The Morrari recreation

[Greg Stokes]

Hi there,
I am posting this on behalf of my father Mark Stokes who is starting to build a recreation of the Morrari. The Garth Souness Morris Minor lo-lite on a Ferrari chassis with a 327 Corvette engine.
This is something my father has wanted to do for a long time and we are in the process of researching as many pics or pieces of information that we can. Garth Souness and the builder of the car have passed away but I was fortunate enough to contact Garth's nephew who provided the sepia tone pic of the car at speed with the steel wheels.
We have located some drawings of the Ferrari chassis and we plan to recreate the chassis and build the car as the second guise with steel wheels and exhaust through the hood.
We believe that the engine ran three Stromberg 97 carbs on an Offenhauser intake but we would love to know what the rest of the drivetrain was and what the engine bay and cockpit looked like.
Any pics or information is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Greg & Mark Stokes
Auckland

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/Stroker32/The%20Morrari/IMG_1539.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/Stroker32/The%20Morrari/IMG_1481.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/Stroker32/The%20Morrari/16SOUENESSPUKEKOHE.jpg

[kiwi285]

That sounds like a long term labour of love. We wish you and your father all the best. It will certainly be a car to stir up interest when it hits the track.

[Greg Stokes]

That sounds like a long term labour of love. We wish you and your father all the best. It will certainly be a car to stir up interest when it hits the track.

Thanks for your kind words. Its one of those memories of yesteryear for my Dad (he used to attend alot of motor racing events with his cousin Mike Stock - journo who ended up at Auto Trader) and its one of the things to tick off his bucket list.

[Steve Holmes]

Thats a really exciting project Greg, I hope you guys will keep us posted with lots of progress pics as it comes together. I'm sure there will be people on here who can help.

To the best of my knowledge the Morrari raced for two seasons, 1964/65, and 1965/66. The first season it had the Boranni wires, and the second it had the steel wheels and radiused wheel arches and hood exiting pipes. It didn't seem to travel much, mainly just raced at Pukekohe from what I can tell, and ventured to Matamata in its first season. Did it travel any further south than that?

Have you guys spoken to Graeme Taylor? I think he took that Matamata shot of the car.

[Greg Stokes]

thanks Steve I will definitely post updates and pics - we plan to debut the car in the near future all going well.

The first shot was from the Souness family, the third was among a feature in the Sept 1970 NZ Hot Rod Magazine when there was a profile on Garth Souness

The third pic we found on the internet. We havent spoken to Graeme Taylor. We have heard that Gavin Bain ended up with the car? And sent the Ferrari chassis back to the UK where its now restored?

Its going to be fun.

[Steve Holmes]

Greg have you spoken to Gavin Bain to see if he shot any pics of it from when he first purchased it?

[Greg Stokes]

Steve, just spoke to Gavin Bain who informs me that the car was built twice - first as the Morrie with steel wheels and then secondly as the Morrari on the Ferrari chassis. He was adamant of this and tells me that everyone else has it quite wrong. So I dont know what to make of this all now as he assured me that when he bought the car from Garth Souness it had the wire wheels on it and all.
Perhaps the wire wheels were fitted back onto the car and the wide steel wheels were taken off it.

[Steve Holmes]

Hmmm, thats interesting. I don't want to say I disagree with that as Gavin owned the car, but these two photos show the car during its two seasons as an Allcomer. The b/w photo is from the 1964/65 season. Note the Coppins Zephyr is white (with blue stripes as per its Team Molyslip colours). The Morrari clearly has the wire wheels in this photo.

235

Now these shots are from the 1965/66 season, with the Coppins Zephyr now painted red. Although the Morrari is quite small in these shots, you can see it does have the wider steel wheels.

236

237

[Greg Stokes]

Hi Steve, again great shots and good to see shots that we havent already seen before. I guess you will appreciate this when I say its hard for us younger guys to understand what happened yonks ago. We have to rely on info that we get and cross reference it with pics like as per above.
I must add that Gavin was helpful and did offer copies of the photos that he has so we really appreciate that.

[bob homewood]

I believe the steel Wheels came about when Firestone arrived on the scene in 1965 ,this is when wider racing tyres become more generally avaliable ,you will notice a lot of the saloon and sports cars around this era started sporting the widened steel wheels and the Firestone tyres ,knowing what I know now it made most of the cars way over tyred but for some reason we figured biger was best and thats the direction things went in .I actually shudder to think now of some of the wheels we widened ourselves and raced on ,having said that we never had one fail.I believe the engine that was in the Morrari ended up going with Glen Jones and was used by him until it was sold later on ,I believe the 3 strombergs was corect in the Morrari time .Greg if you or Mark contact me I might be able to point you in the direction of who owned that engine later on and perhaps where it went

[Steve Holmes]

I believe the steel Wheels came about when Firestone arrived on the scene in 1965 ,this is when wider racing tyres become more generally avaliable ,you will notice a lot of the saloon and sports cars around this era started sporting the widened steel wheels and the Firestone tyres ,knowing what I know now it made most of the cars way over tyred but for some reason we figured biger was best and thats the direction things went in .I actually shudder to think now of some of the wheels we widened ourselves and raced on ,having said that we never had one fail.I believe the engine that was in the Morrari ended up going with Glen Jones and was used by him until it was sold later on ,I believe the 3 strombergs was corect in the Morrari time .Greg if you or Mark contact me I might be able to point you in the direction of who owned that engine later on and perhaps where it went

You're awesome Bob!

[Greg Stokes]

Thanks Bob - me and Dad were just saying how we should call by and talk to you about the car. Thanks - thats awesome info!

[Gerard Richards]

Hi Greg, while writing a story recently on West Auckland racing driver legend Garry Pedersen, I recall him saying that while working at G.E.M.C.O (Glen Eden Motor Company) he worked on the Morarri on several occasions. He did several wheel alignments on the car and also test drove it, commenting on how it was possible to spin the wheels in any gear and how dodgy it was to control on cross plys... This might indicate it was the first season it ran in 1964-65, but he may have worked on it during the steel wheels phase. He also knew Glen Jones well, who he told me built the car in his father's basement. They both raced pre-war American Coupes in the early 60's. Garry is still operating out of an automotive workshop, in Kelston/Glen Eden (still involved in racing, building the Falcon V8, that Craig Baird runs in the N.Z V8 series) and could be contacted there at Ph 818-7854, if you wanted to see what he remembers.

[RogerH]

Here are a couple of Morarri photos ;
http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/9606/morr2.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/828/morr2.jpg/)

http://img859.imageshack.us/img859/7443/morr3.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/859/morr3.jpg/)

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/2396/morr1.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/163/morr1.jpg/)

[David McKinney]

Steve, just spoke to Gavin Bain who informs me that the car was built twice - first as the Morrie with steel wheels and then secondly as the Morrari on the Ferrari chassis. He was adamant of this and tells me that everyone else has it quite wrong. So I dont know what to make of this all now as he assured me that when he bought the car from Garth Souness it had the wire wheels on it and all.
Perhaps the wire wheels were fitted back onto the car and the wide steel wheels were taken off it.
I have no recollection of any Souness Morris Minor before the Ferrari-chassis one
Quite likely the Borranis were put back on for sale to Bain, as it would have been known he was going to convert it back to a GP Ferrari
Have to confess though I never noticed it switched to steel wheels, and I saw it often enough:o

[Steve Holmes]

This forum is only a few weeks old, but the level of knowledge already on here just astounds me!

Greg, have you got the donor car yet for the recreation? Any photos?

[Greg Stokes]

Gerard thanks for the ph number and Roger thanks for the photos, and David great comments - in fact I am humbled by the response on here its been great. The knowledge and memories are do good.
Here is a pic of the donor car taken on the weekend.
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/Stroker32/SDC11849.jpg
Today Dad met with Graham Addis who remembers alot about the car and remembers making the 15x8 and 15x10 steel wheels and has offered to make the wheels for Dad. Its all going so well.

[Steve Holmes]

The donor car looks great! I think its cool you're having Graeme Addis make the wheels again, very nice touch. I guess that would give you a genuine set of 'Wild Wheels', which must be rare these days.

[Greg Stokes]

Yeah it is cool that Graeme is keen

Here is a curly question - Been doing a bit of research in old Classic Car and Classic Driver Magazines and I am becoming a bit confused.

Legend has it that Gavin Bain bought the Morrari minus 327 engine and restored the Ferrari GP chassis and sent it back to the UK. I beleive that the GP car was raced here by Peter Whitehead before Souness got ahold of it and built the Morrari. Apparently the V12 engine went into a speedboat?

In the Feb/Mar issue of the Classic Driver magazine Eoin Young has written a story on a blue Ferrari GP car that was owned by Roycroft and then a chap named Ferris de Joux owned the car and it says I quote that Gavin Bain persuaded de Joux to sell him the famous Ferrari chassis in 1968 and it was a further 12 years before he could buy the original engine from Australia (that had been in Ernie Nunn's speedboat).

Did Gavin Bain only send one Ferrari GP car back to the UK or did he send the Roycroft one and the Morrari chassis' back to the UK? It is hard to beleive that he would have sent to Ferrari GP cars/chassis back to the UK.

I have been down this road before where legend is conflicted by facts/forgetfulness etc

[Steve Holmes]

Hi there Greg, yes that is correct, Gavin Bain bought and restored both Ferraris. The car that Souness used to build the Morrari was a four cylinder Ferrari. He removed the engine when converting it to an Allcomer saloon, and apparently the Ferrari engine was bought by Len Southward.

The other Ferrari Bain owned and restored was the famous 375 that Froilan Gonzales drove to victory at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1951, and which was the first F1 GP victory for a Ferrari. This car was fitted with a monster 4.5 litre V12. By the time it was bought by Ron Roycroft, it had a sportscar body fitted. Roycroft raced it briefly in this guise before having an open wheeler body built for it, and it was painted in the same powder blue as his Bugatti.

When Roycroft stopped racing the car it sat in his Glen Murray garage for some time before the engine was sold to a speed boat racer in Aus. When Bain bought the car (minus engine) off de Joux it had been fitted with a sports car body and Jaguar motor. Bain restored the car not as it was raced in Europe, but as it was raced in NZ by Roycroft. Since returning to Europe, it has been restored again with the correct body as it won the British GP, and is painted the correct red.

I think thats the correct story, there are people on here who will be able to give you much more info though.

[Greg Stokes]

Thanks Steve - some great info and pics coming out.....

[pallmall]

A bit of background on the original car. It was one of two Ferrari 555 Super Squalo ex F1 cars prepared by fitting larger capacity sports car engines for Reg Parnell and Peter Whitehead to drive in the NZ International races of 1957. Both cars were sold in NZ after the series, the car in question being the Whitehead car and it went to Tom Clark (of Crown Lynn fame, later Sir Tom Clark and supporter of later drivers like Graham McRae). Tom Clark raced (and crashed) the car in NZ and Australia to around 1959 when the car was sold to Bob Smith who raced it until 1963. Bob Smith had the body modified as the picture below shows. The car did the rounds of the car dealers sitting on various forecourts until it was converted into the Morrari. The 4 cylinder Ferrari engine went to the Southward Museum, and it is either the engine in the Monza Ferrari today, or the one displayed alongside the Monza.
Incidently the car was driven on a one off occasion by Chris Amon at Ohakea while in the hands of Bob Smith, it is claimed also by Bruce McLaren, but I am not so certain about that.

Tom Clark in Australia.
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i275/Checraft/Motor%20Racing%20Historic/TomClark.jpg

As the Bob Smith car near the end of its single seater days.
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i275/Checraft/Motor%20Racing%20Historic/BobSmith001Quicke-mailview.jpg

The Ferrari engine on display at Southwards.
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i275/Checraft/Motor%20Racing%20Historic/302Quicke-mailview.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i275/Checraft/Motor%20Racing%20Historic/303Quicke-mailview.jpg

[Steve Holmes]

Excellent post there Gavin.

[Greg Stokes]

Thanks Gavin
Thats a great post and certainly helps clear my confusion
I tried to email you last week about Morrari photos to see if you had anything in your archives

[pallmall]

Thanks Gavin
Thats a great post and certainly helps clear my confusion
I tried to email you last week about Morrari photos to see if you had anything in your archives

No longer with xtra. gj.evitt@orcon.net.nz
I have none of my photos from back in those days. Checked with a few mates to see if they had any of mine in their collections without any luck. Will keep tryng though.

[Greg Stokes]

Thanks Gavin - we appreciate that.

Just heard from a mate after I sent this link to him: "My 2 bob's worth is that the 327 sbc ended up in Wairoa powering Peter Blunden's ski boat called 'Little Squirt'. Don't know if it had the 3x2's or not as I never saw the boat. I met him later when he had a bigger boat with an LS6, 454 big block in it he called 'Big Squirt' Don't quote me as it's only what he said. Think he said he bought it in Auck, was sitting in a shed and told it was the Morrari mill. Fits the time frame if nothing else"

[pallmall]

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i275/Checraft/Motor%20Racing%20Historic/morrariwi3457x335.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i275/Checraft/Motor%20Racing%20Historic/2d6mwpu550x323.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i275/Checraft/Motor%20Racing%20Historic/image004rqw575x431.jpg

[Greg Stokes]

Well we have had a very special morning this morning as both Dad and myself met with Hayden Bennett who bought the Morrari from Garth Souness in 1967 and sold it back to him before Gavin Bain bought it minus the body and Corvette engine. Bennett had a range of photos and clippings and remembered a bunch of great details on the car.
When he had the car it was blue with black stripes and the steel wheels. When Bain bought the chassis, the Borrani wires were back on it. Bennett also raced it once at the Kopuku drags against Keith McQuade's V12 roadster. We were able to view a small pic that showed the chassis but still no closer detailed shots. What a great morning on the Morrari trail......

[Steve Holmes]

Thats great news Greg, keep the updates coming. Maybe not of much use, by my boss several years ago was the hot rodder Paul Rose (Rosey) and he told me once that he also had some indirect involvement with the car when he was a teenage living in Auckland. I think he might have been mates with someone who owned it, or who knew someone who owned it, or something along those lines. He lives in Palmerston North now I think, may be worth asking at least. I thought he said he drove it at one stage, possibly on the road, but like I say, it was a few years ago we talked about it.

[pallmall]

I thought I remembered it in blue, and running at Kopuku, but I wasn't sure if my memory was playing tricks.
Early HRM photographer Doug Harris would have been covering the Drags at that time, may have some photos if you can track him down.

[faminz]

scanned from some mag somewhere... lol

[Greg Stokes]

Hi Steve - yes Paul Rose's name has popped up in discussions too. We have just found out more info regarding the car turned into a dirt track racer using the body only after the chassis had been sold to Bain. http://bringatrailer.com/2010/01/07/period-new-zealand-racer-1960-orchid-special/comment-page-1/#comment-227726

Pallmall - any idea how to track Doug Harris?

[pallmall]

I haven't seen him in many years. Rob or Owen may know where he is.

[stubuchanan]

Don't know where you got the b&w photo of Morrari with #122, "Pallmall", its one of mine! The young guy with the hat and a 1965 NZGP programme in his hand is my young brother (then 12 yrs). Somebody must have "borrowed" picture from a magazine or forum.

I also have a photo from the same time of a Borrani wire wheel with the Girling disc brake mechanism showing through the spokes. I didn't even notice the discs until a few years ago when I sent both photos to NZ ClassicCar with a letter about the Morrari.

Several years ago forum contributor Gerard Richards wrote an article on Johnny Riley in "Classic Kiwi Motorsport Vol 2" in which he quotes Riley as buying the Super Squalo Ferrari (minus engine) to remove the (drum) brakes to put on the Monza Ferrari, which he also owned at the time. The Monza's original brakes were apparently terrible, and the Squalo was then passed on around the dealers until Souness bought it.

That explains the disc brakes perhaps. The wire wheels were replaced shortly after, in the interests of getting more rubber on the road, as Bob Homewood says.

Stu Buchanan

[bob homewood]

The Super Squalo sat forlornly outside at Johns yard in Otahuhu for sometime,some years afterwards I came across the temperature guage that somebody told me they had pinched out of it while it was there,it certainly was the right size and had the prancing horse on the clock face,would have been easy as it sat there 24/7

[nigel watts]

Here it is racing at Pukekohe [ A Jack Inwood photo ]

720

[bob homewood]

The Borrani wheels on it in that photo,have a good look at the rubber on the road in that photo on both cars,by the look of the photo I think the Anglia is on the Firestone F7 road tyres we were using back then

[Greg Stokes]

Great pic Nigel! Cop the windscreen wiper! And the lean on the driver swinging off the steering wheel!

[bob homewood]

Greg ,that was before seat belts or harnesses ,thats Garth in that photo ,bet he had to work hard on replacing the fluid loss in his body after that meeting,the poor old wiper had no chance, they would'nt even stay on the screen in a normal split screen Morrie

[Greg Stokes]

Hi Bob, sure is a comparison to todays racing isnt it????????? We still would like to catch up some time. We are just toward the end of completion of a project and then things will certainly pick up with regards to making a serious start on the Morrari. It was Dad's birthday last week and we gave him an Offenhauser tri carb intake for the SB Chev. I have been getting in his ear as to how cool it would be as a roller for the NZ Motor Racing Festival at Hampton Downs in January but I am not sure about that.......

[AMCO72]

If the chassis of the Morrari was from a single seater car, why was the Morrari left-hand-drive? Does someone know? Also why would the constructor move the wiper position from the scuttle to the top of the screen. They were bad enough in the original position but I imagine even worst up there. How successful was this car...you dont read much about. Did most of its races end up on the end of a tow-rope as depicted in one of the photos. Good luck with the recreation but put it back on wire-wheels which looked so much better. Imagine all that unsprung weight with the steel wheels and BIG tyres. AMCO72

[pallmall]

Imagine the cost of Borrani wire wheels!

That photo may have been the only time on the end of a tow rope, the car possibly only did about 12 meetings in total over a couple of seasons. Unfortunately it was one of those things that you just had to see for yourself. A bit tippy toes around corners, but the acceleration was quite something else.

[Steve Holmes]

If the chassis of the Morrari was from a single seater car, why was the Morrari left-hand-drive? Does someone know? Also why would the constructor move the wiper position from the scuttle to the top of the screen. They were bad enough in the original position but I imagine even worst up there. How successful was this car...you dont read much about. Did most of its races end up on the end of a tow-rope as depicted in one of the photos. Good luck with the recreation but put it back on wire-wheels which looked so much better. Imagine all that unsprung weight with the steel wheels and BIG tyres. AMCO72

Gerald, I think the choice of guise is just down to the builders personal preference as much as the cost of steel wheels versus Borrani's. He was influenced by the car as a youngster and loved the way it looked with the steel wheels and exhaust stacks bursting through the hood.

Good question about the lhd thing, does anyone know why this was? The car was really only raced at clockwise circuits, so it would have been more of a benefit to make it rhd, which makes you wonder if he didn't have a choice.

[pallmall]

On the Ferrari single seater the steering box was mounted centrally, with a shaft running over the top of the 4cyl engine. I would imagine with the V8 installed this wasn't possible, so an offset steering arrangement needed to be fitted. Possibly the parts available were suited to lhd.

[bob homewood]

818

This photo perhaps better shows how much further back the seating position was ,the steering might have been one reason ,but I also thought the transmission placement was another reason for the l/H seating,the wiper is still on the screen in this photo,but I think the wiper placement was a last minute addition ,in this photo you can see it already has a steam up coming from the rad o/flow

[AMCO72]

What act of vandalism allowed this to happen on , what is now, a priceless GP car. Im afraid that is how it was, and I was part of that era. We just did what ever was necessary to get ourselves a race car. Of course it would never happen today as OSH or some jumped-up little official would stop you before you had tightened the first nut!!! Now ,am I right in thinking that the Morrari in it's wire-wheel form was for sale in a Hamilton car yard in about 1967. The yard was in Kent road and probably had a name like 'Honest Jims Motors'. I am ALMOST sure I looked at it simply because of the wire wheels. Tell me if I'm dreaming. Was amazing the stuff that turned up on car yards in those days. Rather than the expensive Borranis Greg could find a nice set of wires from an English sports car! By the way it must have been quite a job changing from a knock-off hub to a bolt on one....why would you bother, as with the BIG tyres it probably didnt handle as well.

[AMCO72]

I have been rereading this thread,as I was wondering how I [think] I saw the car in about 1967 with the wires when clearly it should have had the steel wheels. I know I definately would NOT have shown any interest in the car in 'Honest Jims Autos' if it had not had wire wheels. They might have been refitted, as someone said when the car was put up for sale. Dont know when Gavin Bain bought the car but would be interesting to find out. It was a rough old nail in car yard and we are all idiots for not buying it.....probably for about a thousand pounds in the old currency!!!!!ARGH Could have been a wealthy man now. Ah well easy to be wise now.

[Chris Kitzen]

Also why would the constructor move the wiper position from the scuttle to the top of the screen. They were bad enough in the original position but I imagine even worst up there. AMCO72

I imagine all the firewall or scuttle was cut away where the original wiper mechanism was positioned to accomodate the engine so there was probably no place else for it!

[bob homewood]

I have been rereading this thread,as I was wondering how I [think] I saw the car in about 1967 with the wires when clearly it should have had the steel wheels. I know I definately would NOT have shown any interest in the car in 'Honest Jims Autos' if it had not had wire wheels. They might have been refitted, as someone said when the car was put up for sale. Dont know when Gavin Bain bought the car but would be interesting to find out. It was a rough old nail in car yard and we are all idiots for not buying it.....probably for about a thousand pounds in the old currency!!!!!ARGH Could have been a wealthy man now. Ah well easy to be wise now.

Gerald,
Yes if only we had foresight,as you probably read in my earlier post it sat outside in John Rileys yard for ages ,come rain wind and shine,I used to go to Otahuhu for night school ,so on those nights I used to check if it was still there,mind you it was a busy corner for motor racing in those days ,some nights John would still be there in his workshop working ,Graeme Harvey had a shop just arond the corner and it was not unusual to find them there as well,Jim Fenton had a shop at the top of Otahuhu town and in my earlier days of bussing to night school. I used to have over a hour to fill in before school ,so invaribly I spent it at Jims shop,he was resurrecting the Connaught at that time,he was a dam good alloy body man and a neat person as well

[AMCO72]

Bob....isn't great to be old, and I'm older than you! The young fellas today just look at you sideways when you tell them stories about carsales yards, and yes they did have names like 'Honest Jims Autos' implying that the yard next door was not so honest. The one I used to frequent was Des Wild's in Christchurch. Now there was a dealer who knew a thing or two about cars and especially performance cars, as Des had spent time mucking around with the racing fraternity and knew the difference between a sparkplug and a sump plug! I bought my XK120 C from him in 1963 for 625 pounds...in mint and original condition. Hey we seem to have drifted away from the Morrari a bit...sorry. Would love to start a thread on old car yards....there are lots of stories but not sure whether they fit into this type of forum, although car yards amazingly were often the places where old wornout race cars ended up....no Ebay or Trade me in those days. Gee all this nostalgia. Back to the Morrari. I see it suffering from that scourge of the race engine....overheating. Always has been a problem, always will be. More races have been lost because of that from probably any other reason.

[Steve Holmes]

Would love to start a thread on old car yards....there are lots of stories but not sure whether they fit into this type of forum, although car yards amazingly were often the places where old wornout race cars ended up....no Ebay or Trade me in those days. Gee all this nostalgia.

Go ahead and start a new thread on car dealers Gerald, that would be the subject of a great thread.

[woody]

Sharky Cameron in Dunedin was a second hand car dealer. His son Ross done a bit of racing down south.

[Greg Stokes]

I guess its difficult to pinpoint a suitable era to recreate or restore a car that changed guises (and other cars changed a great deal more than this one). There is always going to be some people that prefer the wires and some that prefer the steel wheels and wide tyres.

I guess (and I have been thinking about this quite a bit) our excuse for the steel wheels and wide tyres could be aligned to the fact that we come from a hot rodding background and the Morrari looked tough and nasty with the steelies and fat rubber and stack exhaust. I can see the reasons that it might be frowned upon amongst roundy round circles but my own views are that race cars should sound and look nastier than a junkyard rottie.

I must admit that I have been looking for other wire wheel alternatives. But ultimately this is Dad's car and he wants to do it how remembers it. Another link to the hot rodding roots - Garth Souness raced a Corvette powered 32 Ford Coupe before the Morrari. So that said Garth is a bit of a legend in rodding circles - his old 32 coupe still exists and is owned by Mike and Steve Philps who intend to restore it to Garth Souness guise

[Rod Grimwood]

Will post some photos i dont know if many have seen shortly for you Greg, i have had a collection of photos lent to me by Glen Jones wife Lenore and once all down loaded and resized will share.

[Greg Stokes]

Thanks Rod that would be fantastic. We have been trying to track down anyone involved with the car. We had heard that Glenn had passed but were not aware that his wife was still around. Thanks again.

[thunder427]

[QUOTE=Greg Stokes;1444]I guess its difficult to pinpoint a suitable era to recreate or restore a car that changed guises (and other cars changed a great deal more than this one). There is always going to be some people that prefer the wires and some that prefer the steel wheels and wide tyres.

........Greg;,your so right!!!!....the very first comment I recieved when we debut the Bob Jane Camaro at the 'Bob Jane' sponsored Bathurst in 2002 was Quote;..'nice job Mate,but I think you may have over restored it'!!!...5years flashed before my eye's,so diplomatically replied,..."I'll be here for the next Four days,so please think about your statement and come back and explain to me how I can 'half' restore it so your happy and Bob will pay me for a job half done"!!!!!!!!!!!!!...........you're 'never, going to please them all........since that one encounter,never a negative comment,most people/Fans of the car/s are just happy to be able to get up close and personal with there favourite race car

Side bar; When we first presented the Camaro to the public I had created a 'Plastic Chain' fence for protection,when Bob was not so busy with the Bathurst formalities he called me aside to discuss the Camaro,as 2002 Bathurst was the first time Bob had seen the car,remember he had spent a considerable investment at this time (which he now affectionately calls the 'Jewel in the Crown') But had declined to look at the 'project' till it was 'Turnkey'......."Myles whats with chain fence"!!!????......"So nobody will damage it,Bob"!!!........"Loose the fence,I want people to enjoy the 'Ol Girl',Up close and personal,You OK with that ??,like you can alway 'touch' her up,True"?;)

We've never used a fence since,other tham when required by organiser's.....Not a Mark!!...we've done more damage in the transport truck (another story!)...the look on 6year olds face when you offer them a 'Kodac' moment, is most worthwhile!!!!!....regards thunder427?MJ:)

[Steve Holmes]

Well said Myles.

Greg, the Morrari was a mongrel car, amalgamating parts from several different sources. It was the ultimate hot rod road racer. Like Gerald said in an earlier post, this is what people did to keep cars going in those days. I can see why it appeals to your Dad.

It only raced for 2 seasons but had quite distinct differences for each season, and I think everyone who has ever had an interest in the car will have their preferences. There are probably just as many who like it with the steel wheels and hood exiting exhausts as those who prefer the Boranni's.

[AMCO72]

If you look VERY closely at the photos of the Morrari on steel wheels I believe you can see the knock-on spinners that would have held the borranis on. I was trying to figure out why you would go to all the trouble to change from knock-on to bolt-on. ie from the Ferrari hubs to a regular hub, but it looks as though this is how they did it by making an adaptor to suit the knock-off hubs. Otherwise if Gavin Bain is correct, and he of anyone should know what he is talking about, one wonders if for the second season the body was removed from the Ferrari chassis and bolted onto a completely new fabricated chassis to take the V8 engine. But then this would be back to front if Bain is right, as he says it was the steel wheeled car that appeared first. God, I dont know, but there will be someone out there that DOES.

[Greg Stokes]

If you look VERY closely at the photos of the Morrari on steel wheels I believe you can see the knock-on spinners that would have held the borranis on. I was trying to figure out why you would go to all the trouble to change from knock-on to bolt-on. ie from the Ferrari hubs to a regular hub, but it looks as though this is how they did it by making an adaptor to suit the knock-off hubs. Otherwise if Gavin Bain is correct, and he of anyone should know what he is talking about, one wonders if for the second season the body was removed from the Ferrari chassis and bolted onto a completely new fabricated chassis to take the V8 engine. But then this would be back to front if Bain is right, as he says it was the steel wheeled car that appeared first. God, I dont know, but there will be someone out there that DOES.

We have been able to confirm that the Morrari was only ever built with the Ferrari chassis. We met with Haydn Bennett who owned the car after Garth Souness who confirms this also. Garth got the car back and sold the chassis back to Gavin Bain with the Borrani wires back on it. As Bob Homewood says on here, alot of cars switched to Firestone tyres in that era or next season as that was "the thing to do" but looking back now the cars were over tyred as he says earlier in this thread.

[AMCO72]

Greg....hope you dont mind all this throwing of ideas around. It gets everyone talking and thinking about the car. It was around so briefly, and probably only in Auckland, that most folk dont have clear memories of it, and there were at that time a lot of other wild and woolly beasts racing so perhaps didnt stand out as it should have. I mean for goodness- sakes; a morris minor body on a Ferrari chassis......get off the grass!!!!!

[RogerH]

Here are some of the wheels the Morrari ran. Firstly there is one of the actual Borranis it had and the other photos are of the steel wheels which seem to show a centre hub and an adapted wire wheel configuration to take steel wheels - like Gerald pointed out.

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/9104/morrari1.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/269/morrari1.jpg/)

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/2294/morraristeelwheel1.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/10/morraristeelwheel1.jpg/)

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/350/morraristeelwheel2.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/21/morraristeelwheel2.jpg/)

[Greg Stokes]

Greg....hope you dont mind all this throwing of ideas around. It gets everyone talking and thinking about the car. It was around so briefly, and probably only in Auckland, that most folk dont have clear memories of it, and there were at that time a lot of other wild and woolly beasts racing so perhaps didnt stand out as it should have. I mean for goodness- sakes; a morris minor body on a Ferrari chassis......get off the grass!!!!!

Hey Gerald, we dont mind at all - its all healthy conversation and like you say it was around so breifly and only really in Auckland and I think Matamata??? And as you also say - a Morris Minor?????? Even from our hot rodding back ground - these days its a bit of a goofy concept!!!!!

That said, we have been blown away by the response to this project - it seems alot of people have somewhat fond memories of the original Morrari. This is shown on here, feedback through the NZ Hot Rod Magazine and also NZ Classic Car Magazine.

We really appreciate all the comments and photos and info snippets from this forum and look forward to seeing what else comes out of the woodwork to help us with the Morrari.

Thanks,

Mark and Greg Stokes

[bob homewood]

From what I can see in those photos ,those adaptors look very similar to some things we have done over the pat years ,in fact we have a couple of similar adaptor centres to allow us to run centrelock wheels on our Dynapack Dyno.I don't think there was a lot of emphasis on weight back then it was more a matter of making it happen some how .The empasis on weight reduction and lightness of components came about more so in the proceeding years especially with the smaller capacity saloon cars,I know that right up until later times a lot of the cars were over engineered weight wise.Reg Cook springs to my mind as one of the first people to really start paying attention to this area with his first Minis

[jackzayum]

That sounds like a long term labour of love. We wish you and your father all the best. It will certainly be a car to stir up interest when it hits the track.


Yes Kiwi285 that's really sounds like a long term labour of love :)
all the best for you Greg & Mark.

[Greg Stokes]

Thanks again everyone on here for your conversation/feedback and photos - its all so very encouraging!

[Rod Grimwood]

Will post some more photos from Glen Jones collection once sorted

[Steve Holmes]

140mph down the straight, but "not very happy about going round corners". Likes perfect for Mark, don't you think Greg? A true hot rod in every sense.

[AMCO72]

Now that photo is interesting. Note the spelling....MORRIARI....not MORRARI. Was that extra I correct and was just left off later. The reason I ask is that I am pretty sure we used to call it the Morr I ari... and when this post started and it was called the Morrari, without the extra I . mmmmmmm dont know. Actually I like Morriari.....perhaps because subconciously thats how I remember it.

[Steve Holmes]

I just went and checked Allan Dick's 1967 Motor Year Book and he called it the Morrari. But thats not to say it wasn't also called the Morriari by others. A lot of the time the cars were just nicknamed by the press, or by fans, and there was often nothing official about the names.

When describing the Custaxie, the 1967 Shell NZ Motor Racing exclusively calls it 'The Monster'. They don't call it the Custaxie even once.

[David McKinney]

I don't remember it ever being called the Morriari

[stubuchanan]

I don't remember it ever being called the Morriari

Me neither. It was a late entry in the December 1964 Auckland Car Club meeting and seems to have been referred to as Minor or Morris-Corvette. When "Motorman"s report of the meeting came out(in February!), it referred to both Morris Corvette and Morrari. In the meantime it appeared in the Grand Prix programme as the Morris-Corvette, but I think the name "Morrari" had been coined by then, and from that point on the car was entered as that, although mis-spelled sometimes as Morarri. At the time of the Rod Grimwood photo, the name probably hadn't appeared in print anywhere, so Morriari was a good guess.

[Greg Stokes]

140mph and not good at corners sounds PERFECT! Thats a neat pic Rod! Interesting to hear the variations in the name too.....

[RogerH]

Greg, if you are intending to race your recreation of the Morarri it may be worthwhile to have a look at MSNZ Schedule CR regulations. These cover replica and retrospective specials and there may be things that could be done in the building of the car that would make it easier to navigate the MSNZ bureaucracy when it comes to entering the car in MSNZ events. I understand the recreation of the Custaxie had some issues which could have been easily addressed during the build. If required I could put you in touch with one of the MSNZ Historic commission members who could help you through the process in a constructive manner.

[Greg Stokes]

Hi Roger - thanks if you could email me direct at greg@nzhotrodmag.co.nz that would be appreciated. We certainly dont want to get off on the wrong foot with this build.

[bob homewood]

Had a real good look through all the photos on here as well as some more I have of the steel wheels era,by magnifying those photos I believe you can definately make out the adaptor,threaded nut retainer set up,the Firestone stickers also appear on the car about the same time which goes with my original comment about the rubber, one other thing on the adaptor wire wheel saga is don't forget Glen and some of the guys were from my memory also involved with the Colin Lumsden De Soto wire wheeled / dual wheeled escapade around this same time

[Steve Holmes]

This was sent to me by a buddy of mine called Steve (Roaring Season member vette8). This is from November 1965 issue of Motorman. I guess the car had no takers, as Souness raced it again that season.

1307

[Rod Grimwood]

There you go Greg, a couple more photos from Glen Jones family collection.

[Steve Holmes]

Wow, Rod, those Morrari photos are incredible!

[Greg Stokes]

Thanks Steve for posting the advert of the car and Rod - well you made my week! What neat pics! The engine shot shows more than enough detail to go by. Awesome shots thanks!

[Steve Holmes]

Greg, is there any chance we can get Mark to register on here as well? It'd be great to hear from him too, and he is such a talented engineer, I'd love to get his thoughts on the project.

[Steve Holmes]

I only just noticed the writing above the windscreen. Does that say "The Monster"?

[Greg Stokes]

I only just noticed the writing above the windscreen. Does that say "The Monster"? Yep! We picked up on that early on. Must have been cos it was quite a Monster to drive......

[Steve Holmes]

Yeah, I'd say so. A real butt-clencher!

[Greg Stokes]

It seems that many people have very fond memories of the All Comers class of racing. The more people that have found out about the Morrari recreation have given all interesting recounts of the memories they hold of the loud, fast and twitchy little car. Also been very good to hear from a few members of the Garth Souness family that have shown their support of the recreation......

[pallmall]

There was a mention made in an earlier post about the Ferrari chassis being cut down to fit the Morris body.
A Morris Minor had an 86" wheelbase and the Super Squalo Ferrari an 85.1" wheelbase, so no need for a chassis shorten, in fact IIRC the reason the Minor body was chosen was because it was a near perfect match for the Ferrari chassis.

[bob homewood]

Yes that was my belief ,I can remember something about them looking around at cars that fitted the wheel base ,its too long ago now but from memory the front wheels actually sat to the front of the front guards, maybe something to do with how they fitted the chassis under the body

[beowulf]

Hi, great thread, good luck with the build. I never saw it but certainly heard a lot about it. I read in a British magazine a while ago that Ferrari has re-opened it's archives. You may be able to get drawings of the chassis through them. Don't know that I would mention the
Chev V8 and the Morrie body, they might be funny about that sort of carry on!

[Greg Stokes]

Hi guys, thanks for all your input. Next big issue to sort out is the rear end. The Ferrari transaxle would not be a financially feasible option so need to come up with something that would be accepted within the historic racing eligibility.

[105angria]

What racing can a replica of a great racing car compete in NZ ,would it be limited to regularity , demos ,sprint, and hillclimbs , which is plenty of oppertunitys to use the car i guess

[Jac Mac]

Hi guys, thanks for all your input. Next big issue to sort out is the rear end. The Ferrari transaxle would not be a financially feasible option so need to come up with something that would be accepted within the historic racing eligibility.
Do some research on '' McKee '' Transaxle via google if you want some transaxle ideas that would 'fit' the time frame and power rating.

[RogerH]

What racing can a replica of a great racing car compete in NZ ,would it be limited to regularity , demos ,sprint, and hillclimbs , which is plenty of oppertunitys to use the car i guess

It is possible that the car could be built to comply with MSNZ Schedule K regulations which would enable it to be run (raced) at the likes of the Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon Festival. I have had discussions with a MSNZ Historic Commission member and if it is not possible to built an exact replica under Schedule CR it may be possible to fit it under the Retrospective Special category. The main thing is to use components that would have been available in the period the car is meant to represent - for example, if four pot callipers weren't generally available in the period the Morrari ran then you can't put on four (or six) pot Wilwoods now.
I have emailed Greg and I'm happy to meet with him and someone from MSNZ to try and sort out a way through the regulations before they embark on work that could unfortunately limited the opportunities to use the car.

[Greg Stokes]

It is possible that the car could be built to comply with MSNZ Schedule K regulations which would enable it to be run (raced) at the likes of the Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon Festival. I have had discussions with a MSNZ Historic Commission member and if it is not possible to built an exact replica under Schedule CR it may be possible to fit it under the Retrospective Special category. The main thing is to use components that would have been available in the period the car is meant to represent - for example, if four pot callipers weren't generally available in the period the Morrari ran then you can't put on four (or six) pot Wilwoods now.
I have emailed Greg and I'm happy to meet with him and someone from MSNZ to try and sort out a way through the regulations before they embark on work that could unfortunately limited the opportunities to use the car.

Hi mate, we look forward to catching up with you and someone from MSNZ - we really appreciate that. I was sick with the flu for two weeks so just in catch up mode and we just want to get a few other things sorted before we catch up. Thanks again.

[45DCOE]

Read in the May copy of NZ Classic Car that Gary Pederson of Pederson Sheen Racing had some input to the Morrari suspension. Gary also indicated that Glen Jones had some input to the build that was completed in his parents basement. Maybe they can assist in your build.

[Rod Grimwood]

45DCOE, check the thread on Glen Jones, he was a hard case.

[pallmall]

I was sent this photo today, no idea of the original source. It looks like the same grid as a photo on P1.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i275/Checraft/RANDOM/Morrari002700x421.jpg

[bob homewood]

Thats very similar to the one I found recently ,in it you can see the whel/hub adaptors much more clearly

[nuffield]

Gerard thanks for the ph number and Roger thanks for the photos, and David great comments - in fact I am humbled by the response on here its been great. The knowledge and memories are do good.
Here is a pic of the donor car taken on the weekend.
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/Stroker32/SDC11849.jpg
Today Dad met with Graham Addis who remembers alot about the car and remembers making the 15x8 and 15x10 steel wheels and has offered to make the wheels for Dad. Its all going so well.

Hi, a newbie here...

I've read about the Morrari before and its great that you're trying to recreate one - but PLEASE don't chop up that lowlight!

Look at the pictures - the Morrari WASN'T based on a low-light Morris saloon! You can tell because the Morrari has a 'swage line', a body moulding, running from the back edge of the rear side windows, from side to side, below the back window. The early Morris saloons, like the yellow one you have there, DIDN'T have that. For some reason, after 1950 when they raised the headlamps onto the top of the wings, they altered the rear edge of the roof panel to have this moulding to separate the roof from the body tub. I hope this makes sense!

Racers in the 50's and 60's used to retro fit the low lamp wings to aid aerodynamics. The Morrari was a 1950-53 saloon - it has the swage line I mention above and also had the early bonnet shut line which changed in the 50's - the later cars had a bonnet that reached right back to the base of the screen and the window gutters.

Please don't chop up a very rare early survivor!

[nuffield]

Here's a view of the proper roof/boot area on a low light:

http://mmoc.org.uk/mbimage.php?src=1297724613_2647

And here's a close up of a later saloon with the sausage-like moulding below the window:

http://www.freenet77.co.uk/auctions/2009/06-classic-cars/pics640x480/morrisminor/IMGP2239.jpg

The Morrari looks to be made using the later type of shell.

[AMCO72]

Nuffield, I've just had a brilliant idea. You find a suitable body for Greg to turn into the Morrari, do a swap, and you can restore the very early yellow-peril sitting in Gregs garage! You are obviously a Morris man by your thread name.

[Steve Holmes]

Hi, a newbie here...

I've read about the Morrari before and its great that you're trying to recreate one - but PLEASE don't chop up that lowlight!

Look at the pictures - the Morrari WASN'T based on a low-light Morris saloon! You can tell because the Morrari has a 'swage line', a body moulding, running from the back edge of the rear side windows, from side to side, below the back window. The early Morris saloons, like the yellow one you have there, DIDN'T have that. For some reason, after 1950 when they raised the headlamps onto the top of the wings, they altered the rear edge of the roof panel to have this moulding to separate the roof from the body tub. I hope this makes sense!

Racers in the 50's and 60's used to retro fit the low lamp wings to aid aerodynamics. The Morrari was a 1950-53 saloon - it has the swage line I mention above and also had the early bonnet shut line which changed in the 50's - the later cars had a bonnet that reached right back to the base of the screen and the window gutters.

Please don't chop up a very rare early survivor!

Sheesh! Well spotted nuffield. Its so obvious now you've pointed it out. That car only had a low-light nose. Well that is amazing! For all these years every magazine article that ever described this car, even when it was first built, named it a low-light Morris Minor. The knowledge on this forum just astounds.

[nuffield]

Well I only just noticed myself as I have never seen so many photos of the Morrari in one place!

In fact, the Morrari looks to have been a 50-51 car (not 53 as I mentioned earlier) - the 'short' bonnet was actually discontinued in 1951. So it was quite a rare body really.

Of course Greg is free to do what he likes, and the yellow peril he has there looks a bit sad and needs a new lease of life. But if he wants to get it dead right...:) Mind you, tracking down the correct 1950/1 body shell would probably be harder than getting an original low light!

[105angria]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/MORRIS-MINOR-1000-BODY-INTERIOR-/270804048435?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item3f0d2dda33 IS this the right model Nuffield

[Steve Holmes]

Well I only just noticed myself as I have never seen so many photos of the Morrari in one place!

In fact, the Morrari looks to have been a 50-51 car (not 53 as I mentioned earlier) - the 'short' bonnet was actually discontinued in 1951. So it was quite a rare body really.

Of course Greg is free to do what he likes, and the yellow peril he has there looks a bit sad and needs a new lease of life. But if he wants to get it dead right...:) Mind you, tracking down the correct 1950/1 body shell would probably be harder than getting an original low light!

So the entire front end on the Morrari was actually off another car? So the bodywork is effectively from two different cars?

[bob homewood]

So the entire front end on the Morrari was actually off another car? So the bodywork is effectively from two different cars?

Its possible Steve that perhaps it was made up with panels from different sources,remember Morry panels were still sought after at that time

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Bob, yes that makes sense.

[nuffield]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/MORRIS-MINOR-1000-BODY-INTERIOR-/270804048435?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item3f0d2dda33 IS this the right model Nuffield

Thats a four door anyway, but, if you look, its got the 'long bonnet' which the Morrari didn't have. The 'long bonnet' extends right back to the gutter on the A-post, whereas on 1948-51 cars the bonnet stopped about 3" short, leaving a section of the scuttle/bulkhead exposed. This section carried a short length of the side coach line and I suppose they made the bonnet longer to cover this area as it was cheaper to manufacture.

[nuffield]

So the entire front end on the Morrari was actually off another car? So the bodywork is effectively from two different cars?

Not entirely - just the wings and grille and they could have been 'new old stock'. Remember that the 'highlight' wings were the result of a balls up at Morris where they overlooked/forgot the upcoming Californian lighting regs - this was a quick, cheap fix for export cars only so involved no important/structural panel changes. UK cars, on the same structure, stayed 'low lamp' for another year after export models were changed.

The differences are simply 3 panels - the wings (which swap over perfectly; fitting onto the same inner wing and abutting the same chrome 'hockey stick' trim around the grille) and the grille panel itself (that fits within the chrome trim). The new grille had the same number of slats but the headlamps were replaced by sidelights. The 'highlight' headlamps were actually a larger diameter too. You can switch a 'highlight' to a 'low light' (or vice-versa) quite easily - as long as its the right year. The Minor underwent a heavy facelift in 1956 when it became the Minor 1000 and actually got different wings (not so you'd notice it) and a new grille, which aren't interchangeable as on the older cars.

Was the underbonnet structure of the Morrari completely new anyway? By the looks of it, it probably lost the original chassis legs, bulkhead, inner wings etc anyway, so they could fit whatever nose onto it they wanted.

[bob homewood]

As I said somewhere earlier on here ,something sticks in my mind about the body being shifted around to fit the wheel base ,maybe this was achieved with the sub body and mudguards,as you say nuffield

[Greg Stokes]

Well its been a while since we have posted on here about the Morrari but after the NZ Motor Racing Festival earlier in the year and the Leadfoot Festival last weekend - we are VERY keen to actually get started on this project. Dads away at the moment and I have been busy with the NZ Hot Rod Magazine but once he is back we are going to sit down and have a talk about commencing work on the project.

[AMCO72]

Thats great to hear Greg. We will expect to see it at the Denny Hulme Festival at HD in January 013!! Something to wile away those winter evenings out in the shed. We've done all the talking on here......now it's action time.

[rogered]

was looking on trade me for an old ferrari squallo chassis, nearly as rare as a lowlight morrie:)

[Steve Holmes]

Well its been a while since we have posted on here about the Morrari but after the NZ Motor Racing Festival earlier in the year and the Leadfoot Festival last weekend - we are VERY keen to actually get started on this project. Dads away at the moment and I have been busy with the NZ Hot Rod Magazine but once he is back we are going to sit down and have a talk about commencing work on the project.

Thats awesome to hear Greg. What a neat project this is going to be.

[Greg Stokes]

Still trying to track down a good drawing of the Ferrari chassis. We have found cutaways and various sketches. Would be great to find a drawing that showed the entire chassis. Would also love to find photos of the inside of the Morrari too.

[AMCO72]

Greg, I'm sure you have seen the photo of the stripped Hoare/Fow Ferrari. A good pic of the chassis. Is on page 2 of 'the other GTO' thread, posting No29. probably is a different chassis altogether but must be similar in a lot of ways.

[Greg Stokes]

Slowly been studying Ferrari chassis pics etc - would dearly love to find anymore pics on the Morrari as well so any leads are appreciated. We want to recreate this car as closely as we can in a feasible and realistic manner. Thanks

[pallmall]

Not sure if these are any help?
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i275/Checraft/1%20FE%20Race%20Cars/003Standarde-mailview.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i275/Checraft/1%20FE%20Race%20Cars/004Standarde-mailview.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i275/Checraft/1%20FE%20Race%20Cars/006Standarde-mailview.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i275/Checraft/1%20FE%20Race%20Cars/008Standarde-mailview.jpg

[Greg Stokes]

Thanks Pallmall, those are EXCELLENT pics!

[RogerH]

My Taraschi Formula Junior was built in 1959 and has a ladder chassis in a similar style to the Ferrari. You are welcome to have a look at it to see how the Italians fabricated these sorts of chassis back then.

[Greg Stokes]

My Taraschi Formula Junior was built in 1959 and has a ladder chassis in a similar style to the Ferrari. You are welcome to have a look at it to see how the Italians fabricated these sorts of chassis back then.

Thanks, we would like to meet up and view your car. Would you mind emailing your contact details to me at Greg@nzhotrodmag.co.nz

[markec]

Bob H has mentioned that his memory tells him the body was moved around to fit the wheels,in post#45, that photo shows the rear wheels towards the front of the wheel arch while the front wheel looks to be toward thre rear of the wheel arch. None of the other pictures show this as clearly as the 45 posting.

[Steve Holmes]

Greg, have you guys made anymore progress on this project?

[Greg Stokes]

Hey Steve,
Unfortunately we have been busy with other things but I think we have enough info and drawings (even a Ferrari GP die cast model) which we can start chassis construction. I doubt it would be before the end of the year though.
Thanks,
Greg

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks for the update Greg, the research is a pretty important part of the project, sounds like you're making good progress there.

[Greg Stokes]

Still looking for a shot of the interior or anyone who maybe able to advise what the interior looked like - we know some details but would like to see if we can find out more. We have most of the front and rear suspension pieces to build the suspension in an "era correct" manner. Hopefully we can make a start on the chassis this year. We now have two Morris Minor's - one with the correct body (see back in this thread) and the Lo-Lite body from which we will use the front from onto the other body as it seems that's how the Morrari was originally bodied. If anyone has any information or pictures regarding the Morrari please post them here and/or email either myself at greg@nzhotrodmag.co.nz or my father Mark Stokes at the.bundys@xtra.co.nz - many thanks!

[Allan]

In the background in the photo of the yellow low light minor is what appears to be a bofors gun or similar. Do you have a problem with your neighbours and use this to keep them in line?

[Greg Stokes]

In the background in the photo of the yellow low light minor is what appears to be a bofors gun or similar. Do you have a problem with your neighbours and use this to keep them in line?

Haha - no my Dad just likes collecting weird stuff

[Andrew Metford]

Any more progress on the project?

[Greg Stokes]

Not as much as we like. We finally have the correct donor vehicle now after three different cars. Collected up some components and still looking for photos.

[robmahoney]

Hi Greg, are you still going to recreate the Morrari? You mentioned in one of your earlier posts that your Dad used to go to meetings at Pukekohe with Mike Stock. Mike worked with my Dad, Des Mahoney at the Auckland Star and Mike often went to the track in the 60's as part of the reporting team including Jack Inwood, to cover the races for The Star from the press box on top of the old members stand. It was like a military operation with regular dispatches being sent to headquarters as practise and the raceday progressed, plus beer! It was a big deal in those days, of course, especially during the NZGP, with big crowds and the excitement building as the drama of practice unfolded. I was only little but I remember when the Morrari first appeared and how wonderful people thought it was. The saloons were totally entertaining and the mixture of well funded and shoestring entries guaranteed high drama and innovation at every turn. My Dad and most other people in those days couldn't have cared less that an old and never particularly competitive or attractive Ferrari (nobody would have done that to a 250F!) had been put to such imaginative use and every other wild car that appeared was greeted with the same level of enthusiasm. If you're still in touch with Mike please say hi to him from me, he came to Dads funeral in 2010 and it was great to see him there.

[AMCO72]

Greg, you say that you now have the correct donor vehicle. What was the problem with the first one.......the yellow LoLite. There was some discussion on another thread that the original car was a Hi lite with the light pods removed........I find that hard to believe. If it was, the body man made a damn good job of filling in the places where the pods were removed.........and why would you bother when there were, at the time, plenty of Lolites around to choose from.

[Greg Stokes]

Hi Greg, are you still going to recreate the Morrari? You mentioned in one of your earlier posts that your Dad used to go to meetings at Pukekohe with Mike Stock. Mike worked with my Dad, Des Mahoney at the Auckland Star and Mike often went to the track in the 60's as part of the reporting team including Jack Inwood, to cover the races for The Star from the press box on top of the old members stand. It was like a military operation with regular dispatches being sent to headquarters as practise and the raceday progressed, plus beer! It was a big deal in those days, of course, especially during the NZGP, with big crowds and the excitement building as the drama of practice unfolded. I was only little but I remember when the Morrari first appeared and how wonderful people thought it was. The saloons were totally entertaining and the mixture of well funded and shoestring entries guaranteed high drama and innovation at every turn. My Dad and most other people in those days couldn't have cared less that an old and never particularly competitive or attractive Ferrari (nobody would have done that to a 250F!) had been put to such imaginative use and every other wild car that appeared was greeted with the same level of enthusiasm. If you're still in touch with Mike please say hi to him from me, he came to Dads funeral in 2010 and it was great to see him there.

Hi Rob,
Your post brings back memories of the stories I heard from Dad from the times he would go to various motor racing events with Mike - much history there.
I will pass your message on to Dad.
Thanks,
Greg

[Greg Stokes]

Greg, you say that you now have the correct donor vehicle. What was the problem with the first one.......the yellow LoLite. There was some discussion on another thread that the original car was a Hi lite with the light pods removed........I find that hard to believe. If it was, the body man made a damn good job of filling in the places where the pods were removed.........and why would you bother when there were, at the time, plenty of Lolites around to choose from.

Dad learnt that the Morrari was a one year only Lo Lite body with a distinctive swage around the rear window area - actually as I write this I think it was picked up on this thread. Anyway - in order to get the car as close to the original he located the correct donor vehicle. This is a tricky project as essentially we have to build a Ferrari chassis with a 327 in it and then throw the Morris body at it. The guise we are choosing to run with is in red with the widened (by Graeme Addis) 15" Merc rims with the number 177 on it and the headers through the hood. From our background this is the most hot rod looking. This is really Dads project - his vision - I'm just his help and his researcher. Another problem we have is the Ferrari chassis had a distinctive transaxle specific only to that rare and expensive racecar so we are making some concessions to the build utilising similar styled components of the period. For the very most part we want to get it pretty damn close. Still looking for an interior shot too. Would really love to know how it looked inside.

[Greg Stokes]

Gerald, I think the choice of guise is just down to the builders personal preference as much as the cost of steel wheels versus Borrani's. He was influenced by the car as a youngster and loved the way it looked with the steel wheels and exhaust stacks bursting through the hood.

Good question about the lhd thing, does anyone know why this was? The car was really only raced at clockwise circuits, so it would have been more of a benefit to make it rhd, which makes you wonder if he didn't have a choice.

Ive been going back thru this thread out of interest and with regards to the wiper here's my theory. The firewall area appears to be mostly cut out of the Morris body so I wonder if the class rules stipulated that the car must have a wiper? Easiest fix - drill a hole in the roof and it now has a wiper?

Re the LHD aspect. Perhaps the clutch arrangement on the Ferrari chassis was already on the left hand side? And perhaps the steering box was too?

[Roger Dowding]

42369

42370

[grelley]

Perhaps a call toTemperos in Oamaru could be worthwhile as they have built a number of early Ferraris and would have experience with chassis design and manufacture and sourcing of suspension, steering and brake components

[Rod Grimwood]

mk4 Zephyr back end (independent) should be ok if you can find one as they all ended up in speedway saloons.

[Jac Mac]

mk4 Zephyr back end (independent) should be ok if you can find one as they all ended up in speedway saloons.

Couple or three of those floating round here somewhere, Rover 3500 might be better, taller ratio. Most MKIV's were 3.7/3.9. If you want a full transaxle assy Porsche 924/928 or the small Volvo sedan ( 70s/80s ), that is trans in front of CWP assy. If $$$ no problem late model Vette .

[Rod Grimwood]

Thinking of the z-car uprights as well, Jac,

[Oldfart]

Other Z car (Datsun) for rear diff? I thought the car was on wires when it ran early on?

[Roger Dowding]

Other Z car (Datsun) for rear diff? I thought the car was on wires when it ran early on?

Yes Rhys it was Borrani's, have seen a few photos on them when first built ..

[robmahoney]

Hi Rob,
Your post brings back memories of the stories I heard from Dad from the times he would go to various motor racing events with Mike - much history there.
I will pass your message on to Dad.
Thanks,
Greg

Thanks for that, Greg, if only we had had access to HD cameras back then!

[BMCBOY]

I was reading a 1993 magazine the other day which had an article about English car restorer Tony Merrick and I noticed this photo that applies to this thread. The caption read..... " major restoration project was the 555 Supersqualo which was once fitted with a V8 Chevrolet and clothed in a Morris Minor body"

44628


The original chassis frame was probably similar to this drawing that also turned up on the net.

44629

[ERC]

Tony Merrick also (re)created the only 'missing' ERA, now known as AJM1. Some very clever people around.

[Ross]

44646

[Kwaussie]

Ferrari typo 553 were tough old cars. This photo from 1954 is after a practice crash at Bern in 1954, chassis could be #2 or #3.
Rebuilt as 555's and shipped to Melbourne for the 1956 Australian Grand Prix then on to New Zealand for the 1957 series.
The guy on the right is exclaiming "jes in ten years time this chassis may have a even older morris body mounted to replace this one!"

[Greg Stokes]

I was reading a 1993 magazine the other day which had an article about English car restorer Tony Merrick and I noticed this photo that applies to this thread. The caption read..... " major restoration project was the 555 Supersqualo which was once fitted with a V8 Chevrolet and clothed in a Morris Minor body"

44628


The original chassis frame was probably similar to this drawing that also turned up on the net.

44629

Excellent pictures. We are still looking for detail pit side shots of the interior to this car etc. The big news however is that we are finally starting construction very soon

[Allan]

Do you think he would be willing to part with it for the recreation?

[45DCOE]

47989

Found this on Old NZ Motor Racing. Looks like the shot was taken later in the season when the exhausts were pointed through the bonnet

[Greg Stokes]

Do you think he would be willing to part with it for the recreation?

I’m not sure what you mean?

[Greg Stokes]

47989

Found this on Old NZ Motor Racing. Looks like the shot was taken later in the season when the exhausts were pointed through the bonnet

That’s an excellent and useful photo many thanks!

[Roger Dowding]

Greg, have put this on Facebook - better here though, and think I have an action shot.
second photo is from Robin Tanner I think the reverse direction meeting in April 1966
and the third is the "action " shot ".
It is not useful as a reference shot but a bit of history - again at Pukekohe in 1966.

47993

47994

47995

[Paul B]

Was that Robins coupe in the second photo Roger

[Milan Fistonic]

Was that Robins coupe in the second photo Roger

Number 56 was John Riley.

47996

[Allan]

I’m not sure what you mean?

Tongue in cheek comment referring to the possible use of the restored 555 to recreate the Morrari.

[Greg Stokes]

Greg, have put this on Facebook - better here though, and think I have an action shot.
second photo is from Robin Tanner I think the reverse direction meeting in April 1966
and the third is the "action " shot ".
It is not useful as a reference shot but a bit of history - again at Pukekohe in 1966.

47993

47994

47995

Excellent photos many thanks!

[Greg Stokes]

Tongue in cheek comment referring to the possible use of the restored 555 to recreate the Morrari.

Ah I see - yes a lazy few million would get us the Ferrari donor car to do this all again haha!!!

Plan is to recreate the Ferrari style chassis as close as we can using similar era components etc

[Kwaussie]

They were great looking cars in their day!

[Bruce302]

Was that Robins coupe in the second photo Roger

Yes, that is Robin's "Edelbrock Special" coupe. The number 161 is a reference to the motorcycle club he was in.

Not sure why he wasn't in the program.

B.

[Milan Fistonic]

Yes, that is Robin's "Edelbrock Special" coupe. The number 161 is a reference to the motorcycle club he was in.

Not sure why he wasn't in the program.

B.

My confusion about which photo was being asked about.

The entry list I posted above was from the May 14, 1966 meeting and refers to the first photo.

This entry list is from the April 23, 1966 meeting, which was the one run in the reverse direction, and refers to the second photo.

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[John McKechnie]

Milan- how many meetings did they do anti-clockwise?
I remember Brown in a Mini Cooper (?) smacking his car badly, and it was deemed unsafe that way round.
is this correct?
Kevin Hirst- would you remember?
Also does Ken Bailey now own the Zephyr Corvette-red /black 98 ?

[Milan Fistonic]

Milan- how many meetings did they do anti-clockwise?
I remember Brown in a Mini Cooper (?) smacking his car badly, and it was deemed unsafe that way round.
is this correct?
Kevin Hirst- would you remember?
Also does Ken Bailey now own the Zephyr Corvette-red /black 98 ?

Only the one race meeting, though the circuit has been used the "wrong way" round for rallies and Targas. Your memory is correct about Ron Brown damaging his Mini when he lost it gong through Rothmans. Having no run-off at the end of the back-straight was another major problem.

[Bruce302]

Milan- how many meetings did they do anti-clockwise?
I remember Brown in a Mini Cooper (?) smacking his car badly, and it was deemed unsafe that way round.
is this correct?
Kevin Hirst- would you remember?
Also does Ken Bailey now own the Zephyr Corvette-red /black 98 ?

Robin also mentioned the Zephyr Corvette going off at Railway corner in the "wrong way" race. Rod Coppins was in the pits and asked Robin if it was bad, he was evidently upset that "his" car had been damaged.

B

[John McKechnie]

So if Ken was driving it, did it still have pipes through the bonnet for this meeting?
Ken said here that when he got it, pipes had to be normal exit before he could run it.- new rules.

[Kevin Hirst]

Milan- how many meetings did they do anti-clockwise?
I remember Brown in a Mini Cooper (?) smacking his car badly, and it was deemed unsafe that way round.
is this correct?
Kevin Hirst- would you remember?
Also does Ken Bailey now own the Zephyr Corvette-red /black 98 ?

Hi, yes, sort of remember, it was a while ago now, a handicap race from memory, all the corner's sort of tightened up as you were accelerating out of them, seemed all wrong somehow, can remember looking in rear vision mirror after coming out of the hairpin & watching [ I think ] a mk2 zephyr rolling with doors coming open, did not really enjoy that meeting seemed all wrong somehow.

[Ross Hollings]

Did not David Oxton go off in his Lola exiting the top of Rothmans,seem to remember it was quite dark at the end of the race day,and only think they ran that way once.

[Paul B]

My confusion about which photo was being asked about.

The entry list I posted above was from the May 14, 1966 meeting and refers to the first photo.

This entry list is from the April 23, 1966 meeting, which was the one run in the reverse direction, and refers to the second photo.

47999

Thanks Milan & Bruce,
Its great to see the race sheet! what a great line up. Shame about the offs.

[Kevin Hirst]

My confusion about which photo was being asked about.

The entry list I posted above was from the May 14, 1966 meeting and refers to the first photo.

This entry list is from the April 23, 1966 meeting, which was the one run in the reverse direction, and refers to the second photo.

47999

!st & 2nd P Fahey/ R Francevich not sure what order, K Hirst 3rd also A90 was2912 not 1912, cheer's

[Paul B]

!st & 2nd P Fahey/ R Francevich not sure what order, K Hirst 3rd also A90 was2912 not 1912, cheer's

Hi Kevin, So you had the A90 Atlantic sports coupe with a Healey 2.912cc 6 cyl engine in. have you got some pics?

[khyndart in CA]

Milan,
When would this photo of the Morrari # 104 ? at Pukekohe been taken ?

48024

Another photo at Pukekohe. (I think. )
48035

The advantages of a split front windscreen and LHD can be seen in this photo.
(Not sure where this photo was taken. )
48036

Any idea why the opposite headlight is out in the last two photos ?






(Ken H)

[Roger Dowding]

Was that Robins coupe in the second photo Roger

See Milans Note and this photo.. This is John Riley's car same meeting I think ..

48025

[Oldfart]

The photo with one side of the screen out is Matamata.

[Kevin Hirst]

Hi Kevin, So you had the A90 Atlantic sports coupe with a Healey 2.912cc 6 cyl engine in. have you got some pics?

Paul, no it was the 1956 austin A90 westminster, 2.6 ltr. bored to 2912cc with later A99 pistons, this car was actually the car in the earl's court motor show in 1956, later imported into N.Z. unfortunatly no pics but ex from many year's ago might, must find out, cheer's

[Milan Fistonic]

The photo with one side of the screen out is Matamata.

Matamata 1965. Motorman reported 15 broken windscreens that day.

[Milan Fistonic]

Looking for an answer to Ken's question I came across this piece on the Morrari in the August 1965 edition of the Auckland Car Club Bulletin.

48037

[John McKechnie]

Milan- Thanks for finding and posting this A.C.C. 1965 Bulletin article.
I dont know how much time you spent looking for it, but it is well received and appreciated by us all.

[Milan Fistonic]

Milan,
When would this photo of the Morrari # 104 ? at Pukekohe been taken ?

48024

(Ken H)

I haven't been able to find a race where the Morrari was number 104.

Going by the other cars in the photo - 117 N. Pointon, Chev Coupe, 102 Ivan Cranch, Consul-Jag and 138 Doug Bremner, VW - it could be the December 12, 1964 meeting where the car was not in the programme but did win it's first race. Paul Fahey was in that race in his Lotus-Cortina numbered 104.

At the 1965 NZIGP meeting the Morrari was numbered 122.

This photo is from the Motorman report of the December 1964 meeting.

48042

Another possibility is the February 27, 1965 meeting where the Morrari was driven by Glen Jones and was again not in the programme.

[hilstwist]

In one of the first collections of mine on here there are some color shots of it at Puke one of it on the back of a truck being taken back to the pits after breaking g down.Fahey had the bread van Anglia in that
Race

[Oldfart]

That last photo (from Motorman) would appear to be very early. The body is still pristine, the number plate appears to be brand new, and the wiper doing it's aerial impersonation! And still on the wires.

[khyndart in CA]

Milan,
That looks like the car in the December 1964 race. Could the number be 194 ?

Thanks again for all your inputs. I was at the 1965 Matamata races and I still needed you to remind me of what it looked like !
I watched from along the main street and saw Jim Boyd in the Lycoming Special almost go up the steps of the local church making a right turn !

(Ken H)

[ERC]

As we try to point out to competitors (and critics of unlabelled photographs...), late entries not only create a massive amount of extra work for organisers and officials, whether voluntary or paid, but they make any future historian's job a total nightmare. Not so long ago, a programme would have to be produced by a printer and maybe even typeset, so late entries (if they were even accepted) would never be in the programme.

Late entries is very much a Kiwi thing, not just in motorsport. Scan many old UK race programmes and every race has a list of reserves. If you didn't get your entry in early, no chance!

[stubuchanan]

I haven't been able to find a race where the Morrari was number 104.

Going by the other cars in the photo - 117 N. Pointon, Chev Coupe, 102 Ivan Cranch, Consul-Jag and 138 Doug Bremner, VW - it could be the December 12, 1964 meeting where the car was not in the programme but did win it's first race. Paul Fahey was in that race in his Lotus-Cortina numbered 104.

At the 1965 NZIGP meeting the Morrari was numbered 122.

This photo is from the Motorman report of the December 1964 meeting.

48042

Another possibility is the February 27, 1965 meeting where the Morrari was driven by Glen Jones and was again not in the programme.

The number is actually 194. One of my 2 programmes for the December 12 1964 meeting shows the winner of the 8-lap race for the fastest 16 cars as car number 194. Souness was not listed in the programme, but must have been a late entry.
I have a cutting from the following Monday's "Herald" showing the number more clearly, although the curvature of the Morris body does not help, current attempts to reduce it to acceptable size will not work, so I will re-scan it tomorrow. Or I may even find an 8mm film clip.

Stu

[Milan Fistonic]

That last photo (from Motorman) would appear to be very early. The body is still pristine, the number plate appears to be brand new, and the wiper doing it's aerial impersonation! And still on the wires.

That was its first appearance and as Motorman stated, it was the "Star of the day." They weren't sure what to call it at that stage. Morrariette or Corarri Minor were suggested.

[Roger Dowding]

That was its first appearance and as Motorman stated, it was the "Star of the day." They weren't sure what to call it at that stage. Morrariette or Corarri Minor were suggested.

Milan, as usual your information is great, it helps me with correct;y sorting my photos, as my 1966 / 67 one's have been mixed up a bit.
cheers and Thanks, Roger D.
P.S. would have had the issue of Motorman as used to get them from the Stationery /Bookshop across the road from school. Had a standing order for the English " Autocar " and Donn's " Motorman " from 1964 onwards.

[Oldfart]

I know this is off the topic, but if anyone has Motorman which features the Matamata races, in(or on) the back cover there was a pic taken very early in the morning with 2 teenage boys in the heavy frost. I would like to see it again.

[Milan Fistonic]

I know this is off the topic, but if anyone has Motorman which features the Matamata races, in(or on) the back cover there was a pic taken very early in the morning with 2 teenage boys in the heavy frost. I would like to see it again.

Matamata 1964

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[Oldfart]

Thanks Milan, one of those is me. The other my best friend, now deceased.

[Greg Stokes]

Work is commencing on the Morrari recreation finally BUT we still need to get any photos of this car - including interior and engine etc details and also talk to ANYONE and EVERYONE who was involved with the car or remembers it well

Thanks,

Greg & Mark Stokes

[Paul B]

I found this pic on the net hope it helps
48341

Oops just saw it 2 pages back

[Oldfart]

To be honest Greg, my memory of the interior is that it was not flash! It would be amazingly easy to over do this recreation :)

[Allan]

From my recollection and without being critical I think "a bit rough around the edges" typifies the whole car.

[Oldfart]

From my recollection and without being critical I think "a bit rough around the edges" typifies the whole car.

Eggs zackly

[Greg Stokes]

To be honest Greg, my memory of the interior is that it was not flash! It would be amazingly easy to over do this recreation :)

Thanks guys for the responses. Yes I understand its not flash or rough around the edges. I think some creative license will be in order with it

[Oldfart]

Don't let it become another Custaxie look alike but very little similar though Greg.:)

[Greg Stokes]

Don't let it become another Custaxie look alike but very little similar though Greg.:)

Ok - here’s the deal. This isn’t a modern rendition of the Morrari. It’s a close recreation of the original car. The intent is if you close your eyes you should visualise the past thru this car when you open them again. No modern wheels or components and built as close to original as possible except the transaxle

[Oldfart]

Ok - here’s the deal. This isn’t a modern rendition of the Morrari. It’s a close recreation of the original car. The intent is if you close your eyes you should visualise the past thru this car when you open them again. No modern wheels or components and built as close to original as possible except the transaxle

Good news

[Greg Stokes]

Hi all,
Thanks greatly for your posts and photos on here. It seems like there is a lot of interest in the Morrari and the recreation we are embarking on. I thought it was time for an update. I have been building a specific table on which we will recreate the Ferrari chassis based on the images we have collated. Chassis work is due to start very soon once the table and fixtures have been sorted.

The biggest issue with building this recreation is just that - its a recreation. Obviously the real car cannot be restored nor can we clone it due to the rarity of the Ferrari Super Squalo and the price tag attached to it. When the Morrari was built it was based on a 10 year old "has been" Ferrari race car and the merging of the Morris body was as simple as "its here, it looks like it should fit, lets do this". So in an era of Kiwi ingenuity and run what you brung, the most bastardised of race cars was born.

Interestingly during our research and talking to people, most have fond memories of the car but those off shore or don't appreciate Allcomers Racing of NZ, look at the Morrari as a silly and foolish waste of a Ferrari! Haha - its good to have something so polarising - it creates excitement, it urges speculation and assumption. It was just online last night on Facebook as I requested info and photos, someone commented saying I should check my facts as it was never built on a Ferrari chassis. Haha

The intent from day one has been to build it in the guise including the Wild Wheels widened 15" Merc rims and put the exhaust thru the hood. This is the hot rod coming out of us! The intent also is that we do not wish to build something which either is a modern rendition or uses modern components or build styles visible to the naked eye. We want to have the thing looking, sounding and running in such a way which people who can remember can say yep that's how I remember that thing.

We have enough images of the exterior and chassis and even the engine bay to confidently pull this off but still hoping to gain some understanding of interior layout and components used. Again this is not intended to have any modern build styles or components as we want to retain an overall Morrari vibe throughout. That said - I cannot bring myself to weld left handed or blindfolded so we feel it maybe a lil nicer than the original car in some areas.

We thank you all for your input, please keep the memories, comments, photos etc flowing as this all helps spur us along to get on to this neat project. It's Dad's car - I am just the fabricator and researcher - its been fun so far and we look forward to getting it done.

Greg & Mark Stokes
gregstokes1932@gmail.com

[RogerH]

[QUOTE=Greg Stokes;62825]...... most have fond memories of the car but those off shore or don't appreciate Allcomers Racing of NZ, look at the Morrari as a silly and foolish waste of a Ferrari! .....

There are some overseas who appreciate the Morrari as in communications over the years with UK motor racing journalist and author Simon Taylor (Motor Sport, Autosport, Classic & Sports Car etc), he has expressed a real admiration for the Morrari as one of his favourite cars.

[Oldfart]

Greg, some of the people out there just don't get that many of the cars you have alluded to were tired old racing cars that were considered as "something we can dump on the colonials". That's part of the reason why NZ wound up with what are now considered as real gems. At the time they were just old junk.
The Pat Hoare 246 (?)/GTO was a case in point too. Until Historic racing grew in Europe nobody wanted these things. As a result they were either turned into something that could be used, parked in a barn, or lost.
You have my total admiration for doing this car.

[Neville Milne]

And of course, Simon Taylor, himself, was known for owning ( and competing in) something of a 'Bitsa".....otherwise known as the "Stovebolt Special"

[khyndart in CA]

I know this is a bit out of place but this was also a NZ Allcomer that I clearly remember accelerating away from the "Elbow Corner" at Pukekohe with smoke pouring from the dual rear wheels. Great memory of a very brave driver, Colin Lumsden.
I just wondered what became of this behemoth ?
Thanks Bruce T for the photo.
48467

(Ken H )

[John H]

I know this is a bit out of place but this was also a NZ Allcomer that I clearly remember accelerating away from the "Elbow Corner" at Pukekohe with smoke pouring from the dual rear wheels. Great memory of a very brave driver, Colin Lumsden.
I just wondered what became of this behemoth ?
Thanks Bruce T for the photo.
48467

(Ken H ) Ha you must have been sitting next to me!!! very clear memory of the tyre smoke. Was that the 1960s?

[Oldfart]

Ha you must have been sitting next to me!!! very clear memory of the tyre smoke. Was that the 1960s?

I saw Lumsden a few times, 65/66 I think. He used duals on the back at least once.

[John McKechnie]

Hi, yes, sort of remember, it was a while ago now, a handicap race from memory, all the corner's sort of tightened up as you were accelerating out of them, seemed all wrong somehow, can remember looking in rear vision mirror after coming out of the hairpin & watching [ I think ] a mk2 zephyr rolling with doors coming open, did not really enjoy that meeting seemed all wrong somehow.

Found this earlier post which explains what Kevin saw that day-

01-09-2013, 07:02 AM
Hi Guys, . The extra strengthening on the front wheels was done as the drivers side rim collapsed at the very end of the back straight at Pukekohe. Ken was driving, thats him with the dark shirt having a fag to calm his nerves. This meeting was a reverse course, the powers thought it might be a good idea to have a race meeting reverse direction.
Colin

[John McKechnie]

This is that accident damage-#105 and #107
http://www.theroaringseason.com/showthread.php?911-Rod-Coppins/page6&highlight=zephyr+corvette

[Greg Stokes]

Happy New Year to all on here. 2018 is a big year for us and the Morrari recreation and we look forward to keeping this thread going with updates. And as always we are always looking for photos and recollections of the original Morrari

[Greg Stokes]

The transaxle is all jigged up and mounted on the Morrari specific chassis table. Centred and wheelbase marked out so things are progressing....

[Rod Grimwood]

Greg is having trouble posting photos.
Here you go first of many i hope. She is on the way, this is going to be good.

[John McKechnie]

Its happening............YAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Reeceracer]

Here's one from Puke my Dad took back in the day.Converted from a slide. Another to add to the collection...Reece Killingback.

49864

[Oldfart]

That's an early photo of it, before it bashed about too much. Should be a good reference one for Greg.

[Greg Stokes]

Here's one from Puke my Dad took back in the day.Converted from a slide. Another to add to the collection...Reece Killingback.

49864

Reece,
Many thanks that's an excellent shot which shows clearly at least the color of the rear tin work from the rear seat area - this gives us a big starting point to how the inside of the car may look.
Thanks,
Greg

[Greg Stokes]

Here's one from Puke my Dad took back in the day.Converted from a slide. Another to add to the collection...Reece Killingback.

49864

Thanks Reece that's an excellent reference for us on the rear sheetmetal inside the car
Thanks,
Greg

[Roger Dowding]

Reece,
Many thanks that's an excellent shot which shows clearly at least the color of the rear tin work from the rear seat area - this gives us a big starting point to how the inside of the car may look.
Thanks,
Greg

Greg are you going down the " Early " Morrari path, with Borrani Wire Wheels, or the later Flares and wide Steel Wheels ???

[Greg Stokes]

Greg are you going down the " Early " Morrari path, with Borrani Wire Wheels, or the later Flares and wide Steel Wheels ???

Hi Roger,

The guise this car will be recreated to is when the widened 15" Merc rims were fitted with Firestone rubber and the exhaust stacks came thru the hood, the car was numbered 172 and still red.

Thanks,

Greg

[Steve Holmes]

Here's one from Puke my Dad took back in the day.Converted from a slide. Another to add to the collection...Reece Killingback.

49864

Wow, that's a beautiful photo, one of the best I've seen of this car.

[Spgeti]

Set of Borrani wires for sale on trade me recently. Not cheap but try and find a set of these in NZ.

[Reeceracer]

Wow, that's a beautiful photo, one of the best I've seen of this car.

Hi Steve, Yep it's amazing what quality the old slides have, I've got some fantastic ones of Red Dawson (dad was a mate of his), Graham Hill, Jim Palmer, etc from that era, all never before seen, which I'm am looking forward to posting on this site when I can figure out the best way of doing it.......any guidance appreciated...Cheers, Reece.

[Oldfart]

Greg, I have come across a guy who is making the correct sized tubing for Ferraris! He was bemoaning that it was near impossible to find the right size, then came across all the dies and machinery to make it, so he bought them, as you do!

[ERC]

...all never before seen, which I'm am looking forward to posting on this site when I can figure out the best way of doing it.......any guidance appreciated.

What guidance do you need Reece? You obviously posted one good one from a slide. How did you manage that?

Send me a PM. Quality of branded slide film was generally very good indeed and if they have been stored properly, (ie out of direct light), they retain the colour. Even if the colour isn't perfect, it often isn't too difficult to improve it and it requires no specific skills.

[Reeceracer]

What guidance do you need Reece? You obviously posted one good one from a slide. How did you manage that?

Send me a PM. Quality of branded slide film was generally very good indeed and if they have been stored properly, (ie out of direct light), they retain the colour. Even if the colour isn't perfect, it often isn't too difficult to improve it and it requires no specific skills.

I think I've figured it out..I just had an issue sizing the last slide down so the site would accept it..just took a while for a novice....

[ERC]

Just make sure you copy the original then resize the copy! Looking forward now to a Reece photo thread, as I am sure are many others.

[Steve Holmes]

Hi Steve, Yep it's amazing what quality the old slides have, I've got some fantastic ones of Red Dawson (dad was a mate of his), Graham Hill, Jim Palmer, etc from that era, all never before seen, which I'm am looking forward to posting on this site when I can figure out the best way of doing it.......any guidance appreciated...Cheers, Reece.

Hi Reece, if it's easier you can save them on a memory stick and post to me and I can create a dedicated thread for them as I've done with other collections here. Can't wait to see more.

[Roger Dowding]

A photo from NZ Hot Rod Magazine - Graham Woods archives, shows the car with nose off and the engine in full view !. Quite early on as on the Borrani Wires and the guards not flared out.
Not sure if it has been posted previously.

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[Greg Stokes]

While working on something else today I was flicking thru a Classic Driver Magazine with a feature on the Morrari in it and I couldn't help notice a close up into the dash area showing what looks like a single seater dash in there. I really need to ask you all again who were there and recall the car - was the single seater dash used from the original Super Squalo car and if so was it in the centre or was it somehow moved to the left to line up with the left hand drive steering in the Morrari?

I realise there maybe few if not no photos ever available of the inside of the Morrari but I am asking the guys who saw this car to really remember what the dash layout might have been. Sure we can guess the shit out of this but I wanna get this as close to right as possible.

Thanks,

Greg
GMS Hot Rods

[Oldfart]

Greg, would it be worth trying to track the Inwood collection of pics? Then again you have probably gone down that road. My memory on the dash is too vague to be any help.

[Greg Stokes]

Thanks mate - I could take another look. I am really hoping someone out there has a photo of the car with even just one of the doors open or something

[Milan Fistonic]

I believe the McLaren Trust has Inwood's photos.

[bry3500]

Courtesy of FB and Alan Dick

[chaindrive]

The Squalo dash certainly looks the same !54215

[rf84]

Allan Dick has posted a photo on his Classic Autonews Facebook page. It shows the interior of the car at the 1965 NZGP meeting with a dash (and possibly drivers seat) from a Mini.

[Roger Dowding]

From Allan Dick " Classic Autonews " archive where the B and W photo posted above showing the Ferrari /Morrari Dash. - Post #228..

a couple of photos of the Morrari for you Greg Stokes !!

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[bill hollingsworth]

Footage at Pukekohe 1966. https://youtu.be/UJQXmIAgEf8

[ERC]

I think that the earlier car mentioned by Steve #20 (formerly with the engine in the speedboat) was the first car that Tom Wheatcroft bought for his Donington Collection. In which case, Doug Nye would probably be the guy to contact.

Good to catch up with Greg today at Caffeine & Classics and there may be another local person who may have access to drawings or information. This may just be a very, very long shot of course!

[45DCOE]

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Found this on the web a while ago

[Greg Stokes]

Well, it was 2011 when I started this thread on here requesting photos and information for the recreation of the Morrari for my Dad, Mark Stokes.

Nearly at mid 2020 and where are we at? Well hot rodding has always been our primary focus but thankfully the Morrari has always been on our radar and is a project I am undertaking at my business GMS Hot Rods.

What has actually happened since 2011 is that we have pretty much exhausted all avenues of research and photo or information requests.

I wrote letters to alot of the magazines - NZ Hot Rod, Petrolhead, NZV8, Classic Car and Classic Driver, we posted here and on Facebook and Instagram.

As you can appreciate we learnt fast that of the people still alive that had information about the car it was sometimes confused or vague or conflicting.

So we have reached a point where we have a reasonable understanding of the car in terms of its chassis and suspension layout and even a vague thought of the interior layout.

Rod Tempero has been very helpful with front suspension pieces so these have been mounted on fixtures at wheel track and ride height on the chassis table and we are currently filling in the gaps in terms of the chassis itself with the 327 Corvette engine also positioned on the table.

A distraction or curveball to the progress has been the addition of another project in Dads stable - the restoration of Road Hog - a shortened and raked Model A sedan built by Ray Carter in the early seventies with a Y-block engine and F5000 style tyres on it.

We must thank alot of people along the Morrari path to date who have showed alot of enthusiasm towards it with ideas, advice and suggestions.

[Roger Dowding]

Greg, good to read of progress - just recently Allan Dick reposted part of his NZ Classic Driver story on the Morrari- which generated a bit of response.
I also saw recently a couple of photos of the car which you may have -it was on the Facebook Page " Old New Zealand Motor Racing ".
Can find and send them to you if you wish ?

Cheers

Roger

[Greg Stokes]

Greg, good to read of progress - just recently Allan Dick reposted part of his NZ Classic Driver story on the Morrari- which generated a bit of response.
I also saw recently a couple of photos of the car which you may have -it was on the Facebook Page " Old New Zealand Motor Racing ".
Can find and send them to you if you wish ?

Cheers

Roger

Hi Roger,
Thanks - yes Allan Dick has reprinted that article a couple of times. Its pretty neat to see the positive interest the bastardised car generates.
Please post the pics here if you dont mind
Many thanks,
Greg

[Roger Dowding]

Two Morrari photos - posted by Roger Herrick, unsure if his own photos ** although one has the Date Jan 66 and seems to have come from an album.

Early photo -on the Ferrari's Borrani Wire Wheels
Photo from Reece Killingback [ Reeceracer ] - it features in an earlier post - from his fathers archives.

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The later photo - marked Jan 1966 ..

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[Greg Stokes]

Thank you Roger, that Jan 66 pic is the guise the car is being built to. While the car looked handsome and understated with the Borrani wires, the Jan 66 pic evokes the nasty loud hot rod background we come from. Thanks for sharing....

[Kevin Hirst]

Footage at Pukekohe 1966. https://youtu.be/UJQXmIAgEf8

I see my black A90 in the reverse race. Have just repainted recently purchased A95 so almost road ready

[Roger Dowding]

These Ken Buckley photos are in Milan Fistonic's vast archives - he posted them on " Old New Zealand Motor Racing " Facebook page and Greg Stokes has seen them.
worth putting on here as go with a few others - second photos shows a bit of engine and suspension detail.
Early on as still on the Borrani Wires and show the splined hub.

Both at Pukekohe on what looks like a wet Race Day.

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A couple of photos already posted show the car parked next to the Studebaker so the same event with Race #194, on the Wire Wheels, previous photo from Reeceracers archives

[kiwi285]

I have just revisited this thread after many moons and although I haven't had a chance to read all of the posts, I wonder if anyone has thought to contact Rod Tempero in Oamaru. If anyone knows what a Ferrari GP chassis looks like it would he Rod and his team. They have probably built a couple.

[GregT]

There is plenty of information on the web about early Ferrari chassis. Gilco who built most of the early chassis had a major anniversary a few years ago and put out a lot of info and drawings. The 555 is generic twin oval tube Gilco with an added tubular superstructure which differentiated the Super Squalo's.
I've certainly built replica motorcycle frames from less information than is available now for this.

[Roger Dowding]

There is plenty of information on the web about early Ferrari chassis. Gilco who built most of the early chassis had a major anniversary a few years ago and put out a lot of info and drawings. The 555 is generic twin oval tube Gilco with an added tubular superstructure which differentiated the Super Squalo's.
I've certainly built replica motorcycle frames from less information than is available now for this.

Greg T,

The Original Morrari has popped up on Facebook from an American Guy that I met in the USA in July 1982 - he had seen the photos on the HVRA page here in NZ and reposted. Spgeti Bruce Dyer mentioned Greg Stokes in the Post.

The photo that was recently posted - by Tom Colby,
[ Tom is an Austin Healey guy and involved with " Speedwell " in the USA - working on very modified AH Sprites and other British Sports Cars ]
The photo was part of a post by Spgeti on the HVRA Facebook page - photographer not stated.

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The Morrari ran Race #177 at the April and May 1966 Pukekohe Meetings and Milan has posted Entry Lists - Interesting is the " Firestone " sticker is pasted over so presumably was a " Dunlop " Meeting.

The 23rd April 1966 Meeting was a Cars only Meeting and was the " infamous " Reverse Direction Meeting.
The 14th May 1966 Meeting was from memory a "Combined Car and Motorcycle " Meeting run by ACC NSCC and the Auto Cycle Union - correct me here please !!

I was at both meetings and had the programmes which I gave away in 2008 ..

[Roger Dowding]

The start of the thread a note from Greg [and Mark ] Stokes about the Morrari -Re-creation.
" I am posting this on behalf of my father Mark Stokes who is starting to build a recreation of the Morrari. The Garth Souness Morris Minor lo-lite on a Ferrari chassis with a 327 Corvette engine. "

A another photo for the collection ;

Same photo from John Larry Lawton - the original and his own cropped version.
Believed to be in 1965 - others may know more !!.
Morrari has the Borrani wires on it - so early in its life with the Morris / Corvette combination.

Nice VW Kombi Utility being used by the Marshall - too !!

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Braking hard some smoke from the tyres..

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Met Glen Jones in Newton [ Karangahape Road ] when working there 1968 - 1973. Glen was a mate of Frank " Sonny " Stephens /Stevens who ran the Service Station /Workshop off K Rd, in East Street.
There used to be interesting cars at the workshop as Glen, Frank and others were into Motor Racing in big American Cars, Chev Coupe's and others..

[Greg Stokes]

Happy New Year to everyone on here and also ALL the people who have been following and supportive of the Morrari recreation.

2023 will be the year in which the Morrari (Recreation) ROARS!

I have promised myself that I wont do anymore on my projects until we get at least two of Dads projects done. One being the recreation of the Morrari and the other being the restoration of an old Kiwi hot rod called Road Hog.

We totally appreciate the photos, the memories and the good wishes everyone has given over the years. Now we have to get it done before more of the audience who remember the car pass on.

Best regards,

Greg & Mark Stokes

[Oldfart]

That's great news Greg. Is there going to be a "build diary"?

[Greg Stokes]

At this stage we wont do a build diary as we go. We are working on it every day and night at the moment as we have put a deadline on the build.

Once its finished or near completion we will post pictures online here and on the GMS Hot Rods Facebook and Instagram pages.

Rest assured we are doing all we can within reason to recreate a very Ferrari like chassis and suspension and we are studying all the photos to get the details right with the rest of the car.

[Greg Stokes]

We have a majority of the Ferrari chassis all done and just finishing the rear suspension set up and steering

Its been fun so far but exhaustive research to get the details as close as feasible.

[Greg Stokes]

https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2023/pukekohe-flying-farewell/auckland/pukekohe