Running Gutted And Stripped Cars

AndersGreen · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2004 9:22 am

Adam Ligon wrote:

I mean it sounds like you are using rally rules to justify the changes

In the post above, you can see that the entire post is related to answering the questions posed by Mike, and none of it is my opinion on the proposed rules.

For the record, my opinion on the proposed rules is this:
1) exterior bodypanels: I think they should be on. Even in a smash up derby, you at least start with all your panels.

2) Gutted interiors: Stuff that can cut you is bad. I think the easiest (but not only) way to protect yourself is to retain the stock doorpanels. Stuff behind the seat obviously doesn't matter.

Anders

AndersGreen · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2004 9:44 am

MikeWhitney wrote:

Oh, and Anders - regarding safety. Just so we can put things in perspective here. I roadraced a Civic in NASA. It had a gutted interior, no door panels, and stock position seats. There were no more or fewer sharp edges inside that car than the Corolla.

Yup, I know that you've road raced and have extensive track experience. Much much more than I. However, I'm guessing that you weren't roadracing that gutted Civic in a short sleeve shirt. Your suit would offer signicant protection against door metal cuts.

I'm pretty sure you could take the same car to Solo I events, and I don't think (?) a suit is required for that. But as you said, that's a personal threshold issue and I agree with you on how that goes.

Quote:

Whoa, hang on. You're confusing the issues. I am not talking about safety with my question.

Carl says that people see the stripped beaters at an "unfair advantage". I was asking what makes one gutted car different from another in this respect.

Yes, that may be other people are saying. Myself, I don't think that there's anything "unfair" about the advantage: it's within the rules. My concerns about the differences between a stripped stock car or rally car, and a fully stock car, are not about performance.

Quote:

Plus, most of "us" are coming from an autocross and track environment where removal of a door panel is perfectly normal and accepted.

I have seen a few fully gutted doors in rally. But all of them had protective measures for all the edges on the doors. The weight of the protection was negligble.

Cheers,
Anders

Mike Winn · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 12:30 am **Posts:** 110

Anders,

A suit is required for Solo I, but not Solo Trials.

Carl Fisher · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2004 6:27 pm

OK, this is the "appearance" topic, the other one is the "safety" topic. Rules are not being proposed on this thread.

Mike Whitney wrote:

Carl says that people see the stripped beaters at and "unfair advantage". I was asking what makes on gutted car different from another in this respect.

So the difference in "lightening" is a pair of door cards. What, 1 lb each?

We will have to get that answer from someone who feels that way, but even when you "debunk" an idea, some level of distrust usually remains. And when there's no benefit, why pee in the punch bowl? I just think it makes an otherwise normal car look like crap.

I will allow that I think removing exterior panels makes a lot bigger impact in terms of appearance than interior panels do (guess that's pretty obvious... :roll:

). If we were talking about implementing some kind of rule regarding vehicle appearance (which I wasn't, but everyone else was), I would be much more inclined to have it cover exterior sheet metal than interiors. On that much, at least, most everyone seems to agree.

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