quote:Originally posted by Charlie McCall:
...what the deal was with that fourth motor? IE, why it was a stock motor and not a race motor?... It had something to do with the fact that Claude's team wasn't necessarily in favor with Alejandro ...I didn't think they ran a stock motor because the BM engine croaked, I thought it was because Alejandro wouldn't give them one...
Occording to Mr. Dubois' own account, Mr deTomaso expected each of his European distributors to mount at least one team for the 1972 World Endurance Racing Series, each distributor complied with those expectations by purchassing a Gp4 race car and assembling a team. All the Gp4 Panteras had been prepared and tested by Michael Parkes prior to the first race of the season at Spa, EXCEPT for the Pantera ordered by Mr Dubois! Mr. Dubois assumes that because he was not one to share the usual social amenities Mr deTomaso expected when doing business with somebody, his car had been intentionally left unassembled.
Being the determined man he is, Mr Dubois sent his own mechanic to Modena to assemble the Gp4 Pantera & transport it back to Belgium. The outcome of this first race was that the Pantera of Team Claude Dubois won their class, and placed 7th overall, while all of the other Panteras in the race experienced motor problems.
Assuming it was only luck that the motor in his car didn't fail, Mr Dubois decided to beef up the BME motor in the car before the second race of the season at LeMans. One of the improvements he made was to purchase an internally balanced forged steel crank from Hank the Crank. Upon reassembly, the crankshaft spit one of it's counterweights the first time it was started, cracked the block, ruined the crankshaft. This was some 7 to 14 days before LeMans.
Mr Dubois inquired with Modena about a spare race motor, and was told there were none. Mr Dubois assumes he received this response because he was not on good terms with Mr deTomaso, and therefore the factory as well.
Being the determined man he is, Mr Dubois had the motor lifted from a standard Pantera, installed the parts I mentioned previously from the BME motor, and had this motor installed in the race car, and off they went to LeMans. The outcome of that race was that his Pantera was the only Pantera to finish the race, I believe in 16th place, the other Panteras again sidelined by problems with their BME motors.
Your friend on the DTBB