DB3S

CHAPTER FOUR Aston Martin DB3S

During one of my infrequent visits to Auto impressive record, having been a designer at Auto Union Restorations, a collection of parts, body etc, which in the 1930s. The mighty German Auto Union and looked as if they had come from a farmyard scrap heap, Mercedes Benz Grand Prix cars of the 1930s were all were lying where they had been dumped out of a large conquering and their designers were held in the highest crate. They had come from a farmyard all right but had regard. that look of class and dignity that only good breeding can The new Aston Martin was de ignated the DB3 but give. A few questions elicited the information that it was was not to deliver the success hoped for. It was overweight, an Aston Martin DB3S of 1956 vintage and in fact had had handling problems and took considerable development finished second, with Moss and Collins driving, at that before becoming competitive enough to give its only year's Le Mans. reasonable reSUlt, winning the nine hour race at Goodwood It was one of the last of the breed of "racing sports" in August 1952. cars, such as Jaguar C and D types, 4.5 litre and By then it was realised that a new development of what Maseratis, which were not too far removed from was basically a sound design was needed. Enter Willie production cars, and in many cases shared components. Watson who came to Aston Martin in 1952 as a senior The late 1950 and 1960s saw new breeds of purpose­ design engineer. He was very capable and wo ul d pursue built "sports racing" cars such as , Ford GT40, some idea which took his fancy at the moment. By such Peugeot, Porsche, Matra and so on. Aston Martin built wanderings in the otherwise organised train of events, are the DBRI with which they won Le Mans in 1959. These new directions sometimes found. Everything starts with later, no-compromi e cars were built for just one thing - nothing more than an idea - just a small one usually which winning races - and were in their own way nominally two is then bandied about, first in the original person's mind seat Grand Prix cars. and then by a larger team until a workable package is put The Aston Martin had been sold by the factory to an together. Not many are gifted enough to have an idea, Australian where it had raced for some five years before work it through and then carry out the practical work which being dismantled in 1962/63 by a West Australian farmer will make it happen. How often do we hear, "I thought of hoping to restore it. that a long time ago," when some new method or invention When I decided to write on the restoration of these becomes news. An idea is just that, a figment of the cars, or rather the rebirth of them, I set out to get some imagination, the easy bit really until it is shown to be a background on each one. I read extensively all I could practical, worthwhile way of doing the task, be it a better find and was fortunate in that my son-in-law, Peter Blake, race car or a mousetrap. had quite a library on Aston Martins. Watson took hi s concept of a new car to John Wyer The saga of the DB3S really begins back in 1946 when first who was quick to realise the potential. The idea was a North of England industrialist David Brown purchased that they crank the 4 inch diameter side members of the both the Aston Martin and car manufacturing chassis outward between the front and rear wheels, lower companies. The former company was bought it is believed the overall profile and narrow the car down, shorten the so as to enable David Brown to dabble in motor racing wheel base and generally build in lightness. A reduction and Lagonda so as to acquire the design of a new 2.3 litre of gauge in the main chassis frame from 14 and 12 gauge engine they had designed and developed. down to 16 and 14 gauge, reduced the tracks from 4 feet 3 On racing a two litre prototype Aston Martin sports inches front and rear down to 4 feet 1 inch and shortening car acquired with the purchase, they won the 1947 Spa 24 the from 7 feet 9 inches to 7 feet 3 inches and hour race in Belguim. The decision was then made to so produced a shorter, smaller overall profile car with build and race coupes based on this prototype using both weight down from 2010 lb to 1850 Ib.The reduction in the 2 litre engine and the ex Lagonda 2.3 litre engine frontal area was most important as a square foot less there enlarged to 2.6 litres. The new cars were raced at Le Mans is better value than several yards of streamlined, contoured in 1949 where a 2 litre car finished 7th. The 2.6 litre car body shape. expired after six laps. Better results at Spa saw the 2.6 Another change was David Browns' Gear Works litre car finish 3rd overall and second in the three litre producing a spiral bevel final drive unit with an alloy class. casing. This was to replace the Salisbury bypoid, which This success was enough for Aston Martin to invest in had a heavy iron casing and had always been prone to a purpose built with which to contest the major give trouble as at Le Mans in 1952. races. The design was to be prepared by the recently With the new purpose built unit, the change was made employed Prof. Robert von Eberhorst, who had a most to locate the by a sLiding block in a slot on

204 ASTON MARTIN DB3S

the rear of the casing. A Panhard rod was used on the work was the body on the V I 2 Lagonda - a fine car and DB3, the Sali bury casing having no provision for a sliding every bit the equal of the Rolls Royce of the time - the late block set up. This wa not as good at giving stable, 1930s. predictable handling as the lateral loads were not fed into The influence of those pre-war Lagonda's was in the the chassis centrally. gothic arch shape to the top of the fenders. A raised line Retained were many components from the DB3 such down the centre of the body also overcame the curved as brakes, the trailing link front suspension with torsion panel look. This di tinctive line to the top of the fender bar springs both front and rear and the De Dion tube at the gave what would have been an otherwise plea antly curved rear for suspension. shape a certain "chic" qUality. As stated before, the car The well developed engine was also retained. The had in many ways an almost ballerina quality where the design of this engine is credited to the legendary poise and grace of the body shape was complemented by W.O.Bentley who, after his company had been taken over the agility and balance of the chassis handling as it was to by Rolls Royce, had taken a position at Lagonda. Detail prove on circuits where such qualities were a major asset. design was by a little known engineer whose c.v. is most At Goodwood, Spa or Dundrod, it could give away some impressive. Stewart Tresilian was an honours graduate 20 mph of top speed and con iderable horsepower, and from Cambridge who spent some time at Rolls Royce still be more than competitive. where his work included the SchniederTrophy "R" engine, By early January 1953, time was, as they say, "the later to become the legendary Merlin. He later had a essence of the contract" and so by using and adaptingjigs, distinguished career as a consultant to the motor industry. part building sections of the car without having fmalised De igned in the 1930s this engine had that era of the next steps, overcoming each problem as it arose, as thinking in several of its features. A barrel-type crankcase only experienced, resourceful fabricators can, they had came down around and under the main bearings. The main the first DB3S ready for testing at Monza during the last bearings were in alloy diaphragms or, in the slang term, days of May, some 130 days later. Only a well coordinated "cheeses", being like slices off a round cheese The enthusiastic team such as at Aston Martin could do this. cylinder block and crankcase being ca t iron and the main It was not quite like Bruce McLaren's 'Woosh Bonk' bearing "cheese" in aluminium alloy, the greater car. lohn Thomson used to teIJ the story of how, in the expansion of the alloy made for a nice tight fit as the engine early days of Bruce McLaren Motor Racing, Bruce came warmed up. This combination, popular in the 20s and 30s in one morning and said ,"We are going to build a sprint for high performance engines, was by the 50s pretty much and hill climb car for Patsy Burt", an accomplished lady out of favour. A two valve cylinder head, initially in ca t driver at that time. It transpired that Bruce had been in iron and later changed to aluminium alloy, with double conversation with Patsy and sold her on the idea that a car overhead camshafts chain driven, was conventional with an American V8 engine would be just the job to go thinking for the time. hillclimbing and sprinting with. Bruce was a great one at That the design was sound is born out by the engine implanting the idea that what you needed was just what being enlarged from the initial 2.3 litre and 100 BHP up could be built with the parts of cars he had surplus at the to a capacity of 3 litres and 230 BHP by 1956. That was time. just about its limit and was replaced by a Ted Cutting This was the case, and as finances were at their usual designed all alloy engine for the DBRl which won Le critical state, he could see some assistance both to Patsy Mans in 1958. and himself. Anyway, he announced that they had two This then was the DB3S. What the "S" stood for I weeks to build it in. When all four staff protested that it have not been able to ascertain. Someone, no doubt, will was impossible in the stated time, Bruce, in his usual arm­ read thi and inform me in the fullness of time. waving robust style said, "There is nothing to it. You just The most distinguishing thing about the DB3S was cut four long tubes, weld in some cross ways, some to the body which was so beautifully proportioned and brace it, hang some wheels on it, pop in an engine and effective that it set a new yard tick at the time - not brutally gearbox and then 'Woosh Bonk', you have a race car". beautiful like a well muscled heavyweight boxer as in the When the incredulous looks faded a they usually did when 375 Plus Ferrari, but much more lithesome as would be a they realised that Bruce wasn 't joking, they tarted work ballet dancer. and in two weeks there was the car. Not a sop hi ticated Frank Feely joined Lagonda in 1926 as assistant to the car but one that had quite a distinguished career with Patsy assistant works manager who wa re ponsible for chassis driving. This was the fir t single seat McLaren and still and bodywork. Eventually he got to do some bodywork appears at historic events. drawing. He was fortunate to be employed by such a small Peter Collins, who had driven a DB3 in the Mille company who could not afford specialists but whose Miglia only days before did the test driving. Aston Martin employees had to pitch in on whatever task was at hand. had fielded three DB3 car at that year's . In 1935 when Lagonda folded he was kept on by the new Parnell finished fifth with a broken panhard rod bracket boss A. P. Goode. He attained the position of body and a broken throttle cable. He drove a large ection of designer at the "mature" age of 25. Some of his finest the race, which has a total di tance of 938 miles from

205 ASTON MARTIN DB3S

Brescia down the east coast, over the Alp to Rome then about how easy it all was to go quickly in the new DB3S. back to Brescia, with only the ignition switch to control I can just picture Reg with his verbosity doing a psycho the motor, having wired the throttle in the fully open job on a harassed team trying to sort out their car so as to position. This fifth place of Parnell is the highest placing come to grips with his. Bluff, genial old Reg, never one ever for a British car to use one word where two or more could be used, would Pamell was one of the breed of middle-aged, gutsy be in his element and savouring every moment of it. He post-war drivers, whose career like Duncan Hamilton and was just what other team managers and mecbanics didn't Peter Whitehead, had been foreshortened by the war. He need. Reg knew that and loved it. He was one of racing's never gave in while there was a chance to do some good. great characters. The problem was that while Reg was Spit the dummy and quit because of some malfunction - indulging in all this, fust Moss in a C type Jaguar and never. These drivers would almost pick up the car and then a Ferrari set faster times than his. Wyer bad a problem push or carry it five miles to finish if it were possible. to locate Reg, tear him away from his "fun" and put him They always kept the young new blood on their toes and in the car, where he promptly went out and set such a fast trying, because to quote one, "The old buggers were always time to totally underline what a great car this new one there, grinding on." was, and set the final seal on his demoralising job. This The new DB3S immediately showed a big then wa the first victory of the DB3S, the British Empire improvement over the DB3 which had been tested only a Trophy race on 18 June 1953, the engine a 2.9 litre six few months before at the same circuit. A decrease of almost developing 182 bhp at 5,500 rpm in the chassis of DB 3S1 4% in lap times was attained and that before development l. started in earnest. It was reckoned that a 3% increase in When John Wyer was promoted to general manager in performance over a year was pretty good and here they late 1956, Reg Pamell was appointed race team manager were starting the year with better than that. where hi vast experience allied to his ability to weld Le Mans was only six weeks away and there were three together a great team pirit brought ome of the best results more cars to build and prepare. The team had taken their achieved by A ton Martins. courage in both hands and started to build these cars before It seemed that with the new car the team had the 'load the tests at Monza, but there was very little time for more by the tail on a downhill haul.' Silverstone, Charterhall, than shake down tests to ensure that everything worked. Goodwood 9 hours, and the TT at Dundrod all brought There was no real high hopes for Le Mans as the team victorie . This wa heady stuff for the team who had long recognised that it takes a miracle or better to overcome a dreamt about vanquishing Jaguars outright. lack of testing and preparation for such an arduous event. 1954 was to be the year where they planned to take up Car DB3S/2 with PameIJ driving cra hed on the 16th where they left off in 1953. Horsepower was up to 225 lap, and DB 3S/3 retired with the clutch gone. The 9 inch when a new twin plug head was fitted for Le Mans. Entries single plate clutch was not really up to the job. DB3S/4 were a mish-mash of sports cars and coupes. In the lasted 182 laps before valve trouble stopped it. eventuality, 1954 was a shambles, with Astons trying to The Empire Trophy, in which Pamell was anxiou to do too much, not the least trying to make the ill-fated drive, wa only four day later at the Isle of Man. He set Lagonda V12 4.5 litre into a race car. That engine was a off fir t thing on Monday morning from Le Mans, drove disaster from start to finish. They even supercharged one to England, collected a mechanic at the factory and crossed car, DB3S/1. to the Isle of Man the next day ready for the fust practice. 1955 was the year when Aston Martin consolidated Reg was in fme form and made fastest practice time in themselves in the big league. The faithful LB 6 engine both ses ions. DB3S/l was the prototype car and had been designed all those years before was delivering a reliable taken to Le Mans as a mobile spare parts kit and had not 220/225 bp at 6,000 rpm. A new camshaft later in the received the tender loving care of pre-race preparation. year saw a boost to at times 240 bp. Frank: Feeley had This showed up when, as the car was being driven back to redone the body and put a gothic arcb line through the the garage after practice, it broke a universal on one of the centre of the bonnet and tail section to fmally make them drive shafts. There were no spares available as the car one of the prettiest racing sports cars ever built. Air ducts they had was the complete spare parts inventory! By very to the carburettors and to cool the cockpit were placed late in the evening team manager John Wyer had located a near the no e of the body. The biggest change was disc mechanic who removed the dri ve haft from one of the Le brakes at last. They had been tried at Silverstone in 1954 Mans cars only just returned to the factory, and then drove on evergreen old DB3SIl on the front only. Yes, 1955 to Liverpool in time to catch the fust flight to the Isle of saw the DB3S at its best with several wins and high Man. They fitted the parts in time for Pamell to win the placings. Empire Trophy without over extending himself. Chassis number eight was built as a 1955 team car. A delightful tale i told of how during the practice This car won Spa, was retired at Le Mans, was fourth at sessions Reg went out, set a fast time in his fu t few laps, Aintree, retired at Goodwood, won at and parked the car and then went off to engage in his favouri te finished the year at the Dundrod TT in seventh place. sport, that of revving up the opposition by being so smug

206 ASTON MARTIN DB3S

Chassis numbers nine and ten were built up to be team trouble. This was to be a shake down for Le Mans as both cars during 1956, with No.9 being the car I was to see nine and ten had been built up specifically for that event. being restored at Auto Restorations over 30 years later. At Le Mans on 28 and 29 July 1956 A ton Martin By this time the decision had been made to build a new entered three cars - DB3S/9 and 10 and the new OBRlIl car, the DBRl. The decision to build a further two DB3S in 2.5 litre configuration. It was a crazy time as all cars was taken 0 as to ensure they had good competitive car with a production run of less than 50 cars were supposed in case there was any delay or hitches with the new model. to be in the prototype clas with a 2.5 litre engine capacity Work had tarted on the DBRl in Augu t 1955 and it was limit. Obviou ly 50 OB3S models had not been built, nor to be a straight out 'sport racing' car as distinct from the had that number of 3.8 litre engine 0 type Jaguars, but by previous cars which were 'racing sports' cars. There is a being able to prove that they "planned" and had provision world of difference between the e two terms. The one is for 50 the companie got away with it. It was a difficult a road going automobile exten ively modified and time for organisers truggling to overcome the aftermath developed to be raced. It can be driven on the road and to of the horrific Le Mans tragedy of 1955. Eventually ten illustrate this the DB3S/8 wa driven from the works to team DB3S cars were built, plus another 19 production Spa in Belgium It won the race and was then driven back car with single plug engines as used in the saloons, giving to the works. DBRl was going to be a straight out racing about 180 bhp. car with bodywork to comply with the regulations but Mo s and Collins were paired in OB3S/9, Walker and highly unsuitable to be ever driven on the road although Salvadori in DB 3S/1O, while Brooks and Parnell had the this was done at times to give the car a shake down run. new DBRlIl. Walker cra hed hi car on lap 175 while Ted Cutting, chief racing car designer who had done the DBRl did its bearings in after 20 hour and 246 lap . much of the work to make the DB3S the success it was, This new car had not performed so well as there was a started work to design not only a new chassis but a new new fuel consumption limit and the 2.5 litre engine, while engine as well. He decided on a space frame for the chassis powerful, was thirsty. It howed 212 bhp on the test brake and an all-alloy six for the engine. That Cutting could but, after the airbox was removed and the mixture leaned design an all-new, space-frame chassis and a new engine, down, it was well down on thi figure. even allowing that he used the front uspension from the In DB3S/9 Moss led the race for long periods but DB3S and the cylinder head design from the old LB6 gearbox problem slowed the car towards the end and it engine, and see both into production between July 1955, was only able to finish econd to Sander onlFlockhart in when he first put pencil to drawing paper, and May 1956 a 0 type Jaguar. Being first car home in the three litre was a remarkable achievement. class it had a win there. The car covered 298 laps, 2,492 The engine fust ran on the test bench in March 1956 miles at an average speed of 104.01 mph. and an interesting point with this new motor, designated A feature of the two new DB3S car built for Le Mans RB 6, is that in 1958 when searching for more power they was the change to the bodywork. The separate cockpit went to AJS motorcycles where their very successful 350cc and carburettor air intakes, which had appended single cylinder 7R racing engine was developing some 40 themselves to the original, were deleted and incorporated bhp at that time, or 114 bph per litre. The most the LB6 into the nose alongside the radiator intake. Visually this engine, a used in the DB3S cars, put out on 45 DCO was a big improvement. A faired-in head rest was added Weber carburettors was some 230 bhp or 77 hp per litre, behind the driver. This more or les proclaimed to those the normal yardstick on engine horsepower. The new RB6 who would think otherwise that this was a eriou race engine with a 6000 valve angle cylinder head and in 2.5 car with provision for driver only. In many ways it was litre form delivered 85 bhp per litre. By 1957 with the the culmination of Feeley's design of the original body 9500 twin plug cylinder head, a new camshaft and increased four years before, and was a lovely "clean" piece of work. in capacity to 3 litres. the power was 252 bhp, still around Most cars gather weight as they age and the DB3S was no 85 hp per litre. In 1958, using the data supplied by Jack exception. It had grown from 1,850 lb in 1953 to 2,0611b Williams, the race engineer at AJS, Ted Cutting, designed in 1956. Disc brakes, stronger suspension, little brackets a new 8000 valve angle cylinder head. This was pretty and gussets here and there to stop cracking - all add up. much a copy of the AJS head and while the peak The Le Mans DB3S cars ran LM6 engines of 83mrn horsepower on the three litre engine was only marginally bore x 90mm stroke, 2,922 cc developing 219 bhp at 6,000 improved, it gave a much better spread of power and did rpm and a top speed approaching 150 mph. The car was not "drop off" the top of the power curve. It is well known to be remembered from then on as the one which finished how Van wall used Norton technology to design their second at Le Mans. outstandingly successful Grand Prix engine in the 1950s. The next outing was at Oulton Park on 18 August Little has been written of how AJS were to be equally where, driven by Moss again, DB3S/9 won the sports car helpful to Aston Martin. race. At that same time, 1956, I had been racing Back to chassis DB3S/9. which is the subject of the motorcycles in England and competed once at Oulton Park. remainder of this chapter. Number 9 appeared for its first I can well agree that this circuit was tailor made for a good event at Rouen on 8 July 1956 where it retired with bearing handling car like the DB3S Aston Martin. At Goodwood

207 ASTON MARTIN DB3S

on 18 September, DB3S17 won driven by Tony Brooks, years while they regale all who would listen with their with DB3S/9 driven by Salvadori second. plans. 1957 saw the fInal appearance of DB3S/9 as a team Enter onto the scene Kerry Manola who was the car. The new DBRl cars were taking over a the works saviour of the Ferrari 375 Plus. The difference between team car . At Goodwood on 22 April, and driven by Kerry and the others was that he knew the value of the car Brooks, it fIni hed third. Second was Salvadori in DBRlI and was prepared to pay it. The car was valuable as the I. The final appearance of a DB3S a team cars was at year was 1987 and the world was awash with the millions the 1,000krn Nurburgring on 26 May when DB3S/IO made from speculation in share and property. The market, fini hed ninth. DBR1I2 won, driven by that supremely particularly for sports cars of this type which can be driven gifted driver Tony Brooks, and Noel Cunningham-Reid on the open road to rallies etc, had gone through the roof. as co-driver. This was Astons first win at one of the real I have no knowledge of what McKay paid the factory in elas ic races and the whole team were over the moon. They 1957 but it would have been a considerable amount for had beaten the full might of the Ferrari team. that time. I have read where Stan Jones paid £4,750 for it As the new cars were to replace the good old faithful in November 1958. He raced it once and sold it for £3,500 DB3S models, there was nothing to do but tart up the now I believe, to Barfield. An excellent book by Paul redundant ones while there was still a market for them. Woudenberg on Aston Martin , which can be u ed as a Chassis DB3S/9 was offered to the Au tralian branch of buyer's guide, Lists the value of a DB3S ex team car with the David Brown organisation who contacted David a twin plug head and racing Borrani wheels at well over McKay, an ex patriate Englishman with quite a record as £100,000 (NZ$300,000) in 1986 and the market till had a driver and journalist. McKay found backing from a long way to go before it peaked. AMPOL, a local oil company, to run the car. He changed Kerry Manolas, by talking reali tic sums of money, the colour while it was still at the factory from Briti h made Ray Barfield top and li ten for the first time. Finally racing green to dark red. an arrangement was made where Manolas was to bring McKay, after sorting the car to his liking, went on to the ca h to a freight forwarding company some distance win eight race , including the Australian Sports Car from the farm . There Barfield would deliver the car, or Championship. It was beaten only once by a 300S rather all the pieces, and so complete the deal. The day Ma erati, a faster car in sheer speed, but as had been een wore on and Kerry waited. Eventually Ray Barfield in Europe when it came to handling on a tricky circuit, arrived with his truck stacked with DB3S parts in a woeful there wa none superior, let alone equal to, the DB3S. condition. Manolas had not even been able to inspect what McKay sold the car to Stan Jones who found this lovely, he was to buy. Part of the deal wa that he not vi it the Lithesome car not to his liking a he raced it only once, farm. To ay that he was di mayed when he viewed hi when it retired. He then promptly old it on to Ray Barfield purcha e would be an understatement. Over twenty year of We tern Au tralia. Barfield raced it when and where of storage in a farm hed with hens and sundry farm the opportunity arose until late 1961 when he retired it animals for company had not improved its condition. from competition. At some stage, he dismantled the car Another factor in his dismay was that much was missing. and engine. On inspecting the crank haft he noted what Ray Barfield then advised that he would go and fetch the he took to be crack and 0 promptly irnrner ed the whole re t but wanted all the ca h before he did so. Kerry was in engine in a drum of oil. There it lay at Barfield's rural a dilemma. He had purcha ed it, sight unseen, for a very property for almost 25 years, and where, whenever some considerable sum of money, the sort of amount that would keen collector arrived to see it, and attempted to purcha e buy a very comfortable suburban home. Did he hand it, they were promptly ordered off. No one was permitted over this large amount of cash and risk not getting the re t to even look at the car. of the car, if indeed there was a rest of the car? He decided Barfield had every intention of obtaining another that having gone this far he had better go the rest and so crankshaft and restoring the car, but the years just slipped handed over the cash He waited, and waited, until just by as they are wont to do. We have our younger years before the freight depot closed for the night Ray Barfield when we have dream and nothing is too big to tackle. arrived with the rest. It transpired the reason he did not Racing cars, maintaining them, and running a farm or a want visitors at the farm was his on had dreams of business all at the same time can be taken in our stride. restoring the car and was emphatic that he did not want it Comes middle age when family and other commitments to be sold. take up time and so our dreams are put in the background. This motley collection of parts corroded and laden with I can well understand Ray Barfield coming into such a farm yard flIth was soon in New Zealand. It took no time time in his life. Next month or next year he would not be for Kerry Manolas to decide who would restore this so busy and so time slip by. He had no intention of selling collection of parts into a pristine concours car, and that so why waste time with tho e who think they can get hold was Auto Restorations at Christchurch who had done such of the car, restore it and race it in classic events which a fantastic job on the Ferrari 375 Plus. were becoming popular. The odds are that 95% of them As described at the start of the chapter, the would drag it home, then sit and look at it for a few more conglomeration of parts was indeed a sorry sight. A good

208 ASTON MARTIN DB3S

bracket, with the liding block for location. Thi is traightforward work but great care is needed so as to retain the original rear wheel toe in. The wheel were Borrani specially made and unusual in that a third row of poke~ were fitted to a special flange on the out ide of the wheel rim. Thi was so that the wheel off et could be such that di c brakes could be fitted. At thi time (1956) di c brakes were only just beginning to make their pre ence felt in motor racing, and rather than rede ign the whole su pen ion and brake mounting et up, 0 as to tuck them into the wheel more, they were grafted onto the drum brake mounts. It was easier and quicker than to have special wheels made. It also meant the racing team could change back to drum brakes if that uited their purpose, and indeed DB3S as received for restoration. they did at times do this. The e wheel were dismantled clean up to remove the accumulated crud was neces ary and then rebuilt. Luckily they were in good order a it before Bruce Pidgeon, Alan Stanton and lan Jones did an would have been extremely difficult to find replacement assessment. The steel cuttle was badly corroded as wa as they were unique to the DB3S. much of the body. The tubular subframe which carried The antiroll bar pivoted in needle roller bearing ,which were in a bad way, and so they had to be replaced. the body wa al 0 damaged and corroded. The grill area had been altered during the repair of a track accident and Suspension wa in pretty good hape really and only so would neces itate rebuilding to the original. The engine required a good clean up and service to be ready to bolt and tran rni sion seemed to be all there and on initial back on. The brake ,early Girling type, were all machined examination in not too bad a condition. from solid material and, as is usual with development The decision wa made by Kerry Manola to re tore equipment, had seals of odd size which took a lot of the car to it Le Mans specification, that being its finest tracking down for replacements. The pad naturally were hour. This simplified much debate as there was available not of a size one would find at a replacement part tore a good supply of data about the car at this time. and so proprietary one were selected of a large size and Bruce Pidgeon is an indefatigable researcher and one hand cut to fit. whose energy, enthusia m and attention to detail is what While Alan Stanton wa soldiering on with the cha is makes Auto Restoration one of the world's foremo t and body, lan Jone had orted through the engine and restorers. He dug up magazine articles, records and transmission to asse s the condi tion and need for photographs from Le Man pIu a large wall type cutaway replacement parts. All looked in reasonable order, even illustration which made the job possible. As Alan Stanton the crankshaft which the previous owner had as essed as said, "It was like all the bones of a aur being dumped being cracked. Exhaustive tests at the Air New Zealand on the floor." The bit were all there but which bit went engineering facility found after Auto Re torations had where? cleaned it up, only slight surface cracks in the journals Alan started on the twin tube chassis which was similar radiused corner which they were able to poli h out. New in many re pects to the Ferrari 375 Plus in that two large connecting rod were ordered from Corrillo's in California diameter tube formed the basis of a ladder type cha is. and new pistons made from blanks by local engineering This was in good condition, apart from the right front expert , Denco Engineering. The ca t iron block was in uspen ion mountings whicb bad been damaged in an remarkabl y good order. If there had been any defect there accident in Australia and not very well repaired. It took a it would have been a major disa ter. Crankshaft, con lot of work to restore it to its original condition. It was rod , pistons, valves etc can be made up fairly readily. time-consuming, fiddly work, but it had to be right. The Head and blocks for thirty year old factory special racing tubular frame which supported the body wa badly engines are as carce to obtain a the proverbial hen's teeth. corroded and damaged in parts. New tube were needed The cylinder head wa in relatively good order also, and had to be formed back to the original. The bulkhead only requiring a more or les routine ervice. The complete which was made of steel sheet, was replaced, another tricky engine went together pretty well after the oil pump had job but made simple by the badly corroded original still been overhauled. Fitting the crankshaft, always a tricky being in place undamaged. job with the diaphragm , or "cheese " as the race hop On the rear suspension the De Dion tube had been badly personnel at Aston Martin called them, required the block bent at some stage and straightened with a blowtorch and to be heated while the diaphragms were chilled to enable a big hammer. It was formed in a wide angle vee and so a snug fit. As already detailed these diaphragms carried Alan cut the damaged half off, made a new piece, which the crankshaft and a race car designer Ted Cutting aid he welded into the hubs at one end, and into the central they were well past their "use-by date" in engine design by 1956.

209 ASTON MARTIN DB3S

There were no great problems motor-wi e, nor was respects. It had also been modified in the grill area while there with the transmission which was all in relatively good having damage from a race shunt repaired in Australia. shape. New bearings were fitted as a precaution to make The bonnet straps were recessed as originally and every sure all wa set up as it hould be. care taken to be completely as per Le Mans. On removing the eyebrows over the front wheel arches there were traces of the yellow paint with which these appendages had been painted for that particular car. The factory team used :a different colour for each car as an aid to identifying them in a race. They had no details of what colour had been allotted to this car and so this settled the quest for absolute detail authenticity. There was wer,e a host of 2BA hex headed bolt u ed in fitting the body and cockpit parts together. It took a considerable time to track down a supply of these. The big fuel tank was suffering from corrosion and had to be taken apart and new baffles made and fitted. It was fiddly work to get it all just right. It is on tasks such as this the private restorer often fails. One can get mechanical work done of a fairly high standard, get the chassis straightened and repaired, get the body work remade and DB3S bodywork nearing completioll. welded, but produce a big alloy fuel tank all riveted and welded together and, say, take thi apart and fit new baffles Meanwhile, back on the bodywork, Alan Stanton had and see how many are keen to tackle it, especially if it has to made a new steel bulkhead, cut out all the rotten sections be done just as it was over 40 years ago. of the body and remade the tubular frame which attached The car went together very well really when you the body to the chassis. The body was rebuilt to the original consider the tate it had been in, but then no one had put a Le Mans specification as it had been rebuilt at the factory big American V8 engine in it, or otherwise tried to modify before being shipped to Australia and was altered in some or improve it.

DB3S chassis, all shiney again!

210 ASTON MARTIN DB3S

David McKay, Aston DB3S Slillwell 'D ', Amaroo 1990.

A small point but worth mentioning is that a set of presumably the box as used at Le Mans had been removed bows for a hood was neatly in place under the scuttle. It before the car was sold. The synchro gearbox was a better seems that it wa part of the regulations pertaining to sport proposition for the private owner in far off Au tralia a car racing that provision be there for a hood. When all face dog gears and the dog rings have a high wear rate was finished, they were back in place, of course. and need to be constanJy replaced. The body was then fitted and what a beautiful picture Mter assembly, the car, without the body, went to a it made. Under Bruce Pidgeon' in i tence that only the local racing circuit for 100 miles of running just to check highest standards were good enough, it was turned out all was as it should be. First irnpres ions were what a fini h wi e better than it had ever been. A race car is a delight the gearbox was to use. As i often the case when tool to do a job and so cosmetic finish ranks below race such a thoroughbred is run at a fast touring speed, it all preparation for speed and reliability. feels just right. At racing speeds, any little design fault i It appeared at the 1989 Monterey Historic Automobile magnified and so it wa with the gearbox. Most of the Race's, "Tribute toA ton Martin," correct in even the most racing drivers made a comment that it could have been minute detail. This was at the Laguna Seca raceway on better. the west coast of the United States. The car won the Louis This gearbox, which tarted out its life on the 1952 Vuitton Cup for restoration, and for its new owner Dudley 2.6 litre engine was by 1956 handling twice the Mason Styrron of England, was outright winner of the hor epower at 220 and torque at 220 lb/ft. It underwent British Concours de Elegance. Thi wa fitting tribute to design changes, including pre ure feed lubrication, needle the dedication, craftsmanship and hard work of the staff roller bearings, wider gears and better materials. The at Auto Restoration on the other ide of the world from weight had increased by only a few pounds and externally this historic car's birthplace. it still looked the same as that fitted to production car . The restoration of DB3S/9 wa not a mammoth For 1956 there was a rede ign to change the method of rebuilding as the Ferrari 375 Plus had been where the car engagement to face dogs. This gives a really quick change had been worn out, hacked out, and cruelly abused. The and a competent race driver can flick it from gear to gear. DB3S/9, as purchased by Kerry Manolas, was none of Up until 1955 a synchromesh gearbox had been used and these - it was just plain neglected, with the ravages of time the car, DB3S/9, had one of these boxes fitted 0 and weather doing their worst.

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