This portion of the blog has to do with the background to much of what was happening and, in some instances, brings an alternative 60’s and 70’s gearhead view to readers. We will look at the ‘realities’ as opposed to the folk lore and ask many what-if’s. There will undoubtedly be some debate…
The response to part one has been both interesting and to a large extent predictable, this due largely to the fact that I was pretty tough on the ‘Torquers’ in Part one… In Part 2, we will relent a little and move on to the subject of Tractive Effort or applied force.
Start this discussion around the bar, braai (barbecue), tea trolley or at the car club covering the explanation of horsepower and torque and everyone is an expert. In(s)ane comments such as “Horsepower can drive your car into a wall but torque determines how far you go through it” attempt a cynical, jocular reasoning but
Of MAE’s, FVA’s ,DFV’s…and in part Five…… a lone TC The legacy of Ford’s hard work and commitment to motor sport in the 60’s filtered well into the 70’S and when, early in the new decade they took their foot off the loud pedal, such was the momentum that saloon car race grids
Following on from the Moretti 750 in my previous post we have here what must be the ultimate Fiat 500 Restomod. Built by the same man and nearing completion this year….. 2017 will mark 50 years after the Moretti…..but absolutely well worth the wait. Sadly, the loss
Mighty Mouse After the front-engined Fiat 500 Topolino of 1936 (The Mouse) Fiat’s Original city car the Topolino “The Mouse” 569cc four cyl 1936-1956 ……along came the Nuova The Iconic 2 cylinder 499cc rear engined Nouva Cinquecento 1957 - 1975
A Fox In The Henhouse This part of the story covers, dare I say, a unique once in a lifetime experience for those involved. There were so many lessons to be learned by every single one of us caught up in the events of that day in Oudtshoorn, that it collectively changed our
In the sixties, if you had arrived on earth from Mars as a raving racing saloon car nut, you would have quickly realised that there were only a few car brands in certain parts of our planet, namely Ford, Mini and Renault, with an occasional appearance from Alfa and Volvo….there were quite obviously no others.
For the Blog this week we are going to touch on that most fabulous form of racing….V8 Supercars or as it has been re-titled, Australian Supercars and at the same time touch on the issue of racing car noise. Now I know as South Africans, there is this ‘thing’ with the Aussies…. and believe me
The opening of the Aldo Scribante racetrack scheduled for the 24th November 1974 was an event all of us motorsport types in Port Elizabeth had waited for since the closure of the St Albans track in 1969. Five years was a long time for us not to have our own track. For most folk,
Local content programmes affecting the SA motor industry in the mid 60’s demanded that the local car companies raise their game to meet the requirement. General Motors South African did so in style and upgraded all facilities massively. Firstly the Product Engineering Division was housed in a new building and was very simply a first
