Brabham BT29

[markwrightson]

ok, so I found some "Formula C Newsletter" from back in 1977 that my dad had, and in it in a classified page there was a BT-29 for sale from a man named Joe Fitzhugh from Parsippany NJ. This was from May 1977. This car had a Kawaski engine in it, so as my dad sold his w/o engine it might be something you could follow up on. Back in those days, it was getting comon to put MC engines in and run FC. Since it was in th North East as we were from Massachussetts. As for pictures if I can find a way to get from 35mm slides to something I could scan, I would love to. I loved the old race cars, wish they could return. lol

[Andrew Fellowes]

Mark there a number of slide scanners on the market that will scan direct to a computer, the good news is they are dirt cheap, I've done all my old slides but its a bit laborious!

[allenbrown]

There were quite a few Formula C BT29s in the north-east. I can think of at least three.

I would really keen to see those newsletters!

[markwrightson]

Yes Andrew, I have a scanner coming so I will be able to scan my slides, which will be cool. Also to Allen, just woundering if you got the pic I sent the second time?

[Wayne Wilson]

First post, new member.
Thanks to a lot of information on this Forum (and with a little help from my friends in Historic Racing in Australia) I acquired the Doug Brenner car in late 2011 from a wonderful gentleman in San Francisco area, who had restored the car in the mid 1990s.
It now resides in Sydney and after only a few changes to comply with our (very strict, and correctly) historic regulations in Australia, it has a CAMS Log Book and C of D, and has now competed in a year of events of the HSRCA in NSW.
I do have the full train of owners and have sent photos of our events to these guys, who seem most interested that this FB car has now found it's way Down Under.
I was able to advise the previous owner that Ron Tauranac has examined the car and thought it one of the best restorations he had seen.
A great thrill to be showing one of these great cars doing what it was intended to do (but only at 9/10ths, given my age these days).
Wayne

[phdm]

Welcome Wayne and congratulations.
Will you post a few photos of the car ?

[Andrew Fellowes]

Hi Wayne,
Max rang me to tell me how he enjoyed his 29 and racing with you at Wakefield on the weekend!!

[markwrightson]

Hey Allen, was looking back on some posts and you were talking about a "Bob May" BT29-2. Do you know anything more about him? I know I was thinking my dads car was a Lloyd car but going back in my memory this Bob May sounds even more familiar to me. Not trying to give you the run around but. Just racking my brain on this and somethings just turns on a switch and got to throw it out there. Think it was on page 15 or 16.

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by markwrightson

Hey Allen, was looking back on some posts and you were talking about a "Bob May" BT29-2. Do you know anything more about him? I know I was thinking my dads car was a Lloyd car but going back in my memory this Bob May sounds even more familiar to me. Not trying to give you the run around but. Just racking my brain on this and somethings just turns on a switch and got to throw it out there. Think it was on page 15 or 16.

Bob May is a mystery to us all. His name originally came from Fred Ashplant when he was talking to Dave Irwin about a car he had then but we haven't got any other evidence of his existence. It may be the Fred completely misremembered the name or he was an owner of Ashplant's BT29 in between Ashplant, who never raced it, and Ken Duclos, who had it in 1970. At the time (2004), it was thought that this ex-Ashplant car had been a rebuild of the car in which Tom Scott was killed in an SCCA race at Daytona in 1971 and had gone via Carl Whitney to Duclos. However, we can find no trace of a Tom Scott either and now think this story refers to David Pearl's death at Daytona in a BT29 in 1971. In fact, Duclos told Chris that he kept the Ashplant car until 1973. So it looks like a lot of that original history of the ex-Ashplant car was wrong.

The evidence that this Ashplant-Duclos car was chassis BT29-2 is also tenuous. It may be a completely different number but would have to be a low number.

The Pearl car may have been the ex-Bob Welch BT29, which we believe, also for tenuous reasons, to have been BT29-8. The remains of that car may have gone to Whitney and then to Duclos, at which point the histories got confused.

If you have anything on Bob May, we'd love to hear it!

[ghoul]

I have information on Brabham BT29 #41 if any one requires, I am looking at it right now.

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by ghoul

I have information on Brabham BT29 #41 if any one requires, I am looking at it right now.

It was with Mitch Evans in Auckland last I heard of it. It was crashed badly by Frank Monise Jr some time around 1974 or 1975 but I haven't been able to determine the exact date of the accident. Monise bought a second BT29 and the wreck was later rebuilt on a new Wayne Mitchell frame but I'd be very interested in any information you have that can fill the gaps. For example, it was advertised by Mike Fitzgerald in 1987 but I can't be certain that was actually the same car. Does Fitzgerald's name appear in the history of your car?

[250 F]

I am seek details of any other BT 29s which may exist or have been recovered in GB since 2010.
Some time ago I was told that BT 29-19 (chassis?) was somewhere in Southern England "in a garden,under a tarpaulin" and it is likely in view of the dearth of donar chassis for refurbished historic single seaters that someone may have purchased the chassis and either is rebuilding or has rebuilt the car.
If that chassis exists I am interested in the AM number to be found on the rear LHS top rail.
Information of a potential historic rebuild is valuable and if anyone wishes to contact me privately they can do so at 211, FY8 1EA.
Good wishes
250 F

[simon langman]

[QUOTE=250 F;3493772]I am seek details of any other BT 29s which may exist or have been recovered in GB since 2010.
Some time ago I was told that BT 29-19 (chassis?) was somewhere in Southern England "in a garden,under a tarpaulin" and it is likely in view of the dearth of donar chassis for refurbished historic single seaters that someone may have purchased the chassis and either is rebuilding or has rebuilt the car.
If that chassis exists I am interested in the AM number to be found on the rear LHS top rail.
Information of a potential historic rebuild is valuable and if anyone wishes to contact me privately they can do so at 211, FY8 1EA.
Go

[allenbrown]

You're certainly not the only person on its trail Simon

[simon langman]

Originally Posted by allenbrown

You're certainly not the only person on its trail Simon

Sorry Alan that was a error by myself. It was 250f post (who I am trying to get hold of) regarding his Brabham. Regards Simon

[mikestow]

Wow!this is rearing its ugly head yet again!??.I gave up on this as I had tried to buy it while at MRE in 1971.Matchett refused to sell it to me,so I began the saga of getting Jim Gleave rebuild Brabham BT28#2 in to BT29 chassis,with all the BT35 mods.MRD were so late on deliveries that no one could obtain the new BT35/36s,so we perservered and MRE produced effectively a brand new Brabham in BT29/35 spec for the first FA race in March 71.We even had to use BT30 body panels as Specialised Mouldings could not deliver until April /May for even the front/nose section.I digress,but later on in the season a so called friend of mine,One Fl Lt Desmond White,persuaded me to let him have my Twink/FT200 set up,as I had at last got a BDA.At MRE was what I remember to be,I thought???,the Gillmeister BT28/29 now for sale as he was expecting a new Palliser FA Chassis.Whichever car it was,was black with Lenham Hurst Bag Tanks and a Glass Fibre Lenham Undertray.It could have been the Ex Matchett BT29#19-also Black and would have had to use Lenham tanks as MRD ones were unobtainable-,that had also appeared on the FA scene,and had been crashed a few times.Anyway White bought it definitely and fitted my back end,and got it running.If anyone out there was stationed at either Colerne or Hullavington,they would have seen it or heard it running around the peritrack ad infinitum,to the dismay of others,but he never actually raced it,so it has dissappeared!!!!I have tried at length to find out what Desmond White did with this car to no avail.Both he and I knew Derek Robinson well who was at RADSTOCK 328(Phone Number then!),near Frome and ran Adverts all the time selling bits and pieces and complete cars.Derek may have bought it,but I tested his Taydec in F Atlantic form in 1972 and he did not have this Brabham then or in 73.Recently after my old Brabham was meant to have been rebuilt and reappeared(It wasnt as totally destroyed at Crystal Palace by Dick Barker),I was involved in trying to finalise this mystery,and at length tried to interrogate White.He still had his Elan BRM and Clan Crusader,and Team Castrol 750 Works Norton,all of which were in the same state I had last seen them back in the 70s,so no work done apart from dismantling.Having divorced from Di the Death( Ex Sqn Ldr Pathologist Doc at Cosford),he may have spirited away the Brabham,which I really do think he still has,as he has been a complete MAGPIE with all his other stuff!!As these things are now valued in the 50 grand mark,I believe he was clever enough to have kept it,which I wish I had!!!!Not sour grapes,but the bugger will not tell me either one way or the other,so watch this space.It would be in the West Country somewhere,maybe under a tarpaulin as you suggest or in his Garage in Bristol!!!!!I have given up,as he just adds to the mystery of both these Cars-the Ex Sutcliffe,F3 then Gillmeister FA BT28#19 also and that adds to the mystery as he same chassis number 19!!,and the Ex Matchett BT29#19.

[mikestow]

Below ammendment to Brabham BT28 chassis no 21 not 19,as mentioned above!!!

[mikestow]

Re the above!!I could not edit it,so post the Addenda as follows:-
I meant to say the Gillmeister /Sutcliffe BT28 was chassis 21 not 19,as mentioned above!It was a senior moment,as BT28 Chassis 19.20.21 were all at MRE in 69 at the same time and I bought the Blue one,#20,Sutcliffe the Kharki one #21 ,which he crashed and Lenham got him a Lotus 59 to replace it.It confused me as to what chassis the Gillmeister car was!???Anyway both these 2 BT29#19 and BT28/21 have vanished??

[HayesCages]

Hello all,
We are hoping to make an offer for a customer on a complete BT29 that has been sitting for a few decades. Has the twink, FT200 gear box, front and rear wings added at some point. The guy raced it, parked it on a roller stand then raced something else.
No idea what serial number is though. No history of it at his point either, sorry.
Assuming all need freshening what is a good value to place on this chassis?

Cheers,
Lawrence

[allenbrown]

Is there an AM number the frame? A SCCA number on the roll hoop? Does the owner have a name? Can he say who he bought it from - or at least where he bought it? And roughly when he bought it? It may have been registered with one of the two Brabham Registers during its previous ownership.

All these things could help trace it. Whatever it's worth, it's worth more with an identity and some history.

[HayesCages]

Allen,
Thanks for the quick reply!
All we know at this time is what I mentioned above.
We will be doing further investigating in the next week or so and will report back on our findings.
Until then...work.

LH

[HayesCages]

Mystery car: BT-29-35 chassis #9

[Bryan Miller]

Hayes cages,

Rather confusing post above,

Are you indicating car is a BT29 updated to BT35 specifications ?
and is therefor chassis plated BT29-9 ?
Or am I missing something ?

[HayesCages]

Number plate as described to me by the owner. I assume that it was updated to 35 specs at some point.
They mentioned that they have several different body configurations indicating updates.
Last I saw it, it had wings front a rear.
This is all I know at this time. They have a very high asking price at this point even though I have indicated the real world cost of restoration at $50k and beyond, for a chassis that has not seen the light of day for nigh on 30 years.

[allenbrown]

We know quite a bit about BT29 chassis #9 and if it's near you in Idaho Lawrence, then it hasn't moved far. It should have a SCCA stamping on the roll hoop and I'd be pretty confident about the first two digits of that number.