Tom Donovan

[Grant Ellwood]

I remember Tom as a very adventurous racer, the A30 wickedly quick at Levin then the turboed (I think) Sprite, some of his mods were way ahead of his (our) time. Based in Wellington, might have had an infamous pool hall?, correct me if I'm wrong!
Cheers, Grant Ellwood

[45DCOE]

The motor in the Sprite in its final form was I think a Lotus Twin Cam from Kerry Grant's Lotus Cortina as he was running a 1650 pushrod.
He then built the rear engined Odlin sports car with the Lotus Twin Cam that Danie Lupp ended up with. I think he then brought the Brett Riley 77B March and raced it without too much success on the circuits. He then used the March in hillclimbs and there was a photo of him doing a gravel hillclimb in it ! Yeah, the pool hall was in Courtenay Place, Wellington - one still exists there today. The Odlin was pretty quick and I recall won the sports car championship - do not know what happened to it after Danie Lupp had it

[jamie]

Hi 45 you are almost right he won the gold star Hihclimb champs in the March but to his sorrow he never won the sports champs
Jamie A

[Steve Holmes]

Was the March the same car raced by Howard Wood in Formula Atlantic?

[Russ Cunningham]

Good man, Tommy. First met him in about 67-68 whilst waiting for scrutineering for a Wellington hill climb.

However, the most memorable moment in my memory is of T.D. blowing up a phone box
in Lyall Bay, Wellington.

Living in Sydney, NSW, now days, according to the motorsport mafia.

Why did you start this thread, Grant? Afterall, you ran over a cop in Palmerston North.

Mate! I might even remember a few other things when I sober up. Kisses & hugs from Jill.

Cheers,

Russ

[CUSTAXIE50]

I saw tom race a vw at palmerston north speedway some years back.

[David McKinney]

Was the March the same car raced by Howard Wood in Formula Atlantic?
No, as 45 says, it was the ex-Brett Riley car:)

[markec]

Was in NZ late 2010, was then heading back to the monastery in South Africa, his old Typhoon is in ChCh

[jamie]

Hi gang Tom lived in Sydney Up untill Xmas 2010 when he sold all the race car.s and went back to God for how long this time ? have not seen him since he came and stayed a few days on his way to Roma .Jamie A

[ElCoyote]

Hi gang Tom lived in Sydney Up untill Xmas 2010 when he sold all the race car.s and went back to God for how long this time ? have not seen him since he came and stayed a few days on his way to Roma .Jamie A

I hope you didn't get converted Jamie, I like you as you are now.

[ElCoyote]

Quite right Grant, he was another wayward lad from the Eastern suburbs. Mother was a major shareholder in Odlins hence the signage. I am surprised 45DCOE knows about the pool hall, I thought he had a sheltered upbringing. hmmm.

[jamie]

HAY what about the outher 3 pool hall,s ? shelterd life so he never went to one of Tom,s wine drinking party,s mostley A red called Becarno made in vats from HELL??? Jamie A

[stirlingmac]

I remember Tom going off his nut when he was running the March at Wellington's Alexander Rd Hillclimb. On the nose cone he had signwritten "Jesus Saves". Some smartarse with a marker pen added "Stamps" ...He wasn't impressed at all..

[Grant Ellwood]

Does anyone know if Tom's chopped-top A30 still exists?

[Les Laidlaw]

He used to run some jungle juice in his turbo cars, the eyes would water and birds would fall out of the sky

[Carlo]

Tom had quite a big shunt at the Queenstown Hillclimb on the Coronet Peak skifield road where you come up the fastest bit of the hill and the car goes light as the incline ceases just as you go into the braking zone for the 1st haipin. Tom and the March went straight ahead and took on the armco head on. There wasn't much frontal protection in those cars.

[Howard Wood]

No, as 45 says, it was the ex-Brett Riley car:)

David,

We sold our March,plated 742-U1 to Reg Cook and I always understood he eventually sold it to Tom Donovan. In recent emails with Chris from oldracingcars.com regarding the history of the car we dicussed this.

A bit off this topic I know but Chris and Driftwood felt they had pretty much nailed the identity and history of that car, including that it's tub probably started life in an ex Brian Henton crashed 732. Check with them but they didn't question the Donovan connection but had a question mark over Bob Donaldson's involvement which I dismissed. The implication was that Donaldson must have bought the Brett Riley car.

Given that Tom Donovan crashed a March at Coronet Peak, did he then buy the ex Riley car? (Which conveniently would make us both right).

[David McKinney]

You might be right Howard. I thought at the time that Tom's car was the ex-Riley - I know Cookie held onto his for years, and an fairly sure he still had it when Tom was hillclimbing his March

Your suggestion that he owned both cars at different times might be correct

I don't connect Bob Donaldson with any March, though he might have owned one without racing it

[stirlingmac]

I remember visiting his workshop and he had built a new tub for the March. And had the older damaged tub hanging in the roof.

[Howard Wood]

I don't connect Bob Donaldson with any March, though he might have owned one without racing it

Me neither, Chris had the impression I had told him of the Bob Donaldson connection to 742 U1 which I corrected. Bob Donaldson had bought the second of our Cheetah/Cheater FFs in 1975 and somehow Chris must have muddled that connection up.

[jamie]

Hi guys Tom sold the March to Stue McChesney who circut raced it as well doing gold star seal hilclimbs? who got it after that I think was ken smith Jamie A

[Russ Cunningham]

Hi guys Tom sold the March to Stue McChesney who circut raced it as well doing gold star seal hilclimbs? who got it after that I think was ken smith Jamie A

Correct Jamie but who the hell is "Ken Smith"? He's not that old "Obsessive Compulsive" from Auckland who intends racing until he croaks? or the other one? who wastes money on nags that never win.

[45DCOE]

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[45DCOE]

Article in Motorman - seems like all the good motor sport people come from Miramar

[seaqnmac27]

i beg to differ, i would say Thames and Palmerston North

[Carlo]

i beg to differ, i would say Thames and Palmerston North

Check the records and you might find that it is the Timaru District

[Kwaussie]

Quite right Grant, he was another wayward lad from the Eastern suburbs. Mother was a major shareholder in Odlins hence the signage.
I was working for a subsidery of Odlins at the time on West Coast of SI.
Owen Murphy from Odlins made sure that every staff member knew about Tom's efforts.
Everyone followed the progress but sad to say the results were never what they expected.

[ElCoyote]

Article in Motorman - seems like all the good motor sport people come from Miramar

Let's not forget Wayne Huxford's Capri was constructed (initially) in Miramar and he only lived a 5 iron away so we can claim him as well:D

[45DCOE]

Let's not forget Wayne Huxford's Capri was constructed (initially) in Miramar and he only lived a 5 iron away so we can claim him as well:D

Not forgetting Graham McRae and Johnny Mines, both excellent engineers as well.

[David McKinney]

I was working for a subsidery of Odlins at the time on West Coast of SI.
Owen Murphy from Odlins made sure that every staff member knew about Tom's efforts.
Everyone followed the progress but sad to say the results were never what they expected.
IIRC the company put out a newsletter detailing Tom's exploits - I'm sure I've still got one or two somewhere

[jamie]

Dont forget ROTORUA and we are still BUILDING cars ? Jamie

[ElCoyote]

Dont forget ROTORUA and we are still BUILDING cars ? Jamie

Don't feel left out Spiderman we salute you however, Rotorua is a city of around 56,000 people. Miramar is merely a suburb that had something special in the drinking water other than bubbles.:cool:

[faminz]

Is this the Donovan Sprite at Manfeild
6548?

[PhotoSmith]

Tom D leading Steve Cameron's Chevron thru' Pukekohes hairpin Dec '82 - Gold star meeting.

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[Graeme Farr]

I spoke to Tom a few years back - he was in Sydney I think. I was trying to find the history of a Lotus TC engine I got as a spare with a Seven S4 I bought. The engine was a 1425 or something - was sleeved down and had Austin Maxi pistons. Had been turbo'ed and was in the Oldlins sportscar (restored in Chch these days)

Tom had been hillclimbing a Pilbeam in NSW - and before that a very fast go kart!. He was heading back somewhere for missionary work and had the Pilbeam on the market.

I have some photos of the A30 and Sprites if anyone is interested I can post them. Just heard recently the chop top A30 had a Lotus TC in it breifly before the Sprite came along. I am failry sure it was his A30 I saw outside a Wadestown house in the 70's - abandoned with no engine. We asked the house owner and he said some young guys had dumped it there a week or so earlier in the middle of the night - the laughing woke him up. We went back to "claim" it the next day when we had a towrope - but it had gone. Chap said the council had taken it to the tip. We nearly got it! It was blue at the time.

[105angria]

go kart hillclimer

[Chris Read]

Tom had quite a big shunt at the Queenstown Hillclimb on the Coronet Peak skifield road where you come up the fastest bit of the hill and the car goes light as the incline ceases just as you go into the braking zone for the 1st haipin. Tom and the March went straight ahead and took on the armco head on. There wasn't much frontal protection in those cars.

Carlo....have a look at the Formula Atlantic/Pacific thread #137 and #138 and posted photos of Coronet Peak HC. Its me going into the same corner as (I think it was Tom) on the very next run up the hill. His car had been extracted and I think he broke his leg and was carted away. I was lucky not to lose my head on the steel ropes behind the wooden armco.... all I did was beat a few vertebrae up .....we never learn do we. Chris Read, Arrowtown.

[Graeme Farr]

Here is the Sprite and the A30. I would love to see any other photos of either car!

[rf84]

The car spent a few years here in HB with Stu McChesney. It then went (as you rightly say Jamie) to Ken Smith. Some time later I got a phone call from Garry Simkin in Sydney who was rebuilding a March. On the tub was a sticker advertising "Wrightcars Toyota Napier". This was Stu's old sponsor. I believe the car went to somewhere in Victoria. Garry may know where it is currently.

[AMCO72]

Hi Graeme, greetings from Cambridge. What a neat looking car that A30 is. Can hardly believe it has gone to the tip!!! When and where was that pic of the two cars taken, and who are the guys posing beside them?

[markec]

Toms on the left, I don't recognise the other one.

[Oldfart]

Both cars are seriously cool.

[Steve Holmes]

These photos courtesy of Warwick Clayton.

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

More from Warwick Clayton.

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[jamie]

That,s my mate Thomas at his Best He never gave up trying to go fast even when it turned to Shit. Thanks to Warwick & Steve those photos tell what we all tryed to do was race and be fast ? Jamie

[Graeme Farr]

From a few posts back - Hi Gerald!

Both cars were Toms - not sure who the other guy is. I have a few photos from Toms collection - via Neil Whiting who was a friend of Toms. Yes a shame about the A30 - we did try though! It was full of sand as if it may have been raced last down in Nelson on the beach. It was a four door converted to 2 doors - the sills had been cut off so it looked more in proportion.

There were a lot of chopped A30's back in the day - at least one is still around too.

[rf84]

U2 in the background is Lindsay McCutcheon. Both he and photographer Warwick Clayton are Dannevirkians.

[markec]

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[markec]

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[jim short]

Hi how many U2s did Lindsay McCutcheon have?as I bought one for my boy in 80__2 Digby Taylor the sailor round the world man owned it as well a lot of others,I sold it Billy Ming who raced mainly on the club circuit,

[rf84]

Hi how many U2s did Lindsay McCutcheon have?as I bought one for my boy in 80__2 Digby Taylor the sailor round the world man owned it as well a lot of others,I sold it Billy Ming who raced mainly on the club circuit,

Jim. Lindsay owned only one U2. On a few occasions he drove a Terrapin he had helped build and then hung up his helmet and went on to work in the service crew for Malcolm Stewart on the Audi Quattro

[jim short]

Thanks I only drove it once at Puke ,was rather a wake up At the time I had damaged my back {3 times} and had the Paton that I had been using ,but I was anable to work and self employed, Stuart came and helped out so to thank him I bought the U2 from Paeroa for him.It certanly had a bigger and more powerfulll mtr. than the Paton,,This day at a Taccoc meet he was running it and I was hobling around,then in the afternoon I told him to give me his overalls as I really had to try it out, plus there was nothing very fast running.On the 2nd or 3rd lap I was flying up the back straight when to my disbelief a blue car was pulling me in hand over fist..what the hell is this car then Dennis Ganely in the Lotus 11 went past!!!He could never get close to the Paton and here I have a more powerful car and hes passing me!! Now when the Doctor tells you these pills will affect you I guess he knows best

[jamie]

Jees Jim and I thort it was the einkholl .?? does aney one have any thorts on Tom D,s tow cars and vans thay should be worth a few pages on there own

[jim short]

Sorry Jamie but I guess I will have to join Oldfarts corner on that speil

[markec]

Keep it up Jamie, Jim needs some competition.

[Russ Cunningham]

Jees Jim and I thort it was the einkholl .?? does aney one have any thorts on Tom D,s tow cars and vans thay should be worth a few pages on there own

The Falcon wagon could probably tell a few tales if it still existed.

[jamie]

Yo Russ dont know what happend to it? After the big crash on the Foxton strights it was never the same it did not like travling along the ditch alonside the road with the tralor and race car .this was the result of some dick pulling out of a side road all its trick suspison got bent ?? but it would still hit the ton going up the gorge out of Welleywood but the handling had turned to shit .Now the Transit V8 that is for next time.

[markec]

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[jamie]

ops tOM,SS CRASH BANG OUCH HAVENT SEEN THAT ONE HE KEPT IT ON QT HE HAD a BIG OOPS DOWN SOUTH AND ENDED UP IN HOSPITAL with A broken leg gave up hilclimbing after that the March was never quite the same?? JAMIE

[frd1]

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Do you have a date for this clipping? I was standing there that day and my recollection is that the person got hit by the car, it was her husband who got injured jumping over the side.

[Oldfart]

Is this Murray?

[frd1]

No

[jamie]

OH OH Intrege Jamie

[paul lancaster]

Hi, this brings back memories, Dave Morrison had the typhoon for a number of years, ran a twin cam , and later on a ford 2.0 hoc cam engine.I remember tow starting it behind the tractor, down back country roads as a kid.Dave had a big shunt at levels in it, fixed it up and didn't run it again, scared the shot out of him.Steve Donaldson has rebuilt it, and has it in chch

[Nancy D]

Hello,
I was looking for info on Dad's Mt Vic hill climb record and found this thread.
Yes he's in Africa.
The only photos I can find are of the Pilbeam, which was the last car I remember he had before he went O.S 2010.
Well actually I can't add the photos, have tried adding an image and they won't add.
Any tips?
Thanks

[Nancy D]

Oh have I figured this out?
http://www.theroaringseason.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22206&d=1382229403
http://www.theroaringseason.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22207&d=1382229405
http://www.theroaringseason.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22209&d=1382229413
http://www.theroaringseason.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22210&d=1382229415
http://www.theroaringseason.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22211&d=1382229426
http://www.theroaringseason.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22212&d=1382229429

[Oldfart]

Yes you have! A friend of mine who bought the Sprite/Midget is due to be sending some of that car both in Toms and his hands.

[paul lancaster]

Was in NZ late 2010, was then heading back to the monastery in South Africa, his old Typhoon is in ChCh

Dave morrison bought the typhoon off tom, had it for a rew years and sold it to steve donaldson in chch.from all accounts from dave and steve, its pretty scary to drive

[BMCBOY]

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