1966 Janspeed Unipower GT

[Pete]

Universal Power Drives’ George Mark reunited with both Show cars a couple of years ago...

[mk1]

I bet I'm the only person sad enough to collect those badges.

[AndyB72]

How cool is that!!!

[roger mcnab]

hi pete i have been drooling over the uni gt ever since first saw it and have been thinking and planning to biuld a replica using the dimensions gleaned from the net and scaling up photos which is quiet easy what i would like to know is where is the petrol tank usually fitted and the best place for the radiator i was thinking in the back with a pair of fans for cooling the other thing was the rear wind screen ut looks like a mgb gtone i would probably use the rover v8 set up that is going in my mini clubman which is in the mini forum it would use the 1800 gear box with a rod linkage in the centre of the car
the engine weight is about same as mini engine set up
have enjoyed your site cheers roger

[rpb203]

Hello Roger,
Depends on how accurate you want it and what you want to do with it? The body moulds still exit with Gerry Hulford in Sussex - although I cant imagine a shell would be cheap.
The issue is with the chassis and there maybe a few who can help with the dimensions of that - Terry Smith or Thomas Jay maybe able to help as they have both had bare chassis's recently.
Regards
Gary

[roger mcnab]

hi pete
well thanks for that the cost of shipping a shell to australia would not be cheap i was thinking of making my own version of frame with out mini sub frames
just making the towers out of 3mm sheet with the holes in the positions for the arms and welding them to the main chassis rails which will run paralel front to back
and then adding side rails and a center back bone and side sections like the original
you did not say where the petrol tank goes but i think in the front space would best with the filler cap under the hood
the rover v8 and austin 1800 gear box will fit in the back snugly and give good power it would be same as my mini clubman which is on this forum
well if you could put a front and rear pic on this site i can print them and work out the scale
cheers roger

[Pete]

Hi Roger, well until you mentioned you were down under I was just about to invite you to have look at my car! You re certainly not the first to suggest trying to built their own Unipower GT, Ive certainly heard a few say it in the past. Remember the Unipower is built around a spaceframe front to back, no subframe parts, with the body bonded to and around it, quite a job to do. I would imagine Keith Hamer (he's on my Unipower GT Facebook page) will know all the chassis measurements as he's made his own from an original for his factory prototype restoration. Mine's a race tank that fills from the top of the scuttle but the standard fuel tanks filled from under the bonnet as pictured...

[roger mcnab]

hi pete
well i was planning on making the space frame chassis out of box section tubing and flat sheet to strengthen various parts was going to make a lotus 7 but the uni gt is a nicer car and not as common i will have to go and talk to the guy i got my rover v8 for the clubman and see what else he has there are about a dozen sitting in his yard so will see about an other for the uni gt
i have got an engineer to make the flywheel for the mini and another to make a 2.7 crown wheel and pinion for the 1800 box so another lot wont take so long to round up also the engine and box weigh about same as corresponding mini parts so should make for spirited driving will run 13 "wheels like the mini
well cheers roger

[mk1]

Roger,

Glad you have managed to get back on OK

Instead of a "boring old Unipower" what about a Coldwell GT?

http://maximummini.blogspot.com/2013/04 ... macau.html

[turbocox]

Pete can you fill me in, about the story of the unipower that was fitted with,,,, was it a FVC, or other ford/cosworth dirived engine?

I think, I heard this story came from Gerry? I think.

[Pete]

Pete can you fill me in, about the story of the unipower that was fitted with,,,, was it a FVC, or other ford/cosworth dirived engine?

I think, I heard this story came from Gerry? I think.

Im sure it was a 1600 FVA shoehorned into Stanley Robinson/John Blanckley's ex Le Mans works racer that they raced together in Europe. Robinson says it was comprehensively wrecked with Blanckley at the wheel at the Nurburgring, with only a few parts salvaged.

[Pete]

The other Le Mans car (practice car) was smashed when a mechanic took it for a road test before the 1969 Targa Florio race...pictured here with Andrew Hedges during practice..

[turbocox]

I’m aware of the second car story (the practice car and the mechanic’s indiscretion) but I’m sure the story was, the Nurburgring car, was/is Gerry’s car

I must be getting old as tales and stories are getting mixed up

[Pete]

No Gerry's car was the Le Mans practice car which was the self same Targa car as far as I know. The give away is the the extra cooling holes in the front of the body, this pic was taken with the Le Mans practice numbers on.

[roger mcnab]

hi pete any contact details that i can follow up would most welcome gary also mentioned a couple of guys that may be able to help i got a good front pic of the gt all i need is a rear pic if possible will start some preliminary work soon on the chassis but i need to finish the mini clubman with rover v8 engine to make room so will be busy as soon all the special parts arrive then will start to get i finished
well cheers for now roger

[Pete]

Always good to unearth ‘new’ photos , here’s the January 1967 Racing Car Show stand at Olympia clearly showing Tim’s red chassis #1 and my car in white. The eagle eyed amongst you will also spot the Rob Walker Minisprint , Cooper Car Co Traveller and Marcos stand.

[AndyB72]

Brilliant photos, any pics of the COX GTM stand?

[Pete]

Not spotted one yet Andy, but think the Broadspeed GT stand is also in the B&W shot. Quite a year for slippy Minis then!

[roger mcnab]

hi pete
just a question i hope you do not mind as no body seems to know what the rear window for the unipower gt came from a bit small to be a spitfire one i think but maybe a mgb gt also i am finding it hard to source the head light rims but as a last resort can use honda postie bike ones i am in the process of making the body plug so i can make the molds then the body proper just doing this from measurements and photos cheers roger mcnab

[turbocox]

Brilliant photos, any pics of the COX GTM stand?

They were on trade stand number 100 in 1967, If that’s of any help Andy.