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  • jamscal

    July 26, 2009 12:39 p.m. jamscal HalfDork

    My latest daydream/ theory I'm bored:

    If the average GRMer could travel back in time....

    and have a budget on par with other racers/ race teams during that period...

    (I'm thinking sports car racing anywhere from the 20's-70's maybe)...

    He could dominate racing based on his advanced technical knowledge.

  • cwh

    July 26, 2009 12:51 p.m. cwh Dork

    Can you imagine the Hongs with a NASCAR Hudson?

  • NYG95GA

    July 26, 2009 1:02 p.m. NYG95GA SuperDork

    I have a '75 Duster that I put an aftermarket casette player in. The only casettes I play in it are material composed before 1975. I wear period sunglasses while driving it. That's my time machine.

    It ain't pretty, but it works for me......

  • Woody

    July 26, 2009 1:42 p.m. Woody SuperDork

    I'd bring a Miata back in time with me and only enter long endurance races.

  • GVX19

    July 26, 2009 1:51 p.m. GVX19 New Reader

    Okay this one wrights it self.

    I would pick the 70s car Fiat ? 128 or x19.

    Or 1999 FL, GRM Challenge,Car YUGO 1.5L turbo. 1!st place would be all mine!!!!!

  • Appleseed

    July 26, 2009 2:05 p.m. Appleseed HalfDork

    Oh, if I could only have my hand in Trans Am's glory days.

    Or anything to do with Group B or the turbo F1s.

    Or just to see Collin Mcrae race, just once.

  • Rob_Mopar

    July 26, 2009 3:58 p.m. Rob_Mopar New Reader

    NYG95GA wrote:

    I have a '75 Duster that I put an aftermarket casette player in. The only casettes I play in it are material composed before 1975. I wear period sunglasses while driving it. That's my time machine.

    It ain't pretty, but it works for me......

    I now have Foghat's Slowride going though my head. And anybody reading that sentence does now too...

    -Rob

  • m4ff3w

    July 26, 2009 8:21 p.m. m4ff3w Dork

    Rob_Mopar wrote:

    NYG95GA wrote:

    I have a '75 Duster that I put an aftermarket casette player in. The only casettes I play in it are material composed before 1975. I wear period sunglasses while driving it. That's my time machine.

    It ain't pretty, but it works for me......

    I now have Foghat's Slowride going though my head. And anybody reading that sentence does now too...

    -Rob

    It might be if I knew the song or artist.

  • SkinnyG

    July 26, 2009 8:31 p.m. SkinnyG Reader

    I built a time machine once. Except it only goes into the future. It's slow though - takes a full hour to travel a 60 minute jump into the future.

    G

  • ReverendDexter

    July 26, 2009 8:44 p.m. ReverendDexter HalfDork

    SkinnyG wrote:

    I built a time machine once. Except it only goes into the future. It's slow though - takes a full hour to travel a 60 minute jump into the future.

    G

    You can up the efficiency of it a bit with the introduction of enough of the following:

  • Trans_Maro

    July 26, 2009 9:09 p.m. Trans_Maro HalfDork

    jamscal wrote:

    My latest daydream/ theory I'm bored:

    If the average GRMer could travel back in time....

    and have a budget on par with other racers/ race teams during that period...

    (I'm thinking sports car racing anywhere from the 20's-70's maybe)...

    He could dominate racing based on his advanced technical knowledge.

    Are you sure about that?

    A lot of the early racers had huge brass balls, were half crazy or both.

    Think about it. 1958 NASCAR. A stock car, bench seat, drum brakes, no cage, no belts, helmet and maybe a pair of gloves.. Screw that!

    FED's. Sit on the pumpkin with the transmission between your legs, go 200mph or better and hope nothing blows up. Nothing like an overstressed ring gear with nothing between it and your junk but a piece of cast iron.

    I don't think many of us "hobby racers" woul have what it takes to "dominate" just because of better knowledge.

    Shawn

  • friedgreencorrado

    July 26, 2009 11:55 p.m. friedgreencorrado HalfDork

    jamscal wrote:

    My latest daydream/ theory I'm bored:

    If the average GRMer could travel back in time....

    and have a budget on par with other racers/ race teams during that period...

    (I'm thinking sports car racing anywhere from the 20's-70's maybe)...

    He could dominate racing based on his advanced technical knowledge.

    My "advanced techinical knowledge" includes modern rubber compounds. If I can't bring a set of new Kuhmo/Hoosier/Yokos/whatever with me, I'd be just as slow there as I am here.

    I've heard that one of the problems with keeping a vintage car safe is that modern tires have so much grip they can snap the old suspension pieces.

  • jamscal

    July 27, 2009 2:27 a.m. jamscal HalfDork

    Trans_Maro wrote:

    Are you sure about that?

    A lot of the early racers had huge brass balls, were half crazy or both.

    Think about it. 1958 NASCAR. A stock car, bench seat, drum brakes, no cage, no belts, helmet and maybe a pair of gloves.. Screw that!

    FED's. Sit on the pumpkin with the transmission between your legs, go 200mph or better and hope nothing blows up. Nothing like an overstressed ring gear with nothing between it and your junk but a piece of cast iron.

    I don't think many of us "hobby racers" woul have what it takes to "dominate" just because of better knowledge.

    Shawn

    It would be in a -behind the scenes engineering influence- kind of way, I wasn't thinking of being a driver.

    I don't have a -good- example right now (early), but I think there is a lot of bad knowledge that could be discounted, and of course you'd have the scoop on a bunch of the innovations before they were 'invented'.

  • AngryCorvair

    July 27, 2009 11:26 a.m. AngryCorvair Dork

    jamscal wrote:

    It would be in a -behind the scenes engineering influence- kind of way, I wasn't thinking of being a driver.

    I don't have a -good- example right now (early), but I think there is a lot of bad knowledge that could be discounted, and of course you'd have the scoop on a bunch of the innovations before they were 'invented'.

    back in the day (pre-WW2), positive camber was considered a good thing. so take that with you if you go pre-war.

    basically, if you could take a copy of "The Unfair Advantage" with you, you'd win history.

  • The Brown Stig

    July 27, 2009 12:15 p.m. The Brown Stig MegaDork

    As long as I could take the plans for a hillbilly welder I bet something would get done... Of course it would probably be me welding my scrote to a frame.

  • Rusty_Rabbit84

    July 27, 2009 12:22 p.m. Rusty_Rabbit84 HalfDork

    i would have to go back into the early 70s when Ford and Porsche and Ferrari were duking it out at LeMans, would love to watch that race...

  • scardeal

    July 27, 2009 1:07 p.m. scardeal New Reader

    You can only take advantage of some information. Much of the engine and materials stuff requires manufacturing advances in addition to theory advances. You'd have to come up with ways to introduce tighter tolerances w/ engine components, etc. You could just forget about anything computer controlled, too.

    I'd imagine the biggest gains you'd be able to deal with would be aero and suspension geometry. You'd probably also be able to construct a much safer race car... Imagine having a race bucket and a HANS device in 1960...

    Probably the coolest thing to do would be to go back in time and create ball bearing turbos and beat the crud out of the competition when life was all-motor all the time.

  • jamscal

    July 27, 2009 2:06 p.m. jamscal HalfDork

    Aero and suspension were two of my thoughts.

    Every GRMer should know at least the theory of a ground effect tunnel (...um I'm a millionaire boss explaining this to my hired engineer in 19xx, remember)

    They could be incorporated into old race cars.

    Pushrod suspensions too.

    The more I think about it, it would really be cheating or at least beating an innovation by a few years, but still.

    Or, you could take just take advantage of historical knowledge:

    "Stirling Moss? He's not ready yet."

    "Well, I'm giving him his shot today."

  • Rob_Mopar

    July 27, 2009 7:46 p.m. Rob_Mopar New Reader

    m4ff3w wrote:

    Rob_Mopar wrote:

    NYG95GA wrote:

    I have a '75 Duster that I put an aftermarket casette player in. The only casettes I play in it are material composed before 1975. I wear period sunglasses while driving it. That's my time machine.

    It ain't pretty, but it works for me......

    I now have Foghat's Slowride going though my head. And anybody reading that sentence does now too...

    -Rob

    It might be if I knew the song or artist.

    Seriously? Have you somehow avoided classic rock stations your whole life?
    Go to www.foghat.com. It starts as soon as the page opens.

 

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