Jamie Aislabie

[John McKechnie]

When I went to the racing as a teenager, I was fascinated by the Sports Cars.
Some were thundering Canam style cars, some were traditional British sports , some were Lotus derivations, then there was SID Mk1.
My memories was that it had a screaming Jaguar, and later a V8. It was unusual to look at, certainly didnt lack in speed or bravery.
I was collecting Motorman mags at the time and always there were featured pix of Jim Boyd- Lola T70, Graeme Harvey-Elfin 400,Garry Pederson -GEMCO special, but never any of SID.
This obviously was a home made car, same as Tyrell Turtle with his Continental Special.,sounded great, looked exciting and entertained the crowds.
With some the car was the star, others it was the driver, and others it was a named race car builder/ engineer.. Here Jamie was all three rolled into one.
For a few years he consistently entertained the crowds with his own non mainstream design car.
So Jamie, here is your very own thread to post your pic, tell your story of how you did it your way- no Mini, Anglia, Escort or Camaro.- thanks for the memories of giving the crowds something different
Lets ease in gently with Wide Wheels-July 1971 number 20, and then Driver May 1972 number 30.

[John McKechnie]

25627
Bank of New South Wales
Round 9 -Timaru
May 31st .1971

[John McKechnie]

25628
Dunlop Meeting,
Pukekohe- long circuit.
April 9-1972.
A wet meeting-Richard hit Brocklehurst at the elbow this day.
MC Bean photo

[GD66]

I recall seeing SID Mk 1 on the trailer, and the Fletcher windscreen was the dominant factor, shook my head and giggled briefly, until I saw it whiz down the back straight at Bay Park, whistle back towards the pits and scoot through the right-hander like a go-kart on steroids, HORN !!
What a weapon was it was...looking forward to more info from the Maestro.
25629
BTW the fat bastard fourth from left, peering on in admiration in the white singlet as the beast scorches round Rothmans, is me...:cool:

[bry3500]

These are lifted from another thread

[bry3500]

From the SCANZ thread

[Grant Sprague]

Great to see a thread for Jamie...... I would love to add a bit .. I met Jamie back in the mid 80,s Jamie is one of the Mr nice guys in NZ motor sports & very humble at that a very talented driver, engine builder, race car chassis designer, fabricator, a true NZ champion.
I rocked up to Taupo with my SCANZ car to join Jamie,s band of merry men..... we had a few fun filled years Jamie excepted me with open arms & showed me a few things which I really appreciated these SCANZ cars were very fast even back then often breaking out right lap records there , Jamie,s car was a twin cam turbo a rocket in a straight line , I thought these guys were a lot of fun , Jamie being Mr SCANZ big brother we all went to him for advice etc & it was freely given with a smile , interesting each class of racing has a certain energy about it..... this class obviously suited Jamie there were no wwwaaaar wwwaaarrrs..no bull shit..no protests no one to get in your way or in your FACE just fast fun like big go carts ...you needed brains to build these cars & he has built plenty of them even to day & being NZ championship winners at that.
I did hear a little story about Jamie [hope you dont mind me saying] it goes abit like this , Jamie went off the end of main straight at Puke [1970s???] carried on straight ahead for some time though the farmers paddock out through his gate, drove up the main road down through the car park at Puke & re entered the race.......no DNF Your a good Bugger Jamie .....

[bry3500]

Jamie and the Bobtail....ex Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren ,Merv Neil, Doug Lawrence

[bry3500]

Photo from Bob Homewood

[bob homewood]

Jamie ,a bit of a unsung person as far as I'm concerned ,a great guy ,that you could race wheel to wheel with and you always knew he would do nothing stupid ,he always had a great talent for getting results with meagre resources and his own mechanical ability

[928]

did sid mk1 start out as the heron V8 then? it certainly looks like it in some views

[jamie]

Sid Mk1 Started in 1969 when I sold the Cooper to Lyn Neilson in the South Island he did not want the 3.8 Jag motor so what to do. Went and had a had chat with Ross Baker he said they had the front of the spare Mk2 Heron chassis with front suspension and front body so we had half a car glue the 3.8 Jag on to that but what to do for a gear box. Went back to Ross Baker who was in the middle of making a box out of a Mk 4 Zephyr 4 speed box and v 8 crown wheel and pinion which we intended to fit to the Jag bell housing. But that started dragging along ?? I had a talk with Keven Clark and was told that Feo Stanton had a HD 5 Hewland for sale so paid him a visit after Keven had jacked it up came away proud owners and Janice pocket depleted .Back to work to make rear Suspension Upright's ect had it running for Christmas and up and down the road New year 1970 much to the neighbours horror .More later Jamie

[bry3500]

Will we ever see SID Mk1 back on the track ? Didn't I read somewhere that it still survives ?
These pics are from the SCANZ thread courtesy of Markec

[bry3500]

SID Mk2 - from SCANZ thread

[jamie]

Hi Gang I believe Peter Benbrook has S I D Mk1 and 2. That photo Bry is of Bob Harden having rebuilt with a 2lt Twin Cam FT 200 Hewland box sadly Bob got the dreaded rust and passed on .Have talked to Peter and it is being worked on. Jamie

[Michael Clark]

Pizza Hut, Invercargill - late December 1990 - Allan Dick and I having pizza, surprisingly, with the late John Hawkins. At an adjacent table is Marcus Pye and the Aisablies. Eventually the groups merged and I got the chance to ask the creator of arguably NZ's most distinctive homegrown sports racer - what did it stand for?

I didn't actually get a definitive answer - instead there were options, three of them...

1 was 'Still in Debt'
2 was 'Something I Did', and
3 - that the car was named after Sid whatever his name was from the Carry On movies

I endorse all the comments about Jamie doing wonders with limited resources. For years I wondered whatever had become of the Ken Wharton Trophy - it wasn't just in good hands, it was in the most appropriate hands in the country - the ultimate sports car trophy for the ultimate sports car exponent.

[jamie]

Hi Michael Sorry to have kept you LIMBO for so long. After going to the movies and seeing Sid James in carry on up the KYBER as he was ugly and strange so like the car, the other names came later the and construction committee is still Out on those .BUT I AM
STILL IN DEBT FOR SOMETHING I DID Jamie A

[MadIrish]

Jamie,

Eugene Boyle (formerly of Te Aroha), it's been a long, long time! Great to see you have not lost any of your sense of humour! Fantastic to read both the SCANZ thread an now your tribute one. I still remember the advice you gave me when I was starting out way back ion the mid-80's, those days with SCANZ were great and remain firm and fond memories.

Kind regards.

Eugene Boyle

[MadIrish]

Jamie,

Eugene Boyle (formerly of Te Aroha), it's been a long, long time! Great to see you have not lost any of your sense of humour! Fantastic to read both the SCANZ thread an now your tribute one. I still remember the advice you gave me when I was starting out way back ion the mid-80's, those days with SCANZ were great and remain firm and fond memories.

Kind regards.

Eugene Boyle

[Oldfart]

This is a very fitting tribute for a "real kiwi bloke"
Sports cars have never received the support they deserve, and Jamie, John Mines, Lester Reader and a whole bunch of others have never wavered in spite of the lack of recognition from MANZ< Motorsport NZ or whatever the "ruling" body wanted to call itself.
You guys are the embodiment of the "Blokes in Sheds".
Thanks for the entertainment over the years.

[Michael Clark]

Not in limbo Jamie - but I'm Still In Doubt...

Old Fart has summed things up very tidily.

[jamie]

Hi Gang,
I have started sorting photos to put up on sight. Now to carry on from where I left off. The testing up an down the road was a lot fun as S I D did not want to go in a straight line. It was a bit of a handful, obviously wheel alignment was not good. With that done it was off Bay Park for several lots of testing. Had to make new lower front wish bones. Then to hill climbs and bent sprints. Finally Pukekohe for its first race meeting. That is when the fun really started.
Jamie A.

[bry3500]

Sid 3

[jamie]

Hi Bry3500 SID Mk 111 in the esses at Taupo old track early on in the1980 s Before I fitted stronger roll bars and flattened out the role
Jamie A

[jamie]

Hi Gang .
Back again, well Puki was a steep learning curve we had a big over heating issue to the point it would fire the radiator cap high in the air the commentator remarked that the car must come from Rotorua because it had brought its own Geyser with it. Fix that by making a little wing thing in front of the air out let to get more suck out of it never overheated again. The next big hurdle was to change the gear ratios as what we had in the box were what Kevin had put in there luckily some one walked by and stepped in to help thanks but my memory shot and I cant remember who . A good weekend in all Jamie A

[bry3500]

Keep the stories coming Jamie. How are you going with those photos?

[Grant Sprague]

Jamie was it SID 3 ??? you ran in mid 80 s ?? that seemed very quick 2000litre turbo. what has happened to that car ??..... also the car you built for your son I saw you at HD a couple yrs back that was a beautiful car you built not to mention the driver doing a fantastic job also against the british built sports 2000 cars .......keep it coming mate ........

[jamie]

Thanks Grant Yea SID Mk111 was a Turbo 1340 cc Lotus Twin Cam which was what the SCANZ Formula was then 2000 cc 2 valve or 1.4 forced Induction. I am in the middle of rebuilding SID Mk111 for Kim Wilson who is the owner now .
The car Darren and others have raced is a hole story in itself which will get to when I have finished the thread of the SID "S .
Jamie

[John McKechnie]

I was at Baypark end of Dec 1969- Team Cambridge Monaro had last outing with Rod Coppins and Spencer Black- and I remember Jamie running , but the engine was missing and making strange noises.
Well thanks to Autonews vol 2, number 12 all is revealed-

"Surprise was Jamie Aislabe in the old Cooper Holden sports car which , this season has been given some extra hay in the form of a 3.8 motor in place of the 2.4
He found that the supercharger made the car go slower so it was tossed aside for Bay Park While it went, it went like the wind but the timing slipped and about the half way mark the car began popping and backfiring.

[jamie]

Hi John.
The old Cooper:
I sat down last night and tried to remember that weekend and what had happened to the old girl. I came up with the reason we took the supercharger off was not from the lack performance but the opposite. The set up was not reliable enough it was so fast the rest of the old girl lost the plot, not enough brakes or cooling .The missing in the motor was, I had forgotten to change the C D Stromberg carb needles and it still had supercharger mixture needles in the carbs which dirtied up the plugs. It was after that we sold the Cooper and started on
SID Mk 1 Jamie A

[jamie]

After our success at Puke we were off to Levin had a great time but something broke in the gear box and on the way home the crankshaft broke in the old 1956 Morris Oxford not only have to fix S I D and the Oxcart as well ended up putting V6 3lt ford in the old girl with a Mk4 Zephyr gear box and an A 90 Austin diff that sorted that out. The gear box fault was a collapsed Pinion bearing found it was a V W pinion bearing with ball bearings (old style) that wouldn't take my abuse, so put in late model VW bearing with roller's
all fixed. Now off to the South Island to Timaru. I wish it was as easy to fix SID as is write this.
Jamie A

[Terry S]

After our success at Puke we were off to Levin had a great time but something broke in the gear box and on the way home the crankshaft broke in the old 1956 Morris Oxford not only have to fix S I D and the Oxcart as well ended up putting V6 3lt ford in the old girl with a Mk4 Zephyr gear box and an A 90 Austin diff that sorted that out. The gear box fault was a collapsed Pinion bearing found it was a V W pinion bearing with ball bearings (old style) that wouldn't take my abuse, so put in late model VW bearing with roller's
all fixed. Now off to the South Island to Timaru. I wish it was as easy to fix SID as is write this.
Jamie A

Jamie, I am led to believe that Frank Bray and you made a sports car out of the remains of the crashed ex Matich Brabham BT7A.
Which sports car was that?

[jamie]

Terry.
No Frank Bray made the SMP sports car out of the BT7 A. Dave Bray tells me that Frank had 2 frames but is not shore which was what. When I got my hands on it was a bit sad. Broken gear box. Blown motor. No body and a very rusty frame we repaid the frame. Rebuilt the motor. Found some parts for the Gear box. But with no idea of what to do for a body. Bill David came to the rescue with the body that had been on the Mk1 Heron so put that on and there you have S I D Mk 11 and what I rocket.
Jamie

[bry3500]

I'm getting confused Jamie. So a recap. SID Mk11 had the body of the Mk1 Heron and SID MK1 had the front end of the Heron Mk11...is that right? :)

[jamie]

Hi Bry.
That is correct Why Bill David had the body I have no idea. Maybe Ross Baker might be able to help.
The front half of S I D MK1 the Baker brothers had been going to make 2 cars but that did not happen, so I was able to get the front half of the second car.
Jamie

[Terry S]

Terry.
No Frank Bray made the SMP sports car out of the BT7 A. Dave Bray tells me that Frank had 2 frames but is not shore which was what. When I got my hands on it was a bit sad. Broken gear box. Blown motor. No body and a very rusty frame we repaid the frame. Rebuilt the motor. Found some parts for the Gear box. But with no idea of what to do for a body. Bill David came to the rescue with the body that had been on the Mk1 Heron so put that on and there you have S I D Mk 11 and what I rocket.
Jamie

Jamie, between Frank Bray and yourself, by the time SID Mk 2 completed you changed the complete front, widened the cockpit to make two seater, and changed rear for different engines.
There can't have been much of the Brabham left?

[jamie]

Hi Terry.
rank Bray did all that . And raced the car as this as the S M P then the car went to the south Island I know Lyn Johnson had the car for a wile but what happened after that till picked it up out of a water front boat shed in a very sorry state. Refer # 33 08-12-2014.
Jamie

[jamie]

Hi Terry.
rank Bray did all that . And raced the car as this as the S M P then the car went to the south Island I know Lyn Johnson had the car for a wile but what happened after that till picked it up out of a water front boat shed in a very sorry state. Refer # 33 08-12-2014.
Jamie

[tonttu]

Hi Michael Sorry to have kept you LIMBO for so long. After going to the movies and seeing Sid James in carry on up the KYBER as he was ugly and strange so like the car, the other names came later the and construction committee is still Out on those .BUT I AM
STILL IN DEBT FOR SOMETHING I DID Jamie A

I knew I'd seen Jamie A's answer earlier - Yards & Yarns post #437 ".... Frank and I were looking for A name we all went to the a movie early in 1970 with sid James in it, as the car was A bit ugly I said lets call it SID and thats it . Jamie "

[jamie]

Hi Terry S.
The Frank I talked a bought was Frank Hanen a good mate of mine who had helped me with the Cooper Jaguar and we built SID Mk 1
together could that be where you get the Frank Bray from.
Jamie A

[rf84]

Hi Jamie
It was good to catch up with you in the weekend.
It is a tribute to you that you have been given your own thread on TRS. Unfortunately threads for people (as opposed to those for cars and series) are usually started only after their death.
You continue the tradition of Kiwi ingenuity applied to the building of race cars by the likes of Brewer, Green, the Stantons and Ralph Watson.
Sports racing cars have been a great class for encouraging innovative design and engineering ideas. It's a pity the sports racing class(es) do not have a higher profile.

[Terry S]

Hi Terry S.
The Frank I talked a bought was Frank Hanen a good mate of mine who had helped me with the Cooper Jaguar and we built SID Mk 1
together could that be where you get the Frank Bray from.
Jamie A

You are confusing me Jamie.
At the start of threads 37 & 38 you mention Frank Bray.
He built SMP which you eventually turned into SIDS 11

[jamie]

Morning Terry.
I can confuse myself to.
Jamie

[jamie]

Hi Rf84.
Yes it was good to catch up how did your run go We went up over the Gentle Annie on the way home.It's a nice drive, all sealed now.
Had lunch in Taihape. I will be down officiating at the Blossom meeting. Hope to see you.
Regards Jamie A

[waldyone]

Hi Jamie.
Nice to see a thread on your racing career. I remember following you down the main straight at Ruapuna in the U2 when one of those high mounted mirrors came off and bounced down the track at me like a Hand Grenade. I didn't know which way it was going to go but luckily it had a final bounce and went over my head. There's not much to hide behind in one of those cars. Its funny how these things stick in your mind! I still have the U2 and have restored it back to its 1972 spec,1500cc Supercharged.
All the best
Dave Waldron

[jamie]

Hi Dave
Never did find that mirror. Had to put one on off the tow car to keep the Scrutineers happy. It looked bloody stupid but they were happy.
That U2 went real well I remember trying to pass you at Timaru the first time I went there you taught me the fast way round.
Jamie

[jamie]

Hi Dave.
I had Facebook photo turn up last night with you following me around the sweeper onto the front straight At Ruapuna with only Mirror
on must be the same meting.
Jamie

[jamie]

Hi Gang
Timaru
That was a real buzz. We went on the boat to Picton and was picked up by a mate who towed us to Timaru with his Ford single spinner flat head V8. SID went well. Big learning curve. Met a lot of people who are still good friends. It was a very long weekend as we went back to Picton via Nelson to see some of the country at night!! and in pouring rain. I suppose Mack meant well. There are some photos elsewhere in T R S of the car on a trailer in Nelson and at Timaru. I will troll my memory for what happened after that.

Jamie

[ElCoyote]

Hi Gang
Timaru
That was a real buzz. We went on the boat to Picton and was picked up by a mate who towed us to Timaru with his Ford single spinner flat head V8. SID went well. Big learning curve. Met a lot of people who are still good friends. It was a very long weekend as we went back to Picton via Nelson to see some of the country at night!! and in pouring rain. I suppose Mack meant well. There are some photos elsewhere in T R S of the car on a trailer in Nelson and at Timaru. I will troll my memory for what happened after that.

Jamie
I have always said you were a troll Jamie, I rest my case

[jamie]

ARH
My OLD OLD USA dog mate hope to see you at Rosebank Rd next weekend
Jamie

[Milan Fistonic]

Here's a photo from 50 years ago. Matamata in 1964.

26553

[jamie]

Hi Gang.
u Hi Milan. Boy that is along time ago, I can still remember how cold that frost was that Morning it took hour's for my hands to warm
up.
I think that is John Macy behind me, had a few laps chasing Ken Smith and still have a photo of him and me with him behind me in the front engine Lola.
Grate days.
Jamie A

[bry3500]

thanks to historicsportscarracingnz.co.nz