Pics of Roger Sheridans car Options

[EdwardBlume]

Must be nice.....

[Brett W]

Brad
I am trying to get a better look at his chassis and suspension design. I would like some close ups of the rear trailing arms, and front suspension.

I will never use this suspension design for a nationally competetive 914 but I know Roger's car is damn fast, too bad he doesn't have the cash to support a national campaign.

SCCA changed the rules to allow dual a-arms front and rear at a weight penalty and in my opinion that is a better way to go. I really don't have any desire to build an aircooled engine to run in a class where the Toyotas and Nissans are making 375- 450+hp at a lighter wieght. I am designing a chassis to handle a Boxster body and run a water cooled 4 valve Boxster engine. The chassis will be basically a WSC/Prototype style chassis with in the rules. So it should be competetive for many years. YES it will cost a small fortune.

Too bad the 914 can't be competetive in GT3. until there are some better heads available it never will be. hard to run down a 300+hp Toyota.

[Brad Roberts]

Is this in the 2004 GCR ?? I read thru some of it last week. You have to be careful if you are reading it out of the SCCA mag.. it can be confusing. They talked of allowing it in the front end only back in 2001. Then they reversed the decision. Rogers car runs a semi trailing arm just like a typical 914. He built the car around the rules for GT2 SCCA 1996.

Have they classified the water cooled engines yet for GT2 ??


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[Brett W]

I am in the process of getting a classification of the watercooled engines now. I see no reason why it won't go through, (unless that little SCCA vs. Porsche spat is still going hard).
_____________________________________________________________________
From the 2002 GCR

"For all GT cars registered as GT cars after January 1, 1990, the type of
front suspension is unrestricted, except that rocker arms and push-pull
rods are prohibited. Front wheel drive cars may convert to rear wheel
drive. The “base” standard front engine, rear wheel drive configuration
shall use a live “closed tube” rear axle. The “base” standard front wheel
drive configuration. shall use a beam rear axle, unless otherwise so
specified on the specification line.

Cars classified in GT2-5 may use independent rear suspension, by design or choice, at a 5% weight penalty that will be specified on the vehicle spec line.

All mid-engine GT cars may use the manufacturer’s original type of suspension,
MacPherson strut-type, or double A-arm front and rear independent
suspension as defined above.


____________________________________________________________________

The way I read this I can run any dual a-arm suspension front or rear as long as it follows the rules.

Yes Roger was indeed functioning under the old rules as was the car you have, built.

This is not an inherent problem but GT2 is about to get really interesting. I here calls for making it a 400+hp class. Allowing the 20b for the Mazada and some wieght breaks to really seperate the GT2 feild from the GT3 field. They just gave the 914 up to 3.4 litres at a 2380 lbs. They gave the Mazda 13b PP unlimited venturies. The next couple of years will be really different as GT2 tries to recover from the probation.

[Brad Roberts]

We called them on the 2002 rules.. I suggest you call them also. They IX-Na'd us when we asked about that exact rule. I know they just classified the Carrera Cup car in GT2 with some weight.

I want you to succeed, but we "had" a local member who sat on the comp. board.. and we specifically asked about this rule because we where going to totally redo the front end of both tube frame cars we have and redo the rear.. They know exactly what the 914 came with.

Roger semi got around this by using a dummy Bilstein strut that appears to have a functioning shock in it.. but the actual dampening is done with a inboard mounted Penske.


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[Brad Roberts]

Actually this line right hear answers everything:

All mid-engine GT cars may use the manufacturer’s original type of suspension,
MacPherson strut-type, or double A-arm front and rear independent
suspension as defined above.

Original type suspension.. our cars never came with double A arms...



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[Brad Roberts]

We read it the same way you did the day they released it.. we had the phone in one hand and the plasma cutter in the other.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)


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[Brett W]

I wish I had the 04 rule book in front of mine but the way I read that is you can use the manufacturers type of suspension, i.e. strut and semi trailing arm or your choice of the following....

The second line says All GT2-5 cars can run any type of rear suspension at a 5% weight penalty. That says to me I can run a dual a-arm rear.

Yeah Roger's rules were quiet a bit more restrictive and Swift, Alain Clarainval, Brian Bertold, Bill Cartier, etc all did a kick ass job of finalizing a very competetive chassis. He built the car the way I would have had I been more than about 13 back in the day. Engineered To the exact limit of the rules.

The only way to build the best race cars are to look at every little subsystem and make sure it is maximized. This is how you beat the rest of the field. When you develop every part of the system to the maximium you will be unstoppable.

[Brad Roberts]

Ahhh yes Grasshopper. We all want to read it "our way", but that is not how SCCA works. Call them and explain what you want to do.. dont be afraid of hearing NO. BTDT.

The word's "Your choice of the following" are not in that line. You cant read into it.

There is a reason why they specifically "called out" the mid-engine cars in that rule.. they know the cars and what they came with.

The second line says All GT2-5 cars can run any type of rear suspension at a 5% weight penalty. That says to me I can run a dual a-arm rear.

No. It says:

may use independent rear suspension, by design or choice

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[Brett W]

Dirty rat bastards! I need a lawyer to interpret the damn rules. Maybe I should skip the engineering degree and straight to law school. If I can't build a faster car I can always politic and rule it into the winners circle. So goes the real world.

Perhaps I should add the SCCA rules office to my shop speed dial. Kinda like keeping the IRS on speed dial as well. Is it bad when they know you by voice?

[redtiny914]

WOW.....
That is beautiful (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

[Brad Roberts]

I feel your pain. I want desperately to have a winning SCCA GT2 914, but until we can run water cooled engines.. I dont feel it will happen. Heat soak kills us.


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[Brad Roberts]

I sell and run Rogers racing Fiberglass on our cars also.


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[Brett W]

That is why I am pushing hard to get the water cooled motor listed on the line with the Boxster. It ain't a 914 but it is mid engine and Porsche. Until they do away with that 2valve head listing on the 914 line we are still stuck in the 60s.

Yeah Aircooled motors run great on the first lap but then they get warmed up. We see that all the time in GTU and HSR.

Roger's car could possibly take a National with the right driver and development. The car is that good I believe. Too bad the pockets aren't deep enough. Daves car is extremely fast espcially for a 20 year old 944. just those damn factory sponsered Nissans and Toyotas.

I still want to do a 914 GT3 car but the heads are the major hold up. I could get 250 but it would be a super grenade and the heads would be illegal. I notice the rules said Type1 heads perhaps I could read that to mean Pauter Machine heads. They are based on the type 1. I think you can run water cooled heads as well there may be something there. There I go interpreting again. HEHE!

A 914 will prevail somewhere.

[fiid]

I take it you're not allowed to run any other kind of engine in there?

Are you allowed to run say a type IV crank case with watercooled cylinders and heads?

[Brett W]

I deleted that post that was referring to GT1. nevermind. Yeah keeping all the rules straight is a pain in the ass. be nice if every organization would get on the same page.

[campbellcj]

It's a spectacular car...but does Roger still drive it much? I haven't seen it in person since 2001, I think.

I'm kinda torn whether my next race car should be an all-out 914 or a later-model factory race car, which for better or worse might be more rules-friendly and have better resale value. Not that this matters right now while the bank account is still digit-challenged.

[Jeroen]

Um.. Jeroen.. Jason and I shot all of those pics..

I dont think that Roger would be very happy with us posting them. He spent 15k on the frame work alone.

I'm 100% sure I got the pics off a public website (just can't remember where / which one - and no, I didn't get them from you)

Since they were posted on a public site, I didn't see any harm posting them here

I'll delete my posts with the pics... don't need to step on anyones toes

cheers,

Jeroen

[Jeroen]

BTW, I honestly don't think it matters
It would be absolutely impossible to build a copy of the frame/car based on these (or any) pictures
The pics would give you some general hints and tips, but that's it...

cheers,

Jeroen

[aufaber]

I'll delete my posts with the pics... don't need to step on anyones toes

cheers,

Jeroen

Knew i shoulda coppied them yesterday. Time to search the cache.