LYCOMING racecar-new zealand 1958-???

johnny yuma · 29 Apr 2006, 04:29 (Ref:1597316)

I've just read in" Sports Car World" July 1963 [published in Sydney] of a New Zealand built road-registered Track car,the Lycoming.Named for it's 5.3 litre air cooled flat 4 aero engine,the well sorted beast by 1962 had massive disc brakes,could top 150mph,ran 12 second quarters and could keep pace with a 2.5 Cooper at the "new" Pukekohe circuit--then the mudguards were bolted back on for the DRIVE HOME !!! any news on it's later history please ?

Formula 5000 · 29 Apr 2006, 06:58 (Ref:1597343)

I believe it was the same car brought over here to Australia by Pat Hawthorn who went on to buy Lex Davison's (Father of Sandown Promoter Jon) DNR Aston Martin. Pat worked on my cars and owned a Service Station in Clayton. He was involved in the establishing of Calder Park (Raceway as it was).
Whilst it was all of the things you say it did not have a gearbox so that out of slow corners in spite of its enormous torque it just struggled. Bruce Mclaren test drove it for Pat and said, for our variety of circuits it needed a few gears.
Sounded great, very few revs and just kept on going but cornering was another problem as in many specials. Pat sold his Aston overseas but the Lycoming was never seen again and he was a hard man to get information out of. Other 10/10 ers must have more to add as it was only in the 60's.

Formula 5000 · 29 Apr 2006, 06:59 (Ref:1597344)

Wish I had of put DBR for the Aston.

johnny yuma · 29 Apr 2006, 09:44 (Ref:1597414)

The transmission is described in the article as Studebaker gears in a Chrysler case,and Customline diff.Sounds like a real hotrod,looks like nothing else I've seen [not ugly though]. The writer's description of being driven through the suburban streets sedately concludes with a breathtaking run up THROUGH THE GEARS to 110 mph then sneaking quietly home[it was even described as having a comfortable ride,but being extreme in the NVH area- with a 5.3 litre air cooled 4 I'm not surprised! The big inboard discs sitting beside the Ford diff with a fat de dion tube look awesome.Antipodean E Type but faster.

RogerH · 30 Apr 2006, 02:22 (Ref:1597880)

It's still racing. See this site for a photo from earlier this year:
http://www.davidwallphoto.com/search...=&p=49&n=10037

Antrodemus · 30 Apr 2006, 05:41 (Ref:1597944)

It's been a regular at the PDL/Skope Classic meetings every February at Ruapuna, and I presume its active at other classic meetings in the South Island at least, in the hands of Ralph Smith. That might be a good place to start

David McKinney · 30 Apr 2006, 08:32 (Ref:1597997)

The Pat Hawthorn Lycoming Special was not related to the NZ car described elswhere in this thread (and depicted on the David Wall site)

johnny yuma · 30 Apr 2006, 11:52 (Ref:1598095)

Quote:

Originally Posted by RogerH

It's still racing. See this site for a photo from earlier this year:
http://www.davidwallphoto.com/search...=&p=49&n=10037

Thanks RogerH for the great photos.Amazed to see it is not only still racing but still registered-check those numberplates.New Zealand must really be the land of the free ! Another good reason to visit the South Island-thanks Antrodemus.

D-Type · 30 Apr 2006, 21:55 (Ref:1598347)

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnny yuma

Thanks RogerH for the great photos.Amazed to see it is not only still racing but still registered-check those numberplates.New Zealand must really be the land of the free ! Another good reason to visit the South Island-thanks Antrodemus.

I believe that in New Zealand all cars even out and out racing cars have to be registered. I have certainly seen photos of single seaters with number plates. I may be wrong on this and if so i'm sure someone will correct me.

Howard Wood · 30 Apr 2006, 23:56 (Ref:1598415)

There were two Lycoming engined specials in New Zealand during the fifties.
By far the most successful and well known was the Lycoming Special build by Ralph Watson over several years and completed in 1957.

Ralph Watson was probably the pre eminent race car engineer of the era in New Zealand. He was responsible for all the cars run by Ron Roycroft who was the leading driver at the time including developing and making reliable Roycroft's ex Froilan Gonzalez British Grand Prix winning Ferrari 375.

The Lycoming was run simultaneously both as a Sports Car with cycle guards and as a Formula Libre car with amazing results over a long period of time and still competes in Historic racing today.

At the 1960 Lady Wigram race Bruce McLaren blew the engine of his works Cooper in practice. He "borrowed" the Lycoming and finished 4th in the main race!

johnh875 · 1 May 2006, 03:17 (Ref:1598479)

Looks like quite a remarkable car!

The car is not a lot different in essence from a Lotus 7, with front mudguards and lights in the photo linked it would easily have been registerable in the 50s or 60s, things were a lot less regulated then.

I have seen a Can-am style sports car with indicators and registration here in Melbourne - it has been kept continuously registered for fear of re-registration being refused. We don't have an annual MOT, one is only required when selling (transferring registration). Theoretically since it had been previously registered in the state it should be able to be registered after a gap, however due to the "extreme" nature of the car the owner was fearful that an exception or other loophole would be found.

David McKinney · 1 May 2006, 11:38 (Ref:1598683)

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-Type

I believe that in New Zealand all cars even out and out racing cars have to be registered. I have certainly seen photos of single seaters with number plates. I may be wrong on this and if so i'm sure someone will correct me.

Race cars had to display number plates up until - IIRC - the late 1950s
The Lycoming carries them because it's a road car

RogerH · 1 May 2006, 19:32 (Ref:1598950)

There is a recently published book on Ralph Watson which provides much detail and photos on the design, building and racing of the Lycoming Special. It also covers Ralph's rotary valve BSA Special and his self designed and built rotary aero engine. The book also details his work on the 35A Bugatti, Bugatti Jaguar, Alfa P3, Ferrari Monza, 1952 Ferrari 4.5 litre V12 single seater and many other projects. The Title is "Ralph Watson Special Engineer". I obtained my copy from the author (Trevor Sheffield) and I think copies may still be available through him.

Howard Wood · 3 May 2006, 21:25 (Ref:1600336)

For years New Zealand was the place old racing cars went to die and the grids from the thirties up to the late fifties/ early sixties consisted of old European race cars being constantly patched up or repowered and New Zealand Specials. Often the NZ specials were as fast and certainly more reliable than the old pukka race cars even if they were often quite crude.
(Actually VERY crude sometimes).
Ralph Watson had considerable experience keeping these old Grand Prix cars going which often involved major component rebulds. The time and effort involved was colossal and he quite correctly reasoned that a well made special would not only be a quick and reliable race car but also a suitable road car.

However, having built the car he quite quickly realized that he preferred building/ developing cars and had other people drive the car before eventually selling it and moving onto other projects.

He was still competing in Vintage events as recently as 5 years ago with his BSA based special complete with self built/ designed rotary valves!

Trevor NZ · 8 Jul 2006, 00:44 (Ref:1650608)

I have just come across this site. Go here for the book on line. :-

http://www.vicorp.com/~skusep/trevor/

I16 · 8 Jul 2006, 10:22 (Ref:1650753)

A few years ago I had to go over to NZ for work related activities.
Some of the guys at Wigram took me to Ruapuna for a classic race meeting.
There was a rear engined Continental Special, 7.7 litre flat six from a helicopter entered.
It had an unpainted alloy CanAm type body - when they started it up in the pits I moved away over to the other side of the paddock. That was one scary car. I wonder if it and the pilot has survived.

David McKinney · 8 Jul 2006, 16:57 (Ref:1650918)

Umfortunately Tyrrell Turtill and Gary Mulholland were killed in a road accident before their Continental Special was fully developed.
Although I've been away from NZ for 20+ years, I believe the car has been rebuilt and is exercised in historic events from time to time

Trevor NZ · 9 Jul 2006, 09:02 (Ref:1651191)

Greetings David,

Possibly my brief post at the end of the previous page has been passed over, so have brought it forward.

Regards, Trevor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trevor NZ

I have just come across this site. Go here for the book on line. :-

http://www.vicorp.com/~skusep/trevor/

Trevor NZ · 15 Mar 2015, 04:59 (Ref:3515294)

The book is now again available online here. -----

http://ralphwatson.scienceontheweb.net/

Trevor.

Trevor NZ · 4 Jun 2016, 21:51 (Ref:3647240)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trevor NZ

I have just come across this site. Go here for the book on line. :-

http://www.vicorp.com/~skusep/trevor/

The site has been revised, Please now check here, ---

---- http://ralphwatson.scienceontheweb.net/index.html

TRS.

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