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Because that's the only "right" answer to the question. I agree wholeheartedly. Anything else is just U-G-L-Y and ain't got no alibi it's ugly.

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

On the wall to the left of my desk is the a model of this, the wall on the right has the Lemans movie poster of this car. This car is what got me hooked, sort of like the first hit of a crack pipe. I had (still do) and Aurora AFX car with working head lights. I can't decide about the mini, the gulf colors were not exclusive to porshe so I guess maybe it is ok.

Donnie, if you get it will you sell rides?

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2002 MCS, 2003 MCS Track Rat, 2003 Generic White Yukon, 2003 BMWk1200rs, 1973 CB350F, 02 996. 08 Cayenne Turbo
http://www.clinehallagency.com

I'm working on a package price for a photo and ride-along. The deluxe package will include your own model of my car and I'll put ink on my tire and run over your foot with it. You have to bring your own special shoe.

I'll run over Wes' foot for free any time with any car, but will not include the ink.


--Donnie

That is an inticing offer Donnie, I'll bring my steel toe shoes that I have for work.

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Todd Breakey
STS 42 - 1992 Sunburst Miata
Dammit!
"You souldn't play leap frog with a porcupine. You might get hurt." - Eliza

I talked to Fran at RCR today. Roller pricing on the monococque version will be under $45k and that includes pretty much everything except engine and transmission (and whatever electronics your engine requires). That means wiring is there, oil cooler and necessary hoses, etc, all setup for a Porsche engine and gearbox. They highly recommend using a 930 gearbox since you can flip the ring gear without modification for mid-engine drive and then you can put pretty much any 911 motor you want on there (and that tranny can handle up to 700HP fine).

I'm thinking of doing a well built 3.8L that's still streetable with Motec management and an AiM dash/datalogger. He said the windshield is one of the most annoyingly expensive parts at about $1000 each. I'd probably get a spare, which should insure I never need one. Wheels look to be under $3k per set for extras, which is pretty amazing. The monococque version still retains the exact same suspension as the original did. It weighs about 130 pounds more, but a 3.8L with 930 gearbox is about 130 pounds lighter than the original engine/gearbox combo. So the balance will be a bit different to the good, and the weight difference will be negligible. The car will be stiffer than the original by a decent amount, at least in the center (obviously where it's most important).

I'm not putting an order in just yet...I think I'm going to be in the Detroit area in a few weeks anyway, so I'm going to visit when I go up and likely do one then. They're not ready to go into production on these for several more weeks anyway.


--Donnie

Can we take the bus and make a field trip?

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2002 MCS, 2003 MCS Track Rat, 2003 Generic White Yukon, 2003 BMWk1200rs, 1973 CB350F, 02 996. 08 Cayenne Turbo
http://www.clinehallagency.com

The field trip is part of the ultra-deluxe ride-along package. Pricing still TBD.


--Donnie

I always get shortchanged.

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

Sorry to hear that

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

Donnie,

I am curous as to why they offer a monocoque version as well as the original tube frame? Is it cost, safety, something else? IIRC Excellence magazine had an article awhile back about someone who built a 908 (I think) clone and one issue they had to address was if the car would be an "exact" clone or if they would make improvements for safety or reliability purposes. For example, I think the 908 frame had a few places that it was known to crack. And it was also a thinner (less safe) material than is commonly used today. I think they built it with thicker tubing and with some reinforcements in the weak areas.

Interestingly when Porsche when to the 956 and 962 they used a monocoque (vs. tube frame) with an aluminum hoop for the roll structure. I think later models were built with steel hoops to satisfy IMSA specific safety regulations.

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Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

Richard,

In one of the threads on GT40s.com, Fran, the owner of RCR, said that there was a need for a larger cockpit version to fit todays drivers and also to make the car a little safer for the people who are actually going to drive it on the street. They are currently making both the tube frame and the monocoque versions. It also sounds like the mono version will be cheaper since they aren't having to weld up all that tubing.

He does state that everything about the car except for the center section is faithful to the original. Including the suspension and front and rear sections. And the monocoque even uses the same body as the tube, so it will look exactly the same.

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Todd Breakey
STS 42 - 1992 Sunburst Miata
Dammit!
"You souldn't play leap frog with a porcupine. You might get hurt." - Eliza

Todd's got it nailed. It seems that the one that was on eBay was the car that sold for $180k at Barrett Jackson a year or two ago. The guy who bought it sold it a week later to Don Mershon (the guy who had it on eBay) because he was too large to fit in it. Didn't know till he got it home. I guess he bid remotely or they don't let you sit in a car at BJ.

There is never going to be an exact replica anyway. The type of tubing they used then would be stupid to use now since identical looking tubing can be had that's easier to weld and much stronger in the same weight. There's also the matter that these were all hand built over a number of years with improvements in every successive one so none of the originals are even the same. So what to clone to? Screw that, make it "the same" but improve it here and there.

But the main issue is making the jump from a few improvements here and there to the monococque. Todd got the main reasons...cabin size and road worthiness. You won't be able to tell it's not the tube frame very easily when the body is on the car. And if it means I can actually fit, well, great. Also, the big key is that those tube chassis apparently take a LONG time to make up. The tube frame car is over $100k as a roller. The monococque will be $45k or less. I suppose once you know how to design and build those monococque sections efficiently, they are just much easier to do. I would guess most of it is done on a CNC plasma cutter from sheet aluminum and then bent and assembled and you hit the seems with a weld and you're done. They probably pretty much self align as you assemble. Tubes don't do that.

When you consider you'd never get an original flat 12 for a clone anyway (unless you were nuts), you won't be close to original anyway. So why not make the best car you can make that looks as true as you can reasonably get and then go have fun *driving* the thing. That's what it is all about, and why I may try to even get air conditioning hidden in mine. I'm that much more likely to drive it if it has AC. *shrug*


--Donnie

does anybody know how much the Superformance GT40's are? I have kind of thought of that as my 50th bday present to myself-will be a while but I am already looking

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2002 MCS, 2003 MCS Track Rat, 2003 Generic White Yukon, 2003 BMWk1200rs, 1973 CB350F, 02 996. 08 Cayenne Turbo
http://www.clinehallagency.com

Ohhh dear, my rates are going up!

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

It's as inevitable as death and taxes...


--Donnie