Devin sports racer chassis info????

I know its not a 32' Ford topic but i know there are plenty of 50's sport/ special racer fans out there.

I picked up a Devin body this weekend and i am curious if anyone would have any chassis blue prints and ddimensions of the chassis that Bill Devin built for the cars he produced. I know they cut down production car chassis but i thought i would try if anyone had info.

thanks

 

The VW frame for the K body ?

 

Go to http://www.devinsportscars.com/

Most of your answers are there

 

I saw that on craigslist.
Cool project. I say do a old pikes peak car..

 

Made a bunch of different bodies for a variety of chassis/frames. Go to the bodies link here:

http://sports.racer.net/index1.html

 

I have that body chart, my body is the large one that is supposed to fit over a 54' Corvette frame. I am not sure which direction i will go (stock frame or all new tube frame) i would like to make it safe and utilize newer brakes and spindles but keep the vintage vibe with wire wheels etc...
I am going to have to dig up some circle track/ road race data to get me started.

Vap,
i have been looking for one recently and found several out of state, i must have created some good carma to find one local

keep the info and suggestions coming!

also i will list some Ford parts i am going to peddle to fund the Devin!

stay tooned...................

 

They got stuck on quite a number of chassis.

I've been thinking about trying to buy the one I had back as the guy who bought it hasn't touched it in the past 23 years.

Here's a shot of one that was on a Ferrari chassis that a Ferrari restorer bought to get the chassis because it was from a well known Ferrari race car.


The chassis that came out from under it


Here is the thread on Ferrari Chat about the body and chassis.
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=113281&highlight=Devin+body

 

Yuck, whst the hell is on that frame? I dont mean the devin shell either

 

I had been watching a car for a year thet I thought was a Kellison, it is a coupe with the same type roofline. I had a chance to speak to the owner and he said it was a Devin coupe. NOTHING on the Devin website looks like it.

The chassis is made up of 40 Ford parts, as is the rear end, it also has a 40 Ford dash. Unfortunately it has sat out and the glass is dried out and cracked all over and the metal parts are totally rusty.

 

If you can't find blue prints for the car's frame, how about a Cobra kit car frame made to fit? Gary

 

I think a Cobra frame would be close but i am going to try and find info on the chassis Bill Devin made for some of the cars. I would imagine he probably had geometry close to the Ferrari's he drove????

 

Mine is a Devin "J" body, originally built in 1958. It uses a 56 Chevy passenger car frame narrowed and shortened to a 93" wheelbase. Rochester fuelie SBC, Super T-10, Corvette straight axle and P case, drum brakes all 4 wheels.

 

Do you actually vintage race it? How does it handle? Has the frame been modified other than narrowed in the middle and shortened? (like A-arm mounts relocated) and does it have the stock spindles and brakes.

Is your car one of the "Enchidnas" from Minn.?
I know that is alot of questions, i am trying to sort out what i am going to do with mine.
thanks

 

I race it at vintage events about 4 times a year. Tires are Dunlop Vintage L series bias ply, with a tread patch of 5.5". That and the drum brakes are the limiting factor in the car, but that's they way it ran in the fifties and to change that would be wrong in my view. It's a 450 HP engine and the car weighs 2,200 Lbs, so it gets along. The frame rails, other than being shortened and narrowed have not been modified. The front crossmember is stock, the rest are made up. It uses stock 56 Chevy uprights, springs and A arms in front and coilovers in the back with a Watts link.

It is an Echidna, built in Hibbing, MN in 1958, one of three. This one is #66, the "Larson" car. The May and June, 1960 Sports Cars Illustrated did a two-part article on these cars. It'll run at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI the weekend of May 15.

 

A bunch were made for TR3 chassis, a very common application. Some used D-B which are silly rare, and some used VW.

 

Thanks for the reply and the info. I am starting to lean towards building it similar to the way they were built back then. at least i would have the option to vintage race if i wanted.

cool!

 

This is such a cool thread. Those are some great looking and very cool cars Hemi. Rat I hope you keep us posted. This has me so excited for my next project (if I ever finish the current one). It's been in my head for a few years now so there really isn't much to say about it, other than Ak Miller is a hero of mine. This is very cool stuff!

 

About to purchase a Devin 1959 SS and I to set it up pior I was wondering how 35ratbstr made out with his project

 

You do know that the early Corvette, 53-62, sat on a shortened 49-54 Chevy passenger car chassis.

 

Next project - after the Wildfire - is a Devin. Found a "new", unused body on the internet - the large one like yours. Plan is a one-off tube frame utilizing Jag front susp, Ford 9" rear, 366 Chev, Muncie. Keep us informed on progress!