Video: There's Something Special About Listening to Pre-War Race Cars

https://www.youtube.com/embed/49s1qdo7-R0

The thought behind many pre-war race cars seemed to be less about "How can we make this car faster?" and more about "How can we attach four wheels to this giant engine?" Things were different back then, but the results are often impressive: massive, high-powered cars with skinny tires and little thought to aerodynamics.

 

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ChrisTropea
ChrisTropea Associate Editor
5/15/20 3:28 p.m.

This is one of my favorite Top Gear reviews: The Brutus. 

https://youtu.be/wJn7LHE83cc

 

Techgenius
Techgenius New Reader
5/23/20 11:40 a.m.

So I saw this Galaxie down a block from where I live, went back to ask some questions and check it out. Make sure it doesn’t have any huge rust holes or anything. Talked to the dude, he said that he bought it from some old dude while they were both drunk, didn’t tell me how much he bought it for but I can guess it was pretty cheap. Previous owner had it in a barn up in Converse Tx for a good while. He’s asking $6,500. It has a 352 FE. Looks good with some minor cracks by where the windows tuck in. Should I ask to drop the price or is a decent price? Appvalley

Side Note: Looking for a Boat/Project car Do I need this car no, ofc not Do I want to buy just about any old car I see??? Yea! Only thing is. It actually runs and drives so that takes most of the fun out of it being a Project car. I don’t really have a good hand in Painting/Upholstery Tweakbox

wspohn
wspohn Dork
5/23/20 12:12 p.m.

When I was racing at Laguna in the early 1980s, one of the true gentlemen (sadly no longer with us) was Peter Giddings, who owned a number of wonderful prewar cars. I ran in the same race as he did on a number of occasions at several tracks ad he usually ran his Talbot Lago. It sounded wonderful!

The difference between the old cars and the new guard was brought home when I had just finished watching another prewar car being started by being up on a jack, in gear. with one helper cranking it and another going back and forth across the intake trumpets (it was another straight 6) spraying ether.  A few minutes later as I walked by the Porsche contingent from the factory, I watched a fuek injected 917 that the started instantly by a push of a button.   Easier, but not as romantic!

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