NZ Half Litre Club

[Laurie Callender]

In the 1950’s there were many F3 race cars imported into NZ. There were probably many more homebuilt’s as well running 500cc Norton, JAP, BSA, Matchless and Triumph engines etc.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW!
It would be great to see these cars all in one place, perhaps even having a run as a F3 class.
I have seen a list of imported cars which included: 20 Coopers, 2 Kieft’s, 5 JBS, 1 each RGR, Arnott and Staride during the 1950/60 period.
I know where the five JBS vehicles are: one we are currently restoring imported by my father in 1957, Max Rutherford’s restored car, Gary Simkin (Australia) with his original car, and two in the South Island, one owned by Mr McLennan the other is in the Yaldhurst Museum.
There are a few coopers I know of that have had runs last year at Hamptons Downs so would like to hear of any cars around and there current status.

[Laurie Callender]

This is Max Rutherford's restored JBS prior to it's first outing at Taupo in December 2011.

[Oldfart]

Most of them have gone back to the UK!

[David McKinney]

Or Australia, or North America, or Japan...

[woody]

Ron Mitchell in Dunedin, about 62 - 64 raced a Anzai 500. Also Bill Ingle raced a Cullen 500. Went to Ron's house and watched Ron work on his car. Ron shifted and car was never seen again.

[bry3500]

Good link http://www.hsrca.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/loose-fillings-39.pdf

[BMCBOY]

Photos of Graeme Brayshaw and Ian Garmey cars taken at Chelsea Hillclimb and Roycroft Meets5632.5628562956305631

[bry3500]

Does anyone recall someone called Thompson from Wanganui who raced a 500 around 1963 , 64?

[Laurie Callender]

I have a GN Thompson listed as owning my JBS in 1965. Raced at Levin in March and November and also at the Paritutu Circuit in New Plymouth, October 1965. Would be keen to find out more about this man.

[bry3500]

I have a GN Thompson listed as owning my JBS in 1965. Raced at Levin in March and November and also at the Paritutu Circuit in New Plymouth, October 1965. Would be keen to find out more about this man.
..well.. he lived across the road from me in Smithfield Road, Gonville.,Wanganui ..I used to watch and help him load the car up on the trailer..Heady stuff for a 10year old. The only thing I remember him saying was "don't ever buy a racing car son, it will keep you poor!".

[bry3500]

he would sometimes start the car up in Smithfield road..the kids would come running ( barefoot) from all directions..I left Wanganui at Christmas time 1965, so the dates you provided fit well..I am pretty sure it had a J.A.P motor because i remember thinking as a kid it was Japanese haha ...sorry i can't offer more details..

[bry3500]

Paritutu 1965 meeting footage
http://www.ecasttv.co.nz/program_detail.php?program_id=797&channel_id=112&group_id=

[David McKinney]

...sorry i can't offer more details..
Not even his first name?

[bry3500]

Not even his first name?
David..believe me , I am wracking my brains..Graeme possibly, I'll do some digging

[David McKinney]

Geoff? George? Gerry? Gary? Gavin?

[bry3500]

Ok...done some digging..The G N Thompson was in fact Noel Thompson..I believe he called himself Noel from his middle name.

[David McKinney]

Thanks Bry:cool:

[bry3500]

The plot thickens.. Just found out that Noels father was named Gordon and he may have lived at the same address..so perhaps he owned the car and Noel drove it

[markec]

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[markec]

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[Wal Will]

here are a couple of my Mk10. First one outside my home a week of so after I went over the bank with it at Gebbies.
The second one was taken at Oamaru hill climb, and sitting next to Wally Bakers Mk8

[Wal Will]

That looks very much like Ian Burgess in the picture outside the garage, and the car a wee bit more than 500cc

[Wal Will]

Fast forward 40+ years and I am walking through the pits at Ruapuna and there she was. Owned by Craig Pidgeon and by this stage fitted with a J.A.P. I had to have a sit in it for old times sake.

[David McKinney]

And between those two occasions, when I had it at Whenuapai in 1985:)

[Laurie Callender]

Here's an update on my car now completed and had it's first test run in the weekend. All went well so have entered to go to Hampton Down's for the Roycroft meeting on 14/15 April. Hopefully will see some more 500's there.

http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n590/lauriec2/restored37sml.jpg

[David McKinney]

At least another New Plymouth JBS?

[Steve Holmes]

Here's an update on my car now completed and had it's first test run in the weekend. All went well so have entered to go to Hampton Down's for the Roycroft meeting on 14/15 April. Hopefully will see some more 500's there.

http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n590/lauriec2/restored37sml.jpg

Laurie, great work! This looks absolutely stunning! A real credit to you. Thanks for sharing.

[Laurie Callender]

Have to thank Max Rutherford for doing the restoration, a fantastic job he has done of both cars. Also thanks to Ces Budd for the aluminum body work, Dave Gifford for rebuilding the JAP motor and Don O'Connor for the rebuilding the Norton Gearbox and clutch. Amazing talent in Taranaki!

[Steve Holmes]

Laurie, please feel free to create a dedicated thread to the history and restoration of your car. This would be fascinating, I know many on here would enjoy it.

[Powder]

Some photos from today's racing at the HRSCC meeting at Taupo.

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[ERC]

Check the date for next year's Roycroft meeting. The April date clashed with Aussie V8's at Pukekohe and I think the Roycroft is now back at Easter.

I asked on another thread if there was any interest in Vintage running a grid at Hampton Downs April 21st, but haven't had a response.

Great pics!

[Steve Holmes]

Great pics! Is that Max Rutherford in the first picture?

[Oldfart]

Graeme Brayshaw in the last on post 30, I knew he was trying!
Fabulous photo(s) Ray

[Laurie Callender]

Yep thats Max in #28. Great event at Taupo, as said, great racing had by all. Had lots of comments regarding the smallest car Single cylinder 500cc against the biggest V12 Lagonda but it was a lot of fun, especially beating him!

[Frosty5]

Does anyone recall someone called Thompson from Wanganui who raced a 500 around 1963 , 64?

Hi, the name is certainly familiar. Gordon Noel Thompson was my brother-in-law, now I cant be sure if it is the same GNT but he certainly was involved in motorsport around that time. He moved to Fielding working for Domett-Fruehauf and then after marrying my sister moved to the USA where he set up his own garage and crewed for the Rahal team. Unfortunately he was killed in a workshop accident in Southern California in 1999

[rf84]

There was a person with the surname Thompson from Wanganui who owned a Begg F5000 (FM2?) and a saloon ("fastback" Anglia?) in the late 70's/early 80's. He was an accountant from memory. I THINK his first name was Colin. He visited me a couple of times in Hastings so that would suggest he was the 500 owner-at that time I owned a Mark 5 Cooper.

[Chris Read]

I must have missed this thread when it began....RE the first entry, for the record I have had the two Kiefts in my garage for 25 yrs. Photo of them is before they were shipped from the factory in 1952 for Ronnie and Les Moore .Chris Read - Arrowtown
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[John McKechnie]

Hi Guys,In the late 70s and early 80s , my neighbour Merv McDonald, a well known hot-rodder- in Henderson had a 500 Cooper..He said that it was left here after Moss came here to race.He had all the old wheels and everything.He said it was damaged when he got it.He used to hill climb it, and later a young friend Steve was the driver.Later he fitted a high powered VW motor to it.It was called the MiniMax. Anyone in the Auckland Car Club would remember it.There was a guy called Norm, had a Riley Pathfinder who got items from him, and another one called Bruce Sutcliffe. I think they were some of the starters of historic race cars.. Merv has passed away..I can remember this skinny little chassis sitting by his back door as he was considering what to do with it.
Hope this info helps.

[rf84]

John. Just wondering if the 'Cooper' you referred to really was a Cooper?
Firstly, I never heard that Moss brought a 500 here to race. Secondly,as far as I know there were 2 Coopers that had Porsche motors fitted-the Mark6 of Bruce Webster and the Roy Lyme car. The Mini Max was a totally different car built by Ross Hollings. Ross is on The RS so he might shed some more light on that.
The "Norm" you refer to is I suspect Norm Holloway. If that is the case the parts he got off Merv McDonald would have been JBS parts and they have gone into the JBS's built by Max Rutherford and Lawrie Callender that you see in Posts 25, 27 and 30 above.

[John McKechnie]

rf84-I was only 23 and just took in what he told me.Not the first time someone has not told me the truth.
I am glad that Norm Holloway got stuff off Merv and that it found a good home/homes.
If Ross Hollings had MiniMax, did he build it up or buy it?
Or is Mervs chassis a different car and still out there somewhere.
I dont know what happened to the chassis., was it used or stay in some hillclimb car?
Just trying to help you guys with info from the past.

[David McKinney]

The Mini-Max, later run by John Pettit and Ross Hollings, was built by Max Rutherford in New Plymouth

The McDonald car was callled the Mini-Minus, and later just The Beast. It was said to be Cooper-based, but the late 500 guru Max Fisher claimed it was a special

[John McKechnie]

David- Thank you for this gem.Now I see it in front of me , I remember it was The BEAST. And Merv seemed positive it had Cooper origins. Thank you for your clear memory on this.

[rf84]

Yes. You are correct (as usual) David. My apologies if I put anyone wrong. And apologies to Max Rutherford for not giving him the credit for building the "Mini Max".

[maxNmidget]

Yes. You are correct (as usual) David. My apologies if I put anyone wrong. And apologies to Max Rutherford for not giving him the credit for building the "Mini Max".

Thanks for that correction David.
For the record the MiniMax ended its life in the Nelson/Blenheim area and the owner used it on speedway (It was built as a duel purpose car) in Christchurch until they banned rear engined cars so he chopped it up and dumped it! When I contacted him some years later to see if I could restore it for our Vintage Speedway Club he was just as up set as me that he had done that! Max Rutherford

[Ross Hollings]

Yes you are correct about the demise of the Minimax,I went down that track years ago and was told that all that was left was the steeringwheel.
Max, I have never met you but just let me say here what a fantastic little car it was.To me the crowning achievement was beat Jim Boyd[in the Lycoming] at the Gold Star Event at Chamberlain Rd.Jim had a habit of coming up last just to make sure of FTD,This day i decided that that was not to be the case and started fiddling around with the car at the start line ,he thought he had it in the bag,now Chamberlain Rd was home turf to me and I new there was one corner that i could just go that little bit quicker ,at the bottom of the hill,from that i got FTD. Jim was pissed and threw all his gear in the Lycoming and took off home,didnt even stay for a beer. !!!
Was a great car Max,will publish some photos when i return to NZ 2013, from our sojurn in Australia.
Ross H

[BMCBOY]

The Mini-Max, later run by John Pettit and Ross Hollings, was built by Max Rutherford in New Plymouth

The McDonald car was callled the Mini-Minus, and later just The Beast. It was said to be Cooper-based, but the late 500 guru Max Fisher claimed it was a special

Photos of the MiniMinus/Beast taken over a few years showing how much it changed from 1975 to 1979

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[John McKechnie]

BMCBOY-thanks for posting these.Looks like young Steve driving it. Merv built it , but didnt drive it. .After this car, Steve, who was a family friend of Mervs, never raced, had a family instead.Merv was my neighbour and friend for 5 years .A keen hot rodder, loved motor racing, and did things his own way.After Steve stopped racing Merv gave it all away and threw all his energies into BMX until he passed away last year. A real family man with no family of his own.

[maxNmidget]

Regards previous post from Ross Hollings. Thanks for that Ross. Look forward to those photo's as I have very few of the car. I only did one hillclimb (second to Cooper Porsche) and two speedway meetings before selling it and going to UK to do my big OE. See photo of me later in this thread.
Max

[ERC]

From my "Just a Mix of Pics" thread, featuring Merit car kits of the 60's.

Not many kit manufacturer's have bothered with the Cooper and other 500cc cars, yet there were many different full size models deserving of reproduction in plastic.
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[Laurie Callender]

I must have missed this thread when it began....RE the first entry, for the record I have had the two Kiefts in my garage for 25 yrs. Photo of them is before they were shipped from the factory in 1952 for Ronnie and Les Moore .Chris Read - Arrowtown
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Hi Chris, Thanks for your post, it is great to hear of more 500's still being cared for in NZ.

If you are interested, Max and I will be in the South Island next month with our two JBS's so would like to meet anyone who has an interest in the half litre racing. So we will be at Ruapuna on the 1st - 3rd February, then Timaru on the 8th - 10th and finally if all is still going well, we will be at Teretonga on 15th - 17th.

[Chris Read]

Hi Chris, Thanks for your post, it is great to hear of more 500's still being cared for in NZ.

If you are interested, Max and I will be in the South Island next month with our two JBS's so would like to meet anyone who has an interest in the half litre racing. So we will be at Ruapuna on the 1st - 3rd February, then Timaru on the 8th - 10th and finally if all is still going well, we will be at Teretonga on 15th - 17th.

Hi Laurie
May see you at Teretonga.
Problem for the Kiefts for your group is that they were always fitted with 1000cc Vincents as they are today.
Chris

[Laurie Callender]

What a great forum this is for information. On another posting by Stu (in R.I.P) I found the following clipping which listed a S. Williamson 3rd in the Puhipuhi Goldstar Hill Climb in 1966. Stu Williamson was an owner of my JBS after my father had it so it fills another gap on the cars history, thank you.

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[crunch]

Well done Laurie and Max and the rest of the half litre club for keeping this history alive. Little did I know it, but when a youngster and my dad took me to a hillclimb, that I saw some of these very cars in action. Great to see they are still part of our heritage due to the enthusiasm and love of a few dedicated people.
Cheers

[bry3500]

These pics are from NZ library archives. OK to be reproduced here.

First photo is dated 7 Dec 1959 "Wellington Car Club hill climb with two unidentified men working on a racing car engine, location unknown, Wellington Region"

Second one reads "Unidentified driver in racing car, Houghton Bay, Wellington"

Photo 3 is from 7 Dec 1959 reads, "Wellington Car Club hill climb with an unidentified man being push started in his racing car with a crowd looking on, location unknown, Wellington Region

Last photo 21 Sept 1959 "Car Club member, car number 39, racing down Palmer Head, Wellington"

[rf84]

Car #1 is Bob Gibbons Cooper Mk5 with V twin 1100cc Jap engine.

[Oldfart]

Great photos with period feel. The top one looks almost like a younger Jim Boyd sitting on the rh rear wheel, but that is a VERY random thought.
Post #52 mentions Roskilly whose son has been a new acquisition on TRS.

[bry3500]

next 3

First photo reads
22 October 1956. Photograph taken by Bruce Davis.

Row 1: No 14, Arnold Stafford (Cooper Mk IX); No 15, Ron Frost (Cooper Mk IX)

Row 2: No 5, Syd Jensen (Cooper Mk IX); Bruce Webster (in checkerboard helmet, Cooper Mk VII)

Row 3: No 18, Ross Jensen (Austin-Healey 100S);No 21, John Mansel (Alfa Romeo Tipo B); No 3 (Cooper)

Row 4: obscured; Buckler, driver probably Jim Boyd.


second photo
"Unidentified driver in a racing car, with attendants, Houghton Bay Road, Wellington 1955"

The third photo:
"Unidentified man driving a racing car up Houghton Bay Road, Wellington 1955"

[bry3500]

. Photographs taken ca 1956 by Bruce Valentine Davis.

[bry3500]

more

[garry simkin]

According to my copy of ''The Twenty Year History of the Levin Motor Racing circuit 1956-1976'', competing at the 22/10/1956 meeting was Syd Jensen in #5, Bruce Webster in #9, Bob Hugill in #3,Arnold Stafford in #14 and Len Gilbert in # 12 (mk7 Cooper).
Great pictures, i'm sure David McKinney will identify the Wellington hill-climb cars, he was probably there on the day.
Garry Simkin.

[bry3500]

more

[bry3500]

According to my copy of ''The Twenty Year History of the Levin Motor Racing circuit 1956-1976'', competing at the 22/10/1956 meeting was Syd Jensen in #5, Bruce Webster in #9, Bob Hugill in #3,Arnold Stafford in #14 and Len Gilbert in # 12 (mk7 Cooper).
Great pictures, i'm sure David McKinney will identify the Wellington hill-climb cars, he was probably there on the day.
Garry Simkin.
Thanks Garry - great work

[Oldfart]

Glimpse of Buckler in post # 61.

[stubuchanan]

Glimpse of Buckler in post # 61.

And a lot more of it in post #57.

Stu B

[Oldfart]

And a lot more of it in post #57.

Stu B

Yes, but is the same one, as both of the Mark VI/V were around at many of the same meetings!

[David McKinney]

I'm sure David McKinney will identify the Wellington hill-climb cars, he was probably there on the day.
Garry Simkin.
Oh, all right then:)

As rf84 says, Bob Gibbons in the MkV Cooper

The other is the Christchurch-built Shadbolt Special, which spent a lot of time around Wellington. Owner/driver at this point was one R K Reardon

[David McKinney]

Post 7


second photo
"Unidentified driver in a racing car, with attendants, Houghton Bay Road, Wellington 1955"
Alan Freeman, Cooper MkIV


The third photo:
"Unidentified man driving a racing car up Houghton Bay Road, Wellington 1955"
Bob Gibbons, Cooper MkV, again

[bry3500]

Thanks David - great info again :cool: