BIG Bertha

[ian.stewart]

Its a long time since I posted, Talking to somebody the other day they were saying Big Bertha was 11" wider than stock, Looking at pictures it looks thats not to be the case, if that was so all the lights and the grill would have had to be custom made to get the proportions correct. My memories of the rules concerning supersaloons were the screen has to be a factory item, or factory size, the screen aperture and A/B posts had to be steel so factory size doors fitted, Im arguing the ventora shell was basically to stock dimensions as were all the supersaloons after all it was a silhouette formula.
I would quite happily accept that baby bertha was 11" wider due to the wing extensions fitted.
anybody help??

[morninggents]

From memory I would doubt that Big Bertha was 11 inches wider than a standard Ventora unless the front wheel arch lip extensions made it so.
As to A and B pillars and screen surround having to be steel I'm not sure that is correct as all the Skodas (and some others) had fibreglass bodies. Widening was allowed as the silhouette was from side profile only (I think!).

[big andy]

it was megga birtha ( the unfinished cavalier)that was wider than the standard how they did it i don't no because like you rightly say the standard screen has to be used .big bertha was defiantly standard width

[ian.stewart]

Thank you Gentlemen, I agree the chin spoiler and wing extensions do have the effect of making it look much wider, the other thing that struck me that makes it look different, is the flush fitting windows, and deep dish wheels obviously do too,

[JTL392]

I remember Maurice Winch's widened Anglia in the 60s,don't suppose anyone would have a decent photo of it

[OpelOmegaEvolution500]

Not sure of the width of Bertha,but I believe it was a standard Ventora bodyshell with fibreglass one piece front end,fibreglass bootlid and doors.
The gutters were removed,flush side glass fitted and the bodwork smoothed out.
The car appears wider "from the waist down" in some pictures.
HTH
Dave
Droop Snoot Group

by the way Mega Bertha is still around I believe and may be seen soon.

[Alan Brown]

Originally Posted by JTL392

I remember Maurice Winch's widened Anglia in the 60s,don't suppose anyone would have a decent photo of it

No but a couple of references that I had originally posted in the Chassis History forum:

Maurice Winch Anglia 1.6 twin cam (Wanglia) – modified by putting a 6-inch wide strip down the centre (the whole car except the roof was widened) (MN 25-5-67)

For sale: Winch wide-line Anglia, less engine and gearbox, £225, Wynn-Williams, Billericay (MN 19-12-68)

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by OpelOmegaEvolution500

Not sure of the width of Bertha,but I believe it was a standard Ventora bodyshell with fibreglass one piece front end,fibreglass bootlid and doors.
The gutters were removed,flush side glass fitted and the bodwork smoothed out.
The car appears wider "from the waist down" in some pictures.
HTH
Dave
Droop Snoot Group

by the way Mega Bertha is still around I believe and may be seen soon.

The Cavalier coupe 'ultimate' Bertha??!!!!

Where's it been hiding all these years?

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by chunterer

The Cavalier coupe 'ultimate' Bertha??!!!!

Where's it been hiding all these years?

As Baby Bertha was still a winner I believe Mega Bertha was only a concept and never built. Certainly not built into a complete car.

[Andy Clegg]

I've " Only Here for the Beer" in front of me.Looking at the Cavalier now. A 2.5 litre turbocharged engine was a possibility. There was a contact in the States to use 8.1 litre Reynolds Chevrolet engines as used by the Can-Am Mclarens. Rallying the Chevettes and introducing the Cavalier to Club Racing was "too much" is roughly what's written in the book.

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by JTL392

I remember Maurice Winch's widened Anglia in the 60s,don't suppose anyone would have a decent photo of it

No idea how to get a picture on here but if you care to PM me with an e-mail address I'll send you a picture of the Winch Wanglia I took at Snetterton in August 1967.

[GBRM]

Originally Posted by chunterer

The Cavalier coupe 'ultimate' Bertha??!!!!

Where's it been hiding all these years?

Hasn't been hiding, just not been seen

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by GBRM

Hasn't been hiding, just not been seen

Are you saying that it was built in period, Gregor? Everything I ever heard about it was that it was only a concept and never built. Or at least never completed. There have been rumours recently that a 'replica' has been built (or is in process of being built) - but how do you make a replica of something that never was?

[GBRM]

It was built in period but it was never completed, no engine, gearbox or suspension. The main problem was that Vauxhall took on the build instead of DTV and therefore it was slow progress and then Vauxhall canned racing for rallying and it was never finished.
I do have several letters on the subject, one for the McLaren Nicholson engine and another saying that it was going to be ready for the 1976 season and Baby Bertha would be used as a back-up, a bit Like Old Nail to Big Bertha and then Old Nail to Baby Bertha.
I'm not sure exactly what happened from 1976/7 but somehow it ended up in a Bedford dealer in Luton for some time before the dealer went into liquidation and it was then bought from an auction and lived in Scotland for some time before moving to Ireland where it still is.
It is being restored/completed, it was basically a bodyshell on a spaceframe chassis (the wheels were held in place with blocks of wood), so it taking some time, but one day.