[DeTomaso] chaparalls/FWIW

[michael frazier]

It must have been a really special time.
  I was impressed by the Chaparral facilities in Midland...in that they were so spartan and compact.
There weren't as many cars built as you would think.  Tubs and other components were used on the 
next generation or model so one car just evolved into the next.  Parts of the Rattlesnake test track 
are plainly visible from the road.  The sights and sounds must have been great.  He even used a
Corvair powered rig to spin test tires. There is a wing of the TEXAS petroleum museum in Midland 
dedicated to Hall and his cars.  I think all or most are on exhibit along with a mock up you can try 
on for size.
Michael
Gruppo Rompiculi Corsa Y'all
> Pope,> > Very Cool stuff - thanks for sharing with us.> > Dawg> > "Adin, David" <DavidAdin at mercydurango.org> wrote:> Gene grew up in Midland and, if you believe him, is the world's foremost> authority.> > > > Follows his take on the questions:> > > > David, my chaparral book by falconer says that in 68 gm r&d did a crude> vehicle using vacumn principles to test suspensions. Hall developed the> 2h streamliner car in 68 to get rid of the wing because of drag. That> didn't work out too well so in late 69 he hired one of chevy R&d guys to> come out and develop the j car using some of the ideas from gm research.> The concept was from gm but chaparral worked out the big issues to make> the car work. There was lots of issues with pressure centers and loading> on the suspension that hall worked out with the lexan skirts and bell> cranks tied to the suspension. There was a lot of back and forth from> chaparral to gm from about 62 on but chaparral was owned and run by hall> and hap sharp. The original concept of the chaparral car was halls, gm> had a corvair midengine concept car in late 62 that had an aluminum> chassis rather than the fiberglass hall had been using. The> relationship was very informal between the two groups as gm had signed> the no racing agreement and went to lengths to keep the operations> separate. I guess in a nutshell, the vacumn concept was gm's the> development and making it work halls. By the way the j car raced at four> races before being banned(this is in an unlimited class) it had fastest> lap in one race and pole position in the other 3!!!it out qualified the> all mightly mclarens by 2.2 seconds at riverside in the fall of 1970!!!> I will bring my book to the next breakfast and we can compare notes with> Ludvigsen's book gene> > > > _______________________________________________> > Detomaso Forum Managed by POCA> > Archive Search Engine Now Available at http://www.realbig.com/detomaso/> > DeTomaso mailing list> DeTomaso at list.realbig.com> http://list.realbig.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso> > > > Mad Dawg Antenucci > Team Pantera Racing > The 1st & still the only vintage race team in open road racing > www.teampanteraracing.com> _______________________________________________> > Detomaso Forum Managed by POCA> > Archive Search Engine Now Available at http://www.realbig.com/detomaso/> > DeTomaso mailing list> DeTomaso at list.realbig.com> http://list.realbig.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso
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