Mirage M1 - Original Clutch Set Up

JimmyMac

Lifetime Supporter
Does anybody have information as to how the 1967 Mirage series cars were set up ?
Did they use an early internal hydraulic release or the usual external slave cylinder / lever ?

I realise that pictures of the engine bays are sparse but any leads would be appreciated.
 
James
the best i can offer is to point you to Ronnie Spains book.
Pages 306 and 307. Mirages rebuilt as 1074 and 1075.
Suggest you check your photo information on these 2 chassis No's.
Also Page 142 lists the gearbox numbers used between 1967-69.
Hope this helps.
mike
 

JimmyMac

Lifetime Supporter
Mike,
Cheers, but I really need more than that. There must be more pictures out there.
I already have those gearbox numbers as I own one of the original Mirage transaxles and a matching 305 engine and I would like to set them up properly.
:2thumbsup:
 
Sorry to be a smart Alec but I always thought that the Mirage engine size was a 351 (5.7 litre) for 1967 Le Mans and it went up to over 6 litres (6.9 litres nearly 427) while racing in South African at the end of its compeditive life? So why the 305???Regards Allan
 

JimmyMac

Lifetime Supporter
Allan

John Horsman ~ "Racing In The Rain"
Chapter 4 ~ J.W Automotive Engineering Ltd [ The Mirage M1 in 1967]

"The Mirage times with the 305 engines were 3'36.2" for Jackie Ickx/ Brian Muir" etc. etc

"The car that Ickx had driven at Monza M1/10001 had done little work there, and was already race prepared at Spa by Ermanno Cuoghi and his men by the time that I arrived, retaining the same 305 cu. in. engine" etc etc.
 
305 engines used in 1967.
Monza(M10001,M10002), Spa(M10001), Le Mans(M10001, M10003)
Ref: R.Spain GT40

Hope this assists
regards
mike
 
Thanks guys my mind has always associated the Mirage M1 with 351 for some reason. According to Ronnie Spains book M1001 raced with a 351 at the Nurburgring. And the 351 was fitted to M1003 at the 1967 BOAC 500.
Regards Allan
 
Sorry to join this interesting topic so late...

I recently read the two Mirages in 1967 Le Mans both blew their 351 cu. in. engines in practice; they had access to 289 cu. in. engines but were forbidden these by the rules: since their gas capacity was based on engines 5-liters and higher, and that capacity could not be altered after the scrutiny session. Ergo, Ford found them the 305 cu. in. engines, which conformed to rules.
 

Jim Rosenthal

Supporter
Jimmy, the person to ask on this might be Harley Cluxton. Although those Mirages predated his involvement in that effort, he is familiar with these cars and would know the answer. He could also ask John Horsman who would (obviously) know. You could also try to email John through the David Bull publishing site, and they might be willing to pass it on.

FWIW, my guess is that they had external throwout systems. Internal HRB systems weren't very reliable then, not even as good as they are now. Then again, race cars have all this stuff changed every race, even if it doesn't break, so the servicing issues that you would have on a street car wouldn't be a problem for a race vehicle.

Let us know what you find out.
 
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