Team Cambridge Monaro lives.
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Team Cambridge Monaro lives.
I can't help with the whereabouts of Howard Harris or John Stone but I do have a complete set of Wide Wheels.
The first edition was dated May 1969 and ran through to April 1972 when it changed its name to Driver - not to be confused with Allan Dick's New Zealand Driver magazine.
The 35th and last edition came out in October 1972.
The magazine was not published in June & December 1969 and January, April, July, September and October 1970.
I have a couple of those too. Would need to check but I think mine are towards the end of its life as Wide Wheels.
John, I've got December 1970, and January, February, March 1972 of Wide Wheels, and also have a July 1972 of Driver, but nothing in any of the Monaro. Might get a mention in one of the race reviews, but no photos sorry.
Hi John. Just checked my archive of Wide Wheels mags as I was certain there was a photo of Johnny Riley driving the Black, Thompson Monaro. There is a photo on page 27 of the April edition, which was the transition Wide Wheels/Driver issue. It isn't a great pic, but it shows the whole car with Riley driving it in practice. It has number 222 on the doors and Spear Racing preps signwriting on the front panel. Riley didn't race it as it was under prepared. I could scan a copy of it to your e-mail address if you like.Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
He was entered in the Monaro at the 12th March 1972 Pukekohe meeting.
Attachment 13947
You're a legend Milan! The March 12 meeting was Round 8 of the 1972 NZ Saloon Car Championship. I think Riley also tried out the Monaro at Bay Park but again decided the Mustang was the better option.
Riley was entered in the Mustang that meeting.
Attachment 13999
Interesting the difference in prize money to that on offer at Pukekohe.
What was the date of the Bay Park event Milan?
Steve: February 27 1972
John: As well as Richards and Brocklehurst, Patrick Smith and Bruce Anderson were entered in GTHOs.
Torana XU1s were entered by Alan Carter, Merv Neil, Richard Young, Neville Brickley, Jim Palmer and Roy Harrington.
Charlie Conway and Bill David had Monaros while Rod Coppins and Jack Nazer drove Chargers.
Two smaller cars were Tim Bailey's Porsche 911T and Peter Lewis's Alfa Romeo GTV.
Now that is something we never did coming home from Bay Park, how naughty of them.
John "Twitch" is in shed not far from here.
That was the name on the rear spoiler of Patrick Smiths HOQuote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
John
Have you seen this from the 1991 Nissan Mobil programme?
Attachment 14014
Thanks Milan, hey I remember reading that when I was at the event. The Falcon GT Grady trailered in to race had apparently never been road registered, according to the commentators at that event. Not sure how true that was. That 69 Camaro he said he was building never did surface!
Sorry John, I don't recall much at all about it. Can't even remember the colour! I'm sure you're right though, there will be more to it.
The meeting was on Sunday December 7th, 1969.
Attachment 14183
Interesting to see that. Red had already built up a good points tally at this early stage. But once Rod got to steer the Camaro, and started notching up the points, Red began having quite a few dnf's as he ramped up the horsepower in the Mustang to stay ahead.
I think Donn sold up and went overseas, or something, around that time? Someone here will know better than me.
John
Here's another of my photos of George Bunce in the Monaro. Have you seen the other one I posted on the Monaro thread?
Attachment 14551
I notice a Tim Slako in the programme Mailan posted in Post29 above. Is this the same Tim Slako who raced the Pink Walky in OZ? If so was he a Kiwi who moved to Oz or a Strine who visited here?
Cheers
Lee
....Lee, Tim Slako is a real Kiwi pioneer in motorsport,lives and runs a very succesful 'tune Shop' in Perth, is the Australian distributor of 'Red Line Oil' products, Tim is one of those people in motorsport that you can't help admiring,he has that ,'I'll give it a go', approach, topped up with a 'ton' of talent, I recently rang Tim,first time in a lot of years,as I had a couple of young friends,from overseas,on a road tour of OZ, stuck in Perth,transport had died,Tim in his usually friendly,leave it to me approach, had them in a 'realiable' 4x4 and on thier way....thier parents in Germany are ever so gratefull to Tim for his Honesty and Integrity.....Tim's a Good Guy!!!.....But ,then he is a Kiwi!!!:).........................thunder427/MJ:cool:
Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
Attachment 14663
Obviously things changed between the time entries were submitted and race day.
Feel free to add to the Coppins thread John, I have more to scan as time permits, but it may be a day or two. How's the 'Smurf' ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
I spoke to a guy this afternoon, pretty much in the know at the Monaro/Camaro changeover. Rods words in relation to the Monaro: `that thing belongs on a leash'
Great progress John, but are you allowed to play on Christmas day ? Of course the promise of a drive and some black lines up the drive should be approved.
Bruce.
Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
Looking at the period photos there were a lot of cars poorly set up. Nose high in particular. Further development saw the Monaro become a reasonable handler. Rod had the Camaro behaving to his liking, with regular tail out cornering, and the Monaro isn't that much different in basic design.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fullnoise68
Indeed send the pics through, I'll gladly post them on the HMC thread. I know the IDA's are not for the Smurff but it could do with some too right ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
Tim Slako raced an E38 in the 72 season of the WA Production Series along with another fellow Kiwi, Jim Mullins.Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
Sorry I can't help with an entry list but I can tell you that the meeting you refer to was the 1969 Benson & Hedges held on the 1st of November.Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
In Allan Dick's report he has this to say about the Team Cambridge cars.
Spinner Black's cars weren't ready. The Camaro for Palmer was in serious braking trouble in the practice on Friday and non-started. The Monaro for Coppins never arrived at all.
Then in a reply to a reader's question about Black, Allan states:
The Camaro, which incidentally is a new car and not the one raced by Black last season, did several laps on the Friday before the B & H meeting, but it appeared to be in dire braking trouble. Jim Palmer drove the car.
This what was written about the two cars in Autonews.Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
Spencer Black had entered both the Monaro and the Camaro. Originally Spencer was to drive the Chevvy with Rod Coppins having a drive in the Holden. In fact this is the way that they practised the cars - at first. However during the second session Coppins took over the Chev while Black took out the Holden. Accelerating out of Harmans Corner the motor went bang, the rear wheels locked up solid and the Monaro-well-she was all over. Bad news inside the sump. So Rod was given the Chev Camaro for race day while the Monaro was taken home.
What day / meet was that? I was more referring to the whole 72 season for the Production Touring Cars, which both Mullins and Slako campaigned in E38's for most if not all the races. Both chargers had kiwi logos on the guards to let those locals know their roots........Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
I have a B & H 1969 Programme :Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
There were 4 races on the day -
1. National Touring Car Championship 1001 - 4200 cc 10 Laps
2. National Touring Cars 0 - 1000 cc 10 Laps
3. NZ Saloon Car Championship Race 0 - 5500 cc 12 Laps
4. B & H 500
I can scan the entry lists for you and post them up tomorrow. I may also be able to decipher some of my 43-years-ago notes on the programme. May even have done lap charts for races 1-2-3
Stu
This is from Autonews Vol 3 No 14 in the Teretonga report.
Thompson has bought the [Monaro] from Spinner Black. He bought it minus motor and installed the 350 mill from his brand-new road-going GTS350, shoved in a cam, added a set of side draught Webers(!) and has gone motor racing. "There's a lot of work to be done before I do any winning."
It came from Vol 3 No 12 though the actual magazine has Vol 2 No 12 on the cover.Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
Here is my page of same programme with grid noted on top right corner of page, Riley on pole. Not sure who was supposed to be on row 2 with Rodger Anderson or on row 5 beside Brocklehurst, but clearly they non-started.Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
Dawson used '35' race number not 135 as in programme. Not worth repainting both doors I guess!
http://s6.postimage.org/5g5y2vfg1/B_H_Mtg_69003.jpg
Also Fahey Escort getting close scrutiny -
http://s6.postimage.org/50uo9utip/Puke_March_690006.jpg
And the 2 North End Motors (Kamo) Mini Coopers of John Weston and Tim Slako. I presume Tim was from the North, like Weston
http://s6.postimage.org/6emb55ss1/Be...ston_Slako.jpg
Don't seem to have a picture of Bob Homewood's car, sorry Bob.
Stu
Yep, Tim Slako is an expat Northlander, from Waipu.
Mr McKechnie sir,
If it's the John Stone I'm thinking of, then he is the chief photographer at The Northern Advocate newspaper in Whangarei, you should be able to get him at: photos@northernadvocate.co.nz . He still competes on occasions in the Classic Trial events, in fact was champion a few seasons ago. That's if I'm thinking the right person....
John, I hope you`ve got one hand on the keyboard and the other in the toolbox LOL!!!
great archive photo John, I know how hard that was to get. In some ways it is good taht it did sit for so long and not actually get totally demolished on the road.
Bruce.
I can't find anything about the Drag meeting but the May Ruapuna Mercury Series report has this photo of the Monaro carbs.Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
Attachment 14814
In the report it mentions that the Monaro had been repaired after the Levin shunt. Thomspon finished second to Fahey in the second preliminary race and retired from the main race after the gear lever broke. He tried to carry on changing gear with what was left of the lever but eventually the gearbox stuck in second and he was out.
The shunt happened at the mid-April Levin meeting where "most saloon events except the championship races were supposedly for all-comers, but the only significant addition to the fields was the Monaro of Grady Thompson, which apart from its un-necessarily gutted interior, and over 5.5-litre engine, would have qualified for the championship events in any case."
In practice Fahey did a 54.0 sec; Coppins a 54.2 sec; Nazer 54.8; Riley 56.0 and Thompson also 56.0. Thompson finished third in the Levin Saloon Car Championship race behind Fahey and Coppins.
"In race 9 Grady Thompson had the Monaro going extremely well, but it looked very twitchy, and eventually he lost it at Beach Bend, and caught it again, only to hit the bank at Rothmans, doing considerable damage to the car. This was said to have been caused by a blown tyre."
Then at Ruapuna "the next day."
"After stuffing his hot Monaro into the bank at Levin, Wellington driver Grady Thompson won the main race at Ruapuna the next day in the similarly painted production Monaro that he usually uses as a tow car."