11 replies to this topic

[arttidesco]

Back in Sept 1971 I was standing in a Nissen Hut which served as the departure lounge for Ndola Airport on my way to the UK for school when Dad offered to buy a magazine for the 6000 mile journey home. I picked up a copy of Autocar, which was probably already several weeks old, and on the flight was fascinated with the race reports from the Dutch GP and particularly the Le Mans 24 hours, a race with which I had become acquainted with in numerous Motorsport themed coffee table books. 

 

 

Fast forward 38 years and I finally caught up with what I believe is the '71 LM winner and the only survivor of the three 917 magnesium chassis built 917-053 at Goodwood Festival of Speed. 

 

 

I saw the car again at Silverstone some years later but I am wondering is it really 917-053 or has that chassis tag been swapped onto a more durable chassis ? I know there has been talk of this cars engine not being started for fear of the chassis cracking, but if it is that fragile how does it endure trips to places like Goodwood and Silverstone where it is left out in the elements ?

 

I was saying to Tim the other day even if I saw a photo of the chassis tag I might struggle to believe it was fitted to the actual race winning 917-053 chassis to wit I have just spent a few hours looking through TNF trying to find some photo's of the 917 chassis tags taken at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2009, I am not sure if they were taken by Allen Brown, Tony Gallagher or someone else presumably not Doug ? Can anyone point me towards those tag photo's or maybe even repost one of 917-053 here ? TIA

Edited by arttidesco, 25 October 2023 - 17:28.

[sabrejet]

IIRC 053 was a 'static' at the 2009 FoS and was covered overnight, so not really out in the elements. As a result, I'm not sure its chassis tag was accessible that time. I have photos of it, but always closed up.

[Rupertlt1]

Sorry to be picky but it is a Nissen hut — a thoroughly British invention and no connection with Yokohama.

 

RGDS RLT

[arttidesco]

Sorry to be picky but it is a Nissen hut — a thoroughly British invention and no connection with Yokohama.

 

RGDS RLT

No need to apologise this is the TNF I remember and love 

[Porsche718]

Sorry to be picky but it is a Nissen hut — a thoroughly British invention and no connection with Yokohama.

 

RGDS RLT

 

Being "picky" is what being a TNFer is all about

[Bloggsworth]

Spent my first two years at boarding school living in a Nissen hut. In winter I remember waking up with frost on the blankets, that and having a mouse run across my foot while I was pissing into an Elsan...

[brucemoxon]

Spent my first two years at boarding school living in a Nissen hut. In winter I remember waking up with frost on the blankets, that and having a mouse run across my foot while I was pissing into an Elsan...

Of course, we had it toof. We lived for six months in shoe box in middle of t'road. 

 

 

 

BRM

[brucemoxon]

Also.

 

The story I once heard was that the engine wouldn't be started due to the risk of a backfire setting the chassis alight. Brings to my mind stories of lightweight roll-cages in rally cars, made of cardboard mailing tubes. Allegedly. 

 

 

BRM

[Emery0323]

Of course, we had it toof. We lived for six months in shoe box in middle of t'road. 

 

BRM

You were lucky to have a shoebox!  

 

Regarding 917-053: The 917-001 (1969 Geneva show car in Langheck configuration) was displayed at Porsche museum for many years as the 1970 LeMans winner, with 917K bodywork and Salzburg team colors.  Similarly, a 1966 Ford MkII was shown for years at the Indianapolis Museum as the car LeMans winning car #2, but was in reality the #4 Donohue/Hawkins car which DNF'd. 

Given how common such stories are, I'd be somewhat skeptical that the notoriously fragile Mg-framed 917 still exists in as-raced configuration.

 

The 917 body was epoxied to the frame, but the Goodwood FoS display car's body looks awfully clean to be the original, as-raced example.

It's hard to imagine that the beat-up fiberglass body from the 1971 winner was de-bonded from the fragile Mg frame and replaced with a pristine one, which is what appears to be the case with FoS display car.

Edited by Emery0323, 25 October 2023 - 21:00.

[Roryswood]

Regarding BRUCEMOXSONS comment about the cardboard tubes being used in rally cars , it reminds me of a story building a roll cage in a rally here in Ireland , two brothers had worked for days on a new rally , Saturday afternoon they finish to admire their work , and notice they had forgot to fabricate a roll cage , so with time running out ( the rally is the following day)they head to the local hardware shop , purchasing a number of Brush handles and a quantity of pipe lagging it was all nailed together , hidden under the lagging and passed scrutiny , everyone was happy , a true story

[Henri Greuter]

Back in Sept 1971 I was standing in a Nissen Hut which served as the departure lounge for Ndola Airport on my way to the UK for school when Dad offered to buy a magazine for the 6000 mile journey home. I picked up a copy of Autocar, which was probably already several weeks old, and on the flight was fascinated with the race reports from the Dutch GP and particularly the Le Mans 24 hours, a race with which I had become acquainted with in numerous Motorsport themed coffee table books. 

 

 

Fast forward 38 years and I finally caught up with what I believe is the '71 LM winner and the only survivor of the three 917 magnesium chassis built 917-053 at Goodwood Festival of Speed. 

 

 

I saw the car again at Silverstone some years later but I am wondering is it really 917-053 or has that chassis tag been swapped onto a more durable chassis ? I know there has been talk of this cars engine not being started for fear of the chassis cracking, but if it is that fragile how does it endure trips to places like Goodwood and Silverstone where it is left out in the elements ?

 

I was saying to Tim the other day even if I saw a photo of the chassis tag I might struggle to believe it was fitted to the actual race winning 917-053 chassis to wit I have just spent a few hours looking through TNF trying to find some photo's of the 917 chassis tags taken at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2009, I am not sure if they were taken by Allen Brown, Tony Gallagher or someone else presumably not Doug ? Can anyone point me towards those tag photo's or maybe even repost one of 917-053 here ? TIA

 

 

 

About the lower picture.  the tubing that can be seen at the rear of the car and supposedly could be part of the magnesium allow frame looks very neat and well preserved for a magnesium alloy of how many years old by now. Or otherwise they're doing a lot to preserve it the best they know and obviously it works well.

Edited by Henri Greuter, 26 October 2023 - 09:07.

[Arjan de Roos]

In 1989 a Porsche exhibition was organised in then car museum Autotron (Netherlands). It was called 'Porsche Totaal' and included the best from Zuffenhausen. Also the #22 917K as raced by Van Lennep/Marko. Still unwashed or touched after crossing the finishing line at Le Mans some 18 years before. Also the damage to the left front light housing was visible.

In later years I saw that 053 had been completely restored to the state as you see it now: anew. I would say it was made race-able again.

 

For chassis details I would advice to contact the Porsche Museum a/o restauration department to learn on current chassis material.