Shoptalkforums.com

JIM PACE Grand Prix Chattanooga TN 15-17 Oct 2021

2.2 miles road course through town. 15-minute sprints. The RetroRacing Ghia, fresh from the body shop (crash last year at Road Atlanta) beats a Porsche 911S and squad of Loti as the time sheet shows. with it's 1.7 litre, pump-gas engine 85.5x74mm. 44IDF Webers, Hoosier Speedster tires, 4-wheel 40mm piston Varga calipers, Porterfield pads. Barret Camper driving. Photo by Jim Allen.

I thought that Karmann Ghia was an actress .

Lookin' good FJ!

Lee

Great job!

Looks like you've got a great setup!

The "secret" to our Ghia's success is simplicity. No MSD, no fuel injection, stock torsion bars front and rear, steel wheels, stock Varga (ATE copy) brake calipers and generic stock rotors front and rear. We ran the Pace Grand Prix on a 1699cc engine, AA hypertech 85.5mm pistons, and a 10-year old pair of AJ Sims heads. 9:1 compression.

Where we get racy is our dry sump oil system from CB Performance, Hoosier Speedster racing rubber (bias ply), Porterfield carbon Kevlar brake pads, Koni shocks (set to medium), an ATL fuel cell, and a great deal of added lightness with a sanitary cabin, Lexan rear window, and unpadded aluminum seat.

The point of RetroRacing's campaign was to prove that the Karmann Ghia is a real sports car. We're done that many times over now. We fly the VW flag in the face of the Loti, Jags, etc.

By the way, the MGB GT that finished just ahead of us sports a Rover V8 engine. Next weekend we take on the Ferrari club.

How did your battles with the Ferrari Club go?

Not even a battle. It rained, cold and early, and the total field was about a dozen assorted Ferraris, an AMG Mercedes, and a new Alfa Romeo. 4C coupe. We brought our Ghia and a friend's vintage 1966 Lotus 47 Europa.

The supercar people were intimidated by the rain, and the high price of their cars, and the Ghia cleaned house because the Ferrari people are afraid to crash and we're not afraid to race. Finally, our friend got his 47 on the track and we had a race. The Lotus was fast in a straight line but the Ghia could catch him in the corners. The 47 could not lose the Ghia and the Ghia could not catch the Lotus.

We went home happy but it is no great feat to outrun timid rich guys.

FJ,
What's the story behind the exhaust pipe looking appendage on the right rear of the car?

The pipe is an inside joke, because it resembles a turbo blow-off. We've had people ask or accuse us of having a turbo. We called it an intimidation pipe. It is no longer in use.

FJC

That. Is. Awesome.

FJCamper, your post are really inspiring. Thank you for all the wisdom, knowledge, and experience you have shared over the years.

Above Chattanooga Gran Prix

RETRORACING ANNOUNCEMENT



For 2023, RetroRacing is moving up to the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association. HSR was regional. SVRA is national, (the only national vintage organization), and the oldest association of its kind in the US.

Seems like a positive move for your organization FJ - after all the shenanigans and mandatory "class moves" from your earlier post. Please keep us updated on any changes to the cars needed for the new SVRA move! Always a nail-biter reading your race reports - 'cause of course we're rooting for you and your team - FTW!
Jeff

I’m hoping to align myself with Ghia-people who’ve got a bunch more knowledge on aerodynamics and handling than I do. I’ve ambitiously converted my wife’s ‘65 Ghia into a 3 liter, mid engine car. In the quest to have a less tail-happy car, I moved the weight forward. I absolutely love the body lines of the Ghia, and prefer not adding scoops, tail, etc, but I’ve not driven this car at speed, and would love for it to stay more planted and predictable. I’m not going to track or race it, but airflow still matters. It’s watercooled, with the radiator living up front where the spare used to reside. The grill that was originally on the rear trunk lid has been moved forward, to the area behind the rear glass. Presumably hot air can escape, but I’m curious as to where I should consider mounting my air filter for intake. I’m also considering a very small airdam underneath the motor, to direct cool air up and into the engine compartment. I definitely want to avoid creating lift though. A lifetime ago I had a 356B. I sure loved that car, but at higher speeds, it sure felt like it wanted to fly, and not in a good way. Looking at images of that sassy little gray racing Ghia, it seems like I might be barking in the right direction. Any wisdom would be very appreciated. My name is Russell. Thank you in advance.

Hi Russell, and welcome, Good to see you here too... one of the ghia wool tuft threads is a few down from this one.
for intake air I'd be thinking about drawing air from the area over the gearbox or maybe one of the rear wheel wells.
For cooling, drawing air from under the car, up through the engine compartment and out just behind the rear window sound good to me. Though the area behind the rear window seems only slightly low pressure.
what engine/gearbox do you have in the car?