Ferrari Mailing List: OK Thinking about a new toy car

[AlfaOwner (alfaowner]

Mike says, "I have never considered going vintage, I guess I may be old
enough now to do that, but I have seen a few vintage folks race and they
bring the equivalent of an extra car in spares with them typically :). If I
hold onto a car long enough I end up there anyhow :)."

Mike:

We vintage racers don't HAVE to be "vintage" although many of us are.
However, our cars do have to be "vintage" in most organizations.  But, even
then, there are exceptions.  Last year I was at the HSR Sebring race and
there was a car racing that had been pitted near us when a friend raced the
Sebring 12-Hour in 1996.  And, that WASN'T the newest car on the track that
day.

Allow me some blatant self-promotion -- pick up a copy of our magazine,
"Vintage Racecar" at your local Barnes & Nobles and check out the "Gallery."
(Or, go to our Web site & look at the September '07 issue online.
www.vintageracecar.com Look for "Sample Issue" ) You'll see cars from the
1930s through the 1990s.  We recently did a subscriber survey & found that
45% of our readers' racecars are from the 1970s to 1990s.  And, while some
organizations (VSCCA & General Racing come to mind) frown on "real" racing,
others are as flat-out as SCCA racing.

So, buy an investment-grade old Ferrari & come on out & play.  Don't want to
spend the $$ for that, try an Alfa (Prices have been climbing steadily in
the past few years & they are great racecars).  Not sure which organization
is right for you?  Check out the Vintage Motorsport Council's site at:
http://v-m-c.org/  They have links to member organizations and each of those
usually has their rules and regulations and car eligibility info on their
site.

As for spares -- I don't know who or what you saw.  But, most of us get by
with tools, supplies, gaskets, and the few parts that break regularly, if
indeed they do.  Personally, I raced an MGB for 6 years & the only "extra"
parts I carried were spark plugs, distributor cap, electronic ignition
replacement, coil, Weber jets & rain tires.  For my current Alfa Giulietta,
it has been even less.  For my Turner, it's still the MGB-type spares.  

Norm Sippel