'76 Image ff2b, barn find.....

[Plasticfantastic]

Hi all,

First time poster here and newbie to all things with 1 seat so please be gentle with me!

As the title says, i have recently come across an Image ff2b from 1976, with a 1600 cross flow and a hewland gearbox. This is about as far as my knoledge of the car goes, and research on the internet hasn't really found anyhting usefull, except for 1 photo of the actual car being used for a hillclimb in 2007.

So far from what i have read it seems the twin carbs and the wheels are illegal for classic ff1600 series?

Any help on the history of the car or manufacturer would be very much appreciated, along with any comments people may have?!

Cheers

[Alan Raine]

IIRC Image was run by Robert Synge who later ran Madgwick Motorsport. I think he may be still involved in the sport somewhere.

The car looks as though it's been modified for hillclimbs. As you say the carbs are wrong but it looks like a 711 Kent block.

The Image was reasonably competitive in Formula Ford but I don't think had the money for further development.

[Plasticfantastic]

Thanks for the info Alan, thats gives me a little more to go on!

If the car was put back to ff spec, would there be many other series/events the car would be elligable for?

Cheers

[Alan Raine]

Classic Formula Ford, it would come in the Pre 82 class A.

http://www.classicformulaford.com/te...ass_A_cars.htm

You'd need to find or make bodywork that's closer to the original plus I would strip the engine and check it's still fits the regs (it may have been streeetched a little).

I'm sure the Classic boys would love to see it out racing

[Plasticfantastic]

Thanks again for your help and the link, i'll look into it a little deeper.

I do have all the original body work and the rear wing, as the first picture. I'll probably take moulds from them so it can be repaired in the future.

Cheers

[Alan Raine]

Originally Posted by Plasticfantastic

Thanks again for your help and the link, i'll look into it a little deeper.

I do have all the original body work and the rear wing, as the first picture. I'll probably take moulds from them so it can be repaired in the future.

Cheers

A Formula Ford wouldn't have a rear wing!

I've seen some photos recently with an Image in the background. I'll try and find them and post the links.

[Plasticfantastic]

Hi all,

Quick update, had a look at the fluid levels and obvious other checks. Then had a go at starting and she fired straight up! Sounds great to, ticked over lovely.

Are these engines usually dry sumped in ff cars? It has a Titan oil pump and the oil catch tank is behind the seat.

It's much appreciated if you do find those pictures Alan.

Cheers

EDIT: The backplate on the gearbox has Delta written on it, is this just a replacement to incorporate the wing mount?

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Plasticfantastic

Hi all,


Are these engines usually dry sumped in ff cars? It has a Titan oil pump and the oil catch tank is behind the seat.

All the FFs I've seen and worked on are dry sumped.
But I expect someone with a lot more knowledge on FFs than me will soon post

[Graham K]

I owned and raced an FF2b in 1979/80.

I have some photos of the car and some history and information. If you pm me an email I will scan and send you some.

The nose cone fitted to your car is not original but the rest of the bodywork is, the radiator should be front mounted. You have will need to make a few changes to put it back to FF1600 spec.

I have not seen an Image race for many years so it would be good to see it out.

[Plasticfantastic]

Thanks for the info!

Graham you have a PM.

Cheers

[Dermot Healy]

Met a man earlier this week who offered me Image FF bodywork but i didn't take it as i doubted if i'd ever encounter anyone who would want to buy it.....however....ring me on 07703-162409 (no PMs/texts....far too old & grumpy) and i'll give you details if you have a desire for it

[Plasticfantastic]

Hi Dermot,

That sounds very interesting indeed! Im unable to call you today but i will try and get incontact with you tomorrow afternoon.

Cheers

[acadvent]

Hi There!

Only the other day I posted on the forum in search of an Image FF2 as I used to work on these cars back in the 1970's when they were first built.

As people have said the radiator should be front mounted, the nose cone had a shark like appearance with air intakes either side. Several cars had subsequent side radiator modifications to make them like the Hawkes, van Diemens and Royales in period.

I have a photo of Mike Baker's (menu Motorsport fame) car in Nashua Carbonless livery being raced at Cadwell Park with side radiators.

The original works car was raced by Frank Bayes but other luminaries such as Rob Wilson and John Morrison raced for the team in their earlier days with the FF1 which was originally badged as FSL cars.

I have photos of the works FF2B car in Sadlers Garden Centre livery at Thruxton so these could give an idea of the correct bodywork configuration.

I also keep in regular contact with the designer of the car and founder of Image Race Cars who is Alan Langridge. Alan lives in France now but he is often back and forth to the UK as he has a very active Landrover parts and reconditioning business based in the Vendee near La Rochelle.

The cars were all dry sumped, they were all Kent engined cars and various customers used different tuners, I seem to recall that Minister, Scholar and Rowland were the most frequent names but there was a guy from Cranleigh in Surrey who built some engines under the GGS banner (Gaston Gate Services) which were very quick.

Wheels were Weller for the Triumph Vitesse I seem to think, anyway 5.5" x 13" pressed steel.

The front uprights came from a Triumph Herald as did many cars of the time.

I think that the water rails ran outside the car or in the side pods but make sure that they dont run through the actual chassis rails. I think that was the earlier FF1.

Braking was the biggest issue of the FF2 and that was perhaps due to the height of the master cylinders, they just needed to be pressure bled carefully.

The triangulation of the chassis was really good and the parellel link rear suspension was good to set up.

I cant recall what dampers we used originally, Spax rings to mind although they were blue coloured I think that may have been something else.

Drivers of the FF2 and 2B included Frank Bayes, Mike (Fulmar) Taylor, Murray Dudgeon, Nick Ward, Derek Hills, David Wigdor, Flynn Whiting and many others.

Frank drove the works car and was really competitive, I was working with the team at a race meeting at the Brands GP circuit where Frank and Derek Warwick had the most almighty scrap, wheel to wheel all race long.

Warwick won it by the tightest of margins in the works Hawke DL17?

The main protagonists of the time were Derek Daley, Bernard Devaney, Derek Warwick, Jim Walsh, Rick Morris, Phillip Bullman and so many other great drivers, some of whom are still out there racing now.

These were the heady days of Formula Ford, there was really only this and Formula Vee at the time and everyone went to Ford if they were going up the ladder.

I raced in the Champion of Brands series and we had two heats and a final at each event and that was early '80s! The Festival was something else, a truly International super competitive weekend.

There used to be a Pre 74 Festival at one time too which bought out some really good drivers, Frank Bradley and lots of names. I guess that the Walter Hayes has sort of taken over that mantle now.

Thanks to so many one make race series it is unlikely that this sort of era will be replicated but watch the Historic and Classic FF grids because they are building and the likes of James Beckett and Peter Alexander at Brands Hatch are really pushing the boundaries to get more of these iconic cars back out.

I would love to find an Image but in the meantime you need to put yours into true FF1600 spec and be out there racing.

I will ask Alan Langridge if he has any information anywhere that may assist you, if you have the chassis number it may be possible to work out who had it originally.

Great car, a potentially great giant killer!

Best of luck

[Auriga]

Hi

A great account by Andrew! I totally agree with him as well, get the car into FF1600 spec and get it out there, it would be great to see an Image FF1600 racing again

Regards

Peter
PA Motorsport

[anniemosity]

Robert Synge was at Image cars i think he was MD at the turn of the 1980`s
and I believe Thruxton racing school had a fleet of Image cars

am I right in thinking James Weaver was an Image driver

[Carlos Alberto]

Originally Posted by Plasticfantastic

It's much appreciated if you do find those pictures Alan.

Cheers

Hi - I have two pics of the original car at Llandow (November 04, 1974), one I took of Mike Wrigley going out to practice and another one that shows the back of the car. There's another one that Alan gave me that he had taken for advertisement purposes, I think. Let me look for them and I'll try to post them here.

[Carlos Alberto]

Originally Posted by acadvent

Hi There!

Only the other day I posted on the forum in search of an Image FF2 as I used to work on these cars back in the 1970's when they were first built.

As people have said the radiator should be front mounted, the nose cone had a shark like appearance with air intakes either side. Several cars had subsequent side radiator modifications to make them like the Hawkes, van Diemens and Royales in period.

I have a photo of Mike Baker's (menu Motorsport fame) car in Nashua Carbonless livery being raced at Cadwell Park with side radiators.

The original works car was raced by Frank Bayes but other luminaries such as Rob Wilson and John Morrison raced for the team in their earlier days with the FF1 which was originally badged as FSL cars.

My memory and my photos show the original works car (Mike Wrigley) with side radiators - the nose was sharp, like a Lotus 69's.

I may be wrong here, but I've always believed that the original works car was the one Mike and I drove in 1974. I remember John Morrison, and by 1974 he was doing Super Vee (Keke Rosberg tested John's car at Goodwood late in 1974 - I watched it). I know John tested the original Image at Goodwood and set it up for Alan, but I'm not sure he ever raced it.

I had never heard of either R Wilson or F Bayes before reading this forum.

[Carlos Alberto]

Originally Posted by acadvent

the team in their earlier days with the FF1 which was originally badged as FSL cars.
......
Wheels were Weller for the Triumph Vitesse I seem to think, anyway 5.5" x 13" pressed steel.

The front uprights came from a Triumph Herald as did many cars of the time.

Master brake/clutch cylinders and sundry other parts came from a local breaker's yard.... I remember driving my old Mini there with Barry several times to buy some used parts. I once impressed the hell out of Alan by polishing an old master cylinder so it looked brand new again! Ain't the race car building business a bwitch!?

FSL Cars was the original company (1974) and it stood for Filmer-Sankey (Alan's original partner) and Langridge. Then Image was set up and .... well, that's another story.

[Plasticfantastic]

Hi all,

Sorry i have been away from this thread for a while, but thank you to all who have contributed so far.

The real truth of this situation is my father and my self bought the car thinking we would be able to have a bit of fun with it, but since we have found out more of the history of the car and seeing how many people out there who would like to see it back on the track, we have had to decide that it isnt the car for us and really it belongs in the hands of someone with race experience!

We plan to sell the car without the wheels or carbs as they aren't ff1600 spec, but we are looking at getting the propper parts to go with it.

If anyone is genuinely interested in purchasing the car then please get in touch.

Cheers

[Plasticfantastic]

Hi all,

This car is now available on ebay in a no reserve auction starting at £3,950.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1976-IMAGE...item53fb61320f

Cheers.

[Plasticfantastic]

Hi all,

The image ff2b is now available on ebay in a no reserve auction starting at £3,950.

Cheers