The MGA With An Attitude
THE 1960 MGA TWIN CAM SEBRING CARS - TC-105
Why some MGA Twin Cam cars have Pushrod Engines
These were Twin Cam roadsters with bolt on aluminum hardtops for lightness. Five of these cars were built. Four went to Sebring, three to race and one as a practice car. The fifth car when to Canada, never raced at Sebring.
From the begining of the M.G. Car Company in the late 1920's through the early 1960's the MG factory was regularly in the habit of building and sponsoring production based cars for competition as a way of demonstrating the strength and durabiulity of the cars. 1960 was the only year that the factory built Twin Cam MGA roadsters for the Sebring race in Florida. Five virtually identical Twin Cam competition cars were prepared at that time, four of which went to Sebring for the endurance race on March 26, 1960, and one to an importer in Canada (never to be raced at Sebring). One of the Florida cars was to be a practice car, being substantially flogged by all of the team drivers in the days prior to start of the Sebring endurance race. Only three of the cars were run in the official competition. All of these cars were to be painted green with black interior and were fitted with hardtop, 4.55:1 final drive ratio and close ratio gearbox. The engines were close to stock except for being fitted with 2 inch carburetors in place of otherwise standard 1-3/4 inch carbs. The first e-mail message immediately following was the trigger to post this article.
At 05:27 PM 11/24/04 -0800, Jim Weissenborn wrote:
"The link you have on your website with the German MG club, we owned the #39 Sebring T/C from 1961-1964. All three cars were purchased after the race and we ended up with #39 which was the one driven by the Canandians, Leavens. We raced it for three years with a 1622 motor a gift from Hambro. The twin cam motor ended up in Skaneateles Lake as a boat anchor. The car had a sad history after that untill it was restored and then wrecked in Moroso racetrack in Florida. I had no knowlege of the car untill I talked to Tony Simms a few years back. It was sent back to the UK and rebuilt and purchased by the Germans a few years ago. The new owner were at the Monterey Historics this year and stopped by our Pit but I missed them. We currently race a twin cam, 1962 MKll roadster #39 and our special, 1959 Byers MGA special #112 which we chase the sports racers around at the Historics etc. Love those MGs. Thanks for your helpful input to all. -- Jim Weissenborn"
At 06:02 AM 11/25/04 -0600, Barney Gaylord wrote:
>"Boat anchor? Ouch! How did that come about?
>
>At least I can fill you in with a few details from intervening years. I was at the NAMGAR regional GT in Grand Bend, Ontario, in July 1999. Three of the five 1960 "Sebring" MGA were there. The practice car had apparently disappeared, wherabouts unknown at the time [see addendum below]. The #38 car (British driven one) was undergoing restoration in Florida and couldn't be there (Tony Simm, Marcos Island, FL). The one shipped to Canada and not raced at Sebring was there at Grand Bend (Robin Baker, Ontario). The #40 car was there (Lyle Yorke, Anderson, IN). And the #39 car (Canadian driven in 1960) was there (Martin Gruss, New York, NY). That car was auctioned a month later at Christie's Sale of Exceptional Motor Cars in Pebble Beach on August 29, 1999, going to the gentleman in Germany (later restored)."
At 03:13 PM 11/25/04 -0800, Jim Weissenborn wrote:
"Thanks for the update. The twin cam motors were pieced mealed (?) together after Sebring and the tricks we use today were not available in 1961. Gordon Lipe who built and raced the original Pooper, Porche-Cooper in 1953 was my mentor when we moved to Skaneateles, NY. Great mechanical ability but refused to work on T/C untill we got rid of motor. He had a shop and house on the lake so you know the rest of the story. I raced against a few Canadians at Watkins Glen in 1961-62 era. One of them, Frank Mount (we still go at it today on the track) took his T/C home and installed a Chev V8. Never asked him what became of this T/C motor. There is a T/C being raced at Elkhart Lake with a T/C on a 5 main B block. Ken Brennaman is the owner from your area. Maybe it is time for a fossil website. Google my name and #39 will show up under CSRG. Happy Thanksging. Jim"
ADDENDUM: January 8, 2005
From a note in the new MGA 50th anniversary book "Call It MGA", final destiny of the 1960 Sebring MGA practice car is resolved, as follows:
"The 1960 Sebring MGA Twin Cam practice car UMO94 (TD2-2572) was originally purchased by Bob Deull. However, a subsequent owner was Bob Moran, who was a Florida based treasure hunter who had the habit of taking his MGA with him on-board ship whilst treasure-diving around the Caribbean.
"Unfortunately he was caught in a storm off Cuba whilst heading for the Dominican Republic. The ship was lost, taking Bob's Twin Cam with it when it went to the bottom. Bob subsequently confirmed that it still had the original Abingdon prepared Sebring engine fitted at the time. He also said that he had a pretty good idea where it went down, but he didn't think there would be much left of the car after all these years in the warm salt water. So, it has to be considered a total loss."
The five specially prepared 1960 MGA Twin Cam "Sebring" cars:
YD2/2571 - UMO93 - Sebring car #40 - Finished 4th in class and 29th overall, driven by Americans Jim Parkinson and Jack Flaherty. After years of ownership by Lyle York in Anderson, Indiana, USA, in 2003 it was purchased by John Wright in Penyslvania. In mid 2006 this car was still preserved as when it left Sebring in 1960, still bearing the names of the drivers painted on the side of the car. There are no plans to "restore" it, and all intention of preserving it indefinitely in its prior race form
#40 - UMO93, as seen at MG2006 in Gatlinburg, TN, in June 2006.
Photo compliments of Rick Brown - Click for larger picture.
YD2/2572 - UMO94 - Sebring car # P - The practice car - Initially sold to Bob Deull, later transfered to Bob Moran, ultimately ending up at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean near Cuba dur to sinking of a boat which was carrying the car.
YD2/2573 - UMO95 - Sebring car #38 - Broken valve spring after 2-1/2 laps, driven by Englishmen Ted Lund and Collin Escott. - Restoration started by Tony Simm, Marcos Island, Florida, USA. Currently owned by Steve Woodyard.
Restoration in process, as purchased, April 2006.
Restoration completed by Steve Woodyard, 13 July 2007.
Concours d'Elegance, Forest Grove, Oregon, 15 July 2007.
Class winner "Retired Race Cars". Click for larger picture.
YD2/2574 - The Canadian car - Long time owner Robin Barker, Ontario, Canada
YD2/2575 - UMO96 - Sebring car #39 - Finished 3rd in class and 24th overall with average speed average of 68.5 mph, driven by Canadians Fred Hayes and O.D. Leavens. Currently owned by Wolf Proepsting, member of the M.G. Car club Germany. This car has been restored.
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