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Lynx 103 -The first water cooled Lynx
Written by Dick Willis
The Lynx type 103 was one of the original "Ralt" type chassied cars with coil spring front suspension and transverse leaf rear, it was the first water cooled type cars produced.
The Lynx 103 was one of the original "Ralt" type chassied cars with coil spring front suspension and transverse leaf rear, it was the first water cooled type cars produced, the first two being powered by Vincent V Twin engines. It was originally planned to house a blown MG T Type engine, a motor with which builders, Bruderlin and Thomas had had plenty of experience, and coupled to a Porsche type transmission ( SCW 11/61 ) but before the power unit was fitted up it was purchased by Dave Kirkby of Richmond early in 1961. His intentions are unclear but 103 soon passed to Bill Mclachlan who had raced a lot in the early post war period and who operated a ski lodge at Wilberforce on the Hawkesbury River. His intention was to fit a 150hp Mercury outboard engine but this also never eventuated.
In 1963 the still engineless, unpainted and unused Lynx was purchased by Don Lapham of Orange. Don (phoned 4/9/04) painted the Lynx an attractive iridescent blue with silver wheels, retaining the characteristic Lynx red chassis colour. He imported a specially tuned Ford 116E 1500, 5 main bearing Ford engine from the UK for the sum of 225 pounds which he coupled to a VW gearbox with standard ratios, effectively a three speed gearbox as the overdrive top was too highly geared to be useable. Carburetion was by a pair of 1 3/4 inch SU's mounted onto a specially made manifold with an upswept exhaust. Front tyres were 500115 Dunlop Road Speeds and rear 550/15 diamond tread Dunlop Racing. No starter motor was fitted and a small motorcycle battery provided the electrics. The brakes were modified to discs front and rear. Don proceeded to run the Lynx at hillclimbs at Bathurst and Parkes in the mid sixties and at the newly opened Towac circuit at his home town of Orange, there is a very clear picture of Don (MRA No 45) on the front row of the grid at Towac with Leo Geoghegan on pole and Lynx No 108 in second slot.
Later an I 100 engine was fitted to enable it to run in the under I 100 class. Don remembers the Lynx as being an extremely quick car off the line as well as an excellent handler which could be drifted readily and once attained a speed of 128mph at Bathurst pulling 10,300 rpm ! in third gear, top being very overgeared, and did a standing quarter in 14.8 seconds at Parkes.
As other interests took precedence the Lynx fell into disuse and eventually attracted the attention of a group of Historic racing enthusiasts, Peter McLeay, John Medley and Geoff McGrath who bought the car in 1975, taking it back to Sydney in readiness for the advent of Historic racing in Sydney, the first event being held at Amaroo Park in 1976, however there is no evidence of the Lynx being entered although it was first issued with a Historic log book late in 1976 in the name of Bob Wilson, a friend of McLeay. A year later 103 passed to well known Historic racer Peter Mohr who entered it for the Historic meeting at Oran Park in January 1978 with John Cummins as the driver. It was also entered at Winton Historics later in the same year and driven by Peter. Up to this time the Lynx was essentially still in same trim as when raced by Don Lapham, never having had a restoration, just some refurbishment for its return to racing. At this time it was still fitted with the 1100cc engine as raced by Don Lapharn, this engine being later bought by Geoff Fry of Bathurst from Bernie Leimeister. The Lynx was curiously always entered, in Historics, and log booked as a Group L car, despite never having seen the light of day until 1961 and having never turned a wheel in anger until 1963.
In late 1981 the Lynx passed to Terry Harris who restored it and painted it BRG with a red flash and entered it for Amaroo Historics in January 1982 but didn't race it. Finally in 1982 the Lynx acquired an owner who raced it regularly, and over the next three years Lynx 103 became a regular and successful competitor at the Historic meetings at Amaroo and Lakeside, Queensland in the hands of Bernie Leimeister. It appears frequently in the video of the January 1983 Amaroo meeting, however, in March 1985 the Lynx was involved in a most unfortunate accident at Lakeside.
In a strange twist of circumstances it was being pursued by a later owner, Dick Willis, down the back section of the circuit under the notorious Dunlop Bridge when it slipped out of third gear causing the back to drift out onto the grass and spinning the Lynx hard into the Armco on the right of the circuit. Bernie was lucky to escape without any serious injury but the car was not so fortunate as serious damage was inflicted to the left front and left rear suspensions, the chassis being badly bent in those areas and the alloy nose of the car wrecked. Damage being severe, repair was outside the scope and enthusiasm of the owner and neither the car or the owner were heard from for almost 20 years.
However, in September 2004 Bernie was located in Queensland by Dick Willis of Coffs Harbour, who has been responsible for resurrecting many other Historic racing cars, Dick purchased the wrecked Lynx and is proceeding to repair it and return it to Historic racing.
In 1963 the still engineless, unpainted and unused Lynx was purchased by Don Lapham of Orange. Don (phoned 4/9/04) painted the Lynx an attractive iridescent blue with silver wheels, retaining the characteristic Lynx red chassis colour. He imported a specially tuned Ford 116E 1500, 5 main bearing Ford engine from the UK for the sum of 225 pounds which he coupled to a VW gearbox with standard ratios, effectively a three speed gearbox as the overdrive top was too highly geared to be useable. Carburetion was by a pair of 1 3/4 inch SU's mounted onto a specially made manifold with an upswept exhaust. Front tyres were 500115 Dunlop Road Speeds and rear 550/15 diamond tread Dunlop Racing. No starter motor was fitted and a small motorcycle battery provided the electrics. The brakes were modified to discs front and rear. Don proceeded to run the Lynx at hillclimbs at Bathurst and Parkes in the mid sixties and at the newly opened Towac circuit at his home town of Orange, there is a very clear picture of Don (MRA No 45) on the front row of the grid at Towac with Leo Geoghegan on pole and Lynx No 108 in second slot.
Later an I 100 engine was fitted to enable it to run in the under I 100 class. Don remembers the Lynx as being an extremely quick car off the line as well as an excellent handler which could be drifted readily and once attained a speed of 128mph at Bathurst pulling 10,300 rpm ! in third gear, top being very overgeared, and did a standing quarter in 14.8 seconds at Parkes.
As other interests took precedence the Lynx fell into disuse and eventually attracted the attention of a group of Historic racing enthusiasts, Peter McLeay, John Medley and Geoff McGrath who bought the car in 1975, taking it back to Sydney in readiness for the advent of Historic racing in Sydney, the first event being held at Amaroo Park in 1976, however there is no evidence of the Lynx being entered although it was first issued with a Historic log book late in 1976 in the name of Bob Wilson, a friend of McLeay. A year later 103 passed to well known Historic racer Peter Mohr who entered it for the Historic meeting at Oran Park in January 1978 with John Cummins as the driver. It was also entered at Winton Historics later in the same year and driven by Peter. Up to this time the Lynx was essentially still in same trim as when raced by Don Lapham, never having had a restoration, just some refurbishment for its return to racing. At this time it was still fitted with the 1100cc engine as raced by Don Lapharn, this engine being later bought by Geoff Fry of Bathurst from Bernie Leimeister. The Lynx was curiously always entered, in Historics, and log booked as a Group L car, despite never having seen the light of day until 1961 and having never turned a wheel in anger until 1963.
In late 1981 the Lynx passed to Terry Harris who restored it and painted it BRG with a red flash and entered it for Amaroo Historics in January 1982 but didn't race it. Finally in 1982 the Lynx acquired an owner who raced it regularly, and over the next three years Lynx 103 became a regular and successful competitor at the Historic meetings at Amaroo and Lakeside, Queensland in the hands of Bernie Leimeister. It appears frequently in the video of the January 1983 Amaroo meeting, however, in March 1985 the Lynx was involved in a most unfortunate accident at Lakeside.
In a strange twist of circumstances it was being pursued by a later owner, Dick Willis, down the back section of the circuit under the notorious Dunlop Bridge when it slipped out of third gear causing the back to drift out onto the grass and spinning the Lynx hard into the Armco on the right of the circuit. Bernie was lucky to escape without any serious injury but the car was not so fortunate as serious damage was inflicted to the left front and left rear suspensions, the chassis being badly bent in those areas and the alloy nose of the car wrecked. Damage being severe, repair was outside the scope and enthusiasm of the owner and neither the car or the owner were heard from for almost 20 years.
However, in September 2004 Bernie was located in Queensland by Dick Willis of Coffs Harbour, who has been responsible for resurrecting many other Historic racing cars, Dick purchased the wrecked Lynx and is proceeding to repair it and return it to Historic racing.