Jaws!

[Javis]

And now for something completely different:

Gentlemen, a question about Ferrari's awesome Sharkmouth.



I have always wondered why the covers of the carburators were made out of glass or perspex. Like any other carburator they wanted as much air as they could breath in, wouldn't they ? Then why deprive them from that primairy necessity of life by putting them behind a glass dome ??.....





Obviously the carburators must've gotten as much air as needed anyway, otherwise the engine wouldn't even start, wouldn't it. But why not put a wired cover over them like a normal person would do, right ?... ( i believe they did so eventually...). Why make it so difficult for the carburators to breath ??... And why glass/perspex ??.... Truly a bit crazy don't you think ?....

As always, your insight will be highly appreciated.

Thanks!

(btw, just saw a 1 hour interview with Max Verstappen by Wilfried de Jong (dutch interviewer and TV program maker) by showing Max rather big photo's that Wilfried had brought with him. One of these great photo's showed Jim Clark in his Lotus 49. Max didn't show any exitement and couldn't be least impressed. " Hmmm, it looks like a Lotus ?...." "Yes" said Wilfried, "and do you know the driver maybe ?"... "Hmmm..... Jim Clark ?? "....

Anyway, it proved that Max couldn't care less about Formula 1 of the 1960's and before and if he would be invited to drive any of the famous Lotus F1 cars he would say "Thanks but no thanks". He just hasn't any sort of interest in them, nore in its history or drivers. He said he got interested in Formula 1 and its cars *only* from the year when he started karting himself, i.e. 2005. F1 racing before that: " Oh..whatever".. 'Youth of today' remarkable, isn't it..;-)

[Roxane-21]

Same reason we saw those giant air intakes later in the 70s.

If you look closely, there is an open intake on the front side of this cover. The air flow can enter and then cannot exit. This increases the air pressure, and therefore provides some kind of a compression that increases the engine power, although the engine remains technically and officially "atmospheric".

Now, for the reason they made it transparent... Maybe there was a rule back then stating the intakes of the carburators had to be visible from outside of the car.

[Javis]

Same reason we saw those giant air intakes later in the 70s.

If you look closely, there is an open intake on the front side of this cover. The air flow can enter and then cannot exit. This increases the air pressure, and therefore provides some kind of a compression that increases the engine power, although the engine remains technically and officially "atmospheric".

Ach, OK ! Now why didn't i think of that....

It IS very hard to see, even on the photo's i included. In all the 50 plus years i know about the Sharknose it never occured to me that the fronts of the covers are open. So it doesn't seem that crazy afterall ! Still, they changed the glass/perspex material to wired netting anyway. That's also the case on the pretty expensive CMC 1:18 model of the F156 that i have.

There's an amazing digital Sharknose model as well:

Now, for the reason they made it transparent... Maybe there was a rule back then stating the intakes of the carburators had to be visible from outside of the car.

Ok ! That's sounds quite reasonable.

Two of my favourite mysteries solved ! ( in a way i feel sorry to see them go...;-)
Thank you so much, Roxane !

[wombat666]

Another can of worms these carburetor covers.
This rather mediocre shot illustrates the 'standard' clear covers on the later 156 with the 120 degree engine.
Almost all the images I've looked at are the same, no openings front or rear.
There are many variations, mostly experimental, most discarded swiftly.
It seems as if the clear covers were a hang over from the front engined Dino 246 and 250 Testa Rossa family, almost all of the big V12 sports cars were fitted with these as an aid to forward visibility, so the story goes.
The rear brake ducts also have smaller clear inlets, open at the front as the intent is brake cooling.
And as an aside, the 'shark-nose' was supposedly 'borrowed' from the stillborn Sacha-Gordine F1 project of 1953.

[Javis]

Thanks, John, very interesting ! So these openings at the front of the domes were not really carved in stone so to speak... (no question about that on the F246 Dino transparent dome!) Martin Brundle and Damian Hill pay a nice tribute to the Sharknose. They both drive it. Replicas of course. One has only one mid dome and looks like this :



The other one has the standard two domes. No openings to see, atleast not at the front:



Ashame really Enzo had them all scrapped...

Here's a short moving video of Chris Rea who had a Sharknose replica build for him (that Josephine of his must've brought home a boatload of money..) and showing it to Phill Hill at Goodwood https://youtu.be/zz_p1fyh7Ds

The Sacha-Gordine F1 project is very interesting too, thanks! Must say never heard of it... Thought maybe 'Amédée Gordini' ( Renault Gordini) had something to do with it but it didn't whatsoever.. ;-)

So, part of the F156 perspex domes mystery still remains. Good, i love mysteries. ( i played each and every edition of the franchise "Myst". Absolutely fabulous ! )

Thanks again!

[Ferry_vO]

Both replicas attended the 2018 and 2019 Zandvoort Historic Grand prix, being driven by Arturo Merzario (8) and Derek (Son of Phil) Hill (2) in 2018. Quite an unforgettable moment!

[Ferry_vO]

Each car has a different kind of intake cover, as to why these were made of plexiglas, I have no idea. Other cars from that year don't have exposed intakes, perhaps it's just an easy way for the mechanics to see if nothing is stuck inside during a pit stop..?

[Ferry_vO]

Running in 2019 was quite limited, and you can probably tell why..:



Two similar era Porsche 804's , with the intakes behind a grill:

[Javis]

Hey Ferry !

Sorry! Better late than never...: Thanks for the great photos !

That's what i loved about the 60's race cars, they all looked (and sounded !)a bit different. You could easily distinguish racecar brands between one and another.

That more or less went on during the 70's and 80's with one difference : one lawnmower uhhh....racecar looked even more ugly than the other ! I guess innovation comes with a price but i never went to Zandvoort anymore since the introduction of wings and flaps and whatnots. I just went on loving aircraft.