CUSTAXIE50 wrote:Did you read the Nelson Mail Story on the Custaxie at all.
Francevic revives the Custaxie 17/07/2009
BEAST IS BACK: Robbie Francevic's rebuilt Custaxie.Colour me ... gone. For motorsport fans of a certain era, that phrase still brings back fond memories of a race car so dominant, the rules were changed so it could not be raced.
For drivers who took part in the 1967 Allcomers series, it probably brings back nightmares.
The phrase was written on the back of Robbie Francevic's Custaxie, a hybrid of a 1955 Ford Customline body and a Ford Galaxie 427ci V8 engine (which spent its previous life in a race boat), which he built in a garage with the help of his friend Tony Kriletich in Auckland.
After a shaky start, Francevic and his car went on to dominate the series, winning 23 races in a row. However the class was deemed too dangerous, and that season was the only one the Custaxie competed in.
Francevic went on to forge a successful career, including winning the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1986, but the car was put out to pasture, with many but not all of its parts sold or left to deteriorate.
While it was no longer tearing up the track, the car remained in the minds of many a race fan.
"People used to ring me up and say, `You tell us how to build it and we'll build a replica'," Francevic said from his home in Auckland.
"And I'd say to those people, 'No I'm sorry, you're welcome to build a replica but it will not be that original car because I'm the only one who knows how to build it."
However, egged on by Peter Talley and fellow Motueka resident John Miller, who had recently completed a rebuild on a Renault Dauphine, Francevic decided to rebuild the Custaxie.
"Because he [Miller] built the Dauphine and he was raving about that, I said, My Custaxie can beat that'.
"So you get a little bit of competitiveness coming in and away we went," he chuckled.
Using what original parts remained (part of the chassis and steering, and rear axel), Francevic and Miller spent over a year building it in Motueka.
Now back in its original form it is temporarily being housed at the World of WearableArt and Classic Cars Museum.
Temporarily, because next month Francevic intends to test it at Ruapuna, and race it at Hampton Downs when it hosts the Bruce McLaren Memorial event.
Now 67, Francevic said he had no hesitation getting back behind the wheel. "None what so ever, no problem, I'm looking forward to it.
"I probably won't enjoy it as much as modern race cars which have beautiful brakes and gorgeous responsive engines and power steering, but it's going to take me back a long way."
WOW general manager Peter Van Humm said he was delighted to look after the Custaxie.
He had fond memories of it from when he was a timekeeper at Wigram as a youngster, saying it was so powerful it would set the grass on which it was standing on fire when it was started.
"It was so successful at the time, it became folklore."
Francevic's friend Garry Orton said the Custaxie, barring some safety measures, was almost exactly the same as the original. "Back in the day they would have had two toothpicks and a piece of straw," for safety equipment
Doesn't actually say who the builders were but I guess at least there is a Replica- Tribute car about.
[quote="CUSTAXIE50"]Did you read the Nelson Mail Story on the Custaxie at all.[/quote]
Francevic revives the Custaxie 17/07/2009
BEAST IS BACK: Robbie Francevic's rebuilt Custaxie.Colour me ... gone. For motorsport fans of a certain era, that phrase still brings back fond memories of a race car so dominant, the rules were changed so it could not be raced.
For drivers who took part in the 1967 Allcomers series, it probably brings back nightmares.
The phrase was written on the back of Robbie Francevic's Custaxie, a hybrid of a 1955 Ford Customline body and a Ford Galaxie 427ci V8 engine (which spent its previous life in a race boat), which he built in a garage with the help of his friend Tony Kriletich in Auckland.
After a shaky start, Francevic and his car went on to dominate the series, winning 23 races in a row. However the class was deemed too dangerous, and that season was the only one the Custaxie competed in.
Francevic went on to forge a successful career, including winning the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1986, but the car was put out to pasture, with many but not all of its parts sold or left to deteriorate.
While it was no longer tearing up the track, the car remained in the minds of many a race fan.
"People used to ring me up and say, `You tell us how to build it and we'll build a replica'," Francevic said from his home in Auckland.
"And I'd say to those people, 'No I'm sorry, you're welcome to build a replica but it will not be that original car because I'm the only one who knows how to build it."
However, egged on by Peter Talley and fellow Motueka resident John Miller, who had recently completed a rebuild on a Renault Dauphine, Francevic decided to rebuild the Custaxie.
"Because he [Miller] built the Dauphine and he was raving about that, I said, My Custaxie can beat that'.
"So you get a little bit of competitiveness coming in and away we went," he chuckled.
Using what original parts remained (part of the chassis and steering, and rear axel), Francevic and Miller spent over a year building it in Motueka.
Now back in its original form it is temporarily being housed at the World of WearableArt and Classic Cars Museum.
Temporarily, because next month Francevic intends to test it at Ruapuna, and race it at Hampton Downs when it hosts the Bruce McLaren Memorial event.
Now 67, Francevic said he had no hesitation getting back behind the wheel. "None what so ever, no problem, I'm looking forward to it.
"I probably won't enjoy it as much as modern race cars which have beautiful brakes and gorgeous responsive engines and power steering, but it's going to take me back a long way."
WOW general manager Peter Van Humm said he was delighted to look after the Custaxie.
He had fond memories of it from when he was a timekeeper at Wigram as a youngster, saying it was so powerful it would set the grass on which it was standing on fire when it was started.
"It was so successful at the time, it became folklore."
Francevic's friend Garry Orton said the Custaxie, barring some safety measures, was almost exactly the same as the original. "Back in the day they would have had two toothpicks and a piece of straw," for safety equipment
Doesn't actually say who the builders were but I guess at least there is a Replica- Tribute car about.