Mid- 80's Auckland based Rally / Hillclimb photo's

[Jeff]

Hi all ,
I took these photo's between 1983 and 1989 around my local car clubs in Auckland with a few trips to North Island club rally events.
I will post more once I get a decent scanner and dig out my collection but these are only a small sample.

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[Jeff]

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[Malcolm McLeod]

Nice photo of Ian Attwood!
Looking foward to seeing some more once you get organised.

[Jeff]

Thanks Malcolm , I always loved both Ian Attwood's and Brian Watkin's driving styles in their respective escorts

[Rod Grimwood]

Thanks Malcolm , I always loved both Ian Attwood's and Brian Watkin's driving styles in their respective escorts

Do Escorts go differently to that.

[Jeff]

I think Ian Attwood's car was a 1600 BDA compared to the more common RS1800's of the day but I do not have any photo's of a BDA Escort going in a straight line !
Ah the good old days

[Jeff]

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[Raceman]

Hello. I think that picture of the V8 Falcon was Peter Grey from Waiuku.

[Jeff]

Many thanks Raceman , I'm always happy to have my memory corrected. I was going off my memory from the days and I knew Grant Scurr ran a white XA Falcon coupe at almost the same time - I thought they were the same car.( perhaps it is the same car ? ) How many Falcon coupe's were rallied ??? I will try to re-name the photo to avoid confusion.
Hello. I think that picture of the V8 Falcon was Peter Grey from Waiuku.

[Jeff]

Here's a series of photo's of the aftermath of Possum going off at McLaughlan Road , Kaukapakapa in '86

Possum had Snow Mooney with him as passenger when they shot off the road on a high speed downhill sweeping left at the HCMC Rallysprint.
Paul Adams and Jim Scott were sharing the car that day with Possum ( I think it was Paul's first drive in a 4WD car ? )
Only a handful of us saw the crash. The car was so quiet that you couldn't hear it coming and as it somersaulted into view - I was dangling my camera down by my side. Dammit
Myself and fellow HCMC driver Brian Chadwick got to the car in seconds as Possum and Snow were climbing out the windscreen.
Snow had a hand injury from ( I think ) grabbing the rollcage above his head and having it crush his hand in the process.
The car was totalled - it couldn't even really be towed off the paddock because all wheels were pointing in different directions
The alloy cage above Snow's head shattered on impact ( the MANZ steward had a good , long look at that ).
I have a feeling the rules about alloy cages in N.Z were changed not long after.
Sure was the fastest crash I've ever seen and we were glad they weren't too badly hurt.
The crash really set back Possum's lead up to the International rally a mere month or two away
There is now a house and garage built on the spot they came to rest.
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[Jeff]

Photo's from the Waitekauri Rd ( Waihi ) hillclimb.
Possibly 1986 - 87
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[Jeff]

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[Rod Grimwood]

Photo's from the Waitekauri Rd ( Waihi ) hillclimb.
Possibly 1986 - 87
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Red (was white) V8 Capri is Terry O'Brien then from Paeroa who raced car in Sports Sedans and it was a quick bit of gear and Terry drove very well. Terry also played with jet boats and the engine did dual duties. It was a strong 302.

[Steve Holmes]

These photos are just absolute gold Jeff! Many thanks for posting.

Rod, do you know what happened to that V8 Capri? Its a nice looking car.

[Steve Holmes]

Hi all ,
I took these photo's between 1983 and 1989 around my local car clubs in Auckland with a few trips to North Island club rally events.
I will post more once I get a decent scanner and dig out my collection but these are only a small sample.

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Wow, a Falcon hardtop rally car! That must have been a handful.

[Grant Sprague]

I remember this weekend well ....... took the scanz car up .. [the black car with no nose cone]... was a weapon on the hill climbs [a good car] had a run off with John Murphy, John wigston had the chevron there , but was out dated to our light cars & not suited to this hill.. we started off on a bridge or close to it ...... Ernie had come up from timaru that weekend we went back to Tauranga with a smile ...... hey thanks Jeff

[Allan]

Unfortunately that piece of road no longer exists. It was straightened and realigned by the gold company who was mining at Golden Cross. There is however a lot more of that road which is sealed and has been used for a rallysprint (down then back up - 8 km so 6 runs on a good day) and part of which will be used in a hillclimb in the next couple of weeks.

[Rod Grimwood]

Steve about Capri I will find out as I want to get in touch with Terry.

Notice that Wiggy had wets on Chevron, did it rain. If it was dry then that would have been like driving on jelly.

Now Wigston, there's another reason for a post about this little bit of trouble. Top rooster, but damn dangerous to be around.

[Jeff]

I do remember there being a couple of light showers during the day - just enough to make the course a little greasy

[Grant Sprague]

Roddy , the slicks were a hand full as well not to mention only able to heat the rear tyres as the fronts stayed cool, intermediates wud have been the go , I think is was coarse chip made it tricky, other hill climbs I went up back wards on occasion lucky not to have done some dammage ??

[BMCBOY]

These photos taken at Otaua Hillclimb both on the hill and at scrutineering. Definitely a dry day and shows that John was using both intermediates and wets that day.

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John can be seen carrying the jack in the scrutineering photo of Joanna - he did a fantastic job checking car safety for the Austin Healey Club who initiated and ran the event those days.

[Grant Sprague]

Yep was not wet ............. Good pic of Johns Car.... very pretty car

[Rod Grimwood]

Yep was not wet ............. Good pic of Johns Car.... very pretty car



Yea Grant, he had a couple of nice cars, still got little collection.
Hey BMC, that photo of Wigston with jack, he's pinching it, look at the way he is looking over his shoulder, a common pose for the little toe rag.

John 15, Joanna 18. she went ok as well.

[Habu]

Nice photos! Please keep them coming. Dont know John that well, but know Shane quite well. Have showed him a couple of the photos of the Chevron from this site - he was really impressed.

[Jeff]

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[Jeff]

Here's a couple of early photo's of North Shore's Vanessa Evans on her first rally in her RX-2 with co-driver Jim Gavin.
Maramarua circa 1985.
Her skills and efforts eventually rewarded her with a couple of works-supported Subaru drives in the 90's
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The RX-2 was replaced in 85 due to this roll in the Riverhead Rallysprint.

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A very rapid little Datsun 1200 coupe was to follow..

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[Jeff]

Here's a couple of photo's of Ross McCorkindale attacking Pebblebrook Quarry Road in his special during the 80's


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[Chris Read]

Whose Chevron was this originally before Wigston?

[Rod Grimwood]

He still has them, will find out

[Oldfart]

The McCorkindale special is largely a McQueen Formula Vee. It resided in my shed for a while before I sold it on to someone in Taranaki. I would love to know where it is now!

[John H]

The McCorkindale special is largely a McQueen Formula Vee. It resided in my shed for a while before I sold it on to someone in Taranaki. I would love to know where it is now!

Was that an ex Paul King Vee?

[crunch]

Whose Chevron was this originally before Wigston?

One of them is the B34 that was used by Bryan Hartley when owned by Norm Lankshear in Feilding. Norm got it from Keke Rosberg who used it in NZ in 1978 or 9

[Rod Grimwood]

Thats right Crunch, think it is the 18 car, will find out from young John, bugger was only chatting to him last weekend.

[crunch]

These photos taken at Otaua Hillclimb both on the hill and at scrutineering. Definitely a dry day and shows that John was using both intermediates and wets that day.

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John can be seen carrying the jack in the scrutineering photo of Joanna - he did a fantastic job checking car safety for the Austin Healey Club who initiated and ran the event those days.

Is that a lady driving the number 18 car? A before you all get cheeky and say "No' it's John...but he is a bit of a girl's blouse" , this is a serious question

[Habu]

Is that a lady driving the number 18 car? A before you all get cheeky and say "No' it's John...but he is a bit of a girl's blouse" , this is a serious question

Joanna - John's daughter? Good peddler too

[Carlo]

Grimme, the said toe rag is here with me right at this moment at Highlands, he told me what he said about you last weekend. #15 is the ex Grant Campbell BT39 & #18 is the ex David Oxton then Heather Spurle car that initially came to NZ as the spare car for Keke & Mikko

[Rod Grimwood]

Grimme, the said toe rag is here with me right at this moment at Highlands, he told me what he said about you last weekend. #15 is the ex Grant Campbell BT39 & #18 is the ex David Oxton then Heather Spurle car that initially came to NZ as the spare car for Keke & Mikko


Thanks Carlo, he be down with muscle boys. Just keep a eye on your gear.

Cheers

[Jeff]

Peter Van Breugel in Maramarua , probably '85/86

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[Snoozin]

Boy oh boy this stuff's got me fizzing! Awesome... this is of the era that I grew up watching on telly, simply fantastic images! Thanks!

Rich

[Jeff]

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[Jeff]

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[Imp Wagon]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing. Who's was the Imp in the first photo?

[Jeff]

That's Gary Brunt in his Fiat Twincam powered Imp.
That photo is from about 1986 but he still owns the car today


Awesome! Thanks for sharing. Who's was the Imp in the first photo?

[Imp Wagon]

Cheers, thanks Jeff

[Jeff]

Nice to see that , even in 1985 the old Anglia's were still being driven hard.
This one was at Cossey's Farm in 85
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This 100E was in the Lucas Lights Rally - seen here at the top of Koheroa Road with Mercer township below
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[Jeff]

This genuine 1300 sport competed in a lot of local events in the 80's and always looked immaculate
Note in the background another legendary local rally machine of the 80's - the well travelled Subaru Brat / Brumby Ute. This ute and the team Sumo Datsun 1200 Ute were very popular with the public
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Rowan Morgan in the Commodore Computers Escort picks up a rear wheel in the ruts at Anderson's Farm - 85/86.

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