Quasar Chassis
BackgroundThe Quasar was designed by Fred Puhn of the San Diego, California area. His car and another were tested by the staff of Road & Track magazine for their November, 1970 issue. The article suggests that Fred had just completed his own car at the beginning of the 1970 racing season, and that he had won all of his races to that point. Fred sold Quasars as complete cars, as components with plans, or as engineering drawings only. In 2001, Mike Goodyear reports that Fred still was selling the drawings.Fred is also known for his Monocoque Wheels.
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SR-70BChassis #001Fred Puhn built and raced this car, which is pictured as number 47 on the right and number 71 in the Road & Track photo above and on the right. According to the 1970 Road & Track article, the Quasar SR-70B had an aluminum semi-monocoque center section, with sub-frames of square aluminum tubing front and rear. The sub-frames to held the suspension and the engine and other necessary components. The whole frame weighed only 70 pounds. The front uprights were Triumph Herald. Fred specified small, lightweight hubs cast from magnesium, with aluminum Airheart brake calipers, and ten-inch aluminum “monocoque” wheels of his own design and construction. The front springs were initially torsion bars, but he wrote that many customers opted for coil over spring and shock combinations. At the rear, Fred used cast uprights (believed to have been magnesium), with Airheart brake calipers and 13-inch wheels. The car uses a Sunbeam Imp 850cc engine and a Hewland 6 speed transaxle. Fred found this car, purchased it back, and plans to restore it for vintage racing.
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Chassis #003This car was first owned by Jim Hawes of San Diego. It was powered by a Ford Escort 1300cc engine. The car was wrecked, but Fred Puhn believes that it was being restored as of 2003.
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Chassis #003Factory built by Fred Puhn. "Raced with enormous success by Bill Tannhauser in CENDIV SCCA." Honda 1147cc engine (presumably from a Civic automobile) Dynoed @ 140 b.h.p. coupled to a 5 speed Hewland transmission with L.S.D. Carbon fiber, honeycomb monocoque (also included are the original body molds). Color: McLaren orange. (The information on this car was pulled from an ad on EBay in October 2003.)
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SR-71See Quasar Page 2
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