FinnShark - The Chaparral connection - Corvette Grand Sport IIB

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Originally Posted by http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/frame.php?file=car.php&carnum=86

Over the winter the ties with General Motors were further strengthened and Hall received back door support in exchange for assisting the manufacturer's development team. Impressed by its early performance GM's personnel investigated the Chaparral 2 in detail and decided to build a specimen of their own, but using aluminum instead. It was described as an experimental vehicle, not to break the non-racing agreement of 1957, but it was an obvious answer to Ford's GT40 program, which effectively ended the agreement. The resulting 'Corvette GSIIb' was very light, but by far not as rigid as the similar composite Chaparral. One of the features Hall later adapted for the Chaparrals was the two speed automatic gearbox fitted on the GSIIb.

Tuo Hallin yhteistyö GM:n kanssa oli hivenen hys-hys luonteista koska GM:llä oli nuiva asenne kilpailutoimintaan ja

Quote:

Originally Posted by http://www.imca-slotracing.com/QUIZZ1.htm

STRANGE TEXAN BIRD: CHAPARRAL 2D
Normally there are only two prototypes which are potentially able to beat the Ford and Ferrari prototypes. The first is the 5.4 Chaparral 2D, developed by Jim Hall and Hap Sharp. In 1965 they won several races for "big bangers", i.e. open American sportscars. Allowed to enter the 1965 Sebring 12-hours with their Chaparral 2C the Texans caused a stir by beating all prototypes. The 2D, equipped with a 5.4-litre Chevrolet motor is a closed version of the 2D, equipped with an automatic gear box. Initially the car was not equipped with the strange snorkel, but once in Europe, after the two American opening races at Daytona and Sebring, it came with its periscope-style air intake. The car was said to receive solid back-up from General Motors, but there was never full evidence if that rumours were true.

Chaparralien kilpaillessa ei vielä tiedetty tuosta GM:n IIB:stä. Alussa mainittu artikkeli kertoo Larry Shinodan suulla myös että:

"Our involvement in GS II(b) started when Jim Hall brought in his first version of the second series of Chaparrals. His Chaparral II (a) was the first of his mid-engined cars and GM was going to help him. Bill Mitchell agreed to my involvement in the project, but he didn't have anything to do with it personally.

Unbeknownst to me, Jim Hall had already talked with Bob McLean and one of his engineers, Ed Heinzman..."

ja

"...After that, Jim Hall continued to benefit from the work we did in GM but all further development of the car went back to his facility in Texas. The cars that followed were very closely tied to the GS II(b). His Chaparral II(c) and (d) were still, more or less, versions of the Grand Sport II. Then Mike Pocobello, one of our engineers, went to work for Jim Hall. He did the II(e) high wing or "albatross" car. I think that by the time they got to the "sucker" car, the GM influence was pretty well dying off."

Ja mainittu "sucker car" ei ollut mikään erityisen paska auto vaan imureilla varustettu 1970 Chaparral 2J.

Quote:

Originally Posted by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaparral_(car)

In addition to a powerful 700hp engine, the back of the 2J housed two large 17-inch fans driven by a 45hp snowmobile engine. The purpose of the fans was to 'suck' air from under the car and propel it out the back. This gave the car tremendous gripping power and enabled greater maneuverability at all speeds, which cannot be achieved by simpler aerodynamic devices such as diffusers and wings. Since it 'sucked' a fixed amount of air out from under the car at all speeds, downforce did not decrease at lower speeds.

Ja kuten kaikki liian ylivoimaiset tekniset ratkaisut nuo imuriautotkin tietysti bannattiin pian.