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Post by kuzlynn on Oct 17, 2023 19:35:42 GMT -5
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Post by kyledehart5 on Oct 17, 2023 19:48:02 GMT -5
Oh man, Kevin. This is one of those cars that just screams race car when you look at it. Awesome!!
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Post by arcticwolf on Oct 17, 2023 20:28:02 GMT -5
Kevin, I built a similar car from a Tamiya slot car body (and a much modified M8 chassis - no kidding). It was, um, challenging?
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Post by indy on Oct 18, 2023 2:45:34 GMT -5
Surprised you are not making this a kit! Looks great so far.
Jordan
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Post by kuzlynn on Oct 18, 2023 6:57:43 GMT -5
Surprised you are not making this a kit! Looks great so far. Jordan Yes, this will be a kit that will be offered for sale. I will begin to take pre-orders soon. Keep you posted. Kevin |
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schix5150
Front Runner
"You just don't know what Indy means!"...Al Unser Jr. -1992
Posts: 175 
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Post by schix5150 on Oct 18, 2023 8:59:42 GMT -5
I don’t know anything about this car but for some reason it’s awesome looking. Very cool.
Mike
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Post by sandysixtysfan on Oct 18, 2023 10:39:16 GMT -5
This is such a great subject for a kit! So glad you’re doing this. I have this car in a 1:43 scale kit but can’t wait for this in 1/24. Looking forward to sending in my payment!!!
Sandy
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Post by 1961redlegs on Oct 18, 2023 14:33:47 GMT -5
I’ll definitely be preordering this kit, wow!
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Post by hurtubise56 on Oct 18, 2023 18:37:33 GMT -5
Kevin, can you provide any race results info on this car? If it raced in 1965, technically not a Can-Am car as that series didn't start until 1966. So I looked into the USRRC results for 1965 & 1966, couldn't find any mention of it. I've seen pics of it before, but don't know its race history. Thanks! Still VERY interested in the kit, can't have too many McLarens!
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Post by teegeefla on Oct 18, 2023 20:24:27 GMT -5
From what I can offer...the car was the first customer car from McLaren-Elva in late 1965 that Dan drove in the Brands Hatch Guards Trophy race on August 30 finishing 4th in heat 1 then a DNF in heat 2 with a broken suspension. Dan then brought the car to the states to run in the big-buck Riverside 200 on 10/31/65 where it was a DNF. But it was significant as it was the first race for Gurney-Weslake heads. The next and final appearance was two weeks later at the Stardust Grand Prix where it was a DNS after another suspension failure in practice. I am not sure who owned it after that but I believe it passed through the hands of the Hollywood Sports cars shoppe.
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Post by arcticwolf on Oct 18, 2023 21:43:15 GMT -5
I believe the first "customer" M1A in North America would have been for Ludwig Heimrath, debuted June 1965 at Mosport, Players 200, and one for Augie Pabst, same event. Bruce also had his own M1A at the event. Heimrath finished 3rd, McLaren and Pabst DNF'd. Heimrath finished 4th at St. Jovite a month later. I was at both events. A couple more showed up at Road America and Bridgehampton, then they all (Charley Hayes etc) arrived at Mosport for the Cdn GP in September. By this point Bruce had the M1B bodywork on his. I was at that one too. Gurney's AAR car I'm not sure when it showed up, but it was definitely after the Mosport / St. Jovite races. Heimrath and Gurney ran Ford small blocks, as far as I know the rest of them ran the Olds motor. Heimrath also raced it across Canada (Westwood, Harewood, etc) and won the Canadian Drivers Championship with it (1965).
It's the Heimrath car that I built my model of, pretty sure I'd go for the Gurney version when it's available.  |
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Post by teegeefla on Oct 27, 2023 14:52:09 GMT -5
Bruce's personal car, McLaren-Elva M1A chassis BMMR1/64, was first raced in late 1964 and then on into 1965. The Gurney car was McLaren-Elva chassis BMMR2/64; Dan acquired it in 1965 and first raced it on August 30, 1965 in the Guards Trophy event at Brands Hatch. It is considered the first customer car based on build date/chassis number but articwolf is correct that many other M1A cars existed and competed before Dan's Elva built car. Many of those cars were built by Trojan; this website can offer some clarity as McLaren chassis numbers can get a little confusing between construction done by Elva and by Trojan. www.racingsportscars.com/type/archive/McLaren/Elva%20Mark%20I.htmlDan only drove the car five times over three events: the Guards Trophy 4th in heat 1, DNF in heat 2; the Riverside 200 qualification race finishing 15th and a DNF in the main event; and the Las Vegas Stardust Grand Prix where it was a DNF. The Las Vegas race was also the first competition appearance of the Gurney-Weslake heads. |
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Post by arcticwolf on Oct 27, 2023 19:39:03 GMT -5
Just a fun twist to the above. Who designed the cylinder head for the original first ever Elva race car?
Harry Weslake. No kidding.
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Post by teegeefla on Oct 28, 2023 8:22:33 GMT -5
Just a fun twist to the above. Who designed the cylinder head for the original first ever Elva race car? Harry Weslake. No kidding. Very interesting... |
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Post by drums01 on Oct 28, 2023 10:57:40 GMT -5
Nice looking kit so far, I'll be watching this build.
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Post by Chris on Oct 28, 2023 10:58:47 GMT -5
 HERE IS THE UNDER BODY LOOK AT THE POWER PLANT ON THE 77 ELVA... CHRIS |
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Post by arcticwolf on Oct 28, 2023 19:10:28 GMT -5
Just a fun twist to the above. Who designed the cylinder head for the original first ever Elva race car? Harry Weslake. No kidding. Very interesting... Yep, early 50's, Harry took a Ford 10 motor and converted it to overhead valves and they stuck it in the Elva.
The good old days.  |
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