12 replies to this topic

[f li]

I'll state this at the beginning, I'm not Joe Fan. So,I can say "Thanks, Joe Fan, for bringing back memories."

Yes, I still think the GT-40 is a rebadged Lola. But damn, Joe, you gave me the excuse for many pleasurable hours at Border's Books!

So once again - thanks!

[Joe Fan]

Thanks, you are welcome. You have to admit, at least arguing about whether the 1962 Mustang I prototype or the Lola GT was the granddaddy of the Ford GT40 was better than stupid arguments about which motorsport is better (NASCAR or F1), ovals vs. road courses, MS vs MH, MS vs. AS, etc.

[Ray Bell]

If the worth of a thread is judged by the number of postings, then you've done us all a favour. I just wonder if we needed those Porsches...

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[BRG]

You can never have enough Porsches!

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BRG

"all the time, maximum attack"

[f li]

BRG,

Yes, you can have too many Porsches! - ask Ford!!!!

[Ray Bell]

Porsche - the car builders that throw more and more exotic materials into their cars to overcome their design shortcomings.
A quote from David Mawer...

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[davo]

Porsche - perhaps are also are demonstration of the value of development,over design. I take my hat off to their development prowess although some of the design (swing axle, rear engine, air cooling etc) was a bit wobbly at best. Others details of design of course were plain brilliant.

The other comment which has stuck in my mind is one of the British privateer teams saying that Porsche parts were outrageously expensive and very good value. That is Porsche would support all the sports car race meetings so teams did not have to carry extensive spares, all the parts fitted first time without mods - but they were none the less seriously expensive.

[Zoe]

Who is David Mawer?

[Art]

Joe Fan.

No discussion is stupid!! Whether it be types of racing series,cars,tracks or drivers. Nostalga Forum means just what it says discussing the history of motor racing.

Art NX3L

[BRG]

I think the reason that I have always loved Porsche is that they seem in touch with reality. Their cars were practical and reliable - you expected them to start on a frosty morning (just like their VW cousins), On the other hand, Ferrari and other supercar manufacturers built dream cars - practicality and reliability were after thoughts. Nowadays, the two extremes have met in the middle.

But Porsche's real contribution was engineering of the highest quality applied to comparatively ordinary concepts. Porsche always valued lightness above everything - the ultimate exprtession of this was the Porsche 909 hillclimb car. This was ultra-light, using a pressurised rubber fuel tank, so as to save the weight of a fuel pump. Porsche pioneered drilled brake discs and drilled pedals (the brake discs even proved to be more effective, although they didn't understand why at the time and the pedals have become a performance car motif).



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BRG

"all the time, maximum attack"

[Ray Bell]

Dave Mawer, 'Big Dave', was the builder of the most successful Formula Ford ever seen in Australia - won the national series twice and was competitive over ten years.
A close-linked fellow engineer (who built a car that competed against him) said of him: "Dave can make silk purses out of sow's ears - me, I can make the silk purses, but I've got to start with silk!"
He was one of the team that looked after the Wolf and Ensign F1 cars when they ran here during the International series in the late seventies 'to get the experience,' and has worked on virtually every kind of car.
He will tell you that Larry Perkins, when sent to England to prepare the 956 to race at an event in England and then to go to Le Mans, was concerned about the design of the rear uprights. In the first race he was proved correct, so for Le Mans he went to the trouble of having replacements made.
Certainly Porsche have made contributions, but when they make a mistake they don't admit it - they do as Dave said, just throw more exotic materials at it.

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Joe Fan]

Art, then you haven't seen some of the above mentioned arguments (mainly on the Readers Comments section of the BB) that digressed into slinging matches with the use of four letter words. Discussion is great but there are just some things that people are too sensitive to discuss.

[Zoe]

Thanks, Ray.

The Porsche attitude is something becoming more and more widespread, sadly.

Zoe