The Bruce Wells Collection - Catalina Park - Part 2

[Ellis]

Geeeees Steve........

Havnt finnished "studying" the last lot of Humpies and others yet and now there are more.

Work on the Humpy will have to wait.....lol

Thanks for posting them.

[nick_tassie]

Just a wee taster for the Lakeside chapter, including visitor Ken Miles, in his Cobra.

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I only recently read a story about Ken Miles running this Cobra at Lakeside and giving a motoring journalist the ride of his life, I'll see if I can find it to post. I wonder which CSX No.car this was and if it still exists, Ken's normal car used 98 so I presume it is another Shelby American Competition Cobra. Looks like a 427 Full Competition car by the screen, quick jacks and the "special" rubber tie down cord used to keep the boot closed.

[pallmall]

CSX3002.
(I think this may have been the Ken Miles 390ci engined special, flip front car.)

Edit: No it wasn't the Miles 390 special, CSX3002 was the only 427 racer that the Shelby works produced, came a little after the special which had been 289, pre coil sprung chassis based.

[nick_tassie]

Here is the section I mentioned about Ken Miles running the Cobra at Lakeside, it is out of the book by Wallace A. Wyss "SHELBY The Man. The Cars. The Legend"

In 1966, Ken Miles suckered an Australian reporter clad in a dress shirt, slacks and tie, into taking a ride around the Lakeside circuit "down under" in a Comp 427 equipped with a low cut racing windscreen for the driver only. The reporter enjoyed the ride but by the time they returned to the pits, the reporter noted his shirt had been ripped to shreds by them going 140 mph in the open car!

The article when I reread it tonight confirms my thoughts and Pallmall's recent post that it was indeed a Comp 427. I've checked my Shelby Cars in Detail book and it does mention CSX3002.

Only one 427, CSX3002, was raced as a Shelby American team car, and even then only a few times

It doesn't mention if CSX3002 still survives?

[nick_tassie]

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Can anyone tell me a little about the Ron Thorpe AC Cobra.

Was it an early 260ci or later 289ci, and does anyone know what number car it was? It would be interesting to find out if it also survives.

Interesting to note that the car ran with and without a bonnet scoop and front grill

[Ellis]

Think its in Qld...Bowden

He got it from the John Blanden Estate auction form memory

[nick_tassie]

Think its in Qld...Bowden

He got it from the John Blanden Estate auction form memory

Cheers Ellis, I'm attending a function with the Bowden's this Friday night coincidentally, they are in Tassie for the Longford Revival. I'll have to have a chat to them about it.

[pallmall]

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Can anyone tell me a little about the Ron Thorpe AC Cobra.

Was it an early 260ci or later 289ci, and does anyone know what number car it was? It would be interesting to find out if it also survives.

Interesting to note that the car ran with and without a bonnet scoop and front grill

Will have to dig a little deeper, but I assume it would be a car from AC being RH drive. The only car I can see as being exported direct from AC to Australia was COB6114, but this was in 1967, too late to be the Thorpe car. I assume the car was purchased in the UK second hand or from a dealer, chassis number would be a COX prefix, or COB 600 series.

[Steve Holmes]

Pretty sure its a 289, not 260. Dan Bowden told me he thought the hard top was supplied new with the car. They still have it.

[pallmall]

Thorp car is COB6033 and a 289. So, an AC not a Shelby not that there is any real difference. I see the engine now has Shelby Cobra alloy rocker covers, probably just Ford steel ones back in the day.


I notice while I was researching COB6033 that the correct spelling is Thorp, not Thorpe.

The car was supplied from AC Cars Ltd on the 10.12.1964 in Vineyard green with black trim.

[Catalina Park]

So kicking off, and straight away I'm scratching my head over the Cortina thats obviously spent a bit of time on its lid. Bruce has dated this photo as being February 1965, but hasn't given any info on the photos. My first thought was that it is Pete Geoghegan. Did he ever roll his Cortina? Any help with the Cortina #4 would be appreciated. Note the aggressive exhaust on this car. Two Neptune Racing Team cars follow, those of Norm Beechey and Peter Manton in his left-hooker Mini. Can anyone tell me why the Mini was lhd? Was it because the 1965 ATCC race was held at the anti-clockwise Sandown track? Seems a bit excessive to go to such lengths though.

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Found this interesting information on the LHD Manton Mini http://bmcexperience.com.au/bmc-issue-1/manton.html

Craig

[markec]

There was an Aussie Mini racer that used to change his car from right steer to left steer depending on the direction of the track.

[lisian_1275]

Yes, that would be the Manton Mini. Neville Watts converted a steering rack to be both left and right so it could be changed easily to suit the different directions of tracks.
Don't know how often it was changed though?
Might be able to see with all the great pics thoughout the years that are coming up on this great site.
Thanks

Ian

[Steve Holmes]

Found this interesting information on the LHD Manton Mini http://bmcexperience.com.au/bmc-issue-1/manton.html

Craig

Oh brilliant article Craig, many thanks for posting that. The whole gear changing thing was something I'd wondered about with this car. I've spoken to various people who race a lhd race car, but own a rhd road car, (eg, they might own a '69 Mustang race car, but drive a new Falcon road car) and wondered if they had trouble adjusting to suddenly changing gear with their right hand in the race car. But because the surroundings inside the cars are different, they adapt almost immediately. But with Manton, he wouldn't have had that luxury, as the surroundings inside the car would be the same, its just sometimes he sat on the left, other times on the right. Must have been difficult.

[Dale Harvey]

OK, last posting for Catalina Park here folks. This includes Pete Geoghegans Lotus Cortina, plus several Humpy Holdens, including a fairly rare shot of an earlier FJ, which by 1965 were far less commonly seen than the FX. Thanks again to Bruce Wells for sharing this amazing collection. The next chapter for the Bruce Wells Collection will be from Lakeside. Stay tuned.

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The Cortina #9 in this set of photos is the ex Geoghegan Cortina GT being driven here by George Garth. George still owns this car, I believe. Also the sports car being chased by Fred Gibson in some other shots would be Wal Donelly in the Turner. Great photos in this thread.
Dale.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks for that info Dale. So re the Geoghegan Cortina, is that the same car posted earlier where it had been inverted? And if so, was it Geoghegan or Garth who had inverted it?

[Dale Harvey]

There were two Cortinas raced by the Geoghehans. The first was a two door GT and then a Lotus. The car that was rolled at Catalina was the Lotus and driven by Pete. The GT was bought by George Garth and raced extensively with plenty of success. The last I heard it was still in his posession.
Dale.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks for that info Dale.

[TonyG]

Just found this on Catalina. Not the same era as these photos but it does show the track.[video=youtube;WHJUtOJjOKM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHJUtOJjOKM&feature=related[/video]

[dennis tobin]

Peter Manton did change the Mini to left or right hand drive depending on the circuit

Dennis