So looking into F Mod. Where's all the activity at? Where's the used market cars listed at and purchased? Where are the active forums? Help a new to F Mod guy.

formula500.org

---

161 FM

The two types of cars are very different and the F500s are faster. There has been an effort for the past few years to try to equalize the cars. So far, that has not been successful. There as some animosity during when the rules changes for the Vees were first proposed. I don't think there is now. Some Vee drivers feel that we would be better off if the Vees were moved to CM, since the CM cars also have an automotive based drive train. The thinking is that it would be easier to achieve parity with another automotive based class.

From a Vee driver, I will tell you that if you want to be competitive in FM, buy an F500. F500s are cheaper, too.

Oh, F500 and FV cars are VERY different animals, with owners devoted to only THEIR type of car.  On rough courses - as Nationals used to be - the real suspensions on an FV made them quite competitive with the F500's.  Now that Nats is on smooth surfaces, their weaknesses are apparent - competitively speaking.  I am an F500 only guy.

And for F500 there are TWO forums.  formula500.org, with the longest history, and the new one - f500.us.  The difference is that formula500.org is populated with the motorcycle engine guys.  And the two groups, 2 stroke and 4 stroke, are at constant battle there.  Same arguments, same words, same stuff, for some time.  Over and OVER again.  But there's good history there, and that's the best "for sale" place.

f500.us is the newer site, populated in large part by proponents of the newly-approved Rotax 593 motor.  Quite suprisingly, there is dramatically more and deeper technical information on f500.us.  On all of the Rotax motors, clutching, and many other subjects.

Essentially all of us are friendly, helpful folks. That in person you'd be happy to have a beer with.  But on the forums. . .  <shudder>  Fear not - many and perhaps all SCCA classes undergoing change result in such.  Nature of the beast.

Chris

Rasmus - yes, those are the two main places to look. Occasionally you'll see them pop up on ebay as well, but most of the ebay ones get reposted to one of the two forums anyways.

Just curious - you mention using it for HPDE, what organization allows open wheel cars in HPDE? Seems it would be a big safety risk having full-size tin-top cars out there with us, but maybe there's some that have a special run group we could go in?

---

Scott Newton
CNY Region Novice Chief
1990 KBS MkV (F5 / FM)
2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI (STU)

Keep in mind, even if you enclose the wheels so they let you out there, you'll still be invisible to anybody else (not just figuratively, but literally - your car would be much shorter than the rear window of most cars). On top of that, should the worst happen, your head is about bumper hight to most other cars out there. While you'll be off the pace, I'd feel more comfortable being out there with just radicals and the like, but would never feel comfortable being out there with any production based car.

---

Scott Newton
CNY Region Novice Chief
1990 KBS MkV (F5 / FM)
2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI (STU)