The Roaring Season

Just spotted this thread. Some years back I had a Steel Bros frame for a wide frame 907 engined car. I did a bit of research and found there were four modified versions made of the S4. 1) The wide body which was just the std TC S4 with wider and more bulbous guards. Pauls one-off one had the odd ...

Sad to hear Frank has passed away. Amazing talent - ran Hamlin and Charles tuning in Seaview - which was like the Downton of New Zealand for Mini people. Amazing driver who won his class at Nurburgring in the early 60's. He raced with Don Moore who was the original man to beat in Mini racing and ...

I found a few notes about a Gulf 7 - chassis 1001. Reg was FV1327? Built in 71. Built by Bill Sheills of Mazda Rotary tuning fame and Peter Bruin as said above. The frame or body was built by Kenny Platt and it was white. Raced by Gary McCrystal and David Rutherford. I think there was a few Gulfs ...

There is one in Wellington - or was some years ago. It was owned by Anthony Moult in the Constructors Car Club

Does anyone have a photograph of the ex-works 4WD Mini that still resides in NZ? I know who owns it, but I have never seen a pic of it. I might have to lean on him to see if I can see the car some time... There are two Austin Ant 4wd prototypes and a factory Moke 4wd in NZ. And the two ex Heatway ...

Allegro? There was well modified red one that competed at an MGCC Hillclimb a fair few years ago. Off topic a bit - just, but I'd love to know what happened to it. There is a red club car Allegro in a friends warehouse in Tawa in Wellington - been there for years. Lives next to a beat up GTA Alfa ...

I had a Ford Mini engine a while back. It had a non-crossflow 1650 Cortina and a UK Gordon Allen crank - but that was a replacement for the original. The old crank came with it and may have been locally made. I got it off Sandy Powell in a Mini - I mentioned this in an earlier post I think. I ...

Hello Graeme, You are most likely right. I never had much of an interest in the car, just bought it for the sake of it. Will try and dig out some pics when time permits but you know what that means. Sandy Powell! Haven't caught up with him in years and he's only up the road. Good chap, owned the ...

Hi Dave, The car I owned I bought from Peter Parnell in the 70's and sold to a chap by the name of Paul Te Puna from the VCCC. Apologies Paul if I've mispelt your name. I think that this was the car that Jacque Van Vels later raced with a Kawasaki motor in the sports car class. Recall selling ...

Quentins funeral will be held in the Wesley Church hall in Taranaki Street at 4pm on Wednesday 23rd May.

A great friend and an exeptional enthusiast who will be sorely missed by his family and friends - particularly from the classic car and Mini fraternity.

Graeme Farr

From a few posts back - Hi Gerald! Both cars were Toms - not sure who the other guy is. I have a few photos from Toms collection - via Neil Whiting who was a friend of Toms. Yes a shame about the A30 - we did try though! It was full of sand as if it may have been raced last down in Nelson on the ...

Here is the Sprite and the A30. I would love to see any other photos of either car!

I spoke to Tom a few years back - he was in Sydney I think. I was trying to find the history of a Lotus TC engine I got as a spare with a Seven S4 I bought. The engine was a 1425 or something - was sleeved down and had Austin Maxi pistons. Had been turbo'ed and was in the Oldlins sportscar (restored ...

I had a Super 907 frame a few years back - and an S4. The S4 had not been driven since 1978 - and when I picked it up was suprised it came with a spare TC engine. Haven't read the earlier posts but I think the Steels bought the licence to make 50 cars - and bought 50 engines. Those were all Big ...

Hi Bob, David etc, John Mines car was for sale in a Lower Hutt car sales in the late 70's - had a purple custom paint and supposedly a 970S engine in it. It was later seen less engine and maybe was wrecked for the parts - it had Cooper S discs. I think Parnells was a 600 rather than a 500. He works ...

Gee what great photos. There was an interesting comment back a page or two about the PDL Mini gearboxes. I am fairly sure they had Colotti boxes from Italy. Also had Colotti pawl type LSD's which were a copy of the Jack Knight one I think. Robertson Stewart Snr reputedly picked up the gear when he ...