The Auto Channel--Sports Car International V11 I10

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STOP, LOOK & LISTER

Would you buy two years of Harvard tuition or a brand-new obsolete racer you candrive every day? Ray Thursby answers the no-contest question posed by Beck Development's Lister-Corvette replica; Scott Dahlquist does the pix.

There are several things you can do with an 1800-pound, 550-bhp roadster on a rainy afternoon. You can take pictures of it; you can stand around admiring it, assuming you don't mind getting wet; you can talk about it. But one thing you may not want to do is drive it. In this case prudence won out over desire, giving photographer Dahlquist more than enough time to have his way with Chuck Beck's new Lister-Corvette replica. Stick time would have to wait for another day.

When the other day finally dawned, it was immediately apparent that Chuck's new toy is far more than a pretty face. Beck Development's already popular 550 Spyder replica not only faithfully recreates Porsche's mid-engine racer of the '50s but improves on it, while their outrageous Shogun - essentially a Ford Festiva econobox with a Taurus SHO powertrain stuffed where the rear seats used to be - is both lightning quick and thoroughly usable. Thus it should surprise no one that the latest Beck Developments Lister-Corvette is functional, straightforward in concept, beautifully finished and brutally fast.

It's the fast part that occupies your attention while you snuggle into the Lister's none-too-roomy cockpit, of course. The amenity count is low, with heater, air conditioning and radio all conspicuous by their absence. An array of white-on-black dials - speedo, tach, oil and water temps and fuel level - faces you on an aluminum panel set into an expanse of black dashboard, plus a handful of switches and a large, wood-rim steering wheel. There's not much else - the requisite three pedals lurk in the footwell, conveniently sited for those with feet smaller than size-12s, and there's a hefty gearlever on the center tunnel.

In the prototype's case the lever and linkage are sourced from a long-gone Iso Grifo, but the gearbox beneath is pure Detroit iron - as are the sounds and sensations that follow a twist of the ignition key. The 350-inch Chevy engine exhales through sweeping headers and a pair of side exhausts that do little to muffle its mutterings at idle - or, come to think of it, to minimize the healthy bark of an American muscle motor pushed to higher revs. For anyone not totally immersed in the snobbery of multivalve oneupmanship, the sound of Beck's Lister promises incredible excitement.

Delivers it, too. The acceleration figures quoted in the spec box, while far better than merely respectable, simply don't prepare the first-timer for the incredible rush of so much power in so small and light a package. Though the gear ratios in the 4-speed transmission are just about ideal, there's precious little time to enjoy the first two cogs when launching. Too much throttle in first or second simply hazes off the top layer of those big rear BFGs, but when you manage the right balance you're in for serious catapult starts. Shift points? Not a clue: I was too busy keeping things under control to be looking at the tach. Besides, picking the right speed/gear combination for a big Chevy engine is a matter of sound and feel, not science.

Keep this attitude up and before long you wind up in a pretty elevated speed range. Even after easing out of the throttle long before the Lister's estimated maximum of 155+ mph, I have no doubt there's that much velocity available.

Once again, however, prudence prevailed. I have absolute faith in Beck's design and fabrication skills - something I wouldn't say about a lot of major manufacturers, let alone most kit builders - but of my drivers' license's resilience there's considerably more doubt.

There's no need to seek that top end in any case: The Beck-Lister is at its best when the road twists and turns. Run into corners at a near-racing pace and it sticks to the path with preternaturally precise steering, well-chosen spring and shock rates, a low center of gravity and lots of gummy rubber at each corner. Adding power brings the tail around slowly and controllably, and a gentle lift off the throttle tucks the rear back in line. All the driver needs to bring to the party is a reasonable skill level and some respect for the dynamic traits of a front-engine chassis capable of putting mucho power through the rear wheels.

There's no need to ride the ragged edge to enjoy the Lister, of course. You can trundle along at saner velocities and still tremendously enjoy the sensations transmitted through the wheel, pedals and seat. At speeds both high and moderate, every control input is met with immediate response; freeway merges are a snap, carving up traffic proves a breeze and the windshield- abated turbulence in the cockpit is kind to receding hairlines.

Brakes? You'll need 'em, and the Beck-Lister's got 'em. Four big discs, ideally balanced front to rear, bring the car to a straight, short halt every time. Antilock is left to the driver's skill - which, tradition-bound old fart that I am, is exactly where I say it should be.

Of course, one evaluation scrupulously avoided so far is that of the Lister's comfort level, and while there's mental comfort galore - any heavy footed pilot is going to revel in this hardware's effectiveness - physical comfort is another matter entirely. What we have here is a replica of a vintage racing car, after all, even if modern pieces are doing all the work.

Beck's quest for old-fashioned speed makes for a cacophonous driving environment. There's engine noise aplenty, the howling whine of gears is just a floorpan and carpet away, some noise from those suspension components not swaddled in thick rubber bushings creeps in and of course the howl of rushing wind is ever-present at speed. The seats are also snug (as they should be), the wheel rather close and legroom is marginal.

Of course for the Beck-Lister buyer such details will be trivial, and most are fixable to boot. One can raise the steering column and fit a smaller wheel; the steering is certainly light enough to make the larger rim unnecessary. The pedals could likely be shifted a bit, too, and you can even make the passenger's life easier by moving the battery from the rightside footwell to the trunk. Chuck Beck disapproves of the weight lengthy battery cables add, but other buyers are likely to take it in stride.

Coming as it does from Beck Development, you can either buy Chuck's turnkey and enjoy the car as is or get one in kit form and tweak the details to your own liking. No matter which route you go, the results will be vintage-racing thrills with road-car price and utility.

Beady-eyed historical types will note that real Listers, as opposed to Chuck's replica, didn't have trunks: Beck's does, and a useful one at that. The Beck Lister also has a 3-inch longer wheelbase than the original, with the extra length devoted to interior space. Though still tight, I can tell you from personal experience that Chuck's car is far roomier than the original.

If building such machines is lunacy, then our man Chuck is a practical lunatic - a man who assumes his customers will want to do what he does with the Lister, which is hop in and drive the beast often.

As with his Porsche 550 Spyder replicas, Beck combines old-fashioned looks and thrills with the practicality of easily found mechanicals and a reasonable entry price: A turnkey Lister with a 345-horse Chevrolet ZZ3 crate motor will set you back $40,000 or so, while the decision to build it yourself from a body/chassis kit begins at $14,900. Even the preposterously fast, full-tilt demonstration and photo car shown here, with its Weber-fed, all-alloy smallblock making about 550 race-ready horsepower, can be prepared for around $60,000.

For the history buffs, Brian Lister built his first MG-powered sports car in 1954, following up with a Bristol- engined car before switching to Jaguar power in 1957. From that point on, Lister-Jags - most often in the hands of the spectacular Archie Scott-Brown - were a force to be reckoned with in international racing.

At the time of Lister's ascendancy, however, the FIA's premier sports-car events were being run to a new formula specifying a maximum engine size of 3.0 liters. Sleeving down the heavy 3.8-liter Jag was an ineffective solution for top races like Le Mans, though there were still plenty of other venues where the Jag-powered Listers could be competitive.

One was the United States. Briggs Cunningham came to Lister's Cambridge, England shop and ordered three cars for competition in America, two using Jaguar engines and the third capable of accepting a Chevrolet V8. Walt Hansgen raced a Cunningham Lister-Jag with notable success in SCCA events, but the Chevy engined version would prove more competitive in the long run.

The Lister's basic structure didn't change much through the years, utilizing a simple tubular frame carrying independent front suspension and a de Dion rear axle throughout. The powerplant was set well back in the chassis for optimal weight distribution and the whole was cloaked in an aluminum shell.

Two body styles appeared on Lister-Corvettes; the first, as replicated here, quickly earned the nickname "Knobbly" and was, while graceful in a brutal way, not very slippery. Drivers reported front-end lift at speed, which was usually cured in those pre-spoiler days by jacking up the rear of the chassis. The second body design, penned by the well-known aerodynamicist Frank Costin, proved sleeker, more effective and somewhat more bulbous.

As the 1960s dawned the science of racing aerodynamics was just around the corner, but so was the trend toward mid-engine chassis. At first these odd-looking machines were only faster through the corners, but once the new-think cars got kitted out with V8 engines, classic front-engine sports-racers like the Lister were immediately obsolete. Brian Lister never made the transition to mid-engine racers, though he eventually parlayed his Jaguar association into the business of building high-performance Jag-based road cars.

Recently a Lister Knobbly caught Beck's eye, and the results are now obvious. While the Spyder remains in production, Chuck was ready to try something new, and a fake - that's his term, by the way - Lister-Corvette was it.

He began the project as most replica builders do - by arranging to lift a body mold off an original car. This done, he proceeded down his own path, de-rippling the surfaces, massaging the shape slightly to his own sense of style and making the body symmetrical - something the original certainly was not.

The Beck-Lister's skin is executed in hand-laminated fiberglass and constructed of five major units - a hood, two doors, a trunk lid and the overall bodyshell. The bodyshell is stiffened by making the cowl/instrument panel/footwell section a sturdy box, while the floorpan gains rigidity from the gearbox tunnel. Result: A strong yet relatively light unit to mate with the primary tube frame.

Said frame follows the general Lister pattern of two large longitudinal tubes supported by plenty of crossbracing, but here again Beck used his own judgment as a guide, increasing the main tubes' diameters from the original 3-inch size to four inches to add more rigidity. The original Listers were also given a mix of production-based and purpose-built suspension components, but rather than spend his time searching out equivalents - how many Morris Minor steering racks are kicking around these days? - Chuck simply transplanted the major suspension bits directly from a current-generation Corvette. The Chevy's transverse front leaf spring gave way to Eibach coils and the rear leaf was narrowed to fit, but otherwise the pieces remain basically stock; Beck may create a de Dion rear end later, but for now he's content. Brakes and steering are Corvette-sourced as well, minus power assists and ABS.

Wheels are re-creations of the traditional Halibrand mag, with centers cast from a Beck-carved master and pressed into aluminum rims. Tires are the customer's choice, with several compounds having been tried on the prototype. Buyers who opt for the turnkey car will get a Chevy ZZ3 engine mated to a 4-speed manual transmission; while the later GM 5-speed will fit, Beck prefers the older, more rugged and more era-appropriate unit. Naturally, kit buyers can stuff in any powertrain they want; one of Lingenfelter's bored-out smallblocks would seem ideal, though potential customers have also indicated interest in Jag's current Six and V12.

Even as a fair-weather friend - Beck has yet to create a functioning top - this replica offers as much fun as you're likely to get from anything on four wheels. If the Beck-Lister has any competitor at all it would have to be a Viper, and even comparison with that lovable V10 beast seems hardly fair. If nothing else, a major manufacturer like Dodge has to deal with compromises and regulations that don't affect small-volume kit builders like Beck, and Chuck's Lister is all the lighter, purer and cleaner for the freedom. Thus Beck Development has found itself with a car that can outrun, outhandle and just plain out-nasty some serious competition. Combine the Lister's shattering performance, arresting body, reliable drivetrain and top-flight construction quality, and you've got a class act all the way.

Basic Beck

- It's tempting to dismiss Charlie Beck as one of those easygoing good ol' boys who likes nothing more than to have a good time and take life easy. And true, Charlie - "Chuck," he corrects - likes to play around. What's also true, however, is that he works harder to avoid the boredom of a 9-to-5 gig than anyone else I know. Beck escapes drudgery by building cars.

- Building handmade sports-racing machines seems a logical fate for the Florida native, who grew up watching his aircraft fabricator/mechanic father buy, repair and resell cars to bolster the family's finances. When he wasn't working on airplanes or rehabilitating clunkers Beck Senior ran stock cars on Southern bullrings, with Beck Junior watching engrossed from the pits.

- After a stint in the military, Chuck found himself living in California and working on the wide variety of imported cars then flooding the West Coast. Servicing ACs, Triumphs, Renaults, Alfas, Mercedes, VWs and Porsches - some race-wrenching included - gave him an appreciation for exotic machinery, and this inspiration soon led to the creation of a series of after-hours, one-off specials. In retrospect, each bore one set of Beck hallmarks: simplicity, low weight and a total lack of respect for the sanctity of a major manufacturer's designs.

- The first car was a pseudo-Porsche powered by a mid-mounted VW engine in a tube chassis. Built in 1955, Beckmobile #1 retained all the mechanical pieces of its '46 Beetle parent including the mechanical brakes and non-synchro transmission. This was followed by a former Mark VIII Jaguar sedan - a rollover victim that wound up being shortened, Chevified and otherwise hacked about in search of speed. Beck liked the engine-swap part of this deal, anyway, and a series including everything from Chevy-Healeys to Olds-powered Mercedes 190SLs ensued. Two more mid-engine cars - Alfa-powered autocrossers - were built in 1965-66.

- Charlie's growing reputation as a man who could make fast cars faster - plus a conversation with Carroll Shelby unsuitable for even a marginally family oriented magazine - led to employment at Shelby American. After a year there, Beck moved on to campaign a Camaro in Trans-Am and then a Lola T160 in Can-Am.

- In the midst of all this he started Funco (a company that built dune buggies), and then moved on again to spend the 1970s working on airplanes and restoring vintage Porsches.

- The latter occupation led to the first attempt at a replica, in this case the Porsche 904 coupe. The project got as far as the completion of a body plug before Beck realized it would be too expensive for most kit-car buyers: The plug remains in his shop even now, ignored but hardly forgotten.

- Four months of hard work resulted in a more practical attempt, the Beck Spyder. Now built in Brazil to Beck's standards and specs, this Porsche 550 Spyder replica is the most successful of the line to date: Total sales since 1983 currently top the 900 mark.

- The Spyder was also the car that made Beck's wider reputation. Solid engineering, high-quality fiberglass, great attention to detail and a superbly developed chassis set it apart from the regulars of the kit-car crowd, and both road and track versions of the Beck Spyder have a solid following today.

- The Spyder also solidified Charlie's reputation for experimentation. Examples have been fit with de Dion rear axles, 6-cylinder Porsche engines, turbocharged VW, Porsche and Subaru (!) mills and in one case even a shortened 4-cylinder version of a Porsche 930 flat-6.

- A few years later, Beck and racer-journalist Rick Titus teamed up to produce the Shogun - a Ford Festiva econobox with a 220-bhp Ford Taurus SHO drivetrain mounted in the middle. Other diversions have included a stillborn Lister-Corvette package for late-model Corvettes and a new stepside bed for the current range of Dodge Ram pickups.

- None of which gets to the essence of the man. Chuck is outspoken, friendly, and given to seemingly insupportable boasts that turn out to be accurate recitations of what he can really do. He makes time for his customers, and to a man these people all seem to consider him a friend - remarkable, really, in a business such as his. He's a talented driver, an intuitive engineer and a man with a knack for getting things right the first time. Most of all, the essence of Charlie Beck is a fertile imagination. - R.T.

Specifications

1996 Beck Development
Lister-Corvette

General
Vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive roadster
Structure: tubular steel frame with semi-stressed fiberglass body
Market as tested: United States
MSRP: $40,000*
Airbag: none

Engine
Type: longitudinal V8, iron block and aluminum heads (Chevrolet)
Displacement (cc): 5733
Horsepower (bhp): 345 @ 5400
Torque (lbs. ft.): 375 @ 3200
Intake system: 1x4-bbl. carburetor
Valvetrain: two pushrod-operated overhead valves per cylinder

Transmission
Type: 4-speed manual

Ratios

1st: 2.20

2nd: 1.64

3rd: 1.31

4th: 1.00
Final drive: 3.08

Dimensions
Curb weight (lbs.): 1800 (est.)
Wheelbase (in.): 94.0
Track, f/r (in.): 56.0/56.0
Length (in.): 169.0
Width (in.): 67.0

Suspension, brakes, steering
Suspension, front: double wishbones with coil springs and antiroll bar
Suspension, rear: independent multilink with transverse leaf spring
Steering type: rack and pinion
Wheels, f&r (in.): 16x8 & 16x10
Tires, f&r: 225/50ZR16 & 255/50ZR16
Brakes, f/r: 12-inch vented disc/12-inch vented disc
ABS: none

Performance
0-60 (sec.): 3.8
1/4 mile: 11.9 sec. @ 115 mph

Contact
Beck Development
1531 West 13th, Unit E
Upland CA 91786
(909) 981-3840

*All specs w/stock 345-horse Chevrolet ZZ3 engine