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Posted by: stownsen914 Feb 14 2018, 10:51 AM

Ran across an ad on the Pelican forum for what appears to be Jim Blakewell's old SCCA GT2 914 racecar. For those who have been around for a while, you may remember that this car did well in SCCA back in the late 1990s or so. He placed at the Runoffs several times. Full tube frame car with a Hewland trans, 2.8L 911 motor per rules at the time, a pretty aggressive build and I think nicely done.

No affiliation, just sharing something that might be interesting to 914 aficionados here.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-cars-sale/986089-scca-2-8l-6-cylinder-gt2-914-tube-frame-race-car.html

Posted by: Racer Chris Feb 15 2018, 07:23 AM

I watched Jim race that car at Mid-Ohio a couple times.
The red 911 in the background looks like Gus Rosenberg's GT2 car maybe.

Posted by: campbellcj Feb 15 2018, 07:55 AM

Damn, looks very aggressively priced. We all know what it costs to be a raceworthy -6 engine alone, and this thing has hundreds/thousands of hours in tub and suspension etc. customization into it.

Curious how it would be teched and classed though with the Ginther style screen and tube frame. I don't think it would be allowed in POC or PCA for instance. Maybe VARA/SVRA historic racing GTU class.

Sometimes being broke and having a full-up garage/driveway is not such a bad thing. Otherwise I'd be dragging home all sorts of stuff I don't really need...

Posted by: stownsen914 Feb 15 2018, 11:49 AM

Chris, I noticed that too. I think you're right.




Probably no PCA for this car since it's full tube, not sure about POC. Vintage would be a good place for this car. Actually, if someone wanted to continue developing it, it might even still be competitive in SCCA.

Posted by: brant Feb 15 2018, 04:31 PM

A lot of vintage clubs specifically deny tube frame cars. So it would be risky

Svra should let the car in. But probably not in group 6 (or 8) where 914’s normally run

Likely it would run out of class with other full racecars that are hugely more sophisticated. Think Audi lemans winning rs8

Posted by: campbellcj Feb 15 2018, 08:51 PM

POC just reworked its classification system for 2018 but based on what I remember from before, this car might get stuck in EX (exhibition) with things like paddle shift Ferrari Challenge Stradles or in GT1 with modern big power aero ABS PDK cars.

That wind screen and roll cage are the main gotchas, I think. Most sanctioning bodies these days of course want a full height front hoop section.

Posted by: brant Feb 15 2018, 09:54 PM

I fear it’s the usual problem


A competitive car is built to a class. This one is built to modern scca rules.
A pretty small market even though he has double the parts value and into it

Posted by: stownsen914 Feb 16 2018, 11:48 AM

Interesting comments about vintage eligibility. Understood that it would not fit in classes with factory RSRs and the like. But as a valid SCCA GT2 racecar in as-raced condition, couldn't it race with IMSA GTU cars or similar?

And I hadn't heard about rules disallowing low windscreens. Do SVRA, HSR, etc. require the full front cage even if the car was raced in low windscreen configuration? It seems like I've seen lots of 914s and 356s with low windscreen or full cage. Is that for small bore only, or old rules?

Scott

Posted by: brant Feb 16 2018, 01:13 PM

So I only have a limited experience also... I was involved with my vintage club when they negotiated and adopted IMSA rules...


what my club landed on: that the technology of cars changed so much between the 70's and today..... that in the 80's so many cars went to full tube frame silhouette type cars.... that my local vintage club wanted to remain vintage and didn't want those type of cars blowing away the existing vintage membership and driving off more members than it would attract

so the Colorado vintage club adopted 1976 imsa rules that specifically were before tube frame cars were allowed (intentionally did it this way)

I think a lot of other vintage clubs did the same
you would have to read the actual rules for the club you wanted to run in
some would, some wouldn't most likely allow this car.
but some (like Colorado and others.... I'm sure CVAR, etc) would never allow a tube frame car because they are trying to remain a vintage club with vintage technology.



What I had heard on the low screen windshields..
some allow
poc may not? (I know nothing of their rules)

I do know that I looked up SVRA years ago
they will allow the translucent (smoked) screen like the scca did
but they will not allow the solid fiberglass non translucent version of that screen

I had heard that when the scca went to the taller front cage
that they grand fathered in cars that already had cut front windshield with lower cages.... they just would not issue log books for new cars using that style.


the problem is that there are 99 vintage clubs out there with 99 different sets of rules
I have familiarity with maybe 10 clubs that are some of the biggest ones... but that certainly doesn't speak for the other 89 clubs out there.

hell.... CVAR doesn't even allow 1981 rules... so certainly there were no tube framed race cars racing under 1972 rules back in the day


brant

Posted by: Racer Feb 16 2018, 07:46 PM

As time marches on, I would think even custom tube frame racecars, especially those with period log books, will find a home to race in. Eventually, "vintage" will update to the 1980s rules/cars... and All those current "vintage" will be reclassified as "antique"

When "vintage" came into vogue in the 1980's, it was for all those old racecars that had no place to race anymore.. the land of misfit toys, if you will.

All old racecars deserve a place to play.

Posted by: pcar916 Feb 18 2018, 06:04 AM

I'll send Jim the link to this thread 'cause he'll be very interested in it. I've relisted the car with more pictures on eBay. It didn't sell, likely for the reasons listed so the price has dropped even though it's Jim's "baby".

https://www.ebay.com/itm/162903511018?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

-Ron

Posted by: pcar916 Mar 4 2018, 07:45 AM

Sale pending...

Posted by: sixnotfour Mar 4 2018, 10:13 AM

I hope and pray this piece of history stays together....great deal...

Posted by: stownsen914 Mar 5 2018, 12:36 PM

Yes. If I were on the market for a car, I'd have bought it myself! Hopefully the new owner will have it back on the track.

Posted by: pcar916 Mar 10 2018, 09:23 AM

Shipped and received. I'll transmit if and when I hear when it's back on the track.