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About Us
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Hoosier Racing Tires
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Services
Race Car Preparation
Track Support
Driver Coaching
Engineering Services
Race Car Rental
Cars for Sale
Parts for Sale
Tools for Sale
Fabrication
Race Car Restoration
Indy Car Division
Book Sales
Technical Articles
In-Car Videos
Pro Series Info
Customer Comments
Marketing Opportunities
Rants and Ravings
Friends and Supporters
Contact Us
Products
Motul Fluids, Lubricants
Hoosier Racing Tires
GoPro Video Camera
Services
Race Car Preparation
Track Support
Driver Coaching
Engineering Services
Race Car Rental
Cars for Sale
Parts for Sale
Tools for Sale
Fabrication
Race Car Restoration
Indy Car Division
Book Sales
Technical Articles
In-Car Videos
Pro Series Info
Customer Comments
Marketing Opportunities
Rants and Ravings
Friends and Supporters
Contact Us
Motorsport Trader
Texas Museum of Automotive History
Race Car Restoration
There was once a time when old race cars were banished to the back of club racing grids or to the corners of shops and garages to become repositories of rusted, oxidized or broken parts. In the 1980s people began to realize that some of these cars had made automotive history and the businesses of race car restoration and vintage racing were born. We hope, after viewing some of the photos below, that you will consider us for bringing that old race car back to life, or merely to make your existing race car look and perform better.
Scroll through the Hawke Formula Ford project below to see our latest, a Lola T8600 Indy Car.
Scroll through the Hawke Formula Ford project below to see our latest, a Lola T8600 Indy Car.
Early Project - Hawke DL-9 Formula Ford
circa 1976
circa 1976
Our first restoration project was conducted before we even recognized it as restoration. This 1973 Hawke DL-9 Formula Ford was obtained in 1976 without engine or gearbox and was not yet the car we wanted to race. More photos of this project are located in the gallery.
The car was delivered a bit rough.
It was stripped down, frame repainted and parts began to go back on. Check the Race Car Preparation page for tips about what to look for when you tackle a project like this.
It looked a little better when it was done.
Leaving paddock for the grid in an early race.
Current Project - Lola T8600 Indy Car
We have done many restoration projects since that Hawke and learned from each of them. Here are some photos of the latest, a Lola T8600 Indy Car driven by Geoff Brabham in '86. More photos of this restoration are in the Gallery.
The Lola tub freshly painted in original Valvoline colors.
Calipers, hubs and uprights fresh.
Front suspension in place.
Fresh Cosworth DFX.
Each job has its challenges. This engine uses the "wedge pan" and the clutch housing requires a "deep sump" pan. Since the pan on a Cosworth actually includes three of the main caps, changing it was impractical. It required machine work on both the pan and the clutch housing and an adapter had to be machined to bolt them together. The following shots illustrate.
Bare mains with the pan removed.
New adapter in place after pan was machined and re-installed on engine. Check the Fabrication page for more projects like this.
Engine and gearbox now installed. For additional photos of this restoration, visit the Gallery.
After doing a bit of research on this car, we discovered it to be the car driven by Geoff Brabham in 1986 for Galles Racing in Albuquerque. In testing at the Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, Geoff equaled the existing lap record set two years earlier by Michael Roe in the VDS-Chevy Can-Am car. (See the About Us page for photos of that car.) Twenty-one years later, that record set by two different drivers in two different cars still stands. The time? 1:06.4
We plan to have this car race ready soon so that it can once again take a few laps of Hallett. It may be for sale after that event. Contact us if you are interested. It would be a great car for the US BOSS series.
We plan to have this car race ready soon so that it can once again take a few laps of Hallett. It may be for sale after that event. Contact us if you are interested. It would be a great car for the US BOSS series.
If you have or are considering a race car restoration project, please give us a brief description of it. We'll call back so we can discuss your needs and desires.