When Frankie Wainman , Yorkshires number one driver, decided to build a new car for the 1981 season Dennis Higgins was there, camera at the ready to recordthe event. For the camera buffs, the technical details are , in his own words "A camera that was far too good for him, and a hell of a lot of luck".

Stage 1

Contrary to popular belief, Fl stock car are not put together in a haphazard fashion from any old material that happens to be kicking around the place. The main rails of the chassis are 80mm x 80mm, 50C grade steel, front bumper 3 sections of 2" x 2" mild steel welded together, back bumper 2 sections of 3" x 11/2", cross members and bumper stays 21/2" x 11/2" box section, and the nerf rails 11/2" x 11/2". All the steel used is box section for added strength and is brand new. The picture shows the final stages of welding the chassis. The chassis underneath the one being welded is, in fact, the template from which all Wainman chassis are built.

Stage 2

Once the chassis has been welded, it is turnd so the underside is uppermost. In this position all the welding below the chassis can be carried out. It is at this stage that the spring hangers, springs and front axel are are fitted together with the sump gaurd. F2 fans may recognise Ronnie Smith (650) who is seen here with Frankie lining up the bottom rails. Young Frankie, learning the tricks of the trade, looks on.

Stage 3

If you have wondered how they manage to change damaged axles so quickly, all is now revealed. The springs are not bolted on, but are held in place with a quick release pin. Simple when you know how.

Stage 4

The next step is to turn the chassis back the right way up and set it up on blocks so the rear axel can be fitted. Both axels are of the ubiquitous Leyland LD veriety. The rear suspension is by quater eleptic leaf springs and radius arms.

Stage 5

Now is the time to fit the guts of the machine, the engine. Frankie, in line with most of the top drivers, favours the Chevy 454. Fitting the engine is not as simple a matter as it may look. The positioning is crucial. Set it too far forward and the car loses traction. Set it too far back and the steering becomes too light. It is not uncommon for a driver to move the engine either backwards or forwards several times during the season, before he is completely satisfied that it is in the correct position.

Stage 6

One point, on which most of the drivers agree. Ls that the engine should be set as low as possible M order to keep the centre of gravity of the vehicle as low as possible. This means that there is less tendency for the car to roll. The fans rnay like to watch a spectacular roll-over, but the drivers would prefer the car to Mmain the right way up. They consider that there O more chance of winning If the car remains on it's., so to speak. As ssn be seen In this photograph, Frankle has managed to get the bulk of the engine below the main chassis rails. leaving only the rocker boxes above.

Stage 7

One point on which most of the drivers agree, is that the engine should be set as low as possible in order to keep the centre of gravity of the vehicle as low as possible. This means that there is less tendency for the car to roll The fans may like to watch a spectacular rolkover. but the drivers would prder the car to remain the right way up. They consider that there is more chance of winning if the car remains on it's fed, so to sloe., As can be seen in this phdograPhi Thankie bas managed to get the bulk a the eogine below the main chassis rails, leaving only the rocker boxes above.

Stage 8

Just, low the engine is set can be seen from this view of the underside of the car. The engine sump sits on the sump guard. and the sump guard Is only one and a half inches from the ground. The sump. transmission housing and gearbox can all be clearly seen behind the exhaust, The battery, another fairly heavy item of necessary equipment, is also set down very low. resting below the chassis and inside the sump guard.

Stage 9

The working parts have all now been fated and many hours have been spent on such mundane jobs as widng up, connecting the steering linkage. fitting the propshaft and steering column, and so on, and so forth. The first item on the agenda is the roll cage. This, of necessity for the complete protection of Me driver, must be extremely strong, and is made from new, top quality steam pipe.

Stage 10

Frankie decided that, on this occations, the car would be completley to his own design. No plans were drawn up and, to ensure that the finnished product turned out exactly the way he wanted, each step of the body building programme was carefully vetted by him personally. The roll cage, seen here from the back, was designed to give clear, all round vision, with side openings large enough to allow easy entry and exit, but small enough to prevent a wheel coming through the the event of a pile-up.

Stage 11

The steel panels are now carefully cut to shape and rivited in to position. The roof of the drivers cad is of plate steel. This is to give the driver the maximum protection should the vehicle be struck by another car whilst on it's side following a collision. The specification is laid down by the Stock Car Board of Control. Needless to say, most drivers would fit this irrispective of the rules. Few drivers would sacrifice saftey for speed.

Stage 13

The car with the exception of the radiator grill which was still being i made, is now complete. As can be seen, it is a very low. compact and rugged machine. How will it perform? Who knows. but if it performs only half as well as it is built. it will be a winner all the way. This shot of the front is one that Frankie hopes won't be seen by many drivers in their mirrors. All he wants them to see is the back.

Stage 14

The great moment arrvies. A speck lick of paint, name and numbers added, and the car is rolled out into the daylight. No.one cracked a bottle of champagne. To Frankie, master car builder and superstar. this was just another day, another car. To rne, it was quite an experience As I stood there Mund myself muttering, "God bless her and all who drive in her"... we'll have more pic's when the proper sign job is complete.

When the car appeared in Stock Car Magazine as the "Golden Olide" here's what was said about the car in hindsight.

He had won the World Final in 1979, was second only to the great Stu Smith in many a race fans eyes and was searching for that little extra in the winter of 1980-81 to prove once and for all that he could make it to number one in the points ... and this was the car that might just do it! Frankie Wainman Senior was already a seasoned campaigner when a new car for the 1981 season was commenced. He'd seen some racing in the USA and had taken more than a passing interest in the low build of all of the quick short track cars he'd watched.

This was surely the way to go?

Interestingly enough, as you will see on page 23, this particular car became something of a magazine project car. because STOCK CAR's new writer for the North, Dennis Higgins, took his camera over to Foster Cliffe Farm in Silsden, North Yorkshire for a week by week build up feature, which in a double page spread and fourteen photos over a few less weeks saw the racer emerge from flat chassis to ready to race supercar. The feature revealed that the main rails were 80mm x 80mm 50C grade steel, the front bumper was built from three rows of 2inch by 2inch and the rear was less critical. so came from just two rows of 3inch by inch and a haif! It was by far the smallest car that Frankie had built thus far. anci to maximise the low build and still retain the straight chassis rails, he dropped the 454 Chevy lower in the rails than ever before. The downside to this was if the spark plugs needed to be changed, Frankie had to get down and go under the main rails . .where he would see a sump sitting on a sump guard just an inch and a half off the ground!

Low it surely was, and with a roll cage which featured tight radiuses, and a bonnet which used a lot less aluminium sheet than any before it, the car looked every inch a winner.

But it didn't set the sport on fire. Maybe it was the tracks which were bumpier than they are now. . .maybe those tall Dunlop's didn't respond to a lot of low weight like Hoosiers do today. It was a bridge too far. It won a few races. but didn't deliver as Frankie had hoped. Built at a time when he was building another new car most weeks, Frankie eventually sold the car. to Ger Arnts in Holland I do believe. The next one was more standard Frankie and all of a sudden he was winning finals again. . least that how we remember it.

But the car wasn't entirely a waste of time. In one of those pics from 1981 the caption reads 'Young Frankie, learning the tricks looks on . A decade and a halt later, it was Young Frankie who decided to build an ultra low car. It won him the Long Track World Final, and the UK short track World as well. Now in the hands of Ivan Pritchard its still performing, and if this months GOLDEN OLDIE could be rediscovered presumably somewhere in Holland. and titted with a set of Hoosiers, the odds are it too could deliver final winning form. . but is 'Old Frank' still up for it?

Added 14/1/12