Swift DB4's used in NZ

[roadrace]

I have tried in vain to find any DB4 Swift "registry" I need some information on where certain chassis may be and how they are numbered. The late Murray McLaren would've been my best source but I'm told the designer of the DB4 may still be accessible if anyone can help. My knowledge of the cars was that the Panasonic car raced in the NZ Stuyvesant series was chassis # 1 ( Matsu****a ) Of course we had many DB4 cars come to NZ and accordingly there are several here. I cannot find information either explaining chassis numbers or whare are they now and who drove them. For example, Craig Baird ( NZ ) had one, Kenny smith ( NZ ) Dean Hall ( USA ) , where are these cars ? There was a "shell" car as well.
Do the chassis numbers explain anything ? eg is 00988 chassis # 9 built in 1988 ? Similarly is 02787 , chassis #027 built in 1987 ?
If I could communicate with the registry it would be appreciated but to this time , no luck.
Help greatly appreciated

[Garey Guzman]

I have also never seen a Swift Registry or any website that provided much specific Swift history. There is a guy with a lot of Swift History in hos possession but no dedicated website or registry.

David Bruns is the "DB" in the chassis designations and is the chassis designer for Swifts. I got to meet him at Road America in 2019, although I don't know where he lives. Great guy.

Based on my 4 Swifts (1 sold, 3 current), you have the correct understanding of the chassis number and year.

[Mark_Silverberg]

I have tried in vain to find any DB4 Swift "registry" I need some information on where certain chassis may be and how they are numbered. The late Murray McLaren would've been my best source but I'm told the designer of the DB4 may still be accessible if anyone can help. My knowledge of the cars was that the Panasonic car raced in the NZ Stuyvesant series was chassis # 1 ( Matsu****a ) Of course we had many DB4 cars come to NZ and accordingly there are several here. I cannot find information either explaining chassis numbers or whare are they now and who drove them. For example, Craig Baird ( NZ ) had one, Kenny smith ( NZ ) Dean Hall ( USA ) , where are these cars ? There was a "shell" car as well.
Do the chassis numbers explain anything ? eg is 00988 chassis # 9 built in 1988 ? Similarly is 02787 , chassis #027 built in 1987 ?
If I could communicate with the registry it would be appreciated but to this time , no luck.
Help greatly appreciated

I do not know the chassis numbering scheme for the DB4. As I recall the first DB4 debuted in the summer of 1987 at Watkins glen and was owned by Steve Shelton. the Shelton DB4 was later purchased by Steve Overton out of St. Louis who raced it in the early 90's. I think the Matsu****a car was a later car. The results from Watkins Glen in the old racing cars.com site show the Shelton Chassis as 017-87 - But later he was shown running chassis 020-87 with R. K . Smith taking over 017-87 so i suspect Shelton did not keep the car from the first race - so perhaps it was chassis 020-87 that went to Steve Overton.

The first 1988 west coast US Formula Atlantic race shows Dean Hall taking over 017-87 with Matsu****a driving the 01-88 car.

Given the gaps in the chassis numbers I am seeing in the pro series results I suspect that it is based on the production order of all swift cars built in that year - regardless of the model.

[stonebridge20]

Funny how the site won't let you spell out Matsu****a. Lol !

[J Leonard]

Westwood

[mark elder]

Have you asked Steve Donaldson in Christchurch (New Zealand)? Does he not own the Panasonic car driven by Hiro?

[roadrace]

Thanks very much. Funnily enough I'm talking to Steve Donaldson in NZ regarding some Brabham BT21 stuff. Steve ended up buying my old Titan Mk6 formula Ford that I barrel rolled at Bay Park in NZ some 45 years ago. He must have a huge collection of cars so I'll give him a ring. I believe a car we need to look at is an 88 car.
On an additional note, where could I find setup sheets or a "owners manual" for DB4. It would seem there are several cars here in nZ but people are pretty helpful off this forum so possibly someone has one sitting on their shelf .
Many thanks to everyone

[Jamez]

Thanks very much. Funnily enough I'm talking to Steve Donaldson in NZ regarding some Brabham BT21 stuff. Steve ended up buying my old Titan Mk6 formula Ford that I barrel rolled at Bay Park in NZ some 45 years ago. He must have a huge collection of cars so I'll give him a ring. I believe a car we need to look at is an 88 car.
On an additional note, where could I find setup sheets or a "owners manual" for DB4. It would seem there are several cars here in nZ but people are pretty helpful off this forum so possibly someone has one sitting on their shelf .
Many thanks to everyone

Setup sheet for NZ tracks at https://docs.google.com/document/d/0...f=true&sd=true

There are far more than 3 in NZ, off the top of my head we have:

• Watson (Me) - Toyota
• Rush - Toyota
• Gee - Toyota
• Martin - Toyota
• Smith - Ford
• Zohs - Ford
• Windleburn - Ford
• Higgins - Toyota
• In process of sale - Ex Bairdo Toyota
• Recently sold to someone in Auckland - Toyota (sister car to mine)
• Radisich - Ford
• Unknown - ex Jos Verstappen Car
• Plus a couple I have heard of in private collections.

I'll give you a call. Edit - Got your voicemail, but happy to help if I can.

[roadrace]

Great, I'm trying to find out chassis numbers of NZIGP winning DB4s such as Hall, Baird, Smith and which engines they had.
I have a business in auckland and could talk by phone or email.
Ron

[Lola_T360]

I have tried in vain to find any DB4 Swift "registry" I need some information on where certain chassis may be and how they are numbered. The late Murray McLaren would've been my best source but I'm told the designer of the DB4 may still be accessible if anyone can help. My knowledge of the cars was that the Panasonic car raced in the NZ Stuyvesant series was chassis # 1 ( Matsu****a ) Of course we had many DB4 cars come to NZ and accordingly there are several here. I cannot find information either explaining chassis numbers or whare are they now and who drove them. For example, Craig Baird ( NZ ) had one, Kenny smith ( NZ ) Dean Hall ( USA ) , where are these cars ? There was a "shell" car as well.
Do the chassis numbers explain anything ? eg is 00988 chassis # 9 built in 1988 ? Similarly is 02787 , chassis #027 built in 1987 ?
If I could communicate with the registry it would be appreciated but to this time , no luck.
Help greatly appreciated

I'm sorry, I only just came across this thread when I started trying to find which DB4 Steve Overton bought.
The late Murray McLaren gave me a great deal of data on Swift DB4 chassis numbers and original owners, which I've been able to extend through press comments and picking up data from logbooks and adverts. I've also added in the DB1s, DB2/5s and DB3s where I've come across them

Swift chassis numbering works thus
nnn (number of build in the year series)hyphen nn (year)
and it runs regardless of model

So,
065-85 would be the 65th car built in 1985, and it could be any model, but obviously that's also on the plate, or self evident.

The first DB4 is 017-87. This is the works development car, used by Shelton at the Glen then goes back to factory for RK Smith on west coast. Becomes Dean Hall's car 1988 and by 1991 is being run by Tom Johnston for Frank Allers.
020-87 is the second DB4 and this is Shelton's car for the rest of 1987 and by 1989 is Overton's car.

The DARE car for Hiro Matsu****a in 1988 is 001-88 and this goes to David Doski 1990

I'm still working out the DB4s run in NZ series but I have these

021-87 used by Kenji Momota in NZ 1989, run by Sandy Dells
024-87 used by Paul Radisich 1989 run by Pierre Phillips
004-88 is, I think..., the car used by Ken Smith in 1988
017-88 Lawrence for Scott Gibson in 1989
018-88 Lawrence for Dean Hall in 1989
032-89 Ken Smith 1990
033-89 Lawrence for Jovy Marcello 1990
036-89 Lawrence for Robbie Groff 1990

If someone (Garey Guzman is good at this with his Citation Zinks...) wants to host a Swift registry I can give them a heap of core data.

[Garey Guzman]

Thanks for the kind words Chris! I'm just copying the people who have already done it well. Making a Registry is one thing, updating and maintaining it is another! Racers have a bad habit of selling/trading cars without telling the Registry Admin! Or, the Admin gets busy with life and fails to update as new information is shared.

The Swift Registry was actually my first thought but another guy said he was going to do it because he had a lot of original documentation. Since I didn't feel like learning how to make one online, I deferred to him but unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have been built. When my son got bored during the pandemic (when he was 16), he built my website including the mentioned Registry. His Father's Day present last year was that he built me an Admin portal so I can update and add entries.

I currently have the following Swifts:
00793 DB6
05190 DB6 (project car)
01590 DB4 (DB4, former Pro Series competitor)

[E1pix]

Very nice to see you “over here,” Chris!