10 replies to this topic

[chofar]

Hello, This is my first post here. It's a long time since i read this board with high interest. Unfortunately, my poor knowledges never allowed me to post anything interesting.
Anyway, by now i have a question regarding the Mclaren M7C that Bruce McLaren drove in 1969 and particularly at Mosport. I'd be glad to see a picture of this car and hear more about its history (i don't own the real car , just a model and want to test its accuracy).
Thanks in Advance.

[Vitesse2]

M7C was Bruce's personal car in 1969 and outwardly similar to the 1968 M7A. However, M7C was a full up-and-over monocoque, since experience had shown that the "bathtub" M7A lacked torsional rigidity. The chassis was identical to the M10A F5000 cars.

I've checked the Motor Sport report of the Mosport race: it contents itself with informing us that Bruce was in his usual car - M7C/1. No picture, I'm afraid.

There are two pics in Eoin Young's "McLaren!" - at Clermont-Ferrand, where it sported a low tray-type rear wing, and at Monza, where it had a more conventional low wing.

[MCH]

Hi, there are a couple of pictures in this galery of the M7C.

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

Sorry, chofar, I can't offer anything in the way of pix for you but I did attend the Canadian GP at Mosport in 1969 and saw Bruce drive to a fifth place finish(just checked the results at the F1 Dbase to confirm). I was spectating along with some friends at the hairpin(T5a & T5b). The only reason that I'm jumping in here is to remark on how much Bruce's car spit, popped and backfired on off-throttle for the tight 90-degree T5b. Sounded like he had a rapid-fire howitzer stuffed into the back of the car! No other Cossie DFV-powered car exhibited any of this, just a smooth burble off-throttle. Don't know much about engineering but I can only guess that his fuel metering must have been substantially different from the other DFV entries.

[Roger Clark]

This is the M7C at Mosport. I don't think it's quite true to say that its chassis was identical to the M10A; the F5000 car had the monocoque extended under the engine. On the M7C the DFV was, as usual, fully stressed. Note also the external fuel tank. The M7A had a scuttle mounted tank and a lot of Bruce's development in 1968/69 seemed to be aimed at lowering the centre of gravity. For some reason, these develpments didn't find their way onto Hulme's car.

[chofar]

Thanks a lot for your answers, the car i'm talking about is effectively Bruce's car, said to be a F5000 tub cut-off at the rear to set a DFV. The model i have wears a number 4 and a low wing, which can only be the canadian version. It also has a rectangular fuel tank attached to the right side. I was wondering about the absence (on the model) of any goodyear sticker on the nose and gulf stickers on the front wings. It's also much smaller than my Quartzo Matra MS80. Does it seem right to you ?

I wish i could have seen races of this area...

[chofar]

Sorry Roger, i typed when you were posting this pic. It seems to be the car i have (43 times smaller...) and confirms that the lack of good year stickers is due to the builder's laziness (or lack of pics). Thank you very much. Now, back to my decal box...

[Rob Ryder]

;)

[Roger Clark]

In 1970 the M7C was sold to John surtees and raced by him until the TS7 was ready. It was fitted with revised side tanks of a more elegant shape designed, I believe, by Peter Connew. Surtees sold it to Jo Bonnier. It was also the car in which Carlos Reuteman made his formula 1 debut, though many people forget that,

[John-w]

Hello,

here are some photos from my McLaren M7C, Bruce McLaren, Monaco 1969 (Practice).
The Heller kit is now 40 year old and in scale 1/24th, I have made some modifications
to get the Monaco version.


















John-w

Edited by John-w, 21 July 2012 - 08:23.

[arttidesco]

Congrats John compares very well with the M7C as seen at Goodwood FoS last month except the real one is now on Avon's of course

Edited by arttidesco, 17 July 2011 - 12:20.