Brabham BT17

Does anyone have a photo of this one off sports car?

http://forums.autosp...w...499&hl=bt17

Blackie in the BT17 during its brief run in the 1966 RAC Tourist Trophy race at Oulton Park...

Photo strictly Copyright: The GP Library

DCN

Edited by Wirra, 10 June 2012 - 02:00.

http://forums.autosp...w...499&hl=bt17

Interesting that the same colour as the McLarens and Team Surtees should be chosen.

Thankyou for the photo, I'd scene it before but could not remember were.

Looks like it's got the engine out of Jack's BT19 in it...

But, of course, someone's been at the pipes with a blowtorch.

Looks like it's got the engine out of Jack's BT19 in it...

But, of course, someone's been at the pipes with a blowtorch.

4.3 litre for Can/Am?
I understand years latter it ran in hillclimbs with a small block Chev.

Looks like it's got the engine out of Jack's BT19 in it...

But, of course, someone's been at the pipes with a blowtorch.

I assume it will have been a 4.4 Repco, same as that in Bob Jane's Elfin 400 sports car. I can recall from the literature at the time that one 4.4 engine did go to England.

It sure would have been interesting if Ron and Jack had devoted serious time and resources to sportscars. Ohhhh what might have been.....

It sure would have been interesting if Ron and Jack had devoted serious time and resources to sportscars. Ohhhh what might have been.....

lets not forget Phil Irving as many have.

The BT17 was a slightly redesigned BT8 chassis, with the rear of the chassis set to fit the Repco V8 instead of the Climax FPF. The rear body panel was made of aluminum and the back raised considerably as the BT5 and BT8 had horrible rear-end lift with the former panel. It was inspired by the special panel made for the Team Rosebud BT8 with the BRM engine, and that did resolve the lift issue.
I saw the BT17 for the first and last time at Riverside raceway sometimes in 1989 or so, it was then owned by a man called Art Valdez. It did not run well, it had engine problems. No clue of what happened to it after that.

The BT17 was a slightly redesigned BT8 chassis, with the rear of the chassis set to fit the Repco V8 instead of the Climax FPF. The rear body panel was made of aluminum and the back raised considerably as the BT5 and BT8 had horrible rear-end lift with the former panel. It was inspired by the special panel made for the Team Rosebud BT8 with the BRM engine, and that did resolve the lift issue.
I saw the BT17 for the first and last time at Riverside raceway sometimes in 1989 or so, it was then owned by a man called Art Valdez. It did not run well, it had engine problems. No clue of what happened to it after that.

I always thought that the Valdez car was a BT 8. Valdez also had an ex Graham Hill f-1 brabham. He was a real estate developer in Torrance Ca, who last I heard, had retired to North Carolina.

Valdez never had a BT8, but did own the BT17. I also saw it in his hangar in a small airport near Hawthorne, California, where he stared his racing cars. There was also a Rob Walker Cooper T51 there.

Valdez never had a BT8, but did own the BT17. I also saw it in his hangar in a small airport near Hawthorne, California, where he stared his racing cars. There was also a Rob Walker Cooper T51 there.

Art still owns it.