Race car fenders - fibreglass or metal? - 2018 Progress Report...

[Datsun.David]

Hey Guys -

I purchased Mike Poorboy's race car and finally have it home and have been trying to decide what to do with it...

The car is largely complete and was a competitive racer when campaigned in 2004 and 2005 winning the regional ICSCC championship with Jeff Remfert - a Canadian - at the wheel.

I don't think it has run anything competitive since then as I think Mike got sidetracked with running a Miata, and the roadster sat a lot. (Conjecture on my part...)

Anyhow, it is missing fenders and quarters and previously ran Japco fibreglass units, which I have no idea what happened to them or where they might have gone. I have a possible line on fibreglass components that would need some considerable work, but would provide a substantial flare front and back.

Question primarily is whether I should bother with sourcing the fibreglass, or whether I should just go back to steel front and back. Ross has offered up some "race car" calibre components for reasonable. Either way, some metalwork will be required.

I don't know yet which direction the car will go auto-x or road race... Will the choice of fibreglass vs. steel affect eligibility for vintage racing?

Pardon my ignorance!

Thanks guys!

dw

ps. If anybody has a set of Japco or other fibreglass fenders and/or quarters they want to sell, let me know!

[zippy67roadster]

I know in the states if you want to run HSR or VARA you have to keep the exterior appearance stock. SCCA vintage has much less restrictive rules and will allow flares and other body mods.

[GeoffM]

Sounds like a lot of fun either way. Congrats!

[fj20spl311]

I would suggest going back to steel........

But if it was mine, I would go to flairs.....fiberglass or some other light material.......

[Datsun.David]

I know an evil genius fabricator here in town that will work in steel and I have been contemplating asking him to work me up some steel flares... Interesting about the HSR/VARA requirements for stock appearance. I wondered about that. From a practical standpoint, steel might be the fastest way to get her back on course too. But I do like the look of a mean fat flared race body...

[fj20spl311]

Aluminum is easier to work......I always wanted some add-on Aluminum Flares.

[KenSmart]

According to Les (link below) the Factory Lightweight Datsun 2000 Roadster that Adam Carolla has now has flares made from VW fenders. So you could go that way!

http://carcastblog.adamcarolla.com/2009 ... -roadster/

[Mike Unger]

If your serious about vintage racing then you should put stock steel fenders back on the car without flares. Most vintage sanctioning bodies will frown on anything else.

[gpdatsun]

David,

Congrats on picking up Mike's car; I'm pleased that you will campaign it. Keith Church of ProdBodies assumed Japco and makes roadster front and rear fenders and hoods and decklids. Unfortunately, his website no longer comes up http://www.prodbodies.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. This is what contact info I have:

Keith Church
ProdBodies
2606 Branchwood Drive
Greensboro, NC 27408
"Keith Church" <Haileys@triad.rr.com>

Mike's right about steel versus glass; it depends on the sanction body rules for where you want to go with the car. SCCA go lightweight and glass, vintage favors steel.

Bill

[Datsun.David]

Hi Bill -

Thanks very much for this! I figured that somebody somewhere must have had the moulds for these things...

I have since sourced a pair of decent steel front fenders and I have a standing offer from Ross for the original rear quarters that came off the car (Thanks Ross!!!).

I might still try and see if I can find Keith as having a set of fibreglass panels would keep my options open.

Honestly, I am not sure what a timeline might look like, and I have no idea where I will run or in what capacity, but I am not in a hurry.

I read through Mike's correspondence on the Racing Forum for several years and there is a couple year gap where I am not sure what happened with the car. As near as I can tell, I am not sure that he ever actually ran it... I have a bunch of parts and pieces to work with and should have my new garage up and running in the spring, so hopefully, she can start to come together.

If anyone has anymore information on what happened with the car from about 2009 until the present, I would love to hear it!

Thanks again Bill - I would love to follow in your footsteps - you do the roadster community proud!

dw

[Datsun.David]

Well, I am finally getting the Michael Poorboy/Jeff Remfert E Production Roadster back up and running - building with an eye to SVRA rules. I have been watching RCMike's amazing car come together, and I have been surfing through so much history trying to get the pieces of how this car came to where it is which has been great. This represents the first real project in my newly finished garage...

To those who don't know, Mike Poorboy died tragically in 2014 and I purchased his car in pieces from his widow and quite literally gathered up the stuff in the garage and the back yard and dragged it home to Canada. Mike's lovely wife Anne was exhausted with the process of figuring things out so we just tried to make it easy - showed up with a trailer and took everything... or most of it - there are several pieces to the puzzle yet to be found but that is part of the story now.

I feel like there should be some sort of Tribute Element to Mike Poorboy in the forever history of this car, because despite never having met him, I can tell that he was a good man. The tone of so much of his correspondence - thankfully preserved by the web - is generous and gracious. A true Datsun guy. Without his correspondence with several of you, I would have no idea what was going on with the car...

Today, after reassembling the cooling system, rebuilding the fuel lines, sorting out the accusump, pre-oiling and sucking some gas through to prime the pump, we woke her up after a 13 year slumber... as near as I can tell Mike last drove her in 2005, when he suffered a failure of one of the pistons. He was so close to getting her back up and running when he passed away. I believe the carbs were rebuilt by Dan Garrison, although I am not sure, and the engine has definitely been taken apart and put back together with new pistons, as the old ones are in a box with one sporting a sizable hole... but really, that is all I know about the motor right now - does anyone else remember any correspondence about the rebuild process or have any other history to add to the car?

She doesn't look like much right now, but pictures will be forthcoming. We are starting on the body work tomorrow - reattaching the original quarters and some replacement fenders to the car after it ran fibreglass through most of it's racing career.

Many more questions to follow I am sure... wish me luck.

dw

[spl310]

I used to chat with Mike a good bit. He was a good guy. I don't recall any details of the car specifically.

[Datsun.David]

Hey Sid -

Ya, I saw a couple of conversations where you popped in... My daughters played with his boys a bit when we went to pick up the car. I can't even imagine... broke my heart to think of those little guys.

Thanks for popping in again...

dw