85 Van Dieman for sale

[watsoneffort]

Good regional car

Chassis is straight, car squares out perfect
Has new Brake and clutch master cylinders
New fire bottle system
Radiators were replaced two years ago

Not sure how much time is on engine but runs good

Car is very reliable

Paint is ok but not perfect

Car will need new seat belts to run 2010

One race week end on set of goodyears

Have a set of rains, and bent spare wheels

Have other misc. spares

Has been a great car hate to see it go but I have one too many racecars

Price: $6500.00

Car is located in Palm City Florida

If you have any questions please post or call me at 772-370-4835.

Scott Watson

[dfrazer]

Hi Scott,

Out of curiousity, why is it for sale?

I am 6'4" and weigh 211lbs.

Will the car and roll bar accomodate a driver this size?

[Nardi]

Dave at your size you might fit with careful pedal adjusting, seat removal/mods etc. Whatever you do, test fit yourself in any car before you purchase. Don't just go on what someone else tells you. BTW, thats a nice price on a FF!

[dfrazer]

Nardi...

Do you what type of racing the 85 VDiemen is eligable for?

I am new to FFord and want to make sure whatever I buy I understand how it can be used.

[Nardi]

The 85 Van Diemen is an FF not a CF. If you look at the pics you will see the 'open' areas between the upper and lower suspension members both front and rear. This is considered inboard suspension.

[watsoneffort]

I'm 5'-11" and I fit perfect, 6'-4" would be very tight, you could adjust petals but like what was mentioned above I think you need to actually sit in the car first.

The reason I am selling the car is I have more than one race car need the space in garage for other toys.

As mentioned above the car is classifided as a Formula Ford not a Club Ford

[1 LOUFO]

I also am 5'11"-----but more importantly, how much do you weigh and how big a driver will the cockpit accomodate? Thanks

[dfrazer]

I understand that Club Ford is pre-1981 and am not sold that I have to race in Club Ford.

I am considering FF as well.

I am 6'4" and weigh 211lbs. I agree with sitting in a car before purchase but I am truing to eliminate driving all around the country for a "test fit" as much as possible.

Any one have any advice?

[watsoneffort]

I am 5'-11" and 200lbs their is still room for someone my height and probable 220 lbs.

I also went out and looked at the petal assembly. it appears that the chassis has been designed to allow the petals to be moved forward about an 1 1/2", so it possible to fit a taller driver but how tall I can only guess. Hopefully someone with a similar car and height can answer the question

[Josh Pitt]

I agree with sitting in a car before purchase but I am truing to eliminate driving all around the country for a "test fit" as much as possible.

Any one have any advice?

my advice is to go to some races where there are CF running, and FF cars there, and go up and ask if you can sit in the cars.
thats what i did.

[Chris Forrer]

You have a PM

[dfrazer]

Chris

Can you resend it? For some reason I did not get it.

Thanks,

Dave

[Chris Forrer]

Sorry Dave. A bit of miscommunication.


Scott, you have a PM

[Dick R.]

In addition to FF road racing, 85 Van Diemens make EXCELLENT National level autocross cars. I've had mine since 1991 and ran it seriously for 10 years until having to back off due to job "issues". I just ran it today on a new set of 25B Hoosiers. According to MaxQData I saw cornering G's of almost 1.8 G. Not bad for a parking lot.

Dick
CM 85

[gerry elliott]

still for sale?

[watsoneffort]

Car still for sale, great car for the money!

[GChambers]

Nice.

Trade for an STS Miata?

[watsoneffort]

Sorry no Trades. thanks for asking

[provamo]

someone is going to get a pretty good deal with this i think!

[S L R]

Nice.

Trade for an STS Miata?

I wouldl i have a 94 formula continental rf94 van diemen what do you have pm me.

[provamo]

please post photo and asking price of FC RF 94 VD

[gerry elliott]

sorry, out of town for a while. still for sale??

[watsoneffort]

Car is still for sale!!!!

[Larry]

At the risk of being repetitious, there is NO single CF rule! CF is whatever the region decides it is--if it chooses to decide! DC region lets almost anything up to 1990 run in CF as long as they run the hard tires (of which there are several to choose). Some regions base CF on production year, others on suspension. The only certainty is that CF is a subset of FF...and sometimes I wonder about that.

It is quite likely that if you take your CF out of region, that you may not be in compliance with some other regions' CF rules. Not a problem, though, as you could still run FF.

Larry Oliver
International Racing Products

[fourniem]

I am interested... sent you a PM ..

Thx,

Michel

[watsoneffort]

Car still for sale!!

[tlong]

how are shocks,who did the motor?

[watsoneffort]

Please refer to old add for info on motor and shocks @ this link, http://www.apexspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19182

I have raced car four race weekends sence I bought it from previous owner who posted ad above.

Thanks Scott

[provamo]

the suspense is killing me! somebody buy this car!

[dfrazer]

It's just a shame.

This car and many others appear to fall into "no mans land" with FF.

Too new for club racing, too old to be competitive or to be re fit with a Honda if someone wanted too.

I have looked at close to a dozen mid and late 80's cars in the past several months and all are fine examples but it is hard to pull the trigger with the uncertainty of how it coud be used.

Some way a home for this stuff needs to found as the prices are being driven down and worse than that, perfectly good cars are sitting when they could be in the hands of people to help grow the sport.

[Rondo]

We have several mid 80's VD in FRCCA and they ae very competitive cars, still winning races and competing for the championship. Just need hard tires and reasonably short straights to compete with newer cars.

[dfrazer]

Maybe I am just unaware but does the FRCCA hold races in the Midwest?

[ric baribeault]

no

[provamo]

It's just a shame.

This car and many others appear to fall into "no mans land" with FF.

Too new for club racing, too old to be competitive or to be re fit with a Honda if someone wanted too.

I have looked at close to a dozen mid and late 80's cars in the past several months and all are fine examples but it is hard to pull the trigger with the uncertainty of how it coud be used.

Some way a home for this stuff needs to found as the prices are being driven down and worse than that, perfectly good cars are sitting when they could be in the hands of people to help grow the sport.

in the beginning Formula Ford cars underwent big developmental changes in a relatively sort period of time....we went from Cortina to Uprated, from treaded to slicks, from outboard to inboard suspension and brakes, from front to rear rads almost overnight YET we all kept racing....the playing field was NOT LEVEL but we had grids across this country where forty to seventy entries were not uncommon

maybe it is the players expectations and attitudes that need to change? there will never be parity in this sport...........i dunno.......maybe touring car weight penalties could be considered?

does one HAVE to be going for the win in order to have FUN? nobody i know gets paid to do this

[dfrazer]

I agree, but I think everyone wants to feel like they have a fighting chance at a reasonable cost.

[Brian]

These cars are great for people who want to be on track in a fun car for a minimum of money, it's hard to beat the value of the mid 80's formula ford. If you want to have fun, drive the car, have great battles with the three or four guys around your speed, great. If you want to have outright wins, stop wasting your time and spend four or five times the amount on a current car. Or buy a Crossle 35 and go beat up people in vintage club ford.

On the other hand, David Clubine had an outright win last time out at Mosport in the OFFC, which is about the most competitive Formula Ford series in North America, driving a 1991 VD. Of course, he is one of the best drivers of these cars in North America, even if he only comes out to play every couple of years or so, and it was raining cats and dogs...


Brian

[GChambers]

the suspense is killing me! somebody buy this car!

If I'm not mistaken, I think there is a sale pending on this car.

[Larry]

At a regional, almost any car is competitive! Calling the 85 non-competitive just isn't right! While narrow cars may have an advantage at some tracks, there are courses that favor short wheel base cars, so almost any reasonable car will do well (as long as the driver can drive). As an example, I pulled the lap records for various cars at Summit Poinnt:

1:16.542Club Ford9/26/99Jeff DuncanZink Z-10C
1:07.634DSR5/18/08Jean-Luc LiveratoStohr WF1
1:20.420EP5/17/09Chris Fox*Caterham 7
1:17.104F5005/17/09Mike BrentInvader QC1
1:06.913FA5/17/09John Thompson*Swift .014
1:11.513FB10/11/09Stephen OsethFirman Rfr-009
1:10.982FC5/17/09Chas Shaffer*Van Diemen RF00
1:12.258FE5/17/09Steven ZamborskyVan DiemenFSCCA
1:15.524FF5/17/09Jeremy TreadwaySwift D8-6
1:13.397FM5/30/09Mike AmyFormula Mazda

So we have Treadway's FF at 1:15:5 and Jeff Duncan's Z-10 CF at 1: 16: 542. If the theory holds that this poor, old 85 Diemen ought to fit between CF and FF, then the car would be maybe 1/2 second off the lap record.

BUY THE CAR! Drive the hell out of it. When you're consistently within 1 second of the winner, then consider either new shocks, new tires or a new car. It's more driver than car!

Larry Oliver
International Racing Products

[provamo]

ditto Larry's comment

[normv]

If it's still for sale do you have the ownership history on the car aor any other history, If the history is avaliable i may be interested