Mystery Sports Car Chassis Please Help!!

RecordMonza · 25 Mar 2011, 12:56 (Ref:2853013)

Hello, I have had this chassis for the best part of 10 years and would love to call it by its proper name. Any suggestion would be much apreciated.
The chassis was bought by John Cottrell of Edgbaston in the 80's? and a small article in Classic and Sports Car was run to try and discover its history(see photo's).I think the bodywork fitted to it is a red herring as the rivet holes on the scuttle do not quite match dash top tubes.They are however nice original aluminium parts and may be worth another tread.Chassis has been modified over the year with major reworking/strengthening at the rear. Has very distinctive seats with two tubes and hammock like seat. Have loads of photo's so please ask if you would like any detail shots.Hope somebody has an idea.

**John Turner** · 25 Mar 2011, 14:08 (Ref:2853059)

Welcome RM; very interesting mystery car; to my layman's eye it looks quite a professional construction. Hope our contributors can come up with something.

**chunterer** · 29 Mar 2011, 12:08 (Ref:2855350)

Let's stick this for a while to get some more attention!

911thillclimber · 30 Mar 2011, 17:26 (Ref:2856012)

Agree.
More pics of the suspension might help?
Graham.

RecordMonza · 31 Mar 2011, 11:35 (Ref:2856312)

Hi, thanks guy's for your interest, will dig out some bits and post more photo's over the weekend.RM.

RecordMonza · 3 Apr 2011, 11:31 (Ref:2857854)

Here are some more photo's, the wishbones and front sub-frame are just ruffly made and not original. Rear uprights are steel fabricated items may or may not be original to car. The nose and scuttle are old panels,and from a coupe(notch out of back of nose for windscreen wiper) but i do not think they were originally fitted to chassis from new , but the car may have run with them.RM.

911thillclimber · 3 Apr 2011, 11:54 (Ref:2857881)

Firstly what a great project, secondly, what a dunting one!

That body is so distinctive esp the 'GT40' door design someone on here will know it.

Is it of UK origine though?
Similar cars made in Oz (ie Nomad) and Dulon in South Africa.
As you describe the wishbones as rough, maybe this is a home build.

In the 60's many an upright was fabricated rather than cast magnesium.
Until you have everything off the frame you cannot be sure it is a pro job or a good DIY.

Shades of Chevron B8 abound which could date it to late 60's but how to restore or even build it without some contempory pics?

RecordMonza · 3 Apr 2011, 13:58 (Ref:2857987)

Hello 911 Hill Climber,

Thank you for your interest, just to clarify the wishbones i believe were built by Cottrell as mock ups and just chopped up Lotus 7 items.

Nomad's where build in London with Williams & Pritchard bodies.

Dulon where original built in Didcot, Oxfordshire.

Thanks RM

Kale · 3 Apr 2011, 14:44 (Ref:2858004)

Mercury GT ?

jessy · 7 Apr 2011, 08:46 (Ref:2860051)

Agree with Graham...
Can u post more pics?????...More pics of the suspension might help.......

911thillclimber · 12 Apr 2011, 19:29 (Ref:2862572)

I agree, a 1968 Mercury GT Sports Racer. found the car on www.race-cars.com.
Check this link BUT go to the spec sheet and scroll down to 'enclosed GT body' link and there is the car!
Not sure if it is your car but maybe!
The main sale details will be invaluable to your rebuild.

http://www.race-cars.com/carsales/ot...58575197pp.htm

http://www.race-cars.com/carsales/ot...58575197ss.htm

Graham.

Simon Hadfield · 12 Apr 2011, 19:42 (Ref:2862579)

Mercury GT? No, not even close. The Mercury body was made to "GT-ise" a Lotus 23 and when they found fairly little custom they (Mercury) made their own 23 style chassis to fit under their own bodywork. The chassis above is not one of these - I know because we have had a Mercury GT here - and for that matter neither is the one in California. The actual difference between a real 23 and a Mercury chassis is very slight and for now probably best left undiscussed!

911thillclimber · 12 Apr 2011, 20:31 (Ref:2862603)

Shame, I stumbled on the Mercury my accident this evening and thought the GT close to the Mystery body

.

Just had another look at the pics sent to tese us.
The front uprights are Triumph...

Sorry for my mistake!

Mistron · 26 Apr 2011, 16:13 (Ref:2870095)

As I mentioned on 'the other forum', I recon Ferret Photograhics or LAT will be the best bet for photos, but to me the most distinctive feature visible is the shape of the top line of the door where it 'kicks up' into what must be the rear arch line. this is a farily distinctive design.

In terms of where it might have raced? I'd assume one of the smaller capacity classes in the period from '62/63 - early '70s. try the 750mc?

It just looks to me like it should have an Imp engine. What's the PCD of the wheels?

I bet it's a semi professional effort, but definately a one off / prototype.

If I was you i'd send it into 'discovered' in C&SC again with the photos with the bodywork on.

RecordMonza · 27 Apr 2011, 16:43 (Ref:2870710)

Hi Mistron,
Thank you for you input on both the sites,much appreciated intelligent discussion.
I have let it lie for a bit just to see if anybody did recognize any of its components ie chassis
I am waiting to hear from a very knowledgeable chap who thinks he knows what it is but still not confirmed.
We think the chassis is early 60's small capacity (very light chassis mostly 3/4" tube) and was made into a coupe later on.
Can confirm that it is nothing mainstream but certain unusual design elements are shared with other quite well know makes and surprised know body has picked up on them.It was a time of plagiarism and this chassis has elements of several chassis.
The one thing i have not seen on any other chassis are the seats which i think are quite nifty,as they are used as part of the chassis triangulating from the center of the lower cruciform/cockpit bulkhead up to the rear bulkhead where there is an attachment point.This point would also indicate to a flat or heavily canted engine.
Still many more questions than answers but i have to live in hope that one day i will find out what it is!!
Will keep you posted on any developments.
RM

Mistron · 27 Apr 2011, 17:49 (Ref:2870753)

I think the seats are very unusual and one of the things someone is likely to recall.

As for plagerism - not only is it the sincerest form of flattery, it's also the only way for a one off to stand a chance of being competitive. My old cars suspension was based on measurements taken directly off a Lotus FJ with the owners consent (I bleliev he actually helped take the measurements!)

I did wonder if the car had been an open sports converted to a coupe. Do you have any rear bodywork? the rear body is often more distinctive than the front.

A canted engine would fit with an Imp powered car.

I wondered if it was a Nerus, but it's not. If it is Imp powered I'm sure the Imp club should be able to help - could it be a Fraser or a Kileen prototype?

jessy · 16 Jun 2011, 10:31 (Ref:2900107)

Aston have taken the IQ and given it a new grill, door handles, leather interior and the prestigious Aston Martin badge (and probably a few other little extras).

Mistron · 19 Nov 2011, 08:53 (Ref:2988672)

Did you ever make any progress with the restoration of this fascinating car, or discover any more of its history?

911thillclimber · 20 Nov 2011, 07:51 (Ref:2989070)

Oddly, i had the exact same thought yesterday while taking pics of the Lola.
There have been several chassis this year which have remainded a bigger mystery than mine.

I can think of 3 and have met the owner of one twice by chance, but he is no further forward either.
It is very hard to do, but if Clive Brown is watching, anything is possible!

Clive Brown · 21 Nov 2011, 19:24 (Ref:2989735)

I'd wondered about Les Aylott's Ardua, but I thought that was an open car. Are we convinced that the closed bodywork shown in some pictures actually belongs to this chassis at all?

Could it be an Astra? Per Ardua Ad Astra?

The gearchange suggests a VW box, or (much less likely) an upside down Imp unit, rather than a Hewland.

Mistron · 30 Nov 2011, 23:39 (Ref:2993725)

The reason it came to mind for me is that I just bought this:

I have no idea what it is either!

From what I can work out so far I'm pretty sure it's an early Clubmans formula car, built to take a BMC 1000cc engine.

Answers on a postcard......

MGDavid · 1 Dec 2011, 09:14 (Ref:2993854)

the diff and axle look suspiciously like Frogeye Sprite in origin (quarter elliptic leaf and radius arm)

911thillclimber · 1 Dec 2011, 18:04 (Ref:2994055)

Before i bought my Lola I went to see a chassis which was a Nike sports racer. This looks v similar but stronger...

Mistron · 1 Dec 2011, 19:32 (Ref:2994086)

the back axle is BMC small sportscar and I think the current engine mounts are for the A series engine, but it has been a bit chopped about by the looks of it, and at one point it appears there was a plan to fit a Ford 1500 pre xflow, though I don't think it ever was.

I plan to install a 1000cc A series

I'll have to have a look at Nike chassis.

wolfhound · 1 Dec 2011, 21:44 (Ref:2994138)

Could either of these cars be 60's kit cars from the pre VAT days rather than race cars?

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Mystery Sports Racer	RickT	Motorsport History	20	8 Dec 2013 19:34
Mystery Chassis ?	pantah	Motorsport History	52	15 Apr 2011 15:32
Mystery Sports Racer	TimD	Motorsport History	10	1 Jun 2001 02:56
Ferrari Chassis Mystery	Schume	Formula One	7	28 Jul 2000 01:48