Dulon Formula B

[bobdar]

Our club has a 1970 Dulon Formula B coming through eligibility. The Model is believed to be an LD 9-B, although that designation is also thought to be used for a Formula Ford. Does anyone have the real story on Dulon FB cars??

[M N]

i used to work for a team called d.g.r.p ltd we were rebuilding a dulon sportscar just before i left, so might be worth getting in touch with them, they do have a website not sure what its address is though. from what i remember the cars originate from bradford, it was a very small operation with few cars actually built. the car we had in raced a few times then they stopped racing to develop it into a road car. they never finished it and it lay redundant in a barn for years before its current owner bought it and wanted to restore it. incidently my last job on it before i left was to make a rollhoop for it as in those days race cars did not have them fitted.

[Chris Townsend]

Dulon did build a reasonable number of FFords. There was a single F5000, the LD8, raced by Bob Miller in the UK in 1970. It was a big car, with the aerodynamic properties of a cement block, and was mainly in the field to create interest for Peter Gethin every few laps.
Be interested to know about an FB/F.Atlantic variety

[Milan Fistonic]

This from the British Racing Car Directory published in the December 18, 1969 issue of Motoring News.

Dulon is only listed in the Formula Ford section.

DULON LD4C.
Maxperenco Products Ltd, which produces the Dulon, had a good 1969 season with Ian Taylor scoring a lot of success with his car. In total 29 FFs have been built this year and the firm has moved into larger premises. There are projects for F5000 and GT cars in advanced stages. For 1970 there will be a new Dulon single-seater called the LD9; it is a multiple-purpose chassis accepting FF, F3 or FB engines. It is prettier than the previous model and has a rear mounted oil cooler. The firm also produces its own FF engine and prices, particularly for spares, are very reasonable. Complete cars with Maxperenco engine reatil at 1375 pounds and less engine at 1100 pounds.

[bobdar]

Milan:

Thanks for your information, which sort of ties together other information I've heard. The car under consideration appears to be designed as a B or F2 car, since it was extremely "stout", much more so than a typical Formula Ford.
Does anyone have a clue as to how many were built (as non-FF)??

[Chris Townsend]

Bobdar

I've come across a Dulon LD-9 racing in the UK in 1971.
The car was driven by Tony Broster, and raced in both F3 and F.Atlantic (in its first year) before being fitted with an MAE engine and used in Monoposto. I only noticed this in passing as I was looking at the earliest Atlantic races in Britain. Will try and find out more.

Broster was a well known club racer in the '70s and I guess that someone on this site might know if he's still around.

[bobdar]

Thanks for the info Chris. The car we are dealing with was also used for hill climbing before coming to the U.S. It is a very strongly-built car, large tubing, heavy half shafts, etc., and I'm having a hard time believing that the same components went into the FF version.

[tony broster]

Originally Posted by bobdar

Our club has a 1970 Dulon Formula B coming through eligibility. The Model is believed to be an LD 9-B, although that designation is also thought to be used for a Formula Ford. Does anyone have the real story on Dulon FB cars??

There was only ever 1 FB car & it was my own, using an almost new LD 9 chassis number 01, converted to FB spec early 1970, fitted with John Fennings ( Willans Harness boss )162 hp Hart twin cam, my Brabham wheels Firestone YB 11 tyres & some primitive wings !
it flew in libre races & & to our amusement upset & upstaged several to be F1 drivers during what was the future Formula Atlantic introduction day at Brands hatch in early 1971, both works Lotus F3 driver Bev Bond & I drove it that day, loadsa fun all round.
for some unknown reason Fenning had his engine back mid season 1971, we fitted an old MAE & soon after sold the car to Jen Jones of South Wales, I saw it some years later at Oulton looking real tatty & back in FF 1600 spec.
There never was any more that the 1 factory blessed FB cars.
Tony Broster @ aol.com

[Alan Morgan]

Funnily enough, I was looking at the Autosport report of the Formula Atlantic Introduction Day last night. There was a picture of the car in the article.

[tony broster]

Originally Posted by Alan Morgan

Funnily enough, I was looking at the Autosport report of the Formula Atlantic Introduction Day last night. There was a picture of the car in the article.

Lotus works F 3 driver Bev Bond & I shared my Dulon twin cam that day, had loads of fun on track with some far more expensive cars & posh drivers, the Dulon FB more than held it's own against virtually all of them.
tonybroster@aol.com

[911thillclimber]

I have an interest in the Dulon Group 6, but you must have seen this I expect:

google Dulon Group 6 and there is a good company history given on the Lola registry site, but I can't get the link to work.

[Dan Rear]

A/S 31-1-74, Low Cost Racing are advertising a "Dulon FA/FB roller". Apparently it was 'built new in 1972 for F Atlantic', and though 'in basically good condition, its a bit tatty'. Price, £775... Is this the same car I wonder?

[st-dave]

Dulon ad from Autosport 1970.

[tony broster]

The car top left of the picture is my own chassis 01 from 1969, originally a FF 1600 for a very few races, converted early on by Bill Longley of Dulons, myself & John Fenning to a Libre/ FB twin cam spec car,
re designated 01FB raced in Libre where it did an acceptable amount of winning & the following season run in early Atlantic races,
There was to my knowledge only ever 1 twin cam FB type car with wings & slicks officially built, unless someone built his own unofficial one some time later of course!
my factory relationship continued weekly it seemed whilst running a large number of Dulons up to the introduction of the MP 21, at which point we took one look said oh dear & went our own way car wise,
dramatically altered a redundant 1600 FF MP 17 ( a great improvement ) which the boys should have taken up & produced instead of the 21, but by then the factory had lost interest in cars it appeared.

tonybroster@aol.com

[Andy Turnock]

It appears to be a good looking car.The F5000 car looks as though it was an interesting project.
http://www.thelolaregistry.com/Dulon...s/DSC00022.JPG

[andyl999]

Try contacting Bill Longely he was the LON in Dulon.

Google "Tasuma"

[Garey Guzman]

Does anyone have any pictures of Tony Broster in this car?