Description
Restored Argo JM16 GTP IMSA Camel GT chassis 102 with history from the pinnacle era of USA IMSA sportscar racing. Fast and looks great. Built by Jo Marquart, Argo Cars in Thetford, East Anglia, England for USA businessman Charles Morgan. Ready to go vintage racing, or be the fast guy in an attractive historic racecar at private track days. Fresh Lozano Brothers Buick V6 racing engine. Lozano built the original Buick V6 Camel Lights engines for Morgan's car in 1984/ 85.
Major £33, 000 restoration 2018-2024. The car comes with a tremendous amount of spare parts and accessories, historical car information, schematics, instructions, systems diagrams, documentation, receipts. See next section for specifications. See photos for all of the accessories and spares.
Located in Holland, Michigan USA. I am the fifth owner. This Argo is reasonably priced for a GTP car with major restoration and IMSA racing history. I had not planned to sell the Argo, but have an opportunity to acquire and restore a GT40, so the Argo must go. Make an offer.
BACKGROUND
I attended the prestigious Amelia Island Concours in 2018 when the featured marque was the GTP racecars of the 1980's. A good friend owns the Miller High Life Porsche 962 and invited me and others to help show it. After looking at the entire field of beautiful Camel GT racecars I decided to find one for myself. By the end of the year I had purchased the Argo and began work on restoring/ updating the car by replacing all major system components, lines, wiring, an engine rebuild and many other changes and upgrades. See list in next section. In the middle of the project, COVID and other health issues at Lozano Brothers (engine builder), along with supply chain problems caused a 3 year delay in the rebuild of the engine. The car was completed early in 2024, has been road tested, and is ready for racing or track days.
More about the history of the car. This chassis 102 is one of seven IMSA GTP/ Lights cars built by Jo Marquart (founder of Anglia Cars LTD later Argo Cars LTD) in Thetford, East Anglia, England. Before Marquart started Anglia Cars, he held several positions within other racing manufacturers including Chief Designer for McLaren F1. The Argo JM16 was his first entry into IMSA Camel GTP racing in the United States in the mid 1980’s. The original owner/ driver Charles Morgan ran chassis 102 in 10 Camel GTP races in 1984-85 including the 24 Hours of Daytona, with best GTP finish 4th. He then converted it to a Camel Lights spec and did 10 more races through the balance of 1985 finishing 1st at Watkins Glen and 1st at Laguna Seca. Drivers included Charles Morgan, Bill Alsup, and Whitney Ganz. It was later owned by HANS device co-developer and Camel Lights champion Jim Downing who also raced the Argo JM16 although with a Mazda engine. Complete racing history and photos are available, including a historic video of chassis 102 at the 1985 Charlotte 500 race. I have also spoken with all previous owners and did a lengthy interview with the original owner Charles Morgan. Morgan’s interview transcript comes with the car as part of the historical record.
RACES 1984-1985: Charlotte Camel GT 500, Coca-Cola 500 Lime Rock, Lumbermen's 500 Mid-Ohio, Camel Continental Watkins Glen, Budweiser 500 Camel GT Road America, Camel GT 500 GP Pocono, Michigan 500 Camel GTP/ GTO, NY 500 Watkins Glen, Eastern 3 Hrs Daytona, SunBank Daytona 24 Hrs, Lowenbrau GP of Miami, Coca-Cola Classic 12 Hrs of Sebring, Atlanta Journal-Constitution GP, LA Times/ Nissan GP of Riverside, Nissan Monterey Triple Crown Laguna Seca, Charlotte 500, Coca-Cola 500 Lime Rock, Lumbermen's 500 Camel GT Mid-Ohio, Camel Continental Watkins Glen, Lowenbrau Classic 500 Road America, Camel GT 500 GP Pocono, Columbus Ford 500, Eastern 3 Hrs of Daytona.
It is currently set up for vintage racing in the VSCDA group 9 on the tracks here in the mid-west US region. It’s also a great car for private track days. It has only done a few laps since the restoration. The cockpit fits my 6’1” 180# frame. I had not planned to sell the Argo, but I have an opportunity to acquire and restore a GT40, so the Argo must go.
OWNERSHIP
This Argo race car, as with many other race cars, has always been transferred from owner to owner with a bill of sale listing the vehicle name, model, and chassis number. I have a bill of sale for this Argo JM16 102-GTP race car from the previous owner and will make a new bill of sale for the next owner. The original chassis identification plate is riveted in place on the passenger side of the cockpit along with mfg. mark above it. See photos. FEATURES
Paint and exterior
Front fiberglass nose has 2 fender mounted mirrors, added headlights and lenses, louvres over front wheels, and splitters to balance downforce. Large center vent provides plenty of fresh air to cockpit. Nose is removed by releasing 2 clamps and sliding forward for access to front suspension, brake calipers, brake and clutch reservoirs as well as brake cooling ducts.
Rear body pivots up to provide access to Buick V6 engine and engine bay. Rear body has three scoops to provide fresh air to engine and rear brake ducts. Dual element adjustable rear wing.
Nose and tail of car have been repainted. The decals match the set from the 1985 Sun Bank Daytona 24 Hrs race, but I could not bring myself to go back to the original Buick 1980's ugly livery.
Upholstery and interior
Cockpit is aluminum monocoque tub. Gray seat covering on driver's side of cockpit. Right hand drive, right hand shifter. Full instrument panel with "Personal" steering wheel with integral lights and wiper switches. New Schroth 6 point safety harness, SPA Technique fire suppression system, new Great Lakes Aero windscreen and new Great Lakes side windows with 4 Snapvents. Roomy footwell with dead pedal. Cockpit fits my 6' 1" 180# frame.
SPECIFICATIONS
Right hand drive with right hand shifter
Dimensions - Wheelbase 100”, Length 187”, Width 78”, Height 39”, Front Track 59”, Rear Track 55”
Weight as purchased per SCCA logbook - 2260# (with lighter spare nose, no lights or splitters, no undertray, no diffuser, 180# driver, half tank fuel)
Current empty weight - 2077# (no fuel or driver, but with lights, splitters, undertray, diffuser)
Engine - Buick V6, 4. 47 L NA 273. 3 cu in rebuilt by Lozano Brothers Porting, New Braunfels, TX.(builders of the 1984 Buick engines). New Carrillo rods, CP pistons, Ferrea titanium valves, new INDY aluminum heads from Ohio George Montgomery stock, compression ratio - 13. 0:1, HP - 450 hp est (GTP type config).
Transmission - 5 speed Hewland DG300 with 31 sets of gears with change tools and fixtures, 7. 25” Tilton Carbon clutch
Engine management - ACCEL 77143 DFI ECU V5. 1, with MSD 6600 HVC ignition and coil. ACCEL CalMap tuning software with PRO KEY, laptop with various tunes. Seller will instruct buyer on the operation of the CalMap tuning software/ laptop.
Fuel system - Kinsler 10272 velocity stack intakes, Bosch 42#/ hr injectors, ITG JC50/ 100 reusable air filters, FuelSafe custom bladder 22. 3 gal and 1. 2 gal reserve/ header tank.
Fuel - VP C-12 112 leaded or Sunoco Supreme 112 leaded. 5 gal quick fill jug included.
Oil System - Dry sump 11 quarts in engine and heat exchanger, 1. 4 quarts in K&N HP-5001 remote filter. Use Driven XP3 10w30 syn or Mobil 0w50 racing oil.
Coolant system - 2. 8 gallons of distilled water plus 12 oz of Water Wetter
Safety - SPA Technique fire suppression system, new Schroth 6 point driver harness, new Racequip 4 point passenger harness (not installed), steel roll cage 1. 625" dia, . 095" wall.
Brakes - AP Racing CP2545-101 two piston calipers all around with Ferodo FRP212R front and rear pads, steel 12. 5” diameter rotors, brake bias adjustable from cockpit.
Wheels/ Tires - three piece BBS aluminum centerlock front 11x16, rear 14 x 16. 10 lap Goodyear Eagles on car F 23. 5 x 10. 5, R 25. 5 x 14. Also new set of Hoosiers on same type BBS, F 23. 5 x 11. 5, R 25. 0 x 13. Wheel nut socket (3/ 4” drive) comes with car. Keepers for wheel nuts.
Air Jacks - Three integral air jacks (2 front, 1 rear), jack fitting and nitrogen tank hose come with car. Car can also be raised with conventional jacks.
Aero - Undertray and rear diffuser, splitters added on nose to balance downforce from undertray/ diffuser. Louvres added in each front fender to vent air entering wheel wells.
NEW PARTS
Rebuilt Buick V6 engine, fuel bladder, fuel lines, fuel filters, fuel pumps, fuel injectors, air filter system, oil lines, oil filters, radiator, MSD ignition and coil, ACCEL DFI ECU, spark plugs, plug wires, distributor cap, rotor, mag pickup, crank trigger, O2 sensor, fuel pressure gauges, MAP sensor, Throttle position sensor, headlights, lenses, windshield, side windows, wiper, battery, rain light, clutch master cylinder, brake fluid and pads, safety belts, recharged fire bottle, mirrors, rear brake cooling ducts, splitters, fender louvres.
ACCESSORIES and SPARE PARTS
Includes the original Lights spec 3. 0L long block engine and a 3. 0L short block engine. Other major spares include: a second new Hewland DG300 transmission, magnesium bell housing adapter, a Kinsler EFI intake for the 3. 0L, multiple sets of custom suspension parts, uprights, flywheels, rotors, two big boxes of gearsets, spare nose, 3 spare windscreens, spare doors, door windows, door layup molds, two sets BBS wheels, old rain tires, aux battery, fuel jug, manuals, and many other parts and accessories-see photos.
