718 RSK RS60 RS61

[Steve Heinrichs]

So very cool!!!

Steve Heinrichs

[bbspdstr]

George Frey was pretty quick, was it in E Production with a pushrod Speedster??.........

George was amazingly fast in that old Speedster. He did his own work and if another gear ratio would make him faster after his practice on Saturday, he'd tow the car home and change the gearset and be back in the morning to get Fastest Time of Day. Those were the days of many cars of different origins running in EP, so the PHA had EP-I and EP-II. Many Speedsters, maybe 20 356s, mostly Speedsters...so it was the Germans against primarily the Brits with a slew of TR's, MG's and an occasional Morgan. Fun times!

-Bruce

[bbspdstr]

Having a good time at Moroso West Palm Beach 1983
718-009

Wasn't it Turn 6 that was near where the alligator lived? Moroso was odd in that they cleared the Vintage group out promptly (or early) to accommodate the drag racers. Only track I've gone to where that 'blend' was found....at least on the same day.
Syd Silverman also had a nice spread at Moroso.
I liked the bean oil smells from Groups 4 or 5 and I'd stay near Higgins and his (#44?) center-seat K to maximize the concentration.

-Bruce

[Rickie]

We always used Castrol R, and the smell was part of the whole experience! By turn 6 , I assume you mean the little esses before the last 180 onto the main straight. I was always careful the after my friend Olivier Chandon of the champagne family, lost it and went into the creek on the left, turned over, and drowned in a shallow amount of water. such a stupid thing...It was a modern car he was driving and at practice.

Syd was a gent, and his Lister collection was the best around. John Harden drove his cars too, and he was quick I can tell you. I was fortunate enough to beat him for 3rd place after a great scrap the following week at SVRA's Sebring event with over 60 cars entered. I am sure no one but me remembers, and why should they!
The great thing about those events was the quality of cars that just don't see a track anymore...
RR

[Carrera_The_Kid]

Thanks guys for sharing all these fascinating stories. Amazing!

[gerrymc547]

Start no. 36 is 718-063 at Vineland, N. J. early spring 1961, SCCA regional. The first outing with new owner, having just bought it from Bob Holbert. We expected a nice low-key introduction to the new car. Bob showed up with TWO brand-new out-of the-box RS61's + Pete DiCosta with his K, a two-liter birdcage, and Bill Wonder with an RS. I think it was the biggest EM race of the year. If memory serves, DiCosta won, 063 was 2nd Holbert dnf'ed. Car is still in family.

[JTR70]

Gerry, Thank you so much for joining us here and Welcome! Is this the photo you're describing? Welcome once again!! Justin

Photo thanks to John Garret (JG)

[bbspdstr]

I am not old enough to remember Vineland pre-'64. I remember being there when Oscar's "Car 54 (where are you)," the Ferrari/Chevy, was raced... dicing with 'pure-bred' cars and me being specifically interested in Speedsters like mine and similar little things I learned were called "Spyders". I remember they had a 'different' sound....

Gerry, glad to see you participating here on Justin's site.

Below are pictures of 2L engines over the years. The one with the tin being fitted by Dave Baker (in 1980, his hair was still dark) in my 'big shop'...another of the engine you helped us get right after a well-known west coast 'guru' said 'screw-u' and sent back a beautiful big crate of random parts after a wait of 8 years.....for a rebuild.
The third picture is of the completed engine after you did your magic and actually matched the cam lobes, in the little showroom I had, c.'92.




Best for the New Year to all.

-Bruce Baker

[gerrymc547]

Justin:
Yes, that's the one. In those days,I too, had dark hair!
Bruce:
I remember that engine well. You and the owner had been badly miss used. I resolved to sort it out, and then learned it belonged to a "Philadelphia Lawyer". I worried about that thing for a year after it was finished! Justin: why must I go through the captcha thing EVERY time I post? Not user-friendly.

[bbspdstr]

Yes, Alec Kerr was/is a "Philadelphia Lawyer" specializing in corporate law with 80 lawyers under him, but a great guy nonetheless. We partnered in the project (his money and my labor) and sold it in '93 or '94.....and one of 32 or 33 C-2 Cabriolets made in '63 brought $150k, "all the money" back then.

The big downer was the engine. All of Alex's connections could not get anything done (legally) in CA but hollow promises for 7 years and then the "We're just waiting for the crate" took another year. It WAS a seriously nice professionally-made crate, but not worth a year to be made.

You, my friend, were never in any legal jeopardy. I am eternally grateful that you bailed us out after John Burgess and I assembled the various parts we received in that marvelous crate...and above all, grateful that we didn't try to start that motor with what we amateurishly assembled to the best of our abilities before you tore it down. Mismatched oil pump gears or cam lobes would have done that motor in, if I remember correctly.......but hey, this is the 718 thread.....sorry!

-Bruce

PS-When Dale Miller was sent to spend a day doing a PPI for the buyer, he commented on how well it drove...perhaps dropping your name helped the sale? Also, thanks again for the loan of some air channels for me to copy...I recently found some pictures of those I made and if I find them again, I'll post those here.

[JTR70]

No need for an apology Bruce, interesting background stories are always great to hear! Thread posts are no different than a bunch of guys standing around shooting the shit in person as the main topic of conversation easily Segway's into another story and then comes back again.

Sorry about the CAPTCHA code Gerry. Its designed to slow down SPAM and to give me a chance to delete and disable the account. You cannot imagine the volume of crap that is constantly being pushed on these forums through the use of automated SPAM bots that scourer and sign up then begin posting links to all sorts of garbage they try to sell. A new account is established after your 5th post and the code will be gone for good after that. So on your next post you'll be good to go. Thanks again! Justin

[356]

[bbspdstr]

[JG]

[taliana]

Sebring 12 hr 1960