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View Full Version : Our Ex Tony Paul ATCC R/T E38 Charger race car.



HEM138
03-11-2014, 11:25 AM
G'day all. As promised, here is my story on our E38 R/T Charger. I want to test the memories of the people that followed/supported the Australian Touring Car Championship back in the early 70's as I am trying to source any information/pics/footage of the car that people may have. Also any information from people who might know the whereabouts of original CAMS logbooks.

Please bare with me as it is quite a long story.

Basically the Charger in question belongs to my Grandparents (well Nan actually now that Pop has passed away). The car is a 9/1971 model E38 Big Tank and is build number #104. It has all the "Track Pack options and is the rarer model with no front quarter windows and is Vitamin C (Orange) in colour. Pop purchased the car in June 1973 from a bloke named Barrie Gibson who owned a car yard/boat yard in Mooloolaba called "Mooloolaba Boatel". When pop purchased the Charger he was told that it was an original ex ATCC car and was raced by a privateer named Tony Paul. The car had been passed on to the car yard by Tony so Barrie could sell it on Tonys behalf as they were good friends. The car was still fitted with the original roll cage, racing harnesses, bonnet pins and passengers side exit exhaust in front of the rear wheels when purchased. Pop removed the roll cage, harnesses and side pipes due to the fact that he had only purchased the car as family car to cart their 8 kids around and to tow his 26ft (yes 26ft) caravan. I have been researching this car for the past 6-7 years and have been in contact with a lot of big names from back in the day. From the 10 Chargers that entered Bathurst in 1971, I managed to track down at least one of the two drivers from seven of the teams that entered. Many of whom could remember Tony Paul. I have had numerous conversations with Leo Geoghegan who was good mates with Tony and he also said that he had helped Tony set the Charger up for racing. He also said that both Tony and the Charger were very competitive. During my research I managed to track down Max Stahl who used to own the old Racing Car News (RCN) magazine. I also purchased some copies of RCN from him from the early 70's to hopefully find some stories on Tony and the Charger.

After reading each magazine I found reports where Tony was mentions numerous times. On 7/11/71 he entered in the Rothmans 250 at Surfers Paradise where RCN reported Moffat was leading Bond and Brock with the Chargers of Chivas, Geoghegan and Tony Paul in hot pursuit. 6/2/72 in the South Pacific series opener, Geoghegan and his Charger were in seventh place, clear of the similar Charger of Tony Paul. RCN reported that Tony Paul in the Charger pitted for good in a cloud of smoke. 13/2/72 at Warwick Farm the first lap was a near disaster with Bond and the leaders clear when Bob Beasleys Charger slipped off the edge at Homestead. In trying to get back onto the track Beasley rammed Don Hollands Torana, while Tony Paul and Graham Moore clashed whilst trying to avoid Beasley. 25/5/72 at Surfers Paradise the Tony Paul Charger was reported having made an expensive retirement earlier in the day. During my researches I have managed to obtain copies of original race programmes from the era stating Tony having entered the Charger under two different race numbers in two different classes, being #35C and #46D.

Clearly I have extensive evidence of the Charger having been raced by Tony Paul although I will continue my research. The Charger is stored safely in Nan's garage and still presents in Good condition. It has an undocumented original 83000 miles and was restored around 20 years ago so the paint us showing some signs if age with crows feet throughout all the black outs. The engine could now do with a rebuild from sitting idle for too long and having only covered 1000 miles in 20 years. Pop also set the car up to run on avgas so this will need to be changed back to unleaded also. During his ownership he also ditched the three speed in favour of a four speed as this was more suited to towing the caravan.

At the moment after 41 years of ownership Nan is thinking of selling although she still believes the car should fetch in excess of the $100,000 that the car may have achieved 6-7 years ago during the muscle car boom. I currently own a Silver Mink/ Goya Red trim HK Monaro running a very warm 327 chev. I would like to sell the HK to fund the Charger but due to the Monaro not fetching the sort of figures nan would like I will have to hold off. I think it would be a crying shame to let such a car leave the hands of our family with such a long history. If I managed to purchase the car I would like to rebuild the engine and give the paint a fresh re spray. I have heard that due to the fact that the car is what it is that in NSW I could refit the car with the roll cage, harnesses and side pipes whilst still having it on full rego for street use while still being completely legal. Due to the fact Tony Paul was a privateer he didn't really have any sponsors so to have a sticker kit made up to match the Chargers race guise will be fairly straight forward. I do also have a few photos of the car racing so if I can figure out how to post them on here I will.

That pretty much sums it up and I hope you guys enjoy the read. If anybody has any information whatsoever whether it be minor or major, it would be greatly appreciated if you could contact me. It would be great to obtain more race stories of the car and also pictures but I have never seen any video footage of it racing which I would be ecstatic if I could find some. If it's easier to contact me via phone my number is 0408375508. Email munro_mad@hotmail.com.

Kind Regards
Brad.

HEM138
03-11-2014, 11:36 AM
24144

HEM138
03-11-2014, 11:51 AM
24145

HEM138
03-11-2014, 11:52 AM
24146

rt6pack
03-11-2014, 12:09 PM
Interesting story Brad, so I take it Tony Paul is no longer with us? Where was he based?

HEM138
03-11-2014, 12:17 PM
I can't remember where I got the first photo with the GTHO from but the next two photos were supplied by Graham Ruckert Photography. The photo with the Datsun I seen on Graham's Facebook page and it states that the 1600 is being driven by John Jones and one of Johns friends has commented saying that he showed John the photo and He recalled that the Charger was lapping him (again) but was happy the photo makes it look like he is winning.

HEM138
03-11-2014, 12:22 PM
Hi R/T 6 Pack. Tony was based in Queensland around the Mooloolaba area actually. He originally came from New Zealand. I spoke to Leo Geoghegan and he said that Tony passed away in a helicopter accident in 1974. I did actually manage to track down one of Tony's kids (now 40-50 years old, I'm guessing) and as much as I thought the family would be intrigued by his dads old race car, he never came good with any information for me although I should touch base with him again.

Steve Holmes
03-12-2014, 06:19 AM
Wow, that is such a cool story! I really hope you manage to find a way to buy the car, I think it'd be a real shame if it were sold outside your family. Its been in your family for such a long time, it deserves to stay.

The car obviously raced as a Series Production car, not an Improved Production car. Improved Production were the rules in use for the ATCC until the end of 1972. But Series Production cars were regular grid fillers in ATCC races, especially by 1972, as Improved Production car numbers dwindled. So it may well have entered an ATCC race in 1972, mostly likely Surfers Paradise.

Do you know if the car was ever upgraded to Group C for 1973?

Thanks again for sharing.

seaqnmac27
03-12-2014, 09:31 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kinW9Q1OxoY

Warwick Farm 1972 SPTCC

Grant Sprague
03-12-2014, 09:56 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kinW9Q1OxoY

Warwick Farm 1972 SPTCCThanks Seaqnmac, this is great footage regardless of quality, & very reminiscent of the same era i Kiwi Land , of Emson, Grant, Richards , Loenard, Sprague etc. I wonder how our boys would have gone againt them?????? .. we would have kicked arse .........ps quick old E38 3speeder ????

HEM138
03-12-2014, 10:58 PM
Hi Steve and thanks for the reply. I am
not too sure if it was ever upgraded to Group C in 1973. From my research thus far I have not found any record racing at all in 1973. To be honest I don't know a great deal about the classes and groups from back in those days. I was born in 1984 so I'm only 29 years old so this is way before my time so any help towards my research is hugely appreciated as I cannot carry out my research without the help if others. Seaqnmac27 thanks for the video. I am not sure how to attach videos from youtube but if you go to youtube and type in 1972 ATCC there is a video that comes up which is the 6th video down the list and displays a picture of an XU1 on the cover of the video. At the very end (literally) the commentators give a quick mention of Tony Paul in the Charger. It would be great if somebody with the know how could attach it to this thread. Cheers

seaqnmac27
03-13-2014, 12:46 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RDfvC3Edl8

Ok, so this is the video you meant, it is part 2 of the race I first posted.

seaqnmac27
03-13-2014, 12:50 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhVLcDsVb3o

Part 3

seaqnmac27
03-13-2014, 12:58 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyJ0r_FLvx0

Improved Production Warwick Farm 71

HEM138
03-13-2014, 06:04 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RDfvC3Edl8

Ok, so this is the video you meant, it is part 2 of the race I first posted. Hi Seaqnmac27. Yes that's the one. It is only a very brief mention of Tony Paul and I am very lucky that it had just made it in this video. It is a shame I can't distinguish the Tony's Charger from the rest during the race as it naturally focuses on the front runners although it is still nice to see he received a mention. Cheers

16bbls
03-14-2014, 12:49 PM
Hi Brad,
Great to see you've not given up in your research and great racing pics you've posted. We discussed our cars that are surprisingly similar a few years back. I got there eventually, met up with the original owner and was able to complete the car's history file .

I think a lot of the privateer cars used roll-cages supplied by Bond in Sydney. Mine however had the racing harness, bonnet pins and half roll-cage fitted by Jim Bayliss in Newcastle (Jay Bee Clubmans). The roll-cage is a 'clamped' type and from pictures seems identical to the one fitted to the Forbes/Millyard Selke Motors Charger. I still haven't seen another Charger with the bonnet pins placed such as the Tony Paul car.

John.

HEM138
03-14-2014, 11:32 PM
Hi John.

Yes I remember chatting to you and I still have all the emails we sent each other. I was only just looking at the pics a few days back of your Charger. To be honest I'm not 100% on what type of cage was in it but I would imagine it was the clamped type. I have been very lucky with distinguishing the Charger from other Chargers with the location of the bonnet pins actually so it's been great. Makes sense to you and I but so that others on here know what we are talking about, originally with the Chargers the factory bonnet bump stops were removed and replaced with the bonnet pins in the same hole that bump stop was fitted to meaning that the bonnet pin aligns with the "T" in the Valiant badge on the passengers side of the car. In the case of this Tony Paul car it still retains it's factory bump stops and the bonnet pins have been moved towards the centre centre of the car 4-5 inches meaning that the bonnet pin aligns closer with the "V" in the Valiant badge. Seems ridiculous I'm sure to identify a car this way but it is the only car we have found after years of research with the bonnet pins fitted this way.

oldhemi265
03-18-2014, 10:25 PM
Hi, i just joined your group,I am amased at your story of the Charger that you have. i am in Queensland & was an Austral motors Mermaid Beach apprentice for Chrysler ( 1977). There was a spare parts manager there who was doing the pit-crew thing in the day. He may know of the car or have photos, His name is Graham Clark & he still lives in Labrador ( G.C. ) I also know( Bathurst Driver ) Paul Pressler, Ray Kaleda( Roman Watches sponsored Charger . 20C .) He is also on the Gold Coast somewhere. He is sure to have some usefull Information.

Steve.

HEM138
03-20-2014, 01:01 PM
G'day Steve.

Thanks for your reply. I have received a few good leads from Max Stahl who used to own the old "Racing Car News" magazines from back in the day that I am yet to follow up on. I will certainly attempt to track down the leads that you have passed on also as you never know who might just know something. At the moment I am trying to track down a contact for Roy Griffiths who used to work under Tony Paul and he had also raced a GTHO up to the late 60's that I know if so having worked with Tony and them both having raced together I would assume that Roy should know something. Cheers.

HEM138
03-25-2014, 09:08 PM
I have received a few more leads regarding the cars race history. I'll post up any extra info once I find out anything.