Tony Worswick's group B 308 GTBe

Is there any info out ther on it. It's so awesome. I'm gonna send note to forza mag and suggest a write up on it.


the famous youtube vid of his yellow GTB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8eMT3JGsE0

 

All i know

It's a 76 with a race/rally Ferrari 328 based engine with slide injection.

The Ferrari 308 GTB, from 1976, was the only example to be built to RHD specifications by Worswick Engineering in 1981. Tony Worswick campaigned the car from 1982 to 1986 in prestigious rallies and he was back behind the wheel of the stunning machine for the Goodwood Festival.
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the in-car video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb8RVRSqyb4

 

I sent tony a message through his shop so hopefully he shows up and posts here.

 

He wrote me back: I wrote back again asking about the engine and suspension--Steve


From Tony:

Ferrari 308 GTB Group B OYM 823R


Built by Worswick Engineering during 1981 to full Group B specifications with the assistance of Colonel Ronnie Hoare of Ferrari UK / Maranello Concessionaires Limited.


One of only 7 original Group B factory assisted 308’s. The only RHD Group B Ferrari.


Used by Tony Worswick in the European Rally Championship from 1982 until the end of the Group B era in 1986.


Winner of the 1st ever Maranello Challenge Race Series in 1986. Many rally wins at up to National Level.


Winner of the Motoring News rally car race in 1987, the last event the car took part in during its frontline career.


Tony Worswick


‘The Original’ Maranello Challenge Champion in 1986, the first year of the championship.


3 times Euroboss F1 Champion driving an ex Rubens Barichello/Eddie Irvine Jordan 194 F1 Car.


Has held the outright lap record at 7 circuits at one time or another and holds the outright record for the infamous ‘Dingle Dell’ Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit for ever (now changed to delete dingle dell).


Owns Ferrari specialist Northern Supercars / Tony Worswick Automotive Engineering Ltd., in Blackburn and has prepared Maranello Challenge cars for three championship winning drivers. See www.twaengineering.co.uk.

 

It sounds like 400hp and short gears to me. Blasting around in 2nd and third.

 

The Group B referred to a set of regulations introduced in 1982 for competition vehicles in sportscar racing and rallying regulated by the FIA. The Group B regulations fostered some of the quickest, most powerful and sophisticated rally cars ever built. However, a series of major accidents, some fatal, were blamed on their outright speed. After the death of Henri Toivonen and his co-driver in the 1986 Tour de Corse, the FIA disestablished the class after four years. The short-lived Group B era has acquired legendary status among rally fans.

 

Steve,

Thanks for your interest in the old 308. I have enclosed a scan of an old magazine article which gives some idea of the engine spec.

Basically the engine that is in the car now was built to compete in Formula 3000 in a single seater Raynard, but the rules for the Championship were changed so that only the Cosworth DFV was allowed in. Consequently we had this left over and thought it would be fun to stick it in the back of the rally car.....it was! We don't know the exact power, since the rolling road we used would not hold back the car at full load, but the fuel map is about 10% down on a DFV, which would suggest is giving in the region of 430hp.

We manufactured the cam shafts, the slide injection and some other internal parts for this ourselves, the pistons were made by Mahle, but were basically just high compression QV pistons. We could never get the power we really wanted out of it, since the bore sizes are too small to allow the valve sizes we need to breath at 9000 rpm for a Formula 3000 race engine. The positive side of this is that it produces massive bottom end torque which is great for a rally car. It is certainly one of the easiest and most tractable rally engines I have ever come across and still has considerable biff.

The suspension has changed quite a lot from standard. The wishbones are standard but are fitted with Worswick solid competition bushes, which are slightly similar to the solid bushes you get on the outside end of the rear wishbones on a 308. We have made batches of these which are engineered to directly replace the rubber bushes, but take all the movement out of it and even on a road car work quietly, and completely remove the patter you tend to get from a 308 just after you have hit a pot hole on standard rubber bushes. these are avaivable in kits from us, and have been fitted to almost all the competition 308s in this country and many road cars. The dampers came from Michelotto in Italy who were running a parallel operation with Group B Ferraris for the Ferrari factory, and are magnesium bilstein units. We have re-valved them several times since and have lost trace of the settings. The springs again were Michelotto in the first place, but have been repalced several times.

The steering is via 2.5 turn high ratio rack which we manufacture and sell. Some of the lower rear suspension pick up brackets have been replaced by forged Daytona items, since after considerable use with 12" slicks on pavee roads we did have failures on the original pressed steel ones. Rear hub spindles were made specially by Ferrari for us, in view of problems fracturing the outer flange off them and these later became standard on the 328. Those were about the only parts we ever broke on the transmission, which says a lot considering the hike in hp.

The gearbox has some of the almost unobtainable Michelotto close ratio gears in it, but the dog engagement on these kits was never great, and we have gradually developed it to what I could best describe as a heavy duty Formula 1 dog design, and this has been far, far better.

I got an invite from Lord March to take the car to the Goodwood Festival of Speed a couple of years ago, which gave us the necessary target to get the car put back together again, and since then we have been doing demo events with the Group B car club. As you can see from the enclosed article we literally went all over the World with this car in the past and had a great time.

Best Wishes

Tony Worswick

I have the article, PM me with your email address and I'll send it to you--Steve

 

Technical Specification

Engine: Fuel feed: initially 2.9-litre, V8 unit with carburettors. Now 2.8 4.0+ litre V8 Quattrovalvole unit which uses home-designed throttle slides and fuel injection system, ram pipes from an Alan Smith F3000 engine and Zytek F1/F3000 engine management system Maranello and home-engineered 300 bhp limit! Standard 85 amp alternator. Rev limit set at 7700 rpm (engine capable of 9500 rpm). Pistons made at Marla in Germany.
Suspension: All-independent wishbones, Bilstein dampers and home-made springs. 350 Ib fronts, 550 Ib rears.

Steering: No power steering. Quick rack: home built, 2.5 turns lock-to-Iock.

Brakes: Monster AP Racing brakes, originally Berlinetta Le Mans. Vented 12.5 in fronts and vented rears, Home-built aluminium pedal box with dural pedals.
Transmission: Initially Ferrari synchro close-ratio 'box. Now Michelotto dog 'box with own modifications to dog angles to avoid jumping out of gear. Initially a Daytona Le Mans clutch, now an AP Racing special competition clutch. Standard differential with adjustable pre-loads.

Max speed: Varies between 85 mph and 180 mph. 0-60 mph: 4 sees.
Wheels: Compomotive wheels. 250/15 Michelin fronts and 350/15 rears (supplied by Michelin after Porsche Group B programme was curtailed in 1986.)