40 replies to this topic

[f1steveuk]

All I will say is, "Why?"

http://wot.motortren...wood-91805.html

[arttidesco]

All I will say is, "Why?"

http://wot.motortren...wood-91805.html

Well I guess Cobra's and Lotus XI's have been done to death, but given the power is coming from Cummins it is surprising perhaps even disappointing that the owner chose not to make a Replica of the Indy Cummins Diesel Special

[Vitesse2]

All I will say is, "Why?"

http://wot.motortren...wood-91805.html

What on earth is the point of building a replica of a car which still exists? Especially one which will not give any impression of the sheer awesome power of the real thing. No aero-engine roar. No vibration through the ground as it's revved up. Not even the right type of engine! A bloody diesel!

There are endless ways this money could have been spent better in restoring and refettling real racing cars or building replicas of lost ones.

Edited by Vitesse2, 12 May 2012 - 13:49.

[Geoff E]

So ... did it turn up? I see the article was written in July last year.

[Mistron]

All I will say is, "Why?"

publicity surely? and to draw a croud. For these reasons, it'll suceed

(Oh, and many people at events like Goodwood FoS't know that it isn't 'real')

[f1steveuk]

publicity surely? and to draw a croud. For these reasons, it'll suceed

(Oh, and many people at events like Goodwood FoS't know that it isn't 'real')

Most will know it's not real from the sound!

[Steve L]

I can remember seeing the rep in half-finished rolling chassis form at the FoS last year.

Don't worry, from what I remember it could never be confused for the real thing!!

[D-Type]

All I will say is, "Why?"

http://wot.motortren...wood-91805.html

I saw the car at Goodwood last year and asked myself the same question. I had a chat with the young man building it and although I didn't ask him the question directly, the impression I got was simply that he liked the character of the car and felt the technology was within his capabilities. I got the impression that the cost of a vintage car to restore was probably beyond his means.

[Allan Lupton]

The piece in that link seems to regard dates as pretty flexible e.g.:
It was first raced by John Cobb in 1993 and is now on display in the Brooklands Museum. In 1935 it broke the Brooklands outer circuit lap record of 143.44mph and in 1936 it set the 24 hour record of 150.6mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Had John Cobb not been killed in 1952 he'd have been 94 years old in 1993!
Moreover as the only Napier content of the Napier-Railton is the engine the copy can't be called a copy of anything but a Railton.
Perhaps it is Motor Trend, whatever that is, that made the mistakes - seems to be American, so probably typically insular.

[David Birchall]

seems to be American, so probably typically insular.

Unlike us.

[D-Type]

The piece in that link seems to regard dates as pretty flexible e.g.:
It was first raced by John Cobb in 1993 and is now on display in the Brooklands Museum. In 1935 it broke the Brooklands outer circuit lap record of 143.44mph and in 1936 it set the 24 hour record of 150.6mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Had John Cobb not been killed in 1952 he'd have been 94 years old in 1993!
Moreover as the only Napier content of the Napier-Railton is the engine the copy can't be called a copy of anything but a Railton.
Perhaps it is Motor Trend, whatever that is, that made the mistakes - seems to be American, so probably typically insular.

Would 1933 be correct? ie a simple typo.

[f1steveuk]

Would 1933 be correct? ie a simple typo.

I think the Railton set the outright outer circuit record in 1939, which could explain it?

[Tim Murray]

The car first appeared at the Brooklands August Bank Holiday meeting in 1933, and set the final outright Outer Circuit record of 143.44 mph on 7th October 1935. It’s pretty obvious that ‘1993’ is a simple typo.

[CSquared]

The car first appeared at the Brooklands August Bank Holiday meeting in 1933, and set the final outright Outer Circuit record of 143.44 mph on 7th October 1935. It’s pretty obvious that ‘1993’ is a simple typo.

It is extremely obvious.

Am I the only one on this forum who thinks this replica is awesome?

[Gary C]

well, to be honest, the pictures I see in that article are of the real Napier-Railton not the replica.

[Vitesse2]

Am I the only one on this forum who thinks this replica is awesome?

Possibly.

But some of us have had the privilege of seeing - and experiencing - the real thing in action. So 6 litres of diesel - even turbocharged - sounds like a pale imitation up against 24 litres of Napier Lion. It genuinely does make the ground vibrate,

[Vitesse2]

well, to be honest, the pictures I see in that article are of the real Napier-Railton not the replica.

Exactly, Gary. Same picture - copyright-free - is on Wikipedia.

[CSquared]

Possibly.

But some of us have had the privilege of seeing - and experiencing - the real thing in action. So 6 litres of diesel - even turbocharged - sounds like a pale imitation up against 24 litres of Napier Lion. It genuinely does make the ground vibrate,

I've seen and heard the real thing, too. And of course it's a pale imitation, but I think the world's a better place with a thing like that rumbling around. People spend a lot more time and money on things far less cool than that.

[Tim Murray]

How to get it really wrong:

http://performancedr...tival-of-speed/

Does anyone have a photo of the Cummins replica? All the shots I can find on the net relating to it are of the genuine article.

[arttidesco]

How to get it really wrong:

http://performancedr...tival-of-speed/

Maybe there is a game of Chinese whispers going on here

[sabrejet]

How to get it really wrong:

http://performancedr...tival-of-speed/

Does anyone have a photo of the Cummins replica? All the shots I can find on the net relating to it are of the genuine article.

I do:

[David Birchall]

This seems to be another example of the "If it looks like the original it must feel like the original" line of thought that also brings us square tube chassis with Chevy engines and plastic bodies that are described as "Cobras".
I see no similarity between this chassis and the original--what is the point?

[CSquared]

How to get it really wrong:

http://performancedr...tival-of-speed/

Does anyone have a photo of the Cummins replica? All the shots I can find on the net relating to it are of the genuine article.

Oh no. Now there will be a flood of comments about "typical Australians."

[David Birchall]

But shirley the Aussies would have used a VW chassis?

[onelung]

But shirley the Aussies would have used a VW chassis?

Bruce might have, but I dunno about Sheila...

[GMACKIE]

But shirley the Aussies would have used a VW chassis?

Hey, what a good idea!

[Catalina Park]

But shirley the Aussies would have used a VW chassis and a Holden motor?

Fixed.

[Tim Murray]

I do:

Thanks, Sabrejet. It certainly has a lot in common with the original. Four wheels - oh and an engine, and - errm - errm ...

[onelung]

Another quantum leap in BS

[elansprint72]

If it were not for some splendid (and not so splendid) "specials" VSCC racing would be a pretty dull affair. As an Engineer I'm all for folks building whatever they like, as long as the result is not passed off to be anything which it clearly is not. Good luck to the bloke who is doing it.

I'm not sure that the word "replica" was a good choice.

As for the crap reporting and misinformation, that is reprehensible.

[carl s]

Well said!

If it were not for some splendid (and not so splendid) "specials" VSCC racing would be a pretty dull affair. As an Engineer I'm all for folks building whatever they like, as long as the result is not passed off to be anything which it clearly is not. Good luck to the bloke who is doing it.

I'm not sure that the word "replica" was a good choice.

As for the crap reporting and misinformation, that is reprehensible.

[simonlewisbooks]

I'm not sure that the word "replica" was a good choice.

As for the crap reporting and misinformation, that is reprehensible.

"Homage" might just pass, but there seems little being actually replicated here...
As for Rover-powered plastic-bodies 'Cobras'; at least they had the right configuration of engine in place!

[Lee Nicolle]

"Homage" might just pass, but there seems little being actually replicated here...
As for Rover-powered plastic-bodies 'Cobras'; at least they had the right configuration of engine in place!

You must be in the UK. Cobra kit cars with a Rover engine. Only in the UK!!
I have seen them with Ford Windsors, A Cleveland, a 429 and Chevs of all sizes. But never a Rover.

[ensign14]

A quantum leap in engineering? By re-creating the 1930s?

Agree that they should have done the Indy special. If you see the Agabashian qualifying run on MFQ it's pretty special - tyre shredding after four laps. Testicular fortitude.

[simonlewisbooks]

You must be in the UK. Cobra kit cars with a Rover engine. Only in the UK!!
I have seen them with Ford Windsors, A Cleveland, a 429 and Chevs of all sizes. But never a Rover.

Loads of em about with with 3.5 Rover/Buick units in Britain!
Nice and lightweight, used to be easy to get hold of (less so these days) and lots of tune up bits on the market.
The engine of choice for any British kit car in need of a V8!

[LotusElise]

If it were not for some splendid (and not so splendid) "specials" VSCC racing would be a pretty dull affair. As an Engineer I'm all for folks building whatever they like, as long as the result is not passed off to be anything which it clearly is not. Good luck to the bloke who is doing it.

I'm not sure that the word "replica" was a good choice.

As for the crap reporting and misinformation, that is reprehensible.

I agree with this also.

The Brooklands engineers were not averse to experimentation, playing around with different engines and rebuilding quite creatively. In a way, it's a homage to the way they did things. As Elan says, as long as all parties are honest about their endeavours, why not?

[onelung]

Loads of em about with with 3.5 Rover/Buick units in Britain!
Nice and lightweight, used to be easy to get hold of (less so these days) and lots of tune up bits on the market.
The engine of choice for any British kit car in need of a V8!

To borrow from Crocodile Dundee; ... "that's not a V8 ... this is a V8!"

[mikeC]

Shame he won't be able to see where he's going

[RogerFrench]

Shame he won't be able to see where he's going

Doesn't matter - it won't go round corners anyway!

[simonlewisbooks]

To borrow from Crocodile Dundee; ... "that's not a V8 ... this is a V8!"

[T54]

The real thing is on my wall behind the Pat Driscoll Austin:

Edited by T54, 14 May 2012 - 15:43.