I'll be answering your Porsche 917 questions live this Saturday at noon eastern time on my new channel. Come get your car geek on with me at kzread.info ! If you can't make it just hit me with your questions below.

@chefcc90

2 жыл бұрын

Number one question is the secretary car aspect of them, as they have been called. Did they really call upon all their workers to just build the cars?

@rahulsudhir666

2 жыл бұрын

One of my fav race cars ever! Can't wait for more insight from the Q&A. Ficarra, u rock!

@the_frankc

2 жыл бұрын

Is there a reason they changed the Gulf livery on the cars to have different patterns?

@theanomalous1401

2 жыл бұрын

I just set a reminder on my phone. I wouldn't miss this for anything!

@rahulsudhir666

2 жыл бұрын

1. Can you share some insight on what it took for the Count Rossi car to be road legalized? 2. What's your take on Icon Engineering's 917 Replicas? Are they worth the asking price?

This man can tell a proper story.

@jondoe-eg1ty

2 жыл бұрын

he call le mans lemons

@unsaved013

2 жыл бұрын

@@jondoe-eg1ty He was probably referring to the Lemons racing series where people race clapped out sub $500 cars in endurance races for fun. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_Hours_of_Lemons

@starga-fr7qx

Жыл бұрын

​@@unsaved013 no he wasn't his pronounciation is rubbish Piech as peach isntead of pi eck Lemons when he wants to say le maans Wyer as Weer instead of Why ur

@sirstrongbad

Жыл бұрын

@@starga-fr7qx when he's talking about them forming the new tail with sheets of aluminium self tapping screws and duct tape he's definitely referring to Lemons, because he pronounces LeMans properly elsewhere in the video.

@starga-fr7qx

Жыл бұрын

​@@sirstrongbad ok wel fair enough, but his other pronounciation is just shit all the way. as are his factual mistakes

The Porsche 917 road car makes the Lamborghini Countach seem like a practical family hatchback in comparison.

@colinmunro7337

2 жыл бұрын

Count Rossi had 1 and Allan Hamilton's 917 30 in Australia

@willbeasy2898

2 жыл бұрын

@@colinmunro7337 Alan Hamilton also used to have a road legal 908 coupe.

@colinmunro7337

2 жыл бұрын

@@willbeasy2898 legit ,Allan had the maddest Porsches on the road anywhere in the world

@willbeasy2898

2 жыл бұрын

@@colinmunro7337 I was lucky enough to go into his work shop a few years ago, and I spotted some unpainted 908 front bodywork, plus I was shown a storage area where there was piles upon piles of Porsche racing parts, including a 917 titanium spool, and heaps of 935 parts.

@devandrasimanjuntak1646

2 жыл бұрын

legit, the cabin of the 917 might be smaller than some Kei cars 😂

I was 10 years old when my father brought me to Le Mans 1970, where I saw the legendary car in action. More than 50 years later, when someone talks about race cars, the Porsche 917 comes to my mind!

@GameOver-nm2us

Жыл бұрын

Aren't you like 62 now?

@jean-francoispirenne6518

Жыл бұрын

@@GameOver-nm2us Toi y en a compter vite.

@chinodave3769

Жыл бұрын

We’re the same age, I remember the 917 at Riverside,it’s speed near the end of the back straight was incredible and the sound, wow remember it like it was yesterday..

@Duh6666666

3 ай бұрын

Great memories for sure! In my case, some family friends had given me a ticket to the inaugural Montreal GP for my 11th bday, which was the day Gilles Villeneuve won with his superb Ferrari 312T4. one of the best days of my life.

@redplanet7163

3 ай бұрын

@@GameOver-nm2us Damn dude, you're a mathematician!

This is a great history lesson. I remember going to Watkins Glen with my brother in 1970. I had just turned 20 in June and my brother 17 in March. A couple of kids really. We traipsed around the track all day taking pictures with a long lensed Nikon F motor drive. I was originally a Ford fan but the Porsche 917 had stolen my allegiance. Seeing the two 917s come in 1 and 2 against the Ferraris was a dream come true. Just wish I still had all of those pictures that we took.

@rhryguy

Жыл бұрын

R ccx/

@nuckels188

4 ай бұрын

I can't even imagine how awesome it sounds in person. Even a damn youtube video of 917 flybys is jawdropping Love watkins glen too, those barriers amplify car noises beautifully

I honestly could listen to him telling car stories like this all day! By far my favorite story teller on here!

@halnutt1790

2 жыл бұрын

Could tell a story of how to make Mac and cheese I would listen same as michel

@andrewpacheco3541

2 жыл бұрын

No body beats Rabbit!!! But I do like how this guy tells a story lol

@blockpartyvintage1568

2 жыл бұрын

And Doug!

@starga-fr7qx

Жыл бұрын

but everytime he tells stories, it's riddled with factual errors.

@davida.737

Жыл бұрын

The first time Redman got into the car, he wanted to see how the windscreen wiper was going to do, so he turned it on, the wiper goes flying off, he smiled.."well, we won't be using that," and guns it out of the pits.

Thank you Ficarra and VINwiki, today's episode washed away the filthy taste of NFT Bro with the delightfully nostalgic minty flavor of Porsche racing dominance.

@BlueCollarBTC

2 жыл бұрын

why was the nft story bad lol you’re the type of person to complain about not enough content than get the content and just never stop bitchin be happy they put out videos consistently

@joshuagibson2520

2 жыл бұрын

Naaaah. Ed is on probation. He's putting out complete garbage 2-3 days a week usually. Ad revenue is not more important than quality content. If you only have 2 worthwhile videos a week, so be it. Don't put out trash just for the sake of having a new video everyday.

@bwofficial1776

2 жыл бұрын

How long will NFT Bro get blasted in the comments? Answer: forever, unlike his NFTs.

@wsshead

2 жыл бұрын

@@bwofficial1776 NFT Bro feigned being a car guy and just crapped buckets on all automobile hobby enthusiasts. If his idea of art is chaotic demise, great, go blow up a Chrysler Sebring, there are tons of em. There are not a ton of Lamborghini's, though. It's like a poacher shooting a tiger for its fur then cackling like a maniac as he shoots the rest of the streak (a group of tigers) for fun. The Xtreme Xperience guy didn't even make me this mad. He at least respects the brand and that people dream about those vehicles.

@theawsomekicker

2 жыл бұрын

He could've invited streetspeed717. Would've been just as bad

Hesitated, "24minutes it's a little long, I need to do stuff" - felt like 5minutes. So glad to hear a person that is telling a story so well time isn't even noticed - AND knows the engineering well enough to incorporate it for us nerds. Thank you!

That bit about having a pressurized frame to check for cracks was something I've never heard of. That's amazing!

Day 2 of being thankful there aren't anymore Crypto/NFT Bros. John Ficarra also has the most unique and genuine stories on this channel.

@MrHondablink

2 жыл бұрын

.... but still disappointed a Casey response video hasn't been posted.

@eddyevl

2 жыл бұрын

100% agreed! NFTboy just doesn't fit well with the spirit and vinwiki channel theme.

@its_only_karma7440

2 жыл бұрын

We need rabbit back

@STRGHTSXBNZ

2 жыл бұрын

@Mike Gresko The truth

@devintrudeau6351

2 жыл бұрын

@@its_only_karma7440 Rabbit and Arnie

We love Ficarra's deep dives into racing history! Enjoy.

@riskyb250

2 жыл бұрын

so do I. More pls

@theanomalous1401

2 жыл бұрын

Between the John Ficarra and Euroasian Bob stories over the past 2 days. All is forgiven for Monday's uhhh, story? Let @Ed Bolian know that his penance will consist of confession of his sins at the altar of the Prancing Horse followed by 10 Hail Enzo's. All is forgiven, go and sin no more!

@Jay1369

2 жыл бұрын

@@theanomalous1401 hahaha hail Enzo's amazing!

@stijnvandamme76

2 жыл бұрын

Deep Dive ?? he's almost reading the books. You make it sound like he dug up some unknown story when it's all well known and documented information. if this was a Thesis, he'de flunk for not quoting his various sources. Obviously We all know what those are.. Hans Mezger's book, Ludvigsen and some others.

@snirtgonzo354

2 жыл бұрын

No more NFT bro plzzzz

I love active aero and mechanical solutions to problems, so the sketch at 18:52 just blew my mind. I really like the idea of a wing adjusted by suspension position, and I think that adds a lot of possibilities for making a fast car!

@napoliansolo7865

Жыл бұрын

Good representation of how different analog and digital engineering works. Now days they'd use senors and micro processors with a computer box to do the same thing. Thanks for pointing that out.

@starga-fr7qx

Жыл бұрын

it was never on the homoligated cars... because it was already banned by then

Great story telling - was lucky enough to spend time with John Horsman a few years ago, and others in the JW Gulf team. Just one thing… your “Ferrari 512” that is pictured is actually a Lola T70. They both ran the Sunoco livery, but the Ferrari pictured ain’t no Ferrari!!

IMO, John Ficarra is just THE best at telling stories. He could tell me how he left a paper straw in the glove box of a car and I’d be there to listen

@joshuagibson2520

2 жыл бұрын

You should get out more. Or read. Find a good book.

@AlexWeiss94

2 жыл бұрын

@@joshuagibson2520 okay?? 😆

@jakesmith2341

2 жыл бұрын

@@joshuagibson2520 I like how that's your first assumption about some rando comment on a vinwiki vid. Maybe you should get a life ;)

@nigelft

2 жыл бұрын

@@joshuagibson2520 Years ago, in the early 1980's, before I turned 13, or so, I used to read to my younger sister ... alot. Reason being, she was, and is, severely disabled to the point she just can't read, rather like an infant, before they find language, and speech, properly. So, I would read my favourite stories to her, as she would cuddle up next to me. It's from there I learned about inflection, and intonation, and whilst I hated reading out aloud to my class, I got decent (but not like, in the As, but, say, B+) grades, because of learning that; one reason I can 'mask' my Autism pretty well, because of including inflection and intonation when speaking, and thinking a second or so before saying anything, although it doesn't always work. That's what makes a good narrator great, as by adding both those teo skills, plus the correct degree of enthusiasm, you can turn a mundane story into something else, due to being able to put just the right amount of emotional energy, into a story, without sounding like you're mentally bouncing around the place. I could go into how, during the day of sail, being able to write, and perform sea-shanties, not just to 'mark time', just as entertainment, as well as spinning tall-tales, was essentially to keeping the morale of the crew up, especially when hundreds, if not thousands of miles away from home. Instead, I'll just say this: if you either have, or will have, kids of your own, or your siblings do, and you start reading them stories, perhaps you may find out why great narrators, like Morgan Freeman, and Sir. David Attenborough, are held in high esteem ... and why hyperbole is used in describing both men, because of the 'infectious' many of telling a story that, by halfway through, you've become semi-consciously emotionally invested ... Perhaps it is you whom should read a book, or two, or, better yet, find an unabridged, audio version, of a favourite book, that you can relax listening to, as, especially being emotionally uptight, leads to high blood pressure, which is not healthy for the heart at all, and is the leading cause of Aneurysms, Strokes, and Heart Attacks ... Take care, and be well.

@starga-fr7qx

Жыл бұрын

full of factual mistakes , no not the best at telling stories. at all.

Never clicked on a VinWiki story so fast - All hail John Ficaffa the master story teller

One of the best story tellers of all time. You can feel his passion.

@KentBuchla

10 ай бұрын

You guys are easy to please

@busman2050

4 ай бұрын

I disagree with you Kent

Great story, really learned a lot. But when you mention the Ferrari 512 around 11:09, you actually show a Lola T70, which has another fascinating story of it's own.

@bloqk16

2 жыл бұрын

That story of the # 6 Lola T70 that won at Daytona in 1969 was a remarkable feat by the Penske team.

@Miklos82

2 жыл бұрын

Good catch!

@babydriver8134

2 жыл бұрын

Oh, and I liked Lolas too. I hope I get to drive all of my dream cars in Heaven.

@DADMAN57

Жыл бұрын

I was looking to see if anyone had caught that, only a real race car fan spots it, good job!!!! My favorite T70 is the John Surtees Riverside winning Spyder. It sat outside on its trailer at the PAM shop in Manhattan Beach during the 1966 CanAm season. Vasek Polak Porsche in Hermosa Beach had a collection of 908s and 917s on display all the time when Vasek owned it. Then there was a little storage garage with created 917 engines, parts and cars crammed into it on racks up to the ceiling that I used to walk by on the way home from school. It was a great childhood!!!!!

@mueesli4745

5 ай бұрын

The rear end section was ahead of it's time. Porsche did it to the 917 to improve rear end stabilit,, but Lola did it a few years earlier.

you really should hire this man full time, he is honestly one of if not the best storyteller you guys have on

@breadfanornofan1148

Жыл бұрын

Lol hiring him would be useless.

@terdferguson1736

Ай бұрын

@@robbiddlecombe8392ya what are these people talking about, this guy is mediocre at best at story telling . He sounds like he is making most of it up.. great story tellers don’t . Go like and like and use nonsense metaphors in need for grandiose. Great story tellers , when it comes to historical information are unrivaled on their Knowledge of a subject and can use bc the facts alone to paint that awesome picture

John could talk about the engineering of a toaster and it would be interesting. Love that guy's stories

@halycon404

2 жыл бұрын

Here is a 19 minute video about the engineering of an antique toaster, it gets really geeky. And I watched all of it, cause it was interesting. kzread.info/dash/bejne/Y4Oa2s6Md5nXZbw.html

@no1DdC

2 жыл бұрын

There are channels for things like that on KZread and they are great: Here's a video on a toaster from 1948 that is better than your current toaster (except when it tries to kill you): kzread.info/dash/bejne/Y4Oa2s6Md5nXZbw.html

@johnsullivan676

2 жыл бұрын

The Sunbeam Radiant Control toaster is quite interesting on it's own but I'm sure John could tell a good story about one.

@starga-fr7qx

Жыл бұрын

if you like mistakes , sure

I loved it when you said, "Ferrari saw the 917 as a threat." Enzo saw EVERYTHING as a threat! LOL

Another Legendary John Ficarra Story I could Listen To His Stories All Day Long

@stijnvandamme76

2 жыл бұрын

he's just reading a mashup of info found in the various books on the subject.. but ok.. let's call it a "legendary John Ficarra Story"

I love this guy’s stories. I’ve watched his “Ford vs Ferrari story you never heard of” about a dozen times now. Great stories, great delivery. Good job by you.

@patrickclawson9622

2 жыл бұрын

I know what you mean. I had watched it twice before seeing the movie, and was "fact-checking" the film against Ficarra's descriptions.

@tirebiter1680

Жыл бұрын

They should make a sequel to Ford vs Ferrari, and call it Porsche vs. Ferrari. Back then all Porsches had air cooled engines. Most cars that had air cooled engines were Volkswagens. Porsche offers to buy Ferrari. Enzo refuses to build the air-cooled race car that Porsche wanted, and tells Ferry Porsche he must be some kind of a retard because he thinks a race car doesn't need water cooling. Then a German who had a 1200 lbs. Lotus Europa, that he crammed a souped up 911 S engine into, wins a race. Ferry hires him to build a 16 cylinder Porsche and win Le Mans.

I remember the Can-Am cars firing up in Edmonton, when I was a kid. We lived miles away. The roar was stupendous. My dad wrenched a Formula Ford at the time. I heard about the cars. In the 70's I loved reading the sports car magazines when I could find one. The Porches were absolute beasts. But that sound. I wish I could have seen them race. this story is great. 3 years of utter domination.

What I miss in this great video are the other races besides the 24h of Daytona and Le Mans in these two years 1970 and 71. As a matter of fact the 917 was not competitive at the Targa Florio and at the 1000 km at the Nurburgring Nordschleife. Porsche used for these races the lighter 908/3. They won three of these races, the Targa Florio 1971 was won by the Alfa Romeo TT33/3. The second race 1970 the 12h of Sebring was the only victory for the Ferrari 512S. The Alfa TT33/3 won two more races in 1971 (1000 km Brands Hatch and 6h Watkins Glen). In all other races the 917 came first. Remarkable is the victory of the Salzburg 917 1971 in Le Mans. The drivers Helmut Marko (now a big man at Red Bull) and Gijs van Lennep won with an incredible new distance record of 5333 km and an average speed of 222 km/h. This record lasted until 2010. I should mention here that there were two chicanes built at the Mulsanne straight in 1990. Another incredible performance of the 917 was the 1000 km race at the old extremely fast race track of Spa Francorchamps. Petro Rodriguez and Jack Oliver finished the race in there Gulf 917 #21 in 4h 1min and 9sec.with an average speed of over 249 km/h Just 0,4 sec behind was the Gulf 917 #20 driven by Joe Siffert and Derek Bell. I saw this race. It was just insane how Joe and Petro were pushing each other to new lap records in their last stint. Finally Joe did the fastes lap with an average speed of over 262 km/h and they were racing bumper to bumper on this very dangerous track which was an ordinary road (except of Eau Rouge). These 5 l sport cars were more than 10 sec faster than the fastes lap of F1 in 1970 (won by Petro Rodriguez). I'm quite sure with Joe and Petro in the same car, with less slower cars and less traffic these guys could have done the 1000 km in less than 4 hours, i.e. a speed of more than 250 km/h. Insane. You guys should give it a change. You are using already liters instead of inch³ so do it as the rest of the world does it, the Canadians do it since decades. Think metric! Other great 917 drivers were Brian Redman, Hans Hermann, Vic Elford and Leo Kinunen. So sad both Petro and Joe died both in an accident in 1971. Not in a 917 though. Petro shortly after Le Mans in a private Ferrari 512S and Joe in October in his BRM F1 car. The 917 was an incredible machine.

Losing traction on the expressway is quite frightening can't imagine that on a track going 200 mph

@ethannicosia979

2 жыл бұрын

Losing traction on the freeway is hilarious fun lol

@nzsaltflatsracer8054

2 жыл бұрын

At Bonneville people shove gobbs of HP in all sorts of vehicles & find that lack of traction point beyond 200 & 300 mph, we call it the spin club. Some end well, some don't.

@ThePackBoyz

2 жыл бұрын

Trying loosing traction on 2 wheels going over 180mph lmao. I needed a new seat on my bike to say the least!

@danl6634

2 жыл бұрын

@@ThePackBoyz I'm guessing because you had to use a crowbar to remove it from your ass clamping to it? Yeesh. I'll take my speed in cars. The bike is for relaxing in my book.

@ThePackBoyz

2 жыл бұрын

@@danl6634 Yeah I've found a new love for cruisers, I sold the sportbike lol. It was definitely just a matter of time until I hurt myself. Just way to easy to haul ass

Talked to Ficarra about this at the Amelia. Great to finally see the story.

I saw Le Mans in a theatre, sitting in the front row. That was quite the car experience for a kid. When the engine noise kicked in and the race got underway was one of the best cinematic experiences of my like.

I love hearing about the 917s Story! Would've loved to hear a bit about the 917/30 aswell but maybe another time I've been obsessed with this car for years because my grandpa used to work at porsche and actually built some 908s and 917s. His team maintained the camera car from the le mans movie! I actually don't know what he looked like back in the days so he might actually be somewhere in this video. Might have to go through some of his old pictures together with him at some point :D

@yannikau4521

2 жыл бұрын

I just skipped through the video together with my grandpa. He even remembered working with one of the guys at 3:25. Geniuenly love being this privileged regarding porsches history. I hope I still have lots of years left with him!

@Astrofrank

2 жыл бұрын

Telling something about the 917/30 would have been nice, but also showing a picture of the 917/20 with a short explanation of the words written on it. ;-)

@colinspasm3329

2 жыл бұрын

@@yannikau4521 My dad used to work for Gulf Porsche back then, unfortunately, he died back in 1990, leaving lots of photos and memorabilia. Wondering if your Grandpa might have known him?

@yannikau4521

2 жыл бұрын

@@colinspasm3329 that's cool! I'm pretty sure he my grandpa didn't knew your dad tbh. My grandpa (and the rest of my family) is from germany. He mostly had to do with porsche directly in germany, only went to the US once (for panamericana I think)

@josebrown5961

2 жыл бұрын

I have been obsessed with the 917 since I was in kindergarten! 1970 I was 5 and was watching Wide World of Sports with my dad and l saw that car. Then a few weeks later at Woolworths with mom and I was looking at the Hot Wheels cars and what did I see-A Porsche 917! It was my first proper introduction, I couldn’t really read but that shape was like no other,I grabbed up that little car and pleaded my mother to let me have it. Now back in those days our parents often gave us “the speech” before going into places like Woolworths. My mom had given me the speech that day, in short it basically said “don’t ask for NOTHING!” I must have looked cute that day because she didn’t even blink she took the car from my hand and dropped it in her basket! When I started thinking about driving, around 1980 I saw in Car and Driver an ad for a kit car the Laser 917. All you needed was a VW and you would have a street legal 917. My parents had broken up by then and I lived with mom. We lived in an apartment so no 917 for me. Then Ford had the GT in 2005, a great take of the GT40. It was larger than the original but to us but close enough. If Ford could make a street version of a race car from the 60s surely Porsche could… Make a carbon fiber tub for the chassis, and make it a bit larger than real ones. Have seating for 3 like the McLaren F1. They could use a standard flat 6, or use the V10 from the Carrera GT. The hard part would be designing an air conditioning system for the darn thing. Okay fantasy over.

One of the best VINwiki episodes ever. Well prepared, well executed and with really good use of period photos.

I remember seeing 917s and 908s racing in Can Am at Mid Ohio in the 70's. It killed every class it was entered. When the turbocharged 917/30 came along, all the other teams had been running bored and stroked Chevy big blocks as big as 8.5 liters in size. Many tried turbocharging those huge engines and found little success compared to the Porsche. BTW: at 11:06 a Lola T70 in Sunoco/Penske livery is shown and implied to be Ferrari's 512M, which Penske did race in nearly identical livery. The T70 was what privateers raced in the WEC if they couldn't afford the Porsche or Ferrari.

@BIGBLOCK5022006

2 жыл бұрын

And the 917/30 Can-Am car was nicknamed the "Turbo Panzer".

@caribman10

Жыл бұрын

"Many" did not try turbocharging Chevy engines, but some did. The problem was that Chevy themselves didn't support the effort. As a matter of fact, the only GM factory-supported turbo effort was the Olds/McKee, which was a victim of the Jim Hall 2F effect, i.e., too many new ideas in one car at one time. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if Chevy had gotten behind Traco et al and developed a smaller, simpler turbo engine that could have been purchased. We now know that the Reynolds-block "Chevy" could take 20+ pounds of boost, good for 800+ hp....in a lighter car than a 917/30.

@MiguelGarcia-vj7oo

Жыл бұрын

@@caribman10the typical shoulda, woulda, coulda, but didn't................

@paulcajkasr9600

Жыл бұрын

Penske raced a Ferrari 512 with a 917K tail and a small added wing. It worked until the engine quit.

The number of people who are completely unaware of these incredible and historical racing stories and events is saddening. I was having a conversation with a coworker, who is a big time racing fan, and I mentioned the 24-hour Daytona race. He said, "Wow, imagine driving that oval for 24 hours straight." I explained to him that the 24-hour race is the road course layout of Daytona, to which they were completely unaware existed. Unfortunately, the larger racing series, such as NASCAR, have gone so extremely far away from thier roots that they have driven fans away. The excitement of ingenuity and the uncertainty of a new idea that gave NASCAR its popularity among racers and fans has completely evaporated. Keep these stories alive by continuing to share them!!

3:40 He's talking about torsional vibrations which restult in a stationary wave. In the center of the crankshaft, there's a node of oscillation, ie: a point where the amplitude is always =0. 4:38 Interestingly enough, this book has got it wrong. It was NOT a "Boxermotor". It was a 180° V12. A 180° V12 can have equidistant ignition spacing and be fully balanced, without venting channels in the crankcase or repulsion losses. Thanks for the great video.

@starga-fr7qx

Жыл бұрын

he's getting a lot wrong, they were not 2 911 engines butt to butt because the crank journals are shared and opposite pistons are not offset as much as on a 911 if they were 2 911 engines the 912 engine would be much longer . the long crank was the main reason for a V crank as it makes the crank and thus the entire engine shorter. John is good at making it sound like he knows his stuff, but he's reading out of books and adding his mistakes.

Seeing the #22 1971 Porsche 917 that shattered all those records is one of the greatest vehicles I’ve ever seen. Fantastic story again!

I rarely feel this much engaged in a video, amazing work, no music no distractions, just pure content. love it

Great video. For comparison, the 917 frame wad 105 lbs. One brake drum of a semi weighs 105 lbs.

@NONO-hz4vo

Жыл бұрын

My mom doesn't even weigh 105 lbs.

@KayhoticGames

Жыл бұрын

@@NONO-hz4vo neither does mine. although erns are pretty light.

I´m 68 years old, and I had the privilege to see Le Mans in 69 until 72 and I saw the 917´s victories in 70 and 71´s years, but only today, 27 April 2022, I knew about the birth, development and the all the issues that are in the base of, for me, the most incredible, beautiful and iconic endurance racing car ever, what a car! Thank you VINwiki and Mr John Ficarra for your explanation for this Historic iconic car.

John needs to make documentaries and narrate them. The man has an excellent speaking voice and knows how to make any story interesting

When I saw the title I was hoping it was a John Ficarra story. Awesome story John. I always enjoy learning about racing history from you. A+ story teller.

I remember the 917/30 at Mosport. It was literally so powerful that you could feel the engine sound vibrations in your chest. A wicked car!!!

Born in 1952, I grew up with the tale that Gulf Research near Pittsburgh tested cars on the PA Turnpike.

John, the way you tell the 917 story is nothing less than watching a full length, 2.5 hour long, nail biting, edge of your seat, high budget motion picture... I'm 67, and grew up in LA not far from Burbank where I got to see a genuine 917 on a flat bed trailer at a gas station. The truck was having tire issues, so for about an hour I got to see and touch the 917 as it was being trailer-ed to a movie set somewhere in Burbank. I asked permission if I could see it up close and maybe touch it... They said it was ok, as long as I did not try to sit in it. I was so amazed by how rough the car was built on the inside. And how massive the rear tires were! I was a big fan before, but after seeing it up close and touching it, I was inspired to become a race driver one way or an other... I eventually became the top three 400cc production class racer in So Calf for three years in a row. It wasn't quite car racing but that's all I could afford and I also didn't have the connections. Regardless my two dream cars have always been the 917 K, and a red 1963 Corvette. Back in 1996 I co-founded a bicycle component company called onZa and wanted to purchase a 917 road worthy replica from Australia, until my wife caught wind of it, and had to settle for an RX-7 R2.... Great Story, sincerely Dan Sotelo

It's always a good day with a story from John!

That "Ferrari" at 11:10 is actually a Lola. 😀 For a good look at the Mulsanne Straight, check out "In Car 956". Crazy fast!

@scottlumpkin7023

2 жыл бұрын

I thought that was a Lola as well...but I do also remember Mark Donahue running a Penske Sunoco 512M...in 1971 at Daytona, it actually qualified faster than Vic Elford, in a 917, by over a second...crashed out but was by far quicker than the Porsche and all of the team Ferrari’s.

@VirginiaRican

2 жыл бұрын

I was searching the comments to see who else spotted the T70 lol

@christophernewman5027

2 жыл бұрын

Saved me writing a comment! 😁

It blows my mind these incredible drivers with years of experience couldn't determine or communicate there was no rear downforce. Awesome video, thanks man!

@paulmirza2083

Жыл бұрын

How could they, when they had no idea what downforce meant to the stability of a race car at high speeds. Aerodynamics was in it's infancy in regards to racing. Airplanes engineers were still figuring it out with test flights. That's if the plane actually made it back. The sixties was the wild west when it came to experimental development.

I was a kid in the 70s and loved the 917. I was a 1/24 scale model builder and was upset that nobody had a 917. I never got one, ever! I got all the 911s, 962s, and even got a Porsche Speedster, but could never find my holy grail car the 917. I am glad it is getting some love.

I want to see another video about the CAN-AM years. if I recall correctly, they won every race they finished and killed the series.

It's amazing to hear about the aerodynamic problems they had with these early race cars. If they'd sniped 1 airplane engineer from any company, they probably would have had no problems with airflow separation. Back in the day, I guess you really had car people doing cars and figuring out Wright Brothers level discoveries all on their own. Similar things happened in drag racing - everyone's hood scoops for like 10 years were non-functional because they didn't figure out boundary layer splitters until someone who flew P-51s in The War clued them in.

@JETZcorp

Жыл бұрын

@Carson Duncan Sure, they could pick the hardware out of the catalog, but they didn't have the institutional knowledge of aerodynamics that aviation had even 40 years before.

@tiagoangelo3828

9 ай бұрын

​@@carsonduncan9871car guys love dzus fasteners, as do motorcycles guys.

John, I spent my entire lunch today just captivated with this story. Of course it's run length left me no time to comment. Or should I say thank you for gathering all this information and sharing it with us. There are so many inside stories and details that would be lost if not for the efforts of people like yourself. It's one thing to watch a great race. But it means so much more to hear the struggles of man and machine that got them to that point. The true grit of the men involved, politics, internal drama, and happy accidents that all came together to make one team on top over another. Thank you so much!

Ficarra is the best at the smooth story explaining any subject. Must be a wonderful thing to be next to him, learn so much just listening.

Love a good car story to start off my day fixing wrecks, and Ficcara is one of the best to tell a good car story.

These are the stories I care about on VINWiki. Thank you, John for always being awesome!

Awesome story! Thanks for properly pronouncing "Porsche"!

As a kid, I was in LOVE with the 917 and then, when I was in High school, the owner of the body shop a few blocks from me had one as his springtime daily driver. Gulf racing trim.

John is such a great story teller. He could talk about the history of soap box derby cars and I’d be riveted.

Great story as always! Love the way John can tell a story and history the history is amazing.

Dickie Atwood spent more time at the wheel of he and Elford's 917 at the cars first Le Mans than anyone but he sure wasn't saying, "It's a little disturbing." He was praying the thing would break down so he could get the hell out of it. It ultimately did break down... after 300+ laps and 22hrs.

Every time he tells a story he lights up with passion and has such a deep understanding of the history, legacy and heritage. Love learning about cool car stories and history.

I've gotta say, this is one of my favorite vinwiki episodes ever. Something about uncovering lesser known facts about a legendary race car. Old race cars and crude techniques hahaha, love it

🤯 what an awesome history lesson for gear heads

THANK YOU FOR THE LONG FORMAT WITH JOHN! This was such a joy to listen to, John is such an AMAZING story teller. Please do more of these with him!!!!!!

Peich's entry is the white car with red flashes in the start scene for Steve McQueen's Le Mans. It's literally flying, 917 held "Distance Covered" over 24hrs up until the Audi diesel takeover decades later, that's how fast it is. GOAT.

Ficarra is such a great storyteller. Love his in-depth knowledge.

love, Love, LOVE hearing John telling stories!!

I love John's stories so much. I love the history, insight, a bit of humor, and everything he has told. Need more of him please.

This is such a fantastic story! The boldness, and just pure "we will do it to win" attitude is amazing! Well told John!

Thank you so much for the amazing story and facts, the 917 also featured Birch Wood shift knob, which later being tribute by Carrera GT, Huayra BC; and the tech of the engine also went into the first RS of 911 the Carrera RS 2.7

@OsellaSquadraCorse

4 ай бұрын

Balsa wood, not Birch. Balsa is much lighter.

They bring in John ficara himself for the weeks redemption

I'm glad I found this video! Great job. For me it was going back to my younger years. I worked for Vasek Polak under master mechanic Alwin Springer on 917's in Hermosa Beach, California. I worked on the CanAm cars, normally aspirated and turbocharged engines. We took the engines apart and rebuilt them as well as 908 engines. Milt Minter was the driver. I also worked on the number 22 and one of the Gulf cars in your video. These are amazing machines. Sorry I missed your show Saturday.

What a story, and this guy does a great job telling it. Love the history angle, please more car history videos.

I could listen to John telling old school racing Storys for hours!

John is a legend … he’s type a guy you wanna hang out after the football party drink till 4 o’clock in the morning and listen to the stories… what a great dude

Wow, John is such an awesome story teller. I'd happily listen to his telling of every motorsport story. This one hit home for me since I am lucky enough to have seen 917-016 with its current owners. It's absolutely stunning.

These stories that combine both engineering and passion are what make this channel special! Thanks Ed and john!

John is among the top story tellers you have! I love his stories. Ed, I hope between Rabbit, Travis, yourself and Chris, that roster never disappears from this channel!

That is so damn cool. Always loved Porsche for their passion for racing. It really shows in their road cars too as everyone talks about how nothing “corners like a porsche”. Hope someday I get to experience it 😂

Dude!!!! I LOVE STORIES LIKE THIS!!! Trying something new. Knowing your on the right track...but its not working. Putting your head down and pushing...and finally the breakthrough you have been pushing toward!!! Awesome!!!

I'm not that into cars or racing... not really sure how it ended up in my feed... but I found this whole video really fascinating, and couldn't stop listening. Probably has something to do with the joy of someone with an obvious passion, coupled with a deep knowledge, of a topic. Really well done.

John is SUCH a good storyteller

Dude’s a great story teller!

From 1971 - 75, I was studying automotive technology in a trade school in the U.S. Even without any of the substantial background provided in this video, I was immediately drawn to the 917's design when I first read about it. Thanks for this.

When I was young in the early 1970s, one of my favorite toys was the HO scale slot cars. The Porsche 917 in light blue with orange trim was my favorite car.

Car guy, John Ficarra has the most high performance encyclopedic knowledge that is beyond humanly healthy!! And we LOVE him for it!!! Thank you JF.. Great car. Fantastic story. Incredible presentation!! Congratulations to Prof J. Ficcara Phd/MPH....LoL!!

@starga-fr7qx

Жыл бұрын

you do realize he just reads up in books that anybody can read , he wasn't there, he is only retelling second hand information (and adding his mistakes to it)

Love the opportunity to learn something that I most likely would never know about. This channel is great because it just lets people tell the stories they are passionate about,without trying to make it something crazy to get subscribers. Good stories told by passionate people is all you need. Ty

The car that killed Can Am. My dad, Bill Cuddy was a privateer, driving an M8E & F. He said some fast 917 driver, Denny Hulme I believe, went by him like he was standing still, and my father was no slouch in a race car. Were they ever turbocharged? I believe qualifying horsepower on 917 Can Am car was what, 1200? McClaren's put out 800 max. Amazing. My favorite car, next to an Auto Union Type C.

Would love to sit at a bar with John and just hear stories and drink some beer.

@joshuagibson2520

2 жыл бұрын

Or burn one and come back in for a shot or 2.

yey, another masterpiece for sure , Historic Racing story by John

@starga-fr7qx

Жыл бұрын

as read in 917 books + John's factual mistakes added

This is one of the best storys on this channel. Thank you, thank you so much. MOAR!!!!

So happy I finally got time to catch up and the story from John was a great way to start

Another fact about the 917K that he didn't mention It was the car which covered the most distance in LeMans at 3300 kms and 397 laps or something and that's absolutely bonkers!!

Not only did the 917 go on to dominate Can-Am racing after Le Mans, it dominated Can-Am so much that it literally killed the series in its final form of the 917/30.

@timbenesh3053

2 жыл бұрын

When I was a teen I was exposed to a 917-30 at the hands of Mark Donahue up at Watkins Glen Canam. Freaking amazing!! He trashed one during qualifying and won race hands down with other. Heard that if it didn't smoke tires at any speed, something was wrong...

These old stories are my favorite. Thank you!!!

What an awesome story from one of the great storytellers this genre has! Good job, John, keep them coming!

"The 917 was and is THE unstoppable race car" That is the greatest description of the 917 ever. Bravo, sir....Bravo

What was the actual loophole? Did I miss it? And what was the rule change that spelled the 917's demise?

@stijnvandamme76

2 жыл бұрын

that 25 cars needed to be actually built and presented to FIA Nobody thought anybody would do this for a single use race car Porsche did.

@BenHohenstein

2 жыл бұрын

@@stijnvandamme76 Thanks!!

@starga-fr7qx

Жыл бұрын

@@BenHohenstein It's not really a loophole tho

What a well told story. The passion and enthusiasm kept me enthralled.

One of the guys who worked at the Porsche dealer he works at was there for the inspection, he said the sound of all of them running together that morning was deafening but amazing

A Ficarra Classic

What about the greatet EVER? The 917/30????????

@FicarraClassic

2 жыл бұрын

Had to stop this story before Can-Am otherwise it would have been twice as long. I'll be doing a story on the Porsche Can-Am effort on my channel soon!

I love John's racer stories BUT.... As a past Porsche Club racer and Boston Area Club president I was able to meet my race hero Vic Elford when he came to speak at our club. Picking him up at the airport in my high miles 1983 911 targa. My reason for mentioning this is because I don't think you can truly discuss the 917 without mentioning Vic and his Martini & Rossi livery 917.

I have always loved the 917s. What a great storyteller!