CHAPARRAL 2F CHEVROLET. The team entered two cars for the 1967 Le Mans race after a series of retire

For the 1967 season the Chaparral 2D chassis was fitted with a 7.0 litre V8 engine, increasing power by around 100 bhp. The car was radically altered in the aerody-namic department, a new slab sided body of resin coated PVC foam covering many internal changes. The radiators were mounted high on the flanks, angled for-wards ahead of the rear wheels, hot air exiting through apertures in the upper rear deck. The 2D's distinctive air scoop was discarded, the engine drawing breath from the low pressure area beneath the large rear suspension mounted aerofoil that dominated the car. Developed on the 2E Can-Am car during 1966, the "flipper" was hydraulically operated by afoot pedal which held the blade flat in the minimum drag position when depressed by the driver, springing into the maximum drag configura-tion when released. Balancing out this device was a wide opening feeding air into the nose of the car which contained a spring loaded trap door through which air would be dumped at speeds in excess of 140 mph.

Automatic transmission was again used with internal components strengthened to cope with greater loadings from the more powerful engine. Despite encouraging performances in early races, it became clear that the transmission was not up to the job. The team entered two cars for the 1967 Le Mans race after a series of retirements from the preceeding rounds of the Manu-facturers Championship. Hill and Spence qualified second fastest a mere 0.3 sec-onds off "pole". Both cars were delayed at the start as the drivers fastened their seatbelts as instructed. Spence climbed to second place after two hours. Then just before midnight, a problem with the aerofoil operating mechanism locked it in the "brak-ing" position, seriously affecting top speed. Despite this, the car remained in touch with the leaders and got back into third place before the inevitable transmission failure occured. Three hours were lost as a rebuild was carried out in the pits. On its return to the race the car lapped quickly but lasted barely another hour before transmission gremlins put it out for good. The second car of Jennings/Johnson was driven more conservatively but succumbed to difficul-ties with its starter and battery after seven hours.

The rule changes at the end of the 1967 season outlawed the Chaparral, Hall and his team returning to the States to lead the fight against McLaren in the Can Am Series.

CHAPARRAL CHEVROLET 2F - 1967 90 degree V8 G.r.p. monocoque 7.0 litres Suspension: Iron block wishbone front Carburettor wishbone rear 16 valves Engine semi-stressed Pushrod GM gearbox Unblown Flat bottom 530 b.h.p.