Not too professional, but much more fun.
Discussion
Having posted my little story about Ron Tauranac, & Jack Brabham, I was suprised to find an artical about Ron in Australian Classic Car Mag, here in Oz. In it he relates an anecdote which was typical of our racing in Oz, in the 60s, & 70s, but I had no idea it was so amateur in F1.
When they first used the twin cam Repco engine, they were having trouble with exhaust valve seat inserts falling out.
At the Spa race they had the problem. They rang the Brabham factory in UK, & had them machine up some new inserts, with a bit more interference. [A bit tighter fit}.
Jack flew back to UK, with the heads under his arm. He got the inserts, & went home. He used his kitchen oven, [I used to get into trouble for this], to heat up the heads, & droped out the old inserts, & fitted the new ones. He then flew back to Spa.
He then went to bed, while the crew, cut the seats, & put the motor back together before the race.
We had many weekends like that here. We had one race, about 150 miles from home, where we broke something in the rear suspension in practice, & headed for home to fix it. On the way, the tow car blew a head gasket.
While 2 of us fixed the Brabham, the other 2 got some one to grind the head of the tow car, on Saturday night, & got it going.
Both cars were done in time for a shower, & breakfast, before heading back to the track.
I think thats the part I miss the most.
When they first used the twin cam Repco engine, they were having trouble with exhaust valve seat inserts falling out.
At the Spa race they had the problem. They rang the Brabham factory in UK, & had them machine up some new inserts, with a bit more interference. [A bit tighter fit}.
Jack flew back to UK, with the heads under his arm. He got the inserts, & went home. He used his kitchen oven, [I used to get into trouble for this], to heat up the heads, & droped out the old inserts, & fitted the new ones. He then flew back to Spa.
He then went to bed, while the crew, cut the seats, & put the motor back together before the race.
We had many weekends like that here. We had one race, about 150 miles from home, where we broke something in the rear suspension in practice, & headed for home to fix it. On the way, the tow car blew a head gasket.
While 2 of us fixed the Brabham, the other 2 got some one to grind the head of the tow car, on Saturday night, & got it going.
Both cars were done in time for a shower, & breakfast, before heading back to the track.
I think thats the part I miss the most.
Great story!
Even in the early to mid 70's it was not unusual to get a panic call for spare parts to be delivered the next day - usually by hand with someone flying out to wherever the race was, taking the parts as hand luggage.
If the F1 game continues on its current course the paddock areas will be bigger than the entire tracks were back then. I'm not sure what it all adds to the interest.
Even in the early to mid 70's it was not unusual to get a panic call for spare parts to be delivered the next day - usually by hand with someone flying out to wherever the race was, taking the parts as hand luggage.
If the F1 game continues on its current course the paddock areas will be bigger than the entire tracks were back then. I'm not sure what it all adds to the interest.
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