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Bonner V6


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#1 flightlessbird

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Posted 04 July 2012 - 08:38

Would any of our learned reader be able to tell me about the Bonner V6 as used by ADA and others?

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#2 Stephen W

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Posted 04 July 2012 - 09:22

Would any of our learned reader be able to tell me about the Bonner V6 as used by ADA and others?

One appeared in the back of a March S2000 beig driven on the hills by Leon Bachelier - Leon had the devil's own job getting the thing silenced.

I'll ask Leon what happened to the engine after he parked the car up.

:wave:

#3 fausto

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Posted 04 July 2012 - 09:44

remember that it was built for marine use, reports told it was really torquey, project abandoned by ADA after some British C2 championship races

#4 RTH

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Posted 04 July 2012 - 11:49

Indeed it was a motor boat engine as I remember about 6 litre V6 with a very distinctive deep throbbing sound. Remember it being at Donington 1990 very powerful they used to lead races with it.

Have a look here
http://www.driftwork...ace-engine.html


Edited by RTH, 04 July 2012 - 11:52.


#5 RS250

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Posted 04 July 2012 - 16:37

The March Bonner 825/2 hillclimb car was for sale for a while on race-cars.com for £29,500.
I notice its been sold - do we assume the engine and car are now seperated?

#6 Stephen W

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Posted 05 July 2012 - 08:56

One appeared in the back of a March S2000 being driven on the hills by Leon Bachelier - Leon had the devil's own job getting the thing silenced.

I'll ask Leon what happened to the engine after he parked the car up.

:wave:



The March Bonner 825/2 hillclimb car was for sale for a while on race-cars.com for £29,500.
I notice its been sold - do we assume the engine and car are now seperated?


It's on my list of questions for Leon.

:up:

#7 simonlewisbooks

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Posted 05 July 2012 - 11:52

One appeared in the back of a March S2000 beig driven on the hills by Leon Bachelier - Leon had the devil's own job getting the thing silenced.


Remember it well....in the paddock, not sure I ever saw it in action due to the noise issues. Very frustrating.
Noise is an odd thing, a deep large capacity engine note seems far more prone to setting off noise meters than the much more penetrating higher pitched bike engines (for example).
We used to have regular problems with Rover V8s which sounded much quieter when on track than the 6R4s and BDAs that sailed though noise checks unhindered. :|

#8 Stephen W

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Posted 05 July 2012 - 14:55

Posted Image

The Bonner V6 in Bachelier's March

Posted Image

Bachelier at Barbon



#9 Fred.R

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Posted 05 July 2012 - 23:27

Was it not Aero-Bonner ? remember seeing the ADA testing at Silverstone, to use the colloquial it sounded like it was firing at every lamp post , was a write up in Autosport at the time ("bifurcated ports" or is that my medication kicking in it was a while ago)

#10 2F-001

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Posted 06 July 2012 - 06:16

Mr Bonner was ex-Weslake, wasn't he? And did contract design and engineering work for the likes of Ford and Ricardo - so well-regarded.

From memory, the big V6 was intended from the outset to be multi-use (racing/marine/maybe aero, with the possibility of turbocharging the marine application). I seem to recall that, although having large capacity and few cylinders, it was over-square thus having a huge bore size and enormous valves - and was gear-driven.

I always assumed the 6-cyl layout was driven largely by the quest for fuel economy (which was the essence, pun intended, of Group C). I can't think what the relevant dates are, but in a Group C context, maybe its development was forestalled by the change in emphasis towards the more F1-style 3.5 litre engines.

I think I still have a couple of magazine articles on the Bonner V6 saved from the early 90s, which I will try to locate. I'm sure one of them, at least, gave the critical dimensions and pictures of the castings and components.

#11 RTH

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Posted 06 July 2012 - 19:22

Some tech spec here Tony 112mm bore

http://www.driftwork...ace-engine.html



#12 carlt

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Posted 06 July 2012 - 21:30

The March Bonner 825/2 hillclimb car was for sale for a while on race-cars.com for £29,500.
I notice its been sold - do we assume the engine and car are now seperated?

the engine was for sale , not that long ago , for a very reasonable price
can't remember where , or for how much

#13 Stephen W

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Posted 09 July 2012 - 09:08

Had a chat with Leon Bachelier at the week-end. He tells me the chap who bought the entire project has (a) removed the Bonner engine and the gearbox, (b) is restoring the March to S2000 specification, © sold the gearbox, and (d) has the engine up for sale (possibly with Damon Milnes in Cheshire).

:wave:



#14 sabrejet

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Posted 09 July 2012 - 18:00

Wasn't this the engine also fitted in a De Havilland Chipmunk that appeared at Farnborough one year? (1976?)

#15 2F-001

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Posted 09 July 2012 - 19:32

Wasn't this the engine also fitted in a De Havilland Chipmunk that appeared at Farnborough one year? (1976?)

Not quite - at least not according to an article in CCC (which I have now found).
In that, Gerard Sauer (one of the founders of ADA?) says that Mr Bonner's Chipmunk appeared at Farnborough in 1980 - pre-dating the 5.8-litre V6 - powered by a turbocharged all-alloy engine based (somewhat loosely it seems to me) on the Ford Essex V6.


#16 simonlewisbooks

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Posted 10 July 2012 - 08:48

...all-alloy engine based (somewhat loosely it seems to me) on the Ford Essex V6.


Very loosely :lol: Imagine the Essex 'boat anchor' in the nose of a small plane :eek: You'd need a 20 foot longer tail to balance it out...


#17 flightlessbird

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Posted 11 July 2012 - 08:19

The motor should be in Australia by now and heading for the rear of a offroad buggy, will let you know how it goes