As we get closer to the aptly-named B.F.E. Grand Prix 24 Hours of LeMons in Colorado next weekend, I decided to pay a visit to the team building the first-ever LeMons Marlin. All I can say is: Ho-lee shit!
We saw a preview of this car a while back, and the great thing about LeMons projects is that they get done! Choosing a Marlin as an endurance-race entry is on the absurd side. Dropping a Chevy 454 big-block (yanked from a wrecked '91 truck) and Camaro front subframe into it is even better. Giving it a couple feet of engine setback... now we're talking! Add a Jaguar XJ6 IRS setup— hey, why not?— and then drill hundreds of big holes all over the body while you're at it, and you've got one of the Greatest Race Cars Of All Goddamn Time! Best of all, the plan is to get license plates on it after the race and use it as a street car. You E30 LeMons teams that think you're living on the edge by painting your car like a Focke-Wulf 190, please take note... and start shopping for a Sunbeam Rapier, because that's your best shot at topping this.
Now, the Marlin isn't quite exactly ready to go at the moment; there's no wiring, and a bunch of nickel-and-dime details need attention. Not to worry, because the BS Inspection starts on Friday morning. Plenty of time!
Just to give you an idea of what Speed Holes Racing is all about, here's another project that's underway in the driveway. Then there's the dozen or so early Chrysler Hemi blocks scattered around the garage, the front-engined rail dragster frame hanging from the ceiling, the 1930s Harleys... well, you get the idea. This sort of sensibility and LeMons racing go together like guns and Texas!
Located just a few blocks away from Speed Holes Racing's Denver-area shop, we've got Rocket Surgery Racing and their Renault 4CV. Featuring a mid-mounted Volkswagen Rabbit engine/Audi transaxle setup (much like the Fun Cup Beetles, only 1/1000th the price), handcrafted suspension, and 1950s French style, the Rocket Surgery Renault should be pretty quick on the track. Oh, sure, it's also not quite finished yet— no wiring, no door bars, and so on— but we're confident that it will be ready to go, come race time. By the way, this car is also going to get street registration after the race.