According to the article in Vintage Motorsport a few years back, the
Climax FWA engine was actually designed to Interior Ministry specs as
a fire pump. It had to be light enough to be carried by 2 soldiers in
full battle gear and run unattended for 24 hrs at some specified
pumping rate. It got put into race cars only a little later, but it
WAS a fire pump. The effort to put it into race cars was only accepted
"as long as it did not interfere with fire pump production" according
to the article.
The other FWA story in the article was that Chapman heavily modified
one and sent it to Coventry to be run on the dyno, where it grenaded
in spectacular fashion. Coventry sent it back to Lotus in pieces with
no explanation. ;=)
Elton Clark wrote:
>
> Race engines adapted to Road cars:
>
> Harold Pace moots:
>
> << How about the Lotus Elite and its Coventry Climax engine? >>
>
> Myles Kitchen corrects:
>
> > The Climax engine was originally designed for pumping equipment
> (irrigation
> > and fire pumpers) and was "borrowed" by Colin Chapman for his race cars.
>
> Methinks sportscar guru Harold Pace set Miles up on this one: It's widely
> understood that the racing enthusiast designers at Coventry-Climax took
> advantage of a government development contract for the mundane fire pump to
> design a seriously dedicated basic race engine.
>
> Tony_______________________@Sherman.Texas
> Lotus Eleven, Lotus Elite, Bearcat 85
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