Superformance Coupe goes to Louisville Nationals!

[G.R.]

IMO that is what totally sets it apart--even the vaunted Corvette's and Ferrari's had a similar look during that era--graceful, dynamic , flowing frontend--chopped off back--

Besides what do I care if all they remember is the backend--only means I've left them in my exhaust

[Hal Copple]

as for the back of the car, my reading is that Pete Brock had read some old German aerodymamic theory, that a long, tapered tail for a moving object was the best to allow air to separate from the object. But this German scientist had a theory that if you cut off most of the tail, the air would still separate cleanly, reducing aerodynamic drag. I can't recall if it this is the Kamm tail or it that was for something else. But if had to be done right, and Brock was able to do that. I think, if i remember my reading, is that Brock was the first to apply this principal to a race car. So the rear bulkhead is there because it worked. Naturally, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Both the original cars, and the Superformance Coupe are very handsome cars.

I have seen on an engine waiting transplantation into a Superformance Coupe, a really business-like motor. It even has a custom oil pan, and when i asked what a side threaded plug in the sump was for, i was told that by removing the threaded plug, you can adjust your oil pumps pressure output with a long allen wrench. A several minute procedure to adjust the engine's oil pressure!! The years spent in developement and refinement of this car have resulted in lots of small useful details, making ownership and travel that much better. Saw a picture of the Coupe's speedo registering just over 190 mph, the driver told me the car was still accelerating but he was coming up on traffic, and had to back off. I once went about 140 mph in my SPF roadster, on the straight at VIR, and i was scared of the sensation of speed, the wind and how fast the grass was passing by on my flanks. I can't imagine i would ever have the fortitude to go any faster that that. But the Coupe will soon join the ranks of the worlds fastest cars. It has NASCAR sized brakes, too. It will need them.

[computerworks]

Originally posted by vettestr
The coupe has its place in history and I love the looks until you get the view many will see! The rear view looks like they ran out of materials or time and covered the hole with a sheet of plywood. I know I will get grief for this blasphemy, just my 2 cents. I do appreciate the car and wish I could own one or two but would want to finish the body with the flow and grace of the rest of the great looking body lines.

...a dash of history will 'apologize' for the rear's lack of grace. Remember, the coupe was built to overcome the lack of aero 'grace' of the roadster, both with and without a hardtop... they felt they hit the wall at top speed with the open car, so they built the coupe.

Conventional engineering wisdom (back then, as well as today) includes copying the best features of your competitor.

Here's the rear of the Ferrari 250GTO in 1963



...looks a bit similar.

Originally posted by Thorin
...Did Shelby ever put a 427 in a coupe?

All the racing coupes from Shelby works had small-blocks.
CSX3054 was started in 1965 as a 427 coupe, but the project was dropped; the car was completed in 1980, dubbed the 'Super Coupe', #65.
CSX3055, the Willment-Ghia coupe had a 427, but never competed.

[mr bruce]

Ron, how about a pic of the Willamet coupe. And also one of the Butt ugly Willamet-Ghia

[computerworks]

Butt-fugly CSX3055

[computerworks]

..for the other, did you mean the A98 from AC?


(image from SpecialK)

[mr bruce]

Yep, and nope. A98 THE most beautous of all the coupes, but Willamet had one (or 2) built in England by Jon Olhsen I believe. Pics I've seen of one was red with thin wite stripes. The Johnexx 427 was based on that body style.

[Chiperb]

Kamm is correct. Case of function dictates form.

[mr bruce]

by the way, the early Datsun Z cars are begging to be made into number A98. Any interest in a rebody kit? Just think ,no emmissions/title problems, swap kits already avaliable for Chevy/Ford engines.

[computerworks]

damn...Mr. B.. you made me dig deep in the archives for this Wilment beaut.

..a few more to come in a few minutes.. I have to resize and touch up the others

[computerworks]

[mr bruce]

gotta love the mix-n-match wheel treatment

[Hal Copple]

Bob Olthoff was involved in the development of the Willmet coupe, and raced it in SA, it is now i believe at the Shelby museum in Colorado, i recall Bob saying it has a different Windshield and some other changes from when he drove it in competition. In Bob's opinion, it was a bit more aerodynamic than the Shelby coupes, and was capable of a bit more speed.

If you sit and wait for Bob Olthoff to talk about his racing days, beginning in the late '50's, and hear of his duels with the Ferrari LM's, it makes history come alive, when he can then pull off his trophy case this or that silver trophy what he won against some of the great peer drivers and other race cars of the late '50's and the '60's.

If you visit the Olthoff showroom, there are three tall, wide glass cases, absolutely filled with hundreds of trophy's, many are truly beautiful and probably expensive Cups and other trophy's, from back when they gave out nice things. On one shelf, are many crystal vases and cups and such, because Bob and other drivers told the sanctioning authorities that they wanted something they could actually use at home, so they then gave out engraved crystal things.

Bob told me he was invited to part of the early Cobra racing in South Africa because he had experience with Ford V-8 motors, and they needed immediate input as to what to do to make the Cobra's race competitive. He was previously a Works MG driver.

[Jamo]

Hal

That provision for external oil pressure adjustment is neat.

Mine has a similiar device...one that Joe Boghosian (my engine builder) has been putting on his motors for about thirty years. His involves an oil line from the back of the motor back down to the Aviad near the fitting for the puke tank return tube. The line has a fitting that regulates the oil pressure. Really nice and easy for fine tuning once a motor is run in.

Can't figure out why these things aren't more common.

[Hal Copple]

Jamo, Melling makes several high volume oil pumps for windsors, one has a threaded allen plug that sets the spring pressure in the pump for the pressure it dumps oil back into the sump. I have one, mine is turned in all the way, about one turn from what Melling sets the allen "set-screw" at, but when i have wanted to adjust my oil pressure, i have to drop the pan, and turn it in or out slightly. It never occured to me that you actually can do this with a longer Allen key from the side of the motor, but i suspect this is how it is done via the "bung" in the side of the sump. If i ever have my sump off again, i may try to have this added to my pan.

The sump on the Roush motor in the Superformance coupe is welded up at the Superformance factory, so it is not available as an aftermarket pan, it is designed specifically for the fitment of the Roush motor that is intended for the SPF Coupe. Nice kickouts and trap doors inside, holds about 8 quarts, more of course in the rest of the oiling system.

The details are indeed important when you intend to run with and often trounce the other "Big Dogs" out there. For a fraction of their cost.

By the way, the suspension is not the same one that is in the roadsters that SPF produces, for one thing, the A arms are much longer, they practically meet in the middle of the car, so the suspension geometry is much more stable under high lateral G loads and the resulting suspension deflection. I understand a really well known race suspension designer was closely involved with the suspension design.

I doubt i will ever own one, but i have ridden in the prototype, and it is a fine car indeed. My son, who now has a Porsche of his own, was riding with Bob Olthff at VIR several years ago, on the south course, which connects at the end of the long straight to the North course, if one were to continue on for a few more seconds, instead of veering off to the right to continue on the South Course.

There was a Porsche event then running on the North Course, all sorts of German machinery tearing around. Bob muttered to my son at the end of the straight, "i wish i could continue on to their course, and gather them all up in a lap or two. "

Chris told me later he wanted to say "lets go for it !!

[Woodz428]

The car at Louisville had functional sidepipes and we weren't told anything about any other variation, though I will look at our order form option list. The wheels will either be natural aluminum with polished rims or white as I understand it. We opted for the aluminum ones.

[southernfriedcj]

A few questions:
Why is the side exit exhaust so much louder than the under car exit exhaust when both use the same mufflers, and from the linked pic, appear to have just a few inches of difference in the exit point?
Why would the fumes from the side exhaust enter the cabin of the enclosed Coupe?
Does the Coupe have more room for a big driver than the roadster?
Can you order that puppy in any color you want?
I always said I wanted a Superformance, I've gotta go see one of these cars. Do the Olthoffs have one in stock. Gotta take the wife furniture shopping in NC, last time we did that I swung by the Olthoff's shop.
Talk about a swap, she gets 20k in furniture I get a 90k car!

[Hal Copple]

Bob has shown me pictures of "his" coupe, great color, but as to what it is exactly, and when it will arrive at his shop, for that you will have to ask him or Dennis.

I am looking forward to reading about it in the auto magazines. I think there is a lot of speculation as to exactly what the car is, how it is exhausted, what engine, and so much more, that the best thing to do is just wait a bit, until they are over here, and then go to the nearest SPF dealer, and see it and ask what questions you might have. It would be innappropriate to say this or that, because as always, the best source of information about a car is not from bystanders like me and others, but to ask the factory men about it.

It is beautiful, fast, and thoroughly engineered. The rest of the details can wait for now.

[Woodz428]

The coupe at the show had a Roush built 351W stroker engine( can't remember the displacement) and both functional sidepipes. I'm 6'2" ( a measly 165lbs) and it was easy to enter/egress seemed easier than the MKIII and a little roomier.

[RRD]

Does anyone know the wheelbase on this coupe? Does it use the "thunderbird" 8.8" IRS setup, or something different?