Classic Racing from late 70's and 80's

[BMCBOY]

I have been scanning some of my early "classic" type racing photos I shot in the late 70's to mid 80's and thought I would start a new thread for them.
At that time there were far fewer cars prepared purely for racing and it was more of an opportunity for people to take their road cars out for a run on the track. There were quite a few sprint events also where cars ran usually in two's and gave people with no racing experience, a run without the pressure of too many cars around them.

These photos are in no particular order and if anyone else has photos to add, please feel free to post them - the more the merrier. I'm sure we would all love to see them.

43250

43246

43247

43248

43249

43251

[BMCBOY]

43252

43253

43257

43254

43255

43256

[BMCBOY]

43259

43258

43260

43261

43262

43263

[nigel watts]

Great photos Ross - keep em coming

[BMCBOY]

Thanks Nigel - not as crisp as the work you do today with the modern digital gear etc, but the best I could produce at the time.

Here's a few from 1980 Country Gents Meeting Wigram 1980

43269

43264

43266

43265

43268

43267

[BMCBOY]

43278

43277

43280

43279

43276

43281

[ERC]

Great stuff Ross. Seems silly now, but we didn't even know about the annual VCC Chelsea Hill Climb until I went over one day, to investigate the lovely sounds drifting over the valley! Must have missed a fair few.

Thanks for starting this thread. I won't add to it, though I will be diving in regularly. Having the year on the pic label will probably be a huge help to me in my ongoing quest for dating my own slides.

Some great facial images that we don't often get these days.

[BMCBOY]

Cheers Ray - you are welcome to add to it anytime although there are plenty of similar shots on your thread which are great viewing.
Some of the dates could be a 'bit vague' especially around the mid 80's as I was out of NZ a lot around then.
If I was in the country I would usually take a camera with me and take a few at a few select events if they were of interest.
Around 1988 I had a burglary and much of my 35mm gear was stolen. So as I could see digital photography arriving at a rate of knots I sold all my large format gear as well.
I also later sold all my darkroom equipment to a young lady who was studying photography at secondary school. She told me that she was then, better equipped than her school, after the purchase!
Fortunately all of my negatives have survived and I must admit using Photoshop and other software is just as satisfying to me as messing around with all the chemicals etc - too Old School, but just as time consuming!

[Rod Grimwood]

This lovely car lives in Northland now, and is a neat bit of gear, sounds great, New owner ran it at Northland Car Club 60th Anniversary couple years back at Doctors Hill Ruakaka. 2nd photo is Doctors Hill

[BMCBOY]

43316

43315

43317

43319

43318

43320

[BMCBOY]

43322

43321

43323

43325

43324

43326

[BMCBOY]

43329

43328

43330

43331

43327

43332

[Kwaussie]

This lovely car lives in Northland now, and is a neat bit of gear, sounds great, New owner ran it at Northland Car Club 60th Anniversary couple years back at Doctors Hill Ruakaka. 2nd photo is Doctors Hill

Lovely car was built by Bill Barber in the deep south - now builds very attractive aircraft

[Oldfart]

Bill built a few cars. One was a V8 powered one (road car) which is thought to have been around Rotorua/ Taupo at some time. Info leading to it would be very gratefully received. (Following from post #13 and #9)

[BMCBOY]

43449

43447

43448

43446

43450

43451

[ERC]

Brilliant stuff Ross. So envious that you were able to take such great pics so long ago! More please.

[BMCBOY]

43476

43477

43478

43479

43481

43480

[BMCBOY]

43482

43483

43484

43485

43486

43487

[Roger Dowding]

43278

43277

43280

43279

43276

43281

Ross, memories indeed,
The Chelsea Hillclimb, the Ford V8 Coupe, was !/ it is that Rob Williams one, remember the car well and have several photos of it.
Max Fisher, he and son Craig bought a Sprite off me in 1980, the project a left hooker that had been wrecked with unoriginal headlights mounted on the guards and a fuel tank in the boot, not underslung, loose floo panels. EC 4802, rebuilt by Max and Craig and then rebuilt again in the late 1980's by Ross Hollings.
The car is now in Japan [since 1990 ]
Max also provided the car products that I used as pries at the 1990 AHCCNZ Rally at Pukekohe,and you were there in HL 3000

cheers and thanks for the photos.

[BMCBOY]

43505

43500

43504

43502

43503

43501

[BMCBOY]

43506

43511

43510

43507

43509

43508

[Milan Fistonic]

Ross - Some of the numbers don't tie up but it looks like these photos are from this race at Pukekohe on 25th March 1984.

43512

[BMCBOY]

[QUOTE=Milan Fistonic;59367]Ross - Some of the numbers don't tie up but it looks like these photos are from this race at Pukekohe on 25th March 1984.

Many thanks Milan - very handy to have that entry list for reference.

[khyndart in CA]

Note the different cornering techniques of Roger Dowding from the track to the hill climb in his TR 4 A.
Thanks to Ross and Roger for this " good stuff ". Well done.
43513

43514



(Ken Hyndman )

[BMCBOY]

43767

43766

43762

43763

43764

43765

[Rod Grimwood]

The Alfa in second last photo could be Elvie Williams, she drove 1 and was quick.

[Tootle]

The Alfa in second last photo could be the zcode so click here (https://donkeybets.com/zcode-system-review) Elvie Williams, she drove 1 and was quick.

Amazing pictures. That Aston Martin is something special.

[BMCBOY]

43821

43823

43824

43822

43825

43826

[BMCBOY]

43827

43828

43830

43829

43831

43832

[BMCBOY]

43833

43838

43834

43835

43837

43836

[BigBird]

Ross
Great to see photo of Lambo Espada car belonged to the late Peter Read apparantly owned by Rod Stewarts Manager when new.
I remember this meeting well Country Gents Wigram commentator call this car fastest bread van of the day.Excellent after event party in Marque, Waiters great food and drink. Lots of stories told and all true......haha
Thanks everbody TRS for these great Photos
David

[BMCBOY]

Yes it was a great meeting David. I agree about the post racing function - brilliant. I was doing a road trip around the South Is at the time and was taken along with some friends from the Austin Healey Club that were competing. I took lots of photos as I had never seen so many historic cars gathered in one place before. Classic racing was very much in its infancy in the North Is at that time so it was a real treat.

[BMCBOY]

There used to be a Lamborghini Espada that did some racing up here in Auckland in the 80's, but i don't know who owned it

43852

[Roger Dowding]

Note the different cornering techniques of Roger Dowding from the track to the hill climb in his TR 4 A.
Thanks to Ross and Roger for this " good stuff ". Well done.
43513

43514



(Ken Hyndman )

Ken H.. thanks Mate ..enough already, was known as Roundabout Roger in the Healey Club at one stage for spinning the TR, yep took it to Healey meetings ..

[Roger Dowding]

Yes it was a great meeting David. I agree about the post racing function - brilliant. I was doing a road trip around the South Is at the time and was taken along with some friends from the Austin Healey Club that were competing. I took lots of photos as I had never seen so many historic cars gathered in one place before. Classic racing was very much in its infancy in the North Is at that time so it was a real treat.

Ross,think the Healey 100 is Neil Ferguson from Waiua, near Timaru, a good mate of the Spillane boys, Des " Spinaway " and his brother.

[Go Slideways]

I'm heading to Manfield to check out the Big Bangers on Sunday..

I grew up in Feilding and practically lived at Manfield with my mates when I was a kid and it first opened. We never paid to get in once haha..

Here's some pictures I took in 2011, I got there late so I had to follow the old school wagging path up the creek and through the trees.. don't tell anybody.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2HFqbfaupA

[BMCBOY]

45082

45083

45084

45085

45086

45087

[BMCBOY]

45088

45089

45093



45091

45092

[BMCBOY]

45094

45099

45095

45098

45096

45097

[Oldfart]

Amazing to see all those really neat cars that hardly see the light of day any more.
Great photos as always Ross.

[Michael Clark]

Wonderful Ross

[ERC]

Great photographs. Lamborghini Espada's are currently owned by two Formula Junior drivers. (Or were when I last checked! One may have been moved on.)

I haven't seen the Ginetta G15 from #38 for a while now.

[BMCBOY]

45751

45750

45749

45752

45753

45754

[BMCBOY]

45756

45757

45755

45758

45759

45760

[BMCBOY]

45761

45762

45763

45764

45765

45766

[BMCBOY]

45990

45993

45994

45992

45989

45991

[BMCBOY]

46054

46059

46055

46057

46056

46058

[BMCBOY]

46060

46063

46062

46064

46065

46061

[Rod Grimwood]

Think this may be Elvie Williams

[BMCBOY]

46401

46400

46399

46402

46404

46403

[BMCBOY]

46405

46406

46408

46409

46407

46410

[Roger Dowding]

Ross great to see Lyle in the BSA at Pukekohe, I have a very blurry photo of him at Puke, when I also drove the BSA, as well as my TR which must have been earlier 1979 or 1980.
Also Cameron McKay in EX 4761 .. have borrowed them for my archives ..

[Roger Dowding]

Note the different cornering techniques of Roger Dowding from the track to the hill climb in his TR 4 A.
Thanks to Ross and Roger for this " good stuff ". Well done.
43513

43514



(Ken Hyndman )

Ken yep was known as " Roundabout Roger " on loose surfaces, grass or shingle as used to spin a lot in Gymkhana's. Having made a mistake no sense in trying to improve, just Rotate.
Once finished a grass gymkahana test, in my Bugeye Sprite, backwards as hit a bump with the brakes on and just rotated, they accepted my time while the timekeepers scattered as I stayed within the cones

[BMCBOY]

I often wonder what happened to Lyle and the BSA - quite a rare car. Here's another one for your archives.


46417

[Roger Dowding]

I often wonder what happened to Lyle and the BSA - quite a rare car. Here's another one for your archives.


46417

Ross,
Believe Lyle is in Wellington, found a phone number and address, am going to check it out, The BSA I think got disposed of, if the contact is good, will let you know

[BMCBOY]

47271

47266

47269

47268

47270

47267

[BMCBOY]

47277

47276

47273

47275

47272

47274

[Milan Fistonic]

Brilliant shots Ross.

The 4th photo in post 45 which you have labelled as a Krieft is actually Max Fisher's RGR.

[BMCBOY]

47283

47281

47282

47279

47280

47278

[BMCBOY]

47287

47288

47286

47284

47285

47289

[Steve Holmes]

Outstanding images Ross. Makes you wonder where some of these cars ended up? Is that the Harold Heasley Humber 80 in post #60?