January 2007



The first touring car to be FIA Heritage Certificated
June 2007 - No.31

 



Here she is, on a cold misty morning beside the Humber estuary.

After seeing the car at their Brands Hatch track day, Louise Woodhams, the editor of *PERFORMANCE BMW* came up from the south of England, to write a feature on the car for the April issue.

The photographer was much relieved to see the car was yellow and contrasted nicely with the mist that he had driven through, all the way up the east coast. He had the nightmare it would be silver!

Louise's 8-page article is both punchy and historically accurate and has to be the best feature we have ever seen for a particular historic racer.

This lady lives and breathes BMWs, so you beastly beemerboys, go buy the mag - now!

  
A Brief History of the original
1972 "BMW Belgium Racing"Gp2 BMW CSL

Chassis no.2211373 is one of the very first 139 lightweight prototypes manufactured by Munich in late 1971. It was sold to Schnitzer and delivered on
21st Oct 1971 to be built into a Gp2 racer for the 1972 season.
Alan Peltiers father,Albert "Poppa Peltier" bought this Golf Yellow racer on behalf of BMW Belgium and his own company - Precision Liegeoise.

Driven by the young Alan Peltier and Jean Xhenceval the car finished joint sixth, the highest placed BMW in that 1972 championship (against the full works Ford Capri team whose drivers included Sir Jackie Stewart).
They had to remove the aluminium panels (yeah-sure!)that year because they had not been homologated.
However these were put back on in 1973 when it was raced intermittently in the ETCC - because Alan was driving sometimes for the semi-works Alpina team.

When Poppa bought Alan the 1973 ex-works CSL of Amon/Stuck for the 1974 season, the old car like the new one was liveried up in the blue of Gitanes cigarettes, as the spare car, with the same "works arches" and Aeroset.
While Alan and Jean-Louis Lafosse campaigned the ex-works car in 1974, the spare was hired out to paying drivers like Hugh de Fierlant to help with the racing costs, in ETCC, DARM BPCC and Coupe L'Avenir.

 In 1975 the old car was given to Serge Power (in lieu of payment?) who had been Precision Liegeoises main race mechanic from 1972-1975.
Again, while Alan was campaigning the 24v Alpina-Faltz car owned and co-raced by Muller in 1975, Serge rented out the old blue CSL, getting to Jarama with Bernard Carlier and some national races with Reine Wissel.

It was then sold on to Raymond Raus for the 1976 season, and "dumbed down" accordingly with wet sump, four speed box,"eyebrow" arches, and painted red with black aeroset.
Raymond came second that year in Belgian touringcars with this "Autos Raymond"/Valvoline lightweight.
In 1977 he won most of the races in that championship and became 1977 Belgian Tourenwagen Champion
he and Frans Lubin drove it in the ETCC Zandvoort round where it came 6th beating the Luigi UFO CSL, Serges new Decorbel CSL and Finottos "old Luigi"CSL -and the non-finishing Jags of course, not bad for a national touring car competitor.(Alpinas Gosser Bier CSL was the winner).
Raymond moved over to a Kremer Porsche for 1978 and the old CSL never properly raced again.

It was Rallycrossed a couple of times by Huug van Es in Holland (ouch!)!!

When accquired by Zaprace in 2005 it was still full of Zanvoort sand! and on the same slicks it raced on.

Too hot to rot - the car is in superb condition and we have restored it back to its powerful, semi-dry-sump, five speed version of 1973. Every panel is original yellow (1971) except nose which is blue (1974) and the changed wings which are red (1976). That is unbelievable!
It is now Golf Yellow with flourescent orange highlights, (You could get socks that colour in the seventies!) It also has a Heritage Certificate (No.31) and full FIA papers and is race ready.

The Belgium Racing Gp2 BMW CSL 1972-1977



1972. Monza Alain Peltier and Jean Xhenceval 2nd

1973 Spa 24hrs Vincent Gaye and Hugh de Fierlant DNF

1974 Zolder - Alain Peltier and Hugh de Fierlant 2nd

1975 ETCC Jarama Class B - Bernard Carlier 5th

 


1976-77 Gp2/4 Zolder - Raymond Raus 1st





1978 Huug van Es - Rallycrossing !! Twice !!

2005 Found in Stockholm

"Back to the Future" FIA Homologated July 2006



Heritage Certificate No.31 issued June 2007

Special features of the Schnitzer Peltier CSL 22 11 373

Engine: Original (early 1973) 3.3ltr short stroke "Works Schnitzer" type engine
80mm stroke x 95.5mm bore = 3338cc complete with Schnitzer "semi-dry" sump and twin-scavenger magalloy Schnitzer oilpump.
In mid 1973 when the works brought out the new 3.5 longer stroke (84mm) most engines were changed to the larger capacity because the type of long distance racing in the ETCC suited the new engine with its greater torque.
This is the only short stroke screamer still in existance to our knowlege. Serge said - "you must save zis engine, it is very rare - go buy a 3.5ltr for ze racing"
The head is one of the originals no.288.(probably 3.0ltr taken out to 3.3ltr at some time - the rules changed constantly throughout the 70s and so did the allowable capacities)

The cam is a full 330deg hardened racecam. Valves are BIG and sculpted, fed by an original Schnitzer magalloy slide system with a racecammed injection pump. Crank and rods are lightened and balanced of course.

Oil catch tank has been replicated by zaprace using Serges dimensions and capacity, and with much reference to early photos of Schnitzer coupes, and mounted in the correct place.

The steering box is a "quickturn racebox". The Gearbox is a four-speed with a double jointed propshaft.
(We have a re-built five-speed with shortened prop if we need it)

It has adjustable alloy front suspension top mounts (Alpina-Schnitzer-type) and a large dia.antirollbar (swaybar) with adjustable links and alloy mounting blocks.
There are alloy trackrod end plates with alloy leg adaptors (to improve the geometry)

The rear suspension features strengthened rosejointed top mounts and a beefed up rear antiroll bar with nylon mounts and adjustable links.
The rear springs are mounted around shaped alloy turnings to improve the geometry (no rubber)

Calipers front and rear are period Lockheed F1, slightly modified by Gulielmi Motorsport to accept modern pads but the original BMW/Porsche discs have had to be replaced by modern discs and alloy bells for synergy of materials.

Original (12.25" x 15" fronts and 13" x 15" rears) Schnitzer Electra magalloy wheels have been crack-tested and kept for wets, and for slicks we have period Compomotive cross-spoke centres with 16"BBS rims. (12.5"x16" fronts and 13.5" x16"rears)

The original Corbeau GT seat and belts have of course been replaced but carefully saved, and also Alains original Fire-extinguisher!

The rear floor has raised sections either side of the tunnel for the original oil coolers (no longer needed - who is ever going to force these old girls to do a 24 hr race again?)

The original black headlining is still in, as are the door panels c/w long distance kneepad and ashtrays!

Even the door hinges are alloy...

The original alluminium side exhaust pipes are restored, and a nice heavy 96 decibel system (yawn!) made for UK
.
Rear screen is original plastic as are rear quarters, and all alluminium panels are the originals!!!!
The original "S" emergency pull has been kept. The car is as original as any racing saloon car will ever be.


RESULTS(Known):

ETCC 1972 - "BMW Belgium/Precision Liegeoise" - Alain Peltier + Jean Xhenceval (+*John Fitzpatrick)
MONZA 2nd. SALTZBURG 6th. BRNO 5th. NURBURGRING U/C. SPA24 DNF. ZANDVOORT DNF.
PAUL RICHARD 6th. *SILVERSTONE DNS. JARAMA 3rd. Championship result 6th overall (highest placed BMW)

other North Sea Trophy/NIVELLES 3rd. Coupes de SPA 2nd. Coupes Benelux 4th.

ETCC and other 1973 -" Precision Liegeoise" - Alain Peltier + Vincent Gaye + Hugh de Fierlant
SPA24 DNF. PAUL RICHARD DNF. COUPES DE SPA DNF.

1974-75" Gitanes no.2/Serge Power" - Hugh de Fierlant + Bernard Carlier + JC Doret + Reine Wissel
ZOLDER DARM Gp2/4 2nd. ZOLDER GP AVD Gp2/4 4th. ZOLDER BPCC?. JARAMA ETCC 5th.Croix en Ternois 3rd

1976 "Autos Raymond" - Raymond Raus
ZANDVOORT GP/Bekers der Toekomst 3rd. ZOLDER 1st+FL. ZOLDER ADAC Pokal Rennen 6th.
ZANDVOORT /Trophy of the Dunes Gp2/4 2nd. ZANDVOORT Bekers de Toekomst(Coupe L'Avenir) 3rd.
(Raymond Raus 2nd overall 1976 Belgian TCs)

1977 "Autos Raymond" - "Mon" Raus + Frans Lubin + Serve Maasen
ZOLDER Bekers de Belgie 1st. Ecurie Goodyear/Ecurie du Nord 2nd. Super Toerenwagen 3rd.
ETCC ZANDVOORT "Tonka Toys" 6th. ZANDVOORT GP Gp2/4 3rd. ZANDVOORT Bekers der Toekomst 1st+FL
(Raymond Raus 1st overall *Champion* 1977 Belgian TCs)

"Mon" bought a Kremer Porsche mid 1977 and his troubles started.......

Imagine how many thousands of race laps that is for the old 1971 original lightweight......!

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