Steve McQueen "The Man & LeMans"

adorshki

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ok, veering wildly along, break time for some eye candy.
While searching for a pic of that production Simca, I stumbled across this little beauty I don't think I've ever see before (SIMCA Abarth 2000):
abarth_simca_2000_5.jpg

Engine bay:
abarth_simca_2000_gt.jpg


OK, I don't need one of those.
But do I want one?
BADLY
 
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5thumbs

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Al, no "stealing of thunder" there. You are proving my point in a very detailed way, thank you.

I'm a fan, but not nearly as involved as you. That was quite interesting.
 

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Oops! Guilty of posting without reviewing previous posts. The Australian crash was old news, sorry!
 

bluesypicky

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While searching for a pic of that production Simca

Nothing comparable to "your" Simca Al, but at 5:20 on he clip, and on the left in the background, you can see one of their production cars (in green), and to its right the funny shaped white car is an all aluminium body Panhard. Cool! :cool-new:


2gxi9z8.jpg
 

adorshki

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Oops! Guilty of posting without reviewing previous posts. The Australian crash was old news, sorry!

Chuckle! I didn't even actually read it because I was thinking I probably already knew whatever news was in it...
For me the tech and sporting reg changes are interesting because the FIA gives a certain number of absolute limitations like cylinders must be round, only reciprocating piston designs are allowed, (Ruled out Honda oval cylinsders and rotary engines years ago), displacement is limited according to the current "formula", currently the motors must be v-6s but in recent history the formula changed from 3.0 ltr V10 to V8 to the current V6 hybrid formula.
Within the limitations of the formula engineers can do whatever they want and this has led to some downright amusing "rules bending".
Occasionally the FIA gets caught out having to admit that while a contested innovation was definitely not within the spirit of the regs it is "legal" and they have to allow it for the current season at least...
Chassis and aerodynamic regs are every bit as precisely defined as well and sporting regs change for things like whether or not re-fueling is allowed or how many tire changes are allowed or even required in race.
The thrust over the last 5 years has been to drive down costs and speeds.
Ultimately the engineers ALWAYS win the speed contest, they keep going up, but they've been reliiability-challenged as the FiA has limited the number of gearboxes and motors that can be used in a single season now. That was one of the cost-cutting measures.
Last year the limit was 8 motors per car for the entire 22 race season, this included practice day and qualifying day, not just race day. I think it's still the same this year, I know it hasn't increased.
Think about that, compared to when teams would have a dedicated qualifying motor and a dedicated race motor for each car for each race (2 cars per team) plus backup, that was like 80 motors per team per year.
The tire war gets changed up too. For a couple of seasons one set had to last for the whole race.
It was pretty disastrous for the spectator enjoyment as it reduced driver aggressiveness and overtaking as they sought to conserve their rubber.
The 2017 technical regs are already published so teams are simultaneously developing next season's engines while trying to perfect this year's.
Knowing these things make for a more enjoyable viewing though, and the commentators are all well-informed and even have direct experience in F1 so they yield good commentary too.
 
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geoguy

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Interesting. The motor is mounted pretty far toward the rear in that Simca. I wonder what the weight balance was like, front to rear?

The exhaust-pipe hangers look like an afterthought!
 

adorshki

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Interesting. The motor is mounted pretty far toward the rear in that Simca. I wonder what the weight balance was like, front to rear?
I found that one on an Abarth forum, it was just that best pic of that DOHC cylinder head and 4 Carb/4 pipe exhaust.
One of the photos was accompanied by a caption saying the radiator was moved to the front to help weight distribution but I suspect they were still pretty tail-happy. Of course back then a skilled driver knew how to use that. These days I only see that in rallying and drifting.
The exhaust-pipe hangers look like an afterthought!
I saw a few pics of rear ends, they weren't all like that, but note the straps are attached to standoffs that look like they're part of the body work. I think that car has been completely restored though so those standoffs might have been molded in at that time.
 
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adorshki

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Nothing comparable to "your" Simca Al, but at 5:20 on he clip, and on the left in the background, you can see one of their production cars (in green), and to its right the funny shaped white car is an all aluminium body Panhard. Cool! :cool-new:
You can see the Simca 1000 on Wiki, and Abarth did up some of those too, but that 1200s came out in '67, I just love the lines on those.
One of my favorite reasons to watch old film is for the car spotting.
Heck I even started digging Green Hornet's Lincoln Zephyr coupe from the 1940 serial, they ran a couple of episodes on TCM Wednesday night:
THE Jan. 14 release of “The Green Hornet” gives occasion to recall that the first roadgoing 200-mile-per-hour car was a 1937 Lincoln-Zephyr. Black Beauty, the automotive star of the cliff-hanging “Green Hornet” movie serial of the 1940s, scorched Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles as the car of the series’ masked hero..
subBEAUTY-popup.jpg

The Black Beauty conceptualized it all. Presenting the car to Britt Reid, the series’ crime-fighting hero, in the opening episode, his valet and chauffeur, Kato, explains the modifications made to the 267-cubic-inch V-12 engine. In stock form, it produced 110 horsepower, but Kato’s “chemical energizer” transformed the Zephyr’s powerplant into “the strongest motor ever built — and the fastest.” The energizer delivers on-demand urge.
"What’ll she do?” Reid asks.
Better than 200,” Kato says.

AHAHAAHAHAH!!!!!!
 

bluesypicky

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Now that I'm back home from a trip to VA. here is a vinyl Gulf promotional poster from the event subject of this thread, that adorns my garage door:

24l9edx.jpg


:cool-new:

Work those neck muscles...
 
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DV-72 NT

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'LeMans': Best racing movie ever made.

Not to take anything away from both Mr. McQueen and his movie (which I in fact love), but if you're simply a fan of motorsports, the Formula One season just got underway again, and a driver walked away from this spectacular 193 mph crash in Melbourne last week:

Understand that at second 26, Alonso is crawling out from under that tiny little pile of wreckage crumpled up against the wall. That's what's left of his car.
Every bit as dramatic as anything in LeMans and thankfully in 40 years the safety technology has made such incredible survivability possible.
I didn't used to like Alonso, he was arrogant, but he matured and learned humility in the last 2 years and now I can't help but respect his dedication to his profession to get in one of those and floor it, knowing there's always this possibility.
Pascal and I always tease each other about our favorite makers in F1 but in the end I suspect we'd both agree we're simultaneously amazed, delighted, and humbled to see him walk away.
I cried.


F1 2014: Best video game ever made.
200px-F1_2014_cover.jpg
 

walrus

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That poster is vinyl, bluesy? Very cool! I used to have a poster of McQueen from "The Great Escape" in my room as a teenager...

I'm totally in the dark about some of this stuff, but it is a very interesting thread!

walrus
 

bluesypicky

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That poster is vinyl, bluesy? Very cool!
walrus

Yes it is, and that's the reason why it is still in great shape after all these years....
The Gulf color scheme (baby blue and orange) was our favorite when it came to painting our mopeds in our teen years.

:rugby:
 

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Just for the halibut....Sheryl Crow tribute to Steve with a cameo by Dale Jr.
Love this tune!
 
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CA-35

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My favorite scene from "The Great Escape" At the 2:30 mark The camp commandant says "10 days isolation Hilts" and McQueen grabs the collar of his flight jacket and says "Captain Hilts"

 

adorshki

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I was doing a refresher read of his Wiki bio when I came across this little nugget:
After discovering a mutual interest in racing, McQueen and Great Escape co-star James Garner became good friends. Garner lived downhill from McQueen, and McQueen recalled, "I could see that Jim was neat around his place. Flowers trimmed, no papers in the yard ... grass always cut. So to piss him off, I'd start lobbing empty beer cans down the hill into his driveway. He'd have his drive all spic 'n' span when he left the house, then get home to find all these empty cans. Took him a long time to figure out it was me."[5]
 
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