Not really mate, we sat on the outside of the Rothmans sweeper one practice day for a Bay Park meeting and Pennington did LOTS of laps and understeered ALL day, much to our intrigue. Lovely car, and a good pedaller too I reckon.
Printable View
Not really mate, we sat on the outside of the Rothmans sweeper one practice day for a Bay Park meeting and Pennington did LOTS of laps and understeered ALL day, much to our intrigue. Lovely car, and a good pedaller too I reckon.
A couple of older Pukekohe photos - Red Dawson, John Riley and John Curtis among others :
http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/1...epherredda.png
A bit of chaos on the opening lap after Alwyn Marshall spun in the Lotus Cortina. Ivan Cranch goes through in the Consul Jaguar and Colin Lumsden takes avoiding action in the DeSoto.
http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/994/418n.jpg
Just to fit in with the thread's theme I suppose most of these cars are now lost - except for the Lotus Cortina which has probably turned into three "genuine" period cars :confused:
Roger I believe the Marshall Lotus Cortina still exists down in Tauranga,the 57 Anglia I think is Bryan Faloon and if so I believe that car still exists down in the Manawatu area Alwyn Marshall was a brillant engineer and made up a few good bits along the way for that car
Thanks Bob - good to hear that a couple of these cars have survived and the Cortina has not morphed into more than one version. Here is the "before" photo of Alwyn Marshall spinning with most of the pack behind him.
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/6570/410bub.jpg
OK, so here is a bit of a curve-ball. David Howes raced this phenominal AMC Javelin in the 1972 and '73 British Saloon Car Championship. Unlike the American Trans-Am Javelins, which were limited to 5,000cc, the engine in Howes Javelin was out to 6,390cc. It was also fitted with much wider wheels, I'd say 15" wide in the rear. The BTCC Group 2 regulations were far more relaxed than those of the Trans-Am.
The Javelin suffered a serious of reliability issues in the '72 season, but managed to notch up several top 10 results. Then in '73, was much closer to the pace, and finished an excellent 2nd in the Saloon car support race at the '73 Silverstone Grand Prix event, behind Frank Gardners SCA Camaro, according to Frank de Jongs excellent website: http://www.touringcarracing.net/
Then the Javelin appears to have vanished.
Does anyone know anything about this car? Was it built in the UK, or was it a Trans-Am car fitted with the larger engine? Does it still exist?
Terry Allans amazing big block Camaro, when advertised for sale in late 1970, but has since vanished. What happened to it?
Attachment 563
Hello, just joined this site. amazing. I was helping out Steve in those days and doing a little bit of Waikaraka Park (drove Capri after Rod had finished with it). Steve Millen drove the Escort when John Scott owned it painted white and i can recall the first time he drove it he found out what real bump steer was. John sold it too Ian Knight who changed colour to red and ran car for a while. Sorry but that is a far as i can recall its history.
Rod, its great to have you here, will look forward to your contributions.
Is this the Fuller Escort you're referring to? Do you have any info on the engine etc they were running? I believe Warren Steel sold it as a roller. Any photos of it at any stage of its career?
Hi Steve, This a great site. Yes I am talking about the Fuller Escort when John Scott owned it. And John Scott with his father Ash did have a truck and contracting business in Mt Wellington. I ran into John a few years ago and think i have contact for him somewhere. I don't have any photos but recall the car well and John Scott testing the car at Pukekohe and saying it was scary and asking Steve to test it and the look on Steves face after a couple of laps. We did a bit to the suspension and got it to handle a bit better, but weight was hard to work around in those days. I think John had fitted a Chev 283 for 4.5 class and Ray Chatfield was looking after it. There is another clever fabricator.
Thanks Rod, that is some great info. Do you recall roughly when John owned it, and how long he had it for? And roughly when was it sold to Ian Knight?
Will do some research.
Attachment 584
This was a Club meeting late 80s,on the club circuit ,with some of the cars ready to go out for a practice session The mk 1 Escort with the big flares was Rod Bergren (he gave me this photo ) Grimmy might remenber who some of the others are
http://i53.tinypic.com/wsvdde.jpg http://i52.tinypic.com/9zn243.jpg
This one is still around but I believe that it is used as a road car now (Ray Larsen)
http://i52.tinypic.com/vdzt53.jpg
Does anyone know what happened to this Galaxi. Photographed at Pukekohe
Fairlane, in fact. And that Jag doesn't look quite the same as it did after disappearing backwards through the fence at BayPark's Beach hairpin...
Yes, it was burnt in a car shed fire near Invercargill, then bought as an insurance write off by PJW @ Charlton Auto Ltd, & the shell later buried in the yard when additional land was aquired from NZR & filled. The main case from the top loader was put to good use to repair one I bought in from the USA with a cracked case & missing mount lugs, I also rebuilt & used the front rotors & calipers for use on both my OSCA Cortina race cars.
A scan of my photo from NZ Hot Rod.
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i2...e-mailview.jpg
Sports car race at Puke with Scott Wiseman's Jag - who was the Honda in the bottom photo?
http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/674...ie1page13a.jpg
I think it was David Slater.
#25 : Baron Robertson in the Heron ?
Agree to both
Not lost, but trying to track the history?. It is one of the many clone Lotus Cortinas, only this one was registered by Ward and Coppins Motors as a Lotus Cortina in 1968. I have been told that it was reshelled from a genuine L/C that was burnt out but I really have no idea. The car did about 500 miles in their ownership. I dont think there were that many genuine L/Cs in New Zealand back then. It is definitely not a L/C shell. The reg no is AS754. Does anybody have any knowledge of this car. Regds
Grelley
Sounds interesting Grelley, do you have any photos? Was it ever raced?
Hi Steve, yes it won the first ever Pre 65 race in Timaru then won the championship for 3 years in the hands of Kevin Pateman. It also raced in classic racing for about 3-4 years, and I had it at the Bruce McLaren Festival at Hampton Downs and Pukekohe. It is really the very early information that I am after if in fact there was any? I have spoken to Kevin Pateman but he is not aware of its early history.
Regards
....Lotus Cortina's on the street!!!!!!!!.....Denis Stanton of 'Stanton Stationary' fame,a Christchurch office supply company of the 50's/60's drove a very Quick Cortina GT (lets not forget the 'GT'!!) Denis,aquired,I use the term Aquired, only to outline Denis's intention to 'Race' this car,I'm Thinking it may have come from the North Island,but there was a privately owned one in Christchurch around that time that was an Ex racecar.
My story,and I'm sticking to it!!!..consider that Denis's job took him all over the South Island,lets think Christmas time,lets pencil in (no pun intended) Nelson,perhaps we have transfered plates of the company GT to a real low-n-quick Lotus Cortina,maybe we're running in a 'new' motor and we find our selves in Nelson with a bet going as to how "quick' we can get back to Christchurch......this is where i come into this tale!!!!
:pI'm driving up the Main North Rd. heading to the Parents Holiday 'Batch' at Leithfield Beach,just come thru Kaiapoi,in my 1956 Ford Thames van,when I hear this engine on absolutely full song,I'm trying to gather were its comming from,when I see comming towards me with the Inside front wheel A foot of the ground,a LOTUS CORTINA,flatlining the corner,known as the 'White House'Cnr (like a big 'S')so!!,How did I know it was a Lotus!!??..,What's,'Off White with a Pea Green Spear down the side and looks like a Cortina...
....VROOOOOOOOM...gone and past me in a "Flash', its funny,how in that split second I saw Denis.....Shit!!!that was Denis!!!.....you know the deal as you try and comprehend what you have just seen/witnessed...Wow!!:cool:
Some weeks later Denis bought me up to speed on the 'double' dare........You Know!! it was 'goooood' grow up in those years.............regards thunder427/MJ:)
This Camaro was owned by Adrian Chambers, of SCA Freight, and built to replace the '67 Camaro the team previously raced. Frank Gardner was the driver. This car debuted in the 1973 British Saloon Car Championship, and dominated the season, with Gardner winning the championship. The alloy big block engine was apparently supplied by fellow Aussie Bob Jane.
The Camaro was raced by SCA Freight in the ETCC in 1974, after Britain dropped Group 2 (outlawing the Camaro) in favour of the production based Group 1. Chambers had both Gardner and his Aussie rival Brian Muir, who had been Gardners main competition the last few seasons, drive the Camaro, but they didn't fare at all well, retiring from every round in the '74 ETCC.
After that the Camaro was sold, and Gardner moved back to Australia. Looking through Frank de Jongs excellent website: http://www.touringcarracing.net/ there appears to be a very similar looking Camaro raced in 1975 and '76 by Stuart Graham (winning the '75 Silverstone TT), then following that by Reine Wisell, of Sweden, though the big block looks to have been removed when the car was sold by Chambers.
Where is it now?
Attachment 641
Not to go OT, but would that be the same Adrian Chambers who managed Wanneroo (Barbagallo) Raceway for the WA Sporting Car Club a few years back ?
Don't know about the Lotus-Cortina mentioned above, but the attached is the winning car in the October 1964 Wills 6hr race, driven by Palmer and Fahey. Palmer also did the Sandown 5hrs with this car, partnered by J Y Stewart. It's still in NZ, in the hands of the man who's owned it for at least 35 years
Ted Giles in Dunedin has had a Lotus Cortina for many years.
Hey guys, I am new here, some cars I would like to know about or -what happened to etc. Yes the Mossman Viva, I remember seeing it at Manfield about 89. also any information aboutr the following cars. McIntyre Fiat 124, there was a Marina V8 around the same time as the Viva. Bryan Bate had a Sunbeam Stilletto in 82. That is a start for you.
Regards
Sean McBride
Attachment 815
This is the Marina here behind the Chavenger I believe you are talking about,the Bryan Bate Stilleto I am going to write about my part in putting the Mazda engine in it some time in the future
Thats it, I only remember seeing it on its trailer at Manfield, though I remember Neil Deighton in the Chavenger, I think it may have been the '81 daybreaker I first saw it, though I also saw it at the B&H Enbdurance series racing in the support races on the club circuit. What is the story behind the Marina? Was the drivers name something like Steve or Gary Park?
What happened to the Mossman Viva? Does he still have it? Anyone got any pics of it?
Graham Park was the Marina man,back in the mid sixties ,I think first he raced a Plymouth coupe or something similar ,then we raced Anglias together 66/67 ,after that I think he went o/seas and worked for Broadspeed ?, he later returned to NZ and built up and raced the Marina V8 around the same time I built the Escort Sports Sedan
Not 100% sure on this, but think the Chavenger might have been down our way in Invercargill in recent years, a Dave Robertson/Robinson is the name that comes to mind & something to do with a guy on snow skis attached to a roofrack either training/testing for a speed ski record.....
It had been owned by Neil Deighton for about 100 years, has he sold it?
Didn't the chap Robinson have a V8 Chevette? I remember it being Black at the Ashley Forest Hillclimb in the late 80's early 90's
I might not have the right car or could there be two Chavengers?,
Barry Robinson had the Black Rally Chevettes [ pretty sure there were two of those, one with a flat raised floorpan- both of these were Bedford/Victor slant four powered, initially with SOHC IIRC then later with DOHC head similar to JH & Lotus variants.
V8 OSCA Chevette was built by a good friend Derek Macrae- SBC/muncie/8'' Ford Diff, last I heard of that was its being restored back to OSCA spec somewhere in Marlborough Sounds