Contemporary reports say the car was "written off" after a crash during qualifying for the Oct '87 Wellington Street Race.Originally Posted by Steve Holmes
Here's a 'before' photo from that weekend that my father took:
Contemporary reports say the car was "written off" after a crash during qualifying for the Oct '87 Wellington Street Race.
Here's a 'before' photo from that weekend that my father took:
Wow, brilliant! You guys never cease to amaze me. Thanks heaps for this.
Sometime in the early 90's I rang a guy in the lower north island who had a Skyline Dr30 advertised, he told me the car had a white bootlid on it from the racecar that was written off. I might be wrong but I think he said it had "sleepyhead" on it
Didn't Kent Baigent and Graeme Bowkett run a couple of DR30 Skylines with Sleepyhead signage? I'd actually completely forgotten about those cars. Wonder where they got to?
Good point Steve. not sure .. but know where one of the old capris are that he brought into NZ from UK ..'''' Skyline ..... they seemed quick & were ..... Croz [Graham ] &Gary [brother]were invited to drive their 2nd car at Wellington ..... Croz & Gary teamed up in the 2nd car I am 99% sure that year they were first Kiwis home . that yr ......... never meet Croz but would like too ..Am friends with locals Craig Coleman & Richard Scott in Tauranga [Bikers & quick on 4 wheels] ..we have shared some fantastic stories ........ ps do u need a hand re those piks
didn't the Windleburns own them?
yep they still own both
And the Henley /Wills Skyline is still safely tucked away in Wellington...
That's great so did it do any more events after 1987 Wellington?
Nice to know that the Sleepyhead cars are still alive as well, were they built in NZ or Aust?
the commodore beside it started life as graeme bowketts roadways sleepyhead carContemporary reports say the car was "written off" after a crash during qualifying for the Oct '87 Wellington Street Race.
Here's a 'before' photo from that weekend that my father took:
We had a thread on this Commodore a couple of years ago. Post #3 has a better photo
http://www.theroaringseason.com/show...lington-Barrow
The Sleepyhead Nissans were actually entered as Team Nissan Racing New Zealand and had this very unfortunate end to the 1987 Bathurst
Does anyone recognise this 2 door Avenger? The story goes that it was originally brought into the country by an englishman to do the international rally. It has/had a whole pile of works/UK bits - 4.4:1 LSD, hot ~1700cc motor, quick rack, fancy shocks and springs, UK spec bolt-in cage, Avenger tiger rear wing mould etc.
Unfortunately it was left under a cover in a paddock for too many years and trapped moisture has killed the body... Almost every panel is falling off and there's not much structure left. Although the guy who's stripping it knows where another 2 door shell is, so there could be a replica/rebuild coming.
It would be awesome to see old pictures of this car. All I know is that it was run as a rally car and eventually became a circuit car - possibly running in Shellsport or SS2000?
Does anyone recognise this 2 door Avenger? The story goes that it was originally brought into the country by an englishman to do the international rally. It has/had a whole pile of works/UK bits - 4.4:1 LSD, hot ~1700cc motor, quick rack, fancy shocks and springs, UK spec bolt-in cage, Avenger tiger rear wing mould etc.
Unfortunately it was left under a cover in a paddock for too many years and trapped moisture has killed the body... Almost every panel is falling off and there's not much structure left. Although the guy who's stripping it knows where another 2 door shell is, so there could be a replica/rebuild coming.
It would be awesome to see old pictures of this car. All I know is that it was run as a rally car and eventually became a circuit car - possibly running in Shellsport or SS2000?
Car was raced by Mike Istead and Ross Walker mostly at puke club and bay park , UK factory car run by Andrew Cowan
The 635 might be the ex state coal car of Charlie Obrien , then owned by Grant Bradly ?
Wow!Does anyone recognise this 2 door Avenger? The story goes that it was originally brought into the country by an englishman to do the international rally. It has/had a whole pile of works/UK bits - 4.4:1 LSD, hot ~1700cc motor, quick rack, fancy shocks and springs, UK spec bolt-in cage, Avenger tiger rear wing mould etc.
Unfortunately it was left under a cover in a paddock for too many years and trapped moisture has killed the body... Almost every panel is falling off and there's not much structure left. Although the guy who's stripping it knows where another 2 door shell is, so there could be a replica/rebuild coming.
It would be awesome to see old pictures of this car. All I know is that it was run as a rally car and eventually became a circuit car - possibly running in Shellsport or SS2000?
It you rebody this, it will only be a replica.
Restore this , and its value will be the genuine car..
Those of us who have gone to the trouble of retaining the original body will say its worth every dollar to say- yes, its THE car, had some rust, but we went to the trouble of removing the rust.
Bonnet, bottom of doors and rear quarter look the worst.
Right John. big job but with that history it speaks for it's self. a few what now would be 'classics' cars ended up in different states of racing back then, young bros, Chevette had different start to life and he did a couple rally sprints before chopping her up for circuit.
That is one very rare Avenger.
Geoff Burrows in Hamilton is the guru for Avengers.
Is this the car which Mike Vincent had? If the car is the car which Mike had it was not a Cowan car.
The Cowan car went back to the UK if it ever car came to NZ
Only 5(?) 2 door cars came to NZ originally.
Last edited by Oldfart; 04-14-2014 at 07:03 AM.
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