Topic: Solved - MJW #884 - Kangaroo-Fiat Mk 1 1963

[woodinsight]

For a point identify this small sports racer by naming the marque, base car, model & year.

[woodinsight]

Experts?

[Tackitt]

U.S. or Canadian?

[woodinsight]

From the USA

[pftnbr]

Chaparral?

[woodinsight]

Not a Chaparral - much smaller than that.

[Tackitt]

Is this a West Coast racer?

[woodinsight]

Is this a West Coast racer?

Yes, that's right....

[Tackitt]

Air-cooled motor?

[woodinsight]

Air-cooled motor?

No - water-cooled....

[woodinsight]

Pros?

[Paul Jaray]

Kangaroo Mk 1, H Modified, engine comes from a Fiat 850, 1963, built by Plotkin Bros..originally with a NSU 2-cylinder engine...picture taken in 1965, Willow Springs Raceway, CA.

[woodinsight]

Kangaroo Mk 1, H Modified, engine comes from a Fiat 850, 1963, built by Plotkin Bros..originally with a NSU 2-cylinder engine...picture taken in 1965, Willow Springs Raceway, CA.

Absolutely correct and I'm pleased to increase you points tally to 1,333!

Here is a view of the car as restored in recent times.

[Otto Puzzell]

I think the puzzle car is the rear-engine Kangaroo Mk I, and the pale yellow car is the mid-engine Mk II

[woodinsight]

I think the puzzle car is the rear-engine Kangaroo Mk I, and the pale yellow car is the mid-engine Mk II

Well I have to say I'm a bit confused as to what a Mk I and Mk II are.....

Here's three more pictures (two of the Mk I and one that I have as a Mk II).

[Otto Puzzell]

I'm sure the blue car is the Mark II, re-bodied after it was crashed, as raced in the 1980's.

Mark I was built in 1963, and raced in H-Modified. Mark II was built in 1967 and raced in the DSR class.

The rear-engine Mark I (left) had much more rear overhang than the mid-engine Mark II:

[woodinsight]

Yes that's what I was thinking but surely the blue Mk II has been rebodied at some stage?

[Otto Puzzell]

In this pic, you can see Plotkin's re-build of the Mark II in its earlier configuration, underway. This reconstruction is the car in your second pic.

"This is Fred Plotkin's latest reconstruction project. After the Kangaroo Mk1 Fred built the Mk2 which was his second monocoque design. He sold the Mk2 car in the 70's only to buy it back after it was crashed. He has now completed the reconstruction and it will make its debut in a month or so. Where the Mk1 was rear engined, the Mk2 is mid-engined with a Hewland gearbox. It is now powered by a 1070cc Fiat 128 motor with around 130 HP."

[Otto Puzzell]

Yes that's what I was thinking but surely the blue Mk II has been rebodied at some stage?

"Don Wishardt sold the car to Ken Clayholt. At that time the car had a Fiat 850 engine and was converted to a Fiat 1200/1300 when the rules changed. Eric  Scheible became involved with the car in 1984 after Ken had gone through Drivers School. The car had a Tiga body by then and a very large air scoop. The car had a very bad reputation as a one lap wonder.

Eric ended up rebuilding the rear-end and re-skinning the car. He took over the engine building and got the car reliable. He also started working on the spring rates until the car began to work very well. Both Ken and Eric drove the car and took a couple of 3rd places in the San Francisco Region.

Ken and Eric sold the car to Bruce Sunseri who drove the Kangaroo Mk2, circa 1988, in Drivers' School and during his first season of racing in the San Francisco Region. Bruce refined the car further until he crashed heavily at Sears Point turn 11. The car sat in Bruce's shop, Omni Fab, on a pallet until being sold back to the original builder (Plotkin) for restoration. Bruce then went on to design and build the Cheetah chassis."

[woodinsight]

Otto thanks a million for clearing that one up.....
There are many US small sports racers that still cause confusion although I know many sources try hard to solve them (this site being one of the leaders in that respect).