Wilkerson and Tasca (1 Viewer)

[Sandman]

You can make any body that you want. Submit a design to NHRA for approval, then have at it. Remember when Tasca and Outerlimits Offshore Powerboats a few years back made their own Mustang?
http://outerlimitspowerboats.com/assets/press/tasca.pdf

So if you have the budget and the capability, then go for it. At this time MOPAR wants the Funny Car to be a Charger and they're paying the freight, so that's what they are. If DSR wanted to build a Challenger FC they could certainly do it, but they would do it without the financial support of MOPAR. So if it was you, what would you do?

The Challenger is the MOPAR car of choice for the Factory Stock Showdown.

Alan

Thanks Alan,
That's the answer I was hoping for. I've heard lots of conspiracy theories from other fans but agree that if someone's footing the bill, you run their bodies. I guess I'm still stuck in the mindset of attracting sponsors and fans by doing something that stands out from the sea of nondescript, shapeless cars. But I agree that racing is first and foremost a business, for better or worse and as a business it wouldn't make sense. But still a Challenger F/C would sell a ton of t-shirts....

 

[none]

Hey Alan, what about TAFC? There is zero diversity, it’s exactly like PS as far as almost all Camaros. Does anyone even make the Mustang body that a lot of alky guys used to run anymore?

The Mustang body is still available, but the new Camaro is simply better, it was only a few years ago that the new Mustang was the best one out there and everybody was running it. To my knowledge no one in TAFC has any strong factory support, so they just buy whatever is best at the time. Right now it's the Camaro. And I can't remember the last TAFC specific Dodge body.

Alan

 

[Cliff]

And I can't remember the last TAFC specific Dodge body.

Alan it was the Dodge Aspen.

heh heh

 

[Butch]

Remember when it seemed like Cutlass was the only car

 

[Nunz]

I would love to see a new Z06 Stingray done as a FC, Fuel or alky.

 

[unclebob]

Truth is NO, you just can't "have at it". The last few cases in history got sued by the corporations for no license agreement. If you wanted an alky Camaro, and called 5 Star, they would give you the number of a GM officer that would take your resume, then authorize 5 Star to sell you one if you met their criteria. The Mustang mold is now at least 10 years old !

 

[none]

Truth is NO, you just can't "have at it". The last few cases in history got sued by the corporations for no license agreement. If you wanted an alky Camaro, and called 5 Star, they would give you the number of a GM officer that would take your resume, then authorize 5 Star to sell you one if you met their criteria. The Mustang mold is now at least 10 years old !

That is something I did not know, I never heard of anyone getting sued for making a body. Thanks Bob for the clarification.
What if I bought a used one? Would GM want to vet me for that?

Learn something new everyday......
Alan

 

[Nunz]

So I guess the days of renting a car, and making a plug/mold out of it and building bodies are gone for good?

 

[Cliff]

OK, don't NHRA rules say that you can run F/C bodies in TA/FC that go back to the 60's & 70's? If so.... there are some pretty slick "nostalgia cars" that I bet would give the Camaros a run for their money.

 

[TooTall999]

So does anyone here actually think a nitro challenger funny car body would actually look like a challenger? After all the wind tunnel testing and aero modifications it would still look like a doorstop with challenger decals!

 

[Nunz]

OK, don't NHRA rules say that you can run F/C bodies in TA/FC that go back to the 60's & 70's? If so.... there are some pretty slick "nostalgia cars" that I bet would give the Camaros a run for their money.

Is that true Cliff? I never knew that. I wonder how that new style ‘69 Camaro NFC body would do in TAFC.

 

[Sandman]

So does anyone here actually think a nitro challenger funny car body would actually look like a challenger? After all the wind tunnel testing and aero modifications it would still look like a doorstop with challenger decals!

You're 100% right, but they should indeed look like the real deal. I've beat this dead horse many times before, but the factory cars go through a TON of wind-tunnel stuff for stability and efficiency. If I had my way (oddly enough my $60 general admission ticket doesn't get me editing rights on the rule book) I'd implement a rule that allows for narrowed bodies (6" max) with the roof going all the way to the doors, just like a street car, modified just enough to fit the current chassis (stretched between the front wheel and cowl only, no extended noses ahead of the front wheel), bulges where needed and reduce the spill plates so they don't look like they have a pickup bed on the back. That will never happen, but hey a guys gotta have a dream, right? Laugh if you want, but funny cars would once again become relevant in the eyes of the fans. There's such a disconnect now between the fan with a pony car in the parking lot and what's on the track in F/C that I'm afraid it's headed the way of P/S. If I've learned anything from racing, it's that IROC races don't produce fans...

 

[TooTall999]

You're 100% right, but they should indeed look like the real deal. I've beat this dead horse many times before, but the factory cars go through a TON of wind-tunnel stuff for stability and efficiency. If I had my way (oddly enough my $60 general admission ticket doesn't get me editing rights on the rule book) I'd implement a rule that allows for narrowed bodies (6" max) with the roof going all the way to the doors, just like a street car, modified just enough to fit the current chassis (stretched between the front wheel and cowl only, no extended noses ahead of the front wheel), bulges where needed and reduce the spill plates so they don't look like they have a pickup bed on the back. That will never happen, but hey a guys gotta have a dream, right? Laugh if you want, but funny cars would once again become relevant in the eyes of the fans. There's such a disconnect now between the fan with a pony car in the parking lot and what's on the track in F/C that I'm afraid it's headed the way of P/S. If I've learned anything from racing, it's that IROC races don't produce fans...

You say there's a disconnect, yet the stands are full when these cars run, and nearly empty when they're done. There's a whole generation of fans that have never seen a 70's- 80's style funny car and they come to see the ones that are running now. They want 300+ mph, flames over the roof runs. They don't care what the current bodies look like, they want the thunder and fury. As much as we miss the golden age of funny cars, those days are gone.

 

[Cliff]

Is that true Cliff? I never knew that. I wonder how that new style ‘69 Camaro NFC body would do in TAFC.

As far as I know it's true. They may have changed the rule, but maybe Alan needs to update this. How about a 1971 Ford Pinto..... heh heh

 

[unclebob]

That is something I did not know, I never heard of anyone getting sued for making a body. Thanks Bob for the clarification.
What if I bought a used one? Would GM want to vet me for that?

Learn something new everyday......
Alan

Alan; to my knowledge all the factory people retain all rights to what will be referred to as their "product". I know of many molds that got cut up through the years, and of one that the factory even had to pay labor charges to saw it into pieces and see pictures of it destroyed. I won't use names, but just check in with A.J.P.E. for a Toyota, Don Schumacher for a Dodge, Force will probably hang up on you for a Nitro Camaro, but is now selling his old Mustangs, Tasca may give the rights to the manufacturer he had licensed from Ford as he did with the alky Mustang, or just limit what he is licensed for, you see these guys all the time, just ask. "Heritage" bodies are of no concern to the factories, TAFC does, I think have a 10 year old rule.

 

[SoCal Racer]

So let's flip the script... What if you saw a car coming down the road with no factory markings and a body shaped like ANY of the current FC bodies; what would you think? Would you laugh at it with derision, or want to know where you can get one?

 

[Sandman]

You say there's a disconnect, yet the stands are full when these cars run, and nearly empty when they're done. There's a whole generation of fans that have never seen a 70's- 80's style funny car and they come to see the ones that are running now. They want 300+ mph, flames over the roof runs. They don't care what the current bodies look like, they want the thunder and fury. As much as we miss the golden age of funny cars, those days are gone.

There's a difference between people feeling connected to a car emotionally and people loving to watch nitro cars run. I've been a huge fan of AA/FC since the early '70's and more than any other class, I love to watch them. I'd give anything to SIT in one while they fire the engine, let alone dream of driving one. But I'm also a guy who likes to see his brand compete. I can tell you this, the brand of stickers on the body mean less to me than the brand of mustard on the hot dogs in the concession stand. I DO care what the car looks like and I don't think I'm the Lone Ranger on this topic. That's what I mean by disconnect, I'm thankful Toyota, Ford, GM and Mopar are sponsoring the show, but would it make it less of a show if they didn't look so cartoonish?
As for the Golden Age of Funny Cars, look again, it's today. The racing is MUCH better than ever and although the big dogs do the lions share of winning, at least the lesser financed teams can run a number and shock the big boys on occasion. I'm not bitching about costs, technology or the departure of Mike Dunn. I just wish the cars looked more like what I see and own. It has nothing to do with taking away the thunder and header flames, that's what I love too as well as the hypothetical "they" you mentioned. All that would be intact if the cars didn't look like bars of soap that sat in the shower too long.
Just my opinion, I could be wrong...

 

[RM FAN]

And I can't remember the last TAFC specific Dodge body.

Alan it was the Dodge Aspen.

heh heh

I thought Vern Moats had a Dodge Daytona?

 

[mick]

i pull most of the emblems off my gm vehicles.....4x4, z71, sierra, silverado, LT, SLE, LTZ, yukon, etc., .......really. who cares. the appearance of today's FC bodies totally reflect the current
molds, rules, and wind tunnel testing. they are fairly cool looking, and lots of surface area for paint and decaling, which occasionally produce some real stunners. and also produce some instant
$75k scrap; what did jim head's beautiful blue body make to maybe testing, then 1.5 races? what a waste.......and who's kidding who, they all look the same. the brand on the body is only
repetition of the name; mopar, camaro, mustang; no different than 'mopar' appearing on leah's dragster. i'm happy they see some value in the nhra.

 

[Wife's Name]

The Mustang body is still available, but the new Camaro is simply better, it was only a few years ago that the new Mustang was the best one out there and everybody was running it. To my knowledge no one in TAFC has any strong factory support, so they just buy whatever is best at the time. Right now it's the Camaro. And I can't remember the last TAFC specific Dodge body.

Alan

Alan, if I remember correctly the last Dodge in TAFC was the Avenger...remember Manzo doing well with it here in D1 before h moved over to the Camaro starting in like '98 or '99. Don't think the body was specific to TAFC though