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| Address: Stratford, CT | |
Exterior Color: Black | |
| Interior Color: Blue & Black | |
| Body Style: T-43, Racing Class Formula 2 |
| Car Class: RACING | |
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1957 Cooper T43 #F2/19/57, History, This Cooper T43 was the 1957 (MarkII) version of Cooper's original Formula 2 model. The 1956 (MarkI) version was called T41, and the 1958 (MarkIII) version was called T45. Serial numbers for the T43 cars always start “F2' and end “57'. The number between prefix and suffix is the car's serial number, 1 through 31., The appendix of Cooper Cars by Doug Nye contains a list of Cooper T43 cars, sorted by serial numbers, with their respective purchaser names and information about their engines. Doug Nye composed his list by transcribing a handwritten ledger, which on at least one occasion he has described as “a work of convenient fiction.' Indisputedly, and as the ledger has it, most T43 cars were built with Climax twin-cam FPF engines. The ledger seems to show that five cars (including Cooper's “school' cars) were built with Climax single-cam FWA (nominally 1097cc) engines, and four cars were built with Climax FWB (nominally 1460cc) engines. Only exactly one car - F2/19/57 - is listed as having been built with a Climax single-cam FWE engine. The FWE was a single-cam version of the Climax engine, nominally displacing 1216cc, that was used in the Lotus Elite. The Lotus Elite didn't enter serial production until 1958, and a very reasonable question has been raised as to whether the FWE engine was even available for this Cooper as early as 1957., Provenance, F2/19/57 was originally purchased and raced by an enthusiastic club racer and former WWII RAF fighter pilot named “Dickie' Stoop. In addition to club events, Stoop entered a couple full-fledged Formula 2 races. The records of the Levant Cup race at Goodwood on April 7, 1958 show that Stoop drove a Climax FWB powered Cooper T43 to finish last, in ninth place. Stoop's T43 was the only single-cam car participating, and it it was two laps down by the end of this fifteen lap race. The race was won by Jack Brabham, followed by Graham Hill in second place. The records of the Maidstone and Mid-Kent Formula 2 race of May 10, 1958 show Dickie Stoop driving a Climax FWB powered Cooper T43 to finish last, in third place. Again, Stoop's car was the only single-cam car participating, and this time he wasn't lapped. The race was won by Bruce McLaren. So, we get the picture that Dickie Stoop aspired to race in Formula 2 and quickly learned that two camshafts would be required to be competitive. Dickie Stoop only used the single-cam Cooper for a short time before buying a Climax FPF powered Cooper T45 (F2/11/58)., At some point, F2/19/57's original engine was removed and replaced with a Climax FPF twin camshaft engine. There are no definative records detailing when the engine swap was completed., Dickie Stoop sold F2/19/57 to Bill de Selincourt, who entered it in at least one Formula 2 race (the Maidstone and Mid-Kent race of 1959). It passed to Sir Nicholas Frederick Hedworth Williamson 11th Bt., who drove it in hillclimbs. After that, its history is unclear for about thirty years. American enthusiast Phil Bostwick imported F2/19/57 from England to the U.S.A., owned it for several years, and drove it occasionally in Vintage Sports Car Club of American (VSCCA) events. Incidentally, Phil was one of the five founding members of The Cooper Car Club. In 2001, Phil sold F2-19-57 to Jay Nadelson, who currently owns and races it., Specifications, Engine: Coventry Climax FPF (dual cam, five bearing, 1475cc) engine. Dual Weber 45DCOE carburetors., Cooling: Copper and brass radiator, plus a very small oil cooler., Exhaust: Custom tri-Y headers, with SuperTrapp diffuser discs., Transaxle: Hewland Mark IX, Front Suspension: Transverse leaf spring, with radius rod in lieu of “curly link'. Koni shock absorbers., Rear Suspension: Transverse leaf spring, with “curly link'. Koni shock absorbers., Brakes: Dual Girling master cylinders with bias bar., Girling 10' x 1.75' twin leading shoe drum brakes., Wheels: Cooper magnesium 8-spoke wheels., Electrical: Small lead/acid battery, mounted just forward of the engine., Fuel System: Fuel Safe fuel cell in the lefthand pannier position. (The original saddle tank is present but not used, and the original right-hand-side pannier tank has been removed to make room for a fire extinguishing system.), Racing Class: Formula 2, Inquire ,, Advertiser Since 1985
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