REV LIMITS on V8s- This season....

[zefarelly]

It'd be interesting to see how much slower Twin cam Cortinas would go if you restrictred them to 7500 !

[Bruce Chambers]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

It'd be interesting to see how much slower Twin cam Cortinas would go if you restrictred them to 7500 !

Similarly a 26R

[Heightswitch]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

4 Barrel carb wont slow them down much, its all they had in NASCAR for years, and the imposition of standard brakes isnt a good plan IMHO as all it does is play into the hands of a particular model thats blessed with superior 4 pot calipers and maybe rear discs. I would never run the original brakes on my old car again even to get into Goodwood Group 1 as its simply dangerous to allow cars to have 500bhp engines then restrict them to sliding single pot calipers and drum brakes, makes no sense to me.

I'd make you switch to original front Drums

In all seriousness though, Rev limit set at a sensible level evens out the field and at the very least allows poor folk like me a hope of at least preparing an engine to make similar power. Like wise a centre float holley is a good leveller because it is a much more affordable option than 4 IDA's and exotic inlets. I am not sure that limiting ignition systems makes much difference to power, at the very least it isn't really cost debilitating, I am generally poverty stricken but the MSD set up including billet dizzy wasn't prohibitive…The other sensible limitation would be to mandate original cast iron heads and cast iron block (or period alternatives, 289 / 302 etc) This again would limit opportunities for development within perimeters and keep max power possibilities sensible..This would still allow garage fetters to compete on even terms with a little ingenuity..

I may start to consider all this when I can actually drive the existing car on its 30thou crank to its limit!!

N.

[Robert Farrell]

I remember in the early 70`s being limited by points "bounce".
Another reason for banning all electronic systems

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Robert Farrell

I remember in the early 70`s being limited by points "bounce".
Another reason for banning all electronic systems

We used to adapt another helper spring, as long as you didn't do long races it was OK for a while before the heel wore down and shut the points up !

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Heightswitch

I'd make you switch to original front Drums

In all seriousness though, Rev limit set at a sensible level evens out the field and at the very least allows poor folk like me a hope of at least preparing an engine to make similar power.
N.

yes, but please let's not get side tracked by Al's brakes!

Maybe this new initiative is just the start? Maybe FVA etc to follow....

[zefarelly]

I thought all elans were 26R's ? especially the flared wheel arch HRS ones !

I made a set of double sprung points years ago . . . the engine never revved over 7 anyway!

I still use new old stock points 12 years later and they're fine up to 8 on occasion, but generally 7-7500.

I disagree with allowing electronic, for any historics.

[delta]

O dear here we go again.

[GORDON STREETER]

Nothing new there Joe, I remember someone protesting a LC years ago when it was in parc feme, this had come to a head because the car was quick in a straight line and kept winning.
The protester was adamant that the car (along with a list of other things)was completely illegal especially in the ignition dept and insisted that the engine should be started up, after it was the complainant snatched the HT lead out of the coil and the engine continued to run !!!!!!

[Heightswitch]

Out of interest..When did electronic ignition become widespread…I remember early Sparkrite systems in the early / mid 1970's but I am not as old as some of you lot

N.

[Heightswitch]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

I thought all elans were 26R's ? especially the flared wheel arch HRS ones !

I made a set of double sprung points years ago . . . the engine never revved over 7 anyway!

I still use new old stock points 12 years later and they're fine up to 8 on occasion, but generally 7-7500.

I disagree with allowing electronic, for any historics.

I hope you used a leaf spring..Those coils are not to appendix K
N.

[Bruce Chambers]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

I thought all elans were 26R's ? especially the flared wheel arch HRS ones !

I made a set of double sprung points years ago . . . the engine never revved over 7 anyway!

I still use new old stock points 12 years later and they're fine up to 8 on occasion, but generally 7-7500.

I disagree with allowing electronic, for any historics.

I haven't seen the masters rules, but the Digital 6AL they are specifying can still be triggered by points, so specifying that part alone does not allow/require contact breaker points to be replaced.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Heightswitch

Out of interest..When did electronic ignition become widespread…I remember early Sparkrite systems in the early / mid 1970's but I am not as old as some of you lot

N.

I had a Mobelec ? electronic system on my Hot Rod in 1970 that didn't use points, but there were some that were available in the mid to late 60s that decreased the amperage across the points giving cleaner switching and less face pitting.

[terence]

We used electictronic at spa 95&96.95 it peed down causing many pitstops to dry out the Motec box! I think that was the first year the fia allowed it as long as the points were retained.
Speaking of fia, anyone else having problems getting thier new papers?
By all accounts the backlog is so huge its very likely that there will quite a few cars without them for the season start.What ever has happened to the offices sorting this out-have they been moved to India to save cost's!

[Mike Bell]

Lucas Opus (AB3) fully electronic ignition came out middle / late 60s and used on DFV. First? Think used on roadcars (V12 Jag) beginning of 70s onwards and still used on race / rally /road BDAs etc. I've got two engines that run it reliably!

No rev limiter inbuilt though......

[PeterMorley]

Post 1960 Formula Juniors have been allowed to run electronic ignition (points or Hall effect triggered) for years.
Apparently people like Ted Martin were experimenting with transistor ignition at the time (in a 1961 Autosport article he mentions it).

The 1962 BRM & Climax 1½ litre V8 engines had Lucas electronic ignition systems.

[GORDON STREETER]

Yes there were a few electronic systems that were tried mostly on works race engines (at a fair bit of expense) in the late 50s early 60s but weren't generally available as aftermarket kits until late 60s at a reasonable cost.
Road cars started to go electronic from the 70s and just about all cars were from the 80s.
I was in a garage the other week that had a Triumph Herald in for an MOT that they couldn't get started after they had serviced it, but it was driven there.
The garage owner said they couldn't understand what was wrong but admitted that no one working there had ever seen points !
A quick look sorted it out as the points had been fitted incorrectly, it made me feel very old !!!!

[delta]

I have luminition on my Lotus 22. I do get a few tut tuts.

[zefarelly]

BoT

I think rev limits are a good idea, nothing will ever level the playing field, but if it helps reduce cost by making engines last longer, and more reliable, great.