Name this rear engine car....

MarkP · 06-11-2003, 09:21 PM

Name this rear engine car and it's famous driver...

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

I think I'll name the car "Fred".

Don't know about the driver though...

MarkP · 06-11-2003, 09:26 PM

This is what happened last time they laid off a bunch of Boeing engineers.

Efrain68912 · 06-11-2003, 09:42 PM

Chaparall 2D - Vic Elford?

island911 · 06-11-2003, 09:45 PM

Driving a car that ugly would really SUCK.

speeder · 06-11-2003, 09:53 PM

It had "active downforce", instantly outlawed in the rulebook, other than that I can't remember.

john70t · 01:57 AM

All you have to do is reverse the fan since vacuum is more efficient than pressure and the air stream next to the ground is not in a low pressure area. Yes, yes? No, mabye not.
Wasen't the Superbird banned because it was too fast? Those cheaters with areodynamics.

Just wait, F1 cars will have direction fins like an F15 tail and start dropping minutes off the track records.

82SC · 06-12-2003, 01:56 AM

man I just saw an article on that car...I can't remember where...the article had a drawing" of the car and no actula pictures...dammit...where did I see that...

ron in sc · 06-12-2003, 02:09 AM

It's a Chaparral 2J called "the Sucker". It was driven by Jackie Stewart and then Vic Elford.

I saw it at the Amelia Island Concours this year as well as several other of Jim Hall's cars.

pwm74 · pwm74's Garage

it would dangerously shoot out anything it could suck off the road, Rocks and such

pwm74 · pwm74's Garage

Very dangerous, It would suck up debris and shoot it out. I remember reading about a Vacuum assisted Gocart in Road & Track when they had there G force contest. Anyone remember

trj911 · trj911's Garage

I agree with Ron in sc. Jim Hall's Chaparrals are known for their revolutionary ideas being the archetype for many current design details. The Chaparral 2J is the ground-breaking "Sucker Car". The 2J generated aerodynamic grip via a snow mobile engine hooked up to generate suction along the underside of the entire underbody.

MarkP · 06-12-2003, 07:02 AM

We have multiple winners!

I found that photo along with many others and info on Vic Elford's web site - worth a look:
http://www.vicelford.com

masraum · 06-12-2003, 07:07 AM

The sucker car, crazy

Dantilla · 06-12-2003, 07:41 AM

What a great way to sweep the track between run groups!

dhaines · 06-12-2003, 08:24 AM

Dating myself for sure, but I saw this car race in the Can-Am series back in the early 70's. There were some interesting cars, as the sky was the limit for money and engineering. Same series that saw the 917 twin turbos. When this vacuum thing went by you could hear the blowers long after it went by, a really strange look and sound!

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

I still think Fred is a good name...

JeremyD · JeremyD's Garage

Didn't they ban it cause it had too much downforce? I think I remember that - dating myself too!

tchanson · 06-12-2003, 08:57 AM

I believe that they ultimately banned the 2J on the pretext that the Lexan side skirts that kept the airflow under the car were illegal "moveable body parts", but of course downforce (and potentially safety) were the real reasons. Same with other Hall ideas, like suspension mounted wing uprights. The fan issue aside (and the Brabham sucker car notwithstanding), Hall was, as usual, ahead of his time as the moveable skirts were common F1 practice a few years later.

I didn't see the cars at Amelia this year (were they moved inside out of the rain?), but there was a great collection of the Chaparrals at BRIC at Elkhart a few years ago. Pretty stunning group.

Tim

ron in sc · 06-13-2003, 08:12 AM

Tim,

They were indeed more into the grand ballroom of the Ritz-Charlton. He must have had 5 or more of his cars there. He was also present to talk to people and sign autographs. The event would have been nicer had it not rain, but that's how it goes.