What Happens to the Old Chassis?

[FormerFF]

As of Sunday afternoon, the old chassis are obsolete. What happens to them? I'd assume there are some collectors who would want some of the more valuable ones, say Indy 500 winners, but what about the run of the mill never-really-won-anything cars? I also assume that Honda wants all their engines back, so if someone wanted to run the car they'd have to come up with a powerplant. I'm not real familiar with historic racing, but I don't recall seeing a historic Indycar class anywhere.

[call_me_andrew]

They can always get painted up as show cars or dumped into the Gulf of Mexico to create an artificial reef.

[anthonyvop]

It is up to Honda.

If they are willing to provide engines(De-tuned at a reduce cost) then they can be run in some historic series and events. If not then some become show cars and the rest gather dust.

[anthonyvop]

I'm sure SCCA will find a place for anyone who wants to run one. There were actually two of the old (CART) Indy Lights cars, still in the original livery, running SCCA regionals on the east coast a year or two ago. Those tubs should be mighty cheap if any one wants one. Just find a motor, any motor, and plug it in.


Nope. While you could possibly adapt the Dallara Chassis to accept another motor it would probably cost more than what a used tub will be going for starting next week.

[chuck34]

Wasn't there a guy on here a while back that had an old ChampCar he put a motorcycle engine into? Maybe he could start a business doing that to IndyCar chassis, and start a league or something. :D

[jwhite9185]

Yeah i remember that - Wasn't it an ex Patrick Racing Swift?

[bennybigb]

It sure was!

He posted links of testing/practice videos on the Champ Car forum. It turned out to be a real nice car!

[nigelred5]

What happened to all the Toyotas, Chevys and Chevworths that were run in these chassis' before 05?

[codalunga]

Once the lease era hit, many companies haven't allowed any of their engines in private hands, although there are exceptions. Cosworth is the most generous, having selected generations of lease era engines that they sell and provide some support. For Toyota and Honda you will likely only see in team owner collections. For example, Toyota agreed to provide support to Dan Gurney to keep the Toyota powered AAR Eagles running. I suspect Ganassi and Penske have some intact cars in their collections too. Chuck Haines, who has wheeled and dealed in old racecars for years, ended up with an Indy Alfa and a new, in-crate Indy Ilmor. But that is rare. Usually a manufacturer collects all their engines and store or scrap them when their time is done. Before the universal engine mounting spec late in the CART era, The non-Cosworth powered cars had no realistic alternative, as each of the versions for the different powerplants had unique mounting and extensive list of different parts.

[nigelred5]

Hopefully, nothing will come of them.

[call_me_andrew]

I found a place for them.

http://plancksconstant.org/blog1/iamges/sub4/raiders-lost-ark-warehousesm.jpg

[nigelred5]

Final scene, Raiders of the Lost Ark. ;)

[Civic]

I'm sure a few of them will end up in BOSS, probably with some kind of Cosworth engine. I think the first Panoz DP01 is in BOSS too.

[booger]

Years ago, old Indycars became part of a ragtag series (AIS) that ran in obscure places like Oklahoma City, and other venues that were never near a track that ran an actual IC race. It actually gained some traction with fans for awhile. And, weren't the old(?) new(?) Panoz Champ Cars dispatched to a series that ran in Europe?

[anthonyvop]

Years ago, old Indycars became part of a ragtag series (AIS) that ran in obscure places like Oklahoma City, and other venues that were never near a track that ran an actual IC race. It actually gained some traction with fans for awhile. And, weren't the old(?) new(?) Panoz Champ Cars dispatched to a series that ran in Europe?

Almost all of the Panoz DP01(Except 1) are sitting in a warehouse in the Atlanta area.

I have a friend who is trying to see if Honda will lease or sell him a few motors before he buys one of the Dallaras to run in the HSR series. So far no response.

[nigelred5]

Weren't they (Green Prix)going to run the DP01's with some sort of electric motors or hybrid power? IIRC, they bought the cars at auction and KK and Cosworth put the no no on anyone buying the Cosworth engines or something like that.

[Civic]

Two DP01s are in BOSS.
http://www.bossgp.com/imgmanager/files/70efdf2ec9b086079795c442636b55fb/images/1317128167_24sep11-732.jpg

http://www.bossgp.com/imgmanager/files/70efdf2ec9b086079795c442636b55fb/images/1317128189_25sep11-221.jpg

http://www.bossgp.com/imgmanager/files/70efdf2ec9b086079795c442636b55fb/images/1317128184_25sep11-117.jpg

Old IRL G-Force
http://www.bossgp.com/imgmanager/files/70efdf2ec9b086079795c442636b55fb/images/1317128117_24sep11-230.jpg

So I'm sure at least a few Dallaras will make it over to BOSS.

[mac miller]

Well, they got rid of quite a few of them at Vegas.... I think that they could actually turn a profit on the remaining cars with a "pay per view" extravaganza by scattering them around the floor of a large arena and having the "monster trucks" smash them flat. Just as the crowd is going wild, the "monster trucks" pull out and in comes "ROBOSAURUS" to chew up the remains and finish them off with with its flame thrower.

Sorry, but I have no feelings, whatsoever, about these old specracer jalopies..... Unfortunately, it looks like the new specracers are just more of the same.

mac miller in INDY

[anthonyvop]

Weren't they (Green Prix)going to run the DP01's with some sort of electric motors or hybrid power? IIRC, they bought the cars at auction and KK and Cosworth put the no no on anyone buying the Cosworth engines or something like that.

Costs of adapting a different engine was too prohibitive.

[nigelred5]

I'm sure any potential future owner with the disposable income to be considering buying a former indycar, they can come up with the coin to have a one off adapter to fit any number of the racing engines available in europe.

[anthonyvop]

I'm sure any potential future owner with the disposable income to be considering buying a former indycar, they can come up with the coin to have a one off adapter to fit any number of the racing engines available in europe.

Actually a used Dallara will not cost that much. As of last Sunday the market was flooded with them. The cost of adapting a suitable engine combined with the engine itself will cost about 3 times as much.

[Marbles]

I might hang on to a few old Dallaras in case they need them next year for field filler like they use to do in the old Atlantic series.

[anthonyvop]

Just for point of reference


2001 Dallara IRL / Indy Car Dallara Chevrolet GEN ll IRL

Serial Number: 028
Condition: Excellent
Price: US $75,000
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
http://www.race-cars.com/carsales/other/1318878952/1318878952ss.htm