New Zealand ShellSport Saloon Series 1978 - 1985

[seaqnmac27]

I don't know if my memory is playing tricks with me, but I thought the two CMR Datsuns were driven by Reg Cook and Robbie Francevic.

I certainly remember my mate displaying a sign on the Hill Stand which read; 99 - 100 Change Hands.

Attachment 2588

I just have a vague recollection as Dad used to have a program from the meet with the Pacific cars that it was Aitken in the 1200, I may be wrong of course its a document I pretty much wrecked from flipping through it so much, but I haven't seen that now for over 20 years.

[kiwi285]

Attachment 2562Attachment 2563

Here is a couple of Shellsport cars that I have had a bit to do with that are still racing in current South Island Classic meetings.

Love that Mk II Escort - great to see these cars have survived and are now running again in classic events.

[nigel watts]

[nigel watts]

[Steve Holmes]

Nigel, again, those are great shots! They were good looking race cars. This would be right towards the end of the ShellSport era. Does anyone have info on these cars, or where they might be today?

[Steve Holmes]

Built and run by Fred Bailey then run by John Armstrong (Lombard Finance) and Allan Farr (Auto Performance) brought the car off Army in 1981 and has run it ever since, Shellsport, OSCA, South Island Endurance Series, put it away for a few years then has brought it out again to run in Classic events. I have been known to have to odd run in it too as that particular photo shows.

Timaru was a bit of a hotbed as far as Shellsport went, Kevin Ryan with Big Bertha which a I assisted him with, Warren Burt with a selection of Corollas and Starlets, Wayne Murdoch and the Avenger along with Faraway and the Escort.

Currently there are a few more cars or replica cars around the district, plus Grant Aitken has his car sitting above his office and John Gobbe has found and brought up somewhere around 11 -12 old Shellsport cars and is restoring all of them.

It sure was great highly contested racing with no quarter either given or expected

11 - 12 old ShellSport cars? That is amazing! Do you have any details on some of the cars he has? He could have his own private ShellSport tribute race. Amazing foresight, those will be the next thing sought out by collectors I think.

[Carlo]

11 - 12 old ShellSport cars? That is amazing! Do you have any details on some of the cars he has? He could have his own private ShellSport tribute race. Amazing foresight, those will be the next thing sought out by collectors I think.

Been a tad busy to follow up on a few things but I was talking with Mike Johnson from Ashburton today, many years ago his brother "Butch" brought Noddy Murdoch's Shellsport Avenger which he raced in both Shellsport and OSCA. Butch has brought the old girl out and has repainted it back into the origonal Murdoch colours while Mike is about to give the mechanicals a fresh up and then the car is going to run in the OSCA Classic series later this year.

Noddy meanwhile is currently racing a replica of Rex Findlays car

John Gobbe held a meeting at Timaru at the end of the past season with a view to getting all the Shellsport cars out at one of the Classic / Historic meetings, he is /was going to contact some of the old owners about having a skid in them

[Carlo]

Now that Warren Burt is semi retired he may just get enough time to complete some of his ideas which include rebuilding his old Imp race car and building up replicas of his Shellsport Corollas and Starlets

Steve Parker also of Timaru has Cookies old Sanyo Sunny and it is currently going through the rebuild process. Still remember crouched in the back of that car complete with a gas welding plant welding up the cracks in the rear floor pan where the tramp rods were pulling away from the body and welding body washers over the cracks to strengthen the much repaired area as he drove up to the start line for the final run at Ashley Forest. I got out of the car in the final minute of the countdown. Reg went on and won that run and with it the event.

[Steve Holmes]

Cool story Carlo and great info on those cars. Can you keep us posted on progress of some of these cars? Would be great to see them reappearing again.

[kiwi285]

Built and run by Fred Bailey then run by John Armstrong (Lombard Finance) and Allan Farr (Auto Performance) brought the car off Army in 1981 and has run it ever since, Shellsport, OSCA, South Island Endurance Series, put it away for a few years then has brought it out again to run in Classic events. I have been known to have to odd run in it too as that particular photo shows.

Timaru was a bit of a hotbed as far as Shellsport went, Kevin Ryan with Big Bertha which a I assisted him with, Warren Burt with a selection of Corollas and Starlets, Wayne Murdoch and the Avenger along with Faraway and the Escort.

Currently there are a few more cars or replica cars around the district, plus Grant Aitken has his car sitting above his office and John Gobbe has found and brought up somewhere around 11 -12 old Shellsport cars and is restoring all of them.

It sure was great highly contested racing with no quarter either given or expected

Would it be possible to get some more info on the Shellsport cars and replica's that are around. I am trying to keep a spreadsheet of all circuit race cars still in existance n NZ.

[seaqnmac27]

Steve, sounds like a great article in there for the next NZCC South Island Special

Cheers
Lee

Lee you posted some wonderful pictures in the section pn Baypark, one image I think is in order, Cook, Burt, Harrington and Murdoch The second one has another 4 cars which include Tony Marsh I think as well as a white Mk1 Escort and a Mustard Mk2, any chance of posting them here?

[kiwi285]

A couple of shots of Reg Cooks cars.

[Rod Grimwood]

KIWI285 Do you have email adress for info on Shellsport Cars.

[TonyG]

Any ideas on what happened to Jim Stones Gedore sponsored Escort 1300 ?

[kiwi285]

KIWI285 Do you have email adress for info on Shellsport Cars.

email address is mikeandkathyfeisst@orcon.net.nz

[TonyG]

Awesome photos Nigel.

[TonyG]

A couple of these may be in the wrong caregory. Just let me know and I will move them.

[Carlo]

A few more Shellsport photos to keep you going until I get time to catch up with a few good old boys and check out a few locations for cars.

Mike and Butch Johnson of Ashburton are rebuildings Noddy Murdoch's old Avenger and intend to run it at the OSCA reunion meetings and then later in classic events. Car is currently underging a rebuild in Mikes workshop. The Datsun 1200SSS is another of Noddy's cars with Lyn Hatton in the ex Cook, Ryan, Wills 160J in the background. Final photo is of Noddy and Allan Farr having a discussion about the damage to the RF guard of Noddy's Rex Findlay replica Datsun

[Rod Grimwood]

Kevin Gerbick got the Findlay Datsun of Rex, and his brother in law Glen Jones (see other thread) raced it for a couple of years very succesfully and then they sold it to move to the Commodore and I have been talking with Kevin lately and he said he would love to know were it went after they sold it. Any info would be great, as this was a top little car.

[Carlo]

Grimme, I hope to catch up with Grant Aitken and John Gobbe in the next few weeks, that should bring a few more things to light. Someone needs to chase up Bryce Platt & Kirk Stoneman as they know a fair bit of what is around up north