Description:

This fabulous piece of motor racing history was constructed by Howard Gilbert in LA for George Bryant who had George Follmer drive the car at Indy in 1968 and 1969. It was the first stock-block Chevvy engined car to win a USAC race - the Phoenix 300 in 1969 - driven by George Follmer. The car is an exact replica/clone of Jack Brabham's modified BT11 F1 car which he drove to great distinction at Indy in 1966. Jack's Indy car was the Trackburner which currently resides in Melbourne Australia. Sitting the clone and the clonee side by side is a delightful thing to do. 'Gilly' , as it is affectionately known , began to morph into a F5000 car after the Phoenix 300 win , and the shorter side pods and wings which it sprouted are available with this sale. Gilly was purchased in 2005 from California and lovingly ground-up restored by Greg Mobbs in Adelaide and the engine rebuilt and stub axles and brake bells machined by K&A Engineering. Gilly displays the start of the aerodynamic era , with the cute bib on the nose and the paradoxical aero device attached to the exhaust pipes. The chrome molly space frame , the Airheart master cylinders and calipers , the beautiful and huge LG600 gearbox , the original and perfect Hallibrand 15" rims , the original and beautifully fabricated front and rear uprights , and the unique bodywork all come straight from 1968 and represent an enduring and true example of the evolution of the Indy racing car. The 6 litre Chevvy runs faultlessly on Avgas via the Hillborn drip feed fuel injection system. Gilly is an absolute blast and remarkably easy to drive , and pulls the crowd in the pits. It is sensitively adorned with completely period correct stickers. Rosejoints were replaced as required , and all engine and driveline parts were crack tested prior to reassembly. The only non-original part to the car is the installation of a water injection brake cooling system which is activated when the brake pedal is depressed. This makes it possible to confidently push the car as hard as you like without fear of brake fade. The car was bought from Art Evans in LA , negotiated by John Dixon who drove the car as a F5000 for Art in '70 - '73. I bought the car after promising to restore it , which I duly did , and I have raced it with enthusiasm and respectable success for 4 years. But it is now time for someone in the US to take back this lovely piece of motor racing history and to enjoy it amongst other cars of its kind at historic meetings throughout the US. The car is race ready and looks fabulous , but George Follmer tells me that Gilly never had STP stickers when he drove it. But it looks great so they are still there!


History

Howard Gilbert borrowed Jack Brabham's 1966 Indy car , took it to LA , measured it up to the last pick-up point and built 3 clones , 2 for George Bryant who secured George Follmer to drive one of them at Indy in '68 and '69. The car ran a Ford quad cam methanol racing engine in '68 and a turbo charged Ford quad cam in '69. Importantly , when USAC initiated a class of car to run stock block engines in an effort to reduce running costs and to improve reliability in circuit racing , this Gilbert was the first to taste success , at the Phoenix 300 in'69. This car was then raced by John Dixon for Chuck Elliot and Art Evans in West Coast regional meetings in the form of a F5000. The F5000 wings and smaller side tanks are available with the car. The beautiful workmanship found in Howard Gilbert's race shop is well seen in the fabricated steel front and rear uprights , the huge and elegant side tanks which held 220 litres of methanol in bags , and the bodywork which sprouted the beginnings of aerodynamic thought it its first 2 years of life. Art Evans owned the car from '78 to'05 when the current owner brought it to Australia for full restoration and competition. The car qualified at Indy in both '68 and '69 , but scored a DNF on lap 35 in '69 after engine failure when running strongly. The car was then campaigned with F5000 go-faster bits in '70 - '78 in regional races when it retired until Jack Brabham drove it to 2nd place in the '87 Tacoma GP , and John Dixon drove it to 4th place at the Palm Springs GP in '87. The car was then stored and a full restoration was started in '91 with a view to putting the car into a motor racing museum , but the project stalled until the current owner committed to and completed the job in '09. With grooved slicks the car is faster than well driven Formula B cars even on twisty tight tracks.

Competition History

Indy in '68 and '69. Won the Phoenix 300 in '69 with a Chevvy stock block engine.
Performance Data

• Indy/USAC
  
• 1650 lbs
  

Engine

• Howard Gilbert
  
• Indy car
  
• 6000cc
  
• 480
  
• 480 ft/lbs
  
• Hillborn fuel injection of Avgas
  
• Chev
  
• Chev : #28GM3970010
  
• steel
  
• Steel
  
• Carillo
  
• JE
  
• 2/cylinder
  
• pushrod
  
• Tilton twin plate
  
• Tilton
  
• steel
  
• 4 into 1 X 2
  
• 25 hours
  
• 6
  

Fuel System

• Fuel Tank
  
• 46 L
  
• Avgas
  

Oil/Water System

• Aluminium
  
• Front
  
• external , front of block
  
• Over gearbox
  

Electrical System

• Mallory Coil and Distributor
  
• N/A
  
• Glass Mat Gel
  
• N/A
  
• N/A
  

Transmission

• Hewland
  
• LG600
  
• 5
  
• H pattern
  
• No
  
• 25 hours
  
• Remote starter capable
  

Body

• Fibreglass
  
• Blue/White stripe
  
• Excellent
  

Chassis

• Space frame with some filled in panels
  
• Howard Gilbert
  
• Chrome molly
  
• Powdercoat
  
• Excellent
  
• Bright nickel mild steel tube; steel fabricated uprights;excellent
  
• as above
  
• Koni steel bodied
  
• Ventilated discs F and R
  
• Gilbert Rack and Pinion
  
• Hallibrand 15
  
• Avon grooved A11 slicks
  

Interior

• Black and orange seat
  
• Vinyl
  
• Hand held
  
• 6 point Willans
  
• Oil pressure , oil and water temp , tacho
  
• Original racing
  
• Very good and original
  

Spares

• long LG600 layshaft for remote starter
  
• 3 spare Hallibrand rims
  
• F5000 wings
  
• Original Chevvy exhaust
  
• Oil tanks