New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

Post a reply

Confirmation code
Enter the code exactly as it appears. All letters are case insensitive.
Smilies
:) :o :D ;) :p :mad: :confused: :( :rolleyes: :cool: :eek:

BBCode is ON
[img] is ON
[url] is ON
Smilies are ON

Topic review
   

Expand view Topic review: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by Keith844 » Mon Sep 20, 2021 5:02 am

Footage of the Ian Algie Alfetta I took last year at Manfeild

[video=youtube_share;jMxR9QSuAEg]https://youtu.be/jMxR9QSuAEg[/video]

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by TonyG » Thu Jun 16, 2016 12:27 pm

No just a young 20 year old who loved the sight and sound of these cars. Went to my first meeting as my brothers little mascot at 4 yrs old lol. He still thinks he ruined my life by introducing me to cars - no way!

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by Milan Fistonic » Wed Jun 15, 2016 7:50 pm

TonyG wrote:Geez we were not far apart Milan ! Heres one of mine from a few meters to your right by the looks lol !

Image


Were you a member of the Auckland Car Club? In those days some of us from the club used to make a block booking on the Hill Stand for the GP meeting. Fun times.

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by TonyG » Wed Jun 15, 2016 11:30 am

And another
Image

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by TonyG » Wed Jun 15, 2016 11:29 am

Geez we were not far apart Milan ! Heres one of mine from a few meters to your right by the looks lol !

Image

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by Steve Holmes » Tue Jun 14, 2016 10:03 pm

Thanks Milan, beautiful images, and legendary cars.

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by Milan Fistonic » Fri Jun 10, 2016 11:10 am

These are from the 1982 NZ GP meeting. Obviously a handicap start so it must have been race 15 for the National Sports Sedan Series.


img045_1.jpg


img046_1.jpg


img047_1.jpg


img048_1.jpg

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by PhotoSmith » Tue Mar 10, 2015 9:04 am

'Picton's the place' at the B+H nov 1981, later white Fairmont at Baypark new year '83.
Tim Buxton in the Laser Sport race - also Baypark new years 1983.
Attachments
19840102 052-21sml.JPG
19840101 051-32 SML.JPG
19811114 007-22 Sprague Leonard Fairmont B&H Pukekohe-sml.JPG

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by CUSTAXIE50 » Tue Mar 10, 2015 5:33 am

Steve Holmes wrote:Thanks for that great info everyone! You guys really know your stuff! When those pics were posted I did wonder if it might have been the Tim Buxton Falcon. But I do vaguely recall seeing that car race when Buxton first had it converted into a Sports Sedan, back in the early/mid 1990s, and from memory it looked quite different to that in the pics above. I think the flares were more boxy. Was it painted yellow? Looks like it has been changed a lot since.

One other thing, again I could be wrong. But I thought the Buxton Falcon was the former Gary Sprague car?
Yes yellow,someone has replaced the vents from the ones you see in these photos with very large ones,i think its the red paint on the flares that makes them look like someone has changed them.

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by Jac Mac » Tue Mar 10, 2015 2:33 am

They sorta did, you also put the question in random photos thread, answer is there.

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by Steve Holmes » Tue Mar 10, 2015 2:09 am

I can't believe non of you lot of come up with an answer for this one yet?

11045017_879629065416376_3186755194864935843_n.jpg

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by Steve Holmes » Tue Mar 10, 2015 1:58 am

That white XD (that Tim Buxton ended up with) was a great looking car too. Does anyone have any pics of it?

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by Grant Sprague » Tue Mar 10, 2015 1:53 am

Steve Holmes wrote:Thanks Grant, yes that is how I remember it. Buxton initially raced the XD as it was raced by Gary, and it was still white. I remember my father (a hardcore Ford nut) being quite upset when Buxton had the Falcon modified into a Sports Sedan, as even then (early 1990s) it was considered a car with important historic significance.

The XD raced by Leo was a Fairmont Ghia with auto gearbox and 302 V8. It was cream. My understanding is this car was returned to the road when its racing career finished, and people saw it on the road for several years, but its since vanished.
Yes the cream XD was a 302 Fairmont Ghia ....Gary bought it off Murray Renalds [a Tauranga car dealer ] , it was swapped for Gary,s cabin cruiser........ the year before Gary & I were at Puke and watching a B & H race Gary turned to me & said I can win this next year , it will be a piece of cake [ that he did but was not that easy] I would have been mid 20,s doing escort sports, Gary & Leo were to be the same old great team ........doing what the knew at the front .. As for the white XD that Peter owned Gary & Leo both had turns , when Gary moved to Auss Leo had a go......

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by Steve Holmes » Tue Mar 10, 2015 1:26 am

Thanks Grant, yes that is how I remember it. Buxton initially raced the XD as it was raced by Gary, and it was still white. I remember my father (a hardcore Ford nut) being quite upset when Buxton had the Falcon modified into a Sports Sedan, as even then (early 1990s) it was considered a car with important historic significance.

The XD raced by Leo was a Fairmont Ghia with auto gearbox and 302 V8. It was cream. My understanding is this car was returned to the road when its racing career finished, and people saw it on the road for several years, but its since vanished.

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by Grant Sprague » Tue Mar 10, 2015 1:06 am

If it was the farmer from Cambridge Tim Buxton......... It was the white XD Gary drove as the ANZ winning car [also shared drives with Leo] owned by Peter Wilson from Picton, Ernie & Peter turned it into a race winner was an ex rental or taxi to start with ....[Pictons the Place] logo on the bonnet also sponsored by Ford NZ .. Pumkin [Peter] took a Falcon S as a trade when selling the white XD and was more than happy with the deal , the cream B & H XD was the B & H falcon that a won the big race , once again Ernie , Peter & Leo were involved


Gary owned that car, & later sold it to Don McIntyre .. John,s dad

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by Steve Holmes » Tue Mar 10, 2015 12:31 am

Thanks for that great info everyone! You guys really know your stuff! When those pics were posted I did wonder if it might have been the Tim Buxton Falcon. But I do vaguely recall seeing that car race when Buxton first had it converted into a Sports Sedan, back in the early/mid 1990s, and from memory it looked quite different to that in the pics above. I think the flares were more boxy. Was it painted yellow? Looks like it has been changed a lot since.

One other thing, again I could be wrong. But I thought the Buxton Falcon was the former Gary Sprague car?

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by AMCO72 » Mon Mar 09, 2015 11:07 pm

Have just been talking to the Engine reconditioner in Cambridge. He did a lot/all of the machining for the first engine that was in the car, but was left to the son to assemble. This would explain perhaps why it never lasted very long as he wasnt a qualified engine builder, and I think there is more to putting a race engine together than doing up a few nuts and bolts. By the way Tims nickname round the town was 'concrete mixer'........decide for yourself what that implied'.

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by AMCO72 » Mon Mar 09, 2015 8:10 pm

Nick, when your Dad did the bodywork on the Falcon was it owned by Tim Buxton........I have an idea that it was but not sure. Mark Powell mentions that there were 'discussions' over costs when it was up in Auckland, and not sure if Tim still owned it then, but sounds like the sort of dialogue that would take place. Tim was well known locally as a 'slow payer', in fact it was usually a NO payer. The family built a new house here in Cambridge and the local contractors knew, by word of mouth ,not to quote on any jobs. However I had a friend with a one man band concreting business and he needed the work so priced the driveway for the new home, and surprise surprise, got it. I think he did a good job but it never satisfied Tim and he argued the point with my mate to the stage where Tim refused to pay until the job was ripped up and redone. My mate was in a no win situation and was going to loose no matter what he did so walked away. A few years ago Tim moved away from the district and to my knowledge the drive is still as it was laid by my friend. Nothing to do with the Falcon I know but I wonder how many engine builders/body builders ended up with the same arguments over costs.........I suspect all of them.

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by mark powell » Mon Mar 09, 2015 7:54 am

This car had a lot of work done to it in Auckland by a well known engine builder to be run with us in Production Supercars , but only run twice due to discussions between builder and owner over costs . ended up running in GTS sports sedans at the start of the season in the South Island .

Re: New Zealand Sports Sedans Database - Histories And Whereabouts

by AMCO72 » Mon Mar 09, 2015 6:41 am

If it is the ex Leo Leonard car.......it belonged to local farmer Tim Buxton. He bought the Falcon and with some help from various engine men and body builders turned it into this. Unfortunately he destroyed what would have become an historic car. It never amounted to much and had an extremely poor reliability record. I think at one test session at Taupo it lasted one, yes one lap before disintegrating......could have been driver error of course.....a few too many revs etc.......maybe they didnt check to see if there was any oil in the sump/dry sump. Tims son drove it on occasion and he was a complete turkey. Someone with a bit of flair could turn it into something pretty classy.......certainly looks the part.

Top