[Pete McKay]

A full 18 years before the first AMG Odyssey took it's first victory another AMG hand built sports car was causing a stir in the WWC. In February 1989 this hand built AMG Jaguar XJR won the 4 hour endurance race modified class by an unheard of (at the time) 126 laps. Running 1,236 laps on the 2KM scale 8 lane Cactus Raceway in Clovis and stopping only for oiling, tire and pick-up shoe changes the car also beat one of the open class cars as well.

The car took an advantage of a loop hole in the rules allowing narrower silicone tires as a trade off to the prefered foam tires of the time. By using a modified set of 440X2 wheels mounting those silicones and enclosing the rear wheels just as the 1:1 IMSA car had done the year before it was never even tested prior to the race for fear it would be outlawed before raceday.

The small scoop on top of the cockpit drew air directly into the armature making the car run much cooled that other Stront magnet cars running in the race. During the pit stops the car was never "too hot to handle" as the open comp cars were, and it didn't suffer the electrical failures that even the stock class suffered during this enduro. Also visible here is the build number and date. This was the 100th hand built AMG body ever made, produced in February of 1989.

There were three modified cars run that day in February, the other was another AMG hand built Porsche 966 in Budweiser paint and it finished second in Modified, and 5th overall. It was also a ducted car so it ran nice and cool, but used an open rear wheel approach. Jody Miller drove this car not only in this event but throughout the 1989 season.

In the past 18 years I've often considered converting the Jaguar into a vacuformed mold, but that would essentially destroy a part of the history of local racing. Someday I may reproduce this car as a mold, but right now the Odyssey seems to be doing well enough. I'm also considering a Chapperal 2F (I believe that was the "vacuum cleaner") as a mold as well.

Anyway, just a little step back into the history of AMG Racing. Your turn.

 

[T-Jet Racer]

It would seem you have been at this a while Huh? The posts you put up are very informative, I know I am glad to learn methods other guys use. Thanks

 

[T-jetjim]

Pete- I would have never guessed the construction underneath by looking at the top of this car. Really impressive styrene work. How did you get the cockpit to smooth out at the intersection of the top of the car?

Jim

 

[Pete McKay]

At the time this car was built Jim I used Squardon Green Putty, a lacquer based putty that dried fast and hard and sanded well. I used that putty until about 10 years ago when I started using gap filling CA and zip kicker instead. I also use a fast setting epoxy on some applications.

One of the requirements for a Modified Class body was that it had to weigh a certain amount and use the stock chassis mounts. I actually had to add weight to the front of the body to make weight, but it did use the stock narrow chassis body mounts.

 

[roadrner]

Amazing build for so long ago. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: rr

 

[videojimmy]

very impressive Pete!

 

[Pete McKay]

In August of 1996 this complex little Testerossa prototype was built for Scott Green of the WWC as a modified class car. Scott is a huge Ferrari fan and wanted a sort of futuristic concept of the car, open wheeled but a closed cockpit.

The offset closed cockpit housed a single driver in a clamshell closure. The engine sat sideways behind him with the intake on the right side. It had the Testerossa style side slats that actually worked as a minor aerodynamic feature, and the rear wing ducted air down under it as well as across the top, and was quite large.

It also was extremely low as well, the top of the cockpit was barely above the tires.

In September 1996 Scott ran 10 laps of practice with the car, found that it handled extremely well and was very fast. But at the last minute it was substituted for a Lexan Ferrari 333P and made it back to my museum. I used to have more of these cars, over the last year or so many have completely fallen apart. They were built to race, not to last.