What's with the Hardie Ferodo 500 sticker - was this an ex-Bathurst car? And, if so, which one?Originally Posted by e49tonye49
What's with the Hardie Ferodo 500 sticker - was this an ex-Bathurst car? And, if so, which one?
I have a photo somewhere showing Rod Coppins racing a Formula Vee. He came in about 6-7- and like most 'top drivers', found how difficult they are to drive. 1973 Baypark I think. To his credit he gave it his best shot unlike a lot of others who just didn't proceed.
No it never ran at Bathurst, It is the third of 3 E38s ordered by Todd Motors to run as "Todd Team" The first 2 E38s went to Leo Leonard and Graeme Lawrence, Rod's one was delayed at the factory and didn't arrive in NZ until December 1971 (it is actually the second to last big tank E38 built).
As far as I can tell Rod ran the E38 in 3 meetings at Puke, twice at Baypark and once in Levin plus he used it to win the Gisborne Car Club Hillclimb in April 1972. He sold the car in July 72 and received the E49 in August
A list of stories from the Gisborne Photo News mentioning Rod Coppins can be found here.
Thanks for posting the link Bryan, is it possible to buy a CD in pdf format or similar of those articles if that is an archive type library?
Photo collection at Tairawhiti Museum/H B Williams Memorial Library, Gisborne District Council, contact and order details here
Thanks for that.
Gisborne Photo News
Gisborne Photo News
Bry3500-in #249 is the Camaro leading the action at Levin.
In it is the Grady Thomson in the ex Team Cambridge Monaro.
Would it be possible please for you to email this pic to me at j.mckechnie@slingshot.co.nz
As I own this car , I would love to have the pic, also I think this is the last race he was in with it , as he crashed during this race.
Last edited by John McKechnie; 03-18-2014 at 11:05 PM.
Done
This goes with the above pic-
Funny the things you see looking at the hillclimb events then- just read Gisborne Car Club, August 1969 Rod Coppins won it in his 1938 Chev Coupe.
His new record of 40.95 secs, old record was 42.3
Had a Corvette. in it, now I wonder where that came from?
Last edited by John McKechnie; 03-18-2014 at 11:30 PM.
I`m wondering too John, in particular the year 1969, as Rods original Chev Coupe was sold less the ex Tec Mec Chev V8 motor/box to my father in law about 65/66 when Rod built the Zephyr using that engine, and then the coupe was later sold to Ron Silvester. Maybe Rod drove someones coupe club car for hillclimbs, etc, but with what he had going on around that time, especially with John Ward being killed in Aussie the year before, etc, but maybe someone will know....
Steve- one possibility is that he was very friendly with Spencer Black at that time, and the motor from the Camaro may have gone into it. And this was not the Zephyr motor, what do you think?
At that time he was upgrading the Camaro completely.
Maybe we should ask Spencer on this?
Anyone recognise the coupe?
Last edited by Bryan; 03-19-2014 at 03:10 AM.
Rod had a street/hot rod '38 coupe which had a 327 and 4 speed Muncie in it. The engine was not the same one as the Zephyr or the other coupe as far as i know. I can get more details, and probably a better pic from Robin Tanner next time i talk to him.
Bruce.
As I was around at the time, it was pretty well known that a number of the "Corvette" engines were pretty ordinary Chevs with Corvette rocker cover. Of course our local guys were pretty good at extracting power from all sorts of things, these engines not excluded.
Wouldn't it be interesting to throw this at the COD discussion?
Here are a couple of pics of the 38 coupe. the captions in the album mention it being the "record holder", and adjacent photos mention the Taumaranui Hill Climb. The car is described as being fantastic condition and not having a scratch on it, and it being sold by Rod to Robin Tanner. A colour pic has it looking like it is a pale, maybe metallic blue.
Bruce.
[QUOTE=Oldfart;39410]As I was around at the time, it was pretty well known that a number of the "Corvette" engines were pretty ordinary Chevs with Corvette rocker cover. Of course our local guys were pretty good at extracting power from all sorts of things, these engines not excluded.
Wouldn't it be interesting to throw this at the COD discussion?
When I first started going to Waikaraka Park in 1970 , in the program, noone had a Chev, they were either GMC or Corvette.
As you say Rhys, an interesting subject, better than talking about Alfa Spider bumpers for 3 hours.........
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