Formula Banshee???

[Dan Lipperini Jr]

Anybody know anything about them? Anyone ever heard of them? They were built by the guys at RCCA/FRCCA years ago in an attempt to establish their own “spec” series. Unfortunately it never turned into what they envisioned and only a couple of cars were built. I’ve heard there were 30 cars built in total but can’t confirm that number.

Ive heard that there are a few of them running AX around the East and was just trying to find out if anybody has run into one. I’m not an AX person, but it looks like it would be inexpensive fun way to have a fairly fast ride. I picked it up with no idea what to do with it. Keep it, sell it, AX, hillclimb, cut it up to use under my 956/962 scale bodywork and build a sports racer, build a BIG motor/transaxle and go fast at an AX or hillclimb???????

[Dan Lipperini Jr]

Sorry, the photos are in reverse order. I suck with computers.

[tlracer]

Tidy little car, it must be worth prepping and giving it a run out somewhere!

I've never heard of them...the only Banshee racecar I know of was the 1996 (or thereabouts) WSC car owned by one Robert Gottfried that did very little:

http://bansheeracing.tripod.com/

[Purple Frog]

I say "Go for it!" (says someone with a 200hp mid-engine bug)

There is great advantage to starting with a complete car that has all the mechanical layout working. It is easier to modify, than to build from scratch.

You can cut off roll hoop and build cage to fit, making chassis even stiffer and easier for body install.

The transaxle may hold up to 180 hp if you don't do burnouts and slam shifts. I would start with a warmed up bug engine, get the whole project built, then add HP later.

One big challenge i faced was getting cool air to the fan, and keeping the hot air from recirculating back up into the fan. Solved it with a lot of aluminum pieces and rubber gaskets.

[TimH]

The Banshee project was less an attempt at a separate formula than it was designed as a cheap entry-level alternative to run with Club Fords and my understanding is that performance is pretty comparable in the right hands. The only one I've seen had an unfixable tendency to shed oil from the valve cover but otherwise looked like good fun. You can certainly race it as-is.

[Garey Guzman]

There was a guy on Facebook, I think, wanting to put a 200 hp (or more?) motor in one. Many were trying to discourage going overboard with it.

Would probably be best for an autocross person, assuming it can be classed reasonably.

[Mike B]

There was a guy on Facebook, I think, wanting to put a 200 hp (or more?) motor in one. Many were trying to discourage going overboard with it.

Would probably be best for an autocross person, assuming it can be classed reasonably.

Not on Facebook, right here in our own backyard:

https://www.apexspeed.com/forums/sho...Banshee-Begins

[Garey Guzman]

Not on Facebook, right here in our own backyard:

https://www.apexspeed.com/forums/sho...Banshee-Begins

As my grandma used to say, "Getting old isn't for wimps!"
What was I doing?

[TimH]

It might not do very well in CM, if only because the available gearing is more appropriate for road racing. Hill climb should work, though.

[TedV]

A CM Vee must use standard VW Type 1 sedan H-beam suspension. Car is not legal for CM. Looks like it meets the FS rules which puts it in AM. Slap the Diaso 962 body on it, make it meet P1, or P2 GCR specs and it could land in BM. Slap a dune buggy body on it with full aero allowed by BM and it is still in BM. I would love to see Speed Buggy with aero! Roll bar structures for autocross need to meet Apendix C. If you plan to hill climb it I suggest you forget Appendix C structure and build to the GCR. If you can pick a street car with mid engine, slap that body on it it could land in DM or EM. Think Lotus Europa.

I do not see what the problem is with a Solo Vee getting a properly geared transmission except money. As a VW guy, I understand being a cheap SOB. Any primary or final drive gears of any origin may be used. Any shift forks, rods, mounting parts and alterations that facilitate H-pattern shifting is allowed. Remember to keep the VW case.. Its all written in the rule book. Even the LSD. Wow man, far out.

With Nats canceled. The silly season starts early!

[Lynn]

For B Mod with a 1600 VW engine, the car must weight 1110 pounds.

The best use for the Banshee as an autocross car is to run it for fun in local events. It cannot be made competitive in AM, and it will cost many times the price you paid for the car to make it even slightly competitive in BM.

[Rich_G_SC]

Looks like a FV with an improved front suspension and 1600 engine. I used to run an FV with 1600 autox years ago but I can't guess as to which class this could be anymore.

I will say that the standard VW transaxle didn't work well at all for me in autox. Its really hard to get from 3rd back down into 2nd due to the funky linkage we run with the gearbox shift rod way out the back of the car. Someone who is better with that transaxle and linkage fab might be able to make it work better. Back in the early 2000's the trick was to put autox gears in place for 3rd and 4th gears. These gears are very easy to shift between in the H-pattern. VW transaxle work seems to be a very specific skillset though so you may need to hire that out - it isn't like a hewland.

Also, you shouldn't need the fan for autox so that will gain you some HP. I just ran with the rear cover off and never had any issues.

Have fun!

[Rondo]

It looks like John Heckman's old car...I would have to go back and look at pics. The cars were competitive with club ford but the trans sucked. When developing them (which I guess goes back 20 years, I started racing with them in 2009 and they were old then) the Mk 9 was the way to go but LD200 was now introduced and (I am told) too expensive. The motor had enough beans...just the trans was the problem. One fellow still in the club did ALOT of fab on them. PM me your info if interested and I will have him contact you. He had one for several years.

Buddy was all about saving $$ and getting more cars on the track but it's way more complicated than that

Looks like a FV with an improved front suspension and 1600 engine. I used to run an FV with 1600 autox years ago but I can't guess as to which class this could be anymore.

I will say that the standard VW transaxle didn't work well at all for me in autox. Its really hard to get from 3rd back down into 2nd due to the funky linkage we run with the gearbox shift rod way out the back of the car. Someone who is better with that transaxle and linkage fab might be able to make it work better. Back in the early 2000's the trick was to put autox gears in place for 3rd and 4th gears. These gears are very easy to shift between in the H-pattern. VW transaxle work seems to be a very specific skillset though so you may need to hire that out - it isn't like a hewland.

Also, you shouldn't need the fan for autox so that will gain you some HP. I just ran with the rear cover off and never had any issues.

Have fun!