Can Anyone Date This Tubular Windle Racing in the States

[tekguyonroad]

I'm campaigning this Windle tubular chassis in the West Coast (U.S.) Series and was wondering what vintage this chassis might be. It was originally powered by a TZ750 and was converted to a 900cc triple two stroke snowmobile engine (Suzuki-built for Arctic Cat) and CVT drive. There is what appears to be a crudely scribed number on the aluminum chair platform. It looks like 'Mfg's 70 0001'. I'd hate to think I'm racing a 1970 chassis in the F1 series here! Thanks

[steve-e]

mid to late 80s I'd say and not windle, there seems to be a trend of people calling things windle.

[tekguyonroad]

Hmm..I bought this rig from a pair of Manxmen brothers living in Toronto Canada and had been campaigning it until '99 when I bought it.. They told me it was a Windle. It has Windle wheels. How can you tell it's not a Windle?

[steve-e]

because Terry didn't build a long tubular that I know of.. they were all short/f2, and the long ones were monocoque or carbon.

Loads of people used Terry's wheels over the years on their own chassis. If you listen to the interview with Terry Windle that SlowPhil did, ( now it's in the archive page of the show here http://www.steveenglish.com/index.php/4 ... ls-archive ) , Terry explains that the wheel business was a bread and butter part of the business when he handed over to Dave Cheesmond as D&D Windle.

I'm trying to think what it reminds me of, maybe a Jacobs or something like that originally. Not one of Tony B's or ASCO/Derbyshire.

[tekguyonroad]

Ahh...I guess that is proof enough! Any guess as to the builder? Were these just 'backyard' hacks or were they built by reputable (?) fabricators? BTW: I appreciate your responses! Thanks!

[steve-e]

from memory Bakers had rectangular tube bottom rails not round, that's why I'm thinking not a Baker but maybe some did.
It looks familiar, so maybe someone like Colin Jacobs, there's another name that escapes me at the moment. Someone will know what it was.

[lang]

Terry did build a long tubular outfit for a customer in Canada, I seem to remember seeing it in his workshop in the early 1980s.
As far as I know it was the only one he built.

[steve-e]

there's a thing! if it was the only one he built and it was in Canada then I guess that's why I've never seen one Still looks like someone else's to me but the name escapes me, not Betts, I think the Jacobs long ones had three tubes up to the headstock not two, the derbyshire/asco had a more trellis frame from the engine to the front but it's familiar.

[tekguyonroad]

Yeah..that would be the Daily Bros...they're definitely knowledgeable and had plenty of sidecar racing experience. I didn't think they would b.s. me about the builder. Any way I can contact Terry to verify?

[ianw]

Forks, bottom loop & swing arm do not look like Colin Jacobs. Dick tappo should be able to varify that.

[steve-e]

Howard reckons Terry built a long tubular, that was news to me I'll stick with my mid 80's for the date of it though (and I think some bakers might have had round tubes along the bottom, I've a vague recollection of being pulled up on that before, trouble is all my recollections are vague )

[chrisa]

You're right about the bottom rails on the Baker Steve and if it was an Asco I don't think it would still be in one piece

[the gobshite]

Is it a rumble?

[tekguyonroad]

There's so few of us racing sidecars in the U.S...probably less than 20 on the East Coast (Canadian Series where I raced before moving to California) and in the West Coast Series where, again, there's less than 20 rigs. If we have a dozen rigs show up for a race, well, that's a BIG turnout! If Terry did indeed sell a chassis to a Canadian team then it has to be the Daily Bros. (which is who I bought this rig from) and as we pretty much know everyone involved across the country, I don't know anyone else with one.

[dick tapken]

we've got colin jacobs lwb he built for himself and it look's simular but theres a lot of little bit's that are not colins design if terry did build one it's probably the one you got ,do's it really matter?it's got 3 wheel's so go and enjoy it!