Formula Super VEE Original Specifications
To assist the launch of the new Formula Super Vee, Josef Hoppen commissioned Gene Beach, an established constructor of Formula Vee cars, to design and build the first Super Vee and put this car on display at the Daytona 24 hour race. Beach was one of the first three constructors of Formula Vees, along with Autodynamics and Formcar.
It is therefore appropriate that a Super Vee designed and built by Ray Caldwell’s Autodynamics concern soon joined the Beach Super Vee. This second Super Vee (the Caldwell D-10) was put on display at the New York Auto Show.Other manufacturers soon followed suit, with Formula Vee constructors such as Zink Cars joined by more mainstream firms such as Lola.
It is therefore appropriate that a Super Vee designed and built by Ray Caldwell’s Autodynamics concern soon joined the Beach Super Vee. This second Super Vee (the Caldwell D-10) was put on display at the New York Auto Show.Other manufacturers soon followed suit, with Formula Vee constructors such as Zink Cars joined by more mainstream firms such as Lola.
- Engine: Type 3 1600cc (actually a stroke of 69mm and a bore of 85.5mm for a displacement of 1582cc). Dry sump not allowed.
- Cooling: air, with external oil coolers and oil filters.
- Carburetion: free, however most used Weber 48 IDA or Solex 40P11 dual downdraft. Some use of Weber IDF and DCNF. (Note: two dual down draft cards allowed, any manufacturer with dual port VW or aftermarket intake manifolds).
- Transmission: stock VW from the 1969 Square back/fastback series. However gear ratios were open and almost immediately Webster and Hewland gear sets were adopted for the VW transaxle.
- Ignition: coil and distributor.
- Clutch: VW stock, with Hydraulic linkage.
- Brakes: Girling hydraulic with VW discs front, VW Drums in the rear.
- Wheels: 6" X 13" front and rear. Magnesium allowed.
- Tires: 5:00/8:30 X 13 front, Treaded (no slicks) 5:50/9/20 X 13 rear, Treaded (no slicks)
- Steering: Rack and Pinion
- Suspension: free, front and rear
- Shocks: free, front and rear
- Sway bars: free, front and rear
- Rear uprights: free (and usually proprietary by car manufacturer)
- Curb Weight: Dry, without driver, 825 lbs minimum.
- Wheelbase: free (most manufacturers were between 88" and 94")
- Track, Front/Rear: Up to 92"
- Fuel Tank Capacity: Free, but most manufacturers located the tank under and behind the driver but in front of the firewall, which pretty much limited the capacity to 6.0 gallons.
- Construction: tubular space frame, flat bottom, no wings or tabs to induce downforce.
- Body: any material, but full coverage (including engine compartment) required.
A Special Note regarding vintage racing classes
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It appears that as a result of the racing politics in the 70's and 80's within both SCCA and IMSA, there are groups today that do not acknowledge that the Series 1 cars even existed and do not have a class for those cars to run competitively in Vintage Racing.
Their is a bit of a myth that there where never flat bottomed, tube framed, air cooled Formula Super Vee's on 6" rims running treaded tires without wings. Unfortunately, some of the "Vintage" race groups do not follow the Monoposto Racing 2017 Class Specifications and require the Series 1 Formula Super Vee's to run against later F-5000, Formula B and the Series 2 and Series 3 FSV's in an "Exhibition Class", rather that against the 1968 to 1973 Formula Fords where the Series 1 FSV's were originally classed. The above information should clarify some of that history. |
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