Carrera book comments and questions

[Type550]

I am trying to help you get the facts Steve - it is not a game. I have very little history of 550A spyders, so I cannot suggest which car he bought. I have sourced as much information I can so you might be able to link it together with the records you have. All the photos of the different races show Playan driving a 550A spyder (except the first couple) - see the inspection doors in the engine bay and small indicator lights on the front. How are these 2 cars the same??

[Steve Heinrichs]

Andrew, I certainly agree that the 29 Playan start number photos are of a 550A. We are working on this problem and your earlier comments re Hugus, Erikson, etc.

All,

Later today (I hope) we'll post the Nr. 02 Errata sheet. It does not include changes yet for Andrew's comments as to above nor the 904 Tour de France issues.

Steve Heinrichs
www.biglakemedia.com

[vhelmle]

Hello Everyone,

Steve Heinrichs has asked me to upload our Errata Nr. 02.

[jacques]

Hi Steve
p210 i still believe that the lubrication oil line that are cast into the head were copper the confusion may be that steel larger diameter tubes were also cast in to permit the oil from the upper intake areas of the head to drain to the exh area then to the case.
j

[Type550]

lost in translation...

Did you add this on P561 to your errata Steve?

[Blechquäler]

Hi Jacques and Steve,

some time ago I did a few repair weldings on 2 different 1500 heads.
The one had steel oil lines cast in, the other copper lines...
I'm not sure but as far as I remember the older one, a 547 head from
one of the first engines was the one with the copper lines.
Will look if I can find some old pics to figure out that better.

[Blechquäler]

Addition:

As both heads were 1500's the use of copper or steel might be a question
of the production date.

[Steve Heinrichs]

Andrew, thanks for noting the problem in 24418. We'll sort it out...but why ask if I added when you can clearly see we did not?

Steve Heinrichs

[vhelmle]

Hello Everyone,

Steve Heinrichs has asked me to respond for page 651, photo 32. We went back to the proofs and current data. The von Trips/Herrmann car at 1956 12 h Sebring was 550-0047, start nr. 41. We will note in the Errata sheet that the German version should be changed to 550-0047 and the English version should be corrected to 550-0047.

Thank you for noticing.

Vietta Helmle

[vhelmle]

Hello Everyone,

Steve Heinrichs has asked me to let you all know that we are working on the Joe Playan and related issues. We did find a photo of Playan and 550-13 with its new front end still racing with start nr. 29 in 1958 at Vintage Sports Car website (search driver name Playan):
http://www.vintage-sportscar-photos.com/searchdriver.php.
At the same time, we clearly can see that he was racing a 550A at races in 1957. We wonder if he kept his 550-13 instead of selling it. We'll return with information as soon as possible.

[Type550]

Steve, I posted that error well over a month ago - #23670 - it was just a friendly reminder.

Vietta, Playan raced 550-13 with start #29 at Palm Springs in April 57 before he sold it. Between 550-13 and the 550A, he raced an MG Special until he collected the 550A.

Steve, I know any of these changes have a pebble in the pond effect for drivers, cars and races in the book and the last thing you want to do is a heap of corrections unnecessarily. I do have a lot of resources and although on occasions the information I provide comes in pieces, it is because I am continuously doing research to confirm my findings. Honestly I have only really gone through less than 10 chassis numbers and many don't match up to the information I have. Some could be errors in my data, others are in the book. I thought the purpose of this thread was to sort these out. I am not making random claims of errors in the book as I always have documentation to support what I say.

Let me know if you want me to continue to review the results in your book, otherwise I am happy to note the errors on the book I have for my own reference.

Andrew

[jacques]

Hi Steve
i don't think i am the one to proofread the book i don't do German and and technical German is beyond me. The book is great already but it could be better by having a hands on German 4-Cam expert to review and a good technical translator to translate. I picked up a few minor points but i would feel better if someone like Gerry McCarthy would give it a go. In the second edition you might interview current practitioners that are tasked with restoring the engines.
again its an amazing work of research.
j

[Steve Heinrichs]

Andrew, the photo Vietta posted is from 1958 according to the site. We are working through all the issues and, so far, cannot find a 550A that fits. I welcome all the questions but assuming your post of a month ago and seeing the strata sheet, you knew we did not handle so just say we missed. Why ask a question you knew the answer to? Now, I very much hope you will post more questions. While we are confident in our lists, we are also prepared to defend the material or change when needed.

Jacques, thanks. Should there be another edition, we may consider more detail. We'll also look at more precise translation.

Ciao,


Steve Heinrichs

[Type550]

Steve, that photo site is highly inaccurate with its descriptions.

[Steve Heinrichs]

Yep, maybe...but Alan tries. And, Racing Sports Cars is as well, me thinks. Still, the big problem with this photo is start 29.

Steve