Can You Save Old Cars And Race With Them?
It seems like an impossible and foolish dream – to save an old, almost useless car, improve it and start racing. However, it is perfectly possible to do so. To some, this is actually a great thrill. It feels like art too and it’s totally justified why it is this way.
If you have a look back in time at racing history, you will find surprising facts. Even the poor could get involved in racing, as long as they were daring enough. Read about Australian hot rods and you will see. These were typical old American cars, given a bigger and better engine, lowered at the front end and aerodynamically improved to acquire greater speeds. A hot rod was, after all, nothing but a saved and rehabilitated car.
If you have some engineering training, you can start working on a car and transform it into a racing monster. Or, if you lack the skills, you may go to a customization shop and have professionals tweak it for you. With today’s technology, there is so much more one can do. For more inspiration, do have a look and the history of hot rodding. These famous and fascinating hot rods have a more powerful engine and ensure better traction. You need to know exactly the needed modifications to be made, so that the car becomes suitable to racing.
Any model and type can be transformed for racing purposes. Weight reduction is essential if you want to reach higher speeds. By removing the rear seats, you achieve this, as well as by taking out some of the interior trimmings and the insulation. You may tweak the locks and handle mechanisms, too. In fact, you should plan to remove anything that you don’t use and which doesn’t serve your goal. If your car has old heavy glass, then replace it with the modern lighter version. Take a look at the wiring and tweak it, as it’s usually in excess. The steering wheel may also be too heavy, so think of switching to an aluminum one, which is the lightest.
The body and the exterior aspect may call for some changes, too. Lowering the front and making the rear higher is a tweak you often see in racing cars. You have to think of improving the aerodynamics overall. You may even take the roof off. On the inside, some simple changes from the hot rod era would still go a long way: make ignition adjustments, facilitate a higher compression, add more carburetors and cam grinds.
Remember that car customization shops can help you when you want to transform an old car but don’t feel confident doing this yourself.