McKeown MkII Lotus Cortina

[pozforma]

Hi I'm hoping to get as much info/pictures of this car as possible, I've heard all sorts of spec for the car over the years, injected, dry sumped, 8" wheels etc. and would like to know what if any of it is true and if anyone can offer correct spec for the car as raced in the early 70's.

I've been told Jim is living on the Gold Coast? Would anyone be able to put me in contact with him?

Thanks

[Rob Bailey]

Originally Posted by pozforma

Hi I'm hoping to get as much info/pictures of this car as possible, I've heard all sorts of spec for the car over the years, injected, dry sumped, 8" wheels etc. and would like to know what if any of it is true and if anyone can offer correct spec for the car as raced in the early 70's.

I've been told Jim is living on the Gold Coast? Would anyone be able to put me in contact with him?

Thanks

I'd post a thread on the www.vhrr.com.au forum, someone would know.

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by Rob Bailey

I'd post a thread on the www.vhrr.com.au forum, someone would know.

or http://www.hrcc.org.au/ for QLD

[pozforma]

Sorry had some brain fade, the car ran 67' - 68' - 69'.

Thanks.

[pozforma]

Hi, Cavvy has been kind enough to send me some great photo's of the car and I would like to know how to upload them into the thread, the FAQ's doesn't tell me and link from the reply box wants a URL, all I want to do is upload them from windows my pictures?

[PhaseIII]

Originally Posted by pozforma

... all I want to do is upload them from windows my pictures?

Can't do that!

You need to upload them to an 'image hosting site' (eg. flickr or imageshack etc) & then link the photo's URL to your post here.

Hope this helps (rather than confuses) you.

FAQs actually do cover this, under "Reading and Posting Messages - How do I Post a Picture to the Forum?":

"How do I post a picture to the forum?
To show a picture in the forum, use the image tag commands. To do this, type [img]fullimageurl[/img] i.e.

Please use good sense when posting image links. Firstly, we only allow .jpg or .gif format. For any other format, not every user will have the capability to read it and some formats can cause problems with different types of browser.

Keep the image to a reasonable physical and data size. Remember, not everyone has a fast internet connection! As a guideline, pictures shouldn't be much more than 400 x 400 or thereabouts. Any picture that distorts the forum display is too large! Image links that are considered to be too large may be removed by the Moderators. If in doubt, ask!

In many forums "subscriber" users can take advantage of the attachment option to upload photographs directly to Tenths. In this case the image sizes above don't apply as the software will automatically generate thumbnail style pictures for anything over the normal limits.

If you are using the [url] tags to link images hosted elsewhere try to limit the number of pictures to 4 or less

Our normal Code of Conduct applies to posted images. If you want to display an image, please make sure it's appropriate to the forum. If you post an image which is deemed to be offensive, in poor taste or not "family friendly", it will be removed. Persistent posting of unsuitable pictures will be treated as trolling."

[pozforma]

[pozforma]

Well after a bit of time I can put pictures up (slightly painfull) the picture in the previous post is of an engine swap at Caversham in 68', the injected stories are looking solid as the engine beside the car either a Vegantune or BRM injected engine.



This is a shot from the same meeting, hopefully this will stir some memories about the car. Thanks to Cavvy for the photo's.

[cavvy]

Originally Posted by pozforma

Well after a bit of time I can put pictures up (slightly painfull) the picture in the previous post is of an engine swap at Caversham in 68', the injected stories are looking solid as the engine beside the car either a Vegantune or BRM injected engine.

.

Whilst about Moffat, this article tells us the McKeown powerplant went Trans Am racing.
Aknowledgement: Milan Fistonic - TNF


In early March 1966 Peter Quenet rang and offered Moffat a drive in a Cortina with a BRM-prepared engine. He flew straight back. The main competition were the Allan Mann team Cortinas with drivers Frank Gardner, Sir John Whitmore, Jacky Ickx and Hubert Hahne as well as fifteen alloy-bodied Alfa GTVs. The Allan Mann team manager was Howard Marsden, later to take over the Ford Australia team. Moffat won the TransAm race at Bryar, New Hampshire using U.S. Goodyear tyres, specially developed for his car.

Ray Parsons joined Moffat later in the year to build and run another Cortina and Harry Firth and John Leighton were brought over from Australia as co-drivers for the longer races.
Moffat asked Quenet for a budget to take over and race the two Allan Mann cars for the opening race of the 1967 season at Daytona. In a deal that involved Moffat agreeing not to race in Australia in 1967 and with assistance from Shell, the twin-cam engine from Jim McKeown’s Shell-Neptune Lotus Cortina was shipped to America and installed in one of the Mann cars. Moffat got pole position at Daytona with the car and lead the first half hour of the race before the flywheel came off. That ended any chance of a full Ford backed deal for 1967 but an arrangement was stitched together where Moffat was given the use of the cars, spares, equipment and transporter for the year and he would receive $300 for each car that started a TransAm race. In order to make the deal financially viable he had to take on pay drivers who were somewhat rough on the cars. It got to the stage where the other cars had to be cannibalised to keep his car racing.

Moffat’s next big break came when he was asked to take over the drive of a Mustang at Watkins Glen.

[Chris - Melb]

There are a few photos of the Cortina here:

www.MotorsportArchive.com

on the 1960's photo pages on on other pages including a photo of the car in Brian Cook's hands.

[kramer]

You might also like to check the big brains at www.autosport.com - the Nostalgia Forum.

The engine on the ground just looks like a Lotus-Ford twin-cam to me. But it's hard to tell with a small photo.


Kramer

[kramer]

I just remembered a funny story.

A friend of mine was rallying a Lotus Cortina (Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious) and some half-wit lodged a protest becuase the Cortina was 'illegal. It's got a Toyota engine.'

Well done Toyota, convincing at least one person they invented the twin-cam.

Of course he could have got us on the boot, bonnet and doors not being made from the correct material; they were steel, not aluminium like the originals!



Kramer

[pozforma]

The engine on the ground just looks like a Lotus-Ford twin-cam to me. But it's hard to tell with a small photo.


Kramer[/quote]

It is a lotus Ford twin cam however it has been set up to run injection, it's a very early cam cover, rounded at the front and has the pump mounting bosses welded on the front right corner, it's great photo's like these that I'm chasing, moving shots are great but shots from in the pits bonnet up or interior will really help piece it all together.

Does anyone know how to contact Brian Cook, he bought the car from Jim.

Thanks