Not that kind.
This kind
It's the employee car day here at the Ford Design studio and the cars are gatherin now. A few mins ago there was a small earthquake and the windows all rattled. Shoooting outside there is George Follmer's 74 DN4. Damn I wished I'd been a naughty boy and brought my camera to work!
I think I may have seen that car at the Monterey historic races a few years ago. The Can-Am cars were one of the highlights for me that weekend.
damn, always loved that car
It's amazing in a beautiful, fragile, violent way. It's unbelievable that anyone would race that thing at 10/10th unless you knew you had terminal cancer and weren't going to live long anyway. There is just no protection to the driver. Shallow tub that comes up to hip level, roll bar behind you and the roll bar / dash over your knees. There is nothing to your side or front other than some thin flimsy fiberglass. I don't know how anyone survived a wreck in cars of that era.
I clicked on this thread expecting to see a Dodge P-body. I am disappoint.
Adrian_Thompson wrote:
It's amazing in a beautiful, fragile, violent way. It's unbelievable that anyone would race that thing at 10/10th unless you knew you had terminal cancer and weren't going to live long anyway. There is just no protection to the driver. Shallow tub that comes up to hip level, roll bar behind you and the roll bar / dash over your knees. There is nothing to your side or front other than some thin flimsy fiberglass. I don't know how anyone survived a wreck in cars of that era.
And that's one of the safe looking ones! The Shadows were a great example of the result of Can-Am's free rule set, although I think they missed out on the real aero madness.

Sky_Render wrote:
I clicked on this thread expecting to see a Dodge P-body. I am disappoint.
Same here on expecting a dodge. Not disappointed.
Keith Tanner wrote:
Adrian_Thompson wrote:
It's amazing in a beautiful, fragile, violent way. It's unbelievable that anyone would race that thing at 10/10th unless you knew you had terminal cancer and weren't going to live long anyway. There is just no protection to the driver. Shallow tub that comes up to hip level, roll bar behind you and the roll bar / dash over your knees. There is nothing to your side or front other than some thin flimsy fiberglass. I don't know how anyone survived a wreck in cars of that era.
And that's one of the safe looking ones! The Shadows were a great example of the result of Can-Am's free rule set, although I think they missed out on the real aero madness.
Even back in the day, I can't imagine how lacking in imagination you must have been to race one of those at 10/10ths. That may be one of the few cars where the old bunk agument about being safer to not weare a seat belt could be true. I'd lvoe to see/hear/read some interviews with Vic Elford, Follmer etc about what their thoughts on survivability were back then.
There were a few Shadows at the Mitty last year. They were LAPPING the Lola T-70s! Crazy fast!
and the noise......that glorious noise!
I wonder where they find tires for that 1st Gen Shadow...
OK, I just went outside (again, 4th time today just to look at this car
The guy looking after it was then and let me jump in it. Shoes off, empty pocket and carefully climb in. Damn the current owner must be small. Forget my ample girth, my hip bones wouldn't fit in the seat. But once in there I still can't imagine racing this things. I've been in small single seaters before and they feel so much more substantial, something about having the chassis/roll cage up around your torso and shoulders. This thing felt total exposed and other than the top of the wheel arches you can see absolutely zero of the car past the screen, and that's me not all the way down. Just thinking about turning into the corkscrew or something with other cars around you sends shivers down my spine. I'm obviously lacking in testicular fortitude today. But at least I can say I've sat in George Follmers office seat 