I couldn't find the old thread where I began discussing classes for Thunderjets at Laguna Seca. Once the 4 race sports car series has been completed I'll shift back to the type of car I built the facility for.

I came up with 3 classes that actually focus on body style and chassis set up. This also sets the classes for entry level, intermediate level and professional level cars and drivers.

The first class would be Sedans. This is the entry level, no-bucks class that I would have rental-racers for. The chassis limits for this car would be pretty much stock narrow wheels and tires (no silicones), no performance parts add-on's. Bodies would be 1968 Camaro, 1966-1968 Fairlane, DASH 1962-1964 Falcon Hardtop, DASH 1964 Galaxie Hardtop, 1965-1967 Mustang Coupe and 2+2, 1964 Dodge 330, 1968 Cougar, 1968 Firebird, and DASH 1964 GTO. Bodies cannot be lowered or modified.

The second class is Production Class and would allow for JLTO chassis with wider rear tires (silicones allowed) but stock motor components. Again, this is an easy entry level class to build a car for. Body styles allow for AC Cobra "Snake Eyes" and Corvette GS. Bodies may be lowered but glass must be intact.

The last class would be for the higher end guys and labled as Competetion Class. Chassis mods would be open, limited to a maximum width and stock ceramic magnets. Bodies would include Cobra 427 (any source) and DASH Cheetah. Allowed would be Mean Green arms, plated parts, performance brushes, and body lowering.

There are other rules that are class specific but this is the basic classes layout. All classes would run together in all evens so it could be possible that a sedan in the right hands could give a Comp Class car a hard time. The idea is to make it inexpensive for guys to buy a car for the series and go racing.

It would be a lot of fun to turn one of these classes (maybe Production?) into a Trans-Am class. I'm usually not much of a t-jet guy (I think fray-style cars look a bit goofy -- and awfully spendy. :rolleyes:), but I've really been getting into vintage Trans-Am lately. RRR makes some 69 Trans-Am Mustangs that are absolutely beautiful. And with Pattos decals, you can easily build replicas of any number of great racers -- Gurney's 'Cuda, Posey's Challenger, Donahue's Sunoco Camaro, the remarkably mediocre Chaparral Camaro, etc. Or you could let drivers come up with their own period-appropriate paint/decal themes. The only mods I allow are RRR Trans-Am wheels and slip-on sillies...but then again, it's usually just me racing against myself in the basement. :p

Wildstar, I did seriously consider Trans-Am simply because I wanted to do a Javelin. But while the RRR cars are beautiful they are too much $$$. My aim was to get a complete car on the track for under $20 in most cases, and a really good car for less than $30. It's not out of the question for the future to be sure. This weekend I have friends coming over to set up Laguna Seca for our first ALMS race and we're going to further discuss the "home series" for the track.

I would think $20 -30 bucks could give you a pretty good trans AM version even using the RRR wheels if you wished to. Could use JL screw on bodies, Cuda, Mustang, Camaro, and the Cougar, I believe all these styles were run at one time or another. Definitely not an expert on this format but that Youtube post showed some of these cars as runners. Hopefully not confusing this with the AAR racing. That would be a good one as well. Who needs today's NASCAR, bring back some of these formats. :eek: rr

I would think $20 -30 bucks could give you a pretty good trans AM version even using the RRR wheels if you wished to. Could use JL screw on bodies, Cuda, Mustang, Camaro, and the Cougar, I believe all these styles were run at one time or another. Definitely not an expert on this format but that Youtube post showed some ofthese cars as runners. Hopefully not confusinfg this with the AAR racing. That would be a good one as well. Who needs today's NASCAR, bring back some of these formats. :eek: rr

Doesn't Auto World have an AMX bod too?

Doesn't Auto World have an AMX bod too?

Doba,
Yeah, they have that one as well. Could outfit the whole auto maker lineup of the late 60's eary 70's. Let the races begin. :) rr

rr, 'doba, that was the reason we went with mid 1960's cars. The sedans are all currently availible Model Motoring cars for the most part with a few inexpensive DASH bodies thrown in. By the late 1960's the Cobra 427 had pretty much run it's course, but that has tio be one of my favorite subjects so we back-dated a bit. I've only seen pictures of the DASH Cheetah but I do plan to do one as a rent-a-racer. I'm not sure of the year of the Model Motoring Fairlane, I can't get to my reference books right now but I'm going to assume a 1966.

We talked about how hard it would be to organize an event with three classes all running together and decided just to have a single class. We also dropped half of the body styles. Right now this is where we stand:

Bodies allowed: "Snake Eye's" A.C., '68 Camaro, '68 Firebird, Cheetah, Corvette G/S, Cobra 427, and '65-'67Mustang. Bodies may be modified by lowering but the wheel wells cannot be changed. Glass if present must be intact.

Chassis: Mean Green's OK, stock magnets, aftermarket guide pin, brushes and plated pick-ups OK. No lightening of the chassis or modifications of the gear plates allowed. Lightened gear sets are OK. No brush cups.

Wheels/Tires: Must be made for T-Jet, silicone tires OK. Width limited by 1 1/8", no offset.

There are other minor things but this pretty much allows some owner/driver preferences as well as establishing what you can't do.

What no Cougar :) Also consider the Model Motoring Corvette and maybe the JL pull back 57 Corvette

Other great bodies from this time period all from MEV:

Corvair, Austin Healy, Type C Jag, TR3 and Maserati Tipo



I would recommend allowing the rear of the gear plate rails to be nipped at a 45 degree angle. Some gear plates came from the factory this way and some didn't. That little bit really helps when trying to lower the rear end.

Roger Corrie

My error, the Cougar is included in the new rule set. I'm still waiting to see the '57 Corvette before adding it. I'm at a point where I have to pay tuition again on March 21st and it's going to be close, so no more slot car stuff for me for a few weeks.

The MEV bodies are also possible, my problem is the $18 for some of the bodies and not all are offered in kit form. For the first series I'm offering cars to guys who normally wouldn't pay for slot cars, I have built half a dozen rent-a-racers hoping to stir up interest and sell to build newer, nicer cars. But we are of the same mind on this kind of stuff Roger, I'm just trying to convert magnet racers to race vintage classics now.

Pete let me check with Mike that looks like a programming error on his page as he has always offered the GT series as unfinished kits.

Roger Corrie

Roger, really his prices aren't that much more than mass produced injection molded bodies. I've included a few of his cars, like the Austin Healey, TR3, Tipo, and Jag C-Type. I also added RRR's Cheetah hardtop and Cobra, although the DASH bodies are cheaper.

But it seems like this series is going to be delayed a bit. I don't have the cash to finish the rent-a-racers and bickering over the ALMS series is killing interest. I may wait until after I get moved to new digs in late July and try again.