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Talbot Lago T26C Grand Prix Racer

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Jive-Bomber, Jul 22, 2010.

  1. Jive-Bomber
    Joined: Aug 21, 2001
    Posts: 3,754

    Jive-Bomber
    MODERATOR

  2. Weasel
    Joined: Dec 30, 2007
    Posts: 6,698

    Weasel
    Member

    I visited the Mullin museum a couple of weeks ago and the museum is simply staggering - not only for the cars but also the art deco artifacts and furniture.

    The race car section upstairs was particularly well done with its recreation of the period pit area of Le Mans.

    A friend of mine in England owned one of these for many years - the former Zora Arkus Duntov car. There was a thread about money no object engines for a hot rod and I posted the DOHC six engine from a T26 as top of my list. Glorious!

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  3. Asphalt Outlaw Hero
    Joined: Dec 9, 2006
    Posts: 963

    Asphalt Outlaw Hero
    Member
    from Dixie

    Such a great fusion of function and beauty.
    I gotta say though, cheap bungee cords to hold down hood and scratch the paint ???
     
  4. F1 Flathead
    Joined: Jun 12, 2007
    Posts: 79

    F1 Flathead
    Member
    from Michigan

    Love that exhaust header!
     

  5. Beach Bum
    Joined: May 7, 2006
    Posts: 573

    Beach Bum
    Member

    A fellow I knew had one of these. It came from Europe in the '50s and was raced in California for a few years. Passed through a few hands before my friend had it. It was very, very tired by that time. He traded it to Peter Giddings who restored it and has raced it in vintage events ever since. Wonderful car.
     
  6. GaryC.
    Joined: Mar 24, 2007
    Posts: 1,557

    GaryC.

    I saw one of these run at The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix about five years ago.
    Standing next to the car and taking in all of the beautiful feature makes you realize that there were far more fantastic F1 cars running than just the most prominent makes.

    If I can find the photos I'll post them here. Speaking of The PVGP; I'm headed there this weekend. Maybe it will be there again an I'll get some new digital shots.
     
  7. flamingokid
    Joined: Jan 5, 2005
    Posts: 2,200

    flamingokid
    Member

    I agree.But they are nice bungees.
     
  8. Mindover
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Posts: 1,644

    Mindover
    Member
    from England

    Yep we did build some cars here in Europe! I am building a body for a Talbot 105 at the moment not quite as exotic as this but quite a car for 1933.
     
  9. dukes26
    Joined: Jun 14, 2006
    Posts: 42

    dukes26
    Member
    from CO

    That car is awesome. In my years as a body & paint guy I had the great fortune to work on 2 of Peter Mullin's Delahayes. Thought I'd post some pics for all to enjoy. The light blue race car is the famed "Million Franc Delahaye". It has a full aluminum body that was hand built in the late 1930's, V 12 power and tons of rivets! The coupe is actually the same chassis and V 12 engine as the race car, but was re-bodied in steel after WW 2 by Henri Chapron. We rebuilt About 60% of the body as this car went thru a complete resto. We took both cars to Pebble Beach, which I highly recommend attending! Anyway, enough babbling... Enjoy the photos!
    P.S. Props to Mullin for entering the race car in Monterey Historics the day before the show at Pebble!
     

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  10. Beautiful cars there is one down here that attends the annual Speed on Tweed event and always love looking at the details.
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  11. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 30,629

    The37Kid
    Member

    Was that the same Talbot that Jerry Sherman had in Malvern, Pa. years ago, or a sister car? Jerry had his long before they were pricey works of art. :)
     
  12. sololobo
    Joined: Aug 23, 2006
    Posts: 8,378

    sololobo
    Member

    What unreal details and quality components, enjoyed seeing this exceptional beast. Thanx ~Sololobo~
     
  13. ScottV
    Joined: Jul 18, 2009
    Posts: 818

    ScottV
    Member

    Very Sweet ... wonder if they have a spare one of these engines laying around that I could use in the HA/GR ??!!?? :p
     
  14. Harry Bergeron
    Joined: Feb 10, 2009
    Posts: 345

    Harry Bergeron
    Member
    from SoCal

    Those Talbot-Lago motors are peculiar in that they are twin cam, but not twin overhead cams.

    To get a true hemi chamber, they put cams down on each side of the block, each with its own set of rocker shafts and rocker covers. The cams look funny since they each have only 6 lobes. That finned thing in the cowl is the oil cooler. Aside from Grand Prix wins, they also won Le Mans about 1950.

    They don't rev that high, about 4,200 in stock form. In the standard road car form it was the fastest available car in the world, until the XK-120 came along. There were about 12 GP cars and about 53 Gran Sport [GS] roadsters and coupes all with custom bodies.

    There were about 700 ordinary production cars built with four-seat bodies of various types, with a de-tuned motor - 2 carbs and 180 HP or so and a longer wheelbase. These sales are what supported the racing efforts.

    The transmission is the Wilson pre-selector [designed for double-decker buses] which is shifted by solenoids selected by that miniature shifter on the right of the steering column, and activated by stabbing the clutch pedal.
     
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2010
  15. Harry Bergeron
    Joined: Feb 10, 2009
    Posts: 345

    Harry Bergeron
    Member
    from SoCal

    More on the Wilson Preselector gearbox invented for buses.

    Racers liked it because you could keep both hands on the wheel at critical moments, since you had already selected the next gear, and merely stabbed the clutch to shift into it.

    Entering and leaving a sharp turn were the natural places to lose control on the 5-inch tires of the period, especially with this powerful and torquey motor. I reckon a certain technique with the throttle pedal was required, but you got to keep both hands on the steering.
     
  16. Thanks for the added info on the tranny!
     
  17. kurtis
    Joined: Mar 13, 2009
    Posts: 2,001

    kurtis
    Member
    from Australia

    I don't think Louis Chiron thought much of the gearbox when it failed after 37 laps at the British GP of 1948.

    [​IMG]
     
  18. Harry Bergeron
    Joined: Feb 10, 2009
    Posts: 345

    Harry Bergeron
    Member
    from SoCal

    The shift arrangement made it way too easy to move the lever the wrong way, as did Pierre Levegh in a Talbot-Lago at Le Mans in 1949, IIRC.

    He shifted down instead of up, locking the rear wheels and spinning off while in the lead with 20 minutes to go. He was trying to drive the whole 24 hours himself, and must have been addled on top of being dumb, foolish and crazy.

    This numbnutz was also at the wheel of the Mercedes when it went into the crowd at Le Mans in 1955.
     
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2010
  19. refried confusion
    Joined: Nov 14, 2010
    Posts: 277

    refried confusion
    Member

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