Marshall
This is not may opinion, these were the comments I heard when I started
shopping for a F500. I bought one but with some significant discouragement
for various others. My point is we need to do some serious educating.
Richard
----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 1:29 PM
Subject: Re: [F500] Class survival.
<<<I haven't seen much response to Richard's post, but I think he captures
the current reality pretty well. >>>
OK, I'll bite. I'll respond on a couple of these points:
<<<1.) The cars are too rough to handle due to the limited suspension.>>>
This may be true compared to FV or the older Fords, but a competitive,
current-vintage FF is pretty stiff, too. What makes the car more
challenging to drive is the solid rear axle, not the suspension. This can
be learned; every go-karter in the country knows how to do it.
<<<2.) These are not real cars they are just large karts with a body.>>>
There are more people road-racing karts than cars today. Even if this
were true, I don't see it as a problem, per se.
<<<3.) The exhaust is too noisy and will cause problems with both
autocross and racing.>>>
I have heard this MANY times from the SM crowd. The 2-stroke buzz is a
real turn-off to many in the paddock.
<<<4.) A used FF is a better investment.>>>
Only until your first shock replacement or engine rebuild.
<<<5.) The engines are obsolete and hard to get parts for.>>>
Not hard to get, but single-sourced. Tried to buy pistons or a crankshaft
for a FF lately?
<<<6.) Two cycle engines are mysterious and hard to maintain.>>>
What?!?!?! 2-strokes are easier to tune, maintain, and repair by a long
shot, not to mention far less expensive to rebuild. Just the lack of the
valvetrain should make this clear.
<<<7.) Class participation is small.>>>
Chicken and egg at nationals, but this is clearly true at the regional
level. However, there aren't that many FFs at regionals anymore, either.
Open-wheel in general is suffering at the regional level. I believe that
we have priced ourselves out of the market, and the newbies are going to
SM instead.
Marshall Mauney
WDC Region
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