Need A Sports Car Nose!

[belair]

I am restoring a 1973 Royale RP18A FSV and would like a sports car nose. I am THAT CLOSE to building my own, but if there is one out there, I would appreciate a call. Any formula car sports car nose will be considered.........I'm not afraid of a little work!

Thank you!

Cliff Von Hoene / A.K.A. Belair
cjvh@insightbb.com

[Joefisherff]

Rex Gunning has some very nice Zink Z10 noses that he sells and Rick Fitzgerald at aerocraftfiberglass.com has a number of noses as well.

Joe

[belair]

Thank you for the info!

[AlanVDW]

I've got a nose like this one.

[Steve Demeter]

A Royale RP-18A was the first race car I owned.

It had both the normal "chisel" nose with wings and the updated "sports car nose".

The sports car noses were popular in the early to late 70's as the theory was that they produced less drag by somewhat fairing in the wheels.

Look at the late model Lola SV's or the 79-80 Marches.

That is what was called a sports car nose.

I sopld the car 20+ years ago and have no idea where it went.

I think the nose was built by a guy named Ray Heppenstal somewhere on the East coast.

I bought the car from Craig Clawson, who sometimes pops up on this forum.

Possibly he can steer you to where he obtained them.

[Dave Harmison]

Unless the RP-18 is exactly like a 21, that's a 21.

I tought I had the only one left. Do you still race the car? Bring to the 40th!

[Steve Demeter]

RP-18 and 18A were super vee's.

IIRC, the 21 is not a sv but a ff.

two completely different critters.

[belair]

Steve,

This IS your old RP18A. I am FINALLY getting back to it as I am finishing up my Ralt RT4.

Can you share any photos of the car as you raced it?

I have photos of the car with white paint WBCA RADIO graphics on the sports car nose, as Mr. Clawson raced it. Wish I had that nose......I wonder where Ray's "stuff" went?

The bodies I have(2)

1. The original body with a chisel nose, front and rear wings, yellow w/ burnt orange accents, "Pete Reich" in script by the cockpit, and German Car Service, Madison? Ohio

2. A very "Ralt" RT4ish body with tunnels, blue and yellow.

I was contacted by a gentleman who can make me a nose of an existing mold, but it is not quite right.....still looking!

Thanks!

Cliff a.k.a. Belair

[Steve Demeter]

Pete Reich bought it from me in 1981. The rt4 ish body is one he built from scratch by carving out blocks of foam and glassing over them.

I raced it so long ago that there are no digital pics of it when I had it. All we had bacjk then was paper.

Craig gave me a couple of 8x10's in the WCDA radio livery with the car. could the ones you have be those after all these years.

Pete reich lived in Mansfield about 10 minutes from Mid Ohio.

Saw his son about a year ago and Pete has now moved to Arizona.

The son's name is Stefan and as far as I know he still is in the Mansfield area. If those noses were still around, they probably would be there.

I know Pete sold it to Bob chicollatti (sp) who ran it for a couple of years out of Indy but have absolutely no clue as to where it went after that.

Golad to see that the old girl is still kicking.

Was a good car in it's day.

[Jim Johnson]

Is this more what you're looking for?



It's an RP-19 that I found on Brian Westmoreland's photo site (accessed from the FSV registry).

Jim

[Rick Kirchner]

Bob Ciccolatti worked for Fed-X when they started up their operation at the Indy airport. I have pictures of the car as it was when he owned it, in blue and yellow with the sidepods. I used it to figure out a bunch of stuff on my RP-14. He sold it to a guy in Kentucky I believe - I think that was the guy Cliff bought it from. His info might still be on the Super Vee register. The red car looks like Michael Kaske's. I've seen pics of another RP-19 in the UK that has exactly the same bodywork.

The sidepanels on the car above look different though - like they've been squared off at the bottom. The -14s and -19s had rounded sidepods with a bevel along the bottom. The guy that I bought mine from had tried to square it off and totally gooned the thing up.

[Steve Demeter]

IIRC, the red car above is a RP-19.

Belair is looking for a nose for a RP-18A.

Two duifferent critters with different bodywork as they came from Royale.

Notice the 2 dzus fasteners holding the nose on.

RP-18A came from Royale with a single center of nose attachment that was actually a bolt in a recessed pocket in the nose that went into a threaded insert in a small tube attached to the front bulkhead.

[Joe Bass]

Here's what the nose on a friend's RP18 looks like.

[Steve Demeter]

Sweet.

A lot of times I wish I had my old car back. but......

[belair]

All,

I really like the nose on the black car as above........but the nose in the pics I have from "in the day" show a much "rounder" nose. I will post some photos later.

Also......STEVE, IF YOU REALLY WANT THE CAR BACK , I am sure we could come to an equitable arrangement?! It is going to be very nice when it is complete!

Cliff/Belair

[Steve Demeter]

The nose on the black car is more reminiscent of the Lola Super Vee sports car noses on the T-326 and T-328, with the wedge shaped areas directly in front of the wheels.

[AlanVDW]

Here's a foto.

[belair]

Here are photos of the Royale rp18a FSV. Photos of the car in white are from Craig Clawson and another gent, (thank you for the photos) who's name escapes me right now. In yellow, as I bought it, in blue/yellow with the body built by Pete Reich, and lastly as it is today with its new chassis skin, lots of rivets, and renewed front suspension in my shop. You can see the nose I am looking for in the 1st photo, not quite as "aero" as the one on the black car in the above post......all in the cause of originality!

enjoy,
Cliff

[Steve Demeter]

Boy that brings back memories.

[belair]

So......Is that Elton John standing next to the car?

[Rick Kirchner]

The #17 yelow is the most original configuration. The -18 was basically a -14 with wings and a slightly different bend pattern to the sheetmetal. You wouldn't notice it unless you were looking real close.

[Steve Demeter]

The yellow car has the very original nose wings that came wioth it. I mean the very same wings from 1974.

It has the wider rear deck cover that replaced a the narrow original piece.

\All the original bodywork went with the car when I sold it.

[Rick Kirchner]

I have a set of wings in the original black gel coat. Also a pretty original rear deck. When I ditched the Solexes for webers I had to bandsaw a couple of inches out of the deck to get it to fit.

I also have RP-9 and RP-14 drawings.

[belair]

So.............if I want to really be "original"................

1. Ditch the sports car nose and go with the "yellow" nose.
2. Wings are ok as is....but I sure would like to add a couple of end plates to the fronts, maybe some Gurney tabs......
3. The rear deck was modified..........made wider?
4. Any need to make the interesting "side pods" as on the car "in white". Why were those there? No extra downforce....any aero advantage?

Rick K., How much for the front wings and deck lid?

thanks to all,

Cliff/Belair

[Steve Demeter]

the side pods were in vogue in the mid 70's with the theory that they reduced aero drag by not allowing the air to "close in" between the front and rear wheels.

The deck was also a heppenstal piece (iirc) not a modified version of the original. I had the original narrow deck with the car but it was just a spare.

[Rick Kirchner]

I can send you the wings and deck to pull molds, but one of these day's i'll put it back together again so they're not for sale.

[belair]

Rick,

Thanks, but no need, I can pull molds off my existing wings.......not too worried about the deck.

thanks! Cliff