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Mystery Sports Racer


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#1 Jerry Entin

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 01:10

Posted Image
This Mystery Racer is from Forum member Nedra Ware's photos.
Late 50's early 60's front engined tube frame?


photo - Nedra Ware collection

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#2 Jim Armstrong

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 16:15

Here is one of those replies where you send it off, then duck.
I'm thinking the photo may be reversed, with the larger tires on the wrong side for anti-clockwise oval racing.
There is also the chance that the engine is an Offenhauser, which should have the intake on the left side.
Fire away.

#3 David M. Woodhouse

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Posted 29 April 2009 - 21:26

It looks like the Cunningham C-6R to me, as originally built and prior to the switch to Jaguar power. That engine did have the intakes on the right side of the engine.

Woody

#4 Jerry Entin

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Posted 30 April 2009 - 04:06

Jim and David you are both right: The car is the Cunningham C6R. It was Offy powered.

This was a 220 Offy that was converted to be a 3 liter engine. It ran at LeMans in I believe 1955 with the webers in the destroked configuration.
I am told the fuel avaliable at Le Mans for the engine was very low octane and it never ran right.

The car is now owned by the Collier Collection and has had the Offy replaced with a Jaguar engine.

This particular weber type manifold is now owned by Bill Wiswedel of Holland, Michigan. It was bought when Momo cleaned out the Cunningham garage many years ago.

all research Bill Wiswedel

Posted Image
Here is the chassis as seen from the drivers side.
This photo is from the book on Briggs Cunningham by Dean Batchelor/Al Bochrock. It shows the same chassis from a different angle. Wooden steering wheel, large fuel tanks [for endurance racing] and those two twin-choke 50 mm Webers on the 3-liter Offenhauser.
The Cunningham C6R ran at Sebring in 1955, then at Le Mans and at Road America.

In 1957 the Offy was replaced by a 3.8-liter Jaguar.


Photo - Al Bochrock.
scanned for site Laurie Williamson

#5 D-Type

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Posted 30 April 2009 - 08:51

One question I've always had about the C6R is: why did they reduce the capacity of the Offy engine? Le Mans did not have an upper capacity limit so I can't see the need.

Generally stretching an engine is successful (3.8 Jaguar, FPF) but reducing its capacity rarely is (3.0 Jaguar, McLaren's 3 litre "Indy" Ford). If nothing else the engine will probably be heavier than it needs to be.

Surely it would have been a better proposition to take the 4.5 litre Offy "270" and modify it to offer more low end power and flexibility? I'm not technically minded but surely this is a case of changing the camshaft profile, using Webers or other carburettors instead of the Hilborn-Travis LP fuel injection etc.

#6 Jerry Entin

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Posted 30 April 2009 - 20:29

Posted Image
Here is the manifold off the Mystery racer
Note this is the side for the weber carbs, the ports are round.

Posted Image
This is the side that went against the Offy
Note it has Oval ports. The workmanship on this manifold is very well executed.

They tried running the Destroked Offy with Hilborn injection and it put out around 220 hp.
With the Weber carbs it put out 260 hp at 6,000 rpm's.
This was in 1955 on the Cunningham Dyno.

There is a tag on the manifold that says C6 Offy.

#7 Jerry Entin

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Posted 30 April 2009 - 20:48

Posted Image
Cunningham C-6R with Meyer-Drake engine.
This is what the Mystery car looked like with the body in place.

Photo Al Bochroch

#8 D-Type

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Posted 30 April 2009 - 23:10

Posted Image
Cunningham C-6R with Meyer-Drake engine.
This is what the Mystery car looked like with the body in place.

Photo Al Bochroch

Surely that's after it had the original bonnet (hood) replaced by one from a D-Type?


#9 Jerry Entin

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Posted 01 May 2009 - 01:10

Posted Image
Cunningham C-6R with original nose configuration.
In 1955 this was the first nose, they later put the D-Type front end on the car. This picture is from LeMans in 1955.

Lafay photo
BSC collection as seen in the book Cunningham- The Life and Cars of Briggs Swift Cunningham

#10 Hse289

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Posted 01 May 2009 - 08:20

Great pictures and information about a particular car i had,nt heard of.