Yeah, I decided to roll the dice. It would have been nice to try to get that V8 working on 85 RON. I think they failed (quickly) on La Sarthe in large part because the octane quality in France at that time was quite poor, like effectively 82-83, and I guess they also shifted more in a single lap than a whole NASCAR race. IIRC McGriff’s team tuned the engine for 90 RON instead of typical 98, expecting octane to be poorer, but that was still not low enough.
Getting that 50 reliability on the engine is not an easy feat tho, not sure who here was able to achieve this. If I started earlier (65, maybe 66) maybe I could have made it with a few more quality points and ET buffer. However, already 7-8 years to design it is quite long. My engine is also nearly squared (98.3 x 95.5) to try to lower bore as much as possible but not use heavy cast (lower reliability) and get better Fuel Econ for Le Mans.
It was an optimistic number, I’ll admit. It’s just that the oddity of this whole situation and the potential success of cup cars at Le Mans intrigued me. I figured 50 reliability would be a good ballpark figure.
Also, Nascar had been doing the Riverside 400 for years, so shifting more often than on an oval wouldn’t have been too unheard of.
Well, guess it’s about time I released my attempt. A few things before I show it off:
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I made it on the Kee version of Automation, meaning that certain things would be different if I attempted to recreate it on the newer versions. I hope you do not consider this to be cheating on my end, as I do not mean it to be such.
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While attempting to reach the market appeal, I changed my trims to 1967 instead of the base model’s 1965. This was done because I didn’t need the full 11 years for anything. It also made my car more popular in the target market. I really didn’t want to remake the models in 1967. Since the trim is the only one available for both the engine and the car, I view the car and engine as 1967 designs. I hope you agree.
The photos and backstory will be released later today!
In Archana, a young businessman named Mikal Lamb paced through his old factory. It had been his father’s back in the day as an appliance producer. However, due to certain “international events,” it had been converted into an utility vehicle factory. Mikal inherited it and decided to produce cars. The handful of cars made by Lamb Manufacturing during the late 40s and early 50s were mostly budget utility vehicles.
Mikal Lamb raced on occasion, using his salary to fund entries into lower level touring racing. While his results were mediocre at best, they made him consider the possibility of making a race car of his own.
By 1965, his factory had been dormant for nearly 7 years. Eager to try his hand at motorsports, he rebranded his company as Lamb Motorsports and convinced a former engineer of his to return and design a muscle car for both commercial and sport production.
Three preliminary designs were drawn up and subsequently discarded. A fourth design underwent engineering starting in 1967. By late 1970, the heavy steel monocoque was ready, but the engine was still a ways off. Finally, in mid-1974, the engine was complete. A 5.8L V8 with 361hp and 391 pounds of torque was the end result. Despite the power, the car (now named the Ram Lamb) got 9.6 mpg on premium leaded fuel.
The relatively low price (sub $16k) combined with the 151 mph top speed saw independent teams picking it up for stock car racing, although its low top speed meant that it most often saw service on short tracks. With the proper tires, its ride height made it suitable for dirt oval racing and made a name for itself in the modified scene. Drivers began nicknaming the engine as the “Pride’s Roar” due to its loudness. News outlets began calling the engine a “Lion is a Lamb’s chassis.” Through some smooth-talking, Mikal convinced NASCAR to include one of his cars as an entry at the 24 Hours at Le Mans.
Dude, you’re still playing on the Kee engine? I applaud you!
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