<VV> Chaparral Transaxles

[James P. Rice]

Jim: Sorry, but not so.  Hall used a torque converter instead of a clutch,
but the guts of the transaxle was originally a two speed transmission. (Over
a couple of years they went to 3 and then 4 speeds)  They use to get beat
off the starting line all the time.  They shifted just like anybody else who
knows how to shift without using the clutch: match RPMs and move the lever.
Remember these were race car drivers, not us mere mortals.

Not having a clutch pedal give rise to answering the question, what to do
with the left foot.  Hall added a third pedal hooked to a hydraulic system
much like cars with a hydraulic activated clutch, only their system
controlled the rear wing.  Press the pedal to the floor, the wing went
mostly flat for max speed, take foot off pedal, wing dropped to down force
position for aero-braking and cornering down force.

Just a added Corvair foot note.  The first Chaparral 2 used a SM Chevy and a
Italian Colatte(SP) transaxle.  The second car, driven by Hap Sharp, used a
BOP alloy v-8 and an inverted Corvair 4 speed.  About 2 races into the '64
USRRC series, they both had SB's and the "automatic".  The moveable rear
wig, chassis mounted at fist, came in late '65, with the strut mounted rear
wing came in second race of the '66 Can-Am season.

Historically Yours,
                   James Rice
                   CORSA member since mid-70's
                   Former Chairman of the Competition Committee
                   Member of original CPF Advisorary Committee
                   CORSA/CPF BoD member and CPF Liaison 1999-01
                   Occasional contributor to the Communique



Message: 1
Date: Sun, 06 Jun 2010 08:58:52 -0400
From: Jim Houston <jhouston001 at cfl.rr.com>
Subject: Re: <VV> PG - Further opinions
To: virtualvairs at corvair.org, Seth Emerson <Sethracer at aol.com>

I thought Jim Hall used PGs in his Chaparral race cars??  Seemed to work
okay for him . . .

Jim Houston