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A 1974 photo

Started by island , Feb 24 2007 07:02

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25 replies to this topic

#1 island

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 07:02

The picture (copyright: David Hutson) was taken in a UK workshop in 1974.
A Formula 5000 car?

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#2 Twin Window

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 08:11

Is it the Maki?

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#3 Stephen W

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 09:33

It's a McRae! :cool:

Spotted elsewhere don't you know!

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#4 Huw Jadvantich

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 11:57

Which McRae had twin radiators mounted in front of the wheels? Sure its not a Trojan based car?
looks too bulky to be a the BT39

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#5 Huw Jadvantich

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 11:59

Howden ganley built his own F1 tub before the Maki (late 72-mid 73) its not that is it?

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#6 f1steveuk

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 12:41

wish I could see the picture!

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#7 Ray Bell

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 13:08

Here... try clicking on this link...

http://img512.images.../8424/w2gx4.jpg

Be warned, it's ugly!

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#8 Gary C

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 13:19

isn't that Howden on the right of the picture?

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#9 f1steveuk

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 14:15

link works, picture doesn't load. I t must be REALLY ugly!!!

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#10 Simon Hadfield

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 14:24

Its the Ward KS1 nee Mcrae GM1 015

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#11 David M. Kane

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 15:15

I don't believe that is Howden.

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#12 RA Historian

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 15:25

My first guess was the Talon, nee McRae GM-2, but I believe that car had the rads behind the front wheels in the side pods with a chisel nose.

Re Simon's note about GM1-015, is that a car unlike the other GM-1s which had a single front rad?

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#13 island

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 16:28

The lady on the photo is Barb Smiley, wife of race driver Gordon Smiley.
And the man with the glasses is Joe Kidd. He was mechanic on Smiley`s Merlyn Formula Ford.
However, I have no idea how they relate to the mystery chassis.

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#14 my_own_shadow

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 17:05

could that be Keith Green on the right??

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#15 Simon Hadfield

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 17:13

See the other place for full explanations, the car was restored back to GM1 and is raced today in New Zealand by Stuart Lush. I think the guy on the right is Ken Stepney.

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#16 Allen Brown

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 17:13

Wolfgang, I'm sure Simon's right. It's the Ward KS1.

We've discussed it at 'the other place' on the Modus thread.

Allen

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#17 simonlewisbooks

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 17:17

Is that Richard Scott on the right?
Didn't Patrick Head design an F2 car for him circa 1976?

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#18 Simon Hadfield

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 17:30

Having thought about this I wonder if Ian Ward was trying to sell this mod as an "update kit" and Gordon Smiley was viewing the car to consider doing the same to "his" car. The only problem was that it really wasnt very good......

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#19 macoran

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 18:00

Originally posted by Simon Hadfield
See the other place for full explanations, the car was restored back to GM1 and is raced today in New Zealand by Stuart Lush. I think the guy on the right is Ken Stepney.

I am at a loss now! How does one restore a slab sided monocoque back to a rounded belly one ?

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#20 island

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 18:15

Did the Ward KS1 really have front radiators?
And did Chris Featherstone race it in the October
1974 Brands Hatch F5000 round? Autosport mentions
a "rebodied McRae GM1" and calls it a "strange barge-like creation."

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#21 Simon Hadfield

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 18:17

You simply unrivet them! The original tub sides were still there (with the original bag tanks) underneath the add-ons.

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#22 Bonde

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 23:13

Did F5000 mandate F1-style deformable structures from 1974? It would be the only reason I could think of that would really justify adding another layer to the tub. GM1-002 had some more discrete Lola tub-like add-ons for a while, presumably for the same reason?

Does anyone have pictures of the the car in the completed Ward KS1 configuration?

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#23 Huw Jadvantich

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 23:17

What a remarkable camouflage job!! If you look carefully you can see the curve of the original monocoque bulhead under the glass fibre top cover. Ken Stepney was involved in Leda and I believe was instrumental in getting Leda's financiers interested in Graham McRae. Stuart Lush's car is the one McRae himself used in Europe isn't it? the second 'works' car if you like.
I can see what they were trying to do, as the limitations of the GM1 were its ability to cool as the engines were beginning to develop a lot more heat. Still pretty monstrous though!