1991 Swift DB4 - Trying to trace my cars history (DB4-01691)

[Geesus]

1991 Swift DB4 - Trying to trace my cars history (DB4-01691)



Hi everyone,



I've recently purchased a 1991 Swift DB4 and I'm trying to trace the cars history, see who originally raced it, what the livery was etc if possible.


The chassis number is DB4-01691, unfortunately the previous doesn't have the log book.



What I know is, the person I bought the car from, Garry Orton, bought the car from a guy called Ove Olsson from Olsson Engineering in North Carolina in early 2020.

Ove had the car for a long time, that's really all I know about the car.


I've made contact with Ove Olsson and he can't remember anything about the cars history or who raced it sadly.



I've attached some photos of how the car looks now, there's one of a spare nose hatch cover which is quite distinctive (fluorescent orange, baby blue and British racing green) I'm not sure if that may look familiar to someone.


There's also gold paint underneath the centres of the red wheels.



Some Google searching and found an old for sale ad from the end of 2019 (Text below) sounds like the car was originally a back up car for pro team, lightly used.



https://www.classicdigest.com/cars/s...RPyE4mj6ETXgqE




General description : Freshly restored DB4. Chassis number: 01691 .
Restoration performed by Olsson Engineering, tub restored by Pat Prince. Fresh Lyoning Toyota with no hours on it.
New Stack Dash. Every corner rebuilt .. new heims, new bearings. Large spare inventory. Includes 2nd rear wing , spare front wings , end plates, skids, A arms, gears, etc. Comes with Cosworth adapter plates also. Originally a back up car for pro team, lightly used. Copies of SCCA log book & homoloation papers included.
This is a very nice DB4 and ready for vintage events ... you'll have a winner! 1991 Swift other is listed for sale on ClassicDigest in Bellevue by Specialty Vehicle Dealers Association Member for $40000.


Fingers crossed one of you may know the car.



Thanks, Ollie

[old 59]

I think the DB-4s were one of the sexiest looking racing cars ever built. Hope you find some answers to your questions.

[E1pix]

I do know Ove Olsson (correct spelling), but only have/use his phone number.

He has run a prep shop out of Chicago for decades, so I suspect he owned and maintained the car, and leased it out to pay drivers in Pro Atlantic.

Please PM your email to me as we're about to do a ten-day mountain hike by late Tuesday morning. I'll call and let him know about this in the morning, and try to get you his email address.

[Geesus]

Thank you E1pix, I have sent you a private message.

[Garey Guzman]

I have 01590 and found a bunch of results here:
http://www.autocourse.ca/index.php?file=results.html

Mine was the Lynx Racing entry, driven by Jeff Barker in 1991

[E1pix]

Thank you E1pix, I have sent you a private message.

You’re welcome, reply sent.

[RussMcB]

That "looks" a little like my old car, but I'm sure it is not. The blue and white certainly caught my eye. A later owner of my DB4 painted it black and gold, I believe.

[E1pix]

Spoke with Ove and sent you an email, Oliver.

I do wonder if the car, or RussMcB’s above, may have been used by Jocko Cunningham. Blue was his thing on the ten or so cars I lettered for Jocko in the ‘80s before he switched prep shops (we were in Denver at PDR), would be cool to know he owned either of these DB4s.

Happy this worked out, sounds like you may have the least-used DB4 in the entire world.

[RussMcB]

Spoke with Ove and sent you an email, Oliver.

I do wonder if the car, or RussMcB’s above, may have been used by Jocko Cunningham. Blue was his thing on the ten or so cars I lettered for Jocko ... <snip>.

I don't want to hijack this thread too much, but mine was originally raced by Steve O'Hara for Bill Fickling (P1 Racing). Later it was run (and maybe driven?) by Micheal Shank, then I bought it from a doctor racing out of (I think) Sedat Yelkin's race shop in the Ohio area.

[E1pix]

Very cool, Thanks Russ.

Steve was one helluva karter, mostly in road race karts later on. Would have really liked to see him continue up from Atlantic.

PS — That’s a striking podium on the autograph card. RIP, Jovy.

[Geesus]

Spoke with Ove and sent you an email, Oliver.

I do wonder if the car, or RussMcB’s above, may have been used by Jocko Cunningham. Blue was his thing on the ten or so cars I lettered for Jocko in the ‘80s before he switched prep shops (we were in Denver at PDR), would be cool to know he owned either of these DB4s.

Happy this worked out, sounds like you may have the least-used DB4 in the entire world.

Thank you Eric, I've just replied to your email.
The car defininetly looks like it's had a very easy life!
Fingers crossed Ove may be able to recall who the team was that ran it as a back up car and then we might be able to dig up some old photos etc.
Ollie.

[E1pix]

You’re welcome, happy to help anyone tracing roots.

Ove might know, but you might try contacting Vicki O’Connor. I have a friend who was her assistant but am about to do a mountain hike today so might have to wait and feel free to remind me in a couple weeks.

Vicki was in charge of both the Pro F-Atlantic and pro Sports 2000 series from around 1984 until possibly 2000 in the case of Atlantics. She’s married to Bill O’Connor who I knew pretty well long ago, he raced pro Atlantic quite successfully in the Gilles Villeneuve days and was an advertising man.

I believe Vicki’s company was called ProMotions but not sure. SCCA may know, but my point is somewhere has to reside the photographs and records of those Series. I can refer you to Tom Schultz also, the Road America historian who may have images or some leads to find them.

Some research might produce entry lists, helpful here as many had “blue/white” listed and that could be your car. With more thought, I’d bet Ove will remember...

Please keep the thread informed, many of us love this sort of thread and it’s a small circle after all.

Best of Luck.

[Geesus]

Hi Eric,

Just touching base again to see if you'd learnt anything more from Ove regarding my car?
Thanks again, Ollie.

[Geesus]

I’ve just found this old thread on here from 2015.
It looks like it was owned by a guy called Kevin Hartwig from Iowa, who is also a member on here KHartwig

https://www.apexspeed.com/forums/sho...haVwU5-s0D6mmY

[Geesus]

Looks like the mystery has been solved after talking with Steve O’Hara, it is his old car!

If you look at the list of buyers you’ll see that there is a car sold to Crow and one to Nearburg…. Those two drivers raced for Brian Robertson who is BDJS - Ralt. Brian purchased a spare chassis to have on hand in case either Stuart or Charlie ever wiped one out. The car was never used by the team in 1991 and by mid 1992 Brian was importing the new Ralt RT40s so he decided to sell the never used DB4. I bought it in the summer of 1992 for $35,000 and only raced it a few times before we realized there was not much chance of beating the Ralts. I finished 2nd at Phoenix and 4th at Long Beach with that chassis before we bought the Ralt

I only raced the car in 1992 at Laguna Seca, then Phoenix and Long Beach at the beginning of 1993. Once we started racing the Ralt I sold the DB4.

[Geesus]

Now I just need to find the logbook!


It’s frustrating that that for sale add from late 2019 mentions “copies of SCCA log book & homologation papers included”.


https://www.classicdigest.com/cars/s...LlREBYHFYbmIkc

[Geesus]

Hi guys, I’ve just discovered that the cage has an SCCA homologation number stamped on the roll bar hoop.


Does anyone know if I went to SCCA with the chassis number and cage homologation number if they would issue me a replacement SCCA logbook as the original one has long since been lost?

[SteveG]

The stamped number is typically the log book number. This is issued by the region that handed out the initial log book. It takes the form of 2 digits followed by 4 digits, for example 19-3715 is the 3715th log book issued by the Cal Club region. In my experience, the region can tell you when and what type of car the log book was issued to but that's it. It is the owners responsibility to maintain the log book(s).
Cal Club would probably issue you a replacement log book but why? Are you planning to bring the car back to the states and run it?


Steve

[Geesus]

Hi Steve, thanks for your reply and the info on the roll hoop number.
Do you have an email for the best contact at the Cal club?


The SCCA logbook was lost in transit and I am attempting to get my car homologated in New Zealand but the local governing body want to see some documentation relating to the car being homologated by the SCCA originally.

[SteveG]

Hi Steve, thanks for your reply and the info on the roll hoop number.
Do you have an email for the best contact at the Cal club?


The SCCA logbook was lost in transit and I am attempting to get my car homologated in New Zealand but the local governing body want to see some documentation relating to the car being homologated by the SCCA originally.

https://calclub.com/contacts/

You want to talk to the Tech Chief Lonny Sheek. You should be able to get a log book as well as the SCCA homologation number that you'd need to get the actual certificate from the national office.

Steve

[Geesus]

Thanks so much Steve, I really appreciate your help.

[Terry Hanushek]

Hi guys, I’ve just discovered that the cage has an SCCA homologation number stamped on the roll bar hoop.


Does anyone know if I went to SCCA with the chassis number and cage homologation number if they would issue me a replacement SCCA logbook as the original one has long since been lost?

Hi Steve, thanks for your reply and the info on the roll hoop number.
Do you have an email for the best contact at the Cal club?


The SCCA logbook was lost in transit and I am attempting to get my car homologated in New Zealand but the local governing body want to see some documentation relating to the car being homologated by the SCCA originally.

What is the actual number stamped on the rollbar? The first two digits of that number will identify the region which issued the first logbook. If the first two digits are 19, then the Cal Club contact in Steve's example is valid. If it is any other number, there will be a different region and different contact. This is important since the individual regions and not SCCA itself maintains the records for logbook issuance.

You may need to negotiate a bit with the region contact because most tech inspectors want to see the physical car during the logbook issuance. The region will have no information beyond the logbook number, who it was issued to and perhaps the car make / model. The logbook requires certain physical information, primary related to the rollbar / rollcage, which involves measurement on the car. Since the car is in NZ and you are using the SCCA logbook as a bridge to homologation in NZ something can be worked out. Perhaps a letter from the original logbook issuing region would suffice.

HTH

[SteveG]

Terry,

Look at the picture in post #17, the example I used is his roll bar number...

Steve

[Thomas Wirtz]

I found this in a google search.

#19 Cal Club Region

https://www.scca.com/regions

https://www.scca.com/membership_areas/248

Hope this helps.

[nelson]

Hi Thomas, do you still have those Bertils head? I am Interested...or you might or somebody else know where I can get them from. thjxs in advise..

[Thomas Wirtz]

pm sent