The history of the RK 847 Can Am cars as researched by myself with help from Tony Nicholson whom built the three cars in the U.K and came to the States to work for Bob Fernley, and still does to this day. There were only 3 complete cars built,#s 01, 02, and 03. The #04 chassis was nothing more than an 82c Indy tub sitting in the corner of the workshop. Mike McComas from Texas travelled to the U.K several years back and found the tub, bought it back to the USA and made a complete car from a mixture of parts including March 817 parts. #04 raced in the US by Chuck McConnell till sold to Ken Smith in New Zealand in '05. McComas brokered the sale. The bodywork on Kenny's car looks good, but doesn't represent the RK 847 as it was in '84 with the high mounted front wing. The car is still in New Zealand today.
The mystery of #02 and #03 is a little cloudy, I think #02 or #03 got wrecked at a race in Canada by Crawford and a car was assembled from the two cars for Jim to race. I'm sure that #03 is destroyed and gone forever. As for #01, I own this car. Buying it from SASCOSPORT in Virginia, USA in February 2006.
The car was a basket case, with obvious tub and suspension damage. My race car restoration business
www.chequeredcareer.com stripped the tub, rebuilding it to as new condition. The suspension fabricated from original drawings, and a new body and molds designed and built from photos taken in 1984. The car looks as it did the day Tiff Needell drove it at the Silverstone shakedown prior to leaving for the U.S. There is a 1984 Autosport article that can be read on the Marchives.com website. The end result of the restoration can be seen at
www.rkmarch847.com The famous RK847 made it's post restoration debut at the Kohler International Can Am festival at Elkhart Lake in July 2006. Many people were surprised to see it come back to life again.
Interestingly during the rebuild, we found that the rear wing and oil cooler ducting had an underlying coat of Crawford Blue and the engine plate is marked as #002. Obviously the cars shared parts during their lives as all race cars do, but who really knows which cars Crawford and Roe drove.
I believe that I have the only race ready RK 847 in the world, and it is for sale.
Cheers,
Greg