Chaparral 2C 1963

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RS21

RS21

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The Chaparral 2 had three different configurations, the 2A, 2B, and the 2C.

The Chaparral 2A was unsuccessful because of front end lift at speeds. The new Chaparral 2B was, unlike the 2A, extremely successful in competition, both domestic and international. The small mid-engined sports racer was nimble in the corners and fast on the straits. It featured a cutting edge fiberglass monocoque chassis.

From the 2B evolved the 2C, with an automatic transmission, which at first may seem odd, until you know that replacing the clutch pedal with a new third pedal which, believe it or not, controlled the angle of the rear wing! Because of this, you could lower downforce on the straits, increasing speed, and add downforce in the corners, increasing grip. It was an ingenious design from an ingenious designer.

Counting the A, B, and C, the Chaparral won 22 out of the 39 races it entered, an impressive result.
 
SnakeOfBacon
Which is pictured at the top? Is it the 2A, B or C?
Regardless, I love it, so many pipes and gills....
Click to expand...

This must be the 2C

The 2A seems to be the first car (#3) and the 2B is skipped, so only the 2C remains (actually the Chaparral 2) following my information.


A little story about the ABC's

Hall and Sharp kicked off the 1965 season with a stunning win in the prestigious Sebring 12 Hours. Against America's and Europe's finest the further developed Chaparral took the pole position, fastest lap and overall victory leaving the Fords and Ferraris to bite their dust. It was the start of a second highly successful season in the continent's USRRC and FIA mandated races. In October a more conventional aluminium chassis was debuted in the 2C (the B suffix was skipped to prevent the 2C being confused with GM's GSIIb), which in familiar fashion took the fastest lap and victory at the season opener.

For 1966 the USSRC was replaced by the all new Can-Am Challenge series, which attracted a lot more European attention. For the FIA mandated races Chaparral developed the fibreglass 2 into the fixed-head 2D, which scored the company's first European victory in the Nürburgring 1000 km race. The aluminium 2C chassis was used as a basis for the open 2E Can-Am racer. Jim Hall continued to push the boundaries with aerodynamical revolutions, but stronger competition and stricter regulations prevented the Chaparral team to ever match the stunning 1964 and 1965 seasons.

With nearly two dozen victories in two seasons, the original Chaparral 2 remains as the most successful of all of Jim Hall's racers. The composite chassis was revolutionary and the advantages were not accepted for another two decades when the carbon composites structures debuted in Formula 1 racing. Four chassis were constructed, but only three were used. All three were converted to either 2D or 2F specification and survive to this day. Today the three chassis each represent one version of the fibreglass 2 evolutions, so there is one 2, a 2D and a 2F in existence.


Chassis 2A-001 reconstructed and transformed to 2D-001
Chassis 2A-002 reconstructed and transformed to 2D-002, later used as 2F-001 and restored to original 2A-002
Chassis 2A-003 reconstructed and transformed to 2F-002
Chassis 2A-004 never used
Chassis 2C-001 reconstructed and transformed to 2E-001, later used as 2G and restored as 2E
Chassis 2E-002 destroyed in 1966
Chassis 2J later restored
Chassis 2H later restored
Chassis 2K (winner Indianapolis 500 in 1980) later also restored


Hope this will help.



2C_Plans_V1.jpg
 
Superb post Starlight - very informative thank you.

A couple of short clips of the 2C:









Please support all the incredible classic Can Am cars - we really need a lot more in the game - for many years they were the most innovative, fastest and most powerful circuit race cars on the planet - we need many more to go with the Chaparral 2D, 2J and Toyota 7 which was also constructed to the Group 7 regulations used in Can Am. For some reason there is a serious lack of votes for the Shadow DN2 and DN4, McLaren M6B, M6GT, M8, Lola T70, T260. To find them do an alphabetic search - click the red title banner once to start at Z and twice to start at A.
 
Hmm... Well, Starlight from what you've said and the pictures, I gather that the one at the top would actually be chassis 2A-002, as it lacks the mesh from the diagram you posted of the 2C. Anyway, awesome car.
 
Hi SnakeOfBacon - I think the photos show a car with white painted mesh as per the diagrams in StarLights post - both near the nose (four panels) and at the rear (two panels).

I presume the zoomie style exhausts were chosen to reduce heat build up under the bodywork - judging by the number of louvre vents losing heat was a priority.
 
I like the look of this car. 👍

This car was going to be on GT4, but due to Texture and Sound failures on the car, it was removed.

Sorry for bumping. :(
 
Sorry to dig this up but actually, the car being shown here is not the correct one as its the 2A.

This is the correct pic of the Chaparral 2C, which is from 1965:

upload_2017-9-1_18-18-36.png


Main difference is the movable spoiler.
 

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