5 replies to this topic

[gazza]

[Chaparral]

Geez Gazza where'd you come across this old article - one of my fave designers and the 2C is a particular favourite from all the models designed built and raced by Jim Hall Hap Sharp Roger Penske Jackie Stewart etal. The involvement by GM was primarily supplying the 7 litre Chevrolet motors and the auto transmission nothing more and thats from the horses mouth. Over the last 8/9 years Ive built up a friendship with a few key people from the original Can Am series 1966-74 including Marylyn Halder (she was married to Oscar Kovaleski who raced primarily Mclaren variations through the entire series (from memory there were 171 races over that period) and she still has a big input the Can Am historic races each year she also has a website on the period http://www.foxyventures.com/ Weve spoken many times about the period and a lot about Jim Hall and the Chaparral story - Marylyn even gave me Halls ph number and tee'd it up for me to give him a call as she has been long time friends with the Halls but Im a bit old school I thought it a bit forward some bloke from Australia ringing one of his heroes! so I havent to date but I may at some stage.

Ive spoken to Pete Lyons http://www.petelyons.com/ also he basically lived the period and wrote the definitive Can Am book - the hard back version isnt available but its been reprinted in soft cover and I highly recommend it to anyone. Pete writes for Autoweek in the US and is hooked up with a lot of the historic meets and has driven some amazing machines including the UOP Shadow Can Am car which he said took your breath away with 8 litres sitting in the back of a chassis weighing 600 kgs - as it would.

Theres plenty of other info around including this official site in Texas Chaparral Cars http://www.chaparralcars.com/2e.php Id love to visit at some stage.

Jim Hall was a brilliant designer/engineer but he certainly had a small close knit team of people around him including Jim Musser who played a big part in things. Thanks for posting this Gazza good stuff

I also have around 160 (mostly B&W some colour) photos from the series (as well as the USAC series of the same period) that were taken by a very good friend of mine Lloyd Petty - he was a photo journalist in the Korean War and at 83 his health is failing sadly but a brilliant photographer and he had access to all areas as he worked for the USCCA at the time - Lloyd sent them to me so they wont be lost over time. These photos have never seen the light of day never been published and one day I will have them put into the public domain - there are some brilliant candid shots of Jimmy Clark Jim Hall Graham Hill John Surtees Denny Hulme Bruce Mclaren etc - just brilliant.

[gazza]

Chaparral, on 05 July 2009 - 07:28 PM, said:

I also have around 160 (mostly B&W some colour) photos from the series (as well as the USAC series of the same period) that were taken by a very good friend of mine Lloyd Petty - he was a photo journalist in the Korean War and at 83 his health is failing sadly but a brilliant photographer and he had access to all areas as he worked for the USCCA at the time - Lloyd sent them to me so they wont be lost over time. These photos have never seen the light of day never been published and one day I will have them put into the public domain - there are some brilliant candid shots of Jimmy Clark Jim Hall Graham Hill John Surtees Denny Hulme Bruce Mclaren etc - just brilliant.

Hey Chaparral

What ever hapend to these pic's, did you set them up in a public domain site? if so can you put up the link, if not get your finger out and do it!

[gazza]

[slo1quick]

Thanks for the Great stories you posting up there Gazza !

This is the link to the 2J Phil built from scratch.
My link

Edited by slo1quick, 24 July 2011 - 01:34 PM.

[kalbfellp]

My 2j has recently had a bath in some silicon, see Lims NZ Proxy car,