Le Mans history revisited

Model 70 was back at Le Mans, 'sort of'! A privately entered Chrysler Six Model 70, was the first American car to come over and compete, in the third running year of the road racing Le Mans 24 hours endurance race in 1925. Fast forward...1996, Le Mans saw the return of the Chrysler mark to the 24 hour event. Absent since the 1930's, now back on the grid with their mighty 8 litre Viper. The Vipers achieved Le Mans class wins, including total GT2 dominance with 1st-6th Viper placing in 1999 at the 24 hour race. Over the last decade the Viper has been missed at Le Mans, and made a welcome return this year, with SRT's newly developed car. I was delighted to be invited to take part in the Drivers Parade with my 1926 G70 to take the Viper drivers 'jockey style'. For the occasion I removed the rumble seat trunk lid, and made a bench 'perch' seat, and welded up safety rails so as not to loose anyone off the back! I'd spent the winter rewiring the car, overhauling the fuel and brake system etc so it ran nice and reliable, just as it should.

So right as we are about to start the Grande Parade des Pilotes, my Six refuses to run. Now a young lady trying to start ones car, with such a large excitable crowd watching, is a nightmare! I could hardly hear the engine fire for the crowd noise, when trying to pull fuel through the updraft carb. Traced the problem to fuel, the pump had quit. With the car now pushed to one side, I pulled the pump off, took it all apart road side, and got it working once reinstalled!

I'd been thinking about getting a new top made for my roadster, the one on the car had a few more years left in it, but I was further inspired by David's ("deichenb") beautiful 75 pictured in posts competing at Le Mans Classic and Mille Miglia with a black top. Below is a few photos, just back from the trimmers, I am delighted with the result. I had the top made removable, as folded down I could not see over it (with out hauling my 5'6" self out the seat)! I found an antique photo that showed they could have came out the factory that way.

GORGEOUS car!!!