Best looking FF1600 car?

[timarnold]

Originally Posted by McMuttley

.....is that after you've re-bent it back, welded the two halves together, invested heavily in fibreglass and filler and lots of blue paint !!!!!

It now has a new chassis and new body in dark blue gelcoat, no paint, no filler.

Originally Posted by McMuttley

If I was allowed to upload pics i'd finish this thread off properly and show without question the best looking FF, the Angeline Jolie of FF, beautiful patina that gets better with age, sleek, powerful, mean and probably a great ride if you know what yer doing

So not the best looking one then?

Originally Posted by McMuttley

(how many years to i have to be a member before i can upload pics?)

You don't "upload" pics to the forum, you "hot link" them from another location. You either upload your own pics to a hosting facility such as say Flickr or to your own website (as I do) and you display them in your posts by putting the full URL of the pic between BB code image tags like this:

[img]http://timarnold.com//images/stories/jc-cadwell.jpg[/img]

...or you click on the "insert image" icon and paste the full URL of the pic in there! It's not rocket science!

[john n]

I was the owner of the first production Reynard FF1600 (1994/95) and provided the finance to Adrian Reynard to build the second production chassis in 1995 for David Heale

The gearbox/engine from my Oscar F69 was used for the Reynard FF75 photo here http://www.flickr.com/photos/86889596@N05/8480991409/ Would be glad to know where this one is as I lent it and was not returned


My company was also the owner of a Merlyn Mk 25

You maybe interested in these links
http://www.flickr.com/photos/86889596@N05/8481970542/
http://youtu.be/3QanIrUWVD4
http://youtu.be/hwrzaiYAvP4
in Spain
http://youtu.be/Xv9vTYtyLjc
in Portugal
http://youtu.be/ApJYPdZbvT8

still have Reynard FF88 / Reynard FF89 and Van Diemen RF86

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by john n

I was the owner of the first production Reynard FF1600 (1994/95) and provided the finance to Adrian Reynard to build the second production chassis in 1995 for David Heale

Should these be mid '70s and not mid '90s dates ?

My two favourites were the Van Diemen RF84 and the Royale RP26.

[chris bailey]

[I always though it was a nice looking car, but it wasn't the most aerodynamic! It lacked top speed, I think because of the wide sidepods with the radiators in the front of them. The Kenny Acheson car mentioned above (a works car I think?) was modified to have the sidepods closed off at the front and tapered into the chassis, with the radiators moved further back at the sides and slightly angled outwards. I believe this helped with top speed.

I think you'll find that the radiators were moved for weight distribution reasons, not aero. The sidepods worked well and were developed from the pods fitted to the '76 RP21. Trevor van Rooyen's RP24 never lacked for top speed, but it did have the world's best engines pushing it along......

The front suspension, by the way was loosely modelled on the T312 Ferrari front rocker "look". Appropriate, given Rory's subsequent career path.

[Bent Wishbone]

Van Diemen RF80 for me every time - sublime, slippery form and rather functional

Hawke DL19 was a rather good looker too

[chris bailey]

Originally Posted by Bent Wishbone

Van Diemen RF80 for me every time - sublime, slippery form and rather functional

Hawke DL19 was a rather good looker too

Have to agree on the RF80 from a performance point of view, but hardly good looking...... DL19 was a catastrophe in period, both visually and functionally.

RF80 was, of course, a direct descendant of the original proper FF, the Lotus 69, both designed by Dave Baldwin. Why FF cars are not still like this is one of life's great tragedies..............

[Séamas M.]

>>RF80 was, of course, a direct descendant of the original proper FF, the Lotus 69<<

Surely you meant to say Crosslé 25F, so good it is specifically excluded from the Pre-74 class?

[chris bailey]

Originally Posted by Séamas M.

>>RF80 was, of course, a direct descendant of the original proper FF, the Lotus 69<<

Surely you meant to say Crosslé 25F, so good it is specifically excluded from the Pre-74 class?

Yes and no! The 25F was very closely modelled on the 69, and many other cars took the 25F DNA as a starting point, including the RP21 Royale. Hence, the really good outboard-suspension cars mostly trace their origins back to the 69. That is why, in the original Pre-74 FF era, the car to have (if you could lay your hands on one) was the Lotus 69. Bob Berridge had one, and was pretty dominant. I tracked one down specifically for that series but never used it. The car is now in the hands of Dave Lowe (Mr Pre-74 FF).

You can argue the finer points of this theory (please do), but it's a reasonable approximation to the truth. In many ways, the RF77 rescued the outboard suspension concept, after Hawke and Royale got overly complicated with the DL15 and RP24 respectively. The 77 evolved into the RF80, even bringing back the front radiator in the process, and remains the "perfect" FF1600 to this day. Everything since, in the philosophical sense at least, has been a retrograde step, leading to the inevitable decline of the world's best junior single-seater category, as cost and complication took over and ruined the whole thing. Rant over!

[davyboy]

Thought this was about the best looking FF1600 and not the most effective one ?

[chris bailey]

Originally Posted by davyboy

Thought this was about the best looking FF1600 and not the most effective one ?

It is, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it's amazing how the most effective solution ends up looking good in most people's eyes.

The most beautiful FF1600 that never really worked? Now there's another discussion entirely..............

Meanwhile, give me something that works, and I'll learn to love it.

[sk69]

Couldn't agree more Chris. I never liked the look of my RF79 but the more races it wins the prettier it looks. I have a much more beautiful historic that I can't drive quickly - looks ugly to me....

[acadvent]

Hi!

I guess I am a little biased here but the Image FF2/B of the mid 70's took the fight to the Hawkes of Derek Warwick, Rick Morris, Derek Daley et al was one of the last front rad cars and followed some of the design lines of the March cars at and around that period.

The Hawkes looked finessed in many ways but the Image had a design charm of its own.

The Royale RP24 was a complete head turner when it first appeared with inboard suspension and seemed like quite a radical proposition. I seem to recall having to fight through the crush to see it when launched at Brands!

The Van Diemen RF85 was a neat and precise car which was pleasing to look at as well as being a half decent race car.

Trouble is you look at the cars in the context of the period and some date badly and others really well!

Whatever happened to the concept FF car that was built by Hugo Spiers?? Apologies if that is wrong, memory failing perhaps!! This was a car that sought to achieve the lowest frontal area and the driver lay down in a fully reclined position?

Am I going mad or was that a reality?? I think that Andy Kitson would be the man to recall this if it was for real?

Surely that would go down as the weirdest FF design?

[Alan Raine]

Originally Posted by acadvent

Hi!


Whatever happened to the concept FF car that was built by Hugo Spiers?? Apologies if that is wrong, memory failing perhaps!! This was a car that sought to achieve the lowest frontal area and the driver lay down in a fully reclined position?

Am I going mad or was that a reality?? I think that Andy Kitson would be the man to recall this if it was for real?

Surely that would go down as the weirdest FF design?

It was called the Prowess. Bizarre!!

http://www.startline.org.uk/SLOL11/Qwotsit2360.jpg

[youngoldy]

Lola T540E for me

http://www.newsclassicracing.com/IMG...e-pyrenees.jpg

[nigel grant]

Got to be a Merlyn MK20A.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Alan Raine

It was called the Prowess. Bizarre!!

http://www.startline.org.uk/SLOL11/Qwotsit2360.jpg

Looks awesome Alan, did the Prowess ever get to race?

[McMuttley]

Originally Posted by nigel grant

Got to be a Merlyn MK20A.

That must be why so many are still being manufactured....!



Taxi

[nigel grant]

Originally Posted by McMuttley

That must be why so many are still being manufactured....!



Taxi

By who? I was only commenting on the fact that they are a good looking car.