Who's bought a race car without a test ride?

navrig2

Sir Chris Hoy signs up for Le Mans bid in 2016

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/motorsport/26943375

meanredspider

I did


(Love the headline with this pic of the car)

It's fair to say it wasn't a race car when I bought it.

Well done, Chris Hoy!

Nick_M

I once sold an aircraft to someone who didn't want to test fly it. Does that count?

ugo.santalucia

What model of Alfa Romeo is that? I can't remember it

meanredspider

ugo.santalucia wrote:

What model of Alfa Romeo is that? I can't remember it

Giulia GTJ (1969)

VTech

Ive bought a few cars without a test drive. Truth is, you can't really test drive a race car and know whether it suits or not, it simply isn't that easy and more often than not you get used to a car rather than take to it immediately.

I would say that looks are the only instant thing but even that can change as your tastes alter over time.

meanredspider

Well, there is some parallels to bikes. I got to the point where it was costing £300 per kg to lighten the car and I realised that the driver could be lighter! I lost over 15kg - it cost me a bloody fortune in new clothes. And now it's come full-circle and I'm losing weight for cycling up a big hill lots of times and having to buy new clothes as a result - hopefully it will help me in the car racing.

CiB

Once bought a boggo 1300 MK II Escort from a bloke who was completely stumped at the idea that a test drive wasn't necessary thanks. Fast forward a couple of months and it had become a bare shell lightened & balanced 2.0 with all the right bits & bobs which served us really quite well in Motoring News + other events for a while. Never did get round to sending him a photo of what we did to his nice little runner.

nicklouse

I just build them.

VTech

CiB wrote:

Once bought a boggo 1300 MK II Escort from a bloke who was completely stumped at the idea that a test drive wasn't necessary thanks. Fast forward a couple of months and it had become a bare shell lightened & balanced 2.0 with all the right bits & bobs which served us really quite well in Motoring News + other events for a while. Never did get round to sending him a photo of what we did to his nice little runner.

I think that deserves a few pics. I love to see rebuild pics.

CiB

So would I VTech, but sadly back then Escorts were 10 a penny and it wasn't something that we thought about, documenting it. AFAIK there's one picture of it in full flow and that's it, but I haven't seen it for a while. Cracking car though. :shock:

VTech

Ohh well

I too wished I had pics of some of the work I've done but as you say, don't always realise at the time.

nicklouse

Getting started some time last century.

ugo.santalucia

meanredspider wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

What model of Alfa Romeo is that? I can't remember it

Giulia GTJ (1969)

Cool... 8)

cycleclinic

All old alpha are cool but so is the Lancia Fulvia one of those as a race car would be lovely.

onehipwonder

thecycleclinic wrote:

All old alpha are cool but so is the Lancia Fulvia one of those as a race car would be lovely.

Noooooo it's Alfa, that's almost like the yanks saying Campy
Always fancied one of those 105 series Bertone coupes, had an old Spider once and a newer style GTV, as well as several others. Great cars, engines are fantastic.

cycleclinic

I can't spell sometimes!

Bordersroadie

meanredspider wrote:

I did


(Love the headline with this pic of the car)

It's fair to say it wasn't a race car when I bought it.

Well done, Chris Hoy!

Ahh, the old GT Junior, happy memories of working for Alfa Romeo back in the day.

andy_wrx

I used to love flag-marshalling at AROC events

- that madman who used to come out in that DeTomaso in the Italian-anything-goes series, huge speed differentials from race-prepped stuff on race tyres down to road-going Suds and 33's...

pinno