This thread doesn't get the attention it should, Ken...
A real shame, these are very interesting cars by their very nature.
This thread doesn't get the attention it should, Ken...
A real shame, these are very interesting cars by their very nature.
Ray Bell agree .. Both You and I like it, cheers.Originally Posted by Ray Bell
Thanks Ken H for the " inputs " too !!
As they do in Facebook Land .. Like - like ..
Thanks for the encouragement Gentlemen.
They may not have been the fastest cars on the tracks but they were certainly interesting and I am enjoying the research and trying to make the photos presentable etc. etc. on a subject I knew "zilch" about when I started and especially thanks to Cliff Reuter's encouragement.
I hate to disappoint you but there is a whole lot more to come and if you watch all the film clips you may have learnt the Italian language by the end of the thread !
But often waiting to overcome "THIS IS NOT A SECURE SITE" and having to reload again can be a real pain and I hope a permanent fix can be found really soon !
I would hate to think that all this wonderful "stuff" could be suddenly lost.
I have faith in you Steve.
(Ken H)
Last edited by khyndart in CA; 11-15-2019 at 09:05 AM.
Enjoy this thread very much Ken, love the photos and text. The little cars are like jewels!
Keep up the good work. Much appreciated.
Last edited by Kwaussie; 11-15-2019 at 11:09 AM.
Bandini Formula Junior.
The Formula Junior class was introduced in 1959. The formula was a junior category designed at first for Europe and United States to start young drivers racing careers. For this reason, the technical regulation contained rules that restricted the project costs and operational expenses. In an effort to flatten the differences between different cars, engines had to come from auto series produced in a large number of units and they were also only allowed limited alterations. The choice for Bandini, as well as that of many other European cars was the Fiat 1100 / 103 engine.
Ilario Bandini preparing a Fiat engine for his FJ racer.
The engine Fiat 1100/103 is inclined along the longitudinal axis of 15 °, allowing positioning at the center of chassis for better weight distribution
Positioning: forward longitudinal, 4-cylinder in-line tilted 15 °
Bore: 68 mm (2.7 in)
Stroke: 75 mm (3.0 in)
Displacement: 1089.5 cc
Compression ratio: 9.8:1
Power: 2 carburettors Weber 38DCOE body double / 40DCOE
Power: 90 hp (67 kW) @ 6900 rpm
Lubricate: Carter wet with pump gear.
It was a good looking car.
(Ken H )
Last edited by khyndart in CA; 11-17-2019 at 10:02 PM.
A restored 1959 Bandini Formula Junior YouTube clip.
(Ken H)
An Italian FJ in New Zealand ... does this qualify for Etceterini ?? ..Please focus on the FJ not the home grown Car ..Ardmore 1989 the Reunion Meeting ..
Volpini ?... Colin Waite was there with his Stanguellini too !! .. no photo though !!
I don't know so much about 'limited alterations'...
Manifolding and carburetion were free (though injection wasn't allowed), from memory the stroke had to be standard but they could be bored or sleeved, any form of modification to the head was allowed as long as you didn't add material, camshafts were free, all reciprocating and rotating parts were free.
I think it started in Italy before 1959, too. It went big Internationally in 1960.
Count Johnny Lurani was behind it as I recall.
A bit more regarding Formula Junior.
" Formula Junior is an open wheel formula racing class first adopted in October 1958 by the CSI (International Sporting Commission, the part of the FIA that then regulated motorsports).
The rules for the class required the cars to be powered by production-based engines with a maximum volume of 1000 cc with a 360 kg (792 lb) car or 1100 cc with a 400 kg (880 lb) car – in practice the latter was used in almost all successful FJs (the USA adopted other cc/weight ratios but they were rarely used). Parts like engine block, head and cylinders had to come from a production car; single or twin overhead camshafts, limited slip differentials and modifications to the number of main bearings were all forbidden. The brakes and transmission also had to be production-based. Constructors were allowed to increase the number of gears, but only inside a production gearbox casing. In Italy the popular Fiat 1100 engine was the obvious choice and in 1958 there were few other suitable engines in Italy; elsewhere the 1000 cc Mini engine as well as the DKW and the Saab three-cylinder two-stroke engines were obvious choices, as was the new over square Ford engine from the 105E Anglia. The first Italian FJ cars were very much in the front-engined tradition of contemporary Grand Prix cars; the first international Formula Junior championship in 1959 was won by the Swiss driver and engineer Michael May in an Automobili Stanguellini. "
(As per Wikipedia.org ).
I thought Italian driver Lorenzo Bandini would have been related to Ilario Bandini and driven the Bandini FJ in his early days of racing but he was not related and instead drove Volpini and Stanguellini FJ race cars to his early successes.
Lorenzo did get to give Ilario an award in 1964 for his contribution to motor racing as a constructor, designer, race driver like Jack Brabham and Bruce McLaren.
Lorenzo Bandini on (R) presenting Ilario Bandini with an award in 1964.
Early in his career Lorenzo came out to NZ for the 1962 Grand Prix at Ardmore and I noted this in the race programme.
" He speaks good English !"
Sadly this popular driver was to die from injuries 3 days after a horrible accident during the 1967 Monaco F1 Grand Prix. May 1967.
http://theinsideline.com/story/mauri...atal-afternoon
(Ken H)
Last edited by khyndart in CA; 11-19-2019 at 12:01 AM.
I think he actually lingered for three weeks after that accident at Monaco...
His death was, as I recall, the first of a string of F1 tragedies. Bob Anderson, Jo Bonnier, Jim Clark, Mike Spence, Bruce and others kept us all wondering about why we follow the sport.
It must have been galling, when you think about it, that the introduction of FJr didn't lead to domination by an Italian engine. Johnny Lurani could easily have surmised that the Fiat 1100 donk would be superior to anything else about, and it was pretty good. It was the right size and it had an alloy head with decent porting, and it had a good history of being 'tuned' by a variety of Italian engine builders.
French prospects were minimal, Renault's engines were still a bit on the small side and neither Peugeot or Citroen built anything that small. Apart from the 2CV, of course, and that would have been a real laugh. Simcas were based on the Fiat anyway, but were already enlarged to 1300cc. Germany didn't have much to offer.
The Poms had the A-series lump to work with, and they were to work it hard, but nothing else. Until a few weeks after the International acceptance of the formula was announced and then the 105E came on the scene.
A copy of the first Formula Junior guidelines as per Count Johnny Lurani. October 1958.
(Reading glasses required.)
Lorenzo Bandini in his Cooper T 51 waiting at the pumps at Joel Wakely’s Boomerang Service Station at Concord,Sydney. Jan. 1962.
Is that Spencer Martin next to him in a Holden Special ?
(Joel Wakely photo )
(Ken H)
Last edited by khyndart in CA; 11-23-2019 at 07:06 PM.
I'm pretty sure that's not Spencer in the Prad, Ken...
More likely Joel himself.
Who is in the Humpy FX FJ then ??
Perhaps that is the FX that Spencer drove for the "Boomerang Service Station"in 1963.
Spencer in the ‘Boomerang Service Station’ Holden FX, Catalina Park, Katoomba 1963. It was consistent ‘giant killing’ performances against Norm Beechey and the like which attracted McKay to Martin. (Autopics.com.au Collection)
A good read here about Spencer Martin;
https://primotipo.com/2015/04/30/spe...hampion-19667/
(Ken H)
Last edited by khyndart in CA; 11-23-2019 at 07:13 PM.
I'm not so sure Spencer ran against Beechey's early Holden more than once or twice...
But he dominated the special series held for these cars at Catalina Park.
Thinking back, I'm not sure when Spencer raced the Prad, either. I know Ross McNair had it after him. And I don't recall Spencer's Holden ever being anythiing other than the darker green with a yellow stripe.
Lorenzo Bandini first showed his driving talents in Formula Junior driving a Volpini FJ in 1959.
( From a 1959 ad. )
Showing the offset driving position.
A 1959 Volpini FJ at Laguna Seca 2008.
(From the Cliff Reuter collection.)
(Ken H)
Last edited by khyndart in CA; 11-23-2019 at 08:42 PM.
Geoff Manning in his Volpini FJ at Whenuapai in 1994
1958/59 Volpini Formula Junior #013 Geoff Manning collection.
Some sources say it is a 1958 car and others say 1959 and I will say it is a 1958/1959 Volpini FJ beautifully restored.
From the 2013 Leadfoot Festival programme.
" 1958 Volpini Formula Junior – This car is one of just fifteen built. Chassis No’s 006 and 013 were the Volpini works cars, driven by Lorenzo Bandini, who went on to drive in Formula 1 for Ferrari. Bandini won the Italian Formula Junior Championship in 1959 with #013, including fourth place in Monaco. Count Johnny Lurani, the originator of the Formula Junior formula, then purchased the car. It spent the next three years as a ” Hire and Drive” racing car, years that included a spell of ice racing in Sweden. Lurani sold the car to Mr Lombardi in Genoa, northern Italy. His daughter Lella Bombardi, is still the only female Grand Prix driver to ever earn World Championship points. The car languished for a number of years, slowly falling into disrepair, until purchased in the mid- 1980s by Geoff and Barbara Manning. They brought it back to New Zealand where Geoff completely restored the car. It made its debut at the 1989 Ardmore Grand Prix re-union. Since then it has been raced in Historic meetings throughout New Zealand. It has won its class in the Thoroughbred & Classic Car Owners Club (TACCOC) Historic four times since 1990, driven by Geoff. Considering the Volpinis vintage with engine and drum brakes from the 1950s its 88 hp really does it proud. Perhaps the fact that it was designed by the great Gioacchino Columbo, who was responsible for the Alfa Romeo 158, among others, has something to do with the cars wonderfully handling characteristics. Geoff Manning built and raced specials in New Zealand before going to England in 1962. There he worked on historic, sports and racing cars, and for teams in Formula 1 and 2 and Group 6 sports cars, plus hillclimb and sprint cars. He built the awesome Cooper Chrysler with which Jonty Williamson won the 1970 British Sprint Championship. He worked as mechanic for Jaques Lafitte, Graham Hill, Bruce Mclaren, Chris Amon, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis (in Formula 2). He has prepared historic racing cars for Stirling Moss, John Harper, Richard Bond and Robert Cooper. He worked for the Ford competitions department in the 60s under Fords famous designer Len Bailey, and was chief mechanic for Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon in the team that won Le Mans with the GT40 in 1966. He was also involved with the development of the Mk. 1 Escort for racing. In 2004 Geoff and Barbara took the Volpini to Monaco for the Classic Grand Prix and an amazing achievement with Geoffs health failing. In 2005 the Volpini was sold to Allan Woolf and with its classic appearance attracts a lot of attention and great to drive."
I wonder if Geoff would have enjoyed seeing the new Ferrari versus Ford movie as he played such an important part back in 1966.
I have my own opinion about this movie beginning with the fact there were 3 Kiwi drivers of the 4 that were in the first and second Fords in 1966. See how much that is noted or how McLaren and Amon were cruising ahead by one minute when the first instructions went out to slow down for the photo finish fiasco.
But it was good to see a motor racing movie have some success over here.
(Ken H )
Last edited by khyndart in CA; 11-27-2019 at 10:28 PM.
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