Lost Race Cars

[Michael Clark]

I understood it was damaged and required quite a bit of work before JR got into it and set a new outright lap record for roofed vehicles at Puke - even though it was a sub 4.2 litre.

Guys like Richard Sisler and John Rush and co were part of the crew doing the 'all-nighters' to get her back running.

[BMCBOY]

[CUSTAXIE50]

Yep thats right Howard, JR drove it at Puke when his Mustang broke something, and Bill was still recovering from the burns he received at Manfeild. Richards actually broke the saloon car lap record that day, previously held by Jack Nazers Victor.

The gearbox input shaft and clutch did not fit the way they should have on the mustang.

[Steve Holmes]

Hey Ross, those pics are fantastic! Thanks for posting them.

[Steve Holmes]

I understood it was damaged and required quite a bit of work before JR got into it and set a new outright lap record for roofed vehicles at Puke - even though it was a sub 4.2 litre.

Guys like Richard Sisler and John Rush and co were part of the crew doing the 'all-nighters' to get her back running.

Yes thats right Michael, the fire damage was quite severe. The repairs to the car though were done quite a bit faster than the recovery time for Bill. The JR deal must have been done well ahead of the event at Puke, as the Capri has Sidchrome signage on it.

[GREGG TAYLOR]

Hi Habu I am Gregg Taylor . Just thought I would put the record straight . The rumour that I have or had throat cancer is unfounded . I haven't seen a doctor in 15 years . I still have all my hair . I am fit and well .I did spend a lot of money on motor racing . This was because motor racing was and still is my passion . I did a long apprentiship in motorsport and realised my dreams . I won the top half rally championship in 1988 , THE north Island RX7 championship in 1991 , Drove a Cosworth at Bathurst 1991 in DJR team , finished 5th NZ touring cars 1992 . Won the NZ V8 Championship in 1996 . I competed in 5 international Rallies . I then retired from competition and assisted my son Callum with his aspirations into motorsport .

I currently live in Queensland Australia . I have built a successful Linemarking business over here . I think if you annalise cost in motor racing , you will find that the era I raced in was the most affordable . Compare running a NZ V8 these days . I paid $25000.00 for the car . It cost $55000.00 to run the car through the championship . Master Trade supplied sponsorship of $40000.00 I won $10000.00 for winning the Championship and sold the car for $25000.00 Try doing that today .... No Chance .
People spend money on their sport to attain the opportunity to hopefully elevate their chances to rise to the elite heights of their chosen sport . Your rivals in that league are spending the money on tyres and good equipment , so must you to compete on a level playing field .
I trust I have cleared up both of the points made in your post .

[Michael Clark]

And a Reynard Atlantic?

[John McKechnie]

Hi Habu I am Gregg Taylor . Just thought I would put the record straight . The rumour that I have or had throat cancer is unfounded . I haven't seen a doctor in 15 years . I still have all my hair . I am fit and well .I did spend a lot of money on motor racing . This was because motor racing was and still is my passion . I did a long apprentiship in motorsport and realised my dreams . I won the top half rally championship in 1988 , THE north Island RX7 championship in 1991 , Drove a Cosworth at Bathurst 1991 in DJR team , finished 5th NZ touring cars 1992 . Won the NZ V8 Championship in 1996 . I competed in 5 international Rallies . I then retired from competition and assisted my son Callum with his aspirations into motorsport .

I currently live in Queensland Australia . I have built a successful Linemarking business over here . I think if you annalise cost in motor racing , you will find that the era I raced in was the most affordable . Compare running a NZ V8 these days . I paid $25000.00 for the car . It cost $55000.00 to run the car through the championship . Master Trade supplied sponsorship of $40000.00 I won $10000.00 for winning the Championship and sold the car for $25000.00 Try doing that today .... No Chance .
People spend money on their sport to attain the opportunity to hopefully elevate their chances to rise to the elite heights of their chosen sport . Your rivals in that league are spending the money on tyres and good equipment , so must you to compete on a level playing field .
I trust I have cleared up both of the points made in your post .

Gregg- All that really matters here is your personal health , it is great to hear that rumours of your bad health are incorrect.
Long may you continue and indulging in your passion of motorsport.

[rogered]

"the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated"
Mark Twain

[rf84]

Hi Gregg and welcome to The Roaring Season.
Noel Martin-Smith here. Still in the Bay and still involved in Hawkes Bay Car Club. The old Cooper 500 is long gone (to Seattle) and was replaced with the ex Ashley Stichbury RF84 Van Diemen Formula Ford which I still get out in now and again.
Good to hear you are alive and well.

[Habu]

Hi Habu I am Gregg Taylor . Just thought I would put the record straight . The rumour that I have or had throat cancer is unfounded . I haven't seen a doctor in 15 years . I still have all my hair . I am fit and well .I did spend a lot of money on motor racing . This was because motor racing was and still is my passion . I did a long apprentiship in motorsport and realised my dreams . I won the top half rally championship in 1988 , THE north Island RX7 championship in 1991 , Drove a Cosworth at Bathurst 1991 in DJR team , finished 5th NZ touring cars 1992 . Won the NZ V8 Championship in 1996 . I competed in 5 international Rallies . I then retired from competition and assisted my son Callum with his aspirations into motorsport .

I currently live in Queensland Australia . I have built a successful Linemarking business over here . I think if you annalise cost in motor racing , you will find that the era I raced in was the most affordable . Compare running a NZ V8 these days . I paid $25000.00 for the car . It cost $55000.00 to run the car through the championship . Master Trade supplied sponsorship of $40000.00 I won $10000.00 for winning the Championship and sold the car for $25000.00 Try doing that today .... No Chance .
People spend money on their sport to attain the opportunity to hopefully elevate their chances to rise to the elite heights of their chosen sport . Your rivals in that league are spending the money on tyres and good equipment , so must you to compete on a level playing field .
I trust I have cleared up both of the points made in your post .

WOW!!!

Fantastic to hear youre in great health Greg, and that the rumours from the past, are just those.
Thank you for taking the time to answer some of the questions that myself, and some of my friends have pondered over the last 20 or so years. I agree totally with your comments about the cost of motorsport, and its cost relative to the time when you competed. You were very much one of the guys who left us all wondering "what happened to...." - especially based on the variety of equipment, and the different disciplines you raced in.
So great to hear youre doing well.

Habu

[GREGG TAYLOR]

Hi Habu Thanks for your response . Those were great days back then .Met a fantastic group of people . Realised that to go motoracing you need a dedicated team , and that the guy driving is just a spanner to make it all happen on the day. Our team certainly dedicated themselves to the cause , both on the track , and the after functions HaHA . I recall we won more after functions than events.....

It is a great shame things don't remain the same in life . Motorsport has lost many great drivers and administrators far too early in life .The most recent Tony Kilworth . Tony was a unsung hero , the truth is he played the major role in getting the hugely successful North Island RX7 Series off the ground . I enjoyed that series , and my son cut his teeth in the same series some14 years later . So rest in peace Tony job well done .
The roaring season is a great site . Just like stepping back in time . Learn't a heap of stuff .
Hope you are fit and well .
cheers
Gregg

[Rod Grimwood]

Gregg, do you know where the Willis Commodore Sports Sedan went at all. We are trying to trace it and any lead would be handy. Got a photo of the Jones Commodore on hand over day, and thought you guys may know about Bretts old car.

Good to hear from you, and old linemarking still good aye, must have done a couple of k's and used a few litres up by now.

Your team weren't too shoddy at the after match functions at all, especially the infamous tent at Taupo back then.

Cheers

[GREGG TAYLOR]

Hi Habu I believe it was sold to a bloke that lived in TePuke . He lived down the road from me when I had the orchard . It sat in his shed for the nine years I lived there . Just the rolling shell . can't for the life of me remember his name. I will do some research and get back to you . He still had the car in 1996 .

Kind Regards
Gregg

[Rod Grimwood]

Hi Habu I believe it was sold to a bloke that lived in TePuke . He lived down the road from me when I had the orchard . It sat in his shed for the nine years I lived there . Just the rolling shell . can't for the life of me remember his name. I will do some research and get back to you . He still had the car in 1996 .

Kind Regards
Gregg

Thanks Gregg, any info appreciated.

[Rod Grimwood]

A few years back at Manfield

[Grant Sprague]

Hey the plot is thickening , firstly Rod, great pic of Jiggers old car & Gregg,
Gregg , I went to Tony,s funeral was a sad event lots of the locals , friends , car dealers ,plus motor sports officials there supporting the whole family his son Gregg does paint work for me & step son Leigh does pannel, they are no slugs in a car either done very well infact , Tony was one of the old boys with Pete Hanna etc Time marches on , I see your bro had one of the quick pre 65 anglias [& sneekerly sold it] & drove it like a true champion , we were in different circles back then but same events & tents lol ??, I remember the beautiful RX7s you & yr bro drove , no champion ship is easy u deserved them like any one , well done Gregg all the best ................ Grant

[Steve Holmes]

So how about we start a thread on race cars that appear to have vanished from trace. See if we can't track a few of them down.

Here is one I've been trying to learn the fate of for some time, with no luck. I first found out about this car when writing an article for Australian Muscle Car mag a couple of years ago. The reason it grabbed my attention was because it was built in the Wairarapa, in New Zealand, where I moved with my partner Helen a few years ago. While researching various magazines gathering info for the article, I stumbled upon details of this car.

It was built around 1971 by Wayne Fuller, and fitted with an FVA motor reportedly from Paul Faheys Escort. Fuller raced the car in OSCA during the 1971/72 season, and was often the fastest car in the field. At the end of the season Fuller set his sites a little higher, and took the car to Graham Berry (of Berry & Chung hot rodding fame) to have a heap of fabrication work done on the firewall and transmission tunnel, so he could fit a 350ci small block Chevy, with twin off-set Holleys.

This was quite an ambitious project at the time, and appeared to have quite a bit of potential. The newly rebuilt Escort finally debuted at Bay Park in late 1973, driven by 24 year old Roger Brader, another Wairarapa hot shoe. It was very quick in a straight line, as fast as the front running machines of Allan Moffat, Jim Richards, Leo Leonard (in Mustangs), Red Dawson (Camaro), Rod Coppins (Firebird), and Paul Fahey (Capri), but required some development work on suspension and brakes.

Brader and Fuller raced the car at several events throughout the 1973/74 season, but at seasons end Fuller decided to sell it and go boat racing instead. The Escort was sold engineless to Warren Steel in the Hawkes Bay. Steel had planned to fit a smaller Chevy motor to compete in the 4.2 Saloon Car Championship, but failed his eyesight test, and had to sell the car.

It was purchased by John Scott in Auckland, who owned a transport company. This would have been late 1974, or early 1975. From there, the trail goes dead. I'm not sure if the John Scott who purchased the Escort was the same John Scott who raced speedway in the '70s and '80s, but that John Scott did happen to own a transport company, also in Auckland, so perhaps it was the same person. Either way, I've not been able to track him down.

Would love to know what happened to this car, and if it survived. Obviously Escorts were pretty popular during the '70s, and it could have ended up anywhere. Was it converted for ShellSport? Was it scrapped? Was it pushed into someones shed and forgotten about?

Anyway, here is a pic of the car at Levin when it was still fitted with the FVA. It changed little when the Chevy was shoe-horned in, except the wheels became slightly wider. It was silver with a green stripe down each flank, then later had a red or orange stripe.

Attachment 128

Any further leads on this car?

[colinjt]

I witnessed that event. What a field and a great days racing.

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...

[Hart1598]

the Fiat is now owned by Lyndsay Sheard in Tauranga