Chevron B29

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by EJH

Dear all,

I am the late Stuart Hartes niece, so fire away if there are any questions I can help answer.
Just to fill in some gaps - the Chevron is still sitting in a garage in the North of England. Stuart bequethed it to Wendys (his sisters) husband David, who unfortunately never had the opportunity to continue racing.

Best regards,
Emma

I have the car as carrying the chassis number B29-75-06; Staurt ran in the British Sprint Championship on just two occasions ('85 New Brighton where he finished 12th and '87 Ramsey Road when he was 7th).

Still no plans to get the car back on track?

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by Steve Wilkinson

I have the car as carrying the chassis number B29-75-06; Staurt ran in the British Sprint Championship on just two occasions ('85 New Brighton where he finished 12th and '87 Ramsey Road when he was 7th).

Still no plans to get the car back on track?

News just in; the Stuart Harte car has now been acquired by Jon Waggitt. Just spoken to Jon and the car, which he said is in immaculate condition, carries the following chassis number:

B29-75-35

Jon will be going through all the paperwork with a fine toothcombe but has already spotted that the car was sold to Stuart Harte by AMCO Racing in 1982.

NB the car was originally listed in several results as having a Hart 2.3 litre engine. This is incorrect. The car has had a 2.3 BDG sat in the back throughout the time it was with Stuart Harte and subsequently with his family.

Jon will be doing a complete check of the car and then installing a FAt 1600 BDA into the car prior to getting it back on track.

[davyboy]

The South African resident Gunnar Nilsson B29 is up for sale again here

[driftwood]

yeah @ la la money

[davyboy]

The ex-Bobby Brown B29-75-21 for sale here. It may have already changed hands by now as I've been peeking at it for a while there.

Hopefully Sterling will continue to get better against the dollar so that these US-domiciled cars become a little more affordable.

[driftwood]

what will you do with it over here running 1600 car in DBT against 2 litre cars getting beaten ?
In usa they have a good field of 1600 cars with 2 litres so guys are happy to race them

[davyboy]

I've a cabinet full of trophies so I don't need any more. I'd just like a B29 or B42 Atlantic... its really fulfilling a childhood ambition more than anything else. Atlantics were the thing in Ireland back in the day and if I could run in the DBT and have one or two others to dice with, that's enough. GBP40K for a complete car is more than I want to spend though and as you say the SCCA Atlantic class is keeping the prices there cranked up.

[James Murray]

B42 Atlantic? Surely B45? I don't agree with Drifty either, you wouldnt be blown away in DBT and top 6 finishes are not difficult with an Atlantic, although some of the Atlantic engines are questionable ie. short stroke with 240BHP.

That B29 has the wrong rear bodywork and wing, more like a 27/25. Make him an offer you might get it for less than you think!

[driftwood]

1600 will not beat 2 litre motor which is why u dont see many atlantics running here
top 6 only likely due to poor grids in DBT 6 finishers at Snet!!!

there where B40/42 F2 cars running in Macau and UK atlantic races= simple engine change from hart 420r to bda

[Michael Oliver]

Originally Posted by davyboy

The ex-Bobby Brown B29-75-21 for sale here. It may have already changed hands by now as I've been peeking at it for a while there.

Hopefully Sterling will continue to get better against the dollar so that these US-domiciled cars become a little more affordable.

On the subject of this car, I have just come off the phone from talking to Lyle D. Heck of Reading, PA, who is a former owner. He confirmed to me that he bought the car from Bobby Brown, who he understood had brought it over to the US from England. He sold it in, he thinks, 1979 to Mike Rand, which ties in with the previously posted history very nicely. I have contact details if required...

Michael

[allenbrown]

What was the Lotus Michael?

Heck was a regular at Watkins Glen in the late 1960s up to the mid-1970s and had some interesting cars. He raced a Lotus 20 in 1968, presumably in Formula C, but then turned up at Reading 25 Aug 1968 in a Formula A Brabham! No idea what that was.

[Michael Oliver]

Originally Posted by allenbrown

What was the Lotus Michael?

Heck was a regular at Watkins Glen in the late 1960s up to the mid-1970s and had some interesting cars. He raced a Lotus 20 in 1968, presumably in Formula C, but then turned up at Reading 25 Aug 1968 in a Formula A Brabham! No idea what that was.

Allen

It's funny that I oftn seem to find things when I am not looking for them: I was actually looking for some kind of reference as to what kind of Lotus-Buick Arthur M. "Bud" Faust was driving when he was killed at the Glen in Sept 62 and a Google search came up with a mention of him, below which was Heck in a 'Lotus-Ford Formula 1'. When I went to the story, there was even a (rather poor quality) picture of a 60s Lotus-type-tubbed FA car with a high wing. I got quite excited by what it might be...

A quick scan of Switchboard found me a number and a few hours later I was talking to the man himself. He said that it had started off as a Lotus 20, which he understood from the vendor (one Fred Opert of Long Island!) had been converted to a 22. The car had apparently sustained a heavy t-bone side impact, he thinks at Watkins Glen but he wasn't sure of the date. The car didn't come with a chassis plate, or at least that is what he thinks, he doesn't recall ever seeing one.

He bought the car in 1967/68 (he wasn't sure of the exact date) and sawed the tub off behind the dash and rebuilt the engine bay and fitted a 289ci Ford engine, as FA was just beginning to take off in the US and there weren't that many cars. So the Lotus 20 description you have in 1968 is this car but in FA form with the 289 Ford. He ran in FA and was NEDIV co-champion in 1968 on account, he said, of finishing a race at the Glen when no other FA did.

He later fitted a high wing and ran the car the Glen and the Duryea hillclimb (which he won in 1970). After that, he mostly did hillclimbs in the PA area, scoring a couple of FTDs. He sold the car around 1972/73 to a friend called Larry Yeager and bought a Brabham BT29.

Yeager crashed it at a hillclimb in Weatherley PA within a year, after which the car and engine etc were parted out.

So I never did find out what Lotus-Buick Faust was driving but found out a bit more about a curious FA racer. To be honest, when I first read about it I was thinking it must be the Chuck Trowbridge Lotus 24 (289 Ford and timings fitted too) but it was not to be...

Re the Brabham, I guess it must be a misprint but let me call and ask.

HTH

Michael

[mikegtr]

A couple of Chevron B29’s have come up for sale recently, Bill Brack’s 1975 Canadian Formula Altantic Chassis (29-75-16) is currently being advertised at Scottdale Lotus in Arizona. 25 great photos of the chassis. Web address :-http://inventory.lotusofscottsdale.com/web/2090/vehicle/197121

Also an ex ROC Chassis is to be auctioned at the Autosport International this Saturday. Chassis number quoted is 29-75-33. This looks like a replacement chassis for 29-75-12. Previous owners are listed as ROC (Beltoise), Ecurie Ocean , Nick Shrigley-Feigl, Hall and Fowler.

Mike

[spyder62]

I used to own B29-75-32 the last I knew it was in Colorado. It was raced in the Atlantic series in late 75 and 76 in Canada then ended up in Chicago and won the June sprints in I think 77 or 78. i had it in the early 80's and have lost track of it along with my 10-17c which was chassis number 2.
rich

[Chris Townsend]

Originally Posted by spyder62

I used to own B29-75-32 the last I knew it was in Colorado. It was raced in the Atlantic series in late 75 and 76 in Canada then ended up in Chicago and won the June sprints in I think 77 or 78. i had it in the early 80's and have lost track of it along with my 10-17c which was chassis number 2.
rich

Rich,
Hi, and welcome to the forum! Always good to hear from former drivers
Could you tell us more?
I guess you raced the car in SCCA Mid West Region. Did you use the car in regionals or nationals?
I don't think a Chevron B29 ever won the June Sprints
1976 James King, March 76B
1977 Dan Johnson, Chevron B24
1978 Kevin Cogan, Ralt RT1
1979 Carl Leibich, Lola T460
However, there were a number of quick B29s that raced there, with people like Ray Schuler, who was from Milwaukee I think.
Who did you buy the car from?

Are you also saying that you had the second of the old F2 Chevron B10s, modified to B17 spec?
When did you get that car?

[spyder62]

Hi Chris and thanks for the welcome.
I bought the car in the summer of 78 if I remember right might have been 79 and the ex owner said he won the sprints but might have been another race at Road America. I raced it regionally in Colorado. Lost track of it after a divorce and Ex trashed most my racing photos.
As for the B-10-17c yes I had that car from 1974 to 1989. I raced it in the San Francisco bay area ( sears mainly) as a Formula C car with a down draft Holbay. A photo of it is on the www.oldracingcars.com as restored today. The only ting I did not like on the 29 was the soft brake petal and tried everything to harden it up, were the B-10-17 the petal was like pressing on a brick wall. The harder you pressed the faster you stopped and stop it did. Well try to find some photos.
rich

[marc sproule]

The US races in '76 were support races to IMSA

Gilles and BBrown, Road Atlanta '76

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4668198...7623186773769/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4668198...7623186773769/

Brack, Laguna Seca '76

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4668198...7623243933553/

Cogan, Ontario Motor Speedway '76

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4668198...7623186773769/

[davyboy]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4668198...7623186773769/

That's one of the nicest pictures of a Formula Atlantic I've ever seen... thanks for sharing these with us.

[marc sproule]

Davyboy:

Thank you for the kind words. That pic was a bit of a fluke. Even though it was 36 years ago, I remember that roll of film quite well. Most of it went in the trash as most of the images were junk.

I wasn't all that good at panning at that point of my career...less than 10 races...so I wish I had been a bit more lucky.

[davyboy]

Well you certainly made a beautiful job of panning that - its near perfect. Also, the lighting and contrast are fantastic. Brilliant shot !

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by spyder62

Hi Chris and thanks for the welcome.
I bought the car in the summer of 78 if I remember right might have been 79 and the ex owner said he won the sprints but might have been another race at Road America. I raced it regionally in Colorado. Lost track of it after a divorce and Ex trashed most my racing photos.
As for the B-10-17c yes I had that car from 1974 to 1989. I raced it in the San Francisco bay area ( sears mainly) as a Formula C car with a down draft Holbay. A photo of it is on the www.oldracingcars.com as restored today. The only ting I did not like on the 29 was the soft brake petal and tried everything to harden it up, were the B-10-17 the petal was like pressing on a brick wall. The harder you pressed the faster you stopped and stop it did. Well try to find some photos.
rich

Rich

Do you remember who you bought the B10-17 from? THe last I know of that car it was still in England in 1971 so working out how it got from there to you would e a great step forward.

Also, can you recall who you sold it to in 1989?

Many thanks

Allen

Editor
OldRacingCars.com

[spyder62]

Hi Allen
As I told Chris in a email the other day I had a brain fart and the guys name ( Mike Hicky in Portland Or.)just hit me. He was the one to Import it from England and I used to have the paper work for it with some of the history. I think he brought it over in late 71 early 72 and drove it as a Formula B in the pacific north west, mainly at Portland and Seattle. As best as I can remember I got it early 75 as I stopped think I stopped to look at it on the way home from the local conference year end awards dinner in Seattle the weekend Graham Hill crashed his plane.
Do remember that the paper work said the car was driven by Graham Eden and some others but did not say Derek drove it. An when I called the Factory and talked about the car with Derek and Graham White neither of them said that Derek drove it but I'm sure they said chassis number 1 had been wrecked but don't quote me on that.
I raced it regionally in the San Francisco area as a Formula C ( F3 over there) with a Holbay downdraft for a few years then move east.
I then but it is storage after I got the B-29. I moved back to the Portland area in 1989 I sold it to Monty Sheldon in Portland in March of 1990 for the down payment on my house. Then I heard he sold to someone in West Lyn just outside Portland and then lost track of it. I might call Monty's dealership and see if they still have a record of who they sold it to. Would like to find the owner as I still have the other set of wheels for it the 10 and 14 inch wheels. The one in the photo on your site look the the wet weather set at 9 and 12 inch
sorry for being long winded
rich

[prolinecody]

I have a bt29-10 chassis. Where can I find some info on it and what it's worth. Thanks You can email me at saltwatercody@yahoo.com

[spyder62]

If you have the log books most the history would be there. As for the worth all depends on condition, spares and history. Plus if you have the engine and gear box with it. if you know who owed it before that will help get some racing history if it ran in any SCCA nations or pro races here state side or any overseas races.
rich

[Chris Townsend]

Originally Posted by prolinecody

I have a bt29-10 chassis. Where can I find some info on it and what it's worth. Thanks You can email me at saltwatercody@yahoo.com

Do you mean BT29-10 [Brabham] or B29-10 Chevron?