The
first customer Porsche 962, chassis number 962-101, was sold to Bruce
Leven, team owner and driver of the Bayside Disposal team in 1984.
Leven would sell -101 to Dyson Racing in 1985. Dyson Racing
would
then take 962-101, with Drake Olson at the wheel, and win at Lime Rock
in '85; their debut event with
the chassis. The original IMSA Porche 962 arrived in a hybrid configuration coupling a |
962
bellhousings
were originally a single piece cast aluminum part. Porsche
soon
replaced these with
magnesium alloy versions in an effort to save weight (the switch to magnesium meant
some
of the wall thicknesses had to be changed to accommodate the change in
material though the outside shape remained the same). But there
were issues with the aluminum bellhousings flexing and cracking
and this required regular inspections. Cracks that would
appear
would then have to be welded up to stop their propagation.
The
bellhousing on 962-101 is an original and bears witness to these welds. |
The underfloor on early 962s, specifically the area that was just below the engine and forming the leading edge of the tunnels, was made out a single piece of bent aluminum. Initially the underfloor was vented with louvers to cool the engine by allowing the heated air to exit underneath the car, though this was quickly found to be detrimental to the car’s aerodynamics and closing the slots off became an easy way to increase the car’s L/D out of the box. |
When the 962 debuted in ’84, IMSA regulations initially limited Porsche to the single-turbo and air cooled, 2.87 liter 962/70 engine. The intoxicatingly large KKK turbo "snail", with its twin waste gates (one for each cylinder bank) tucked underneath, wouldn’t look out of place on a WWII fighter and is prominently placed on top of the bellhousing. The inlet duct for the turbo is molded into the engine cover. The NACA duct in the background (with 101 written on it) directs air to the centrally located engine cooling fan. |
Twin four piston brake calipers grab steel discs and attach to cast magnesium uprights both front and rear. |
962-101 race
history
962-101
was written off following the Road Atlanta accident. The
damage
to the chassis was such that it made better sense to replace the car
then exert the effort in repairing it during a busy racing
season. 101 was then tucked away in the Dyson shop and a
replacement ordered (962-120). Effectively forgotten, it was
many
years later before 101 was dusted off and repaired and given a proper
restoration. And this is how we see it today; as it was
following
the accident in '86 but for a repair and a 20 year time span. |