Steve Hoelscher
True Classic
I am a member of a couple of Vintage Racing Facebook groups. Over the weekend this photo turned up in a group of photos from the 80s. No information about this car at all. I know I have never seen it before.
Interesting Racecar
- Thread starter Steve Hoelscher
- Start date
Jeff Stich
True Classic
Looks like a 124 Spider wishing it was a Gr. 5 Monte Carlo. 
autox19
True Classic
never noticed the stagger in size between the front and the rear wheels/tires
Odie
Steve Hoelscher
True Classic
I am not sure I would apply the term "classic" to those box flares.Classic 80's box style fender flares.
As was often the case back then, these appear to be quite the 'homemade' version. And the low mouted wing that would be little more than a crude spoiler.
The staggered sizes were normal up until the advent of radial tires. You have probably seen photos of late 70s, early 80s F1 cars with huge rear tires. The old bias-ply tires ran at very high slip angles compared to radials. So the car's nature was the old 4 wheel drift which meant the rears were almost always sliding in corners. As a result the rears had to be pretty big to deal with the amount of heat they generated. The bigger tires were a bigger heat sink.
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
Classic in terms of the style typical for the time - not all time classic. And being homemade is part of that classic aspect.I am not sure I would apply the term "classic" to those box flares.
As was often the case back then, these appear to be quite the 'homemade' version.
Thanks Steve. I did not know that bit of history and the much larger rear tires. When I first looked at this picture I was thinking "man, probably a lot of push on that" however, that was indeed not the case.I am not sure I would apply the term "classic" to those box flares.
As was often the case back then, these appear to be quite the 'homemade' version. And the low mouted wing that would be little more than a crude spoiler.
The staggered sizes were normal up until the advent of radial tires. You have probably seen photos of late 70s, early 80s F1 cars with huge rear tires. The old bias-ply tires ran at very high slip angles compared to radials. So the car's nature was the old 4 wheel drift which meant the rears were almost always sliding in corners. As a result the rears had to be pretty big to deal with the amount of heat they generated. The bigger tires were a bigger heat sink.
Steve Hoelscher
True Classic
You're welcome. The big difference in sizes was more pronounced in rear/mid engine cars. If you look at sedans of that era there was less stagger. This due to the front weight bias on production based front engine rear drive cars. There you had the inverse problem. The heavy front end meant the front tires took more steering angle to get the car to turn. That produced a much more heat in the front tires.
With the old bias ply tires, much of a driver's job was tire management. How fast can you go without overheating the tires?
Tires are so much better today its hard to imagine.