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Reg Parnell's K3 MG Magnette


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#1 Vitesse2

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Posted 30 April 2005 - 21:25

In late 1935, Reg Parnell purchased the ex-Hugh Hamilton MG K3 Magnette, c/n K3009, racing it with some success the next year.

During the winter of 1936/7, the car was fitted with what I believe was the only McEvoy 6-cylinder twin-cam cylinder head for an MG.

At this point, the story gets complicated.

Some sources state that when the car was fitted with the new head, the engine capacity was increased to about 1.4 litres (1408cc according to WB in his JCC 200 book). Others maintain it was still 1087cc.

Throughout 1937-8 there are discrepancies: some entry lists and results place it in the 1500cc class, others in the 1100cc. Basically there are two schools of thought: The Motor (after April 1937)and Motor Sport say 1400cc, while Autocar maintains it was still 1100cc, as does Mike Allison in "The Works MGs".

BUT - and it's a big but - after Parnell sold the car to Ian Nickols at the end of 1938 he raced it exclusively in the 1100cc class in 1939!

Graham Gauld's book on Parnell says the car is featured in one of Jenks' Racing Car Reviews, but I only have 1947 and it's not in that.

So, does anyone have the definitive answer?

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#2 Adam F

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Posted 30 April 2005 - 22:33

Richard,

I have e-mailed you a scan of DSJs article which appeared in the 1950 RCR.

At a quick glance, it seems to talk as if the car was always 1100cc, but it does give a blow-by-blow account of its history.

#3 Roger Clark

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Posted 30 April 2005 - 22:42

To make matters worse, there is an article by Reg Parnell in Motor Racing magazine, May 1954. In it he says that the engine was bored out to about 1270cc to bring it into the 1.5-litre class.

#4 Ray Bell

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Posted 30 April 2005 - 22:44

Possibly the 1500cc class was less competitive (or in some other way more attractive) and a bit of 'paperwork engineering' saw the car running amongst the bigger ones?

And perhaps Reg didn't remember the numbers?

#5 Vitesse2

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Posted 30 April 2005 - 23:41

Thanks, Adam. As you say, there's no mention of the engine ever having been oversize in DSJ's article.

Roger - as you say, that makes matters worse! I thought we'd solved it in one, but I suppose I should have known better! :rolleyes: But why would Reg claim it was oversize when it won several 1100cc classes and is on record as having run in that division in class handicaps? :confused:

The 1100cc class was actually the less competitive: certainly by 1937-8. But by 1939, they were receiving a very generous handicap at Crystal Palace and were still able to put up good performances: Bert Hadley's Austin (a 747cc car!) was the pick of them, but Nickols managed some good finishes.

Looking quickly, I have seven press citations from 1937:

Motor 6/4/37 p424: 1087cc
Motor 13/4/37 p476 1087cc
Motor 20/4/37 p529 1500cc
Autocar 30/4/37 p871 "special Magnette"
Autocar 11/6/37 p1156 1087cc
Autocar 16/7/37 p123 1087cc
Motor 20/7/37 p1105 1½ litre

I quoted WB above from the JCC book report on 1937 - the Motor Sport Book of Donington is non-commital.

#6 David Birchall

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Posted 01 May 2005 - 00:16

Can't help with the capacity but I do know that the cylinder head ended up with Harry Crown in California. Crown owned several K3s for a very long time but I believe the head went with the last K3 to a buyer in Uk. A friend with an MG ND was quite p.o. 'd with Crown for not selling him the head after promising it.
David B

#7 David McKinney

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Posted 01 May 2005 - 05:41

There's always the possibility that Parnell switched blocks for races where he thought he'd do better in class?

#8 Ray Bell

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Posted 01 May 2005 - 09:15

Yes, David, that's true... but also he maybe didn't switch blocks, but claimed to for that reason...

Reasons might have included:

1. More prizemoney for 1500cc class

2. Better competition (more fun) in 1500cc class

3. Eligible to race when 1100cc unable to

4. Longer races for 1500cc cars

There may be more, of course. But I'd go along with the 'paperwork engineering' idea because I can picture fairly well exactly how much work might be involved in changing the engine, including the head change from one block to another.

#9 Vitesse2

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Posted 01 May 2005 - 10:11

Two more contemporary citations from Chula's Road Star Hat Trick:

1100cc class in the 1937 Empire Trophy: "an MG which had been greatly modified". (p14 ff)

1100cc class in the 1937 London GP (p62)

The second directly contradicts the July 20th quote from The Motor, which was from their somewhat unclear report of the race. Chula reports the 1100cc group in heat 2 as being Mrs Eccles' Rapier Spl, Appleton's Appleton Spl and Parnell's MG.

Ray, bear in mind that when Reg was racing the MG, he was usually taking part in a class handicap. As such, an 1100 would have the advantage of leading away, leaving the 1500s to catch up. The pace of 1500cc development was such that in two years the advantage given to the 1100s at the Palace increased from 7 seconds start over 15 laps at the 1937 London GP to 7 seconds per lap at the 1939 Imperial Trophy. In the latter race, the fastest K3 was fully two minutes slower on actual time than Dobson's ERA - although Hadley's Austin won the race on handicap as he was within 38 seconds of Dobson.

So, if Reg wanted to race the big boys like Bira, Dobson, Mays and the rest, he had more chance of a dice if they caught him up ....

Of course, he'd put up a much better show if the car was running oversize in the 1100cc class ....;)

#10 RAP

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Posted 01 May 2005 - 16:46

Looking at my Crystal Palace programmes -
24/4/37 entered as 1484cc
Every other meeting including when driven by Everitt and Cuddon Fletcher in 1938 show 1087cc

As Vitesse2 says, Motor's report of the 17/7 37 meeting shows 1500cc BUT
a) Mike Hawke's book on the K3 says Parnell drove JHT Smith's 3015 at this meeting and JHT is shown as the entrant in the programme but as 1087cc. Motor Sport confirms use of Smith's car in its report.
b) Motor Sport ALSO says 1500cc in the results.
These Crystal Palace meetings were handicaps but by engine size, thus all the 1100cc were set off together, then all the 1500s. Motor Sport says for the Heat "They lined up with Appleton's Appleton-Riley out side in the front row with Parnell's MG, Mrs Eccles' Rapier and Sinclair's 1100c Alta" I have a partial lap chart for the final and Parnell led lap one, a fact confirmed by Motor Sport. Bira was second on lap 1 followd by Appleton and Dobson. The 1100s received only 7 seconds start. This is not conclusive but I think it unlikely Parnell would have acheived this if he had started with Bira and Dobson in the 1500 group. IT seems therefore that the car started with the 1100cc group in both the heat and Final.
I strongly suspect that the 1500cc statement boils down to an error in the official results (Not exactly unknown at pre-war Crystal Palace meetings) that was reproduced by the two magazines.
RAP

#11 Steve L

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Posted 01 May 2005 - 16:52

There is a nice 4 page article in the 1998 MG Car Club Triple-M Yearbook about the twin-cam heads.

It is called "Twin Cam Trilogy" and is written by Bob Jones. It gives some background to the origins of the design and then covers the recovery and rebuild of the original engine by Roger Sweet.

The article says that Reg Parnell always ran the engine at 1400cc.

#12 Vitesse2

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Posted 01 May 2005 - 21:12

Having had a bit more time to research this, I'm now almost certain the car was never 1400cc. Some more citations:

Fitted with McEvoy-Pomeroy head and a new polished aluminium body winter 1936-7 (Boddy: Brooklands p374)

1937 Empire Trophy:
"As the bigger [1100cc] cars came round Parnell's silver, double-camshaft MG led ...." (Motor Sport Book of Donington p70)

1937 JCC 200: "1½ litre MG". However, there was no separate 1100cc class and only one other 1100cc car ran. (Motor Sport Book of Donington p87)

1937 Crystal Palace Trophy:
"The little [1100cc] group ...[including] three MGs, the most prominent being Parnell's blue car" (Chula: Road Star Hat Trick p81)

Parnell wins 1100cc class of a National Handicap (1/7/37). Car fitted with "yet another new body". (Boddy: Brooklands p387)

".... the various 1087cc MGs of Stuart Wilton, Cuddon-Fletcher ..... Cuddon-Fletcher's went so far as to embody Lancia-type ifs ...." (Boddy: 200 Mile Race p149, referring to 1938)

Cuddon-Fletcher NC in 1938 Coronation Trophy - handicapped in 1100cc class. (Motor Sport Book of Donington p101)

Cuddon-Fletcher 2nd in Junior Handicap supporting the 1938 Nuffield Trophy - handicapped in 1100cc class. (Motor Sport Book of Donington p102)

Cuddon-Fletcher 2nd in the Jubilee Trophy at the Dunlop Meeting, 24/9/38- this race had a maximum capacity of 1400cc! (Boddy: Brooklands p414)

In 1939 Nickols' MG is referred to as an 1100 (Boddy: Brooklands p420)

I've also found eight separate references from Motor and Autocar in 1938 - entry lists and race reports - all of which confirm the car running in the 1100cc class.

So, it would appear that the original source of this might very well be WB, perhaps compounded by the rather unusual capacity limit of the Jubilee Trophy ....

#13 Ray Bell

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Posted 01 May 2005 - 21:48

Who votes we write to him then?

#14 Roger Clark

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Posted 02 May 2005 - 06:57

Originally posted by Vitesse2

So, it would appear that the original source of this might very well be WB, perhaps compounded by the rather unusual capacity limit of the Jubilee Trophy ....

And Reg Parnell, of course. Obviously the Motor Racing article may have had the services of a ghost writer, but it is open about Parnell's attitude to racing and his problems with the authorities. I can't see why he would say the engine was bored out if it wasn't.

However, in the same paragraph where he mentions the board out engine, Parnell talks about following Seaman in the Delage. This suggests it was 1936, before the twin cam head was fitted. Is it possible that he tried a bigger engine in 1936 but a different route to high performance in 1937? If so, could this have caused the later confusion?

i am a little confused about dates in this. In the fist post on this thread, Vitesse says that Parnell bought the car in late 1935. DSJ in the Racing Car Review says it was early 1935. DSJ also implies that the twin cam head was fitted in the winter of 1935/36, but this is presumably a mistake.

#15 RAP

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Posted 02 May 2005 - 08:23

Hawke's K3 book says the car changed hands between 22/4/35 when R T Horton drove at Brooklands and 11/5/35 when Parnell drove at Donington. It seems very likely that in 35 it was in "standard" trim so that the car was modified in the winter of 35/36.

Forgive my technical ignorance, but how easy would it have been to change the engine capacity to suit the handicap for a particular race. ?

RAP

#16 Vitesse2

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Posted 02 May 2005 - 13:01

My mistake: as RAP says, it was early 1935 when Reg bought the car, via Ron Horton who'd purchased it after Hamilton's death at Berne in August 1934.

However, I'm sure you're onto something re 1936, Roger. The modified head was definitely fitted over the winter of 1936/37 (see the quote from Boddy's Brooklands above) - and although no dates are given, in Mike Allison's text in "Works MGs" the production of the four McEvoy heads is placed chronologically between Harvey-Noble taking the Brooklands Outer Circuit record on August 18th 1936 and the 1937 TT. One thing which I had previously discounted as an error (relying on a later statement in the same book that it was increased to 1400cc when the new head was fitted) is a comment in Graham Gauld's biography of Parnell re the 1936 Empire Trophy, which says that Reg was driving a 1400cc MG in that event. Having dug out the Motor report, buried deep within it is an offhand reference to "a bored-out 1400cc MG". No driver is mentioned, and in fact Reg doesn't figure in the race report at all. But he's there in the result: in a "1400 MG"!

So, presumably the car was bored out to either 1408cc or 1270cc over the winter 1935/6 and ran in 1500cc classes in 1936. But for 1937 Reg must have reduced the capacity again and fitted the new head. That presumably means a new block, unless he'd increased the capacity by lengthening the stroke rather than boring it out (I think that's rather unlikely though!)

So, we have:

1935 - 1087cc
1936 - 1408 or 1270cc (or maybe even 1484cc!)
1937 on - 1087cc with twin-cam head.

#17 Vitesse2

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Posted 02 May 2005 - 14:00

The plot thickens....

The Empire Trophy was in April. On May 9th, according to the Motor Sport Book of Donington, Reg ran the car in a short handicap for cars up to 1500cc, but was apparently in the scratch group, since his time doesn't seem to have been adjusted (limit men "received 60 sec"). However, the car was now allegedly 1087cc! He also ran in a scratch 1500cc race but didn't figure in the results and in a handicap for up to 5000cc, where he received a more generous allowance than Rayson's ERA - again the car was listed as 1087cc.

In a Junior Handicap before the Nuffield Trophy in July, with a maximum capacity of 1100cc blown and 1500cc unblown, Parnell was in the scratch group: 1087cc again then!

I have no references which specifically mention the capacity of the car in either the JCC 200 or the Donington GP, although Boddy's JCC 200 book says the only 1100 car in 1936 was Sir Alastair MacRobert's K3 and that Parnell's car only arrived at 9am on the morning of the race.

Perhaps it was only a 1400 once, reverted to a 1087 and was then rebuilt as a 1270? All in 1936!

The reason Reg retired in the Empire Trophy wasn't revealed: might it be a rod through the side after overboring the block a little too much?

#18 David Birchall

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Posted 02 May 2005 - 19:01

The ease or not of changing the capacity is important--It would be very difficult! The OHC six cylinder MG engine is quite a complex engine and, IIRC, would require a later N type cylinder block in order to be enlarged to 1400cc. The original K type block would not stretch that far. Add to that the complexity of the twin cam arrangement and it rules out the possibility of changing capacities for different events. Unless of course, he had two completely different blck/crank/rods&piston assemblies. But even then it would be a complex job.
David B

#19 Vitesse2

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Posted 02 May 2005 - 21:18

Originally posted by Roger Clark
However, in the same paragraph where he mentions the board out engine, Parnell talks about following Seaman in the Delage. This suggests it was 1936, before the twin cam head was fitted.


That would seem to narrow it down to one of two races at Donington: the 1500cc scratch race on May 9th as mentioned above (when the car was definitely 1087cc) and the JCC 200 on August 29th. So - it must be the latter.

Does anyone have an entry list or the Autocar, Motor, Speed or Light Car race report for the 200? I only have the two sources mentioned above, which are substantially the same as each other.

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#20 Adam F

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Posted 02 May 2005 - 21:27

Richard,

Here is the entry list (2nd page) for the 1937 JCC 200.

Posted Image


Parnell's MG is shown as 1409cc.

#21 Vitesse2

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Posted 02 May 2005 - 21:55

Bore and stroke for the standard 1271cc N-type Magnette engine was 57x83 (same as the Midget but with two more cylinders!). Bore and stroke for Parnell's car: 60x83. Looks like David had more or less the right idea, but the N was actually a development of an engine called the KD (also 57x83mm). However by my reading of a couple of MG books, the N was not compatible with the preselector gearbox of the K3 - but the KD was!

So, perhaps a bored-out KD engine in a K3 chassis?

#22 Vitesse2

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Posted 02 May 2005 - 22:02

Originally posted by Roger Clark
To make matters worse, there is an article by Reg Parnell in Motor Racing magazine, May 1954. In it he says that the engine was bored out to about 1270cc to bring it into the 1.5-litre class.


Perhaps what he really told the interviewer was that it was bored out from about 1270cc ... :)

#23 D-Type

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Posted 02 May 2005 - 22:42

My technical knowledge is not much more than zilch. If the McEvoy head was designed for an 1100cc engine, surely it wouldn't fit a bored out engine, but would fit one with lengthened stroke.

calculating cc from bore and stroke gives

57 x 71 = 1087cc
57 x 83 = 1271cc
61 x 83 = 1408cc

If he wanted to run in the 1500cc class surely Parnell would have enlarged the engine to 1500c not just 1270cc, or 1408cc. Assuming of course that this was practicable.

Fascinating stuff.

#24 Ray Bell

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Posted 02 May 2005 - 23:43

If the car had some kind of potential dominance at a smaller capacity, why not just take it that far?

I'd think he had a standard block lying around, probably a complete 1087cc engine, and that might have given him the ability during 1936 to change between meetings (the complete engine would be changed, not just the block, I would think), and then that engine provided the basis for the twin-cam engine later.

It's not altogether true that the new head wouldn't work on a bored out block, however. It's only 2mm all around...

#25 David Birchall

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Posted 03 May 2005 - 03:44

Ummm well, The N type block could be fitted with a pre selector gearbox-I know because I used to own one. The N type was 1271 cc as standard but because of it's longer stroke and studier bore it could be taken out to about 1407cc as I recall. The K type be it KA, KB, KD but not KN had shorter stroke and thinner bores. The KN was an N type engine in a K type chassis and that is what I had.
David B

#26 Vitesse2

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Posted 03 May 2005 - 12:33

I bow to your obviously superior knowledge, David! Although my source was John Thornley's "Maintaining the Breed". It seems likely he had two engines though.

One more definite 1936 size ID: at the BARC August meeting Parnell ran in the 1100cc class of the Locke-King Trophy. He apparently damaged the engine in this race.

On September 19th, Parnell raced in the BRDC 500 Miles. Boddy doesn't mention if the car was 1087cc or oversize, but the implication is that it was in the same class with Cotton's and Evans' K3s. He then finished his season at the final Brooklands meeting of the year on October 17th.

#27 Adam F

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Posted 03 May 2005 - 15:25

The programme for the BRDC 500 shows the car "back" at 57x71 = 1087cc

Posted Image

I can't find Parnell in the programme for the Final Brooklands meeting on 16th October, although Hawke's K3 book refers to him being unplaced.
There is a 6cyl 57x71 = 1087cc MG entered in the hand of J.F. Dugdale (John Dugdale of Autocar). Parnell's hearing following the Petre accident was held on 27 October, so I wonder if it is likely that he ran at this meeing.

#28 Vitesse2

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Posted 03 May 2005 - 21:44

Adam: we seem to be slightly at cross purposes. I'm still trying to sort out 1936 (before the McEvoy head was fitted) and you've jumped to 1937!

In the October 17th 1936 final meeting, Parnell came second in the last race of the day, edged out by Martin's Alfa on the final run in.

As far as I can see, we have only two definite sightings of a 1400: the 1936 Empire Trophy and the 1937 JCC 200.

Still to confirm or discount in 1936: the JCC 200 and the Donington GP.

#29 RAP

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Posted 04 May 2005 - 07:19

1400 also Coronation Trophy Crystal Palace April 1937 per programme

#30 Vitesse2

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Posted 04 May 2005 - 13:14

Okay, make that three :) That confirms the references from The Motor on April 20th and Autocar on April 30th.

The Motor's report on the London GP (the July 20th ref above) steadfastly maintains that the car was a "1½ litre". However, in Heat 2, Parnell is alleged to have been in both first and third place at the end of the first lap! This would indicate that he must have started in the limit group, a surmision confirmed by Chula (op cit p62), who says Parnell led at the end of the lap, with Bira second and Marjorie Eccles third. Chula also says it was JHT Smith's MG, so a different car completely.

#31 Vitesse2

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Posted 03 June 2005 - 13:20

Originally posted by David Birchall
Can't help with the capacity but I do know that the cylinder head ended up with Harry Crown in California. Crown owned several K3s for a very long time but I believe the head went with the last K3 to a buyer in Uk. A friend with an MG ND was quite p.o. 'd with Crown for not selling him the head after promising it.
David B

According to an article by Wilson McComb in the June/July 1986 issue of MG Enthusiast, it was sold by an "expatriate Englishman living in California" to Roger Sweet, who installed it (with the help of Bob Jones) into his MG Special BJ001 - a modern special looking much like an ERA and built up on a KN chassis shortened to K3 length (Oh, what a tangled web we weave ....). This had a 1271cc N-type engine fitted in its first (1982) incarnation but a new block was designed and fitted along with the new head, giving a capacity of 1739cc.

McComb also says that "legend has it" the 6-cylinder head was not actually built by McEvoy, who had produced three heads for the Bellevue Garages team, but "by an obliging night-shift at the Rolls-Royce works". Reg, of course, hailed from Derby.

While pointing out that the new head "certainly enhanced the performance of his K3", McComb gives no further details of Reg's use of it, nor any clue re capacities.

Is there anything in any of McComb's books about it?

#32 Miles Fenton

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Posted 06 June 2005 - 01:56

Can someone help me.
I have photographs of the Reg Parnell engine as it was when Harry Crown had it.
They show the head with cam covers on and off, two stage blower setup, carb details etc.
More history to follow if interested BUT ....How can I attach the photos?
Any help would be appreciated.
Miles.

#33 David Birchall

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Posted 06 June 2005 - 04:35

These are the photos of the Parnell engine parts taken by Miles Fenton in the late seventies I think:Posted Image

Posted Image

Hopefully I havn't scewed this up too badly :rolleyes:

#34 Miles Fenton

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Posted 06 June 2005 - 04:55

Thanks Dave.
Sorry everybody. It seems I'm too stupid or something because I tried to post the photos and couldn't so sent them to David Birchall to post for me....and there they are.

In 1979 or '80 I think I was negotaiating with Harry Crown to acquire (with a fellow pre-war racer friend) the two 1934 works K3s. He also offered me the Reg Parnell engine complete with all bits but stripped apart in exchange for an 'interesting' motorcycle.
Of course I chased around and found various enticing goodies, notably a 1951 Vincent Comet in show condition but he kept putting me off and adamantly refused a cash deposit.

Subsequently the deal for the two K3s went South as well as they were suddenly shipped to the UK so.....that was that!
A few years later I saw the Roger Sweet Special single seater which he built around that engine....very tasty. But it is a pity that the original 'as raced' car and that engine didn't end up together again.

I also have a number of photos of the K3s in rough but complete condition in his driveway.

I was racing a 1934 MG ND supercharged up and down the US West coast and at home here in BC Canada. Did the Monterey Historic four times in the MG with great results and once with a front engined FJ Gemini, (subsequently campaigned by the very same David Birchall).

Miles.

#35 David Birchall

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Posted 06 June 2005 - 15:49

A couple of comments on the photos:

It appears to be two stage supercharging-pretty sophisticated for what was basically a special.

Note the billet crank mounted in the centre of the crankcase in "cheeses". Very similiar to the Aston Martin/Lagonda engine designed by Bentley but much more rigidly supported. These engines with modern cranks can go to 9000rpm!

The camshafts appear to me to be quite long duration-given the supercharging as well-possibly too long?

That would have been an expensive exercise even in the mid-thirties.

David B

#36 Ray Bell

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Posted 06 June 2005 - 23:56

Originally posted by David Birchall
.....That would have been an expensive exercise even in the mid-thirties.


I'm not sure how you mean this, David...

Do you mean 'expensive despite the lower cost of things in the thirties' or 'expensive in the thirties because things were harder to get done'?

I feel that a lot of this kind of bespoke work was relatively less expensive in the thirties, that there were people who were willing to 'step outside the square' and do jobs like this without charging extraordinary prices.

#37 David Birchall

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Posted 07 June 2005 - 00:24

Ray, yes I agree but it is still a virtual redesign of an engine and my point was that even in the more 'bespoke' world of the thirties this was not a cheap exercise. How wealthy was Parnell?
David B

#38 Vitesse2

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Posted 07 June 2005 - 12:35

Originally posted by David Birchall
Ray, yes I agree but it is still a virtual redesign of an engine and my point was that even in the more 'bespoke' world of the thirties this was not a cheap exercise. How wealthy was Parnell?
David B

Not overly at that point, I'd have thought. He was involved (as a working director) in the family transport business - trucks and buses - which no doubt provided a steady income. He had a number of friends who probably provided quite a bit of technical help, notably the Rolls-Royce guys mentioned above, who may have had quite a bit to do with the K3. There was also his friendship with the Ashmores: during the war he and they were in partnership and using the profits from his booming trucking business they bought up lots of racing cars which were sold off at a significant profit when hostilities ceased.

But, returning to 1938-9, he was not only able to buy the BHW Special after selling his K3 to Smith but also commenced work on his own Challenger car, designed for the likely 1941 1.5 litre GP Formula.

So by the end of the 30s he could be said to be better than comfortably off, I think.

#39 aha100

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Posted 07 June 2005 - 18:56

I took some photos at the 6 Hrs Historic Race in Spa a few years ago.
Is tis the Parnell K3 everybody is talking about ?

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

Johannes

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#40 David Birchall

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Posted 07 June 2005 - 20:25

Originally posted by Vitesse2

But, returning to 1938-9, he was not only able to buy the BHW Special after selling his K3 to Smith but also commenced work on his own Challenger car, designed for the likely 1941 1.5 litre GP Formula.


Richard, Parnell didn't sell the K3 to JHT Smith. He sold it to W.G. Everitt. According to Mike Hawke's book "K3 Dossier" Parnell fitted Lancia IFS to the front of his K3 and sold the special front axle previously fitted to JHT Smith. I have numerous photos of Smith's K3 (K3015)that Itook in 1980 when I went to visit him in England while searching for parts for my K3 special. He still had the car, fitted with the ex-Parnell front axle and it strongly resembles an ERA axle. I have numerous photos but still no scanner.... If people are really interested I could do something :blush:

The photos above must be of the Roger Sweet special surely? Lovely car....

#41 Vitesse2

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Posted 07 June 2005 - 21:10

I don't know why I typed Smith. As I posted in the first post of the thread, I was under the impression he'd sold it to Ian Nickols, who raced it at Gransden Lodge in 1946

Everitt? :confused: I know he raced the car in 1938 when it was still owned by Reg, but AFAIK he didn't race at all in 1939.

And according to the quote I posted from Boddy above re the 1938 JCC 200, the Lancia ifs was already fitted.

I'm beginning to wonder if maybe Reg actually had two chassis: it might reconcile the two different colours in 1937 and the apparently ever-changing body?

I've hunted around for a copy of Mike Hawke's K3 book, but the only one I found is going for silly money in the States. Anybody care to lend me a copy ;) - pretty please :blush:

#42 Ray Bell

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Posted 07 June 2005 - 22:20

Originally posted by David Birchall
.....The photos above must be of the Roger Sweet special surely? Lovely car....


How could it miss?

Any inline six under 1500cc is a fabulous car!

#43 David Birchall

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Posted 07 June 2005 - 23:52

Yes Ray, I agree :wave:

But I notice it is not two stage supercharged now.

Note to self: must find a copy of the "K3 Dossier" for Vitesse 2.

#44 Miles Fenton

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Posted 08 June 2005 - 03:56

To continue.... I have asked David Birchall to post a few more of my photos which I'm sure are of the Roger Sweet Special. I took these at Silverstone a few years ago.
This is the engine so I don't know where the other engine shown in the recent photos came from.
Is that a newbuild? I know that the photos Dave is posting for me are of Reg Parnells engine.
Miles.

#45 David McKinney

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Posted 08 June 2005 - 05:01

Originally posted by Vitesse2
I'm beginning to wonder if maybe Reg actually had two chassis: it might reconcile the two different colours in 1937 and the apparently ever-changing body?

Parnell raced Smith's K3 on at least one occasion in 1937

#46 David Birchall

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Posted 08 June 2005 - 06:18

These are the photos Miles took of the Roger Sweet special, built by Bob Jones I believe.

Posted Image


This is definately not the same car as pictured earlier!!

OK, What Is the blue car?

#47 Vitesse2

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Posted 08 June 2005 - 12:20

Originally posted by David Birchall
These are the photos Miles took of the Roger Sweet special, built by Bob Jones I believe.

Posted Image


This is definately not the same car as pictured earlier!!

Those match the car I have pictures of in MG Enthusiast - definitely the Sweet car, which is modelled after the style of an ERA.

Originally posted by David Birchall
OK, What Is the blue car?

Looks like the ex-Hamilton chassis K3009, which is the car Reg apparently fitted the oversize engine in. "Works MGs" by Allison & Browning has a rear view of the car - from 1938 - on p141. The colour scheme is different, but the bodywork is identical as far as I can tell. The exhaust system on aha100's pictures is mounted higher, but there's no visible armguard on the earlier picture and it also incorporates a Brooklands fishtail silencer. Presumably now has a standard 1087cc.

#48 David Birchall

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Posted 08 June 2005 - 14:14

Yes Richard, but that makes 2 cylinder heads :


And I just realised that the 'Blue Car" still has the Lancia IFS-I couldn't figure out what the vertical tubes were when I first looked at it but now it makes sense. Is it possible the Roger Sweet car has lost it's engine to K3009? Can someone in UK contact Mike Hawke?
David B

#49 Vitesse2

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Posted 08 June 2005 - 16:59

Originally posted by David Birchall
Yes Richard, but that makes 2 cylinder heads :


And I just realised that the 'Blue Car" still has the Lancia IFS-I couldn't figure out what the vertical tubes were when I first looked at it but now it makes sense. Is it possible the Roger Sweet car has lost it's engine to K3009? Can someone in UK contact Mike Hawke?
David B


Why two heads? The Roger Sweet car was not only built up on a KN chassis, but also retained the original N-type engine: in SOHC form it was only 1271cc and early pictures of it show the exhaust on the driver's left. When the Parnell head was fitted and the new block was made, bringing up the capacity to 1739cc, the exhaust was redirected to the driver's right, as on a K3.

Presumably when Reg sold the car to Nickols he retained the oversize (KD or N?) engine. Thus in 1939 K3009 must have reverted to being a standard capacity K3, albeit with non-standard bodywork, Lancia IFS and the DOHC head.

#50 aha100

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Posted 08 June 2005 - 17:49

Hello everybody,

here are some more pictures of a 'Blue Car'.
It looks pretty much the same as far as the body goes.
The engine is a bit different though:

http://www.atspeedim..._mg_kn_special/

Johannes