"potentialthreat" (potentialthreat) 06/27/2015 at 22:01 • Filed to: 14

4

16

Hi guys, Just posting a album I made a while ago about one of my favorite cars, The Light Car Company Rocket.

Concoction of Gordon Murray and Chris Craft’s imaginations of a pure lightweight sportscar for themselves, but more people were interested...

Chris and Gordon started Lightweight Car Company in 1991.

Six Speed Sequential Gear box, Yamaha stock unit+ Weissman unit giving you extra high and low gears.

173 horsepower, 4 cyl Yamaha engine, 11k rpm...775 lbs...

rest of album here...

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

pip bip - choose Corrour > potentialthreat 06/27/2015 at 22:07

0

mmmmmm!

904 GTS > potentialthreat 06/28/2015 at 00:01

1

Jay airing his out at the end of May just past.

Oh, the Rocket, my favorite small car! It’s a TWO seater, too!

Check out the horizontal shut-line from Jay’s shoulder going back and the one going over the top, just ahead of those air inlets. That upper fearing panel is removable and there is a second seat under there, just before the firewall. Even an adult can slide in, provided he or she is trim and flexible, extending one’s legs forward around the driver’s seat. The added weight makes driving the car not as nimble but much fun for the copilot, no doubt!

904 GTS > 904 GTS 06/28/2015 at 00:26

1

904 GTS > 904 GTS 06/28/2015 at 00:29

0

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeE0G1…

A short video as well. E N J O Y !

potentialthreat > 904 GTS 06/28/2015 at 22:09

0

Thanks for the photo of jay Leno in his rocket, havn’t seen it before. Yeah usually people have the jumpseat but not the one I posted. It has two fuel tanks and putting one behind you balances it out much better. I’m sure the nimbleness doesn’t matter with the back seat, I wonder how a 21st century rocket would be..

904 GTS > potentialthreat 06/28/2015 at 22:55

0

BAC Mono perhaps . . . ? A tube-framed car at the moment still, just like the Rocket. But, when BAC sell enough of them, or when someone commissions a all carbon chassis, then quite certainly the carbon chassis Mono will be it.

Here is more on the BAC Mono:

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1097173_b…

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYGh0KumEJI

potentialthreat > 904 GTS 06/29/2015 at 17:36

0

Doesn’t hit the marks imo...great car but I forgot about it and don’t really lust for it much anymore...

Reason being the rocket is a road car and usuable...unlike that BAC Mono... plus the rocket still weighs 425 pounds less and has a manual transmission.

I wonder what Gordan would do, If anything. I would just like the body panels in carbon fiber or probably kevlar...with a few strengthened gearbox and engine metal pieces...possibly titanium and case hardened items...

Id opt for the normal dials..unlike the one I posted and Id upgrade the materials of the seat underneath

904 GTS > potentialthreat 06/29/2015 at 17:54

0

The Mono is streetable, even in California.

But with so many people jumping on the tubular frame chassis band wagon since the Rocket was made some 20 years ago now, think if Gordon was to redo the Rocket with Howden, they would just HAVE to do a carbon tub, to differentiate themselves from all those other tube frame car makers. Gordon has much experience with carbon fibre and now being more and more used, the raw materials are getting also more reasonable. Think he’ll be able to whip out a carbon chassis in no time, since he most recently been experimenting with his all carbon city car. If I’ll see him in Monterey this August again, I’ll ask...

904 GTS > potentialthreat 06/29/2015 at 18:30

0

What you speak about are minor improvements, cosmetic and comfort oriented, primarily. So, the best way to do so, is to buy a Rocket and make them yourself.

Think if the Light Car Company is to improve on already hard to improve, superbly simple design, it would have to make the tub from carbon, make some new trick new suspension and perhaps use a motorcycle-based V8 to make it more exotic.

potentialthreat > 904 GTS 06/30/2015 at 13:54

0

Thank you for your response. I just think the rocket is a better overall package for the road, as in more usable all around. Yeah my vision of upgrading the car is just that, upgrading it to learn and potentially gain something out of it. Who is Howden by the way?

I know Chris’ son Luke has given upgrades to the original rocket already, with some simpler suspension, I believe optional carbon exhaust, and small bits and bobs. In a video I remember he talked with someone infront of a rocket and pointed out areas where he could save even more weight

I do agree that Gordon has a lot more knowledge now with all his city car projects and such...and I think TVR will test that seriously. I do think a new rocket would be a carbon tub or such, Gordon already found many ways of having cheaper composite work in cars and the strength and knowledge from that would be incredible in a new rocket. I do hope you get a chance to ask him about the rocket and what he would whip up if he would create a new one.

I still want to find a rocket brochure to buy.

904 GTS > potentialthreat 06/30/2015 at 15:37

0

Craft not Ganley, of course, my mistake. Keep thinking it was Howden but you are correct, it was Chris with Gordon who started The Light Car Company.

Wonder whatever happened to the “Lightning” the second car Chris and Gordon came up...

A fun aside - Saw Luke and Gordon’s kid some years ago driving the Rocket in one of the early European Cannonball drives. Some of the participants parked in an enclave of the Museé d’Orsay in Paris. That was Thursday or Frida, on their way to South of France. After attending the Le Mans test, saw them again at Nürburgring. The group had a date with AMG to get rides with Klaus Ludwig in a CLK LM, on their way back to the U.K. Wanting to still drive the Nordschleife before they were to head out, we had but a brief visit. Later, to my total surprise, I found they __ WON __ that Cannonball OVERALL. Pretty impressive, indeed.

potentialthreat > 904 GTS 07/01/2015 at 12:35

0

Looking back at the lightning, it seems like it is a different company. Light car company (Gordon and Chris) versus Lightning Car Company (Lightning GT).

Can’t find much info on it, and their website isn’t existent anymore...as if the rockets were hah.

That is awesome that they won the Cannonball! Quite the duo too. Apparently Luke still has two unused race chassis as of a couple weeks ago...hopefully they will still be there for when I have the cash for one!

904 GTS > potentialthreat 07/01/2015 at 13:28

0

Inquired with an astute memorabilia dealer wheter he has anything on hand on the Rocket. He apparently never seen anything ever. He reasoned - perhaps there may actually never have been anything printed to promote it. If you are in touch with Luke, you may ask him. Surely he’ll know. When I speak with Gordon next, I’ll ask him as well.

potentialthreat > 904 GTS 07/01/2015 at 14:00

0

Some guy apparently is trying to print a 250 page book about the rocket..with first 100 signed by Chris and Gordon..but it looks sketchy... I’d be interested but a pipe dream for now...

I know I saw a post on one of the spotting websites and someone had given there brochure to gordon to sign and he was surprised someone had one, and Gordon wasn’t sure where his was or the last time he had seen it.

Il try to contact Luke, Thanks!

904 GTS > potentialthreat 07/01/2015 at 16:57

0

Interesting - so there actually WAS some printed propaganda after all !!!

Will tell the man I know and ask him to look for it, now that we know. Also, when I get to see Jay next time, I’ll ask him whether he has a brochure of a Rocket as well...

potentialthreat > 904 GTS 07/01/2015 at 18:48

0

Found peloton 25’s photo and story

So right now there are at least 3.

The one in peloton’s photo

press kit with red cover

racing series with yellow cover (never got off the ground like peloton said)