32 replies to this topic

[Martin]

It's not like Lancer to take the time to make a race car body that did not exist. I assume the model builders at Lancer would work from photos or the real cars when they were gathering information to start a new form. 

 

I have search books the web and watched many Eagle history youtube videos' to try and find which real 1/1 car this car was based on.

 

My goal is to build a slot car with this body but need some knowledge of where the intakes and exhaust are and other smaller details.

 

If anyone out there has a pic or any info on the Gurney Eagle this body was modeled from I would love to hear from you. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ramcatlarry]

First F1 with the Climax engine.

https://allamericanr...eagle-f1-story/

 

[Ramcatlarry]

More likely image: 

[Martin]

Larry thanks for the link and pics.

I looked at all the pics on that site but cannot find, what I will call the "hunchback" Eagle. With that grill behind the driver.

 

[Dave Crevie]

The MK-1, chassis number 101, recently came up for auction. (my lack of available finances kept me out of the running.  )  Some shots from the Gooding and Company catalogue;

 

 

 

This view shows an engine cover similar to what is on the Lancer body. It was probably cut away to clear the headers.

 

 

 

A rear view;

 

 

 

The catalogue states that a collection of body molds were included in the sale. There may have been molds for a variety of different rear sections. A spare Climax FPF was also included, and supposedly one of the engines used in an F-1 race.

 

[Martin]

Thanks for that Dave, this is the (hunchback) part I am focused on. I have never seen this shape on a real eagle 

 

[Eddie Fleming]

Martin you know as well as I do that the shall we call it artistic freedom in creating lexan bodies has led to many creations that hardly resemble any original car, some part may be a little like something so the name goes on it. Who knows where the shape came from. 

 

Still a good question and it would be interesting to see what if anything the shape came from.

[Dave Crevie]

My bet is that the rear cover was originally like the Lancer body shows. Changes were most likely made to accomadate the different headers. I have seen a picture where the exhaust exited below the rear suspension. But I don't remember the exact shape of the engine cover. 

 

Race cars were forever evolving. When restoring a real race car, it is always an issue trying to make sure all the parts match for the period you want to represent. 

[Martin]

My money is on Lancer had a picture or took photos of a car that had this rear cowling feature.  

 

I get the evolution thing, so if was just a Gurney prototype? that's the pic I want.

But I get it never made it to a race or there would be pics, and as near as I can tell there are no pics. I want to be proven wrong.

[MG Brown]

Because of the shape of the nose, I would guess it to be a 1967 F-5000/Indy Eagle.

Maybe this reference will help.

https://www.oldracin...s.com/eagle/67/

 

Or could it be an early version of the 1967 Eagle Stock-Block piloted by Jochen Rindt?

[Tex]

My money is on Lancer had a picture or took photos of a car that had this rear cowling feature. 

I agree... quite possible the car was rolled out into the daylight before an engine was ever fitted into the chassis.

[Martin]

MG and Richard, I would say It is a Foamular car as the Lancer body has no side tanks.

It would of had a motor that had its intakes on top, hence the grill on top. The pipes come out mid body where you can see the indent.

I think you are correct, Lancer saw this car, then the motor that was initially chosen was changed, and that body work was hang on the wall, never to see the light of day again.  

 

In my search I found a car that I restored a long time ago. It has the "Hunchback" rear cowl. Is this the same car.?

It's made by a different slot car company as it has its exhaust molded in, but they do look similar.

 

[gluebomb]

A fair number of bodies that appear "wrong" but are often just models of pre-race or obscure versions; the Dubro 906 with the dino-esque headlights was a bit of a disapointment but recently found pics of a period hillclimb car that's a dead ringer. Likewise the Lancer and Pactra 250 LM's that have the sloped rear roof instead of being notchbacks - turns out they were Le Mans test cars that never competed and are not well documented at all.

My take on that Eagle is that it's similar, likely not documented, still in development etc... I always supected it was an indy car rather than Formula, simply from the curved rear end - not a genre i'm all that familiar with but putting in a query on an Indy car forum might be worthwhile, if only to eliminate the possibility.

As a sort or related and interesting aside, was recently talking to a friend that actually met up with Lloyd Ashbury in the 90's for lunch. Lloyd told him then that the Lancer AAR body, the one that Cannon used for the Vendetta, was actually based on something that was sitting in Gurney's shop, that it isn't simply a run of the mill thingie at all - was news to me and i'd love to see some pics of a full size car as confirmation.

[Dave Crevie]

Well, if you need a photo of the car so you can model it as raced, here's a shot of it running at Monza with the front section of the nose removed.

 

[gluebomb]

Martin, look here at the first photo, the original Indy works car from 66 with gurney sitting in it.

https://www.oldracin...s.com/eagle/66/

You can see a slight variation in the color of that piece of cowling, it's a bit different at the back also, but it's close where it meets up with the windscreen and cockpit i think - i think that's maybe the car simply with a different, but similar, engine cover ?

The guy that runs the site might be able to narrow it down a little...

[Tex]

Well, if you need a photo of the car so you can model it as raced, here's a shot of it running at Monza with the front section of the nose removed.

 

eagle5.JPG

 

mmmmm..... mebbe, mebbe not.... lookd to me like Monaco approaching Tabac.......

[Martin]

Simon, I see the windshield is different the gas filers (2 per side on the Indy cars) are different. But of course the biggest difference is the Lancer car has low pipes and high intakes. 

 

Yes Richard, looks like Monaco to me too. I think Dave just wants me to cut the nose off 

 

[Dave Crevie]

 

mmmmm..... mebbe, mebbe not.... lookd to me like Monaco approaching Tabac.......

 

The caption says Monza. Coming down off the banking, I would guess.

[Don Wedding]

Cox made a gas powered eagle tether car . Here is the car .

Attached Images

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[Dave Crevie]

 

 

Yes Richard, looks like Monaco to me too. I think Dave just wants me to cut the nose off 

 

Eagle66-Gurney-IMS66-600x300.jpg

 

The picture came from an F-1 blog. It said it was at the Italian Grand Prix, which should be Monza. I should have clipped and posted the full post, but I wondered about the legality of that. I also found the photo in another source (too small to copy), so I assume it is public domain. Anyway, I was less interested in the location, and more in giving my friend (if I can be so bold ) Martin a way to use the body, and get a chuckle from us all, if it turns out to be bogus. Anyway, if it was ever used on an RTR, there's the purpose for that orphan. Why the nose is missing is still a mystery for me. I'm trying to track that info down.  

[Tex]

If you're referring to the missing nose of the Eagle in the pic, it was an exceptionally hot day/weekend in Monaco that year, so they cut the nose off to aid in cooling. I believe other teams took similar efforts to keep their cars from overheating.

 

"Why the nose is missing is still a mystery for me. I'm trying to track that info down."

 

 

(EDIT:  weird.... my quoting Dave's post did not work normally for unknown reasons)

[Dave Crevie]

OK. That answers my query. They had been having engine failures of the V-12, makes sense. 

 

As to why you couldn't use the quote feature, I can't answer that.

[Flathead]

Martin, the closest I've ever come across to the lancer body are the scale plans in Model Cars october 1966. These were drawn before the Weslake engined car made an appearance, they show the hump behind the driver but not the intake vent.

[Martin]

Lee you are the man . 

Same windshield, same single gas cap and same "hunchback" perfect match     at least the drawing is a match.

 

Lee is there a full photo of the car?  

 

Found the front cover artwork also, thanks Lee for the effort.  Snap   I like your pic better.

 

[Flathead]

Cover is the Climax powered Eagle. If you read the write up it explains that they had preempted the debut of the weslake cars. So photos in article are of the Climax powered car. As often happened, in the rush to be first to market with the new "hot body shell" Lancer likely used prototype drawings for their body, as I'm sure you know there are a few bodies made that were based on early drafts of the real cars.