Bob Jane Racing Heritage - Photo Collection

[Steve Holmes]

Great work Pete, this is a really interesting and dramatic race car for sure. I'd love to know what sort of condition its currently in. You have to assume if its never been torn apart then it should be quite original, as Hibbard bought the Geoghegan car to race in 1973 as a Sports Sedan. He had the firewall moved back in the Geoghegan car and fitted perspex windows etc, to lighten it up. These were fairly typical modifications for the period, but otherwise this car was apparently not changed greatly from when Geoghegan had it. So Hibbards '72 Falcon must have just sat in the corner while he concentrated on the Geoghegan car.

Although this photo from Old Race Photos http://www.oldracephotos.com lists this car as ex-Geoghegan, I suspect it could be the Hibbard car, as the rear flares look like his, whereas the rear flares on the Geoghegan car were much more subtle. It has silver kidney bean mags, whereas the wheels on the Geoghegan car were painted green when the body was painted Grace Bros yellow. Also, it looks like a brighter yellow than the Geoghegan car.

[mid-year]

Great detective work Steve,yes that will be the Hibbard car for sure.

Regards Pete.

[Steve Holmes]

This has really got me interested to know if the car is still about, and what condition its in.

[zombie289]

No understanding of throttle control......please....tyre smoke, that is generally what happens when you have the kahunas to exploit an engine thats got some real horsepower.... even if it`s a Ford.

I have no doubt it had tons of grunt, but his lack of mechanical sympathy might also explain why it grenaded down conrod straight over the humps....

[mid-year]

I remember that 1972 Easter meeting for two memorable events...the incredible dual between Moffat/Geoghegan during the fantastic ATTC race and Hibbard blowing his engine prior to having to take the escape road at the end of con-rod. The announcer later said Kingsley had been timed at the unheard of speed of 182 mph! He must have kept his boot in to it for far too long and, disregarding the engine losing it,s lunch ,I doubt if he had any chance of making it thru Murray,s as he was going so fast

The fastest recorded top speed of a series production Phase 3 was 155mph by John French in the 1972 HF500,that in itself is an amazing speed given the cross-winds,humps etc so how much horsepower and how many brave pills does it take to force a very un-aerodynamic XY over 180mph ?!
Kingsley obviously knew no fear.

When David Bowden brought the ex Geoghegan lightweight Super Falcon from Kingsley he still owned the Yellow-Glo car.(circa early 90,s )

Regards Pete.

[Steve Holmes]

Wow, Pete, I had to go and convert that. 182 mph = just under 293 kph! Thats REALLY hauling! Can you recall how competitive the car was at Bathurst before blowing its guts out?

According to the AMC feature on the Geoghegan car several years ago, Bowden tracked Hibbard down in 1982, and bought the car a year later. I guess the other Falcon was there too. Be nice to think its still just sat there, but who knows?

[mid-year]

A case of too little time for development and too little racing miles for driver familarisation....what could have been if the Improved Production category was not dumped by CAMS? With enough time and sorting the car may have been as competitive as the top runners.

It sure would be nice to see the car resurrected one day.

Regards Pete.

[mid-year]

Whilst the two factory Super Falcons were constructed with lightweight bodies it is interesting to note that this shot of the Moffat car in XW guise is carrying it,s full original ( and rather luxurious ) interior.

[Steve Holmes]

Great looking article there Pete! IP rules required that full interiors be retained. Moffat tells a great story of how he was forced to fit carpet and full interior into his Mustang, and how it used to heat up during a race and start producing fumes inside the car. But I assume there was no minimum weight in the category, if teams went to such efforts to get weight out of the cars?

[Steve Holmes]

A case of too little time for development and too little racing miles for driver familarisation....what could have been if the Improved Production category was not dumped by CAMS? With enough time and sorting the car may have been as competitive as the top runners.

It sure would be nice to see the car resurrected one day.

Regards Pete.

As much as I enjoy the early years of Sports Sedans, I would loved to have seen Improved Production be retained for at least a few more years. There were some good cars coming on, and its interesting to wonder what Beechey might have built to replace the HT had he stayed in it. Bob Jane had built his new HQ Monaro, Malcolm Ramsay built a very effective HQ Kingswood with F5000 motor. The costs did seem to be spiralling, but I think had Improved Production been retained for 1973, at least, there could have been some exciting racing.

[thunder427]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]14000[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]

Steve, this car was built By Ron Harrop, at the Harrop Family Engineering workshop,in nothing more than a one car bay ,surrounded by Lathes and other pieces of large machineery,this facility was in Colebrock St., Brunswick,Chris Farrell,Master bodyman, who I have spoke of before. was responsible for the Body Mods,flares etc...rear flares on a 4door owing to that tricky 'Dog Leg' are super difficult .but after talking to Chris today,he explained that Ron Had fitted F5000 tyres to the rear of the Falcon,the sidewalls proved to be the 'weak link'as with the wieght of the Falcon it moved around to much..read 'body roll'....the tyre rubbing on both the inner and outer inner fenders.........these where the best set of 'Flares I ever saw on a 4door car, Chris had a great eye for getting the shapes to flow......Chris also was responsible for flares on Norms Monaro that visited NZ,Jane's Camaro,Moffats Mustang,sectioning fenders to suit Kar Kraft Profile,umpteen Drag Monaro's /Camaro's/Mustangs..unfortunately Chris, due to a 'Stroke and a fall in the shower while recovering ,has left him stuck in a 'Bloody' wheel chair....Bob Jane and Myself have just equiped,this week, Chris with an I.Pad and a 'Apple' 3GS so that he can become a member of 'The Roaring Seasons/Bob Jane Racing Heritage.....he has a wonderful 'recall' of events and people and names from our past and he cant wait to keep Steve Busy.......Regards Thunder427/Myles
PS; wait till I get CHris to tell you all the story of taking a 'Fibreglass Mould of a 'Loan' Chrysler Charger from Norms Beechey's Chrysler dealer ship.....Salesman accussed Chris of having 'Thrown-up' in it,owing to the fact the Charge was Entombed in a Fibreglass Cacoon, for a number of days,the inside smelt that Sickly over sweet smell of Fibreglass.........over to Chris...Very Soon!!!!!

[Shano]

Look forward to hearing Chris' stories.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Myles, thats a really great description. I agree 100% re the flares, they look fantastic, and especially on a car which doesn't lend itself well to flares that size. Chris really pulled it off here. What a shame this car didn't race more, it deserves its place in history, and yet very few actually even know it exists.

[Steve Holmes]

Hey Myles, were the rear flares on the Hibbard Falcon steel or fibreglass? I just assumed they were steel, as with most of the other cars you mention Chris was responsible for. But their shape is so impressive I figured it'd be a difficult job making those from steel.

[thunder427]

Steve, STEEL!!!!.....your right to assume the 'glass' concept, but as I stated, Chris was the 'Master' with a 'Hammer and Dolly' and the amazing thing was how quick he could 'rough out' the basic's, but what really impressed me most was how've would get the 'Left to match the 'Right........ 'Eye ball' measuring stick,only!...........Myles!

[Steve Holmes]

Wow, that is REALLY impressive! Thats a real fine art.

[Steve Holmes]

1972, the third and final year Beechey raced his famous HT Monaro. Sadly, it wasn't to be a good season, he finished a distant 13th in the championship, a best result being third at Sandown behind Moffat and Jane. That was the only ATCC race in 1972 the Monaro saw the chequered flag, it didn't reach the finish in any other race.

Pictured here is Beechey in a Sports Sedan race, with the Jane Torana in close company, and, further back, the amazing little Mike Stillwell twin-cam Escort that almost won the 1972 ATCC.

[Steve Holmes]

Great photo here of Norm Beechey battling Pete Geoghegan at Lakeside, in 1966. But who is driving the second Mustang in shot? Could this be Bryan Thomson in the ex-Beechey car?

[Steve Holmes]

Bob in the Camaro in 1972, following what was surely another clash with Moffat.

[Steve Holmes]

Crowded Moffat pit box as the crew tend to a wheel change.