In doing some research about Ford's RS3100 Capri, I discovered that its Cosworth GAA V6 engine was used with limited success in F5000. Can any TNFers tell me more about how this came about and the results? Was it a feasible proposition? What was the power to weight ratio like compared to the commonly used Chev V8?
Cosworth V6 in F5000
Started by
Beejay17
, Apr 30 2003 06:18
9 replies to this topic
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#2
Frank de Jong
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Posted 30 April 2003 - 06:25
I think there has been another thread about the V6. Yes, it was used with some success; what I can find at this moment are the following combinations:
1974 Modus M1/Walkinshaw
1975-76 Cevron B30/Purley
1975 March 731/Hayje
1975 March 75A/Alan Jones
1976 March 75A/Magee
1976 March 762/Walkinshaw
1974 Modus M1/Walkinshaw
1975-76 Cevron B30/Purley
1975 March 731/Hayje
1975 March 75A/Alan Jones
1976 March 75A/Magee
1976 March 762/Walkinshaw
#3
Ray Bell
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Posted 30 April 2003 - 06:36
From memory it was a move aimed at increasing the variety and popularity of F5000.
The cars were racewinners, too. A move to allow these in Australian F5000, however, met with sufficient resistance to avoid it happening.
The cars were racewinners, too. A move to allow these in Australian F5000, however, met with sufficient resistance to avoid it happening.
#4
Frank de Jong
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Posted 30 April 2003 - 07:11
I guess it must have had something to do with the pile of cilinder heads Ford had after its short 1974 ETCC season. No more than three or four Capri RS3100's were built to my knowledge; but for homologation purposes they had to produce 100 pair of 4-valve cilinder heads, camshafts etc. So F5000 engines were a way to get rid of some of the stock.
#5
Beejay17
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Posted 30 April 2003 - 07:31
Originally posted by Ray Bell
From memory it was a move aimed at increasing the variety and popularity of F5000.
The cars were racewinners, too. A move to allow these in Australian F5000, however, met with sufficient resistance to avoid it happening.
What was the problem Ray? Were the established engine builders worried about having to cope in a limited market? Peter Molloy already had a sedan-based customer, so I'd imagine he would have been keen.
How was it stopped? John Goss pushed ahead with a Ford-based V8 block, so the rules weren't restricted to Chev & Repco.
#6
Ray Bell
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Posted 30 April 2003 - 07:58
The rules in Australia only allowed stock-block V8 engines... they had to be changed to allow the V6 in.
Apart from the engine builders, there were car owners to be considered too. Imagine if the whole Gold Star field was made uncompetitive overnight, and that the replacements had engines costing three times as much?
And Peter Molloy didn't have a touring car engine customer of any note until about 1978, as I recall.
Apart from the engine builders, there were car owners to be considered too. Imagine if the whole Gold Star field was made uncompetitive overnight, and that the replacements had engines costing three times as much?
And Peter Molloy didn't have a touring car engine customer of any note until about 1978, as I recall.
#7
Beejay17
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Posted 30 April 2003 - 11:30
Originally posted by Ray Bell
And Peter Molloy didn't have a touring car engine customer of any note until about 1978, as I recall.
I didn't see any emoticons to suggest you were being facetious, so I'll reply that Molloy was in charge of engine rebuild and development for Allan Moffat's ex-works RS3100 in '75-'76. In Australia the car only had to compete in sprints, rather than ETCC-length races, so it'd be fair to assume that some F5000 category developments may have made their way into Moffat's Capri.
#8
petefenelon
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Posted 30 April 2003 - 11:42
Originally posted by Beejay17
In doing some research about Ford's RS3100 Capri, I discovered that its Cosworth GAA V6 engine was used with limited success in F5000. Can any TNFers tell me more about how this came about and the results? Was it a feasible proposition? What was the power to weight ratio like compared to the commonly used Chev V8?
Wasn't there talk of other stockblock engines with four-valve heads coming in? I vaguely recall reading something (I think in a pile of back issues of Competition Car that I picked up a while back) that mentioned the possibility of a BMW (straight 6? v8? dunno!) in F5000...
What was the capacity limit set for four-valve units? Was it set at 3.4 just 'cos the Ford was that size?
Purls' Chevron was a beauty of a car, and there really wasn't much to distinguish AJ's 75A from a 751 apart from the engine....
pete
#9
David M. Kane
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Posted 30 April 2003 - 12:35
Randy Johnson of Dallas now owns the Thursday Alan Jones car and he had at
the Zippo GP at Watkins Glen last September and it sounded great and went
very well. Randy also owns and runs a very fast Williams FW08C.
The March paint scheme is awesome.
the Zippo GP at Watkins Glen last September and it sounded great and went
very well. Randy also owns and runs a very fast Williams FW08C.
The March paint scheme is awesome.
#10
petefenelon
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Posted 30 April 2003 - 15:07
Originally posted by David M. Kane
Randy Johnson of Dallas now owns the Thursday Alan Jones car and he had at
the Zippo GP at Watkins Glen last September and it sounded great and went
very well. Randy also owns and runs a very fast Williams FW08C.
The March paint scheme is awesome.
Aye, it was a good looking car. I wonder how much Thursdays paid to get on it? - in an era when most F5000s looked a bit backyard special as far as sponsorship was concerned that and the LEC Chevron were very much the harbingers of the modern age!
pete
