Very good article on this.
Includes story of change from Climax 4 to Repco V8 power, and some fantastic photos.
https://primotipo.com/2016/02/12/jim...gans-lotus-39/
Interesting as mentioned in article that this car and Brabham's BT19 were developed for the same purpose, to take the stillborn Climax Flat 16.
Thoroughly recommended.
Terry, there are lots and lots of great articles on that site.
Dale.
Yes Dale that site has some incredible articles with lots of real info, and Mark Bisset is a great writer.Originally Posted by Dale Harvey
Back in December I started a tread on this forum on Matich's Formula 5000's referring to the primotipo site.
It drew some good responses from Mark with additional info. So full story was covered for the first time ever I believe.
That site has incredible variety too, and a lot of new photos.
The Lotus 39 and the Brabham BT 19 were unique to their manufacturers in that they were the only examples made of those particular models.
This was very unusual for Lotus who produced a lot of racers, and somewhat unusual for Brabham.
It is assumed that if the Climax flat 16 had proceeded then more of both may have been 'produced.
While the Lotus 39 was a one-off, it started life on the Lotus 33 jig as 33 R12, but differing from other 33s in having the monocoque finishing behind the cockpit to accommodate the flat 16. Not sure at which point it was designated a 39, but we sure were the lucky ones to have the car come to our circuits following the failure of the original project.
I have discovered another Lotus 39:
"Lotus 39 is a unique blend of healing herbal oils, plants and vitamins which provide one of the most effective hair and scalp rejuvenation formula for restoration of your hair and scalp to their optimum health."
Other claims on their website:
"No brain fog from the use of Lotus 39"
"No sexual side effects from the use of Lotus 39"
It seems I may have been concentrating on the wrong Lotus 39........
Good story on an old favourite - I always liked that white and green livery on the 39 'in the day', and it still stands the test of time.
PS - Gidday Dale, trust you're well. I'm not going to PI this year but please also pass on my regards to John
Michael, I am not going this year either. I will see John in a couple of weeks and pass your regards on.
Yes the green a white livery with the center exhaust Repco engine and no wings, great looking car.
Dale.
Lotus Avenue is in the estate that was built where Bay Park once was, near Fahey Avenue and Denny Hulme Drive.
A wealth of shots of the great Lotus 39 here:
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=l...HbQ6BBgQsAQIGg
Being from across the ditch I am not familiar with the area.
When I Google "Baypark" it comes up with Baypark Speedway.
For interest, is this part of the original racing set up?
No, but it's about half a mile away on the other side of the railway line.
There was a speedway built in the centre of the Bay Park racetrack...
But the alleged 99 year lease turned out to be fiction and this happened.
The new Baypark speedway would be top right of the top pic.
There are times I really hate "progress"!
In the second photo, in the bottom right hand corner, are the places with dark grey roofs in a "gated" community" ?
Close - it's a retirement village: http://www.metlifecare.co.nz/our-ret...enty/bayswater
It was interesting to read in the article how Lotus had trouble finding suitable Climax FPF 2.5L engines for this car.
Remember that the F1 for which this engine was designed finished at the end of 1960. So many of the remaining engines had cracked blocks.
In any case other engines such as FVA were being used in the Tasman Series and the development of the Repco 2.5L V8 meant most Aussies switched to that. Also in sports cars such as Lotus 19 and Cooper Monaco the Americans stared replacing this engine with small V8's.
So the engine died out of use. Then Historic Racing came along and quickly there was a new demand for the engine. So various firms in UK started making parts and complete engines.
One of the most prominent is Crosthwaite and Gardiner. As can be seen from their website they can supply any part, including blocks, or even make you a complete engine.
http://www.crosthwaiteandgardiner.co...max-parts-list
Apart from Leo and the works cars of Brabham and Hulme in 1967, only Col Green and Cusack used the Repco in Tasman races.
Sergent strikes again
I see what you mean. Just had a quick look at Sergent's tables for the 1969 Tasman Series Australian races.
He lists Col Green driving a Brabham BT 23 Repco V8. This is completely wrong, as I noted above.
Gentlemen, you omitted the fact that John McCormack also used the 2.5 Repco V8 in a Tasman race in 1971. It was shoehorned into an Elfin 600C chassis number 7011, where he finished in 10th place in the Warwick Farm 100 in 1969. Garrie Cooper himself (Mr Elfin)also used the engine once in an Elfin 600D chassis 7012 in the non championship 1971 Australian Grand Prix in November where he was a retirement. John McCormack was a non starter in 7011 in the same race. Then we move on to the 5 litre Repco V8 that started life in Frank Matich's McLaren M10 in practice only for an Australian Gold Star race at Oran Park in June 1971 , debuting in the Tasman series in January 1972, but that is they say another story for another day.
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