Listing Description

Delta IR F4 1976 British F4 Championship with Cosworth MAE driven by John Brown

An email I received from another Delta IR F4 owner

Message:
Hi,
I raced the 3rd IRF4 in the 70’s against John Brown/Ian Reed racing team.
It brings back a lot of memories…..It was the best car race car I ever drove, i was super stoked when i set a lap record in the wet at Snetterton in a race in 78/79
The car looks almost the same as it was back then.
Keith

Delta 144 is number 2 of 3 Formula 4 cars built by Delta Racing Cars, LTD of Surrey, UK

Driven by John Brown to 3rd overall in the 1975 British Formula 4 Championship and winning the 1976 British Formula 4 Championship in car number 2. The Delta F4 was brought to the United States in early 1977 where it has competed in a total of 13 races to date.

The Delta was raced 8 times in 1977 including the Champion Spark Plug SCCA runoffs at Road Atlanta. Raced 3 times in 1978 and only once in 1979. The previous owner drove it at a track day in 2014 for about 15 minutes after having the aluminum Girling brake calipers and the radiator rebuilt. He also had a fuel cell installed behind the driver’s seat.

I raced Delta 144 only once at Black Hawk Farms, Rockton, IL in June of 2018. Heavy rain fell that weekend and my failure to fog the engine resulted in the 1mm cast iron compression piston rings on the Cosworth pistons rusting solid. The motor has a Cosworth steel 3 main bearing crankshaft, Cosworth rods and an A8 Cosworth camshaft. The motor drives through a competition clutch to the Hewland MK9 trans axle with inboard disc brakes.

The engine was completely rebuilt. J&E laser scanned the Cosworth piston and then CNC machined an
exact replacement. The new J&E pistons, pins and rings were installed after PHP Racing Engines, Lake Zurich, IL bored and honed to fit the cylinders. New bearings were installed and a 3 angle valve job was completed. PHP also degreed the camshaft which is gear driven with an offset pin to ensure correct
camshaft timing.

The engine was dynoed by Barry Sale of PHP Racing Engines in May showing 100 hp. The motor runs two 40mm IDF Weber carbs on a radically modified cylinder head. The original intake ports are sealed. Then new ports are drilled directly above the intake valves with intake manifolds welded to the cylinder head.

The original MAE (modified Anglia Engine) motor as raced in British F4 used a single 40 DCOE Weber utilizing only a single throat. SCCA FC engines used the twin IDFs. This motor exceeds 9,000 rpm with just over 1000 cc.

McKee Engineering (retired), Lake Zurich, IL fabricated a new steering shaft with the removable steering wheel mount. Al Veracines also inspected the car and verified the fuel cell. The original non removable steering wheel and shaft are included.

All the oil lines are Aeroquip with stainless hose for the pressure lines. The radiator hose have been replaced with silicone hose. The flexible brake hose are all stainless Aeroquip.The brake masters have been replaced with Wilwoods. The original cartridge oil filter has been replaced with a spin on adapter.

The ignition system is a Pertronix billet distributor powered by a MSD Blaster coil. A rebuilt starter is installed. (original parts are included)

Instruments include a 12,000 RPM Chronometric tach, a water temperature gauge and a combination oil temperature/pressure gauge. An SPA FireSense AFF fire system is installed (recharge due).

Safety harness is a Sabelt Formula car set that was new in 2018. New taller mirrors have been installed to accommodate a HANS device. Wheels are 3 piece and there is a spare set.

I have many more pictures of the car and the engine rebuild.

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