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1980 Cosworth DFV engines


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#1 Frank Verplanken

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Posted 21 May 2009 - 17:41

Hi all :).

I'm looking for information on the DFV engines used by the WDC teams in 1980. I have them at around 485 HP @ 10,750 rpm, but I would like to know who maintained them and if there were notable differences in performance between the eventual tuners. Did McLaren Engines USA tune the McLaren ones for instance ? Did Osella tune its engines as they liked to do ? Were most DFVs of the top teams tuned and rebuilt by Cosworth ? I guess it was the case for Williams via the Leyland connection - but what about the others ? And what about the smaller teams such as RAM Racing, Ensign, ATS ?

Thanks in advance :)

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#2 alansart

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Posted 21 May 2009 - 17:45

Didn't John Nicholson build McLaren engines at one time?

#3 macoran

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Posted 21 May 2009 - 18:22

The names Heini Mader and Langford & Peck spring to mind. But I am not sure if that was for F1 DFVs or for F3000

#4 kayemod

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Posted 21 May 2009 - 18:36

Didn't John Nicholson build McLaren engines at one time?


They formed a company for that very purpose, Nicholson McLaren Engines. Very good engines, but I think the main experimentation was in shorter stroke and different cam profiles. McLaren DFVs were reckoned to be about the best, but I can't recall seeing outputs quoted.


#5 Frank Verplanken

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Posted 21 May 2009 - 18:36

Yes the names Nicholson, Mader, L&P, Swindon spring to mind but I find information on F1 surprisingly hard to find. March Engines also at one time tuned F1 DFVs, with Günther Schmidt from ATS involved in that business. Hesketh did it too. And what about John Judd's MRD concern ? Brian Hart ? Alan Smith ?

#6 kayemod

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Posted 21 May 2009 - 18:42

I'm struggling to remember, but I think that Judd, Nicholson McLaren and Hesketh were the first three Cosworth licencees.

#7 ghinzani

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Posted 21 May 2009 - 20:39

I'm struggling to remember, but I think that Judd, Nicholson McLaren and Hesketh were the first three Cosworth licencees.



I though Osella only did BMW F2 units, not DFVs? I understood his DFVs were Maders or Judds? I may well be wrong on that though.

#8 Giraffe

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Posted 21 May 2009 - 20:40

The names Heini Mader and Langford & Peck spring to mind. But I am not sure if that was for F1 DFVs or for F3000


Dick Langford is preparing them to this day; one powered the ex-Ronnie Peterson March 761 to victory at Donington in the hands of Katsu Kubota the weekend before last.