1969 Surtees-Driven BRM as it Left the Track

[E1pix]

In a world of immaculately-restored race cars, this strikes me as remarkable.

Enjoy the views:
https://williamianson.com/car/the-ex...la-1-for-sale/

[Earley Motorsports]

Wow. How cool is that. Yea they weren't immaculate by any means. They were hand built with a gas torch, not a TIG. Thanks for sharing.

[problemchild]

Cool! I missed the price?

Anyone know what was carried in the tank over the tranny? It has 1+" aluminum pipes to it so I presume coolant, or was that oil? Does not seem like an ideal location for either, although preferable to fuel

[Earley Motorsports]

I think it is the oil tank. Lotus ran theirs in a similar fashion.

Cool! I missed the price?

Anyone know what was carried in the tank over the tranny? It has 1+" aluminum pipes to it so I presume coolant, or was that oil? Does not seem like an ideal location for either, although preferable to fuel

[teamwisconsin]

Yes, that's the oil tank. Lots of the cars of that period would build an alloy tank and then wrap them in fiberglass to keep them from cracking. Fuel tanks too.

[Offcamber1]

that was the first race, professional or otherwise, that I ever attended. Even at age 13, Surtees struck me as the most precise driver on the track. Rindt, fastest, but Surtees was almost machine like in comparison.

Piers Courage was fun to watch picking his way past the two team Brabham cars.

[jtaphorn]

It is cool seeing an unrestored race car of the period. However, it didn't leave the track with all the surface corrosion it is now experiencing. That deterioration bothers me more.
I understand the preference for cleaning them up. I certainly don't see much respect at the track for drivers bringing a car to race that is less than immaculate in preparation.

[reidhazelton]

It's only original once. We don't repaint the Mona Lisa or tweak David every ten years. History is about preserving the history as it is. I dislike over-restored cars built to modern standards that are perfect. A 1971 Corvette was a huge pile compared to today's OE standards - and that is part of being an old car. Beyond that and it turns into more of a restomod. A lot of that is lost when things get restored. Once da Vinci's hand no longer made the brush strokes, is it really the same painting? If you get new bodywork, new suspension, and a fresh engine, is it really the same car?

It's a different experience seeing this car, or something like it in person. I imagine Surtees sitting in that seat, his hands touched the leather on that steering wheel, his feet worked those pedals.

I'd love to sit and look at this car for an hour and take it in.

[E1pix]

You completely nailed my thoughts on this car, Reid. Beautifully said.

While I’m one to generally reject museum use of race cars — believing they’re only meant to race — there’s an intangible something with this particular car. I imagine what you’ve eluded to but further on, when it’s 100 years old after since being protected in a pure state of arrested decay.

I love Offcamber’s post of seeing this at his very first race. Magic. My first race memory was at 35 months old, and it took another 160 months to witness my first Grand Prix, the Glen 1976. Your thought of Surtees mirror mine of Lauda, so smooth and mechanical as to be almost boring. A machine controlling another machine.

Glad you all liked this thread. It’s always a pleasure to read so much passion. Thanks.

[problemchild]

I understand the preference for cleaning them up. I certainly don't see much respect at the track for drivers bringing a car to race that is less than immaculate in preparation.

I guess that would depend on who you are trying to impress. Immaculately prepared cars are fine, I suppose, for museums, but if they are raced properly, they won't be immaculate for long. Keeping them immaculate by driving them like my Gramma, and leaving them in the trailer when it rains, turns me off.

This BRM is awesome! The "flaws" are what make it real, and special.

[provamo]

I recommend highly their series of books about B.R.M.

to me eye the windscreen seems suspiciously not authentic

[t walgamuth]

I recommend highly their series of books about B.R.M.

to me eye the windscreen seems suspiciously not authentic

Yes. seems like it would have been clear. perhaps they could not find the correct material in clear and painted the old screen.

[John Nesbitt]

Yes. seems like it would have been clear. perhaps they could not find the correct material in clear and painted the old screen.

A quick search for period photos of the P139 show painted (or, at least, bodywork-color) windscreens. So this example may well be original.

[t walgamuth]

A quick search for period photos of the P139 show painted (or, at least, bodywork-color) windscreens. So this example may well be original.

yes.