This section tells the story of how I went from this model to a completed
prototype sports car, ready for limited production:
This car found a new home in the fall of 2006. It had about 1,000 total miles. ..The original price was $35,000; (pre-production advertised price).
This car design is inspired by the Porsche 917 long distance race car. The upper body profile is a combination of the Le Mans winning Porsche 917 long distance racing cars and also the Porsche 917 30K Can-Am race cars. The rear suspension geometry is directly from the Porsche 917 engineering drawings. It has
many of the same design features but is meant to be used on the street as a light weight high performance sports car for pleasure driving and club events.
With 35 gallons of fuel capacity, this car is truly a long distance cruiser!
It is a crowd pleaser at car shows. It seems to have a special draw to mechanical engineers and beautiful women (the type who don't wear make up).
The body work is aluminum sheet metal with simple curves (no compound
curves which are difficult to fabricate and repair) and is riveted together with
a combination of alumimum and stainless steel rivets.
The car if fully street legal in regards to clearances, turn signals, parking brake,
safety flashers, side marker lights, etc.
The engine is a flat design six cylinder Chevrolet turbocharged air-cooled design
similar to the Porsche design (only half as many cylinders) used in the Corvair turbo-
charged model. Horsepower is conservative 250hp at 6,000 rpm.
The chassis is extremely ridgid design with the front half being an aluminum monoque tub and the back half a perfect design space frame.
. This Page will contain information on the car which launched Dale Manufacturing.
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. Begun in 1974 and completed in 1978, this prototype sports car is the result of 6,000 hours of construction and about $ 10,000 in materials.
. Dale Manufacturing was formed to manufacture limited production, light-weight, street-legal sports cars and this prototype example was the result.
. When the federal government informed me that I would be required to provide three cars for crash testing I decided to shift my focus to remanufacturing engine parts instead.
. This car has now about 1,000 miles and the tires still look like new. It goes to a car show about every five years. Suspension is full race design with coil over shock spring units and adjustable length, five rod rear suspension and dual A-arm front suspension.
Steering is rack and pinion steering with a 2.3 turn lock to lock travel.
Vehicle weight is 2,100 pounds with origional steel wheels and Goodyear bias tires (about 2,000 pounds with modern aluminum wheels and tires).
Transmission is four speed transaxle with limited slip differential carrier.
If you want a car you can work on your self, that has huge street potential, is affordable to operate and repair, and is like no other car your friends have, may I suggest that this may be just what you have been looking for . Besides, it will save you the 6,000 hours of development and construction that I have already invested (not to mention the $ 10,000 in parts and materials).
....David Langsather, founder of Dale Manufacturing.