Re: 1967 Camaro SS convertible show car
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: StealthBird</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: earntaz</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Didn't they try their damndest to outlaw the wing? Rumor was the car was protested everytime it showed up to race. </div></div>
The Chaparral 2E was Jim Hall's favorite (and mine too). The car displayed Jim Hall's brilliance with aerodynamics, and would usher in a new age of motor racing. The wing was the opposite of an aircraft wing. It generated downforce instead of lift. The pedestals were attached directly to the rear suspension, not the body. Hall moved the cooling radiators from the nose to the side pods. The rear wing was controlled by a foot pedal, placed where a clutch pedal would normally be in other race cars (Chaparral used auto transmissions). Jim Hall could flatten the wing angle for straightwaways, and angle it for braking or in corners. It was brilliant. By 1968, wings of various designs began appearing on Can-Am, USAC, and Formula 1 cars.
Mike </div></div>
I found myself in Midland, TX for work 3 weeks ago. There is a petroleum museum there that features a Chaparral gallery. All of the Chaparral cars are on display, including the 1970 "turbine" car. It was really cool to see them all in person. They were a lot smaller than I imagined. Had to be one heck of a rush driving something that small with a 430 ci Can Am BBC sitting 2 ft behind you.
If you are ever in Midland, it's a "must see" for any muscle-car era GM enthusiast.
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