Chaparral racing cars from the 1960s all tend to look a bit funny, but boy were they effective. That certainly includes the 2E, the first racecar to use a high-mounted wing to generate downforce. The giant wing was adjustable on the fly, and those struts emerging from the bodywork were not chassis-mounted but instead attached to the rear hub carriers to apply downforce directly to the wheels.
Aerodynamic panels hidden beneath the bodywork at the front of the 2E operated in unison with the wing. The driver controlled the surfaces via a pedal that sat where the clutch would’ve been – the 2E had an automatic gearbox! In short, the 2E is a historical heavyweight when it comes to racing and American motorsports. The only existing example is displayed at the Petroleum Museum in Midland Texas and is basically priceless.
So, what are we seeing below? Well, that’s a model. A 1:1 scale model, but a display model nonetheless. And incredibly, it’s the work of just one man. It doesn’t run, it doesn’t drive, and it takes up entirely too much to display in any average person’s home, but it’s up for sale on Bring a Trailer and I want it.
Why build a full-size Chaparral replica? “I built it simply because I had the skill set and the time, I love this car, and I just wanted to be able to open the shop door and look at it,” says the seller. Respect.
Love can lead us to do crazy things and this might be one of them. The amount of detail and depth he’s put into this car is truly astonishing. During the pandemic, many of us picked up new hobbies. This guy built a classic Can-Am car.
The seller used computer-aided design and 3D printing to replicate some parts, including the wheels. The monocoque chasssis made of plywood, but the suspension is aluminum and steel. The car has real Wilwood brakes on it along with a handful of other actual car parts.
The builder even went to the Petroleum Museum in Texas to view the real Can-Am race car and ensure all the details were correctly replicated by the model. And those details are plentiful, as the front clamshell opens as it should and the rear decklid can be removed to reveal the replica engine.
The detail work continues in the cockpit Schroth Racing harnesses on the seats, a three-spoke steering wheel, and Smiths gauges. The shifter on the right side of the cockpit is non-functional of course, but it looks completely authentic, as do the switches in the center tunnel.
While the car appears to have a Chevrolet V8, it’s a replica too. It features four Webber-style carburetors, polished intake trumpets, and brass hardware to set the whole thing off. Surprisingly, the 2E model only weighs around 500 pounds, about a third of the actual racecar’s weight of 1,500 pounds or so.
The Chaparral 2E is one of the coolest race cars from its era. Motortrend once went as far as to call it “a guiding light in race car aerodynamics.” Clearly, it made a huge impression not just on the racing world but on this seller.
As of this writing, bidding stands at $5,001 over on Bring A Trailer. Admittedly, that’s a lot of cash for a model that doesn’t run or drive. I’d still love to have it just so I could coast down a hill while I make racing noises.
The post This Chaparral 2E Replica Is The Ultimate Scale Model And I Want It appeared first on The Autopian.
