1960 Chaparral Mk 1 video at the Vintage Races

Geoff Coenen

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Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Messages
436
Location
Stratford CT
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mwvdqo68uE[/ame]

I am one lucky son of a gun. I get to attend the races as part of my job, and don't have to win, loose or draw. Seriously there were 320 vintage race car entries at Limerock's 25th annual Labor day 4 day event. Included are many other models that are brought along and not raced, but displayed. Plus I saw John Fitch again & he was driving his Phoenix. Also met, all but one of the Corvette vintage racers. I'm pooped.

Jim Hall & Hap Sharp began to build their own race cars, the Chaparral in 1960. First in Aluminum, later Fiberglass; first front engine, then mid, then rear engines. Always had a Bowtie motor & close association the Chevrolet racing, Corvettes, Zora and I was privileged to see them race the 1964, 1965 Chaparral later models at the Bridgehampton NY track.

Number 65 (Hap) & #66 (Jim) were engineers, racers & inventors. They won often. Above the pits at Sebring, in chronological order are the past winners. Chaparral's 1965 Sebring 12 hours overall winner with a Bowtie motor, is in my view the closest a Corvette has gotten to that trophy. Oh well. Greenwood & others have tried.

Their innovations included the Chin Spoiler, the Rear Wing adjustable for drag in the corners & speed on the straights. The 2 Snow Mobile engine powered suckers fans that increased down force in the corners by sucking the air out from under the car. Almost every innovative trick they used to win was ruled illegal the next race or season.

Don't worry, I still have hours (72 laps) of practice, qualifying & racing of the Group 8 video's & jpegs - with 7 Corvette's racing to sort, edit, mix, upload, etc. I know it's a nasty job. A 1963 coupe; 1964, 1965, 1966 & 1967 convertibles, a 1969 L88 t-top and last buy not least - a 1970 convertible 355 ci. small Bowtie that was the winner of the last race.
 
I scratching my ass here trying to recall, but wasn't Jim Hall and the Chapparal at some point racing with a AUTOMATIC tranny??

and 318 ci is not something I ever recall as a GM engine, MOPAR of course....

what was done to get 318 outta the more or less factory stock stuff of the day???

:twitch::thumbs:

sending this thread to a olde tyme buddy with a Mopar background...
for some 55 years.....

:surrender::lol:
 
i'm just an itinerant independent bum - but i do try to get 6 cents out of every nickle. My advice to anyone: become self employed, the sky's the limit. But you can fall too.
i envy you as a racer, Gene too

Powerglides yes.
The owner is a Canadian fellow with a heavy accent, plus the constant drum of the cars racing made it very difficult to understand him - he said it was the original engine, a 318, original paint, body. Said they had original carb & intake, now Holley, plus newer GM alterntor.

This blew my mind - he said the original alternator was powered by a pulley on the drive shaft. If I closed my eyes it sounded like any small block Vette with Hooker side pipes.
 
Well as we all know, racers/engine folks can make any displacement they want to, but 318? in the chebby?? why bother +9 and we have 327 stock as a stove...

the way I learned it that by combining 283 and 327 parts they got 302 and that dawg no one liked the 305......

was there some class rules that 318 was a limit??

:shocking:
 
i'm just an itinerant independent bum - but i do try to get 6 cents out of every nickle. My advice to anyone: become self employed, the sky's the limit. But you can fall too.
i envy you as a racer, Gene too

Powerglides yes.The owner is a Canadian fellow with a heavy accent, plus the constant drum of the cars racing made it very difficult to understand him - he said it was the original engine, a 318, original paint, body. Said they had original carb & intake, now Holley, plus newer GM alterntor.

This blew my mind - he said the original alternator was powered by a pulley on the drive shaft. If I closed my eyes it sounded like any small block Vette with Hooker side pipes.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the Chaparral gearboxes essentially two-speed manual gearboxes (not Powerglides) that were hooked up to a torque converter? They required manual shifting, IIRC.
 
I really love the vintage racers. These are the makes & models I vicariously drooled over in the monthly issues of Road & Track, Car & Driver and Sports Car Graphic magazines.

Truthfully PG or not – I cannot recall.

In 1980 I visited the Briggs Cunningham Museum in Costa Mesa, CA specifically to see the CERV I and CERV II on loan from GM. There was
a gift shop with books also. They carried a series of British racing publications that were each dedicated to a single marque. The Chaparral book (about 80 pages) was the one I purchased since I did always enjoy their feats & innovations in racing. Anyhow, after we got back from the races I looked in my library & couldn't find it. Krap.

However my dear wife, overheard my bellowing frustration & found a file folder with clippings on the Chaparral. I had forgotten about these. I've always been a packrat & have similar file folders for all special Corvettes, Cousins of Corvettes, etc., Scarab, Cheetah, Mako, Devin, XP700, Stingray Racer, Astro I&II, CERV I&II, Manta Ray, Shark, Grand Sport, 2&4 Rotor, Aluminum, XP898, Turbine, GTP, Mulsanne, Indy Vette.

All the following included feature articles on the various Chaparrals. I read them once, some maybe even twice but regretfully don't have enough time to revisit all these great articles. Here is my Chaparral periodical list.

Sports Car Graphic August 1961
Car & Driver September 1961
Car & Driver July 1964
Car & Driver April 1965
Sports Car Graphic June 1965
Sports Car Graphic October 1965
Rod & Custom October 1965
Sports Car Graphic January 1966
Road & Track February 1966
Sports Car Graphic March 1966
Sports Car Graphic April 1966
Car Life July 1966
Sports Car Graphic April 1966
Car & Driver June 1966
Road & Track November 1966
Sports Car Graphic November 1966
Motor Trend December 1966
Sports Car Graphic January 1967
Car & Driver February 1967
Sports Car Graphic July 1967
Car & Driver July 1968
Car & Driver February 1969
Sports Car Graphic August 1969
Car & Driver September 1970
Sports Car Graphic October 1970
Sports Car Graphic April 1971
 
I really love the vintage racers. These are the makes & models I vicariously drooled over in the monthly issues of Road & Track, Car & Driver and Sports Car Graphic magazines.

Truthfully PG or not – I cannot recall.

In 1980 I visited the Briggs Cunningham Museum in Costa Mesa, CA specifically to see the CERV I and CERV II on loan from GM. There was
a gift shop with books also. They carried a series of British racing publications that were each dedicated to a single marque. The Chaparral book (about 80 pages) was the one I purchased since I did always enjoy their feats & innovations in racing. Anyhow, after we got back from the races I looked in my library & couldn't find it. Krap.

However my dear wife, overheard my bellowing frustration & found a file folder with clippings on the Chaparral. I had forgotten about these. I've always been a packrat & have similar file folders for all special Corvettes, Cousins of Corvettes, etc., Scarab, Cheetah, Mako, Devin, XP700, Stingray Racer, Astro I&II, CERV I&II, Manta Ray, Shark, Grand Sport, 2&4 Rotor, Aluminum, XP898, Turbine, GTP, Mulsanne, Indy Vette.

All the following included feature articles on the various Chaparrals. I read them once, some maybe even twice but regretfully don't have enough time to revisit all these great articles. Here is my Chaparral periodical list.

Sports Car Graphic August 1961
Car & Driver September 1961
Car & Driver July 1964
Car & Driver April 1965
Sports Car Graphic June 1965
Sports Car Graphic October 1965
Rod & Custom October 1965
Sports Car Graphic January 1966
Road & Track February 1966
Sports Car Graphic March 1966
Sports Car Graphic April 1966
Car Life July 1966
Sports Car Graphic April 1966
Car & Driver June 1966
Road & Track November 1966
Sports Car Graphic November 1966
Motor Trend December 1966
Sports Car Graphic January 1967
Car & Driver February 1967
Sports Car Graphic July 1967
Car & Driver July 1968
Car & Driver February 1969
Sports Car Graphic August 1969
Car & Driver September 1970
Sports Car Graphic October 1970
Sports Car Graphic April 1971

PHULLLLEEEZE scan and upload here, all of them.....

:ghost::crutches::friends:
 
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