Solved NIC#907 - Coffield Mk III H-mod

[nicanary]

Cosworth?

No. You're on the right lines in a way - both Lotus and Cosworth were associated with the maker of the engine.

[Carnut]

Ford?!

[nicanary]

Ford?!

Yes, that was the engine fitted to this car. However, it was in slightly unusual form.

[tobytwirl]

Not a mid-engined V4?

[nicanary]

Not a mid-engined V4?

Not a V4. Mid-engined by the looks of things.

[tobytwirl]

It is not one of the 105e engined Begras is it?

[nicanary]

It is not one of the 105e engined Begras is it?

Now we're getting somewhere (sort of). The engine was a 105E unit, but it's not a Begra. Work out what race series and you may solve this.

[tobytwirl]

Well I assume we are talking about early-mid 1960s and the SCCA G-Modified class. This had been the province of Lotus 11s and Lola mk1s until a Merlin came along. In the meantime Begras and the associated Beach and Grady cars were quite successful, but if it's not them I am struggling. Is it a Bobsy?

[nicanary]

Well I assume we are talking about early-mid 1960s and the SCCA G-Modified class. This had been the province of Lotus 11s and Lola mk1s until a Merlin came along. In the meantime Begras and the associated Beach and Grady cars were quite successful, but if it's not them I am struggling. Is it a Bobsy?

It's not a Bobsy. We are indeed in the SCCA arena, but it's not G-Mod even if the choice of engine would suggest so. I said there was something unusual!

[tobytwirl]

So was the capacity altered to fit it into another class - eg reduced to fit H-mod.

[nicanary]

So was the capacity altered to fit it into another class - eg reduced to fit H-mod.

Bingo! That's exactly what happened. Now - who built this car?

[tobytwirl]

Not found the picture, but in the most obscure place imaginable, found reference to the late Frank Davis who used to race one of Don Millers 42 sports cars with a Ford engine sleeved to 850cc(?) - from about 1963.

[nicanary]

Not found the picture, but in the most obscure place imaginable, found reference to the late Frank Davis who used to race one of Don Millers 42 sports cars with a Ford engine sleeved to 850cc(?) - from about 1963.

Not him I'm afraid.

[tobytwirl]

I have searched every site I know, and I have an amazing knowledge of SCCA H-mods now, but they all have Saab or Crosley engines. Where have I gone wrong?
Were the builder's other cars also H-Mods?

[nicanary]

I have searched every site I know, and I have an amazing knowledge of SCCA H-mods now, but they all have Saab or Crosley engines. Where have I gone wrong?
Were the builder's other cars also H-Mods?

The source of my photo suggests that 6 cars were built, all to H-mod spec. There is no mention of other cars built by him for other formulae, although this could be the case. I don't know.

[tobytwirl]

Was this the only one with the Ford engine?

[nicanary]

Was this the only one with the Ford engine?

I believe some of them had other engines.

[tobytwirl]

Just can't find this so I must resort to firing odd h-mod names at you that contain what looks like a builders name - does it begin with a letter between a-k?

[nicanary]

Just can't find this so I must resort to firing odd h-mod names at you that contain what looks like a builders name - does it begin with a letter between a-k?

Yes.

[tobytwirl]

Hall-scott?

[tobytwirl]

Bryan or Brian?

[nicanary]

Neither pf those, but alphabetically the name you require is very shortly after Bryan.

[tobytwirl]

Thank you for the hint! If it begins with C I only know two cars for which I can find no real details -  Clovis and Case - and I have no confidence in either......

[tobytwirl]

or Cleary?

[nicanary]

None of those three, I'm afraid.

(I'm also afraid that I have got this all wrong. You are clearly searching all records of H-mod cars and have not identified a car of which 6 were supposedly made. This has got me worried that I have misconstrued the text of my source. However, I have done a google search using the name of the maker, and my information does seem correct. In the same source article, someone else claims to have another of his cars, and uses a name for the car which is hypenated, and also includes the name of another H-mod maker, i.e. he calls his car a ??-other car. However, it seems that this latter name only relates to the bodywork, and not the base car. I doubt that this garbled info will be a lot of use!)