Bill Griffith, The Man Dedicated to FORMULA VEES for 50 years (Hot VWs Magazine Nov 2021 feature)

#Subtitle Available in 13 languages
Thanks Bill Griffith for showing your amazing FV shop Big Hammer Racing and some tricks of making a 40hp engine faster!
Texan native Bill Griffith is a true FV guy who has been dedicated to the series for 50 years. He began running a vintage Formula Vee shop, Big Hammer Racing (Cedar Hill, Texas), 25 years ago at its current location. This is a true Formula Vee-only race preparation and trackside support shop.
The Formula Vee league was established and recognized as a class of the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) in 1963. The mid-engine race cars were limited to the use of VW Beetle components only: 1200cc engine, transmission, suspension… The fiberglass body sat atop a tube frame chassis.
Big Hammer Racing
biggerhammerracing.com/
Big Hammer Racing KZbin
/ @andig48
#formulavee #formulacar #vwracing

[@busnut2]

Went thru his vee school in 2008 at TWS. Great teacher and fun to know. The most memorable thing I remember is Bill giving us schoolies a lesson in his dually diesel pickup, going thru the carasel faster than I managed to do in our race.

[@billclisham8668]

There is a guy in the Spokane area that has a Zink that he did a paint scheme of Jackie Stewarts '65 Lotus #33. I always love seeing that car.

[@badgumby9544]

Bill Noble was the guru of Formula Vee.

[@joehackney1376]

Had a '64 Beach Mk 5 in the late '60's. Good memories!

[@ancientpelican]

My son just went through racing school in one of Bill’s cars this weekend. Bill and his crew are awesome.

[@DuneBuggyWarehouse]

What a cool video. Thanks to Bill and Hot VW's for a look inside the Formula Vee world.

[@scottpella7419]

I have read this article probably 5 times...SO much better hearing it from the MAN himself! Thanks for this video. I know nothing about Vee cars, but I've always wanted to know about them.

[@bmwlane8834]

Great vid!

[@vwsandvettes3253]

Thanks HVWs and Bill! Bill must be in his '70s, but I swear he looks way younger! Good for him 😀

[@RacingHistoricVee]

Great video, what a shop!

[@markschertzer9976]

Great video and thank you for making it.👍

[@hotvwsmagazine]

Glad you liked it!

[@franciscoribeiro2321]

No Brasil o fórmula Vê fez muito sucesso. Um exemplar desse carro é o Fitti-Vê, dos irmãos Wilson e Emerson Fittipaldi.

[@jameshutchins3396]

This is beyond cool.

[@joeodonnell2594]

Cool cars

[@vayabroder729]

Formula Vee is a lost art.

[@SMcN50]

Still going strong in Ireland 🇮🇪 👍

[@dt777dt702]

Great story. Great information

[@hotvwsmagazine]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Pazair-nq6gl]

Cool, me encanta 🤙

[@lunkydog]

You meant that you don't use both of of the torsion leaf stacks, you are still using all of the trailing arms.

[@andig48]

Lol! You are correct. Two excuses. One, I’m not accustomed to being interviewed by a world famous magazine and Shin didn’t let me edit the video

[@hotvwsmagazine]

As Bill explained, the upper torsion leaf stacks were removed (Bill said remove one set of traling arm, but he means killing a function of upper trailing arm) and replaces with a 3/4" solid bar (move freely inside the inside the beam). Then, that bar is bolted to the trailing arms. So, it works as like a sway bar.

[@MrKandu4u]

I own a 1964 "Polar" Formula which I think might rank 2nd as for a manufactured formula Vee. He was manufactured in Alaska, and I was wondering if you had any knowledge of Polar?

[@rickbell2nd731]

Hello, I have a FV Shifter that has a broken return spring. How can I find the correct spring, do you have one that you would sell? Thank you for your time. Rick Bell II

[@Paul-jp5xf]

I’ve got a 2332cc that would love to push one of those little guys around!!!

[@andrigtmiller]

I think it would be cool if they would update the rules to go with a '69 and later front and rear suspension, and the 1600 dual port engine. A lot easier to get the parts, and better handling in the rear especially with the IRS. Of course the cars speed potential would go up too, but not to wear it would dangerous or anything.

[@hotvwsmagazine]

Could be wrong, but some FV in Europe allow to run '66 and later ball joint front end. SCCA FV stayed old school.

[@MidgetRacer8192]

as mentioned by Hot VWs, SCCA FV stayed with the original design & Europe did evolved, even in the 70s. however, Formula First in the USA does use the newer balljoint beams & 1600 engines, following the Australia FV rules.

[@andrigtmiller]

@@MidgetRacer8192 That's cool. That's a car that I would build.

[@ocavant]

Cool. I want one :-) How much is the average car(un restored)?

[@150day]

Just like any bug found in a barn or garage, it could be from free to a few thousand dollars. The trick is the time and effort in the restoration. These are race cars, not street cars, so there is a lot of detail required even though they are relatively simple as race cars go. You don't want to go 90 mph into a hairpin corner with two or three other cars in a poorly prepared car.

[@Josh-mh3kl]

Im selling two FV's, but they are in a clients garage collecting dust. They are in rough shape.

[@boblugaluga100]

are you still, west coast, PNW?

[@franccoch4676]

awesome place, nice video would be better with better sound ;-)

[@ajwasp3642]

You appear younger than you look.

[@jimmywilkinson9190]

I guess a 40 that turning 6,000 is making more than 40 hp.

[@busnut2]

Not sure but think a 40 turning 6,000 is either modified or in neutral.

[@jimmywilkinson9190]

@@busnut2 The formula V don't weight nothing and less wind drag . it is like in neutral yes !

[@veryrare7647]

@@busnut2 he says they lighten and strenghen everything allowed to make it rev to 6k. it definitely makes more than 40hp thats the point :)

[@alexjohn5086]

@@veryrare7647 ...you can get 50 plus legal hp ,but you have to acid the intakes ...I raced a Kelly at Mosport in the late 70's ,but sold it an build a Zink Z 10 Formula ford ,sold it an went windsurfing.

[@MidgetRacer8192]

the top legal FV engines now are making 65+ hp now, and the biggest tracks are around 7000rpm.

[@LA6NPA]

Can you reupload this video without the porn music, please? There's already music in the shop and the shitty porn music on top of shitty voice audio is awful. Also, get one of those cheap lav mics and use an old phone as a recorder, so you can get proper voice recording. Won't be perfect, but a lot better than this. It's a SUPER INTERESTING VIDEO, but I can't watch it with the porn music.