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Howdy folks,
It’s time to start building the new and improved Pink Panther II! We are taking all of the parts off of the Pink Panther and putting them on a shell I had sitting around. Spent the day today getting rid of the interior and assorted door hardware to get ready to install the cage next week. Here are some pictures of the build:
One big pile of interior bits:
Denny, Jim doesn’t care about rules, he makes them as he goes.
Seriously. the car can run in spec e30 “fun” and not get points, or they’ll run it in GTS, or both. Not to mention the cool factor of taking guest out for hot laps.
RP
Is the engine from the old Pink Panther going into the convertible? If so, there may be a loophole in the rules that states that the convertible…isn’t.
9.3.2.2. The car shall meet the weight minimum of the chassis, model and year for which the engine was originally available in the chassis of a US model, and additional OE 325i parts may be installed. (i.e. it will assume the characteristics of the car from which the engine was donated).
[quote=“Ranger” post=70320]Is the engine from the old Pink Panther going into the convertible? If so, there may be a loophole in the rules that states that the convertible…isn’t.
9.3.2.2. The car shall meet the weight minimum of the chassis, model and year for which the engine was originally available in the chassis of a US model, and additional OE 325i parts may be installed. (i.e. it will assume the characteristics of the car from which the engine was donated).[/quote]
Actually 80% of this car will be from the Pink Panther - the only “new part” is the shell. Here is a logbook that was started in 2007 for 80% of the car…
Couldn’t we have a SE-only rule that simply allows verts at SE events…?
Or is there no way to have a regional variance from the national ruleset…?
If there are concerns of an unfair advantage we could make vert minimum weight be +25lbs. or whatever.
Full disclosure of bias: I acquired a straight rust free bronzit vert (not running yet) at a tow auction last November.
I will be running an iC this year, dont care about points, Toyo bucks as I will be running on old RA1’s…unless someone gives me some RR’s…I think in the SE the more the merrier, unliss you are constantly screwing up…
Al
Regardless of Jim’s clout, the rules are pretty clear about convertibles. Entry, and track time will be completely different if you are in a convertible. Unless GTS happens to be on track at the same time as SpecE30. Grid position etc. would also be very different.
I have to disagree. (Not just because I disagree with most of what you say by default. 
)
My first thought was that it was a little arrogant to build a vert just because you run the show, but I’ve changed my mind.
The rule Scott posted and the fact that it sort of already had a logbook as a spec car, if you consider it the same car with just a shell change, open up some pretty big loopholes for getting it in. Congrats on the creative interpretation of the rules. I’m all for this one.
Come on guys, Jim has always said he will run the car where ever…GTS1 PT etc…I feel the same way, if the group does not want my car in Spec e30 or Spec e30 FUN I will just run GTS1…I have run my white car in both spec e30 and GTS1, it was DQ’d from Spec as it was under weight by just a little…I always intended for my vert chassis to be a spec e30, The diesel engine just lasted longer than I figured…
Al
SpecE30 used to have two classes SU and SO - maybe add a iC class E30-iC!
We could make them 2600 lbs so that all other E30’s will simply stare at our taillights! :silly:
[quote=“wildhorsesracing” post=70441]SpecE30 used to have two classes SU and SO - maybe add a iC class E30-iC!
We could make them 2600 lbs so that all other E30’s will simply stare at our taillights! :silly:[/quote]
Pay no attention to Pantas, he’s a troublemaker and just trying to test his new regional dude, Fred.
RP
[quote=“Patton” post=70444][quote=“wildhorsesracing” post=70441]SpecE30 used to have two classes SU and SO - maybe add a iC class E30-iC!
We could make them 2600 lbs so that all other E30’s will simply stare at our taillights! :silly:[/quote]
Pay no attention to Pantas, he’s a troublemaker and just trying to test his new regional dude, Fred.
RP[/quote]
Doh! :pinch:
[quote=“Patton” post=70444]Pay no attention to Pantas, he’s a troublemaker and just trying to test his new regional dude, Fred.
RP[/quote]
Just poking the bear…
That’s not a fair comment. Jim has zero history of exploiting anything for personal advantage. He’s probably just doing it to amuse himself. Hell, half the crap I come up with for my car is just to amuse myself. One of these days I’m going to show up with a turbo and not tell anyone. Only after I crush everyone with straight-away talent later that day will I open my hood.
If we can’t laugh about this stuff we’re wired too tight.
I completely agree. That’s why it was just my first initial thought and I no longer feel that way once I thought about it a little. Hence the “but I’ve changed my mind” part.
Please disregard my previous post.
I should say that if anyone else builds a new convertible and seriously expects to compete with it I would be against that. On the other hand, if someone is either a) doing it completely for fun or b) rebuilding a current car using the two existing loopholes I’m totally for it.
[quote=“Ranger” post=70471]
He’s probably just doing it to amuse himself. Hell, half the crap I come up with for my car is just to amuse myself. One of these days I’m going to show up with a turbo and not tell anyone. Only after I crush everyone with straight-away talent later that day will I open my hood.
If we can’t laugh about this stuff we’re wired too tight.[/quote]
I would think that the turbo whine and mega sized exhaust would give it away before you ever got out of the paddock. A S50/52 on the other hand would work. But then are you sure that even if you had that kind of power it would be enough to get you to the front?
Guys,
I was thinking more along the lines of “Field of Dreams” - if we build them they will come! If convertibles are plentiful and sedans are getting scarce then why not start exploiting convertibles?
If we get enough 'verts in the SE we can probably start building a E30-Vert class and who knows what will happen? Right now we regularly have 4-5 Vintage cars…
I will always make decisions based on what the majority of the drivers want, but I am also always looking for new ideas to keep NASA fun and grow new racing series’…
So my advice is - Build a 'Vert and join the Party - who knows what might happen… B)