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Generation: C3 Year: 1972 VIN: NA Race Numbers: 48, 28, 76, 97 Ownership: John Greenwood (#48)(1972 to 1976); John Cargill, Bill McDill, Harold Higgins, Gary Valine (#76)(1976 to 1980); Richard Anderson (#97)(1980 to 1984); Anthony Respess (# ?)(1984 to 1986); Anthony Puelo (# ?)(1986 to 19??); Bob Williams (# ?)(19?? to 19??); Jack Boxstrom (#48)(1989 to 1992); Ed Mueller (#48)(1992 to 2003 ?); Harry Yeaggy (#48)(2003 to present). Sponsors: BF Goodrich Lifesaver tires Drivers: # 48 - John Greenwood # 28 - John Greenwood, Dick Smothers, Alain Cudini (1972 Le Mans) # 48 - John Cargill # __ - Rick Anderson # __ - Anthony Puelo # __ - Bob Williams Status: Currently owned by Harry Yeaggy, Cincinatti (OH) and presented at various events Original Color: white (stars & stripes) Tires/Wheels: Wheel rims would be 8 inch in front and 10 inch in the rear, later upgraded to 10 inch all around. Wheels were 9 x 15 Mini-lites; a large stock of Mini-lites were purchased by Greenwood from the Penske Javelin program. The four-bolt wheels had to have the stud holes freeze-filled with similar material and then be re-machined. Greenwood used very large wheel studs on all his cars. The holes in the wheels had to be drilled out to accommodate the studs. 1972 tires were 60 series BFG Lifesaver Radial T/A. Initially, a GR60 and LR60 series tire was used, but the tires that were used during for the majority of the BFG program were x-ray and shaved GR50x15 front and LR50x15 rear. As rules evolved new owners would ultimately upgrade the wheels and tires. Today they list metric sized slicks. On the front wheels, Greenwood ran a very early version of the air extractor fans -- he used cut-down Corvair fans bolted onto the wheel to help move air across the brake area. Engine: Greenwood ran primarily all-aluminum ZL-1 engines for the BFG program. He bought these engines and rebuilt them himself as he felt his version was stronger and more reliable than the GM engine. NOTE:other cars of the era ran the steel block L-88 or L-89 engines as they were convinced that the aluminum blocks were not holding up) Some of the Greenwood engines would produce as much as 780 HP at 6,200 RPM. Originally wet-sump engines with Harrison oil cooler; later races did see dry-sump system used M-22 transmissions; Borg-Warner T-10 viable alternate could have been used from time to time Driveline: Standard GM front suspension pieces with special Greenwood A-Arm bushings and roller bearing idler (steering) arm bushings Front and springs would be changed according to the track. At Daytona they would use up to 1100 pounds Double adjustable KONI shocks Trailing arms were notched to help clear the 10 inch rims. •Rear frame was sectioned to permit the wider wheels to clear the chassis •Brakes were generally the GM J-56 calipers; used two locating pin holes for the pads. Also, another little trick of the time was to put in a spacer between the two caliper halves to permit the use of thicker pads. •Brake pads with ceramic backings were used to reduce heat transfer to the brakes •Standard GM differential with tightened positraction clutches •Ring and pinion gears vary by track but generally used between 3.70:1 and 3.08:1 (even down to 2.98:1 for Daytona) Top: Interior: 12 specially molded interior pieces to make access to various parts easier than with the stock floor pan Gauges and switches specific to racing; Greenwood installed his trademark large oil pressure gauges in a dominant position on the dash. The gauge was by American Gauge Company Aftermarket driver's seat Roll cage has multiple reinforcements in rear compartment meeting at a point behind the driver's seat; cage does not extend forward of firewall. Chassis reinforcement in rear under the floor Condition: Restored URL: Unique Characteristics: Greenwood manufactured molds (both front and rear) with the L-88 flares incorporated; these allowed up to 3 inches wider wheels over stock The roll cages did not extend forward of the firewall; they were triangulated over the rear suspension; Greenwood may not have used the cross-brace between the two front suspension towers Body modifications to permit night racing included the recessed headlight brackets (dual light receivers) and marker lights to illuminate the car numbers for the scoring personnel Because the three cars were designed to be running simultaneously, the Greenwood team also added two colored lights to the roof panels to help the pit crew identify which car was coming in; lights on the #48 car were red and orange and were located on the passenger side; lights on #50 were both orange and were also located on the passenger side; the #49 car had two red marker lights on the driver side Hardtops were also a Greenwood mold to lighten the car; by 1974 the tops were just a lightweight shell with a plexiglass backlight; they were just there to cover the roll cage Modifications: Notes/Race History: The BFG story is well-documented elsewhere. What is often not known is that the BFG cars were also dressed in black livery and ran events, in 1973, under Goodyear sponsorship when there were no conflicting endurance races. At the end of the 1973 season, the cars were put up for sale and, over the next few years were raced extensively by other racers. Registry ID Number: 134 View Original Size  |