Help Identify My Vintage FV

Greetings,

I am extremely new to FV's and recently purchased the car in question. I am wondering if anyone has an idea of the make and history of my car.

Through some discussions with a FV folks (one of whom directed me to this forum), it appears that my car is a one-off build. As far as I know, the car likely resided in Altoona, PA (between Pittsburgh and Penn State) for much of it's life. Other than that, I have no other information.

Attached are pictures. Thank you in advance for any insight that may be provided.

Cheers,
Ken

I don't know if you have any period pics of the car, but this appears to be the same make (if not this exact car) from what looks like an expired RacingJunk classified ad.
Mentions Bobsy Vanguard in the link address. Looks pretty similar?

edit: found a BarnFind link with this car pictured as well...
http://barnfinds.com/lets-go-racing-...bsy-formula-v/

http://s3.racingjunk.com/ui/8/56/382...ormula-VEE.jpg

Thanks for the fast reply and info!

Unfortunately I do not any period pictures. The gentleman I purchased it from told me it arrived to him in pieces and he is the one who assembled the car as shown in my pics. He didn't know any true history of the car other than it resided in Altoona.

The body of the car you posted sure is similar, but when you compare the chassis of each car, it appears they are quite different.

I just noticed that I did not post a full view of my chassis. As soon as I have a chance, I'll upload a picture.

What are your plans for this car? It needs a lot of work. Did you get a log book with the car if not, check and see if there is any numbers stamped in the roll bar should be on the right side of car.

ah, now that I can blow the pics up & see better, I can see the differences. and even in the link I posted, it appears to be 2 completely different cars. at first, I thought maybe it was an updated body on the ground pic.
that's what I get for trying to use my phone to search.

Hey rcarmody,

My plans are to do just a few vintage races per year. I am from Pittsburgh and want to race in their Vintage Grand Prix. I realize that it will take a bit of work, but nothing that seems too demanding. All structural components seem quite solid and the rest can be rebuilt/replaced.

Unfortunately I received no log books or anything of historical significance. :(

I'll check for numbers on the roll bar. If I find any, I snap a pic and post it. Are there any other locations to check if there is nothing stamped where you suggested?

Hey Matt,

No worries. I really appreciate the help. The bodies are definitely similar and I wonder if mine was inspired by that car?

Let's hope that the next time you buy something of questionable value, that you do some back ground investigation prior to purchase. :confused:

Interesting opinion, but personally, I like the idea of a one-off car. There is no denying it's a FV of some type. I do know it's pretty early and I do have a very early 1200 for it, so I am looking forward to driving it at some point in the future. As far as questionable value, I guess that's in the eye of the beholder. I bought it cheap and realize it's not a Ferrari GTO, nor do I plan on selling it. It's a simple, cheap car eligible for vintage racing. So I'm not fretting about purchasing it. I simply am interested in any history people may have to share. Heck, maybe someone even drove it back in the day.

Cheers,
Ken

There should be a hole drilled in the main roll hoop so the thickness of the roll bar shows. Sometimes the number is somewhere around there. It generally is two numbers with a gap then a few more numbers. I had to sand the paint off my roll bar to fine what it was but once I did I was able to trace it back 10 owners. Good luck.

It looks vintage, come race with us!

Looks like a pretty complete car. I would say if you plan on racing at Pittsburgh and can do most of the restoration yourself, it should be a fun project.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Cool car. Good luck with the project.

The great thing about some of the home built cars / low runs is that they represent some of the unique ideas which occurred as Formula Vee was evolving. While it is tempting to buy a "known" car and also the easier route, it is very admirable to take on a project such as this so that early examples of the class are preserved.

Greetings all,

Thanks for the comments and insight. I am looking forward to restoring and racing it. I will be able to do nearly all of the restoration myself, which is one of the main reasons I purchased it. I certainly knew, prior to purchase, that it was going to need a bit of work. But really, there really isn't anything complex about the car and most parts are dirt cheap. I do realize the bulk of the money will be in safety (fuel cell, HANS, etc.) but at least they will be new parts.

To those who mentioned identifying numbers on the chassis, unfortunately I couldn't find anything stamped anywhere. Considering my car seems like a one-off, my guess is that is not surprising.

As you all have probably noticed, my car doesn't have a Z-Bar, but does have something that may do the same thing. Picture 6 in the original photo set highlights the end of a continuous dual leaf spring setup. Attached here are a few pictures of the rear setup. Has anyone ever seen anything like this? How comparable is it to a Z-Bar setup in terms of positive camber when the vehicle is lifted? (I do realize that the tires on the vehicle are over-sized.) I haven't really investigated whether or not this setup is adjustable as it is, but I would assume it likely isn't.

Cheers,
Ken

What you have is a Camber Compensator, used on a lot on VW's, Spitfires, etc - anything with a swing axle suspension. People still sell/ use them today on street cars. Just Google
Camber Compensator. Looks like a fun project