1970 Chaparral 2J

[gttouring]

with the double engine and the sucking action and all what did this monster sound like. a snowmobile engine sounds crazy as it is...plus a V8 growling an dhowling under it....
any one have soundclips..
and what is it about engine sounds that stir us race fans, and car enthusiasts?

[Gnomex]

I remember it well - it had covered rear wheels arches as the whole enclosed rear area formed the suction part of the beast. From memory it had a simply huuuuge rear wing - was it one of those which tilted under braking?

[Steve Holmes]

Gnomex, you might be merging two of the Chaparrals? The 2J sucker car only had a small clear perspex rear spoiler, as the vacuum traction pulled it to the ground. But the earlier narrow track 1969 2H had a big rear wing. And at Laguna Seca it had what must have been the biggest ever Can-Am wing fixed above the cockpit. You must have seen them both? You're pretty lucky. They were lovely cars. You must have been to a few Can-Am races?

[Edgar Jessop]

Originally Posted by gttouring

with the double engine and the sucking action and all what did this monster sound like. a snowmobile engine sounds crazy as it is...plus a V8 growling an dhowling under it....

That was about it really - I heard it briefly at the Goodwood FoS in 1998 [?] and it sounded like a Can-Am car with a gearbox kart up its chuff!

Brilliant bit of design though! It absolutely hissed down with rain that weekend at and one stage I sheltered under the rear bodywork box that had been conveniently removed - also under there were a couple of American guys who seemed to know a bit about the thing and we got chatting - I recognised Jim Hall but was too dim to ask who the other guy was ...

One thing I rather like about the 2J Sucker Car was a contemporary quote from Jim Hall - something to the effect that " ... then we replaced Jackie Stewart with Vic Elford .... We were very impressed by Elford ... we found he was practically every bit as quick but a whole heap cheaper ... "

[Formula 5000]

I followed all of Jim Hall's Chaparrals exploits from the other side of the world. Even built models of them all. I have just been to the Historic meeting at Phillip Island Victoria Australia 29/02/05 and heard my first V12 Gurney Weslake. Incredible.
I think anyone who actually heard and saw the 2J Fan car was very fortunate.
Could we have a few more peoples thought on the sound? Please.

[ErleMinhinnick]

The funniest sound in the world. I only heard it at Goodwood and Jim Hall put the sucker on. As it came towards you its chevy rumbled and as it passed it turned in to a lawn mower - made I laugh. Did Denny Hulme jokingly say that if he got trouble from it (while dominating the Can-Am series) he'd just toss a towel out of the cockpit and that would sort it out! Pity we don't have such innovations these days as the Chaparrals - great days.