Tag Archives: V6

Oillife Monitoring System – Chevrolet Camaro V6

It’s seventh year the fourth generation Camaro’s upgrades were relatively minor the new for ’98 front light clusters were retained and Hugger Orange was added to the paint options.

Chevrolet Camaro V6, Bristol American Car Show, Yate Town FC

Beneath the car the 15.5 gallon metal fuel tanks were replaced with 16.8 gallon plastic items and traction control was now available on V6 models.

Chevrolet Camaro V6, Bristol American Car Show, Yate Town FC

Inside the only difference was the addition of GM’s oil-life monitoring system which manifested itself in the form of an oil change light in the instrument cluster.

Chevrolet Camaro V6, Bristol American Car Show, Yate Town FC

Today’s featured ’99 targa topped Chevrolet Camaro V6 with automatic transmission, seen at the Bristol American Car Show, Yate Town FC, was first registered in the UK on the 19th of January 1999.

Thanks for joining me on this “Oillife Monitoring System” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be looking at a FIAT built in Poland. Don’t forget to come back now !

Multi Tasking Canadian – Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

In 1993 General Motors moved production of it’s Chevrolet Camaro model from it’s Van Nuys, California assembly plant to Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, Canada just in time for the introduction of the forth generation Camaro.

Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, Bristol American Car Show, Yate Town FC

The new model featured more rounded styling than it’s predecessor as did the similarly F-body platform fourth generation Pontiac Firebird.

Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, Bristol American Car Show, Yate Town FC

From 1993 to 1995 fourth generation Camaro’s were powered by either a 160 hp 3.4 litre / 207 cui V6, as in the example seen here at the Bristol American Car Show at Yate Town Football Club, or 275hp 350 cui / 5.7 litre MPFI (LT1) Small Block V-8 for the more expensive Z/28 version.

Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, Bristol American Car Show, Yate Town FC

1994 Camaro’s, as seen here, saw the previously yellow instrument gauge graphics replaced with white, ’94 Camaro convertible advertising ran with the “Now open to the public” strap line.

Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, Bristol American Car Show, Yate Town FC

Under the bonnet hood the Electronic Control Unit (ECU), for the engine, silicon chip was no longer removable and was now reprogrammed via the Assembly Line Diagnostic Link (ALDL) located next to the center console, beneath the drivers side dashboard.

Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, Bristol American Car Show, Yate Town FC

As well as managing the engine electronics 1994 Camaro ECU’s were also tasked with managing the new 4 speed 4L60E automatic transmission, as seen on today’s featured vehicle, which could be ordered as an option to replace the standard manual 5 speed on the V6, and standard manual 6 speed on the Z/28.

Thanks for joining me on this “Multi Tasking Canadian” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another motorcycle engine powered race car. Don’t forget to come back now !

Fantastic Futurist – Lancia Stratos Stradale

In 1970 Bertone built a futuristic concept car called the Lancia Stratos Zero, the car was so low the windscreen also acted as ‘the’ door !

The following year Bertone showed the Lancia Stratos Prototype at the 1971 Turin Show, this car was a little more practical with two side doors and a mid mounted tranverse mounted V6 as per the Ferrari Dino from which it was sourced.

Lancia Stratos Stradale, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

In all 492 of the road going Lancia Stratos Stradales like the 1974 example seen here at last years Classic Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham were built between 1972 and 1974 when production of the V6 Dino GT also ceased.

HF competition versions of the Stradale proved particularly versatile in 1974 Gérard Larrousse and Amilcare Ballestrieri drove a Stratos to victory on the Targa Florio.

The Stratos is probably best remembered as a superb rally car, Sandro Munari and Mario Mannucci won the 1974 San Remo Rally on the Sratos World Rally Championship debut. By 1981, 4 years after the Stratos programe had been closed down by FIAT; Jean-Claude Andruet, Björn Waldegård, Bernard Darniche, Markku Alén, Tony Carello and Antonio “Tony” Fassina had all also helped contribute to a total of 18 World Rally Championship wins credited to the Stratos which included 3 consecutive wins for Munari on the Monte Carlo Rally, ’75 – ’77, and five victories each on the San Marino and Tour de Course Rallies.

Franz Wurz became 1976 European Rally Cross champion in a Stratos and sold his car, later fitted with a 3 liter / 183 cui motor V6 to Andy Bentza who won GT Rally Cross Championship in 1978.

In 1973 Sandro Munari and Mario Manucci won the mixed discipline Tour D’France, the following year Jean-Claude Andruet and “Biche” won the similar Giro di Italia with a similar bodied turbocharged example.

The final competition evolution of the Stratos was a turbocharged Group 5 long tail silhouette racer of the type that Carlo Facetti and P. Sodano drove to victory on the 1976 Giro di Italia.

Thanks for joining me on this “Fantastic Futurist” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at a couple of Lotus Indy Cars. Don’t forget to come back now !

Welsh Shooting Brake – Gilbern Invader Estate Mk II

In 1969 Gilbern launched the first of series of Invaders which were improved versions of the Gilbern Genie larger brakes and only powered by the larger 140 hp 3 liter / 183 cui of the Ford Essex V6 motor.

Gilbern Invader Estate, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

In 1970 the first Estate / Station Wagon or more correctly shooting brake versions of the Invader began to appear and in 1971 a Mk II version of Invader was built of the type featured today which was built in 1972 with a with stiffer chassis and MG C front axle.

Gilbern Invader Estate, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

During the period of Invader production owners Ace Capital Holdings Ltd, whose primary business was in slot machines, were sold to Mecca whose portfolio included a large stake in the Bingo Hall and related gambling operations and the Miss World Franchise.

Gilbern Invader Estate, Bristol Classic Motor Show, Shepton Mallet

Car manufacture did not fit in with Mecca’s business plan and so Gilbern was sold in a management buyout to first Maurice Collins 1970 and then to his former co director Mike Leather in 1972. For a very short period in 1972 production reached a break even point of 4 cars a week. In all 212 GT and 104 Estate Invader Mk II’s were built up until September 1972 making the MkII the most successful of all Gilbern models.

Acrylic Glass Bubble Top – Alpine A442 B #A442/3

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The Alpine A442 B was the penultimate evolution of Alpines 1970’s sports car program that first came to light in 1973 when Renault sponsored the development of the 2 litre / 122 cui Renault Gordini CH1 V6 that sat in the back of the Alpine A440 sports car driven by Jean Pierre Jabouille at Magney Cours.

The following season the second evolution A441 swept the 1974 European Sportscar Championship scoring 9 wins from 9 races with Jabouille, Alain Cudini, Gérard Larrousse, and eventual champion Alain Serpaggi all wining races. over the winter of 1974/75 one of the A441’s was fitted with a turbocharged version of the CH1 V6 that had been designed by François Castaing and Jean-Pierre Boudy.

Alpine A442 B, British Grand Prix, Silverstone

At the second round of the 1975 World Sports Car Championship the turbocharged A441 made it’s debut and with Jabouille and Larrouse at the wheel became the unfancied winner beating the normally aspirated 3 litre / 183 cui Alfa Romeo and turbo charged Porsche 908 to become the first turbocharged prototype to win a World Championship. For the remainder of the 1975 season the newer Alpine A442 evolution was used but it was no match for the Championship winning Alfa Romeo.

1n 1976 Alpine continued using developing the A442 in the World Sportscar Championship but it was completely overshadowed by the new turbocharged Porsche 936 which won all seven races leaving the A442 with three second places as the best results and a distant second in the championship a position which it shared with Osella. Le Mans which was not part of the championship saw Jabouille, Patrick Tambay and Jose Dolhem qualify on pole but the single A442 entered but it retired with engine failure before half distance leaving the Porsche 936 to claim the first of three Le Mans victories.

Alpine A442 B, British Grand Prix, Silverstone

Derek Bell and Jabouille were on pole for the 1977 Le Mans 24 hour race driving today’s featured chassis #A442/3 before it had been upgraded to B spec. However none of the four A442’s finished the race, which was won by the Porsche 936 #001 featured last week, but one of the Renault Gordini CH1 V6 turbo powered Mirages did finish a distant second 11 laps in arrears.

For 1978, by which time Renault and Alpine had been fully financially integrated, a new Alpine A443 had evolved with a longer wheel base, slightly larger motor and an acrylic glass bubble roof. Drivers Jabouille and Patrick Depailler had the roof, which added around 5 mph to the cars top speed, removed because they felt claustrophobic and there was too much heat building up inside the cockpit. Even so they still qualified fastest of the Alpines at Le Mans albeit on second place on the grid behind a works Porsche 936 chassis #003 which qualified with an average speed of 147 mph by Jackie ickx. 3rd on the grid was the monstrous Porsche 935/78 known as Moby Dick with another works Porsche 936 the ’77 winner #001 alongside.

Alpine A442 B, British Grand Prix, Silverstone

Todays featured car now in B spec running with an acrylic glass roof and the standard 2 litre / 122 cui turbocharged V6 motor was 5th on the grid at Le Mans with Didier Pironi and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud sharing the driving. The A443 of Jabouille and Depailler led much of the first half of the race interrupted by a set of unbalanced front wheels until it retired with a broken motor leaving Pironi and Jassaud to take over a commanding lead which it held to the end. Pironi passed out in the heat of the cockpit after he crossed the finish line.

Two of Porsche 936’s required gearbox rebuilds after which one of them crashed and the other chassis #001 came second ahead of the third placed 936 chassis #002 which required a turbocharger replacement while the 935 Moby Dick suffered from overheating and persistent oil leaks to come home 8th.

Having accomplished what they set out to achieve with the CH1 V6 program, along with two Formula Two open wheel championships in 1975 and 1976, Renault retired the Alpines from Sports car racing to concentrated all of it’s efforts on Formula One where it ran the first turbo charged Formula One car in 1977.

In 1979 Renault would become the first team to win a Formula One race with a turbo charged 1.5 litre 91.5 cui Renault Gordini EF1 motor at the French Grand Prix, which by coincidence was the race before the British Grand Prix where today’s photo’s were taken of #A442/3 in the paddock at Silverstone.

My thanks to Tim Murray for helping to identify the winning chassis of the 1975 Mugello 1000kms race which was widely reported to have been an Alpine A442 in contemporary journals like Motoring News but which contemporary photographs show the A441 development car.

Thanks for joining me on this “Acrylic Glass Bubble Top” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now.