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Sold! Hacker-built SCCA FWD car for sale (Olds Calais)--pics added


Hello all,

This is Mike O'Donnell from NMIRA. I've been your guest at a few races over the years (thanks!).

Chris Thompson and I are talking about selling an SCCA car. It's a Paul Hacker built Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais. It was a race car from new, and I think has 17 or 18k on the odometer, every mile turned on a road course.

It is a quad4 engine, perfectly dependable. Out of frugality, I rarely turn it over 6500 rpm but, if you can afford to replace lifters periodically, it will scream at 7500. We've got a real high end spare motor as well, but, it will need lifters to race. It is such a good motor (I'll get the name of the builder from Chris) that it would be a shame if it weren't torn down for a tolerance check before running. Both motors have the race cams. There is a spare tranny too, competition prepared, with a torsen diff. There is an open diff tranny in the car now. The car has an SCCA logbook and was last annualed about two years ago. It has the new required second doorbar installed. I can't remember if we left belts in it but, they would be out of date for SCCA. I'm sure we can supply used (but no longer SCCA current) belts if you need them. It has a custom front suspension, I can't recall at the moment whether it is koni or bilstein based. The current rear axle has the drum brakes with aluminum drums, and we have a disk brake rear as well. Both are built by Paul (I think, Chris would know); Paul had worked out a way to weld a super stiffener to the rear that allowed these cars to be competitive back when he was prepping these cars for GM and the Firehawk Series. The spares package is extensive, hubs, shocks, struts, brake pads, a collection of the unique Olds Calais hardware, shifter, master cylinders, ECUs (with race only programs-including the ABS settings), et cetera. The ABS was disabled when it went from Grand Am to SCCA; I don't know what it would take to put it back working. The car currently has the 14" alloy wheels, I think shod with old TOYOs. There is a new set of 15" dual pattern alloys, one race only (I think you need these if you want to run the rear with disk brakes).

I'll try to get some photos up.

I won't BS you, for SCCA, this car is classed ITS, and can't take a checker against the 2nd gen Rx-7s with engine management, or the BMWs but, it is a rock solid mid-pack car, perfect to get your license and some seat time. If Chris and I could afford to use it as an ice racer, we would. For ice racing, the suspension is very stiff so, I don't think it would work well studless but, on pavement it is hooked up, perfectly predictable, and lifts an inside rear tire on every turn--I think it would be great on menards or screw tires. It is just great to drive. At NHIS road course, you can enter NASCAR 1+2 at just over a 100 with a slight lift to get the rear out, and by mid way through the bank, you've got your foot to the floor, and she collects and barrels right down the chute. I'll be sorry to see her go but, I can only afford to road race once or twice a year and I'd prefer to run a RWD.

The car is in a storage container in Stratford, CT right now, buried behind some trailers and junk cars. We weren't planning on putting it on the market until spring but, I was thinking that since you all knew Paul so well, there might be some interest out there. Also, I'm not sure where this car classes by AMEC rules but, I'm guessing it would fare well; you all would know better than me.

For car and full spares collection, including 2nd motor and trans, we'll take $3500. By spring, once we've cleaned it all up and organized the spares, that price will probably go up a bit.

Please don't contact if you aren't serious. It is a lot of work to get back to the car to check details, and we're definitely not dragging it out to show unless someone is there with cash and a trailer.

You can reach me at msoclr (at) yahoo.com. Feel free to write with questions or for my cell number, or better yet, post questions to the board so all can see replies.

Thanks,
Mike O'Donnell

Last edited by MODonnell, 12/2/2010, 9:19 pm
12/1/2010, 5:15 pm Link to this post Send Email to MODonnell   Send PM to MODonnell Blog
 
Dave 48 Profile
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Re: Hacker-built SCCA FWD car available (Olds Calais)


That’s really neat that you have that car Mike I think I have posters (that you would hang on the wall) with photos of those cars that Paul used to give out from his sponsor (maybe Castrol?). That could be an interesting historic race car (maybe) in the future.

Wish I had some extra money. I spent a fair amount of time talking to Paul about those cars and what they did to them.
Dave Burnham
12/1/2010, 8:40 pm Link to this post Send Email to Dave 48   Send PM to Dave 48
 
MODonnell Profile
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Re: Hacker-built SCCA FWD car available (Olds Calais)


It was Castrol! I sure wish I could have driven the car in that livery. The fellow we bought it from owned a Citgo and had repainted. Even worse, Chris had one of the Castrol hoods but it was accidentally damaged before we owned the car.

Chris ran the Firehawk series. He had two Firebirds and two Achievas. They ran tracks from Mosport to Daytona. Firestone supplied tires and with all the contingency sponsorships, they could often break even or cut a small profit whenever they placed. Chris had a Hooter's sponsorship and his Dad, Jerry. Jerry was hooked in with GM so, they got some good support. Chris and Jerry drove against Paul and Karl then and became friends. Jerry was involved in the first dual-quad intake manifold design, won two production championships (Corvette and a Yenko Stinger) and won his class in the 24 (1970 I think) co-driving the Owens-Corning Corvette with Tony DeLorenzo. For you Corvette fanatics, Chris also has a vintage Vette race car for sale. If you google Owens Corning Corvette, it looks like that, hardtop.

I'm fairly certain you can run the Calais as a historic with HSR.

Another thing I always loved about racing this car is that it's an American car. We would do the Enduro at the Glen and have the only American car on the track, bar a vette or two. I have a very happy memory of rolling up the pits at the end of a race and a few crews waited for us and clapped. Some came to us in the paddock after the race to let us know they were silently rooting for us over their own car. I only knew Paul briefly but, it was obvious, he had an impact on people.

Last edited by MODonnell, 12/1/2010, 10:57 pm
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Re: Hacker-built SCCA FWD car available (Olds Calais)


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12/2/2010, 12:02 am Link to this post Send Email to MODonnell   Send PM to MODonnell Blog
 
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Re: Hacker-built SCCA FWD car for sale (Olds Calais)--pics added


Thanks everyone, the car is sold. The buyer is taking the whole package of spares as well. For those that were asking, the spare motor is a Bilmar. The buyer is from over on the Quad4forums list.
12/2/2010, 9:19 pm Link to this post Send Email to MODonnell   Send PM to MODonnell Blog
 


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