Motor Racing pics - my early years, 1964-71 ; Pukekohe Racetrack ;by - Roger Dowdingl

[SPman]

I'd have been up on top of the Hill at that meet. It was always hot when you were young - nothing else much to judge it against.. (reminder, must pull out my copy of that book....)

[Roger Dowding]

I'd have been up on top of the Hill at that meet. It was always hot when you were young - nothing else much to judge it against.. (reminder, must pull out my copy of that book....)

SPman. just did re-read it doesn't take long only a thin Tome .. 100 pages and a lot of photos and maps of the various courses, Ohakea, Ardmore, Wigram, Waimate, Pukekohe, Levin and Teretonga. Only Pukekohe and Teretonga still in use ..

[khyndart in CA]

Roger,
I am not very smart so I take the Celsius reading and add 15 * and double that to get the Fahrenheit reading. (That is pretty close )
So 32 C plus 15 = 47 x 2 = 94 degrees F.
That is pretty warm my friend.

Cheers, Ken

[Roger Dowding]

Roger,
I am not very smart so I take the Celsius reading and add 15 * and double that to get the Fahrenheit reading. (That is pretty close )
So 32 C plus 15 = 47 x 2 = 94 degrees F.
That is pretty warm my friend.

Cheers, Ken

Thanks, I remember one day in Oregon in August 1988 seeing 101 F, so 38 C .. on the cars gauge as the outside temp, was in a modern Audi .. were offered a Healey for the day but declined.. wise decision I think..

Your calc was close 32C is 89.6 F .. just found a converter .. used know that rule you used..

as a complete aside .. there have been a few photos of my TR4A, racing and after an accident, well it actually had two accidents.. the second was minor.. but annoying as only a couple of months after finishing the first rebuild ..






seen here in the infamous "Kerbside Motors " garage in Herne Bay in 1984 .. the Healey sitting there too!!
Missing from the photo below - is the Garage Assistant " Sammy the Dog " my Golden Retriever 1980 - 1993 [ RIP Sammy..

[stubuchanan]

SPman. just did re-read it doesn't take long only a thin Tome .. 100 pages and a lot of photos and maps of the various courses, Ohakea, Ardmore, Wigram, Waimate, Pukekohe, Levin and Teretonga. Only Pukekohe and Teretonga still in use ..

If you look at page 8, under the photo of Stirling Moss, you will see that "The Editor is indebted to David McKinney for extensive assistance in compiling this book...." . The late David was all of 18 years old, just out of school in 1963 when the book was published, and said he spent a couple of months in a scruffy student flat in Wellington rewriting and updating it from 2 earlier NZ Grand Prix Annuals.

Stu

[Roger Dowding]

If you look at page 8, under the photo of Stirling Moss, you will see that "The Editor is indebted to David McKinney for extensive assistance in compiling this book...." . The late David was all of 18 years old, just out of school in 1963 when the book was published, and said he spent a couple of months in a scruffy student flat in Wellington rewriting and updating it from 2 earlier NZ Grand Prix Annuals.

Stu

Stu, your wisdom.. is great .. thanks, David was an oracle on NZ motoring / racing history.. I am pleased I have the book, not sure when I got it, but my mother used to find things like this and would be my birthday / xmas present. I had a handbook for a Mark One Sprite in the early 60's still too young to even drive a car, from my Mother .. god bless her RIP, and in 1974 bought my first of four Sprites.. the book was useful.. I also know that David offered advice to Graham Vercoe, which wasn't always accepted.. better to have some history with errors than none at all !! .. thanks again,

Roger

[Roger Dowding]

Picture from a book or magazine, posted on Facebook by Dave Howell,
a good selection of Kiwi engineering and well known drivers.. read the caption below;

Attachment 37348

Would like to know the source of the picture ; Jack Inwood, or Euan Sargeson perhaps, the mention of 8 years means was written and published around 1972

Not my picture but a good shot at the Elbow around 1965 ?? Morrari with wire wheels still ?? no look too wide .. ..



and another Elbow, nothing to do with Pukekohe ..

[Kevin Hirst]

Not my picture but a good shot at the Elbow around 1965 ?? Morrari with wire wheels still ?? no look too wide .. ..



and another Elbow, nothing to do with Pukekohe ..

didn't think vanguard's where that thirsty

[Oldfart]

What about A90s Kev?

[GD66]

+1 for Vanguard

[Oldfart]

Yes I knew my Guardsvans, it was an obscure comment about what Kev raced way back. Sorry for being too clever.

[Kevin Hirst]

Yes I knew my Guardsvans, it was an obscure comment about what Kev raced way back. Sorry for being too clever.

Yes, four M.P.G. around Puke with three big zenith truck carbs

[John McKechnie]

Kevin- was there a marked improvement in performance with this .?

[Oldfart]

Kevin- was there a marked improvement in performance with this .?

With a bit of luck Kev might reveal all the things he did to that car. It's a good story.

[Kevin Hirst]

Kevin- was there a marked improvement in performance with this .?

Yes, went pretty well in it's day, started by buying N.O.S. A90 block & head for ten pound's each, boring block out to 3LTR. converted two port head into 6 port head racer brown american healy grind by old favourite M&S. lot of time building extractor's etc, made up HIRST floor shifter [spelt correctly] lot of work on suspension etc, was the car that was in the Earls Court motor show in 1956 before it came to NZ. would love to know what happened to it

[Roger Dowding]

At Pukekohe .. borrowed pic, just hold the cursor over it .. posted by Chris Burles - but not his photo - see note below ** !!
early as running those Borrani Wire Wheels ..
** This photo is by Jack Inwood - Nigel Watts bought a copy of it from Jack along with many other of his photo's in 1967 - found this out in November 2018.
The Anglia is in fact an " Allardette " which was owned and raced at the time my C M " Morrie " Hogan.



another borrowed picture ..
Zephyr Corvette, when Rod Coppins had it ..

A mate Rod and wife to be beside the car
** The Mate is Glen " Jigger " Jones

Kevin Hirst, any other pics of the Vanguard ... " Guardsvan " ??, would make a good story - part of the cars owned thread perhaps !!

[Kevin Hirst]

At Pukekohe .. borrowed pic, just hold the cursor over it !!
early as running those Borrani Wire Wheels ..


another borrowed picture ..
Zephyr Corvette, when Rod Coppins had it ..

A mate Rod and wife to be beside the car
Kevin Hirst, any other pics of the Vanguard ... " Guardsvan " ??, would make a good story - part of the cars owned thread perhaps !!

No, not my photo's Roger,cheer's

[Roger Dowding]

Another Chris Burles posted pics on Facebook, the page " Classic Cars and Wrecks of New Zealand ..
Chirs has a large collection and is happy for me to " borrow them " !! .
" https://www.facebook.com/groups/2156...3492879070889/ "

more like standard production cars than the one below.
Would that be Cyril Hyde in the Vauxhall Victor VX 4/90 ?? .. chasing the Rootes Group product, a good mix of Rootes Group and BMC Minis and A40's with a Fiat, Fords and that Vauxhall thrown in ..



and this one posted earlier



** Photo's look like two different meetings a " Motorman " banner on the fence in one and " Dunlop "in the other

[hilstwist]

The victor might be frank Hamlin from Wellington.I seem to recall him racing one at Levin:blue colour I think

[Roger Dowding]

[QUOTE=Trevor Sheffield;49417]

The fourth car in the line up is my Daimler SP250, which finished in third place overall heading the Mustang into fourth place. My partner driver was my friend the sadly now late Bill Kelly. Our participation was a shoestring affair and the SP250 served as daily personal, business and family transport and certainly did not arrive on a trailer. We won the 1,601 - 3,000 cc class.

I vividly recall my very amateur pit crew, brandishing a “slow down” signal with shaken fists during the final laps, with them having in mind the class win. However I was thinking about the the extra money for third place and pressed on accordingly and got past the Mustang. LOL

Just re-reading your comment Trevor, the Bill Kelly, was that W R Kelly who owned the Service Station in Mt Albert,?? I used to go to him to get MANZ permits, for Gymkhana's and Trials in the mid / late 1970's for both Northern Sports Car Club and Austin Healey Club,
at one stage they split the responsibility and Bill did Speed and another MANZ steward in Epsom did the Trials ones..
cheers

Roger