1990 Swift DB5 Sports 2000. Ex-Jim Paul ACRL Team Long Beach car.

History

If you have ever thought of getting a Sports 2000, or if you have never thought of getting a Sports 2000, check out the 2022 article from Classic Motorsports. Sports 2000 is compelling, so much so that we bought one ourselves. Then we bought another. Then we got involved in a race series, and then a championship. Now our kids are racing Sports 2000s with us. These cars are such a great value. They are very inexpensive to buy. They are simple to run and maintain. They are easy and comfortable to drive, and they are safer than open wheel cars. They are also really fast and really smooth.

As if you needed any further reason to get one of these cars, 2027 will be the 50th anniversary of Sports 2000. Feature events and races are being organized worldwide for these cars. You can either watch from the sidelines, or get one now so you are ready to go for 2027. We won’t be around for the next 50th (the 100th), and prices will not be going down on any of these cars once these feature events begin. So now is the time, and frankly they are a huge bargain at the moment.

With Sports 2000s you can race with your local clubs, including but not limited to SVRA, HSR, VARA, CSRG, CVAR, SOVREN, RMVR, and many more. You can also race them in organized series, and contend for championships. You can run with the SRCC (Sports 2000 Racing Car Club) in the U.K. You can run with S2NA (Sports 2000 North America) You can do major, one-off events like the VSCDA Sports 2000 feature to be held at Road America in September, 2027.  Want another shot at a championship with multiple Sports 2000 categories? Race with the Sports Racer Challenge Series. We’ll be there with our cars too. Enjoy the camaraderie, the Saturday night barbeques, prizes and awards at every event, and more. It is just a fabulous time.

Oh yes. Back to this particular DB5. Jim Paul raced this DB5 back in the early 1990s as part of the American Cities Racing League (“ACRL”). This was an SCCA series where teams of Sports 2000 cars represented individual cities including Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, San Jose, Portland, and others. Jim Paul raced for the Long Beach team. 

At that time Sports 2000 cars were split into two categories. The top category cars, “Super Sports 2000”, raced with twin Weber side draft Cosworth 2 liter engines while the standard series Sports 2000 cars raced with the series’ original 2 liter Pinto single Weber downdraft engines. Jim Paul raced this Swift in the top Super Sports 2000 category back then. Today the car is configured for the original Sports 2000 class with the Pinto engine for historic racing. 

The next owner was James Treuss from Seattle. He did not race the car very much. The third owner was Southern Californian Stu Hanssen. While in Stu’s care the car received a tub-up restoration. Marc Bahner did $15,000 worth of work restoring the tub to start the project. Stu then went on to race the car approximately four times, winning races with both VARA and class wins with SVRA. 

The current owner has enjoyed the car for local club and testing days at New Jersey Motorsports Park. He has continued to develop and improve the car even further over the past two years.

As of this writing the car has two cycles on a new set of Hoosiers from testing. As you will see below the car comes with two additional sets of wheels. Those now have brand new Hoosier sticker tires on them.

Other new parts added, and work performed during his ownership include the following:

Sabelt belts

Updated fire system w/ nozzles that are correct for the new chemicals. One extra nozzle was added on the exhaust side as recommended.

LED taillight , brake switch and wiring

Plug wires / looms

All fiberglass body work repaired, modified as necessary to eliminate rubbing and repainted to match completed (spare nose and tail in good condition, not restored condition.)

New Rub blocks fabricated and installed at every location as supplied as new including the flywheel protector rub block. (Oil pan rub block inserts replaced and oil leaks repaired)

All worn wiring and terminal ends replaced as necessary

Engine top end was completely machined and rebuilt.

Cylinders and compression all good

All fluids changed. Including Brake fluid flush.

Fuel filter, fuel lines, overflow hoses and hose clamps all replaced with solid no knurl clamps 

Rebuilt water pump installed, and a new aluminum spare pump also acquired. 

The Swift will come with period and current log books documenting its history, and will also include the car’s original homologation papers.

History

There are approximately 10 hours on the Ivey Engine. Fresh head. The belts and fuel cell are current.

The Swift’s most recent outing was a test day at New Jersey Motorsports Park in September, 2026. It’s ready to go.

The sale will include the following:

Full set of BBS wheels

Full set of Technomagesio wheels

16 Hewland gear sets

Dog rings, 1 new and 3 used

Staffs gearbox shims

Shift fork shim kit

3 shift linkages

4 front ARB

3 rear ARB

Rear camber shims

2 rear tail wickers

Front nose adjustable undertray flaps

Fiberglass tail, red, high downforce with adjustable flap

Fiberglass nose, silver. Needs light refurbishment and paint

Front crush box

Sidepod support struts (2 mid, and 2 rear)

2 front skid blocks 

2 sidepod skid blocks

Bodywork locating pins and tabs

Pair of new 350 lb. Hypercoil springs

Front upright toe link clevis

1 new upper rear A-arm, EN plated

2 used upper rear A-arms, Parkerized

1 new upper pushrod, EN plated

2 used upper pushrods, painted

1 pair of used ARB links, painted

Brake pads: New Hawk pads for 2 axles and new PFC pads for two axles

4 Girling master cylinder rebuild kits

2 used half shafts

2 used Fast Forward rear stub axles

4 Fast Forward wheel nuts

Numerous wheel nut washers and nuts

Left and right engine braces

This was one of the quickest Sports 2000 cars on the West Coast. It is currently on the East Coast. It can be a front runner wherever you run it. It looks great, has important spares, and the price is excellent. Now is the time. Don’t miss 2027 50th anniversary shenanigans. We’ll be right out there with you. 

All vehicle descriptions are accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing. Corrections, and supplemental information, are always welcome. Buyers are responsible for confirming vehicle histories, condition, and authenticity to their own satisfaction prior to purchase. Motorsports Market is not the owner of the vehicle and assumes no liability for errors and omissions.

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