19 replies to this topic

[TSR]

2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the American Eagle soaring at the Indianapolis 500, setting a new qualifying record that was 18 miles per hour faster than the record pole from the year before, a feat never repeated.

If everything goes well, Bobby Unser will drive this very car again at California Speedway on June 25. We are, at this time, doing a nut and bolt check on the recently-restored machine. Here are a few pics taken yesterday at the Riverside International Automobile Museum where the car is being checked with a fine tooth comb. We found a few minor issues that are now being addressed.

















The RIAM will have no less than three AAR Eagles at the track, the Tony Adamowicz F5000 that won the 1969 championship, the 1969 Indy car that Denny Hulme raced that year at the Speedway, and the 1972 car above.

What a way to skip the SCRRA King track race the same weekend!

[Arne Saknussem]

BRAVO!

[Larry Labounty]

Philippe. Thanks so much for the pictures. Always been a huge Dan Gurney fan & always rooted for the Eagles no matter who the driver.

Plus it was to me a great period for Indy racing. Sure do miss it !!!!!!

Thanks Larry

[MG Brown]

The 1970's certainly were a wonderful era of open wheel racing- the Eagles and McLarens had some epic battles!

[TSR]

Yes, the Eagles are lovely cars, and so well built.

Amazingly, the 40-year old Goodyear fuel cell is in perfect condition... but we have found some nasty stuff inside the brake calipers and they need new seals AND new pistons. The guys working on the car are aces, so I have no worry, they will make this ride a safe one.

We have no intention to be dead heroes anyway, these will just be demo laps at speeds not exceeding 170 mph.

[Mad Mexican]

<sub>Just two words ........Very COOL!


Adios Amigos</sub>

[DOCinCanton]

Philippe, that is soooo cooool to be able to work on that car. What an awesome experience!

During my short stay at Ford Motor Company, I had the pleasure to work on the serial #1 1964 Mustang. A group of us had to get it ready for Ford's 100 year anniversity.

[TSR]

Dan,
To make you feel better, this Eagle is the most complex car I have ever had to deal with. It makes a modern F1 look incredibly simple. There are so many systems and so many water, fuel and oil lines, you can easily loose your cool trying to figure it all out... I mean, just for the fun of it, the fuel tanks BREATHER vent lines go through the steel roll bar!!!

The oiling system has no less than five pumps, three inside the engine, one camshaft driven, and another cable driven and hiding on front of the engine. The cooling system uses two water radiators with a mile of pipes, three oil coolers with another mile of lines...

But it all makes sense somehow... at least there are only 4 spark plugs.







There is a mile worth of stainless-steel braided lines on that thing... the bill for the AN fittings alone could feed a family of 4 for months!

[Pete L.]

Philippe,

Beautiful workmanship and restoration...maybe the Offy's time has come again ?

[MG Brown]

What a tragedy that the proper rear wing couldn't be found; any chance a copy could be commissioned?

[DOCinCanton]

I am still extremely impressed with this endeavor. How Awesome. I really like the idea of routing the fuel tank vent line up thru the roll bar.

[TSR]

What a tragedy that the proper rear wing couldn't be found; any chance a copy could be commissioned?

Yes of course, one can be made. Unfortunately the cost is beyond my current means... and I must first concentrate on getting the car running properly and being safe to drive.

I really like the idea of routing the fuel tank vent line up thru the roll bar.

Typical "Dan Gurney Complication"...

Maybe the Offy's time has come again ?

Lord I hope not, they are very difficult to drive other than flat out!

[MG Brown]

You're telling me Dan couldn't sneak the wing into the DeltaWing project budget somehow?

[Hworth08]

Lord I hope not, they are very difficult to drive other than flat out!

Is that because of a "lag" waiting for the turbo to build boost? I dislike turbos even on a farm tractor. When you need some extra "grunt" the RPM falls cutting the air from the turbo just when your needing more.

[TSR]

No, it is because the engine will not run clean until it reaches its torque rev range, so it bucks like a bronco until then.

Also the chassis setup is difficult because it needs to get to speed to "settle" on its springs, so that under its "normal" speeds of 185 to 195, it is "unloaded" and a bit of a handful to keep from wandering.

The turbo itself has a 3-second lag, both ways.

[Matt Sheldon]

Fabulous!

[Larry Labounty]

Philippe. Just wondering how do some of these classics turn up after so many years. Was watching Laguna Seca vintage races. Brian Johnson Lola T-70 was all box up in some barn in Connecicut. Finding a car must make one feel like a kid on Christmas !!!!-

[TSR]

Well, I found a few myself over the past 30 years. As an example, the ex-Keke Rosberg Chevron F/A with which he had such epic battles with Gilles Villeneuve was sitting in a fab shop in Anaheim, sans wheels, up against the wall. The Cosworth BDA engine was gone but the Hewland FT200 gearbox was there, and I bought it in 1985 from the shop foreman for 200 bucks.

I restored the car, got a proper BDA, made a set of wheels for it (I owned a racing wheels company) and... went racing!

[Duffy]

Tell 'em the story of you & Fate being "Duelling Cooper Hunters," Philippe!

[TSR]

Rocky was the nicest guy with lots of dreams... let him keep his dreams in peace.