NTM Chassis History |
Original text by Steve Bush |
Two BSR cars were built for customers. These cares were designated Mark IV's.
1972 NTM Chassis #5 (S.C.C.A. roll bar designation 007 294) was completed on May 30, 1972. The car was originally sold to Dr. Quinn Calhoun of Chicago, a Sports 2000 driver from the Detroit Region. At the time, the car was powered by a Cosworth 1800 BDE. Calhoun sold the car to Joe McRoberts, before ever racing it.
1975 McRoberts also did not race the car before selling it to Jim Predith in April 1975. Predith raced the car in SCCA, out of the Detroit Region, using both the Cosworth 1800 BDE engine, and a Hart BDF engine. Predith determined the major shortcomings of the car were insufficient braking, not getting the tires up to racing temperature, and engine cooling. In an attempt to solve these problems, he replaced the rear-mounted radiator with two side mounted V.W. radiators. He ducted the hot air from the side radiators onto the rear tires. This proved to provide the needed additional cooling and helped to get the rear tires up to racing temperature. Predith also determined that the front brakes were "marginal, only lasting 15 laps at Elkhart Lake". He later surmised that the brakes were wearing because the brake pads were not pulling back from the rotors due to spindle flex.
1977 The car was crashed heavily at Nelson Ledges in the fall of 1977. The crash destroyed the body, broke the front suspension off at the outboard Hiems joints, and damaged the rear uprights. Even with all this damage, the monocoque tub and Predith came through unhurt.
Predith sold the car, after the '77 wreck, to Ed Murray. Murray removed the Ford engine and FT200 that were in the car at the time, reconfiguring it with a 1000cc Suzuki engine for DSR. Murray also fitted the car with a Mark II body purchased from Steve Norcross. In this configuration, the car held a lap record at Waterford Hills.
Murray sold the car to an unknown subsequent owner who sold it to the Chrysler Corporation of Detroit, represented by Darrel Morley of the Chrysler Design Office [the Styling Office to the older readers]. Chrysler was investigating various low cost sporty concepts to rev up the Plymouth image. With budgets being extremely tight in the early 80's, Morley suggested buying the NTM tub as an appropriately sized, ready made, drivable buck for styling mock-ups. The Design team bought the tub and a standard KZ1000 engine. The unknown seller kept the racing engine, and Darrel Morley bought the Mk2 body. Morley subsequently mated this Mark II NTM body to a Lola T440 FF.
1986 Chrysler moved the car to their Chrysler Pacifica operation in Encinitas, California, in 1986. Chrysler Pacifica removed the engine and used it in some developmental work.
1987 Larry Nelson bought the car from Chrysler Pacifica in 1987.
1993 Wayne Mitchell bought the car from Nelson in 1993 and immediately sold it to Steve Bush of San Marcos, California. Bush intends to restore the car with Ford power and the Mark II body.
1972 NTM Chassis #6, a BSR car, was completed June 3, 1972. The wheelbase is 88", with a 61" front track and a 64" rear track. The weight, according to the original SCCA logbook, was 980 pounds. NTM built this car and sold it to Bill Roush. The original engine was a 2 liter single cam BMW, but it was later changed to a Cosworth BDD, and then to a Hart. The transaxle was a Hewland FT 200.
Roush sold the car to Dennis Clopper, who sold it to Don Woodruff. Woodruff sold the car to Mike Major. Major removed the Cosworth engine and the Hewland and started converting the BSR car to a DSR car using a motorcycle engine. Strebig purchased the car from Major.
1998 In November, 1998, Derek Harling of Windsor, Ontario purchased the car. Harling currently owns this car and is intending to restore it for vintage racing.