm driving my cr*ppy Alfa !