Goliath vs. Davids ... Goodwood Speedweek 2020

[capngrog]

This vintage car race at this year's Goodwood Speedweek had an interesting competitor: a huge American "boat" competing against a host of more agile Euro-hotrods.

 

The link to the video:

 

https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/watch-a-ford-galaxie-go-from-zero-to-hero-at-goodwood-speedweek/?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20_October_20_Newsletter_NewDD

 

I found the video on today's Hagerty website.

 

Enjoy the video of classic American iron holding its own on an English road course.

 

Cheers,

Grog

 

[Matt Harwood]

That's awesome. Those little cars are just no match for that much horsepower. When he's got the space, the giant Galaxie just hammers past them effortlessly. At some points in the video it looks like the Galaxie is going to swallow one of the little guys whole!

[Laughing Coyote]

That would be a whole bunch of fun right there. 

[Ed Luddy]

As a teenager (15) I spent a lot of time in the passenger seat of a 63 Galaxie 390 4 speed that my 16 yr best friend's parent's  allowed him to buy. He worked hard and earned his money. That car was a mean beast for us kids. Had Thrush mufflers, big Holley carb and a few other goodies. We had it out on the (TransCanada) wound out as far as it could go. Watching that video sure put a smile on my face!

[Guest]

Pretty exciting stuff there Grog!

If that race was only 5 laps longer..... 

[1937hd45]

WOW! Thanks for sharing that! Goodwood is a "Bucket List" event for sure, but I know I'll never get to see it live, sure glad there are video's. Bob 

[8E45E]

The original Jack Sear's '63 Galaxie still survives:  https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2017/07/11/jaguar-beating-british-saloon-car-championship-winning-1963-galaxie-500-offered-out-of-collection-of-jack-sears

 

Craig

[Dave Gray]

That was so much fun watching that video. Some awesome driving from most of the drivers.

[Walt G]

I agree, that was so much fun to see - An American dinosaur still doing its best.

[Pfeil]

No substitute for cubic inches.

[padgett]

Looks like the Holly Farms Chicken mobile that rudely awakened me while sleeping at a turn at Sebring. Ford built some interesting Galaxies in '63, the 427 debuted, Holley had some interesting carbs, and " R-code-powered Galaxie was about 420 pounds lighter than a comparable production model". Also wasn't the later (66) LeMans 427 a single 4bbl ?

[1937hd45]

Was that a "documented, certified, restored Stock Car with history", or some road race car built around an old Ford shell? Bob 

[padgett]

When it comes to race and show cars, particularly old ones,  anything is possible.

[Pfeil]

3 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

Was that a "documented, certified, restored Stock Car with history", or some road race car built around an old Ford shell? Bob 

From the article with the video.  

The 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 was deemed too heavy for drag racing, so Ford produced a limited run of Galaxie 500 Sport Special Tudor Fastbacks in Corinthian White only. By that time, the English side of Ford came out with the Cortina packing the Lotus Twin-Cam engine, and so it was rather surprising to see Jack Sears winning the 1963 British Saloon Car Championship using a Galaxie 500 instead, prepared by Holman and Moody. Graham Hill and Sir Jack Brabham also had a go in those massive Fords, which usually crashed after losing their brakes, only for the whole system to get upgraded to the GT40's 12-inch discs by the end of the season. Eventually, the Lotus Cortinas became too fast for the Galaxie 500s, which remained rather hopeless through the corners.

 

More than 55 years later, it's not surprising that we see plenty of Galaxie 500s and other American muscle cars fight back against the Cortinas, Mini Coopers, Jaguars, and whatever else the Europeans considers to be touring cars in the 1960s. Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox—the 11th Duke of Richmond who we once knew as Lord March before his now 25-year-old son inherited that title—is the founder of both the Goodwood Revival and Festival of Speed. He is also a huge fan of hot rods and the owner of several American classics.

 

The 2020 Goodwood Speedweek has been an invite-only "behind closed doors" pandemic event combining the best of both the canceled Festival of Speed and Revival. Everybody's favorites, the highly-competitive St. Mary’s Trophy races saw BTCC drivers, as well as celebrities and vintage racing champs battle it out, with Detroit being represented by a trio of 1963 Galaxie 500s, Duncan Pittaway's 1965 Plymouth Barracuda, a '63 Studebaker Lark Daytona 500 and a Dodge Dart from 1964.

Driving the No. 99 Galaxie, 2016 BTCC Championship runner up Sam Tordoff was forced to retire from the first race after his 7.4-liter V8 went up in smoke. This meant staring the second race from dead last, only having 20 minutes to catch up to the fastest of "saloon cars of a type that raced between 1960 and 1966." 

Tordoff decided to demonstrate that while the V8 makes these massive Fords faster in the straights, his touring car magic can also maintain that pace through the corners, sometimes by slightly cutting them through the grass. His has easily been the drive of the weekend, and a glorious showing for Fords everywhere:

[1937hd45]

^^^^^^^^^ Thank you so much for the history lesson, I had no idea the American iron of the 1960's was even looked at never mind raced in the UK. Never knew Lord March was that young, guess Vintage Racing in the UK is in good hands for some time to come. Bob 

 

[1912Staver]

The big Fords were quite competitive in the original  Saloon Car series.  Not a sweep , but they held their own against the 3.8 Liter Jags and 1600 Lotus Cortina's. They also had at least double the H.P. of the Jags and 3 - 4 times the H.P. of the Cortina's so the ability to pull away

on a straight shouldn't be too surprising. Mustangs and Falcons were also raced. 

 

Greg

[1912Staver]

And the odd Jag and Lotus product was raced here in North America as well. Best combo was usually an American engine in a British chassis. Mclaren, Lola, Mirage, TVR, and so many others. Formula 5000 is a personal favorite. SBC's in mostly British cars.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4_tT7mODZQ

 

 

Greg

 

[Pfeil]

I had three 1991 ( two for the kids ) Lotus-Isuzu-Impulse hatchback coupes- 1.8 DOHC variable valve timing, 5 speed. With lotus suspension it was glued to the road and the G.M.-Isuzu engine with it's 7,200 RPM redline just pulled and pulled. It's the only car I've seen / owned/ driven that would pull redline in overdrive 5th gear at 7200 rpm=137 mph. It was a rocket. Sold it because Isuzu was getting out of the U.S. and service parts were getting hard to find. Took a month to get a ECM and six weeks to get CV boots ( OE of course). super fun on the track. I miss it.

 

Almost identical to GEO storm, except facias, brakes, suspension , wheels, interior-including dash, and powertrain. 

Edited October 21, 2020 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[padgett]

Helps to have been there. I remember Jimmy Clark hanging on Freddy Lorenzen's tail in the sedan race at Sebring. Also any relationship between a Ford Cortina and the Lotus Cortina was purely coincidental. A DOHC engine was the start and recall something about the Lotus being double the price of a plain Cortina.

ps the "R" code 63 1/2 Galaxie was about 400 lbs lighter than a normal one. No armrests. Plus the 427.

 

btw am not really a Ford person, have never owned one or a pick up truck, but vass you dere Sharlie ?

[8E45E]

42 minutes ago, Pfeil said:

I had three 1991 ( two for the kids ) Lotus-Isuzu-Impulse hatchback coupes- 1.8 DOHC variable valve timing, 5 speed. With lotus suspension it was glued to the road and the G.M.-Isuzu engine with it's 7,200 RPM redline just pulled and pulled. It's the only car I've seen / owned/ driven that would pull redline in overdrive 5th gear at 7200 rpm=137 mph. It was a rocket. Sold it because Isuzu was getting out of the U.S. and service parts were getting hard to find. Took a month to get a ECM and six weeks to get CV boots ( OE of course). super fun on the track. I miss it.

 

 

GM owned Lotus at the time. 

 

As I recall, GM got all kinds of criticism for making the Elan into a front wheel drive car in 1991.

 

Craig

[1912Staver]

I have owned one Lotus Cortina and a few regular GT's and base model MK 1's. There are lots of small differences plus the head/ carbs but not as much 

as you might think.  The early U.K. market cars had more alloy parts plus a different rear suspension but when those changes were dropped for cost reasons 

the cars performance really did not change. Most modern version , vintage racers use the leaf spring rear end without any serious performance handicap.

The GT Cortina's  in vintage racing these days are as fast or faster than most of the Lotus Cortina's. So the twin cam does not provide a large advantage

unless you put it in a very light chassis like a Formula B or Sports Racer like a Lotus 23.

 I wasn't there in the 1960's but I have been hanging out at the track since the mid 1970's. Seen lots of Fast Fords over the years. Even driven a few.

 

Greg

[padgett]

Remember pushing a Cortina really hard back in the day and biggest problem was the lack of a limited slip in the one we had, crank hard into a corner and would just raise one hind leg and spin.

[intimeold]

That was awesome.  The driver of the Ford wasn't afraid to let it hang out.

[1912Staver]

2 hours ago, padgett said:

Remember pushing a Cortina really hard back in the day and biggest problem was the lack of a limited slip in the one we had, crank hard into a corner and would just raise one hind leg and spin.

 

Pretty common problem with just about any live axle car. I always found early Mustangs to be at least as bad. Plus the wheel hop on hard acceleration.

 

Greg

[padgett]

Why I had posi in most of mine however a big rear sway bar would help. Never welded spiders though.

[Pfeil]

4 hours ago, 8E45E said:

GM owned Lotus at the time. 

 

As I recall, GM got all kinds of criticism for making the Elan into a front wheel drive car in 1991.

 

Craig

Hey Craig, G.M. also was a part owner of Isuzu at that time.

Edited October 22, 2020 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[Pfeil]

40 minutes ago, 1912Staver said:

 

Pretty common problem with just about any live axle car. I always found early Mustangs to be at least as bad. Plus the wheel hop on hard acceleration.

 

Greg

A four link is better suited to the task for a solid rear axle car.

[8E45E]

6 minutes ago, Pfeil said:

G.M. also was a part owner of Isuzu at that time.

GM owned 1/3 of Isuzu from 1971.  GM didn't acquire Lotus until 1986.  Besides Isuzus with Lotus-tuned chassis, there was the Vauxhall Carlton in England.

 

Craig