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Steve has asked me to do something re the racing of these now 60+ year old classics.
I will keep it to pre EH (63/4) models.
This is the one I worked on in the mid thru to late 60's. It ran mainly in Tasmania but we did go to Hume Weir in NSW in 1968 for an all Holden event.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...McIvor2SPf.jpg
Symmons Plains 1967
I will continue with the story as time goes on
Some pics are not mine but where known credit is given.
And give us lots of info on the FJ you race now too Ellis.
I think this is Graeme Harvey's "Golden Holden".
http://img861.imageshack.us/img861/9872/413jq.jpg
Another photo of the "Golden Holden".
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/2...ahamharvey.png
Love the pics Roger, keep 'em coming.....
I think the tall chap with the white coat or overalls is the late Bruce McLean and its possible thats his V8 car in the right of the photo in "Golden Holden"
We will start with a few racing engine bay shots of the Holden Grey engine starting life in the 48-215 series and remaining in production until 1963 with very few major changes.
3 x Amals
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...100_0366-2.jpg
3 x 1.5" SU's
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/100_0374.jpg
1.5 Webers
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...100_0376-2.jpg
3 x Amals
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...100_0379-3.jpg
2 x Strombergs
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...100_0390-2.jpg
A few more....
3x Del Orto's
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...100_0392-2.jpg
3 x 1.5" SU's
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...donFoto100.jpg
1.5 DD Del Orto's
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...IMG_3252-1.jpg
1.5 Webers
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...nFJ2550cc2.jpg
3 x 1 1/2" SU's
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/PA010001.jpg
Geoghegan Bathurst...pic source not known
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...FXBathurst.jpg
Neville Cooper (WA) at Calder in ex Beechey PK752
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...6NCooper-2.jpg
David Lewis @ Domain Hillclimb Hobart, Repco Head, MG Box, ex R Long
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...P4280008-1.jpg
Warwick Farm..pic source not known
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...acewf61zs5.jpg
Baskerville Tas, Rae, Price, McIvor 1965
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...Price2Rae1.jpg
McIvor Symmons Plains Tas 1966
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...vorcSP1165.jpg
McIvor , Quinn, Symmons Plains Tas 1967
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...orQuinSP67.jpg
McIvor Symmons Plains Tas 1968
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...McIvor68-1.jpg
Munyard Symmons Plains.
They dont all stay the right way up.
This car competed and finnished in the Surfers Paradise 6 hour race in late 60's.
It was taken to NZ as a road car in 70's and sold over there to get airfare home.
In the past month it has been purchased from NZ by someone in NSW and is being returned to Oz.
The original driver pictured just missed out on doing a deal to get car back from NZ.
It was painted Yellow/ Red in Shell colours.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ardRoll67a.jpg
Some of the few remaining active logbooked cars in Australia....
(Credits where known are inc on pics)
Phil Barrow...This car was the current owners late Father's race car. Its raced frequently on East Coast of Australia.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12.../10JS26740.jpg
Eddie Dobbs...ex G Blanchard 60's log booked car still competing
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...51_of_460_.jpg
Rob Southouse..ex Ken Zinner 60's car. Races regularly
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/bill8007.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/FJPuzzle.jpg
Car built by Harris in ACT...now French in Tas
This is magnetic and kept on the fridge just in case of accidents so I can put it back together
Runs Regularity in Tas.
Kev Moore...Car Built originally in ACT by Harris. Runs frequently in Qld
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12.../XDSC_0139.jpg
G Poole ..Vic . car was logbooked / raced in 80's but now makes do with Hillclimbs and Regularity
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...nreunion08.jpg
#48 was a top car in Tas and held lap records in the early 70's.
It was recovered and restored by the original Tassie driver.
It is fitted with a 3 1/4" Hi top engine , Repco X Flow Head and Webers.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ho/image12.jpg
Baskerville Tas
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...Bville07-1.jpg
Engine bay showing Repco X Flow Head.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...gracestart.jpg
It is used at Historic meetings and runs demo laps. The picture is at Sandown Vic Historic.
2009 MG Historic Baskerville Meeting including a pre EH Holden reunion.....old cars and even older drivers
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...tartofDemo.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...b1b2ecbeb8.jpg
Baskerville Esses
These Grey engined Humpies are still in regular competition use in Tas.......
All pics are at bottom of Hill Baskerville Tas
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...3_104471-2.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ics-0480-1.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ics-0248-1.jpg
This Car has recently arrived in Tas. Its believed to be the only old logbooked FC in Australia
Pic at Longford Revival 2011 where it ran on the timed Flying Mile Demo's
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...P4010007-1.jpg
This car is an original 60's logbooked Vic car recently sold from WA and coming to a Wodonga enthusiast
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/PA090336.jpg
This Tassie car is still owned by the original race driver from the 60's and runs at Historic Meetings and occasional Regularity runs
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/100_0368.jpg
This car still has its original owner/ race driver from the 60's. He came from Vic to Tas for the 2009 Historic meeting
and ran in Regularity
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/100_0360.jpg
This is how we dont want them to end their days.....
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...nSculpture.jpg
These are incredible images Ellis. The FJ must be the single most significant car in Australian motorsport history as far as growing the sport at grassroots level.
I was just about to ask whether any pre-EH races are held at historic events, but you beat me to it with post #13. That would have been an amazing sight.
You are in car #14j in post 14?
I'll do a story or 2 in time.
I had one almost done this am but the link died before it was posted and away it went into the Land of long white clouds I suppose.
Yes my car (Shared with my Son at alternative meetings) is #14
There are quite a few now well known drivers who started or furthered careers in one of the pre EH Holdens....
Heres a few that come to mind....
Geoghegans, Spencer Martin, Bo Seton, Bob Jane, Norm Beechey, Dick Johnson, Max Stahl, Bruce McPhee,
Des West, Jack Brabham, Norm Gown, Bruce Hindaugh, Dave Price, Gary Rogers, Dave Price, Brian Muir,
Ron Harrop, Graham Ritter,Harry Firth, Merv Waggott, Bob Holden, Bill Jane, Warren Weldon John Goss,
Warren Weldon, John Raeburn,...etc etc
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...oldenstart.jpg
Sandown Vic
Thanks Ellis for sharing those ,always had a soft spot for those old Humpys and love hearing about the mods they did to them,maybe I better start saving my pennies and come over to that Baskerville meeting ,catch up with some people who have been wanting me to visit them in Tassie for ages
Bob
You would be most welcome I am sure.
Its not a huge meeting by your NZ standards or our friends at Philip Is, Winton or Sandown
but its a well run 3 day event by the MG Car club.
We get around 120 entries with a few mainlanders usually making the somewhat expensive trip.
Ellis
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/100_0539.jpg
Baskerville 2010 Historic
What if any is the history on the 100 Anglia Ellis ,did Robin Pare race one at one stage ? that Don Elliot owned or is my mind drifting off into the past
Your mind is still working well.Quote:
Originally Posted by bob homewood
Elliot had one built up for Robin Pare to race to compete against all the Cooper S etc
It was Supercharged and altho a little fragile certainly could beat them.
The car in the pic is a replica of that car as the original is long gone. There is a
Cortina as well , a replica of a car he had for Edmondson.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/PA170032.jpg
Baskerville Historics 2010..Parade Laps
The GT500 on the left is driven by John Bowe with Harry Firth as passenger
The Anglia Replica is being driven by its owner
The Cortina 2dr on rhs is a replica of Edmondsons car and is being driven by him.
The cars formed part of an Elliot cars display
You may notice I still manged to squeeze 4 Humpies into the shot...lol
Engine internals...and other weaknesses...
As everyone knows they are prone to breaking crankshafts. Lots of theories exist as to what to do and not to do
and while you may think you are doing the right things they will break whenever they feel like it.
At the 2009 Baskerville Historics Holden Reunion meeting just to prove that nothing changes after 40-45 years of racing
out of around 20 Humpies ....2 blew headgaskets, 1 broke gearbox, 2 broke cranks and 1 rolled.....
Mine didnt fail then...it waited another 15 months till this year and my crank went at Baskerville. Its not too bad , it
lasted 4 1/2 years.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/P5200006.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...P5180003-1.jpg
About all that is done to the standard crank is balancing, better rod bolts and main bolts are used along with main bearing cap strengtheners on centre mains. Billet steel cranks are now available but are around $4k so not cheap and not too many are in use.
Lightenned flywheels and larger harmonic balancers are used along with enlarged and baffled sumps. The heads are ported and planed and larger valves are fitted along with tubular pushrods and with a bore out to 3 3/16" most use hi top pistons but some still run flatop.
Camshaft grinds are free and most use a well known Cam grinder in Melbourne...Clives Cams...no substitute for 45 years or so experience. Aluminium or steel timing geras replace the old original fibre versions.
The gearbox remains standard or maybe fit an EH cluster and a few circlips get silver soldered. The ratios in the gearbox are free and some run close ratio boxes which shifts low up and moves 2nd closer to top. A higher ratio diff is usually then required for some circuits.
Differential ratios are free but the original housing must be retained. For Nb regs drum brakes must remain but finned drums are permitted. Wheels for Nb must remain at 15" but are allowed to be 6" in width. The original old hubs were prone to cracking so later model 13" hubs are permitted with adaptors to take them back to suit 15" stud pattern. LSD or lockers are permitted. Not many of the cars running comply to these Nb specs so are logbooked as Targa class and run disc brakes and 13" wheels so are not permitted in Nb. Quite a few run later red motors and 4 speed boxes but the few purists retain Nb specs which almost mirror the old Appendix J rules from 1960.
So you see nothing has changed since the heady days of the 60's... except for one really important improvement...Tyres.
A one piece crank replaces the 2 piece from a few weeks ago....
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/P4090023.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/P4090021.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/P5260010.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/P6040002.jpg
Now to the story of my car.......
As I may have mentioned, I have a long time friend and old Humpy racer from the 60's whose car I worked on.
For the last 20 years after a few reds the talk always turned to ....Why dont we build another old Humpy race car...
These conversations caused me to look for Mikes old cars over a long period and all I could come up with was a set
of our old Del Orto carbies. After admitting defeat it was decided to buy an old log booked Humpy and restore it. A few were found but no one was selling...heard that before...Nah we are going to do her back up.
Interest waxed and waned and we had spies all over the country looking out for us. In 2008 we got an email saying one was for sale near Orange in NSW. It had been built to run at the Gnoo Blaas revival meetings . Negotiations began and concluded with Micks Humpy arriving in due course in Tas.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ho/Holden2.jpg
So our job was done, completed , finnished......well not quite.
Forward 3 or 4 months and I received a phone call...A bloke in Vic is thinking of selling his log booked Humpy.
We had forgotten to call off the dogs who were still on the hunt it seems. Sorry mate we already have one.
I'll give you his number just in case you want to talk to him. Thanks but no thanks.
Next day me thinks , what harm could it do to ring him and find out about his car.....2 weeks later after getting pics etc
I had bought the car and another one that was in one of the background shots.
A friend in Vic went 90k's and collected the cars and stored them at his garage until I could arrange to go and get them across our rough little Bass Strait ditch.
I picked up the race car and got it to the boat , smooth sailing and on landing at Devonport drove it the 100k's to Launceston with no problems . I left the 2nd car in Vic . Some 6 months later I onsold it (2nd Car) to a Launceston aquaintence who went and got it and guess what...he's building an Nb Humpy. It was a real original old girl and will make a nice race car.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...mix2009098.jpg
The car when in Vic on display at the Sandown Historic meeting with the Brock Goodwood car and a red FC (Now in Tas)
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ho/Swartz2.jpg
On the way to get dropped off at the boat in Vic
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/PA010005.jpg
Not much has changed in here...Just older driver
After spending 3 or 4 weeks going right thru the car checking all nuts and bolts etc, fitting new Yokahama tyres it was time to hire Symmons Plains and go for a test day. All went well except after 7 or 8 laps the temp got a bit on the hi side. Brings back memories.
We ran the car at the next 4 or 5 meetings and decided to bite the bullet and put in a better aluminium radiator, some new brake ducts and new finned front drums as the old ones were U/S. Over the next 12 months the car ran faultlessly. The front end was given about 4 deg neg camber and the rear end springs set down a further 2". The car is driven at alternate meetings by my son and I. He really enjoys the challenge never having driven a 3 on the tree or with drum brakes all round. The bugger is about 2 secs faster than his old man but I am more than twice his age. We mainly race at Baskerville 200 k's away in Hobart as it suits the old cars better. Symmons is very hard on brakes and 3 speed gearboxes dont suit the circuit at all.
A few pics .....
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/P5290011.jpg
Brake Drums cast and machined by Crofts in Sydney
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...rontDucts1.jpg
New brake air ducts fitted
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...cture017-1.jpg
Symmons Plains hairpin
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...y_3_100498.jpg
Baskerville bottom of hill
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...BWCropcopy.jpg
Baskerville top of hill
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ngtho/10-2.jpg
Symmons Plains ..Old pit Corner
This is such a great thread Ellis, keep the posts coming! How often is it that pre-EH races are held at historic events? It must be an incredible site. And the noise must be amazing. The FJs are such an important piece of Aussie racing history, that these races are every bit as significant as an F5000 or Group C/A reunion. They're just one of the most charismatic race cars.
Wow, fantastic stuff Ellis.
We didn't have many Humpy Holdens racing in NZ. Here is one, the Richard Sisler car at a car club event at Western Springs speedway.
Many interesting cars turned up to these meetings at different times, the TecMec Maserati Corvette, the Monza Ferrari Corvette, etc.
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i2...ler750x465.jpg
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Holmes
We dont have Holden only events again as yet. MG car club have said they will run Holden only for us in Regularity if we can get 12 starters. The Baskerville track was the last track in Australia to run a Holden only event in about 75 or maybe it was 72 ?.
The HQ series was also commenced in Tas and spread to the rest of the country and is still quite strong.
With the number of Humpies in sheds and being built we should be able to. Whether we can do it on a regular basis remains to be seen.
At the last meeting a month or so ago we had 24 cars running in Historic Regularity of which 3 were Humpies. 3 other Humpies ran in a race series as invited cars.
Some better known period Holden Grey engine mods.....
Some of these found their way into Speedboats and Sports / Racing Cars of the day....
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/IMG_2331.jpg
Dunstan Rotary Valve
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ho/Waggott.jpg
Waggott Twin Cam
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...co_006-350.jpg
Repco X Flow head
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/IMG_2554.jpg
Fuel Injection
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...icture1053.jpg
Supercharged
The broken Crank has been super glued back together and new engine was fired up today........
Ready for more fun again.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/P6090001.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/P6090005.jpg
These pics are from nowhere in particular but just show a few of the old warhorses in action in various forms of motorsport....
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...FJDragster.jpg
Drags
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...06-R1-07-8.jpg
Drag Display
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/IMG_3618.jpg
Albury Wodonga area in NSW still run Historic Speedway...They are a bit gentler on the panels nowdays.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ngtho/66-7.jpg
Hume Weir 1966 Norm Gown, Graham Ritter
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/IMG_0259.jpg
Hume Weir Action
Continued...
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...alder866-1.jpg
Calder 1966... G Ritter, Bruce Hindaugh
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...alder866-1.jpg
#43 Norm Gown ...Calder 1966
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...nbonnet866.jpg
Dave Price's... EH and Humpy Calder 1966... EH is S4 ex Brian Muir
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12..._20800x600.jpg
Nothing like towing with one to use for spares.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ston64Lgfd.jpg
John Newell, Wayne Mahnken, Garth Wigston Longford Tas 1965
Continued.....
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...emplestowe.jpg
Harry Firth and Norm Beechey in the "Good Ole Days"
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...onKatoomba.jpg
Warren Weldon and Bo Seton Katoomba
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...tahl-450-1.jpg
Max Staahl....became Editor of RCN
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...emplestowe.jpg
Bob Jane at Templestowe
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...TinoLeoJPG.jpg
Tino Leo ..Hume Weir
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ho/cooper4.jpg
Neville Cooper from WA in ex Beechey PK752 at Caversham
Continued....
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...P1020795-1.jpg
John Kean ...This car held a few records in its day
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...Calder1966.jpg
Ritter, Gown, Blanchard Calder 1966
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...tourersab5.jpg
Around the Houses..Albany WA
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...obinsonNSW.jpg
C Robinson NSW
Continued...
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ckGoodwood.jpg
Peter Brock at Goodwood
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...o/DSC01101.jpg
Des Wests old car...Owner got it out of shed and had it at Gnoo Blaas NSW...It featured in AMC mag.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...cran396770.jpg
Nice to have but..........Dreaming.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ckersParky.jpg
Some (make that lots) have gone to the big graveyard in the sky
Graeme Blanchard in the same car mid 1960's, Hume WeirQuote:
Originally Posted by Ellis
http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/8...dhumeweir1.jpg
http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/2...rdhumeweir.jpg
http://img814.imageshack.us/img814/2...dhumeweir3.jpg
Great to see this thread resurrected. Magic photos Ellis and Greg!
Big thanks from me too Ellis and Greg
http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/562/oh5d.jpg
Powering past some sort of Mustang and Camaro up the back straight at Calder :-)
http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/5348/oh6r.jpg
.....and taking the outside line too. I bet it made them look like they were standing still.
Isn't it great to see the evolution of the FJs in these images, how they got lower and lower to the ground.