I’ve followed with interest the various discussions about gearboxes and I would like to add my bit. All the reports in the forum about the Audi/Getrag gearbox
are correct.
About 15 years ago my friend, Bud Rossler (more about Bud below) and associates built a racing version of a local kit car called the Ferrino. It kind of resembled a Dino Ferrari and was built with Ford parts in a factory about 30 miles from Johannesburg. The racing version had massive wide wheels and was powered by a 400 bhp 351 Ford engine. It was actually quite a monster. When it came to the question of what gearbox, Bud popped down to the local scrapyard and bought a 500 series Audi/Getrag box. It was washed down with paraffin and was simply bolted onto the Ford motor via a machined adapter plate. The car would spin its back wheels in third gear at 100 mph and had a top speed of about 180 mph. The Audi box never complained.
When we started CAV I did a great deal of research into gearboxes and in view of the expense of Gemini Transmissions, Hewland, Quaife and ZF boxes the Audi/Getrag box was a sensible and affordable option. In view of Bud’s experience with the box I was happy to recommend it to CAV. The boxes are recondtioned on behalf of VW South Africa by a company in Johannesburg. Initially serial numbers, indicating differing ratios, AUX and APT were used, but these weren’t ideal and then 3V was recommended which appeared to be more suited. New Audi boxes can be bought from VW SA at about $2 500.
There were of course only three European cars built since WW11 with front in line engines and with front wheel drive – the Citroen ID/DS 19-21 series, the Renault 25/30 series and the Audi. A friend, in South Africa, built a GT40 using the Citroen gearbox, but as the brakes are inboard it didn’t look right. The Renault boxes were very popular with GT40 builders in the UK and look good but as these cars were never marketed in South Africa and as Audis are two a penny their boxes are a logical choice.
When GTD developed the R42 mid-engined sports car, after their GT40, they used an Audi box, but from a diesel model, which could handle more torque. I have the details on file somewhere and will check.
A popular box in the US is the Porsche G50 but what bothers me is that the drive shafts run at too sharp an angle as it has to be turned upside down.
A friend and a gearbox specialist have come up with the idea to slip Porsche 944 gears into the Audi casing. Apparently the 944 box is really tough and can handle far more torque than the Audi box. It’s early days yet but when I know more I’ll let you all know.
Here’s a bit of history I hope you’ll enjoy. I worked for the Porsche factory from 1962 to 1964. In 1963 I was asked to head up their ‘Werksverkauf’ division, which sold cars directly ex-works to royalty, ambassadors, film stars head of large corporations, racing drivers, sports people, etc. Why they chose a 23 year old South African for this sensitive job I’ll never know, but sometime miracles like the virgin birth do happen! It was actually a two person department and my assistant was the attractive redhead, Heidi Heft.
In November, 1963 I received an order from Stirling Moss for a 904 for his racing team Stirling Moss Automobile Racing Team (SMART). By lucky coincidence I was due to spend Christmas in London with my English colleague, Roger Holliday, who now lives in Bowling Green, Ohio. I took the opportunity to meet up with Stirling to discuss the deal. It was then that he told me that his three racing mechanics were South Africans – brothers Ed and Bud Rossler and Piet van Asperen.
Piet has died in the meantime but until today Ed and Bud are good friends.
At the time when John Frankenheimer was making ‘Grand Prix’ , Steve McQueen approached Stirling with an idea for a film about motor racing. In the end it didn’t make sense to make two racing films in Europe and the idea as canned. Notone to give up easily, Steve McQueen then of course went on to make ‘Le Mans’ (yeah, a pity he couldn’t make it earlier as our beloved GT40 could have featured big time).
Many cars were hired for the film set including a Lola T70 which belonged an English driver. Bud left SMART to maintain this car for the making of the film. He then met up with Steve again and was offered a job as special effects man at four times his salary.
He then got involved with radio controlling the full size mock-up Ferraris that were actually rather tired Lola T70 rolling chassis with Ferrari bodies. In one filming sequence they ran the ‘Ferrari’, with dummy at the wheel, along the start and finish straight. They car was sent off in second gear and without warning it turned left and demolished itself against the retaining wall. Bud pondered the problem through the next night and realised that no steering column ever operates in locked position. Hands constantly move slightly on the steering wheel to guide a car in astaright line. At about four in the morning he got a brain wave. Somewhere before he had seen a computer clutch drive in action and that’s what he wanted. Solar Prodcutions had its own private plane parked at the airfield behind the grandstand and Bud asked Steve if his pilot could fly him to Paris. Of course! Bud bought the drive, rushed back to the circuit, got hold of a hacksaw, sawed the steering column in half and fitted the drive. During the next session Bud perched on the back of the car behind the dummy ready to grab the wheel if anything went wrong. It worked perfectly!
Next scene was in the Indianapolis corner. This was to be on a wet circuit but it was a bright sunny day. A water truck was ordered and the corner flooded with water. The ‘Ferrari’ however was parked on the dry part of the track. When it was sent off it went straight but as soon as it hit the water it spun out of control and smacked itself to bit against the wall. When they got it right the next time the car was launched into the forest but flew further than expected. The camera man who was filming the car from a head op position had to run like hell to get out of the way.
The 917 accident scene actually went wrong but was good it was used in the film. This was also a radio controlled car that was run through White House corner. Two Frenchmen stood side by side on a raised platform, the one controlling the throttle and the other the steering. As the 917 got going the throttle guy got a bit carried away and gave too much stick. Result was that the 917 slewed sideways and clouted the Armco tearing off the aerial that was taped along the tail in the process. Now there was no control at all and the run-away 917 proceeded to demolish itself against the Armco barriers. The scene was so good and realistic that it stayed. See it again for yourselves.
Bud said that Steve McQueen was a great guy who seemed happier sitting around chatting to the mechanics than being in the company up upper crust folks. He also remembers Steve son riding around on a mini MX bike.
Quite a coincidence that I should be writing this today as David Piper who lost a foot in an accident during the filming is in Cape Town right now for a classic race at the Killarney circuit. He’s out here with 20 English drivers and will be driving a Ford F3L – son of GT40! David is 72 and is as fast as ever. How he stomps on the throttle pedal with a plastic foot I can’t figure out. I’ll be meeting up with him tomorrow.
His accident was almost identical to the staged one at White House corner. A tyre deflated and in the ensuing accident the car actually broke in half. All that kept the two halves together was his foot trapped under the throttle pedal. When he finally ended up in a ditch there was a gentle drip, drip of brake fluid on the mangled foot.
In the end the foot couldn’t be saved and was amputated. David told me an amusing story about how he was lying in hospital feeling sorry for himself when in marched Ferrari engineer and works driver, Mike Parkes and WW11 legless flying ace, Douglas Bader. Bader said, ‘Feeling sorry for yourself, old boy!’ With that he dropped his trousers and said, ‘Look at me, you’ve got nothing to worry about!’ David said that short, sharp message gave him a huge wake up call and motivated his recovery.
It’s quite possible that many GT40 fans are also Porsche fans. I wrote my memoirs (big word!) about working for Porsche for the British publication 911& PORSCHEWORLD. It was entitled, ‘Being There’ and appeared in the March, 1998 edition, no 49. I’m pleased to say that it’s the longest article ever in the magazine at 10 pages and 25 pics!
For the March, 1999 edition I also wrote an article, entitled ‘The Flying Dutchman’. This was a crazy story about the Dutch Porsche driver, Carel de Beaufort, blowing up his engine during practice for the 1963 Belgian Grand Prix. I suggested that we went back to Stuttgart to collect his spare engine which we did. We got there at mid-night and I had to drag one of the racing mechanics out of bed to assemble the engine. We left at four in the morning and made the circuit with about an hour to spare. Carel was delighted as he finished sixth and got one point. There’s a lot of funny stuff in the story and if a film could have been made of this crazy trip it would have made a top comedy. Magazine editor is Chris Horton, E-Mail – [email protected]
Enough for now. Take care all.
are correct.
About 15 years ago my friend, Bud Rossler (more about Bud below) and associates built a racing version of a local kit car called the Ferrino. It kind of resembled a Dino Ferrari and was built with Ford parts in a factory about 30 miles from Johannesburg. The racing version had massive wide wheels and was powered by a 400 bhp 351 Ford engine. It was actually quite a monster. When it came to the question of what gearbox, Bud popped down to the local scrapyard and bought a 500 series Audi/Getrag box. It was washed down with paraffin and was simply bolted onto the Ford motor via a machined adapter plate. The car would spin its back wheels in third gear at 100 mph and had a top speed of about 180 mph. The Audi box never complained.
When we started CAV I did a great deal of research into gearboxes and in view of the expense of Gemini Transmissions, Hewland, Quaife and ZF boxes the Audi/Getrag box was a sensible and affordable option. In view of Bud’s experience with the box I was happy to recommend it to CAV. The boxes are recondtioned on behalf of VW South Africa by a company in Johannesburg. Initially serial numbers, indicating differing ratios, AUX and APT were used, but these weren’t ideal and then 3V was recommended which appeared to be more suited. New Audi boxes can be bought from VW SA at about $2 500.
There were of course only three European cars built since WW11 with front in line engines and with front wheel drive – the Citroen ID/DS 19-21 series, the Renault 25/30 series and the Audi. A friend, in South Africa, built a GT40 using the Citroen gearbox, but as the brakes are inboard it didn’t look right. The Renault boxes were very popular with GT40 builders in the UK and look good but as these cars were never marketed in South Africa and as Audis are two a penny their boxes are a logical choice.
When GTD developed the R42 mid-engined sports car, after their GT40, they used an Audi box, but from a diesel model, which could handle more torque. I have the details on file somewhere and will check.
A popular box in the US is the Porsche G50 but what bothers me is that the drive shafts run at too sharp an angle as it has to be turned upside down.
A friend and a gearbox specialist have come up with the idea to slip Porsche 944 gears into the Audi casing. Apparently the 944 box is really tough and can handle far more torque than the Audi box. It’s early days yet but when I know more I’ll let you all know.
Here’s a bit of history I hope you’ll enjoy. I worked for the Porsche factory from 1962 to 1964. In 1963 I was asked to head up their ‘Werksverkauf’ division, which sold cars directly ex-works to royalty, ambassadors, film stars head of large corporations, racing drivers, sports people, etc. Why they chose a 23 year old South African for this sensitive job I’ll never know, but sometime miracles like the virgin birth do happen! It was actually a two person department and my assistant was the attractive redhead, Heidi Heft.
In November, 1963 I received an order from Stirling Moss for a 904 for his racing team Stirling Moss Automobile Racing Team (SMART). By lucky coincidence I was due to spend Christmas in London with my English colleague, Roger Holliday, who now lives in Bowling Green, Ohio. I took the opportunity to meet up with Stirling to discuss the deal. It was then that he told me that his three racing mechanics were South Africans – brothers Ed and Bud Rossler and Piet van Asperen.
Piet has died in the meantime but until today Ed and Bud are good friends.
At the time when John Frankenheimer was making ‘Grand Prix’ , Steve McQueen approached Stirling with an idea for a film about motor racing. In the end it didn’t make sense to make two racing films in Europe and the idea as canned. Notone to give up easily, Steve McQueen then of course went on to make ‘Le Mans’ (yeah, a pity he couldn’t make it earlier as our beloved GT40 could have featured big time).
Many cars were hired for the film set including a Lola T70 which belonged an English driver. Bud left SMART to maintain this car for the making of the film. He then met up with Steve again and was offered a job as special effects man at four times his salary.
He then got involved with radio controlling the full size mock-up Ferraris that were actually rather tired Lola T70 rolling chassis with Ferrari bodies. In one filming sequence they ran the ‘Ferrari’, with dummy at the wheel, along the start and finish straight. They car was sent off in second gear and without warning it turned left and demolished itself against the retaining wall. Bud pondered the problem through the next night and realised that no steering column ever operates in locked position. Hands constantly move slightly on the steering wheel to guide a car in astaright line. At about four in the morning he got a brain wave. Somewhere before he had seen a computer clutch drive in action and that’s what he wanted. Solar Prodcutions had its own private plane parked at the airfield behind the grandstand and Bud asked Steve if his pilot could fly him to Paris. Of course! Bud bought the drive, rushed back to the circuit, got hold of a hacksaw, sawed the steering column in half and fitted the drive. During the next session Bud perched on the back of the car behind the dummy ready to grab the wheel if anything went wrong. It worked perfectly!
Next scene was in the Indianapolis corner. This was to be on a wet circuit but it was a bright sunny day. A water truck was ordered and the corner flooded with water. The ‘Ferrari’ however was parked on the dry part of the track. When it was sent off it went straight but as soon as it hit the water it spun out of control and smacked itself to bit against the wall. When they got it right the next time the car was launched into the forest but flew further than expected. The camera man who was filming the car from a head op position had to run like hell to get out of the way.
The 917 accident scene actually went wrong but was good it was used in the film. This was also a radio controlled car that was run through White House corner. Two Frenchmen stood side by side on a raised platform, the one controlling the throttle and the other the steering. As the 917 got going the throttle guy got a bit carried away and gave too much stick. Result was that the 917 slewed sideways and clouted the Armco tearing off the aerial that was taped along the tail in the process. Now there was no control at all and the run-away 917 proceeded to demolish itself against the Armco barriers. The scene was so good and realistic that it stayed. See it again for yourselves.
Bud said that Steve McQueen was a great guy who seemed happier sitting around chatting to the mechanics than being in the company up upper crust folks. He also remembers Steve son riding around on a mini MX bike.
Quite a coincidence that I should be writing this today as David Piper who lost a foot in an accident during the filming is in Cape Town right now for a classic race at the Killarney circuit. He’s out here with 20 English drivers and will be driving a Ford F3L – son of GT40! David is 72 and is as fast as ever. How he stomps on the throttle pedal with a plastic foot I can’t figure out. I’ll be meeting up with him tomorrow.
His accident was almost identical to the staged one at White House corner. A tyre deflated and in the ensuing accident the car actually broke in half. All that kept the two halves together was his foot trapped under the throttle pedal. When he finally ended up in a ditch there was a gentle drip, drip of brake fluid on the mangled foot.
In the end the foot couldn’t be saved and was amputated. David told me an amusing story about how he was lying in hospital feeling sorry for himself when in marched Ferrari engineer and works driver, Mike Parkes and WW11 legless flying ace, Douglas Bader. Bader said, ‘Feeling sorry for yourself, old boy!’ With that he dropped his trousers and said, ‘Look at me, you’ve got nothing to worry about!’ David said that short, sharp message gave him a huge wake up call and motivated his recovery.
It’s quite possible that many GT40 fans are also Porsche fans. I wrote my memoirs (big word!) about working for Porsche for the British publication 911& PORSCHEWORLD. It was entitled, ‘Being There’ and appeared in the March, 1998 edition, no 49. I’m pleased to say that it’s the longest article ever in the magazine at 10 pages and 25 pics!
For the March, 1999 edition I also wrote an article, entitled ‘The Flying Dutchman’. This was a crazy story about the Dutch Porsche driver, Carel de Beaufort, blowing up his engine during practice for the 1963 Belgian Grand Prix. I suggested that we went back to Stuttgart to collect his spare engine which we did. We got there at mid-night and I had to drag one of the racing mechanics out of bed to assemble the engine. We left at four in the morning and made the circuit with about an hour to spare. Carel was delighted as he finished sixth and got one point. There’s a lot of funny stuff in the story and if a film could have been made of this crazy trip it would have made a top comedy. Magazine editor is Chris Horton, E-Mail – [email protected]
Enough for now. Take care all.
