The definitive 16R thread

[16R]

Hi folks, what an unbelievable forum...i have never seen so much enthusiasm for one marque in such a group! I am fortunate enough to be the new owner of 16R. Some of you met me briefly in Le Mans this year for what was my first major outing since buying the car late last year. Over the past year I've had an immense amount of work done on the car to bring it up to Mclaren standard and also had the fun of sharing it with those who saw us at Le Mans as well as experiencing it on track for the first time. I'd like to start a thread that captures as much of its history in one place and in return will happily keep you up to date with what's happening with the car. Right now for instance its back at woking having a new clutch fitted following a driver training session at Bruntingthorpe. We saw 195mph on the back straight, 185 mph with me at the wheel and 173 mph with Mrs 16R at the wheel (and a terrified Mr 16R in the passenger seat).

Of particular interest to me would be to see any pics anyone has of the Bigazzi transporter...a very long passenger ride is available to someone if you can help me actually find it!!!!

nice to meet you all...

16R

[Sami Aaltonen]

Hello and defenitely Welcome to the forum!
So fantastic to see that the owners of these great cars have courage to write here. So really atleast here at Finland welcome to the forum!

You asked the history of #16R, I have to tell the whole story for you; sorry not so perfect English and a bit longe one, hope it doesn't mind.

Anyway; atleast once I have been lucky to see GTR in Finland. It was #16R in December 1996 at Helsinki Motor Show. This is more than specluation, but one of the reasons why we had lucky to see it here was JJ Lehto's superb win in Le Mans previous year. That's why his name "LEHTO" has been writed on the side window. Clearly see that it's defenitely done there afterwards. And I think one of the reasons was to make endurance racing familar to the Finns, which were highly boomed by Mika Hakkinen's McLaren years that time.
I don't know who or what company brang #16R here, but defenitely very greatfull that they did it.
Hopely I can confirm this information to you later on. Hopely!

JJ was present there on the Motor Show, interviewed by Harri Ponttinen; who has lots of an experience of motorsport and reporting stuff. I remember JJ told details of the car and some details also of that Legendary win 1995. I was back then 16 years an old, so just can't remember too much about it, unfortunately!

Hopely you can get open the on link of my Kuvablog site, where I have collected those few photos what my father took when we were on the Show. I remember told him:
"This is allmoust same car what JJ won last year, not the same, but it's GTR McLaren. This is one of the most rarest cars on the show, so take the shots please!!!!"

So my father took the shots, fortunately they sucseeded enough well to have memories of it. I clearly remember the feeling when I saw it first time there, couldn't believe it was real and it was there!

About 2 years ago I singed up this Forum after seen from Youtube #18R clip from Frankfurt (it's in the #16R livery!), and the old spark fired up again. I solved the problem what GTR we had seen; thanks Greg, Erik, Le Man and others who had strengt to explain everythign word by word to me and figure out what car it was. Since then; I have always said this Forum is sensational!

Anyway; before you fall on sleep;
My Kuvablog website - 1996 McLaren F1 GTR #16R
The last two pictures has been scaned by a premision from Vauhdin Maailma Magazine (Speed World) 1/1997 number; where was the story about the Show, and those two shots of #16R and JJ Lehto longside it. Harri Pontinen also took cold test drive of it.

Rest of the pictures you'll find on the Blog site, but this very one picture I want to add here. (Other ways; this is going to be too long post).
There is me standing behing the car, obviously still shocked I saw one!


If you want these images with out my singature on the right side of the picture; please send me private message; I defenitely send these images to you by email, if you want them, 1024 sized of full, as you want. Also if you have anything to ask that Show;: free to ask!

Hopely this was usefull information to you about the history of #16R, what it did here in North and why.

Once again; welcome!

[hurstg01]

Originally Posted by 16R

Hi folks, what an unbelievable forum...i have never seen so much enthusiasm for one marque in such a group! I am fortunate enough to be the new owner of 16R. Some of you met me briefly in Le Mans this year for what was my first major outing since buying the car late last year. Over the past year I've had an immense amount of work done on the car to bring it up to Mclaren standard and also had the fun of sharing it with those who saw us at Le Mans as well as experiencing it on track for the first time. I'd like to start a thread that captures as much of its history in one place and in return will happily keep you up to date with what's happening with the car. Right now for instance its back at woking having a new clutch fitted following a driver training session at Bruntingthorpe. We saw 195mph on the back straight, 185 mph with me at the wheel and 173 mph with Mrs 16R at the wheel (and a terrified Mr 16R in the passenger seat).

Of particular interest to me would be to see any pics anyone has of the Bigazzi transporter...a very long passenger ride is available to someone if you can help me actually find it!!!!

nice to meet you all...

16R

Hi and welcome

It is refreshing to see another owner on here, and even more so one who owns an F1 that was owned by another valuable contributor on here, Mr Bridger. It's good to see #16R out and about, and that you use it so others can appreciate it.

I have only managed to find this [clickable] pic only so far



and I may be able to get my hands on more over the next week or so, as long as what I am hoping to obtain next week may be of value to you

Greg

Ps I have yet to find a more enthusiastic person on chassis #16R than Sami

[cabrio92]

Hello mister 16R !

I hope you remember me, at Le Mans, I was the excited who said you before park "I know C. P." and you answer me "yes, it's his car" Then, we speak on the parking about Goodwood and you were not invited by McLaren and on work on the car.

Thank you to register here and I hope to see you and your car again. It was marvellous 15 years after McLaren victory to see a GTR at Le Mans !

You will find some pics and histories on your car in these topics : http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=593482
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul....php?t=1019635

Phil

I made a registry which was launched on june 18th.

[hurstg01]

Alternatively here is a Bigazzi transporter



although, not by the looks of it, a Mclaren Bigazzi transporter

[cabrio92]

Sami, you're enthusiastic

Greg, you win a ride

Phil

[hurstg01]

I suspect andybee to come along soon with better shots

[carbuilder2002]

Welcome 16R, is there any chance you could update us on what has been done to the car in your ownership as I believe it was formerly looked after by Lanzante?

[cabrio92]

Yes good question

I feel when we talk at Le Mans that it left a lot of work on the car.

Phil

[BlueEdge]

Welcome, it's really great to have another owner on board the forum.

I may be misunderstanding, but rather than just pictures of the transporter are you actually trying to track down the transporter itself?

[carbuilder2002]

16R always looked to be in good condtion?

[Sami Aaltonen]

Greg:
Yep, saw it in Finland. Could you believe. Here middle of nowhere, where Mika Hakkinen and Formula 1 was the hottest thing on the Earth.
Of course it makes certain feeling of this specific chassis. Really hope to see #16R someday again and take some shots of it.

As someone here know; I writed to the Lazante's and BMW Museum in Germany and asked if they could bring up their GTR's to the Helsinki Motor Sport Show in January. There has been no answers or anything about it. So at the moment to see GTR again in Finland is impossible, I think.

Anyway;
Mr 16R; I just can not be asking this question;

What are you plans about the cars livery; are you going to keep it an Orange, or do you plan other things in to it?

And second question came in to my mind last night; what were you're knowledge of the #16R before you bought it?
Meaning that... how should I explain this.... Damn not so good in English.

Let's dry it this way;
Did you followed GTR's back in 95-96' on the racetracks BPR GT series and got some "permanent traumas" like we all here have had those days?
What kind of relationship you had on the GTR McLarens before you found your self to own one?

Sorry if I ask too much or too personal questions, but it would be very nice to know, how you ended up to own this great racer.
Thansk for the answers and as you see; this forum is Sensational.!

[16R]

thanks all for the great pictures and comments so far. i bought the car direct from the seller. I had been looking for either a road car or GTR for quite some time. I was intending to buy the park lane car from RM Auctions in London before it went for very serious money (i know, its all serious money but that was double what was expected!). I was very disappointed to not get that car and figured that i had probably missed by chance. When the Lark car (13R) and 16R came on the market i looked into both and decided that i preferred the Le Mans history of 16R because Le Mans is a pilgrimage i have been making for around 20 years. I know Andy who owns 13R and i'm actually pretty jealous of how much he's been using it. We've been off the road a lot of the last year getting the car tip top.

What has been done...i dont have the invoices to hand but from the top of my head

New Tyres
Remount passenger seatbelt fittings
New fire extinguisher
New anniversary commemorative chassis plate
New drivers Seat covering (Orange leather inner, Black leather outer, daytona stripes)
Replace missing grills
Replace missing brake ducting
New fuel tanks
Major Service
ECU recalibration
Maclaren high speed aero and handling sign off
new fuel pumps
new fuel sender unit connectors
Road car battery installed
new windscreen (old one was delaminating)
new radiator

thats enough to be going on with!

So am i keeping it in its existing colours or "putting it back". for the moment i am enjoying it as it is. bizarrely the thing i really love about the current colour scheme is the orange cam covers...i dont want to lose that...and i think i've spent enough in the last 12 months without going looking for a little more expense right now...

that said, yes i would like to buy the original Le Mans transporter...(But not if its as big as the one in that picture, i would need to move house!!!!)

thanks again all!

[Sami Aaltonen]

Ok!
Thanks for the details and history of your interest about the car, some reason I was very interested it how did you decided to get one. I have thought before that these kind of cars doesn't buy because it's fun, peoplle usually really know what they want and what they have after bought one. Nice to see I wasn't wrong.
It was great to know that you were looking for one long time, and you really know what you wanted.
And obviously you have clear plans of it on the future, fantastic!

May I ask, did those changes made by McLaren or someone else profesional company?

And the next question:
There was that #05R on the sale this summer, but it's not road legal, did you considered that one also?
I remember that #16R were sold before the #05R's auction, but if you had heard rumours about it, did you considered that att all?

And third question; you are not going to readd the roll a cage on the car? Atleast the ELMS clip of the #16R; clearly seen not have it.
have you any plans of that?

And I know what you mean those engine covers; atleast XP1 LM scale model they look suberp!
But I don't know would it be "a terrible injustice" to keep them, if you dicide to repaint the car on it's Le Mans 1996 livery or any other paint.
My opinnion is it isn't wrong to do, or would spoil anything of the car. Maybe it might look a bit weird to have an orange engine covers, but maybe we could think it's an honour to McLaren's history?
Am I totally wrong way now?

[cabrio92]

Hello Mr 16R, thanks for all these details, I hope you can use the car more next year At Le Mans ?

I remember to see for the first time the new plate on your car.
Can I ask you if you keep the original ?

Phil

PS : you can check the registry http://www.mclf1.com