17 replies to this topic

[4bangen]

I just found this section of the board. and figured I'd share.
Here is a photo shop I did of my 89 Mark VII. I still may paint my car like this, but will definitely make a model of it.

There was never a Mark VII in nascar, but seeing as they where so close to the T birds I figured why not?
here's the real car.

[Harry P.]

Yeah, you don't see a lot of NASCAR racers with chrome-plated rear view mirrors!

I say go for it! Paint your car that way and watch the stares you get on the street.

[Dr. Cranky]

It will definitely get attention.

[Eric Stone]

A few were run as road race cars when they were new-
Photos from: http://www.racingspo...n/Mark VII.html

[martinfan5]

It is little known that the Mark VIII was almost a contender at NASCAR. Chevrolets had won 31 of 46 Winston Cup races since the redesigned Monte Carlo was introduced in the 1995 model year and racing season. In 1996, Ford had no plans to update its 9 year old Thunderbird in the near future. The next year, Ford announced that it would discontinue the Thunderbird, one of the most successful brands in NASCAR history, at year's end. In 1996,

Michael Kranefuss, owner of Team 37, saw the Mark VIII, which shared the MN-12 platform with the Thunderbird, as the logical replacement. The team built a NASCAR car based on the contour of 1996 Mark VIII. Wind tunnel tests were done on the completed car at the Lookheed plant in Marietta Georgia on May 7, 1996. The car attracted a lot of attention during the two day test at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 8-9, 1996. John Andretti drove the Mark VIII for those test laps, recording one of the highest speeds for those days. They were the focus of attention not because of the lap times but because it was a Lincoln Mark VIII.

NASCAR officials said they would allow the Lincoln Mark VIII to be used in Winston competition, but Ford asked the team to stop the development program. "Ford's foremost objective is to sell cars," stated Michael Kranefuss, who has a 30 year association with Ford. Ford wanted a sales leader represent Ford in NASCAR.

Also, at the time, Ford did not want Lincoln to have a race image. In 1997, when Ford announced that the Thunderbird was to be discontinued, Ford got special permission from NASCAR to campaign a two door Taurus for NASCAR for the 1998 season. Special dies were made up for the skins of this racing Taurus that was optimized for aerodynamics. No Two door Taurus was ever offered in the showroom! So much for "stock car" racing.

Edited by martinfan5, 13 October 2011 - 07:33 PM.

[Harry P.]

No Two door Taurus was ever offered in the showroom! So much for "stock car" racing.

Yeah, the "stock car" part of stock car racing disappeared a looooong time ago...

[Eric Stone]

I'm not sure how you can call it a two door or four door anyway, when it doesn't have any doors.

[Art Anderson]

Yeah, the "stock car" part of stock car racing disappeared a looooong time ago...

Yeah, every pretense at "stock" cars in NASCAR ended with the demise of the "Dark Side" era.

Art

[Michigan Madman]

Even if they had used the Lincoln, it was discontinued a year after the T-Bird, so that only would have given them one more year to get the Taurus approved for NASCAR.

[weasel]

i believe they have to use the steel roof of whatever MFG they use...everything else is piecemeal...the fenders are 3-4 pieces...

[martinfan5]

i believe they have to use the steel roof of whatever MFG they use...everything else is piecemeal...the fenders are 3-4 pieces...

Not any more, since the COT , nothing is the same as the 1:1 counter part.

[turn1wonder]

Did this about 10 years ago, I can post more pics if interested.

Bob

Attached Files

•  Models_08 NASCON 22.jpg   1.36MB   28 downloads

[martinfan5]

I like that, I always wanted to make a stock version out of the kit

[4bangen]

for now I went a different rout. or well another rout, I've been down before.

this was my last one.

looked and sounded great, but it was in piss poor shape. it led a hard life before I got it. its still around but only as a parts car.
Maybe one day I'll do one up nascar style but for now dark, black, and nasty is fun.

[wagonmaster]

How about a RWD anything nascrap period. What ever happened to the 500 car production to make it legal. Looks like too many whiners. Nascar dies in the 70s let's leave it dead.

[martinfan5]

How about a RWD anything nascrap period. What ever happened to the 500 car production to make it legal. Looks like too many whiners. Nascar dies in the 70s let's leave it dead.

Wow, you must be a NASCAR hater, NASCAR is still alive, could it be better, yes.

[CorvairJim]

I remember seeing the Kranefuss-Haas Mark VIII during testing on TV back when it was current, and I loved the concept! Another similar car I would have liked to have seen built would have been a contemporary Buick Riviera. That car looked like it was pretty slippery aerodynamically. I did a couple of sketches of one in NASCAR trim back then, and I liked what I came up with. That was back when GM had four divisions competing in "Winston" Cup.

[martinfan5]

Oh yes, chevy, olds , buick, pontiac,