Henk!! Matra or RB??

[willysjeep]

Hi Henk,
I am from South Africa and i admire your knowledge about classic cars. Been a forum member for some time and enjoy the reading so much i forget to post. I own some interesting and fine cars, but the 1 i want to enq, about is a car called in SA a Matra Renault Gordini. Build in 1963, raced in the Kyalami 9hr in 64. The first year the Ren R8 Gor came out.According to this forum Rene Bonnet became Matra but only in 1965. Can this be true. I know my car is a prototype of only 2 being manufactured,and both were sold after the race in SA.
I am only the second owner of the car and campained it on the track for many years before it got stolen on the trailer after a racemeeting. Got it back after 2yrs and a lot of tears in a horrible condition.
I am busy rebuilding it at the moment and will need some parts. It use the same taillights as the Matra Djet. Mine got lost in the theft but i can make a plan with a replacement pair although i would like the original set.
If you can please help me out with the data.
Regards
Basie

[henk4]

Hi,

Thanks for the compliments. Anyway it might be a Rene Bonnet Djet, as they were called before Matra took over.
Read this thread
Simca 1200 S Coupe

and you will find another member who is working on one.....perhaps you can contact him directly, he will probably know more about your car.

[bruxell]

I know this question is for Henk, but it sounds like a later Bonnet DJet, a II or III. The II used an 1108cc motor from the 8 Gordini, the very rare III used a 998cc twin-cam. there were elongated aero-jets racing in endurance events at that time as well, but all would have been built by Bonnet as far as I can tell... Don't mean to intrude, but maybe this can help?

[willysjeep]

Originally Posted by bruxell

I know this question is for Henk, but it sounds like a later Bonnet DJet, a II or III. The II used an 1108cc motor from the 8 Gordini, the very rare III used a 998cc twin-cam. there were elongated aero-jets racing in endurance events at that time as well, but all would have been built by Bonnet as far as I can tell... Don't mean to intrude, but maybe this can help?

This car was bought off the grid with a 1255 Gordini engine, which, according to the old man i bought it from, was the first of these engines and was tested in this race for reliability and performance. These engines became common in the later R8 Gordinis.
As for the car. Only the rearend resembles the Djet. The car is an open seated sportscar,righthand drive,Gordini twin shock suspension and 5speed Gbox. Macnificent car. Need to scan pix to post later

[henk4]

I think it might be related to this.
I shot the car 2 years ago at Retromobile, but I haven't looked into its history. It was shown at the Matra stand, see the V12 behind the car.
Apparently, judging from the name it is a tubular chassis, participating in the 1963 sports car races, probably in the prototype class. It says it is car nr. 7005, so I presume there were at least 4 more, of which one could have been a spider as you describe.

[willysjeep]

My car has got a flat steel and alu chassis, almost the same as the VW beetle, with tubular mounts for the suspension. Front suspension is Gordini. Pedalbox is also Gordini.
There is also no resemblance between your pix and the car. The car's boby is a lot flatter and wider. The highest point on the body is at the rear over the backwheel and that is 87cm

[Matra et Alpine]

The tie up with DB, Rene Bonnet and Matra was complicated ... and then they split and Matra bought up RB. The orignal d'Jet bodywork was manufactured by Matra and supplied to RB. So it's possible you've a factory modded body.
When we see pics we might be able to be more specific and if lucky have info in Matra archives.
See Cinquantenaire 1986-10-04 if any of the pics from the 50th anniversary in 1986 help.

Not sure that this pic of the crashed '63 LM6 proto will help

[willysjeep]

This is what the caar looks like. My age does not allow me to use the computer to its fullest performance.......

[willysjeep]

More pix

[henk4]

that's a weirdo, certainly as it apparently has the engine behind the rear axle. I assume there is no doubt about the Matra part of the story, otherwise I would have suggested that it was based on an Alpine A108/106 chassis...

[willysjeep]

Originally Posted by henk4

that's a weirdo,

Ag nee Henk dis dan vir my so mooi

[henk4]

Originally Posted by willysjeep

Ag nee Henk dis dan vir my so mooi

want me to reply in Afrikaans too? or will Dutch be enough?

[willysjeep]

Originally Posted by henk4

want me to reply in Afrikaans too? or will Dutch be enough?

You keep on surprising me Henk....from where the lingo??

[henk4]

Originally Posted by willysjeep

You keep on surprising me Henk....from where the lingo??

I am Dutch....

[willysjeep]

Originally Posted by henk4

I am Dutch....

Ja, but the Afrikaans....been here in Africa??