Chevron B17

[RJ Nelkin]

My B17 first year racing at Limerock and Bridgehamton.

[allenbrown]

Great stuff RJ - thanks

[driftwood]

just been offered B17 05 eyerley car
are the b17 cars numbered 10=-5 then B cars 1-5 etc?

[allenbrown]

It should really be 17B/70/5 if it's a FB. Could it be a F3 car?

[allenbrown]

The Chenu driving a Chevron B17 in French hillclimbs in 1972 was Philippe Chenu. It was described as a F2 car on one occasion but that might just mean it had a 1.6 in it by then.

Also 'P Bertrand' drove one in 1975.

[Dan Rear]

Originally Posted by allenbrown

The Chenu driving a Chevron B17 in French hillclimbs in 1972 was Philippe Chenu. It was described as a F2 car on one occasion but that might just mean it had a 1.6 in it by then.

Also 'P Bertrand' drove one in 1975.

Surely not "Plastic" himself???

[horizon]

Looking for "any" information regarding chassis number F3-70-18
Number stamped in the frame is B17/18/70.
Was brought from Greg Lapinski-portland Or. usa in the late 90's in boxes. The chassis had extra supports/outriggers suggesting some type of sportscar body/nose.

Thank you for any help you may provide.

[Chris Townsend]

Horizon

I think this is going to get messy...
The information we have is that the B17s ran separate numbering series for F3s and FBs with the F3s running 1-9 and the B17Bs running 1-8, plus a one-off with a different plate format [so two versions of 17B-1]. There were also two B17Cs, again running 1-2.
That does, however, add up to a total of 20 frames and it is possible that whilst plate numbers ran serially within type, frame numbers ran serially within model - indeed this would explain an awful lot about the confusion we have over early Chevron single seater identification

Could you post a photo of the frame stamp?

Also, where does your F3-70-18 come from? Is that on a plate or an assumption based on the frame number?

John
Could you move this over to the Chevron B17 chassis thread, it might get more hits there?

chris

[horizon]

Chris,
I'll send you an e mail with the pictures.

Thx

[tomkatf]

This B17 had a metal tag stamped F3/70/1 welded to a front crossmember. Said to have been converted to B17C specs and running a Cosworth BDC with injection and that later wing. Photo taken c.1988.

Best,
Tom

[ossyhodge]

Hmm,
Interesting one this,F3.70.1 was Peter Hansons Red F3 Car,which apparently now resides in Japan in its original F3 format (i have many photos of the car from its present owner)
I also see that it has been converted to 17c spec.
Having built the 2nd F.V.C. engined 17c, i would be interested to know what has actually been done in the conversion.
P.S. F2.70.2 now resides in Australia.

[ossyhodge]

[QUOTE=allenbrown;2001468]Kevin

I got it from here but the hard work was done by Steve Wilkinson at britishsprint.org.

Which B17 was it? Can you help us with its history?

Allen[/QUOTE

I aquired the Car less engine directly off Norman in early 71.

I used it with a variety of engines until parting with it to Graham Brown from Scotland, who rang me soon after to tell me that he had got an F.T.D. at Doune.
As i am aware Graham emigrated to Australia in the early 80s.
It is quite feasoable that he either sold it on or took it with him.

[ossyhodge]

Further to the above car in Japan.

I am informed that the car was fully restored in the u/k by an ex Chevron employee & that Peter Hanson showed a great deal of interest in the project prior to him passing away a number of years ago.

The photos were provided by the current owner of Peters B15 # F3.69.2. which is now in F.B. spec & races the car regularly at Montegi.

He has also provided me with other photos from Japan of another B17 & a singleton B9 which also compete although the # No's are unknown.

[ossyhodge]

During the course of my research,apparently it has come to my attention that the sub contractor for all space frame type chassis produced for the factory from 1969 to 1970 were not produced by Arch Motors but by Racing Frames at Ware in Hertfordshire (who also produced the fabricated wishbones etc for Chevron)
Arch Motors being the sub contractor for all G.T. cars from B8 ,B16,19 ect to the first Monocoque which were done in house.
Also i would like to clarify the B17 F3 cars built in 1970.
CHASSIS 1. The Peter Hanson Car .
Last used by Peter at Interlagos in the Brazilian Temperado seriies up to breaking his neck in a freak swimming accident in the winter of 1970. But loaned to Mike Beuttler.
History sketchy but now resides in Japan in a collectors hands.

CHASSIS 2. The Norman Foulds (N.e.r.o. team 1) Car.
Last used by Norman towards the end of 1970,subsequently purchased by myself from Norman (Fleetwood Lancs) as a rolling chassis Jan 1971 to the end of 1977 useing a variety of engines for Sprints & Hillclimbs.
Sold to Graham Brown compete & on the button from the Perth Area in Scotland.
1 comfirmed F.T.D. at Doune.
Graham emigrated to Australia in the early 1980s possibly taking the car with him.

CHASSIS 3. The Barrie Maskell (N.e.r.o. team 2) Car
Used by Barrie somewhat later in the season,(up till then he was still useing his B15 in N.e.r.o. Livery) prior to taking late delivery.
Used by Barrie successfully in Europe post Monaco.
Last used by Barrie at Port Alegri (Salvatti killed in same race)
The chassis in Barries words after winters Temperado series totally knacked & bent like a banana. see www.Barriemaskell.com.
Further history unknown.

CHASSIS 4. The Bert Hawthorne Car.
This was a semi works car for Bert to concentrate on British F3 Championships. Chassis written off at Oulton Park after a coming together with Dave Walker at Knicker Brook in practice for the British Empire Trophy. Bert never drives the repaired car again in 1970 but is offered employment by Fred Opert firstly as a race intructor at Operts Bridgehampton race school Stateside.
Fred arranges for the car to be repaired in the winter of 1970 & has the complete car shipped over to the U.S.A.
Car sold to Ron Coln as an F.C. car in 1971.
Ron similarly wrecks the car at Road Atlanta sustaininig ankle damage.
Repaired at Operts workshops,Ron exchanges it for a truck.
Further history unknown.

CHASSIS 5. The Jurg Dubler Car.
This again was a semi works car but with Jurg supplieing the Engines with his ties with Novamotor.
This car / driver combination to concentrate on all International F3 Events at home & abroad.
3 International wins plus numerous podium finishes placed this chassis the most successful B17 of the 1970 Season.j
Jurg last raced the car in the Temperado series in Brazil prior to the chassis being returned to the factory in early 1971.
Fully overhaulled & sold...... buyer unknown.

CHASSIS 6. The Rolf Reisen Car.
Sold purely as a rolling chassis to the German speaking side of Switzerland.
Used infrequently in 1970 by Rolf in Geman & Italian events.
Currently owned & raced frequently by Jurg Tobler from Basle in F3 Historic races in Europe as well as the u/k
Jurg has the full history on this car.

CHASSIS 7. The Chris Skeaping Car.
Self built by Chris in 1970 1 wet win at Thruxton.
Converted & run by him in 1971 when the F3 Regulations changed from 1 litre restricted to 1.6. litre restricted.
Further history uncertain but now owned by Tony Mantle & driven by Nigel Bancroft in U/K/ Peter Hanson Trophy events.

CHASSIS 8. The Ken Sedgley Car.
Now owned & frquently driven by David Pullen ( Secretary of the Classic Racing Car Section of the H.S.C.C.)

David has now owned the car after an extensive renovation a number of years ago.
This car has its full documented history !

Chassis 9. The Carlo Scarambone Car.
This car was supplied as a rolling chassis & Mk8 Hewland gearbox only as a replacement for a B15 chassis.
Carlo debuted the car at Imola in Sept 1970 which he kept up tp 1972. Rarely venturing out of Italy.
Unfortunately there seems to be no known history after this!

The above cars were the factories official record at that time.

With Racing Frames being the in period supplier i am sure that unofficial chassis came out of their old premises in Ware.

Indeed many of the periods racing fraternity used them for unofficial chassis repair work.

N.B. All photos remain the property of the persons involved.

[Chris Townsend]

Thanks for that Ossy, especially the Ron Cohn connection on the Hawthorne car

1: Peter Hanson to Keith St John (For sale Autosport p. 62 9.9.71 ex Hanson)

3: For sale by works 9.9.71 Autosport p. 58 'ex Maskell'

7: Sold to Eddie Irvine (IRL) Motoring News 25.1.73, p.16

Chris

[Davide]

Good evening,
I'm new in this but reading at your forums, seems that you could give me a hand.
I have a customer that is looking to buy a B17.
He found one in a scrap yard in Rome, willing to be chassis 9.
The problem is one, on the chassis plate says B17-71-09... that can't be possible because the car was built in 1970.
I don't know what to think, I know that chassis 9 seems to be disappeared and could easily be this one, but why that chassis plate?
Is there a chance that maybe a chassis number could be stamped somewhere on the chassis?

Hope someone could help me
Regards
Davide

[Chris Townsend]

Originally Posted by Davide

Good evening,
I'm new in this but reading at your forums, seems that you could give me a hand.
I have a customer that is looking to buy a B17.
He found one in a scrap yard in Rome, willing to be chassis 9.
The problem is one, on the chassis plate says B17-71-09... that can't be possible because the car was built in 1970.
I don't know what to think, I know that chassis 9 seems to be disappeared and could easily be this one, but why that chassis plate?
Is there a chance that maybe a chassis number could be stamped somewhere on the chassis?

Hope someone could help me
Regards
Davide

Davide can you send a photo of the chassis plate and the remains of the car?

[Davide]

Hi Chris,
I only have a picture a of the chassis plate.
Yesterday I had a chat with Simon Hadfield and he made a good point: probably when they updated the car with the 1600cc engine for the 1971 championship (that is still fitted in the car today) they updated the chassis number as well because maybe the italian rules required new cars?
This could be a reason?
Here is the pictures
Regards
Davide

[Ralph Koch]

Originally Posted by Leighton Irwin

The Bruce Jensen B17 was modified in 1972 with a home designed sports car nose and larger rear wing. It was quite succsesful on short tight tracks but always a pig (and usually crashed) on fast tracks. We ran the stock nose at times, usually while repairing the sports car style nose. At the last race of 1972 at Mosport BJ crashed in #1. A marshall working the back straight told us the nose was dragging on the straight. The light finally went on. A waaay too much front downforce for the springs. How little did we know is those days. BJ was fast and good but never really could tell us what the car was doing. One of us had to go out corners and study the car and then change it as needed! We had not figured that out yet and it did not always work.

Hi Leighton, I was wondering if you could tell me if this is Bruce Jensen's car, I purchased the a Chevron off of Greg Lapinski in Portland, Oregon. The car was a basket case when I purchased it, Greg had told the car was converted to a Sports racing car from a Formula B car. This is true because the frame had additional brackets welded to the it to support a sports racing body. The arch motors tag on the chassis is B17/18/70 and the Chevron tag is F3-70-18. I sent the car back to England where I had a guy who worked for Chevron restore the frame for me. Can you tell me if anybody has any history on Chevron Tag numbers and if anybody knows the history of this car? Thank you Ralph

[Art Tidesco]

Jim Blockley in the immaculate #1 B17 leads the pursuit of Simon Armers March at Castle Combe recently, would anyone know which of the nine B17's Jim is driving ?

[Jimamber]

This the period ex Ken Sedgeley Chevron B17 -8 , i bought it from John Pearson , it was the David pullen car that he put back to 1 litre spec around 2006.looks quite nice but still needs some work to bring it up to immaculate condition.

[Damon Milnes]

Originally Posted by ossyhodge

During the course of my research,apparently it has come to my attention that the sub contractor for all space frame type chassis produced for the factory from 1969 to 1970 were not produced by Arch Motors but by Racing Frames at Ware in Hertfordshire (who also produced the fabricated wishbones etc for Chevron)
Arch Motors being the sub contractor for all G.T. cars from B8 ,B16,19 ect to the first Monocoque which were done in house.
Also i would like to clarify the B17 F3 cars built in 1970.
CHASSIS 1. The Peter Hanson Car .
Last used by Peter at Interlagos in the Brazilian Temperado seriies up to breaking his neck in a freak swimming accident in the winter of 1970. But loaned to Mike Beuttler.
History sketchy but now resides in Japan in a collectors hands.

CHASSIS 2. The Norman Foulds (N.e.r.o. team 1) Car.
Last used by Norman towards the end of 1970,subsequently purchased by myself from Norman (Fleetwood Lancs) as a rolling chassis Jan 1971 to the end of 1977 useing a variety of engines for Sprints & Hillclimbs.
Sold to Graham Brown compete & on the button from the Perth Area in Scotland.
1 comfirmed F.T.D. at Doune.
Graham emigrated to Australia in the early 1980s possibly taking the car with him.

CHASSIS 3. The Barrie Maskell (N.e.r.o. team 2) Car
Used by Barrie somewhat later in the season,(up till then he was still useing his B15 in N.e.r.o. Livery) prior to taking late delivery.
Used by Barrie successfully in Europe post Monaco.
Last used by Barrie at Port Alegri (Salvatti killed in same race)
The chassis in Barries words after winters Temperado series totally knacked & bent like a banana. see www.Barriemaskell.com.
Further history unknown.

CHASSIS 4. The Bert Hawthorne Car.
This was a semi works car for Bert to concentrate on British F3 Championships. Chassis written off at Oulton Park after a coming together with Dave Walker at Knicker Brook in practice for the British Empire Trophy. Bert never drives the repaired car again in 1970 but is offered employment by Fred Opert firstly as a race intructor at Operts Bridgehampton race school Stateside.
Fred arranges for the car to be repaired in the winter of 1970 & has the complete car shipped over to the U.S.A.
Car sold to Ron Coln as an F.C. car in 1971.
Ron similarly wrecks the car at Road Atlanta sustaininig ankle damage.
Repaired at Operts workshops,Ron exchanges it for a truck.
Further history unknown.

CHASSIS 5. The Jurg Dubler Car.
This again was a semi works car but with Jurg supplieing the Engines with his ties with Novamotor.
This car / driver combination to concentrate on all International F3 Events at home & abroad.
3 International wins plus numerous podium finishes placed this chassis the most successful B17 of the 1970 Season.j
Jurg last raced the car in the Temperado series in Brazil prior to the chassis being returned to the factory in early 1971.
Fully overhaulled & sold...... buyer unknown.

CHASSIS 6. The Rolf Reisen Car.
Sold purely as a rolling chassis to the German speaking side of Switzerland.
Used infrequently in 1970 by Rolf in Geman & Italian events.
Currently owned & raced frequently by Jurg Tobler from Basle in F3 Historic races in Europe as well as the u/k
Jurg has the full history on this car.

CHASSIS 7. The Chris Skeaping Car.
Self built by Chris in 1970 1 wet win at Thruxton.
Converted & run by him in 1971 when the F3 Regulations changed from 1 litre restricted to 1.6. litre restricted.
Further history uncertain but now owned by Tony Mantle & driven by Nigel Bancroft in U/K/ Peter Hanson Trophy events.

CHASSIS 8. The Ken Sedgley Car.
Now owned & frquently driven by David Pullen ( Secretary of the Classic Racing Car Section of the H.S.C.C.)

David has now owned the car after an extensive renovation a number of years ago.
This car has its full documented history !

Chassis 9. The Carlo Scarambone Car.
This car was supplied as a rolling chassis & Mk8 Hewland gearbox only as a replacement for a B15 chassis.
Carlo debuted the car at Imola in Sept 1970 which he kept up tp 1972. Rarely venturing out of Italy.
Unfortunately there seems to be no known history after this!

The above cars were the factories official record at that time.

With Racing Frames being the in period supplier i am sure that unofficial chassis came out of their old premises in Ware.

Indeed many of the periods racing fraternity used them for unofficial chassis repair work.

N.B. All photos remain the property of the persons involved.

Hi Kevin

Just to confirm our email exchanges...a customer of mine purchased Chassis 4 (The Bert Hawthorne Car) from the US a couple of years back. It is currently being restored and should be completed this season.

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by Damon Milnes

Hi Kevin

Just to confirm our email exchanges...a customer of mine purchased Chassis 4 (The Bert Hawthorne Car) from the US a couple of years back. It is currently being restored and should be completed this season.

Hi Damon

After Ron Cohn, it went to Bill Anspach, then Sandy Brandt, and then Ric Capone. See https://www.oldracingcars.com/chevron/b17/

Can you fill me in on its more recent history? Who owned it before your customer?

[Damon Milnes]

Hi Allen

My customer purchased the B17 from Ed Lamantia (Huffaker Engineering) as a part completed long term restoration. There is no record of who owned it between Ric and Ed.

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by Damon Milnes

Hi Allen

My customer purchased the B17 from Ed Lamantia (Huffaker Engineering) as a part completed long term restoration. There is no record of who owned it between Ric and Ed.

Thanks. How did you identify it as chassis 4?