NASCAR/ INDY

What is actually on these cars to call it a Honda or other make other than the decorations?

engine

I know nothing about Indy cars, but NASCAR vehicles are totally custom built, top to bottom.

Not a factory part on them.

Isn't the engine supposed to be based on the manufaturer?

But, then, v-8 in the Honda or Toyota....?

--->Paul

Indy cars have no restrictions as to keeping anything close to production cars . Nascar has Mfg's submit each engine design . They have pretty strict rules, push rod v8, bore /stoke limits . As far as being production pieces ,,those days are long gone . Shoot ,even IMCA hobby stock cars are getting out of hand . no more knock the glass out put a cage in it and go .

On another NASCAR note ...Go Landon Cassill ! Local CR boy living the dream .

Back in the 1970's and '80's when I was running late model modifieds, the rules said stock sheet metal within the last five model years, engine same make as sheet metal, wheelbase correct for the sheet metal, and the front spark plug no more farther back than two inches behind a line across the upper ball joints. Beyond that, it was pretty much "run watcha brung".

Even back then, we were building our chassis from scratch and hanging the outer skin of the sheet metal on it.

For the Camaros I built, I had full sized templates for the chassis and roll cages. I also built a Plymouth Duster off the Chrysler kit car blueprints once.

If you're from Iowa, you may remember Jimmy Jorgenson from Omaha. He ran one of my Camaros in the Omaha/Western Iowa area in the late '70's.

NASCAR cars do have a factory front nose on them. Must have manuf serial number stamped in it.

Honda doesnt make a V8 (In a cra or truck), but Toyota does!

Don't know much about Indy but on Nascar they can run any legal engine they want under any body, all have the same Nascar dictated tranny and rear end. THe really funny part is that 1st work day after a race what ever bodied car wins......sale of those cars goes up!

Rick

I call BS on that; Manufacturers cast PART NUMBERS, or CASTING NUMBERS,[along with casting dates] into their polyurethane parts, but SERIAL NUMBERS or VIN's are only given to COMPLETE VEHICLES. Individual parts are NOT serial-numbered.

The Indy cars all have the same basic body/chassis. Beginning this year they have a choice of engines. Last year they only had Honda engines. I am not sure how many types but I know there is Honda and Chevy and I think there is a 3rd. They are custom made engines. Custom made to the spec's that Indy car provides.

This year the Indy cars went to a new safer chassis designed by Dallara of Italy. Honda for many years was the only engine used, a V8 design. This year, teams have a choice of 2.2 liter V6 turbocharged engines. Manufacturers represented at Indy are Honda, Chevrolet, and Lotus. Wouldn't you know, Honda was once again the winning engine in the car driven by Dario Franchitti.

It is hard to believe that people would be so gullible...the modern NASCAR "stock car" has almost nothing to do with the street models they sort of imitate. They are RACE CARS, more like drag racing Funny Cars than real STOCK cars.

I used to follow NASCAR quite closely back when the cars running were actually derived from cars you could buy and license for the street. The cars from the 60"s were remarkably close to showroom stock, with the addition of roll cages and suspension modifications. And most of the engines run were closely related to the engines you could go down to your dealer and order in your new car. The 50"s stock cars were even closer to what was sold to the general public. The idea of Win on Sunday, sell on Monday made a lot of sense. And you could identify whether the car running was a Ford, Chevy, Pontiac, Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler, Oldsmobile or even Hudson.

But by the late 70"s, the cars started being more and more different than the cars the manufacturers were selling, and I lost interest in NASCAR. Then they started using body styles that used front wheel drive in production cars and I quit paying any attention. The cars all look more or less the same. NASCAR got boring.

If NASCAR wanted to become relevant again with lots of people, they would go back to the idea of seeing which STOCK (or slightly modified for safety) cars competed to see which one would win endurance races. Of course the speeds would not be as high, and maybe the drivers would not be as safe as they are in purpose built race cars, but then the races would mean something about which REAL product was best at getting around a NASCAR track for many miles at high speed. And Win on Sunday, sell on Monday would make some sense.

If I remember right, the first Datona 500 was won by a Plymouth flathead 6 cylinder, because it finished the race first by holding together, unlike the much faster OHV V8 Oldsmobiles, which couldn"t keep their tires from blowing out. It would be interesting to see what modern STOCK cars would do in a heads-up contest. They might get me, and lots of other car guys interested again.

Well said Hal, I agree fully.