1978 Chevron B45 FA

[KRISKAISER84]

Description and History
This iconic pink Excita Chevron B45 F Atlantic is chassis #4 of only four built that year and has a well-documented history. The car was originally assigned to Eje Elghe in Fred Opert’s FA team and competed in the 1978 Labatts F Atlantic series. However, at the Lime Rock event, Opert’s lead driver Keke Rosberg comprehensively crashed his car (chassis #2) and took over Elghe’s car. Rosberg subsequently qualified on pole and finished 4th. Thereafter it was driven by Rosberg until his original car was repaired. During the season other drivers in chassis #4 were Davina Galica, Richard Spenard, and Arturo Mezarrio at Trois Riviere. Its final race for Opert was at Macau where once again it was driven by Rosberg, but failed to finish after sustaining a punctured radiator. The car was returned to the Chevron factory where it was driven by Jim Crawford in the 1979 Hitachi British Formula Atlantic series and finished 2nd in the Championship (5 wins). Crawford, now running in Plygrange colors, also ran in the Aurora F1 Championship series, where in 1980 he won outright in the rain at Oulton Park, beating many notables in F1 cars. Together with his engineer, Crawford made some significant improvements to the car, by moving the engine forward 2” and adding bigger rear brakes (same as the fronts). Subsequently, Crawford moved to the USA to run Indy cars and the Chevron was raced by several pro/club teams in the UK. It was eventually acquired by Simon Hadfield where it was thoroughly refurbished including rebuilt calipers, and gearbox etc., before it was purchased by Jeff Wright and returned to the States. To our knowledge this is the only F Atlantic of the time to have raced as a works car on both sides of the Atlantic.

Engine
• Engine Builder: Savannah Race Engineering
• Cosworth 1600 cc motor (1 test and one race weekend)
• Big valve 3 bolt head built by Savannah Race Engineering and makes 225 hp and 149 ftlbs torque.
• Twin 48 Webers
• New Jennings distributor and ignition system
• Performance: 225 hp and 149 ftlbs torque
• New clutch

Transmission
• Hewland 5 speed with cam and pawl differential
• Custom gearbox spacer to move engine forward 2” to improve weight distribution

Chassis
• Chevron B45 chassis #4. Aluminum monocoque, steel rear sub frame. Excellent condition.
• Stiffened floor
• New front bulkhead mounting bracket
• New rear bulkheads added
• Wehrmann bushes to mount engine to chassis
• New Dynamic shocks, original Bilsteins also available
• Matching AP four pot calipers all round
• 3 sets of Speedlines refurbished, shod with Avons
• Two new ATL fuel cells, new fuel pump installed
• New electrics throughout. New Varley battery
• Most rod ends replaced

Bodywork
• Fiberglass, pink
• Good condition
• Spare nose and splitter

Cockpit
• Gauges refurbished or replaced with period correct ones
• Original, but with new carbon fiber seat
• Original Chevron Steering wheel
• Charged fire system
• Willans belts

Spares
• New rear cross beam (Prince)
• Front and rear suspension pieces (many new)
• Spare nose and spare nose frame
• Spare tail frame (like new)
• Spare multi element rear wing and side plates
• Mold for new splitters
• Steel jig for nose frame
• Hewland Gearsets

Price $129,000

Kris Kaiser
717-324-2758

Email: khillracing@comcast.net

K-Hill Motorsports
899 Forest Drive
Abbottstown, PA 17301
717-479-5638

[marc sproule]

pics of rosberg and his north american teammates can be found at these links.......

https://www.flickr.com/photos/466819...57630594543230

https://www.flickr.com/photos/466819...57623186773769

[JeffW]

Wonderful photos as always Marc from a great time in North American racing history.

Thanks,

JeffW

[marc sproule]

as i've said many times before......i was fortunate in the extreme to have been where i was when i was.

[nomis]

great photos and what a time to watch these brilliant drivers. I can remember seeing these guys at Westwood every year ! what a sight
thought I would share a Keke photo

[marc sproule]

as i've said elsewhere on this site. at one point on the nose of the excita car there was a small wooden phallus. he mechnaics came up with that.

it also served as a shift knob for a short time.

excita was a brand of condoms.

[JeffW]

On some of Marc's pics of Keke, which are a collection of various B39s and B45s, you can see the phallus.

On others you can't which may be due to the "shrinkage factor".

JeffW

[marc sproule]

the phallus was around only two races.

[jaweakley]

Awesome car, would love to own.

John

[imaracer83]

The car is absolutely stunning. Having and currently refurbishing the ONLY ADL(Automotive Designs Limited) Magnum 813 Formula Atlantic in existence, I can empathize with your passion for the car. Best of luck letting her go, I'm sure it won't be easy for you. http://www.apexspeed.com/forums/atta...&d=1482849906k

[JeffW]

THanks for the comments, and I like your car - very swoopy.

JeffW