John Ohlsen - car builder. what happened to the two Katipo's ?

[Jac Mac]

[color="#0000FF"]2287- the 'first' coupe , was the car that caught fire in pits and John Ohlsen was burnt from.[/color]

[Rod Grimwood]

I was talking to Ron Grable yesterday and I asked him about the Spectre. He tells me that it did go back to the States, and he thinks it is being restored "in the South somewhere. He is looking for any recent info he has on the car.
Ken Holden evidently married a Kiwi, but went back to the States after a while, not sure where he is now, but he would be about 80 or say now.
Bruce.

Ken Holden was out here about 3 years back, he came up and stayed a couple of days with us. I have actually just sent an email to Ken for a catch up. I have not heard from him for a little while, and last i was talking to him he was not 100%. Ken has a colourful background, and is very interesting to chat with over a beer or whisky. I have some photos somewhere of his last visit, i will try and find them.

[nick_tassie]

[color="#0000FF"]2287- the 'first' coupe , was the car that caught fire in pits and John Ohlsen was burnt from.[/color]

Yes you are right, I missed that they were breifly talking about CSX2287 in that part of the story on CSX2299.

[David McKinney]

Am I correct that Carroll Shelby's master fabricator Phil Remington was also an expat New Zealander, I seem to recall reading that somewhere but I could be mistaken.

I've never heard that one - which isn't to say it's not correct. Remington was around Californian racing in the very early '50s

[David Manton]

I've never heard that one - which isn't to say it's not correct. Remington was around Californian racing in the very early '50s

My recollection is that Phil Remington was definitely an American; he certainly had a strong American accent. There were other Kiwi expats in the Shelby operation besides John Ohlsen, namely Steele Therkleson, Ron Butler (both still living in California) and Grev Hesketh (back in Rotorua).

[Kiwiboss]

Phil Remington is defiantly American, im sure he would luv to know we think he has some "Kiwi" blood as he is considered the master fabricator come problem solver in the USA aftermarket auto industry, and for Shelby American and many other companies he worked for. I have meet Phil a few times when i've visited Dan Gurneys workshop in Santa Ana, CA where he still works, he's been with Gurney for many years, believe he's around 90? Offcourse the likes of Olsen, Butler, Therkleson, Hesketh were all Kiwi's working under him so he has a close affection to kiwi's!! In 2003 i wanted to buy some Gurney Westlake cylinder heads so i went to AAR and knocked on there door, didn't say i was a Kiwi but when asked where i was from, WELL, did i get the Red Carpet treatment and even a personal tour of the shop by Dan himself as he was very close to Hulme and McLaren let alone all the kiwi mechanics!! have been back several times and even took a tour there in 05, just luv it!!

In Picture from left!! Steve and Mike Rorison, myself, Nigel MacDonald(Hawera) and Mr Gurney

Dale Mathers

[Bruce302]

Ken Holden was out here about 3 years back, he came up and stayed a couple of days with us. I have actually just sent an email to Ken for a catch up. I have not heard from him for a little while, and last i was talking to him he was not 100%. Ken has a colourful background, and is very interesting to chat with over a beer or whisky. I have some photos somewhere of his last visit, i will try and find them.

Rod, If you do have a contact for Ken I know Ron Grable would love to catch up with him. Ron lost touch years ago but I know he has been looking.

many thanks,
Bruce.

[Rod Grimwood]

Bruce, Kens email. mailto:?subject=&body=

Ken normally comes out for the speedway season and drops up here for awhile. He has not been out the last couple of years though.

[Bruce302]

Bruce, Kens email. mailto:?subject=&body=

Ken normally comes out for the speedway season and drops up here for awhile. He has not been out the last couple of years though.

Thanks Rod, much appreciated. Lets see if we can get Ken and Ron back in touch with each other.

Bruce.

[David McKinney]

There were other Kiwi expats in the Shelby operation besides John Ohlsen, namely Steele Therkleson, Ron Butler (both still living in California) and Grev Hesketh (back in Rotorua).

And Arnold Stafford - even though he was UK-born (and is no longer with us)

[John McKechnie]

I have the information on the Katipo MJ70 F5000 ,is anyone interested?

[David McKinney]

Yes!

[John McKechnie]

There is only was one Katipo MJ70. Ok, in 1974 I knew these guys, and I saw this F5000 sitting in their workshop, just down the road from me..They told me it was the Katipo. I recognized it from the photos.One of them wanted it for the trans axle. Understand basically the rest was not needed by him and disposed of. He also said that it was originally a sports car from Aus and modified here, but not successfully,in fact according to his standards-and brother he is talented-it was a H.O.S. and thats why he only wanted some parts.He never told me who he got it off and who it went to.He told me a few years ago that the car now resides in Chch.The important part -the trans axle has been kept by him all these years and will never be parted from the vehicle it is in. As he has been a life long friend , I will not give his name, or car it is in, though most have seen it. And he does not want publicity.Just giving enough details to fill the missing gaps.

[Paul Ohlsen]

If youwould like some answers on this question, contact John's Son Paul, at O.D. Automotive Performance in Onehunga.
cheers.
Jean Ohlsen

[paul lancaster]

Hi there, I have info on the katipo.first let me introduce myself, I'm Paul Lancaster from timaru, nz, I remember this car well, I used to sit in it as a kid.yes it was owned by Murray Morrison, and was in the care of his brother David.I researched this car and had a good chat to mark petch about it.it started out as a match chassis which petch got as payment after working for frank.petch took the chassis back to nz and built it up, building the suspension the same as a maclaren m10b.
When I asked petch for info on the matich, he replied,"it's not a effing matich, it's a katipo m70, the only thing of the original chassis left was the roll hoop.
It was run by francevic under petchs watch, and there was a funny story behind the engine in it.
One of petchs business mates that he knew, had imported a camaro or similar from the USA, and had gone overseas on holiday, and had parked it up in petchs garage.so patch decided to borrow the engine out of that and fit it to the katipo.they didn't have much success with it in race trim as it kept overheating, and after 2 or 3 laps, the temp gauge was rising, and being a "borrowed" engine, instructions were to switch it off.
Francevic put it on pole at timaru, and held the lead till he had to switch her off.overheating plagued them all season, until they finally figured out what the fault was, you guessed it, a dodgy temp gauge.
Then as far as I know Robby booth had it, and also Ian algie owned it for a while, transplanting the transaxle out of the katipo, into an alfa alfetta v8 That he drove in sports sedans.
Murray Morrison from southland bought it, drove it in a few club events, then it sat in the shed on Dave's farm at maungati.the chassis was pretty rusty Dave built a new one for in and installed the engine, box , suspension, complete with huge tyres, but it never ran with that chassis.then 2 yrs ago it got sold complete with original chassis, fairings, new chassis to john gobe in chch, who also owns about 12 shellsport cars, and from what I have been told he is a bit of a hoarder of old racers, not many getting the dollars they need thrown at them , so there you go chaps, I'll try andcsendcin the one and only pic I have of it,

[Michael Clark]

I met John Gobbe at Teretonga in Feb - he told me he had the Katipo and we jokingly discussed the merits of restoring a car as a 5000 when the market value would hardly make it viable.

I told John that some years ago Andy Booth had told me his dad had said the Katipo was without doubt the scariest thing he had ever driven. I also mentioned to John that I had recalled it being Ford powered in the Robbie Booth era according to the Vercoe book - but he was surprised - I figured another thing I'd got wrong but pages 366, 367, 368, 370 and 373 all refer to Katipo-Ford

[John McKechnie]

In Auto News May 11 , page 5 there is a full page advertisement from M.J.Racing, C/o Marave Automotive Developments,35 Bledisloe, Street ,Civic Square, AK.
M.J. Racing wishes to advise genuinely interested parties they are able to offer complete cars or rolling chassis to comply with the English formula Ford Regulations, on which NZ Formula C is complying with . The Katipo M.J.70C.
Motor is by Tony Krilitich
So this is the Katipo -Ford.
And in post #54-Wrong brother, wrong car.

[paul lancaster]

Hi john, I presume you don't agree with me on my post.as I said, I rung mark petch and got lots of info from him.what do younmean wrong car, as far as I know, there was only 1 katipo, I could be wrong, but in definitely looks like the same car as is in the pics that have been posted.I have a photo of it which I'll try and upload for you.

[John McKechnie]

Algie boys got the car after Francevic/Booth raced it.
Barry Algie has this transaxle in his Monaro.
Ians Alfetta has different transaxle.
If you look at my earlier post , I also said my research showed there was only one 5000 car. No problem with your pics.
Auto News article just shows what M and J s plan was-to build race cars.
No evidence that they did.

[David McKinney]

I think they built one FF car