Chaparral 2F

Chaparral Cars built the 2F to compete in the 1967 World Manufacturer’s Championship Series. The 2F was extremely fast and led or ran near the front of every race in which it competed. In spite of development problems with a new aluminum big-block V8 and 3-speed Chaparral automatic, the 2F won the last race of the season at Brands Hatch, England – the BOAC 500 – winning against the full might of the factory teams from Porsche, Ford, Lotus, and Ferrari.

Like the 2E, the 2F featured a high movable wing above the enclosed cockpit chassis. To control the wing, the driver pushed a pedal with his left foot to hold the wing in a flat low-drag position when accelerating on high-speed straight sections. When cornering, the driver released the pedal, which moved the front of the wing to a downward angle. The angle wing provided added down force in the corners. It also increases drag to help slow the car to balance down force on the front of the car; airflow in a tunnel at the front of the 2F was controlled both by air pressure and the wing control panel.

“It was terrific not to go flying off into the wild blue yonder but make just a tiny, little jump and come down again.”
-Chaparral 2F driver Phil Hill, describing a famous jump at the German Nurburging that sent most cars flying – the Chaparral 2F aerodynamics held the car close to the track.

Engine: Chevrolet aluminum big-block 427-cubic-inch V-8
Horsepower: 525 at 6,000 rpm
Carburetion: 4x twin throat Weber

Transmission: 3- speed Chaparral “automatic”
Bodywork: Fiberglass one-piece front: one-piece roof and radiator mounts; three-piece rear; luggage compartments in front (as required by rules)

Cooling: Mid-mounted radiators and oil coolers fed by intakes behind doors; at Daytona only, the air was exhausted to the rear of the car; at Sebring and after it was exhausted upward as on the Chaparral 2E

Aerodynamics: Two position pedal-operated wing acting on rear wheel hub; tunnel with pedal and/or air pressure-operated door in front to help balance down force on body

Chassis: Fiberglass semi-monocoque derived from the Chaparral 2
Wheels: Chaparral spoked single-piece cast magnesium; 16-inch diameter with three-eared retaining nut
Tires: Front 10.10 x 16, rear 12.10 x 16; Firestone