Chevron B18 - Grand Rapids Race Shop

[ski-motorsports]

Hello Formula 70, I have a Chevron B18 frame and I am trying to track down the original owner and any others that might have raced the car. In the late 70s it was sold by a race shop in Grand Rapids to Geoff Smith who race autocross events with it in the early 80s

Does anyone recall the names of any prep shops in the Grand Rapids area in the 70s or early 80s?

Does anyone recall a Chevron B18 run in the midwest from 75 to 78? The original bodywork was yellow and it was painted red at some point before Geoff bought it.

Thanks for your help

Paul

[revtom]

I remember running some events where Jeff first ran the car. I seem to remember that it received a BOP Al V8, possibly built by Jim McCamy. I don't remember Jeff running it too many times, and have thought many times once I started vintage racing of cars like it that were sold as auto-x'er's for next to nothing, after being Formula B's, and F-2's!. It ran at the old runway during the Traverse City, Mi. Cherry Pitts auto-x, and at Ionia Free Fair runs in 82-84.

[ski-motorsports]

thanks for the note, I spoke with Geoff, he did install a 215 V-8 as the Ford was blown up when he bought the car. Do you recall the names of any shops in the Grand Rapids area during that time frame?

thanks Paul

[Lola_T360]

Dean Lundgreen from Wisconsin ran a B18 in 1974-75, maybe a bit longer.
I think that this might originally have been the car run by Carl Liebich in the pro series.

Chris

[revtom]

Hey Paul, I live in the same town as Geof Smith, but we are 150 mi. N. of GR, so I didn't know the shops of that ear. There was a machine shop/ engine biulder there who did engine balancing for me 'tho, and they may have ideas. Baker Engineering, not sure if they are still around. Pretty cool journey for the old Chevron; from the F-2 tracks of Europe, to beat up parking lots in the Mid-West, and hopfully now back to the tracks it was meant for. Good luck with her! Tom

[mdwracer]

Tom, the Jim McCamey built car was driven by Steve Tamandli and was an E Mod car with a Buick V8, FT 200 with converted donut drives, and Chevron B 18 suspension. Steve later replaced the engine and gearbox and sold the old driveline parts to Bruce Domeck. I got a ride in the Buick V8/FT 200 car over 15 years ago and remember it well... Steve and the car were SUPER FAST!!!
The car had "Bakers Square" sp?? written on rear fenders...is this Baker Engineering??
Mike Winebrenner

[revtom]

Mike, Steve T., was indeed fast. I had a mildly modded, street 914-6 that got stuck in E mod, and had to run against him each year. He also had a RX-7 in E-mod that screamed. Jim McCamey built a number of cars, with Corvair power, and BOP engines, both older Formula cars, and Steve's car, as well as a famous TR-8 that had everyone at the National's upset. I thought he helped put the V-8 into Geoff's Chevron at the time, as he would work on other's cars, but may be wrong. Pretty Sure Steve T. was from Indiana, so any logo's on his car would not have refered to Grand Rapids, Mi.
I have a fellow SuperVee racer friend who lives in G.R., and was friends with area auto-x's of the era; he might remember some of the GR area race shops. I'll try and ask him, unless he is on Apex, and see's this thread. Tom P.

[HayesCages]

I spoke with Jim McKamey about this car and where the parts went a few weeks ago. He varified all of what you all are saying. I spoke with Bruce Domeck as well and the trans from the chassis is long gone.
Got on youtube and came up wih this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWj_j-y39Ws
Not your ordinary Fiero... I guess they swapped out the FT200 for a DG500 or something, hence Domeck ending up with it.
I have McKameys and Domecks contact number if you want them.
LH