New CF

[SEComposites]

This is just a thought that popped into my head! Please don't shoot me down if this is a stupid question!

Is there any reason why someone couldn't build a new CF car? I'm not sure why anyone would want to necessarily but is there a specific age limit or is the limit essentially outboard shocks at one end?
Thanks!

[BorkRacing]

Zink Z16's that are converted to meet CF rules are sort of like that as they didn't always come from Citation that way.

[DanW]

Zink Z16's that are converted to meet CF rules are sort of like that as they didn't always come from Citation that way.

That's true. The Z-16's converted to outboard shocks are excellent handling cars. DaveW loved his.

[John Nesbitt]

This is just a thought that popped into my head! Please don't shoot me down if this is a stupid question!

Is there any reason why someone couldn't build a new CF car? I'm not sure why anyone would want to necessarily but is there a specific age limit or is the limit essentially outboard shocks at one end?
Thanks!

It would depend on the specific CF ruleset. Since CF is an Optional Regional Class, rules vary between Divisions and even between Regions.

For example, the NEDiv (Division-wide) CF ruleset includes the following (emphasis added):

Car Eligibility

D. No car designed or manufactured after January 1, 1984 shall be eligible for

competition under these rules regardless of suspension layout. (This rule

prevents the design and construction of a new and purpose-built car using

recently developed suspension and aerodynamic developments.)

[BorkRacing]

It would depend on the specific CF ruleset. Since CF is an Optional Regional Class, rules vary between Divisions and even between Regions.

For example, the NEDiv (Division-wide) CF ruleset includes the following (emphasis added):

Car Eligibility

D. No car designed or manufactured after January 1, 1984 shall be eligible for

competition under these rules regardless of suspension layout. (This rule

prevents the design and construction of a new and purpose-built car using

recently developed suspension and aerodynamic developments.)

I think he was referring to Monoposto and Vintage racing. I didn't know anyone ran SCCA, wasn't it sold to some gym owner?

[SEComposites]

Actually I was thinking of a brand new designed and built CF. As I say it was just something that popped into my head that's all.

[marshall9]

It would be very expensive. About 70k in parts, someone I know added up. That would be everything new. Engine, trans and shocks would easily be 25k. Then , you have a car without 40 years of on track development, such as a Crossle may have. Not saying it could not be done, just very costly.

[John Merriman]

The answer's no. (just replying to your philosophical question in the briefest possible way.) It's already completely outrageous that half of the CF cars running have 5,000 bucks worth of shocks on 'em. ( well, it's "shocking" at least...) In 1984 when Don and Ric and I wrote the CF rules for our Region we slipped up big time and didn't restrict $2-3000 shocks - hey, at the time they were "cheaper" - nor did we dump $800 clutches and alum diffs. Shame on us. Also, for those of you who don't know the origins, we began by exhaustively testing tires & compounds (Norm Marx and Craig Olmstead were our tire testers!) and we decreed (well, okay we just "said") that the slicks should last a full season. Ha !! That lasted.....um....um....at least ONE year!!! Oh, crap....did I just mention "tire rules......"??

[S Lathrop]

The reason that the Citation/Zink Z16 is eligible for CF in many regions is that the car was originally produced with outboard rear suspension. Most regions required that one end of the car have outboard shocks. The final reason was that there was no way to tell if a car had been produced with outboard or inboard rear suspension originally. Many cars were first built as outboard cars and then converted to inboard suspension at the rear. Also the Z16 started production in 1978 and was not replaced until 1984. Most all of the cars were built from 78-80.

I think that if someone was to reproduce a car that is CF eligible, there might be a really good case to be made for that car being CF eligible.

Say I started with an abandoned wreck and set out rebuild the car, how much of the original car would I have to retain for the car to be CF eligible? A car stored outside for a couple decades, would need every tube structure replaced for safety reasons. The fiberglass would be only good enough to use to make a buck for new molds. At the end of the day, why would I need to start with a wreck when I could easily just start from scratch and produce a Z10 or Z16?

I am certain that most CF eligible cars would have similar situations to that of the Z10 and Z16.

[marshall9]

Wasn't there SF and CF, one having outboard on one end and the other having both ends outboard? I think Cal Club did that for a while. This is my father in the 80's in a Crossle that was classed SF.

[Rick Kirchner]

SF was a cali thing....

[CF56]

Wasn't there SF and CF, one having outboard on one end and the other having both ends outboard? I think Cal Club did that for a while. This is my father in the 80's in a Crossle that was classed SF.

I ran Cal Club 1988-1992 with the Crossle. Crossle and Van Diemen cars were in SF as they were the most competitive. Older cars (Lola, Titan etc.) were in CF.