CAT SWB Box Art Brimod shocks

[dinglem]

There have been several posts about the box art shocks and also the press car shocks for the original SWB CAT, with questions over the shocks which appeared to be unthreaded Brimod items.

I had heard that Brimod did indeed make unthreaded shocks in their early days, but had never actually seen a pair. I have also found a mag review from July/August '86 on the new 'Schumacher CAT' which actually references the new 'prototype Brimod shocks.'

Yesterday I managed to purchase 3 pairs of Brimods, all of which were a slightly different spec, but it was the centre pair in the below picture which were the most interesting.

They are identical to the CAT boxart shocks, same upper ring, no body threading and even a slightly increased taper at the lower end of the shock body when compared to the later threaded variant. I grabbed a pic off another thread discussing these very shocks for a comparison.

Pretty cool to finally find a pair of these protoype versions

Once these have arrived i will strip and restore them all and then probably put a thread together detailing all of the models, a timeline and their differences.

[XLR8]

Very cool! I still have that box and I never even noticed the non-production shocks. Thanks for posting this - I'm looking forward to your updates.

[matt1ptkn]

Very cool, but how do you find all this stuff?!?!

[dinglem]

I seem to recall you asking a similar question on my Pro Radiant thread.... I just have fallen lucky a few times, and have also made it known i am very interested in certain (probably fairly obscure) British parts. Brimod and MG being the main ones. I have helped a few folks out with bits and bobs over the past few years, and now whenever something that looks like I might like it pops up, i generally have a few people tagging me in the post almost immediately so i have been able to make some great deals and haven't missed too much. It also helps that I am online quite a bit when i am away from home working, so every other month i am scouring the net trying to track down rare parts. I quite enjoy the investigation and research side of the hobby.

If you look at the Brimod prototype car thread I have running at the minute in the 'Other Makes' section the last few posts are about trying to contact the old team members and test drivers, and I have now managed to do that and am awaiting more information. That progression has also lead me to the widow of the former team owner, so who knows what she might have still stashed away in her loft...?!

[matt1ptkn]

I know I've asked that question a lot... . You just make the process look, and sound, so easy! And your results are phenomenal! I enjoy your topics and effort; keep the wealth of information flowing!

[dinglem]

OK, I just spoke to one of the ex-Team Brimod test drivers, and he recalled the dealings with Schumacher over these prototype shocks.

The Brimod team had dealings with Cecil Schumacher in the early days and were involved with the SWB CAT prototype cars, and they did indeed develop the prototype Brimod shock absorbers for that project. The deal was that these Brimod units would be fitted on all CAT models sold, but Cecil Schumacher wanted them to all be branded as Schumacher shocks, but have Brimod manufacture them. Tony Britten was not having that so the deal fell through. It was a similar scenario for the CAT XL saddle pack chassis, which was made in prototype form for Cecil at the development stage just after the XL was released, but again this was to be branded as a Schumacher product so the deal between the two companies was never made and Schumacher went with their own design. I imagine that means the Brimod saddle pack chassis I have, and these unthreaded Brimod prototype shocks must be one/a pair of very few examples made.

[dinglem]

So a little more good fortune has come my way..... following on from my lucky purchase of the elusive front prototype Brimod shocks for the 'boxart' swb CAT, I have now managed to get my hands on the matching rears. In fact, i uncovered a complete set of four shocks so actually have 2 pairs of these fronts now.

The rears are unusual in that they have a slightly deeper knurled ring at the top compared to the fronts, and another quick look at the boxart car confirms that this was indeed the case on there also. I was slightly surprised to discover that the ring is actually turned from the same piece of metal as the shock body itself rather than being a screw-on addition. My guess it that the original intention was to use it for grip whilst tightening down the upper cap, before subsequently being threaded and being used for the spring tension adjustment also.

I have already started to polish one of the rears up with some rough emery paper, and will go finer before a final polish, but you can already see they are going to come up really well. The second rear is jammed up solid so will need stripping to inspect and free it off.

The rarest version of some of the rarest shocks out there

[winner_evo]

I was always baffled by the SWB boxart cars spring adjustment, now you've explained it, it all makes sense

I can't believe how you keep finding Brimods, I wish I could find a set. I've got another SWB CAT that they would be perfect for.

[dinglem]

I was always baffled by the SWB boxart cars spring adjustment, now you've explained it, it all makes sense

I can't believe how you keep finding Brimods, I wish I could find a set. I've got another SWB CAT that they would be perfect for.

Well i need a SWB CAT for these

[winner_evo]

Well i need a SWB CAT for these

Well I'm a bit undecided what I'm going to do with it but I'll let you know if I decide to let it go.

[dinglem]

Well, i managed to coax the cap off the jammed rear shocker... took a bit of brute force but i can now see what the issue was. Dry as a bone in there and has obviously not moved or contained any oil whatsoever in a long long time. There was a bit of furring up and corrosion holding the piston solid, but a little clean out and a rub over with some fine emery and all is good. Two functioning rears

[dinglem]

One front cleaned up too now. This one still had oil in it and a good upper sealing ring also.

[dinglem]

All four. Came up really nicely in the end

[graemevw]

One front cleaned up too now. This one still had oil in it and a good upper sealing ring also.

77058110_301232170845350_4310958056243462144_n.jpg

That one had oil in it as i put some in to see if it still sealed, then drained it

[dinglem]

Here's a shot of the Jason Varley RC10 from Round 1 of the '86 Radio Race Car Series, from May/June that year.

Unthreaded Brimods on it.....