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Re: [Spridgets] Chaparral Can Am 1967 - fuel injection

To: "'Spridgets'" <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] Chaparral Can Am 1967 - fuel injection
From: "G & J Swann-Price" <swann-price@blueyonder.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2011 12:32:55 -0000
Fuel injection for Otto cycle engines (ie petrol or gasoline) has been
around for quite a while, notable examples being German aero engines of WWII
and Maserati 250F F1 car of 1957. The 1957 Corvette was offered with fuel
injection as an option. The system fitted on the Maser was a mechanical
system developed by Lucas and from memory quite a few F1 engines of the
early 60s had Lucas injection. 

One of the first mass produced cars that I am aware of with fuel injection
as standard was the 1967 Triumph 2.5PI and its sister (in UK spec at least)
the TR5 which both had the Lucas system. I owned a 73 2.5PI for 8 years and
it was a great car one you mastered how to tune the injection system. Only
sold it when I was posted to the States! If anyone knows of earlier examples
I would be interested to know more.

Closer to home, the 1968 Sprite entered for the Le Mans 24 hours sported
Lucas fuel injection. The car finished in 15th place.

Geri
67 Sprite

-----Original Message-----
From: spridgets-bounces@autox.team.net
[mailto:spridgets-bounces@autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Kirk Hargreaves
Sent: 22 January 2011 00:36
To: ladaniels@sbcglobal.net
Cc: Spridgets
Subject: [Spridgets] Chaparral Can Am 1967

I think I read somewhere that the early Chaparral wing car was an automatic
tranny car as Hall used one foot to control the wing?  If so, pretty
competitive for a car running with an automatic gear box, right?

Maybe the auto tranny Chaparral was the one that came just before this one
with the wing further towards the back of the car?

I have always been fascinated with the burgeoning technology of the times
and Hall's cars.  . especially his "vacuum cleaner" Chaparral.

And fuel injection in 1967?  That surprised me.  I wonder if the fuel
injection system was similar to the mechanical fuel injection systems on the
early Corvettes?  Which from, again, what I have read, were not as reliable
as a carb car.

I had great fun as a kid building Chaparral slot cars (amongst others) . .
during a time when we made our own frames out of piano wire and the cars
were much more slower than the latter wing cars with fly around the tracks
so fast that you can hardly see them.  It was a fun time as as the cars ran
at speeds that (for me as a kid) created a sense of reality.

And as most of you probably recall, there were slot car tracks in just about
every city. .  large tracks with big banked curves.  We took that stuff
pretty seriously. .  everyone trying to out do your friends with the piano
wire frames and bodies.  . as well as the many different motor
configurations you could buy. . such as my favorite, the SP500 (I have no
idea how I remember a detail like that, pretty scary).  Some also got into
rewinding their own motors.

We built our little frames on jigs and on the weekends we had the soldering
irons going all the time.

Fantastic footage . . thanks for bringing it to our attention.

Kirk
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