Bowin P3
Encyclopedia
The Bowin P3 was a 1968 project that gave Australia a fully professional monocoque
racing car. The P3 was designed for the Australian National Formula
and the Australian 1½ Litre Formula. After the capacity limit for Australian Formula 2 was increased from 1100cc to 1600cc at the beginning of 1969, the P3 found a new home in that class. The car was designed by John Joyce, founder of Bowin Cars
and assisted by Ray Parson, better known as a mechanic.
This was the only Bowin car type to come out of the Joyce-Parsons association. The project took just over 12 weeks to complete.
Only one Bowin P3 was car ever built. It was driven by Queensland
racing driver Glyn Scott, who fitted the car with a "spare" 1600 FVA Cosworth he bought from Piers Courage after the 1968 Tasman Series.
s. Equally important was the fact that almost every component of the car, with the exception of the engine and transmission, was entirely manufactured in Australia.
Joyce designed his own magnesium hub carries, suspension members, wheels, steering, and so on, and fabricated them in his own workshops or had them manufactured by Australian companies. For example, Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation cast the wheels and hub carriers.
Most non-local components used in the car simply could not be manufactured in Australia, although Joyce would have been willing to try local producers had they existed. Those non-Australian components include English FPT fuel cells, made of the rare material hycathane, the Girling disc calipers, fitted all round, and some other special fittings, including the lightweight aircraft battery that fits underneath the driver's knee.
The design programme for the Bowin P3 included as much planning for economic production and lifetime maintenance as for any other phase of the project. Wrapped up in the prime considerations of economics and adaptability was an intense dedication to the idea that this should be purely a Australian car. To achieve this, Joyce borrowed no particular existing designs, but did not consciously avoid them. He believed all ideas on the car were based on sound, established practices and that the only innovations are logical and developments of these. Although Joyce felt the P3 may owe something to a McLaren, the differences were really quite noticeable.
At the rear, the engine sits on integral monocoque rails, and the chassis is not an extension of the bottom or "tub"; of the cockpit part of the monocoque as on many integral chassis design cars.
The engine rails are cross-braced only at the rearmost point. The chassis is supplied complete with transmission (Hewland FT200) since the rear suspension is partly located on the transmission.
The fuel tanks were created as an integral part of the chassis design and were built around the design intention of utilising only fuel cells as fuel carriers. The flexible cells are stuffed through apertures in the cockpit and clip into place on special mountings.
The seat is also part of the chassis, and provision was made in its location for the installation of an auxiliary fuel tank to add to the twin 12-gallon cavities provided on each side.
The actual cockpit interior dimensions are wider than a Lotus
and McLaren monocoque, although the exterior width is small. This makes for an extremely sleek and small body, with better comfort for the driver. A neat touch is the flared-out sides to the cockpit, which Joyce hoped would overcome most of the driving problems associated with lack of elbow-room.
The aerodynamics of the monocoque design basically hinged on a constant upward sloping flat line that carried through from the mouth to behind the driver's head. The design was influenced by John's practical experience with this type of design in his wind-tunnel testing work conducted on the 1968 Lotus Turbine car for Indianapolis
. Many of the ideas used in the latter design were Joyce's; these were adapted for the Bowin P3 as well.
monocoque, of high strength alloy
and steel, utilising the latest techniques in assembly with emphasis placed on ease of maintenance and repair
.
The front suspension of the car was independent, with double wishbones operating entirely on adjustable rod-ends and a separate anti-roll bar. Springing by coil spring
s was enabled in conjunction with Armstrong dampers, incorporating adjustable spring platforms. The suspension has built-in anti-dive qualities.
The rear suspension was fully independent, with double wishbone and radius arm configuration, incorporating anti-squat characteristics. The car was fitted with Armstrong adjustable dampers and spring platform adjustment. Coil springs were used. A separate adjustable anti-roll bar was included in the suspension. Outboard drive-shafts were hollowed out to reduce unsprung weight
. Rear hub carriers were made of magnesium
cast
. The suspension operates entirely on adjustable rod-ends with provision for toe-in and camber
adjustments.
Disc brakes were used. Rear discs were mounted inboard
of the hub carrier. Twin master cylinders with adjustable ratio balance bar were also included.
Lightweight rack and pinion
with adjustable steering column
and lightweight 10 inch leather-covered steering wheel
was used. Steering arms were connected to the rack by adjustable rod-ends.
The car transmission type was Hewland
gearbox F2 type FT2000 with full magnesium
casing. The car's cooling system included Crossflow radiator
low-mounted in nose, connected to power unit by allow pipes and flexible
hose
s. The oil cooling system included Crossflow alloy oil cooler
connected to engine via alloy pipes and high pressure flexible hoses. The fuel system had a 12 gallon fuel cells on each side, in a side panel with twin filters and breathers.
Bodywork included a removable fibreglass nose panel and engine cover
of advanced aerodynamics
. Twin alloy rear vision mirrors
were included in the car.
Electricals were fitted with a master battery
switch and separate ignition switch
and starter solenoid
.
Purchase price of the car in 1968 was $7,000 Australian dollar
s, including transmission and wheels.
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
racing car. The P3 was designed for the Australian National Formula
Australian National Formula
The Australian National Formula was an Australian motor racing category which was introduced by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport in 1964 and remained current until the end of 1969...
and the Australian 1½ Litre Formula. After the capacity limit for Australian Formula 2 was increased from 1100cc to 1600cc at the beginning of 1969, the P3 found a new home in that class. The car was designed by John Joyce, founder of Bowin Cars
Bowin Cars
Bowin Cars was an Australian designer and manufacturer of motor racing cars from 1968 to 1976.-History:The car company was founded by John Vincent Joyce , a successful designer and builder of racing cars and in later years gas appliances incorporating Low NOx Technology...
and assisted by Ray Parson, better known as a mechanic.
This was the only Bowin car type to come out of the Joyce-Parsons association. The project took just over 12 weeks to complete.
Only one Bowin P3 was car ever built. It was driven by Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
racing driver Glyn Scott, who fitted the car with a "spare" 1600 FVA Cosworth he bought from Piers Courage after the 1968 Tasman Series.
Concept
There were two major points about the Bowin Cars' construction: the chief aim of the project was to build a car that was economical enough for Australian racers to afford which was also easy to maintain – unlike most monocoqueMonocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
s. Equally important was the fact that almost every component of the car, with the exception of the engine and transmission, was entirely manufactured in Australia.
Joyce designed his own magnesium hub carries, suspension members, wheels, steering, and so on, and fabricated them in his own workshops or had them manufactured by Australian companies. For example, Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation cast the wheels and hub carriers.
Most non-local components used in the car simply could not be manufactured in Australia, although Joyce would have been willing to try local producers had they existed. Those non-Australian components include English FPT fuel cells, made of the rare material hycathane, the Girling disc calipers, fitted all round, and some other special fittings, including the lightweight aircraft battery that fits underneath the driver's knee.
The design programme for the Bowin P3 included as much planning for economic production and lifetime maintenance as for any other phase of the project. Wrapped up in the prime considerations of economics and adaptability was an intense dedication to the idea that this should be purely a Australian car. To achieve this, Joyce borrowed no particular existing designs, but did not consciously avoid them. He believed all ideas on the car were based on sound, established practices and that the only innovations are logical and developments of these. Although Joyce felt the P3 may owe something to a McLaren, the differences were really quite noticeable.
Design features
The monocoque chassis extends from the front bulkhead to the rearmost engine-transmission mount. The actual chassis projects forwards as far as the front suspension location, but the pedals, master cylinders, radiator, and so on are hung on outriggers built on to the monocoque.At the rear, the engine sits on integral monocoque rails, and the chassis is not an extension of the bottom or "tub"; of the cockpit part of the monocoque as on many integral chassis design cars.
The engine rails are cross-braced only at the rearmost point. The chassis is supplied complete with transmission (Hewland FT200) since the rear suspension is partly located on the transmission.
The fuel tanks were created as an integral part of the chassis design and were built around the design intention of utilising only fuel cells as fuel carriers. The flexible cells are stuffed through apertures in the cockpit and clip into place on special mountings.
The seat is also part of the chassis, and provision was made in its location for the installation of an auxiliary fuel tank to add to the twin 12-gallon cavities provided on each side.
The actual cockpit interior dimensions are wider than a Lotus
Team Lotus
Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing...
and McLaren monocoque, although the exterior width is small. This makes for an extremely sleek and small body, with better comfort for the driver. A neat touch is the flared-out sides to the cockpit, which Joyce hoped would overcome most of the driving problems associated with lack of elbow-room.
The aerodynamics of the monocoque design basically hinged on a constant upward sloping flat line that carried through from the mouth to behind the driver's head. The design was influenced by John's practical experience with this type of design in his wind-tunnel testing work conducted on the 1968 Lotus Turbine car for Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. Many of the ideas used in the latter design were Joyce's; these were adapted for the Bowin P3 as well.
Race history
See the Bowin Cars website for detailed histories of the cars.Specification
The car chassis had high stiffnessStiffness
Stiffness is the resistance of an elastic body to deformation by an applied force along a given degree of freedom when a set of loading points and boundary conditions are prescribed on the elastic body.-Calculations:...
monocoque, of high strength alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
and steel, utilising the latest techniques in assembly with emphasis placed on ease of maintenance and repair
Maintenance, Repair and Operations
Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken...
.
The front suspension of the car was independent, with double wishbones operating entirely on adjustable rod-ends and a separate anti-roll bar. Springing by coil spring
Coil spring
A Coil spring, also known as a helical spring, is a mechanical device, which is typically used to store energy and subsequently release it, to absorb shock, or to maintain a force between contacting surfaces...
s was enabled in conjunction with Armstrong dampers, incorporating adjustable spring platforms. The suspension has built-in anti-dive qualities.
The rear suspension was fully independent, with double wishbone and radius arm configuration, incorporating anti-squat characteristics. The car was fitted with Armstrong adjustable dampers and spring platform adjustment. Coil springs were used. A separate adjustable anti-roll bar was included in the suspension. Outboard drive-shafts were hollowed out to reduce unsprung weight
Unsprung weight
In a ground vehicle with a suspension, the unsprung weight is the mass of the suspension, wheels or tracks , and other components directly connected to them, rather than supported by the suspension...
. Rear hub carriers were made of magnesium
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
cast
Casting
In metalworking, casting involves pouring liquid metal into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowing it to cool and solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process...
. The suspension operates entirely on adjustable rod-ends with provision for toe-in and camber
Camber
Camber may refer to a variety of curvatures and angles:* Camber angle, the angle made by the wheels of a vehicle* Camber thrust in bike technology* In the steel industry, the concavity of rolls...
adjustments.
Disc brakes were used. Rear discs were mounted inboard
Inboard brake
An inboard braking system is an automobile technology wherein the disk brakes are mounted on the chassis of the vehicle, rather than directly on the wheel hubs...
of the hub carrier. Twin master cylinders with adjustable ratio balance bar were also included.
Lightweight rack and pinion
Rack and pinion
A rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a pair of gears which convert rotational motion into linear motion. A circular gear called "the pinion" engages teeth on a linear "gear" bar called "the rack"; rotational motion applied to the pinion causes the rack to move, thereby...
with adjustable steering column
Steering column
The automotive steering column is a device intended primarily for connecting the steering wheel to the steering mechanism or transferring the driver's input torque from the steering wheel.-Secondary functions:...
and lightweight 10 inch leather-covered steering wheel
Steering wheel
A steering wheel is a type of steering control in vehicles and vessels ....
was used. Steering arms were connected to the rack by adjustable rod-ends.
The car transmission type was Hewland
Hewland
Founded by Mike Hewland in 1957, Hewland is a British engineering company specialising in racing-car gearboxes. Hewland was the first company to manufacture a bespoke racing-car gearbox....
gearbox F2 type FT2000 with full magnesium
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
casing. The car's cooling system included Crossflow radiator
Radiator
Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in automobiles, buildings, and electronics...
low-mounted in nose, connected to power unit by allow pipes and flexible
Flexible
Flexible may refer to:* Flexible electrical cable, also known as a power cord* Flexible electronics* Flexible response* Flexible mold* Flextime* Flexible-fuel vehicle* Flexible rake receiver* Flexible spending account, a tax-advantaged savings account...
hose
Hose (tubing)
A hose is a hollow tube designed to carry fluids from one location to another. Hoses are also sometimes called pipes , or more generally tubing...
s. The oil cooling system included Crossflow alloy oil cooler
Heat exchanger
A heat exchanger is a piece of equipment built for efficient heat transfer from one medium to another. The media may be separated by a solid wall, so that they never mix, or they may be in direct contact...
connected to engine via alloy pipes and high pressure flexible hoses. The fuel system had a 12 gallon fuel cells on each side, in a side panel with twin filters and breathers.
Bodywork included a removable fibreglass nose panel and engine cover
Hood (vehicle)
The hood or bonnet is the hinged cover over the engine of motor vehicles that allows access to the engine compartment for maintenance and repair. In British terminology, hood refers to a fabric cover over the passenger compartment of the car...
of advanced aerodynamics
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
. Twin alloy rear vision mirrors
Rear-view mirror
A rear-view mirror is a mirror in automobiles and other vehicles, designed to allow the driver to see rearward through the vehicle's backlight ....
were included in the car.
Electricals were fitted with a master battery
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
switch and separate ignition switch
Ignition system
An ignition system is a system for igniting a fuel-air mixture. Ignition systems are well known in the field of internal combustion engines such as those used in petrol engines used to power the majority of motor vehicles, but they are also used in many other applications such as in oil-fired and...
and starter solenoid
Solenoid
A solenoid is a coil wound into a tightly packed helix. In physics, the term solenoid refers to a long, thin loop of wire, often wrapped around a metallic core, which produces a magnetic field when an electric current is passed through it. Solenoids are important because they can create...
.
Purchase price of the car in 1968 was $7,000 Australian dollar
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
s, including transmission and wheels.