Clarification Request: LAT options "factory correct"?

cadreamn67

Platinum Forum Member
Messages
608
I had always thought the so called LAT (Los Angeles Tiger?) options were determined to be "factory correct".

I think I have seen some recent postings here that seem to imply they may not be.

The CAT Shop Notes (page II24) indicate that back in 1976 Bill Barnett of Zanesville, Ohio had gathered evidence for SCCA racing purposes that they met the rules for standard parts. The rule then stated that a part is stock or a standard part if : "an item of standard or optional equipment could have been ordered with the cars installed on the factory production line, and delivered through a dealer in the United States." If true that sounds pretty "factory correct" to me. (It also is stated that dealer installed options did not qualify, which makes the use of LAT in the definition a bit curious.)

Was there subsequent information that called that conclusion into question or perhaps has the issue become clouded again with the passage of time? Sorry to be replowing old ground, probably this can be dispensed with quickly.

Cheers, Gene
 

michael-king

Gold forum user
CAT Member
Messages
4,132
Gene,

The LAT options are that "Los Angeles Tiger" as per their IBM code. They were developed to sell through USA dealers to cash in on the aftermarket hot-rod culture and also homologate for the scca to make the cars more competitive.

They were rootes approved in the USA, but never factory installed. You could not buy LAT options in the UK, the orders that wen to the Uk did not list them as they were dealer installed in the USA. Many of the LAT options were actually bespoke parts made to order in the USA at hollywood sports cars.. the knock off halibrand wheels, fuel tanks and rear discs etc..

They are more "correct" than other period ooptins (eg amco parts etc) as they were made specifically for the Tiger under the approval of rootes, and while other mfg's like shellby and people doign the tiger lettered manifolds made or rebranded other ford v8 parts for the cars they were not factory or rootes USA endorsed.

As to their legality in SCCA production racing in theory the dealers all had to have the parts on the shelf.. which they obviously didnt becasue of cost and demand.. then look at the car being moved into a different class in about '66 (production C or D?) which made all the LAT parts illegal on the tiger.
 

66TigerMK1A

Gold forum user
Messages
1,129
Gene,

The LAT options are that "Los Angeles Tiger" as per their IBM code. They were developed to sell through USA dealers to cash in on the aftermarket hot-rod culture and also homologate for the scca to make the cars more competitive.

They were rootes approved in the USA, but never factory installed. You could not buy LAT options in the UK, the orders that wen to the Uk did not list them as they were dealer installed in the USA. Many of the LAT options were actually bespoke parts made to order in the USA at hollywood sports cars.. the knock off halibrand wheels, fuel tanks and rear discs etc..

They are more "correct" than other period ooptins (eg amco parts etc) as they were made specifically for the Tiger under the approval of rootes, and while other mfg's like shellby and people doign the tiger lettered manifolds made or rebranded other ford v8 parts for the cars they were not factory or rootes USA endorsed.

As to their legality in SCCA production racing in theory the dealers all had to have the parts on the shelf.. which they obviously didnt becasue of cost and demand.. then look at the car being moved into a different class in about '66 (production C or D?) which made all the LAT parts illegal on the tiger.

Here's some interesting info on 'factory' installed options in the U.K. ...

http://www.tigersunited.com/resources/RootesGrpRacingDept/pp-RootesGrpRacingDept1.asp

... and LAT options in the U.S....

http://www.tigersunited.com/resources/parts_service/lat.asp

It's not clear whether the U.K. installed parts are the exact same pieces as the L.A.T. ... the debate goes on I guess...


Jim
 

michael-king

Gold forum user
CAT Member
Messages
4,132
Jim,

I'd say a lot of the Uk offerings would be what you see on the works Rally cars. They ran the tech-del magnesium minilites, they had a long range tank that mounted in the boot used in connection with the 2 saddle tanks (if you have the graham rood book works tigers there are some nice pics of it) The rally tigers ran many upgrades in terms of brake pads, export spec springs and dampers and had pod mounted 8K rev counters (though they matched the face of the stock gauges unlike the MG style one on the LAT brochure)

It would be interesting to go through what records of the build sheets exisit and see how many cars were ordered with any compeition options.. but id say in some ways thats the key to it.. the Uk parts list was for competition cars where as the LAT stuff in theory was available from dealers.

I have seen the LAT fuel tanks as used in the HSC car and it is a much nicer part than the tanks used in the works rally cars. i'd say the only real cross over parts would be the cams/heads/carb kits as they are universal to the ford motor whereas the other parts would be locally sourced in the UK and USA.
 
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