Brabham BT29

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by Steve Wilkinson

This from the current owner Richard Jones:

1) Tony Griffiths only used the BT 29X in 1970 with an 1800 FVC in it.
2) Spencer Elton had it in 1971/72 and put a 1600 BDA in it which it still has.
3) David Render owned it (from 1973) until 1976,
4) Peter Robinson bought it (1976/7) and used it with a full width nose and a big rear wing until 1981.
5) Julian Majzub bought it complete with it's original wings which are now fitted.

Richard bought it from Julian over the last Winter. All of the above fits exactly with the previous history with Majzub being the mystery collector.

Above: Richard Jones taking BT29X off the line at Gurston Down back in August 2008.

[Ted Walker]

Spencer bought the car from Tony griffiths minus its FVC which went into the BT35

[Dave Burch]

Hi all, I just found this forum.

I own BT29 /45.

I have history going back to 1975.

Past owners include William Summers, Bob Mijolevic, I can't remember the name of the guy I bought it from but he was in Philadelphia.

William Summers bought the car from a west coast racer/engine guy whose name escapes me, but I remembered him when Mr. Summers mentioned it.

At one time a Mazda motor was installed and the car was used in autocrosses.

The chassis was redone by Marc Bahner before I bought it, I completed the restoration back to original specs, Lotus TC/FT200, in 1997 and so far have raced it in 60 events.

That's Dave Olson behind me in his BT29, which I also restored, at Thunderhill Raceway

[Andrew Fellowes]

Welcome Dave,
I take it this was the car new to Doug Brenner.
Great photos!
Andrew

[Dave Burch]

Originally Posted by Andrew Fellowes

Welcome Dave,
I take it this was the car new to Doug Brenner.
Great photos!
Andrew

Andrew, from what I have read #44 was the Doug Brenner car, in any case his name is not familiar to me or found in any history I have been able to uncover. When I contacted Mr Summers he told me he bought the car from a west coast guy whose name I recognized from my racing days in the 60s, unfortunately I can't remember what it was.

Dave

[Andrew Fellowes]

Originally Posted by Douglas Brenner

I bought Brabham BT29#45 new in March of 1971. I think it was the last one made. As you all probably know this was not a current car as there were BT35s and probably BT38s by this time. The car was not assembled, so I went down to Charlie Hayes's shop and assembled it. I though you would like to see the original invoice for this car....Douglas

Interesting, Doug's original invoice says BT29-45.
BT29-44 was Hayes Racing Equip, now with Jim McConville in Oz.

[Dave Burch]

Originally Posted by Andrew Fellowes

Interesting, Doug's original invoice says BT29-45.
BT29-44 was Hayes Racing Equip, now with Jim McConville in Oz.

Interesting, I guess it is the Doug Brenner car after all, I had no knowledge of the very first owner. Do you know who Doug sold it to?

I believe someone told me the car was originally red, does that help?

One log book I have with it says it is white as of 1975

[Andrew Fellowes]

I think it went to Ron Pohl and Phil Palm, but Doug is a member here and might be able to help.
At some stage I think your car may have had a new chassis, does it have an AM number on the back? but I suggest you talk to David Irwin, also a member here.

[Dave Burch]

Andrew, I know for a fact it has a new chassis. The guy I bought it from had commissioned Marc Bahner to build it. Marc did four chassises all at once, one for himself (#1), one for a guy in LA, the one I bought (#45), and one I believe went somewhere in the Midwest.

I bought the package unassembled, new chassis, new body work, and a bunch of old parts. I assembled it for the first time.

My chassis does not have an Arch Motors number because its not an Arch Motors chassis and I don't believe Marc would be party to a deception, nor will I.

Neither Ron Pohl nor Phil Palm are familiar names to me. They don't show up in any material I have.

[Andrew Fellowes]

Originally Posted by Dave Burch

Andrew, I know for a fact it has a new chassis. The guy I bought it from had commissioned Marc Bahner to build it. Marc did four chassises all at once, one for himself (#1), one for a guy in LA, the one I bought (#45), and one I believe went somewhere in the Midwest.

I was expecting you to say Wayne Mitchell who always stamps his chassis WM I think, he around here somewhere too!

I was trying to tread carefully as what I have about a chassis may easily be wrong! -I'll pm you in a moment.
Andrew

[Andrew Fellowes]

email from Ron Phol to Allen Brown, posted way back!

I was just reading a thread on BT29s (a subject close to my heart) and see there is some uncertainty about Doug Brenner's BT 29. I can shed some light on the subject.

Phil Palm and I (the same guys who are referenced re surtees ts8 in your web site) I purchased it from Doug in1972 (I think). It was last raced in Bogota by Doug and the engine was not running (spun bearing). Phil and I raced it with some success in scca regionals (me) and nationals and one pro race at Riverside (Phil) . The car was damagedon the rad while towing to Road America for a pro event. Wayne Mitchell fabricated a new chassis for us and we continued to race it.]

I ran into Wayne several years ago at a vintage race where he does teck inspection and he told me he still had the remains of the wrecked chassis. At the end of 1973, we sold the Brabham(to a guy who owned a Christmas tree farm, but I don't know name) and Surtees and I quit racing for a while to go to law school. ...

[Andrew Fellowes]

Originally Posted by Dave Burch

I believe someone told me the car was originally red, does that help?

Bonphil Racing colours, Yellow. Worth a visit here; www.brennerfab.com and then to the bio section.

[Dave Burch]

Originally Posted by Andrew Fellowes

I was expecting you to say Wayne Mitchell who always stamps his chassis WM I think, he around here somewhere too!

I was trying to tread carefully as what I have about a chassis may easily be wrong! -I'll pm you in a moment.
Andrew

No It wasn't Wayne, I know him, or did several years ago. It was someone else in LA. I got new front axles from Wayne.

I remember speaking to the guy who got one of the four frames from Marc about fuel cells.

[Andrew Fellowes]

We don't have two cars here somehow do we?

posted in 2007

Originally Posted by David Irwin

The plot thickens again....Get out your boots!

Let's see if I can help with BT29-45, I have a list of former owners for this car.

They are in no particular order and no dates:

Robert Mijolevic, Pardeeville, WI
Julian Cox, Greensboro, NC
Roy Grange, Lowell, AK

And it's current owner, here in Colorado is Eric Stange.

I've seen this car, don't remember if it has a Arch Motors number. Will have to get back together with Eric and check it out again. I have in my notes that it was a repaired frame.?. This is one of the cars that I was waiting to disclose to the list, after I saw the documentation that the owner has. I would say he has the Douglas Brenner car.
........

I also acquired a nasty BT29 project car from Eric Stange, with no numbers and a very modified rear cross-member so no AM number either, still waiting to see the documentation for that as well.....

Well there ya go.

David Irwin
Evergreen, CO

[Dave Burch]

I ran into Wayne several years ago at a vintage race where he does teck inspection and he told me he still had the remains of the wrecked chassis. At the end of 1973, we sold the Brabham(to a guy who owned a Christmas tree farm, but I don't know name)

Could this be William Summers? he's in the Midwest, and the timing is about right.

[Dave Burch]

The log book I got with the car shows Robert Mijolevic as owner, however there is nothing in the chassis number box.

[Andrew Fellowes]

Dave many thanks for the pm,

So what do you have as the chain of owners as I think some names I have may now be wrong?

Andrew

[Dave Burch]

Originally Posted by Andrew Fellowes

Dave many thanks for the pm,

So what do you have as the chain of owners as I think some names I have may now be wrong?

Andrew

From some strange quirk in my mental process I have come up with the name of the person who sold #45 to me.

Cy Moreland

The history seems straightforward until Bob Mijolevic sold it and when Cy Moreland bought it. About a 10 year gap I think. This was when it ran autocrosses with a rotary.

Bob raced it last at BFR (Black Farms Raceway) on 9/18/82 according to the log book I have.

[edholly]

Back on page 17 Allen Brown posted

NE Div
Opert, Welch, Ken Duclos, Harold Brown, Bill Baldwin and Mike Hayman (Opert and Welch had BT29s, Duclos a BT21A and Hayman a BT21C; I don't know Brown and Baldwin).

Does anyone know of Harold Brown and what model Brabham BT21 he raced. Further down the page there are a couple of photos of Harold at VIR, and elsewhere mention is made of him being from Philadelphia.

[allenbrown]

Hi Ed, I'd like to know too. My 1969 FB knowledge has improved slight since page 17 but my knowledge of Brown and his Brabham hasn't budged:

North East Division SCCA Formula B 1969

BTW, just to confuse matters, there was also a Harold W. Brown from Lethbridge, Alberta who ran a Lotus 23B in the mid-1960s and died in 1974.

[250 F]

My name is Martin Cowburn and a couple of months ago a friend published(Autosport Nostalgia) details of my acquisition of a 1969 Brabham BT 29 Formula B car.
The Chassis Number is#20.
I see from a quick scan of this site that #20 has been the subject of unresolved discussion.
The car's acquisition and repatriation and rebuilding was announced on:-
http://www.vfsvideos.co.uk/latestnews200603.htm
when the car was readied for HSCC events and met with considerable success.
It was raced by Mike Stow in 1971 and Dick Barker in 1972.
I would be interested in further history as we know little hard fact until the car appears in the Spa Museum in Belgium from where it was acquired.

[allenbrown]

There has been extensive discussion on this car but no meeting of minds.

The car you have bought can be traced back to Belgium in the 1970s but no connection has been demonstrated to Mike Stow and Dick Barker and no connection has been demonstrated to the identity BT29/20.

It really needs further research.

Allen Brown

Editor
OldRacingCars.com
http://www.oldracingcars.com
allen@oldracingcars.com

[allenbrown]

Sorry - I meant France in the early 1970s. It only went to Belgium later in its life.

[250 F]

I refer to my post of the 26th November and I am delighted to say that I have taken delivery of my BT 29 (AM no. 69 L 65).
A number of you have contributed / are contributing evidence as to it's provenance and I wish to thank you all.
Investigations are ongoing and I have the enthusiastic help of two experts.
I am delighted with this superbly re-engineered car and am looking forward to driving it next year.
250 F.

[Michael Oliver]

Don't know how/if this helps but have just come off the phone from a Lyle D. Heck of Reading, PA, talking about a 'FA Lotus-Ford' he owned and advertised. During the conversation, he noted that he sold the car around 1972/73 and acquired a Brabham BT29 from a guy in Jacksonville, Florida. He couldn't remember who. I don't think I asked him who he sold it to, sorry. But I have contact details if anyone wishes to follow up.

Michael