Topic: Mildren Cooper Climax Type 51

[nicanary]

What makes me real headache, I think to remember that all the T51 from 1959 ran a transverse leaf spring-rear suspension, except Moss' Walker-Cooper at the US-GP. Usually coil-spring-rear-suspension was used with the next model, T53 from 1960

The Mildren T51 definitely had transverse leaf suspension when fitted with the Maserati T61 engine.

[BERTRAND]

after wikipedia, there is wikifromwien your knowledge is impressive

[fromwien]

Thank you very much for the kind words. But I would like to point out that all too often mistakes can be found at 'wikipedia'. Which of course happen to me also. Maybe I've some knowledge about post-war motorsport present, but the pre-war cars still remain as my eternal Achilles heel 

[D-type]

Thank you for the point. 

Hmmmm!  That seller's history is highly dubious:
-   As far as I know the CAMS certification process is very strict, applying the criterion: "As it was - so it must be" pedantically.  I cannot see them accepting a fibreglass body when the Cooper T51 had an alloy body.
-  I have never heard of a Mark 2 FPF Climax 2 litre engine.
The original FPF engine was a 1.5 litre engine.  The 2 litre FPF was an enlargement of the original 1.5 litre FPF with both bore and stroke increased.  The Mark 2 FPF was an improved version of the original 1.5 litre FPF for the 1961 F1 season as an interim measure while Coventry-Climax developed the V8 engine.  It had essentially the same bore and stroke as the original (different websites differ by fractions of a millimetre) but incorporated the developments made to the 2.5 litre versions in the 1959 and 1960 seasons, which were mainly changes to the top end. 
-  As engines were regularly swapped around between cars in period, and the likes of Hall & Hall and Repco have produced continuation versions, the engine number is no proof of originality.

So what is this car really?  An Australian-built replica or re-creation of Alec Mildren's T 51 Cooper with an incorrect 2-litre FPF Climax engine and incorrect rear suspension.  But as Mildren regularly modified his cars, it might have taken this form at some stage (apart from the fibreglass body.).  I suppose Mildren Cooper-Climax is as good a description as any, but I would put it in quotation marks, ie "Mildren Cooper"- Climax.

[fromwien]

The Climax-FPF-engines (Coventry-Climax book):

FPF mark 1
81.2 mm x 71.1 mm = 1,475 cc
86.4mm x 83.8 mm = 1,960 cc

1x overbored, 2,015 cc engine for Rob Walker
4x 88.9mm x 88.9 mm = 2,207 cc

FPF mark 2
94.0 mm x 89.9 mm = 2,495 cc
81.8mm x 71.1 mm = 1.5 litre

14x 2.7 litre even bigger bore & longer stroke

In total 273 FPF engines of 9 different capacities - 159x 1.5 litre, 48x 2.5 litre

[fromwien]

Like 'nicanary' and 'D-type' I have my doubts that the puzzle car is Alec Mildren's 1959 Cooper Type 51, Chassis Number F2-22-59, delivered October 1959 to Australia less engine.

Why didn't the seller use the VIN (F2-22-59) as a identity verification in his ad? Only mentioning the Coventry Climax engine number?

Of course I see the possibility, that Alec Mildren bought a spare chassis sometimes. And in later times, a complete Cooper has been built around this. Should have happened sometimes.. There were some Cooper T51's around, racing in 1959 season, without a Cooper-VIN, based on delivered chassis' with parts supplied by Hollyfield Road.

[BERTRAND]

here is the sales ad for the car

The Mildren Cooper Climax Type 51, never previously offered for sale but after almost 40 years of ownership, imminent retirement from racing forces it's sale.

Type 51 Cooper with 4 wheel disc brakes, 4 coil suspension and a two litre short stroke Mark 2 Climax FPF motor make this a very competitive package.

The car has important racing history established in the early 1960s and raced at some Australian International events. A similar ex Mildren Cooper was placed fourth at the recent Goodwood Revival meeting.

It holds Group Lb Historic lap records at Winton, Eastern Creek, Wakefield Park, Amaroo, Oran Park plus Grafton and Mt Cotton hillclimbs with geriatric driver so there is plenty of potential there for a more enthusiastic operator.

Naturally it has a CAMS Certificate of Description certifying it's provenance. At A$165,000 it is far less than similar cars being offered overseas.