11 replies to this topic

[BritishV8]

If you can possibly abide the shameless self-promotion aspect of this, I'd like to invite you all to peruse a new article about the history, design and construction of BRP's 1.5L Grand Prix racecars.

What you should hopefully know about the BRP-BRMs is that - after only the Lotus 25 - they were the second aluminum monocoque chassis in Formula One. They used BRM's nifty little DOHC V8 whereas the Lotus team used Climax engines. Innes Ireland drove a BRP-BRM throughout 1963. For 1964 two additional cars were built to a significantly improved design. Ireland continued, rejoined by his former Lotus teammate, Trevor Taylor.

Here's a link to the fully detailed story:
Kurt DelBene's 1964 B.R.P. (BRP-BRM) Grand Prix Race Car


Here are a couple teaser snapshots:





(Some of you guys know much, much more about these cars than I ever will, but I'm keen to learn and willing to update the article to correct any errors or inaccuracies. I'm traveling all the time lately, so e-mail is best but responses may be delayed. Still, please don't hesitate to send me your comments!)

[D-Type]

A small point in the team history regading Stirling Moss driving a BRP-entered BRM. Because of conflicting sponsorship agreements Stirling Moss would not have been able to drive a factory BRM . Shell sponsored BRM while BP sponsored Moss. So Moss couldn't drive a factory BRM even had he wanted to. The exception was in Britain where Shell and BP had a joint trading agreement so Moss was able to drive a factory BRM in the International Trophy.

[asapiro]

this is a wonderful walkaround - another great addition to your site.

and a pretty car

Keep it up!

If you can possibly abide the shameless self-promotion aspect of this, I'd like to invite you all to peruse a new article about the history, design and construction of BRP's 1.5L Grand Prix racecars.

What you should hopefully know about the BRP-BRMs is that - after only the Lotus 25 - they were the second aluminum monocoque chassis in Formula One. They used BRM's nifty little DOHC V8 whereas the Lotus team used Climax engines. Innes Ireland drove a BRP-BRM throughout 1963. For 1964 two additional cars were built to a significantly improved design. Ireland continued, rejoined by his former Lotus teammate, Trevor Taylor.

Here's a link to the fully detailed story:
Kurt DelBene's 1964 B.R.P. (BRP-BRM) Grand Prix Race Car


Here are a couple teaser snapshots:





(Some of you guys know much, much more about these cars than I ever will, but I'm keen to learn and willing to update the article to correct any errors or inaccuracies. I'm traveling all the time lately, so e-mail is best but responses may be delayed. Still, please don't hesitate to send me your comments!)

[BritishV8]

Thank you. This BRP was an especially fun car to learn and write about. I'm just now sorting photos from last weekend at Watkins Glen. For me, the star of the show was probably Denny Hulme's McLaren M23. Looks like I took 114 photos of it! Hopefully some of those will gel into an article in the not-too-distant future. (Anyone got tips about what details to look for?) It should be interesting to see exactly how much F1 technology changed between 1963 and 1973.

[Ray Bell]

From what I can see in those photos, the front wheel bearings seem to give it a 'live axle' type of upright...

That means that the bearings are within the upright and the 'stub' axle turns within those bearings. I could be wrong, of course, but that's what it looks like. This was at least very unusual in 1963, though commonplace today.

[Bloggsworth]

I was interested to see the LH gearchange.

[helioseism]

BritishV8, your site is fantastic!

[Roger Clark]

From what I can see in those photos, the front wheel bearings seem to give it a 'live axle' type of upright...

That means that the bearings are within the upright and the 'stub' axle turns within those bearings. I could be wrong, of course, but that's what it looks like. This was at least very unusual in 1963, though commonplace today.

I thought the BRP used Lotus 24 suspension, uprights and wheels.

[Roger Clark]

I was interested to see the LH gearchange.

A consequence of a BRM gearbox?

Edited by Roger Clark, 19 September 2011 - 06:30.

[Macca]

Yes, exactly - they'd used a RH gearchange on the unique '63 car on a Colotti 'box, and when the '64 car was fitted with the Godiva V8 in '66 it had a RH change added; John Blunsden's track test for MR noted they hadn't yet had time to fit a gate when he drove it.

[Tim Murray]

From what I can see in those photos, the front wheel bearings seem to give it a 'live axle' type of upright...

That means that the bearings are within the upright and the 'stub' axle turns within those bearings. I could be wrong, of course, but that's what it looks like. This was at least very unusual in 1963, though commonplace today.

I thought the BRP used Lotus 24 suspension, uprights and wheels.

I understand that the Lotus 24, 25 and BRP all used the same Lotus upright, and this is confirmed by Curtis (BritishV8) in his article. Here's a description of the Lotus 25 arrangement, from Ian Bamsey's Lotus 25 - A Technical Appraisal:

The front upright casting was star-shaped, offering front and rear prongs. This allowed the same casting to be used each side with the calliper always mounted on rear prongs. The disc had an integral bell which was driven by six wheel pegs. At the front the pegs projected from a hub that ran on twin taper roller bearings carried by a fixed stub axle. This steel axle (machined internally for lightness) was an interference fit in the upright which it ran right through, secured at its inner end by a circlip.

I'd suggest that the only difference on the BRP is that the circlip retaining the stub axle has been replaced by a nut and split pin.

Edited by Tim Murray, 19 September 2011 - 10:00.

[Roger Clark]

Yes, exactly - they'd used a RH gearchange on the unique '63 car on a Colotti 'box, and when the '64 car was fitted with the Godiva V8 in '66 it had a RH change added; John Blunsden's track test for MR noted they hadn't yet had time to fit a gate when he drove it.

Wasn't the first car unusual (unique?) in having a vertical gate and a horizontal gear lever?

I notice that the car in BritishV8's picture has the upper rear radius arm attached to the upright at the level of the top link, like a Lotus 25B or 33. I remember them attached at the level of the hub, like a 24 or early 25. When was it changed?