The mark IV's were awesome looking racecars. It's too bad that money, rules and egos withdrew them from competition. I would have liked to have see a fully developed MKIV compete against the 1970's Porches.
The mark IV's were awesome looking racecars. It's too bad that money, rules and egos withdrew them from competition. I would have liked to have see a fully developed MKIV compete against the 1970's Porches.
All J car photos or live ones I've seen have asymmetrical doors. Guess they gave up on the pretense of being a true 2 seater. If you've ever sat in one (or a replica) the cockpit is quite a bit tighter than a Mk I or II.
Look at the "passenger" seat that does not have any padding and is smaller just to meet the 2 seater. I did not the photo that shows the luggage box and the tiny door to remove the spare tire without opening the rear clip
Mk11B cars in 1967 also had aysymetrical doors with the drivers door retaining the roof cut out section and the passenger door just opening at the top of the window leaving the roof in place. I believe I read somewhere it was to make the mechanics life easier.
MK-IV's are fine for passengers if you remove the dead pedal.
After 67 they were no longer race legal as ACO dropped P's to 3L.
512S,MKI, Lola, 917 were "production Sports Cars" and allowed 5L.
I photographed the Le Mans winning Look a like MKIV built in the late 1980's on one of the two remaining J tubs. It was being painted in Farborough and we had to extract the painters' 6 year old son from the cockpit of the car he got in but had difficulty getting out. I thought that the passengers door was modified because it was not the passengers job even if they carried one to run the Le Mans start! I though the rules meant that a certain amount of luggage space had to be available. So as well as carrying a fake luggage case more room was allocated within the cockpit i.e. in the doors to meet this regulation. This may have lead to the cut out in the roof both on the MKIVs and MKIIBs to be removed. Also by this modification the roof was strengthened?