Donovan N.

Hi, been a while since I have posted in here, but the other week I got a job at a composites company which builds bodies for Grand Am and World Challenge series corvettes, and yesterday I got to work early and decided to take a poke around the property and noticed some old fiberglass molds labeled "March 82-3G", So myself being a fan of IMSA GTP instantly recognised what they were. So this morning when the owner was in I asked him about the molds, He proceded to tell me he had built bodies for old LOLA T332 Can Am cars, March built BMW M1's, the "Red Lobster" March GTP, and then he laid this piece of info on me, "Oh, I also have a full set of molds for a Porsche 962 in the back". Literally as soon as he said that I thought " A porsche 962 with a Turbo 13B would be a sweet track day car". So i'm going to get some more time under my belt working there before I ask about making a 962 replica, But I might ask him if he has any FB IMSA body molds in storage. Who knows, If I get lucky he could have a set of molds for a 792P back there somewhere. LOL

The attachments are the LOLA Can Am bodies that he bult, and a Porsche 962

Richard.C

Wow, a great place to work for any car nut, congrats.

I think a 962 would be begging for more than 2 rotors though!!!!!!!!!!!

Richard

Natey

iTrader: (19)

Those Can Am cars were soo cool. We took a tour of Bruce Canepa's facility a couple months ago and drooled all over his 917. He explained to us that these cars are pretty much what ended Can Am because they were so lightweight that any crash was a bad one. The frame in the front end is made from the stuff aluminum lawn furniture is made from, and the drivers feet WERE the bumper.
Drivers were basically disposable, but those were THE most powerful road race cars ever made. 1600lb car with 1150HP. 0-200 in 10.9 sec.
Bruce's 917:


worth watching:
The L&M Porsche Can-Am Champion - Offered at Mecum's Monterey 2012 Auction - YouTube

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

that's cool, a 962 WOULD make a neat trackday car. i've seen the two camel lights cars run and they always look like huge fun. i've actually seen that 962 run also, its nice to be close to laguna

23Racer

Wow, he has the old Prophet molds..... I was at a buddies shop in Vancouver and saw all these old molds in storage. I asked him what they were and he said that they were the body molds for the old VDS Lola Can Am cars. So you never know what you will find when you aren't looking.

Regarding a replica 962, if you were to go to all the trouble of fabbing a frame and making the body again, you would be nuts to put a rotary in it. At the very least stick a twin turbo street style Porsche Flat 6 in the car. Similar horsepower, similar sound, similar layout (easy button on engine transmission) and the final car would have some value to Porsche groupies.

Eric

Donovan N.

I don't know if it is the prophet specifically, but he did tell me he was contracted to build the bodies that were designed by Bob Riley of Riley Tech.

As far as sticking a rotary into a 962, you do have a point, I may need to just use the windshield frame and chassis from a 962 and builld a replica 787 or 792 body around the windshield to justify a rotary, being that a 962 windshield is relatively easy to find. but it's all just dreams for right now.

gkmccready

Grand-Am / World Challenge Corvettes? ACP? Kerry rocks.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

you do have a good point, but mating the rotary up to the 962 style trans is actually easy, you need the 13G rear iron, which is available and not super expensive. its got the bolt pattern for the transaxle

Donovan N.

I may have found a source for the blueprints of a 962 chassis, so if it comes through, I am thinking a monocoque would make a good summer project for me and a few friends.

ptrhahn

iTrader: (9)

That little open cockpit March Can-Am car would be an AWESOME track day car, with a rotary.

zak rabbit

Do keep in mind, the 962 uses the engine as a load-bearing member for the rear suspension, which a rotary engine will not tolerate.
As far as the 917's killing the original Can-Am, it had something to do with them being able to run away and hide from anything else on the track as well as being fragile: an aluminum or magnesium tube-frame chassis will do that...
Congratulations on the new job, and keep us posted on the project!!

RacerJason

iTrader: (5)

MotorHEAD

Max Muller

Donovan N, do you still work there?

bestdriver

thanks,I did not now it before,it was really interesting

bestdriver

Wow, that sounds like a really cool and interesting project. I remember how glad I was when I got a new job, but honestly, over time, the same situation makes you nervous and it’s not so interesting to work ) My first work was remembered by me because I had been seeking this position for a very long time. I wrote a resume with my whole family Yes, that sounds funny and stupid, but it's true. Then, unfortunately, I did not know about the fact that there are cool and fresh samples on https://themoneymix.com/how-to-write-resume/ and I had to do everything myself, but in the end I got the job. I'm so happy!!!