13 replies to this topic

[jaytee]

I'm looking for photos of Doc Merfield's Coventry Climax engined Mk2 Cortina,   Jon Doubleday restored the rolling shell and fitted an American V8 a few years ago and there's photos about of the car but I've never seen anything on the original car.

 

There's a glimpse of the car 1.05 in on this Crystal Palace race

 

[pete53]

As an assiduous reader of Motoring News and Autosport back in the day, I have to say I don't ever remember seeing a photo of the car in period. I don't recall the car being very successful and as such probably didn't garner a great deal of publicity.

[D-Type]

Was the V8 Coventry Climax engine a Godiva?

[Rupertlt1]

Was the V8 Coventry Climax engine a Godiva?

 

Yes, AFAIK. RGDS RLT

[Allan Lupton]

Was the V8 Coventry Climax engine a Godiva?

Yes, according to a piece about the Kieft GP car in Motor Sport in March 2003. Said to have been enlarged to 3 litre, but not to have lasted long, which presumably is why I and others have no recollection of the car.

Edited by Allan Lupton, 05 September 2019 - 16:33.

[Tim Murray]

Here’s Peter Morley’s potted history of the FPE engine, from this thread:

Yes it is the same engine.
Paul Emery convinced Andrew Getly (Getley?) to buy the engines (whole project) and they enlarged one to 3 litres (by fitting Jaguar pistons) and fitted it in the Shannon which went very well in its first test at the GP test day on carburettors, then fitted fuel injection (giving 312 BHp) and extra fuel tanks for the 1966 British GP, developed a fuel leak and retired.
The FPE was removed and the Shannon returned to being a race winning F3 car.
The FPE was then loaned to John Wilment who fitted it in one of the BRP F1 cars (BRP-2-64) and entered in the 1966 Gold Cup for John Campbell Jones.
After that Getly sold everything (engines & injection) in 1967 to Doc/Derek Merfield who ran the 3 litre engine conservatively with 325 BHp on carburettors in his Cortina about a dozen times gaining several lap records
When Merfield retired in 1970 he sold the engines to Gordon Chapman and they subsequently went to Bill Morris.
The only real fault with the engines was the oil scavenging which Greg Snape & Bill Morris resolved when they built the Kieft engine.

Incidentally Motor Racing magazine had a track test of the BRP with the FPE engine in it and The Grand Prix Gift book has a feature on the Shannon FPE when it was at the GP test day.

Here’s the car in its current incarnation, with American V8:

[Lee Nicolle]

Dare I say the car will be far better with any American engine. A 3 litre F1 style engine with around 300hp will be surpassed by an engine twice as large with twice the torque. And a LOT cheaper to maintain.

For interest sake what sort of engine are they currently using?

[arttidesco]

 

For interest sake what sort of engine are they currently using?

 

Described as a Donovan V8 :-  

 

John Doubledays engine size was 5.7 litre on a recent entry list at Lydden Hill. 

[Ray Bell]

Out of Chevrolet...

 

At 5.7 litres it's a 350, Lee can probably tell you all about it.

[Lee Nicolle]

Out of Chevrolet...

 

At 5.7 litres it's a 350, Lee can probably tell you all about it.

350 Chev with by the looks later model iron heads, single plane intake with 4bbl. Simple, cheap and works and reliable.

[Rupertlt1]

The life and times of Aussie Doc Merfield deserve more attention. Here is an obscure connection:

https://forums.autos...-3#entry5120927

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 14 August 2024 - 04:06.

[arttidesco]

Here is an obscure connection:

https://forums.autos...-3#entry5120927

RGDS RLT

 

Is that the same Willement tuned car that the Doc latter raced before selling it on to artist Rodney Diggens  ?

[Rupertlt1]

Rodney Diggens, Ford Anglia, competed in the Brands Hatch Speed Trials, 10 March 1963.

Also seen BRSCC Brands Hatch, 15 April 1963.

The photograph of Doc Merfield at Goodwood was taken Saturday 23 March 1963.

#97 Ford Anglia, 1475 c.c., Yellow/Black.

#112 Morris Cooper, 997 c.c., Red/Black, is John Fenning, entrant W. D. Sawyer.

#104 Austin A40, 997 c.c., Black, D. Oakenfold.

#113 Austin Cooper, 997 c.c., Blue/White, G. Lawrence.

Could the black mini be #118 1132 c.c. of Rod Embley?

By Whit Monday Goodwood Merfield had switched to a Lotus Cortina.

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 23 August 2024 - 04:54.

[Rupertlt1]

BRSCC Brands Hatch, 15 April 1963.
Molyslip Trophy for Saloon Cars over 1000 c.c.

Class A. — 1. Chris Craft (Ford

Anglia), 10min 42 sec., 69.53 m.p.h.

2. Alan Peer (Ford Anglia); 3. Rodney

Diggens (Anglia). 

Saloon car handicap: 1. Michael

Cox (A40), 11 min 50sec; 2. John

Ralph (Mini-Cooper); 3. Rodney

Diggens (Anglia).

This is the only race meeting I can find that Diggens participated in — not counting the earlier sprint.

RGDS RLT