Some old Reno pics

[wingman]

Great looking raceplane -- and I do not even like stock Corsairs.

They took 7 feet off the wings. That alone really changes the look.

[Jan]

Yes, the Super Corsair was a good-looking bird - big, burly and muscled-up. But I happen to like the look of stock Corsairs a lot too. Oh look...

Here's one in 1979... Brought to you by.... those same Chino Kids. (John Tegler photo)

[Jan]

Jim Maloney did the flying mostly... (John Tegler collection)

[Jan]

Reno 1982 didn't have the best weather. It rained during several of the races. Good ole' Ran Slaten shot the Bud Light Special through raindrops. (Ran Slaten photo)

[wingman]

I just don't much like the look of a stock Corsair. It is awkward looking -- It looks like the box a Bearcat came in...

[RAD2LTR]

Oh, Oh, I have a Corsair pic from 82... My dad shot this. Yeah, not as good as what your guys are posting. Not sure if this is Blue max or Wart Hog.


Will

[Jan]

Excellent shot of Wart Hog Neal. We'll just have to agree to disagree on Corsairs. I like the bent-wing birds. They have a real presence, a beefy Navy/Marine sea-going charm and a cool look in my eyes. They had a pretty long run in service in the U.S. and with foreign air forces too outlasting other WWII birds. They weren't as effective as Hellcats during WWII but that was partly due to the time it took to develop them and the way the Navy and Marines split on their use and support of them.

Everyone I've talked to says they fly very well. Ask Steve Hinton about them sometime.

[Jan]

Oh, Oh, I have a Corsair pic from 82... My dad shot this. Yeah, not as good as what your guys are posting. Not sure if this is Blue max or Wart Hog.


Will

Will - I haven't looked at your Dad's photo close enough to see which F4U that is but I'll note that that's a mighty sweet looking AMC Concord in the foreground... (sarcasm intended). ;-)

Maybe Neal would look favorably on the Concord... Maybe not. At one point during the 80s/90s I remember he was driving a Teutonically-fetching BMW Bavaria or a 528, can't remember which. But Eric and I did think it was cool ride.... seriously.

[wingman]

Ah... The Five.

The ultimate stealth road warrior. The only car I've ever actually gone over 100 miles in an hour in (there was a time when Montana did not have a speed limit!).

[Jan]

Ha! I knew I my memory was pretty accurate. I guess that was a 528. It was cool. A friend of ours in high school had a father with an M5 - 1986 or 1987 vintage. That thing was a blast. The father used to do lapping sessions at Summit Point Raceway in WV with it. Eric and I went with our friend and his Dad a couple times and after we'd done the SCCA courses and got our licenses he let us lap it too. Good fun!

I have been over 100 mph in a car on track and on public roads... way over in fact - several times. Also good fun, spelled A-u-t-o-b-a-h-n on various occasions.

[RAD2LTR]

Will - I haven't looked at your Dad's photo close enough to see which F4U that is but I'll note that that's a mighty sweet looking AMC Concord in the foreground... (sarcasm intended). ;-)

Maybe Neal would look favorably on the Concord... Maybe not. At one point during the 80s/90s I remember he was driving a Teutonically-fetching BMW Bavaria or a 528, can't remember which. But Eric and I did think it was cool ride.... seriously.

The Corsair doesn't have enough detail to see which one it is. Its got a checkerboard cowling, beyond that I can't tell which it is.

A 5 series BMW of that era was one of the best cars $ could buy. I'd still take an E28 over a modern 5 series. Its a far better made car. I'd love an E28 M5, but those went way up in value following the original M3s. That said, the original M3 is a pretty fantastic car. Its my choice of car for going anywhere. I could drive a Subaru WRX, but the M3 just does everything better.



Will

[Jan]

There were four Corsairs in the Unlimited field in 1982. The Bud Light Special of course and "Wart Hog", the FG-1D flown by Mike Wright. Bob Yancey was there too with "Old Blue" and Bob Guilford had "Blue Max" there. Four Corsairs but zero Bearcats (much to Neal's chagrin) as Lyle and the crew were at a low ebb with Rare Bear as JS has attested. Examine those three stock F4Us and see if you can come up with an I.D. for the one your Dad shot.

Totally agree on the E28 and E30. Very good cars. They are from the era when BMW was still building high-quality, lower volume sports sedan/coupes. Both model lines were very well done with great road feel communicated to the driver via the steering wheel and chassis. The E36 3-series wasn't bad either. After that, BMW's success started to dilute the goodness of the 3 and 5-series models.

Now BMWs are overgrown hulking behemoths with very muted dynamics. They're fast but not much fun. As an aside, if you weren't aware, both Eric and I wrote for automotive publications for years doing car reviews, automotive history, racing coverage and more from AutoWeek to MotorTrend and other pubs. So I've got a lot of car experience too.

[wingman]

I loved those BMWs of the 1970s and 1980s. This was my racetrack car, for club events and track days. Not a lot of power with the "baby six" but had been extensively modified by former owners and handled spectacularly. Tailhappy even with all the work -- this car taught me about "trailing throttle oversteer". It was great fun, without a big investment.

[wingman]

I know the Corsair was a great fighter -- but I still never much liked the look. Even a sunset doesn't help it much.

[RAD2LTR]

You just have to find the right light. Granted, If I were to shoot this pic now, I'd do it differently, but hey it was my first time shooting the ramp at night.

Equipment goes a long way. hahah.

Will