Discussion
The engine was indeed a sleeved-down 1500 Climax.
Esso had heard that Chapman was going for the 750 prize and were originally keen to fund our rival.
The 13” wire wheels were made by Dunlop Mac at Brooklands. No others available.
The space frame was of Graham’s own design, as was front suspension which, disgusted with the use by Chapman of rubber bushes was with his precisely traverse-calculated all-metal design.
The coupe was set up in a big purpose-built workshop on his later farm, and the shot of Graham with the nearly finished car is seen clear of the raised slate-topped building jig.
The body in 22g ally was formed by pro coachbuilder friend—Joe Matthys over the sectional plywood buck drawn-up by Brooking, (Seen here half completed) using our huge pro wheeling machine.
Both bodies were by Alan Brooking.
Alan says ‘The 1172 was our very amateur first attempt at Graham’s first farm—built in the cowshed behind, using our own welded ‘H’-section girder wheeling machine.—and it shows! ‘
Esso had heard that Chapman was going for the 750 prize and were originally keen to fund our rival.
The 13” wire wheels were made by Dunlop Mac at Brooklands. No others available.
The space frame was of Graham’s own design, as was front suspension which, disgusted with the use by Chapman of rubber bushes was with his precisely traverse-calculated all-metal design.
The coupe was set up in a big purpose-built workshop on his later farm, and the shot of Graham with the nearly finished car is seen clear of the raised slate-topped building jig.
The body in 22g ally was formed by pro coachbuilder friend—Joe Matthys over the sectional plywood buck drawn-up by Brooking, (Seen here half completed) using our huge pro wheeling machine.
Both bodies were by Alan Brooking.
Alan says ‘The 1172 was our very amateur first attempt at Graham’s first farm—built in the cowshed behind, using our own welded ‘H’-section girder wheeling machine.—and it shows! ‘
Very clearly, the new car was far more sophisticated than the first.
For me, it's very exciting to see so much detail of the body shape.
I'm assuming that the section drawings are utilising a 4-inch grid, and the longitudinal spacing of the sections are at 12 inch centres. This gives a wheelbase of around 87.5 inches, overall length around 155 inches, and overall width of perhaps 58 inches.
Does that sound about right?
It would also be fascinating to get some insight into the origins of the project. Presumably, the core of the team were present and getting results with the first car before Esso showed an interest?
For me, it's very exciting to see so much detail of the body shape.
I'm assuming that the section drawings are utilising a 4-inch grid, and the longitudinal spacing of the sections are at 12 inch centres. This gives a wheelbase of around 87.5 inches, overall length around 155 inches, and overall width of perhaps 58 inches.
Does that sound about right?
It would also be fascinating to get some insight into the origins of the project. Presumably, the core of the team were present and getting results with the first car before Esso showed an interest?
Alan says your measurements Borrani72 are pretty close.
But what’s this nonsense about secrecy?
‘It died—and that was that. Recent Piston Heads’ posts were the only interest ever shown. If anyone had contacted us we’d have been happy to chat’.
He said—'Yes, we resolved to tackle our second project with solid professionalism, and that’s when Leslie and Joe joined us. Clearly we were far too callow to succeed at Le Mans—but that’s ambition for you’.
‘We were well advanced with the coupe before Esso showed up.’
At one point, Alan offered it to the Beaulieu Museum, they display plenty of ‘specials’. But they just kissed it off. It’s fair to say the farm livestock eventually won-over and the structure as Alan last saw it—about 15 years back, was undriveably corroded throughout.
But what’s this nonsense about secrecy?
‘It died—and that was that. Recent Piston Heads’ posts were the only interest ever shown. If anyone had contacted us we’d have been happy to chat’.
He said—'Yes, we resolved to tackle our second project with solid professionalism, and that’s when Leslie and Joe joined us. Clearly we were far too callow to succeed at Le Mans—but that’s ambition for you’.
‘We were well advanced with the coupe before Esso showed up.’
At one point, Alan offered it to the Beaulieu Museum, they display plenty of ‘specials’. But they just kissed it off. It’s fair to say the farm livestock eventually won-over and the structure as Alan last saw it—about 15 years back, was undriveably corroded throughout.
KUR 3C said:
He said—'Yes, we resolved to tackle our second project with solid professionalism, and that’s when Leslie and Joe joined us. Clearly we were far too callow to succeed at Le Mans—but that’s ambition for you’.
‘We were well advanced with the coupe before Esso showed up.’
Looking at what was current in the late 1950s - I'm assuming you were originally aiming for Le Mans in 1958 - the car is quite remarkable. The concept and the execution look like they could well have succeeded given the right backing.‘We were well advanced with the coupe before Esso showed up.’
Unequal length wishbone suspension at the front, with presumably a DeDion tube at the rear was still cutting-edge at the time. The first Lotus models (excluding the Clairmonte Special) to use wishbones were the Eleven and the 12 of 1957. The 750cc class at Le Mans could have come down, largely, to aerodynamics, reliabillty and the effective tuning of those tiny Coventry-Climax engines.
The aerodynamics were clearly given great consideration, and it would be amazing to see how the form was originally developed.
Where did parts like the gearbox, back axle, steering-column, front uprights/brakes, seats etc come from? I know Lotus would supply a DeDion axle off-the-shelf at the time, which would probably have been the best option.
Wouldn't it be amazing to see this thing run against other drum-braked sports-racers at Goodwood Revival. Who knows, maybe one-day............
Such a cool car, i assumed it would be fibreglass but it is obviously aluminum bodied. How long ago was the original photo of the car in the main thread?
If it has been parked outside all this time i would assume the interior would be a mess and all the panels no good on the car by now.
If it has been parked outside all this time i would assume the interior would be a mess and all the panels no good on the car by now.
Typical, I don't log in for a month and something truly momentous happens.
So happy to hear more about this interesting car and its fascinating story. Ive read and re-read the sequence of posts several times but there’s still lots of details I'd like to fill in, such as;
1. How did Alan/Graham get together (the link to the interview suggests Alan spent some free time as a rally co-driver)? And did they create anything afterwards?
2. How much time did the car spend on the road (considering it was registered and looked to be in fine fettle for those 1965 ad shots) and when did it get parked up on the farm?
3. Just how old is that original teaser picture on page 1 of the thread, because it doesn’t look as rotten as it was described to be 15 years ago.
4. Is there any chance of someone taking a picture of the car as it is now, even if it looks like one of the pictures in the "rotting on a driveway" thread?
So happy to hear more about this interesting car and its fascinating story. Ive read and re-read the sequence of posts several times but there’s still lots of details I'd like to fill in, such as;
1. How did Alan/Graham get together (the link to the interview suggests Alan spent some free time as a rally co-driver)? And did they create anything afterwards?
2. How much time did the car spend on the road (considering it was registered and looked to be in fine fettle for those 1965 ad shots) and when did it get parked up on the farm?
3. Just how old is that original teaser picture on page 1 of the thread, because it doesn’t look as rotten as it was described to be 15 years ago.
4. Is there any chance of someone taking a picture of the car as it is now, even if it looks like one of the pictures in the "rotting on a driveway" thread?
[quote=eldar]
The wheels look rather like VW fitting, and the front suspension appears to be similar to VW king pin/link pin setup used up to the late 1960s.
Probably just my imagination, I think the engine might get in the way.
The wheels are cut down Ford centres (think Ford Pop) welded into 13" rims (source unknown). I have simlar wheels on my Buckler 90.
. The front suspension may be a Buckler IFS made by splitting the Ford beam axle.
Mr Waddup had ordered a set of works body panels to fit his Buckler 90 chassis but got fed up waiting for them to be made so he made his own body. This is what the car might have looked like with works body panels.
The wheels look rather like VW fitting, and the front suspension appears to be similar to VW king pin/link pin setup used up to the late 1960s.
Probably just my imagination, I think the engine might get in the way.
The wheels are cut down Ford centres (think Ford Pop) welded into 13" rims (source unknown). I have simlar wheels on my Buckler 90.
. The front suspension may be a Buckler IFS made by splitting the Ford beam axle.Mr Waddup had ordered a set of works body panels to fit his Buckler 90 chassis but got fed up waiting for them to be made so he made his own body. This is what the car might have looked like with works body panels.
Edited by Bucklerman on Thursday 23 February 09:37
I hope you do not mind me resurrecting comments to this post, but there have been recent reposts of questions on social media (facebook) and so I took the liberty of trying to collate a small piece of all of the information posted.
https://www.facebook.com/classicandrecreationsport...
Classic and Recreation Sportscars is the page and hopefully those interested will follow, comment and correct as necessary
https://www.facebook.com/classicandrecreationsport...
Classic and Recreation Sportscars is the page and hopefully those interested will follow, comment and correct as necessary
More on the Waddup Special. The chassis is a Buckler 90. Graham Waddup got fed up waiting for a set of body panels to fit his 90 that he built the body himself.
Car no. 17 in the colour photo is the Buckler 90 prototype MOR 456 (now owned by Derek Buckler's grandson Simon). This has the style of body that Graham wanted originally.
Car no. 17 in the colour photo is the Buckler 90 prototype MOR 456 (now owned by Derek Buckler's grandson Simon). This has the style of body that Graham wanted originally.
Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff