Interesting Video Clip of "Abes Babe" testing a Baypark.

[TonyG]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cK1KKGxUICQ


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cK1KKGxUICQ

[Chris Read]

What a sweet sounding motor. Think I was at Bathust that year....all XJS and 635's in the first 5 or 6 placings. Can't remember who won ...Goss or Walkinshaw...was a Jag anyway. Think the Mustang was a DNF if I got the year right. Chris Read-Arrowtown

[Steve Holmes]

Thats bloody awesome Tony! Good find. That transporter would have been the envy of just about every other race team back in 1985!

So was this the car the team bought off Don Smith in Aus or is it the car they built themselves?

[TonyG]

I will ask. this was the pre 85 Bathurst shakedown.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Tony, my guess is its the first car, the ex-Smith car. I'm pretty sure the second Mustang arrived in late 1985 or early 1986?

[Steve Emson]

what times would this car have posted?

[TonyG]

Reply from Andrew Anderson;
This was the Don Smith car, ran at Bathurst 1984 then we rebuilt it, painted toby yellow and went back in 1985.
Car also went to Bathurst in 1986 with the second 'T' car

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Tony.

[Steve Holmes]

what times would this car have posted?

Steve, I should have some old MotorAction race reports from this period, I'll see if I can get you some info on lap times.

[seaqnmac27]

Will have a look later today as well

[jim short]

Steve, I should have some old MotorAction race reports from this period, I'll see if I can get you some info on lap times.

At Bay Park approx 61__62s perhaps a 60 on a good day,if its the car that ran as aSports Sedan.

[Steve Holmes]

Wow, good memory Jim, I'd forgotten one of those Pinepac cars became a Sports Sedan. I can't recall if it was the first or second car. From memory the new owner (was it Rex Findlay?) fitted larger flares, repainted it red, and might have even fitted a 351?

Speaking of which, the Dick Johnson Mustang which Robbie Kerr bought was also converted to a Sports Sedan.

[Jizim]

Wow, good memory Jim, I'd forgotten one of those Pinepac cars became a Sports Sedan. I can't recall if it was the first or second car. From memory the new owner (was it Rex Findlay?) fitted larger flares, repainted it red, and might have even fitted a 351?

Speaking of which, the Dick Johnson Mustang which Robbie Kerr bought was also converted to a Sports Sedan.

I bought this car off Bruce and Wayne and all the spares. Gave the car it's first ever win which was at Baypark. This car was never a Sports Sedan and I raced it here in NZ in Group A for a number of years. This is the original Mustang from Aussie and the Anderson Bros built the Number two car up later. which suffered at the hands of Charger Sports Sedan driver Graeme "Gladys" Addis when he wrong slotted the Gettrag gearbox into 1st gear at railway Corner of the B & H track at Pukekohe badly damaging the car into the flaggies point...then again as a practice leading up to Wellington Street Race Wayne Anderson put the car onto its roof at Manfield. This is the car that Rex Findlay had.........Robbie Kerr had the Green DJR car which was was hot rodded with bigger 9 inch diff flares etc and later to be restored back to original and on sold. Robbie and I had some real head to head battles and I was happy to say that I ended up quicker by one hundreth of a second....one of the best cars I ever owned. Oh and the quickest time I had round Baypark was a 60 dead....Puke was a 62.4 on the Old GP track..... Just recently sold by Kiwi star Brett Maddren in Australia for Aus$175,000 ! Regards, Tony Rutherford

[John McKechnie]

Tony- was part of its later history Any Culpin had it and ran it in the Porsche LeMans about 91, he later sold it to Mike Westall ?

[Steve Holmes]

I bought this car off Bruce and Wayne and all the spares. Gave the car it's first ever win which was at Baypark. This car was never a Sports Sedan and I raced it here in NZ in Group A for a number of years. This is the original Mustang from Aussie and the Anderson Bros built the Number two car up later. which suffered at the hands of Charger Sports Sedan driver Graeme "Gladys" Addis when he wrong slotted the Gettrag gearbox into 1st gear at railway Corner of the B & H track at Pukekohe badly damaging the car into the flaggies point...then again as a practice leading up to Wellington Street Race Wayne Anderson put the car onto its roof at Manfield. This is the car that Rex Findlay had.........Robbie Kerr had the Green DJR car which was was hot rodded with bigger 9 inch diff flares etc and later to be restored back to original and on sold. Robbie and I had some real head to head battles and I was happy to say that I ended up quicker by one hundreth of a second....one of the best cars I ever owned. Oh and the quickest time I had round Baypark was a 60 dead....Puke was a 62.4 on the Old GP track..... Just recently sold by Kiwi star Brett Maddren in Australia for Aus$175,000 ! Regards, Tony Rutherford

Thanks Tony. They were good looking cars those Mustangs. Both the Anderson cars now race in Historic Group C/A in Aus, restored back to the Picepac livery. I remember one of them being for sale on Trademe approx 7-8 years ago for about 35K, seems their value has gone up quite a bit since then!

There was another Group A Mustang that raced in NZ, a white one owned by Bruce Flemming. I wonder where this car is now?

[Jac Mac]

Which one was owned/raced in classic events down south by Leo Gdanitz? ~ 1990/2000, this car was painted in the green of DJR with the white 4 or 5 spoke wheels, only saw it at a couple of meetings, but I did not attend all of them.

[Steve Holmes]

Not sure on that Jac, but the Pinepac car that was for sale for 35K in the mid-2000s was based in Timaru at the time from memory. I just assumed at the time it was the second car which became Rex Findlays sports sedan, because even though it had been repainted in Pinepac colours, two of the wheel centres were painted red, just as had been on the Findlay sports sedan. Of course, that doesn't really mean anything, I just made the assumption at the time.

[jim short]

I bought this car off Bruce and Wayne and all the spares. Gave the car it's first ever win which was at Baypark. This car was never a Sports Sedan and I raced it here in NZ in Group A for a number of years. This is the original Mustang from Aussie and the Anderson Bros built the Number two car up later. which suffered at the hands of Charger Sports Sedan driver Graeme "Gladys" Addis when he wrong slotted the Gettrag gearbox into 1st gear at railway Corner of the B & H track at Pukekohe badly damaging the car into the flaggies point...then again as a practice leading up to Wellington Street Race Wayne Anderson put the car onto its roof at Manfield. This is the car that Rex Findlay had.........Robbie Kerr had the Green DJR car which was was hot rodded with bigger 9 inch diff flares etc and later to be restored back to original and on sold. Robbie and I had some real head to head battles and I was happy to say that I ended up quicker by one hundreth of a second....one of the best cars I ever owned. Oh and the quickest time I had round Baypark was a 60 dead....Puke was a 62.4 on the Old GP track..... Just recently sold by Kiwi star Brett Maddren in Australia for Aus$175,000 ! Regards, Tony Rutherford

Tony a PinePac ran with us quite a few times ,what year did you run it ,must have been after 87???

[Jizim]

Tony- was part of its later history Any Culpin had it and ran it in the Porsche LeMans about 91, he later sold it to Mike Westall ?
Yes same car John....Andy bought the car from me less spares ..... ha today I just stumbled over the churns for the dry brake refueling system... he on sold it to Mike ended up with Brett Maddren..(now living inAust).....Ken Hopper restored both of them before shipping back to Aussie. Cheers and regards, Tony Rutherford.

[Jizim]

Tony a PinePac ran with us quite a few times ,what year did you run it ,must have been after 87???

Yeah I am pretty sure you may be thinking of the Pinepac XE Falcon when they were trying to get more mileage for Wayne Anderson under his belt...I will try and get the dates Jimbo. Stand by caller. Regards as always Jim...Tony Rutherford.

[Jizim]

Thanks Tony. They were good looking cars those Mustangs. Both the Anderson cars now race in Historic Group C/A in Aus, restored back to the Picepac livery. I remember one of them being for sale on Trademe approx 7-8 years ago for about 35K, seems their value has gone up quite a bit since then!

There was another Group A Mustang that raced in NZ, a white one owned by Bruce Flemming. I wonder where this car is now?

When I rang Robbie Kerr in Wellington to tell him to come up to Puke and race I told him to get hold of Bruce Flemming along the way...citing that I had made the trip to Manfield to run against them as a bit of a push a long....they both turned up Robbie in the Green Muzzy and Bruce in the Police liveried car. Although Bruce ran in Group A his car wasnt as speced as Robbie and my cars. He didnt have the single nut wheels, on board jacks, dry brake fuel set up etc. So I dont really know what happened with this car ....does anyone out there perhaps know?? Thanks Steve. Regards, Tony Rutherford.

[SPS]

The Mustang you are talking about has been owned by Steve Ross for a few years.I think it the Kramer / Davidson car from Australia?

[Powder]

I'm not sure how this car fits with the Mustangs being dicussed here, but it might help fill a blank in one car's history.

17988

[Rod Grimwood]

Think it would Robbie Kerrs car. Did a similar deal with NZ Racing Driving School at Puke back in 80s they had FFs and if the person wanted saloon drive then they would contact me and I would take car out, demo to person and then monitor them.