Fun Project

[Gordy]

Disclaimer :

No Crossle 35f's were harmed in the making of this vintage look FF !

[dc]

Gotta say, Gordy, that's super cool.

[stonebridge20]

Love it !

[EricP]

Love it !

+1

Looks very well done. I’m a sucker for that paint scheme and body style. To me, THE formula car look of the ages.

[Dave Harmison]

So what is the rest of the story? Was it a car with Crossle bodywork grafted on and you restored it, or what?

[MotorCade]

I'm in to hear the story, too! Pretty cool homage. So tell us the details!

[Gordy]

Wanted the look of a 60's F1 car, but most of the early FF's were too small for tall drivers. At just over 6' the choices were limited without a bunch of reconfiguring.

Kept looking at Firesmith's Crossle for sale and an old Brabham BT21 body I've had in the shop that was destined for wall art. Ended up buying the car and with a bit of glass work, mainly extending the sides down a bit, the body fit remarkably well.

Still lots to do, but for now I like the way it looks and the car is a rocket for a CF. Over the winter I have plans to modify the body and then splash a mold. The toughest part was figuring out the rad fitment, but even that went better than hoped for. Refining some of the roll hoop supports is on the agenda, but I don't want to do anything to the frame that would preclude someone putting it back to a 35 if they wanted to, so no major surgery to the frame.

The dilemma now is what do you call it since it is part Crossle, part Brabham and painted similar to a Gurney Eagle .

[T540]

Nice looking conversion.

A Breagle? (BRabhamEAGle CrossLE)

[HazelNut]

Over the winter I have plans to modify the body and then splash a mold.

hmmmmm. update this thread when molds are pulled. this makes me want to get a crossle and do this!

[John Green]

Call it a CRAB
I mixed an 84 Van Diemen with an 86 Reynard......called it a VanNard

[EricP]

Crossham Eagle?

[pacratt]

The dilemma now is what do you call it since it is part Crossle, part Brabham and painted similar to a Gurney Eagle .

"SMEAGLE"...a.k.a. "My Precious"

[Roland V. Johnson]

How about a Brabbssle? I think you should have extended the top of the nose a little bit for that Eagle effect though.

[BorkRacing]

Disclaimer :

No Crossle 35f's were harmed in the making of this vintage look FF !

I will take a body for my 35f project as soon as the molds are pulled!

Robby

[BorkRacing]

It's a Crossle' 35B (for Brabbham)

[Gordy]

From purchase to it's first race I had 8 days to convert the car. Would have been a bunch easier if the nose wasn't smashed in and repaired poorly. The body weighs a ton, the new one will be way lighter. And part of the mods I want to make will include a more " Eagle " looking nose and a bunch of other little tweeks.

Here's the first outing with the car at the Waterford vintage race at the end of July.

[marshall9]

Nice work, it's beautiful. Enjoy!

[bzneil]

Great Work!

[Ralph Z.]

Very nicely done!

[Roland V. Johnson]

You will have to do a back to back test to see just how the bodywork effects top speed. Next you can do a roll down test for drag. Then like every good racer, you can exaggerate the facts. Beautiful work. I am waiting for the nose mod changes.

[Jayeff]

Gordy, That's beautiful, did you do the paint work yourself? or who did it?

[Gordy]

Yes, I did the paint work. It was kind of a quickie as my time was limited and I had a bet with a buddy that I wouldn't make Waterford.

I'll make it nice for next year's 50th events.

[jhaley]

From purchase to it's first race I had 8 days to convert the car. Would have been a bunch easier if the nose wasn't smashed in and repaired poorly. The body weighs a ton, the new one will be way lighter. And part of the mods I want to make will include a more " Eagle " looking nose and a bunch of other little tweeks.

Here's the first outing with the car at the Waterford vintage race at the end of July.

I like the second picture will all the grass flying off the left rear tire. Sweet looking car.

[Gordy]

I am trying to determine if there is enough interest to make a mold and produce a few bodies. This is not a for profit venture but I also don't want to get stuck with a mold unless I can sell enough to cover the cost of having a mold made.

My fiberglass guy can use my current bodywork as a buck to make a couple bodies ( for me), but any more than that and he advised a proper mold was the way to go.

If you have a serious interest please PM me.

I am also trial fitting a 1982 VD, and it looks like it will fit very nicely with a minimum of work. Mainly changing out the radiator and front bracket.

Thanks

[SEComposites]

Please don’t take this the wrong way at all but am I the only the one who’s a little bit uncomfortable with this? If I am then I’ll retreat back into the shadows! Your car certainly looks great, no questions there, I’m just not sure it’s the right thing to do! I guess the car can be easily converted back to original spec.

[TimH]

Mark me down as an eager blasphemer as long as I don't have to modify anything under the skin and shipping cost isn't too outrageous. I can hang on to the Crossle' bodywork for vintage events, but fun runs will absolutely be wearing the Smeagol body.

[SEComposites]

Mark me down as an eager blasphemer as long as I don't have to modify anything under the skin and shipping cost isn't too outrageous. I can hang on to the Crossle' bodywork for vintage events, but fun runs will absolutely be wearing the Smeagol body.

.

[R. Pare]

Looks really nice!

Only question: how has it affected cooling?

[Gordy]

In my first post I outlined how I wanted to change the look of the Crossle without having to modify the frame in any way. Nothing was cut off or in any other way changed and the body was the item that was modified to fit. I can put the Crossle bodywork back on in minutes, with all the usual mounting points.

Like I said, no Crossles were harmed

Same with the VD. The fit is very close, the changes involve a different rad and the bracket to hold it, all bolt on stuff !

The cooling was fine, it was 88 degrees at Waterford on it's first outing and it ran at normal temps.

The pic is from Mid Ohio last weekend, with a new header system.

[charleswdaniels63]

Please don’t take this the wrong way at all but am I the only the one who’s a little bit uncomfortable with this? If I am then I’ll retreat back into the shadows! Your car certainly looks great, no questions there, I’m just not sure it’s the right thing to do! I guess the car can be easily converted back to original spec.

And I would love to put that beautiful body on one or two of my fine Crossles, which I understand is my personal right to do.

Go for it Gordy.

[charleswdaniels63]

My two 1973 Crossle 25Fs were each modified by different owners before I bought them, by the very-common substitution of 1978 bodies. A friend races a Lotus 61 with a 51 body.

[BorkRacing]

Please don’t take this the wrong way at all but am I the only the one who’s a little bit uncomfortable with this? If I am then I’ll retreat back into the shadows! Your car certainly looks great, no questions there, I’m just not sure it’s the right thing to do! I guess the car can be easily converted back to original spec.

How different is it when someone with a 30 or 32 Crossle hangs a 45 nose on it? Cars were more a kit than a model set in stone back then. Has anyone ever seen a Zink Z-10 that looks just like another Z-10, if i recall someone made new bodywork for it.

Also on the West coast a lot of Crossle 30-45 car ran the 55 engine cover from Neil Porter.

just sayin" Rob

[BURKY]

How different is it when someone with a 30 or 32 Crossle hangs a 45 nose on it? Cars were more a kit than a model set in stone back then. Has anyone ever seen a Zink Z-10 that looks just like another Z-10, if i recall someone made new bodywork for it.

Also on the West coast a lot of Crossle 30-45 car ran the 55 engine cover from Neil Porter.

just sayin" Rob

How about a PRS with a Crossle nose...


Gordy, I think it looks great.

[Gordy]

Started on the VERY early stages of converting an 82 Van Diemen to a vintage look similar to my Crossle. This pic is how things start, just looking to see if the frame and overall length and width is compatible with the Brabham body, which is what I used for my first car. The main thing I'm looking for is that the body width is very close, as it's easy to modify the length to suit.

The body mold being made off my Crossle conversion is almost done and the new body looks like it will fit up nicely on the VD. Again, no cutting, hacking or welding is required and the car can be put back to original configuration quickly if desired.

I'm getting to the point in life (old) where I enjoy building as much as racing (almost ), so I'll be selling it when it's done if anyone is interested in a neat car for the 50th. It will be freshened up, including a rebuilt Kent engine.

[jgaither]

How about a PRS with a Crossle nose...


Gordy, I think it looks great.

This is my car now. Been great so far. Winner at VIR and good results elsewhere. Just did a 3rd at Road Atlanta this past weekend.

[Jed348]

Disclaimer :

No Crossle 35f's were harmed in the making of this vintage look FF !

Fantastic idea and execution, good luck finishing her up.

[MitchB]

Late post to an old thread...

As a future owner of a 30 / 40 / 45 Crossle I am absolutely interested in whether these bodies for sale ever came to fruition.

I have cash!

[TimH]

Gordy ran three of them off for Charlie Daniels and me. He doubtless still has the mold. I'm not going to be able to complete my project so am including the piece with my for-sale car. I don't think Charlie was able to do better with the two pieces he bought. Shipping is a big expense unless you can come to AZ or NM.

[Gordy]

.

[bob darcey]

Charlie passed away in early September. He was a special guy and is greatly missed out here in RMVR. If I find who is dealing with his cars and race stuff, I'll pass that along.

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/rmvr...p=12535#p12535