March 722 - 732 - 742 - 752

[driftwood]

car has papers for Jimmy M
car raced on the hills not on circuits
if the car has front rad that may be a hillclimb mod
maybe running 1 rad instead of 2 rear side rads to save weight etc

[allenbrown]

Yes indeed, winner of Ampus, Montelimar-Colombier, Angoulème, La Bouille, Espalion, Cacharat, Chamrousse, Haut-Cantal, Treffort, Nîmes-Collias and Buisson de Cadouin in 1974 and of Ampus, Bachellerie, Nîmes-Lédenon, Sainte-Baume, Saint-Antonin, Abreschwiller, Montaigu, Le Pin, Corcoue, Echelette, St-Hyppolite, Glouneaux, Eymoutiers, Beaujolais, Chamrousse, Mont-Dore, Haut-Cantal, Venaco, Poissons and Saint-Gouéno in 1975. Quite a successful car!

I don't doubt that 742-13 was Mieusset's car as it was blue and was sold to Maublanc but I'm not inclined to believe those FIA papers, especially when they have a mistake as soon as the second owner.

Anyway, returning to my original question, anyone now about the side rad mods made to the works cars early 1974?

Allen

[Chris Townsend]

Allen,

I don't think that the works made the kits available for conversion before May. The problem we have with this many 742s in French hillclimbing is not only that the only Orange customer 742, that intended for Moser, goes elsewhere, but that we simply can't accomodate them all in the build list.

Two possibilities are U2 if there was a second development car, or more likely, the Harper cars returned via the works in May to a ready secondary market. Whilst chassis 23 crops up in UK Atlantic in 1975 neither of the Quester cars appears again, and indeed 25 may have been destroyed. But 29 was in FRance owned by Lionel Degardin in 2005. What had it been doing in the interim?



Chris

[allenbrown]

The Moser car was orange/white so I'd have expected to see sidepods one colour and nose the other. Maublanc's is plain orange. And, as you've said, you can account for the Moser car later.

Alternatively, have you made sense of all the cars that went to Obermoser? Could one of those have come to France for the start of the season? The problem with that theory is that all five cars (Maublanc's first car, Mieusset's, Bayard's, Péchaire's and Lapierre's 732/742 are said at Ampus in March to be supplied (or looked after maybe) by Maublanc.

Maublanc, Mieusset and Bayard typically bought new kit so I'd be confident that theirs were new and account for the three Maublanc invoiced cars. Péchaire typically had second-hand cars so his '742' could be an updated 732. However, Maublanc's second car appears to be brand new as well.

More 742s end up on the French hill later: Max Mamers' 742-19 and Adriano Parlamento's '742' (or 732 or even 722) both arrive in 1975; Jacques Terrien, Rémy Gillis, Romain Feitler in Belgium and André Chevalley in Switzerland in 1976. All these cars seem to be additional to the original five cars listed above. So that's 11 742s plus at least three 732s and what appear to be five 722s by the end of 1976!

Allen

[Leighton Irwin]

I can't help with exact dates for the switch but Bruce Jensen's March 74B delivered in March was was front rad. The Ecurie Canada cars were side rad and the first race was in late May if my feeble memory is correct. The Dave Morris car was front rad as was Bobby Brown's. The others I cannot remember but think the Shierson cars were side.
One thing I do remember was that the driveshafts were a weak point as they were on the 722 and 732 cars. For Schubenacatie we got the stronger(?) F2 driveshafts and quickly destroyed same. I think the FA cars had more torque than the F2 cars but not as much HP.

[Chris Townsend]

Seems as though French hillclimbing turned into a one make championship!
Sadly, there are no Obermoser cars to spare. He's consigned three, of which one must be the Team Obermoser car of Ertl at Hockeheim 7 April, and the other two [both white] the cars of Vonlanthen, who we know had a spare. This creates its own problems because Amweg appears with 742 at the same race, and as a Swiss you'd expect him to buy through Obermoser.
To accomodate him I'm reduced to employing the one Trivatello consigned chassis that F1R never notes, and nobody else records - namely chassis 7 but this doesn't help with an excess of French climbers. And sadly, Team Harper doesn't jetison its Marches until after Pau [May 5] so the secondary market is no use to you either!

One other theory about why Maublanc's car is orange. It was a works prototype car used by Stuck at Barcelona and then replaced by chassis 17
This doesn't help with Pechaire though

Chris

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by Chris Townsend

Seems as though French hillclimbing turned into a one make championship!

Only because I haven't mentioned the six Brabhams, five F2 Chevrons, two F2 GRDs, two F2 Lotuses, two F2-capacity Martinis, a F2 McLaren, five F2-spec Pygmées, an F2 Surtees and two old F2 Tecnos. And that's just in 1975. They didn't all appear at the same event of course but there were no cheap wins in 1975.

Could Amweg have had one of the Swiss 732s upgraded? Or doesn't it add up even if we throw in the 732s?

Allen

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by Michael Oliver

Hi Chris

I'm sure you've already got this but just in case:

722/41 was advertised by David Lambe AS 18/10/73 p57 as ex-Williamson/Patsy McGarrity.

I can add to this. Auto Ireland August 1974 p25 says that big Tom O'Leary bought David Lambe's March 72B at the Mondello 28 July meeting to replace the Brabham BT40 that he totally in practice.

Allen

[Msport Services]

[quote=Simon Hadfield]And the Kazato 722 from Gerry Wainwright to Jim Bennet and myself (raced once at Brands superprix) and then to Jim in Colorado. The car was in quite superb condition when it came to us.

722-8 is now getting a fresh BD (last season's motor went south after lodging a rock between the cam pulleys) and will resurface at Road America in July for the Brian Redman Challenge. The car has been returned to its original Orient Watches livery as Kazato last raced it in 1972

[allenbrown]

A story in Autosport 6 May 1976 p56 says Ken Gibson of Measham Car Auctions has bought "the ex-Ronnie Peterson" March 722 for Robin Darlington to drive. It will have a BRM twin-cam in it.

However ... Peterson's car was 722-17 according to F1R and we have that car in South Africa through 1976.

Allen

[Dan Rear]

I recall seeing that car entered, the Darlington one that is, in some Libre later that year. Described as a '742'. Sponsor was Crockers Car Breakers, or similar OTOH.

[allenbrown]

Derek Bell Trophy Donington 15 Apr 2007

Darwin Smith - March 722 [18]
Mark Dwyer - March 742 [30]

[driftwood]

742#30 is ex harper (purley? ) car then to de dryver for many years
scroll back many pages it was discussed a few times
Ian jacobs raced it in 2005

[Ann1e]

Originally Posted by driftwood

as u girls are diversifying onto 718m cars Paul sleeman ran 1 of these cars at Lydden then ue up gradedthe car toa F2/3 type car with BDA in it
Not seen him run it since 98 or 99 from memory but Im sure i will soon be corrected!!

Well he has been running! In fact he was out at Lydden a few weeks ago testing in the Jamun. The March is sitting in the garage and will hopefully be running this year. Think we still need some bits but will consult Paul - maybe someone on here has the bits we need ... .

[driftwood]

what parts do u need?

[Ian Douglass]

Originally Posted by Amonfan

Ian Douglass car was apparently a March 732 that was damaged at Amaroo in May, 1974. He then adapted 742 parts to the car. Later in the year it becomes known as a March 743, as far as i know he had the 1 car. The car was damaged at Oran park in 1975, put in the trailer, where it caught fire, and apparently the whole lot burnt to the ground in the Oran park pit area.
Curt

It was a bitza to begin with including bits of JP Jarier's car and others. It was built by Alan at the Barnes garage where he had mechaniced for James Hunt in F3 days.

It was rebuilt by Henry Niehrebecki(?) and others at the Lambo concession in Crows Nest. It took too long and we arrived at Amaroo exhausted and late. I seem to remember jumping into my Nomex in the middle of the paddock which caused a bit of excitement.

At the end of the 1st lap as I went over the hill I hit full throttle for the first time and the throttle caught on the injection pipes and stayed open. Exit straight on into the bank and flip roll. Very panicky as petrol ran down my neck and I couldn't reach the switches to shut off or undo the seat belts or fire the extinguisher. The marshalls were magic and had me out real quick.

I eventually worked out what had happened and, as I'd reset the injection pipes so they couldn't foul the night before, and someone else had moved them so they looked pretty that morning I was not a happy bunny.

The car was rebuilt at Glenn Abbey's workshop in Manley and campaigned the rest of the season. It came good for Philip Island and Lakeside. OK I fell off at Philip Island but I was passing them in droves when I did - I liked Philip Island but the weather wasn't good. Ran out of oil at Lakeside when a gudgeon pin circlip let go and the pin machined the bore but I still finished 4th.

It was originally a 733 with Vegantune and Novamotors, Mk 9 gear box and narrow suspension. We had F2 wheels to take the bigger rubber. There were many common parts between 733 and 742 and we mixed and matched shamelessly. Cold air boxes changed, fuel injection changed, I think we made a rear wing to F2 pattern locally and many other detail changes were made - petrol tank moved and the "monster bracket" carrying oil catch tank etc was removed.

It was a really neat little car and I was as upset as drivers get when it was trashed at Oran Park in private practice when the throttle stuck open again. This time on the Novamotor and due entirely to my incompetence in rebuilding the throttle slide.

As noted, it had a full tank of fuel on and the trailer had another 32 gallons on board. Once it cracked off there was no stopping it. I don't think I ever did get my custom's bond back.

I couldn't work out how to insert images but here are some links to a couple of photos of the car.

http://www.cybersolver.com/amaroo733.jpg

http://www.cybersolver.com/marchian01.jpg

http://www.cybersolver.com/marchianOP2.jpg

I hope that was useful to March fans ...

Regards - Ian Douglass

[allenbrown]

Ian

Welcome, and thanks for that history of your car. I think we all stood back expecting someone else to thank you.

Kind regards

Allen

[Euromontagna]

hi all, last weekend I saw March 752-11 and i have heard about 752-16, are the history of these chassis known?

[allenbrown]

I know a bit about 752-16 but it has two different histories, one taking it to Switzerland and a different one taking it to France. What did you learn about it?

I have very little on 752-11. It was sold to Obermoser but I don't know what happened to it next.

[Euromontagna]

http://www.vrchy.com/march752.php

the number 11 probably stand its life in muzeum, tha number 16 is in czech republic now, damaged, i will talk more with the current owner of these both cars...

[allenbrown]

Thanks Roman

[FLB]

I've just found an ad in the March 1978 edition of Sport Auto (French) :

Vds March 742 Cosworth 1940. Très belle. Mod. 762. Pneus G50, G45 + nomb. pièces. Tel. J. P. Perrin 81.92.01.38 H.B.

Vds = Vends (Selling)

[allenbrown]

That's a new one on me. There were lots of 742s running in France in 1977 but I don't yet have a list for 1978.

[driftwood]

the french owner is likely to still be around maybe not on the same tel number but someone will "know" him

[Steve Wilkinson]

Have we got a list of the 752 chassis numbers/owners yet?