Help ID vintage race car, Maybe a Lola or MClaren
I purchased this race car a few years back but I have no idea of what kind of car it is. It has a Porsche 962 tail section, 302/350 Chevy small block with 4x48mm ida webers, hewland dg300 transmission and a few other performance parts. The wheelbase is 96 inchs and you can see in the pictures the rest of the details. I think it was some kind of Mclaren or Lola that was converted to 2nd generation can am series but never finished. I also think that it was built sometime in the 70's and continued through the 80's since it has parts from the 60's 70's and 80's. Hope someone can help me with this.
[img]http://static.panoramio.com/photos/medium/74078616.jpg[/img[ |
Moderator Curtis Jacobson Portland Oregon (4576 posts) Registered: 10/12/2007 02:16AM Main British Car: 71 MGBGT, Buick 215 |
Re: Help ID vintage race car, Maybe a Lola or MClaren
Welcome to the forum, and thank you for posting some interesting photos!
I don't recognize anything about your car, but if I were guessing I'd say it's probably an American home-built car created for SCCA's "A Sports Racing" class back in the mid seventies. As you noted, some of the parts in the photos are conspicuously newer. Year after year, ASR was a catch-all class for sports racers with big engines... some very interesting shade tree engineering, but not very interesting racing on a national level. (I took a cursory look at Runoffs results, and found only one or two cars entered in ASR runoff races during the mid-seventies years.) Second generation Can-Am is also known as "single seat Can-Am" - if your car had been intended or updated for that series, the driver seat would most likely be centered. (With only a few exceptions, single seat Can-Am used Formula 5000 cars with bodywork added as an afterthought.) Where did you find it? I'd check with the local SCCA region and see what information they can give you about ASR race entries back in that era... I'm pretty well certain your car is neither a McLaren nor a Lola. It doesn't look like the models I'm familiar with. Incidentally, any high profile constructor would have supplied cast magnesium uprights, and would have cast their name into the uprights. Fabricated uprights suggest a smaller shop. |
Re: Help ID vintage race car, Maybe a Lola or MClaren
Thanks for the reply. What i have trouble understaning is that the car has a team nova porsche 962 tail with carbon fiber wing. The cars engine and tranny are from the early 70s and body it from the mid 80's. I looked over asr and no car looked like this one. Most asr cars were street cars modified to race. The wheels were used on lola, mclaren and can am series with the 4 bolt lug that were used in the 60's. Wheels are jongbleod
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Re: Help ID vintage race car, Maybe a Lola or MClaren
No nose section or roof. I think the car was never finishedn. No holes for seats or seatbelts but from the wear and tear from certain sections part of the car was used. The hewland needs to be rebuilt. Has some worn bearings. And the engine was full of water before i rebuilt it. I think someone was trying to make a 962 clone but not sure.
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bsa_m21 Martin Rothman Vancouver, Canada (216 posts) Registered: 01/06/2009 11:41AM Main British Car: 1980 TR7V8 Rover 3.9L |
Re: Help ID vintage race car, Maybe a Lola or MClaren
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rficalora Rob Ficalora Willis, TX (2764 posts) Registered: 10/24/2007 02:46PM Main British Car: '76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302 |
Re: Help ID vintage race car, Maybe a Lola or MClaren
Check the 1st pic on the 7th row... [914king.freewebspace.com]
I'd also chase the "From A Racing" lead referenced on the pelican parts board. Through Nissan's motor sports division you should be able to track down someone from the team. It's too coincidental -- color scheme, From A name, & #27. My bet is someone got of one of their retired or wrecked cars & started modifying it for street use. Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/2012 06:51PM by rficalora. |
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Re: Help ID vintage race car, Maybe a Lola or MClaren
I've actually tried to search for "From A Racing" which is team nova or nova engineering. That team doesnt exist anymore and I have not found any of there cars with the v8 engine setup. Also all there cars had diffrent chassis. The color and tail section are the only pieces from that team. Also the wheel base is 96" and is somewhat shorter than the 956 or 962. Whoever built that car did a very professional job.
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Preform Resources Dave Craddock Redford,Michigan (359 posts) Registered: 12/20/2008 05:46PM Main British Car: 72 MGB V6 3.4 |
Re: Help ID vintage race car, Maybe a Lola or MClaren
Those three cars pictured are the McLaren MK2 /3 cars raced by the named drivers,these were space frame cars the first monococque McLaren sports racer was the MK6, the Dan Blocker cars were an Elva 6/Maserati (as seen in Elvis" viva Las vegas) and his other car was a Huffaker GENIE MK8 or 10, also a space frame car, the car in question here is as Curtis has surmised a car built and changed over the years with donated parts, the Corvette expansion tank was popular in home builts.
Dave Craddock |
bsa_m21 Martin Rothman Vancouver, Canada (216 posts) Registered: 01/06/2009 11:41AM Main British Car: 1980 TR7V8 Rover 3.9L |
Re: Help ID vintage race car, Maybe a Lola or MClaren
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Moderator Curtis Jacobson Portland Oregon (4576 posts) Registered: 10/12/2007 02:16AM Main British Car: 71 MGBGT, Buick 215 |
Re: Help ID vintage race car, Maybe a Lola or MClaren
So... a 1991 Nissan R92CP rear body section set on top of a mid-1970s technology chassis.
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Re: Help ID vintage race car, Maybe a Lola or MClaren
Something like that but the rear section goes with a 1986 Porsche 962 nova engineering from what I've been able to find out. The expansion tank as 1983 date stamp also. I think the car was assembled sometime in the mid eighties. Also I don't think it was a home built car due to the fact of the quality of work.
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bsa_m21 Martin Rothman Vancouver, Canada (216 posts) Registered: 01/06/2009 11:41AM Main British Car: 1980 TR7V8 Rover 3.9L |
Re: Help ID vintage race car, Maybe a Lola or MClaren
Batalia,
I don't think it's a from a '86 Porsche 962. Take a look at the pics here: [962.com] Also, look at the Porsche drawings here: [carblueprints.info] And the 1986 "From A" pics here: [www.lemans-models.nl] I think you'll find that the rear body sections are quite different. What you have is almost identical to the Team Nova Nissans rear cowlings they were running in the same period. Nova Engineering ran Nissans, Lolas, BMWs and Porsches during that period. What makes you think its from a Porche? M. Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/2012 10:29PM by bsa_m21. |
Re: Help ID vintage race car, Maybe a Lola or MClaren
Here is the Porsche 962 From A. Almost identical just a little bit diffrent. Also measured the dimensions of the tail section and from online and they match.
My Car |
Re: Help ID vintage race car, Maybe a Lola or MClaren
The tail section is the exact one from the 1984 Porsche 962 Coupe. The bolts one the wing are exact and so are the decals. Also it has the same rear wheels. It might have been a Porsche 962 chassis that was never finished or converted to a v8.
Here is mine Here is from that Blueprint website |
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Re: Help ID vintage race car, Maybe a Lola or MClaren
I wouldnt be able to know for sure without everyones help. At least now i have an idea of when the car was built. The expansion tank is from 1983 and the tail is from 84-85. Now i just need to find the why this car was built and by who and how the got that tail.
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Preform Resources Dave Craddock Redford,Michigan (359 posts) Registered: 12/20/2008 05:46PM Main British Car: 72 MGB V6 3.4 |
Re: Help ID vintage race car, Maybe a Lola or MClaren
Vic ,I believe home built is a misnomer here," non works built" would be more appropo, there are a lot of talented folks out there with money and equipment to fab up a race car and a lot of cars were built that there was one or two chassis built. One of my customers bought a PILE of McLaren/Fabcar GTP parts and has been rebuilding a car from these assorted bits,geez,,, a lot of work,it's coming along tho ! Many of the unique GTP cars and Can Am as well were built by privateers and some did well against
the heavily funded and quasi "factory cars" How many of you guys remember the TI 22 car in the can am by Peter Bryant. Dave |