Article: Ford Falcon Sprint

[kiwi285]

I am not great with a computer. I will try once I have guidance!
cheers!

Hi Martin - have sent you a private message

Cheers Mike

[8000 RPM]

I don't do the motor in the Comet but it it goes well. I like racing it though!

[kiwi285]

Hi Martin - have sent you a private message

Cheers Mike

Looking forward to catching up with and seeing that car in action

Cheers Mike

[zombie289]

Dug up something interesting in my archives today, a program from a brands hatch short track meet on october 31, 1965. Never realized that Howard Mardsen (of GTHO fame, one of Alan Manns first employees) actually drove in some races...(car 131) and I also have a pic of the car he raced, one of the left over Monte cars... Its amazing, the more you think you know, the more you learn!

[Steve Holmes]

Oh wow, that is really cool Pauly. I wonder how the Fairlane went against the small block V8s. Interesting looking at the final results, with Anglia finishing first ahead of the Mini Cooper and another Anglia. I wonder what happened to the V8s? Maybe it was raining.

[zombie289]

Yeah thats what I reckon Steve...

[Steve Holmes]

Pauly, what happened to that Fairlane? Does it still exist?

[zombie289]

I started a thread on ten-tenths yonks ago and from what came forth, It is now claimed to be owned by a Martin thomas in the UK... No pics or any info provided, apart from that It may be restored... Interestingly, it is also claimed now that TWO 64 427 race fairlanes were built by Holman Moody, one was the Daytona car that went to AMR, the one we are talking about, and another one was built for NASCAR as a study to see if a unibody car would work in NASCAR, as they were planning to downsize the cars (which they did, in 1966). It obviuosly didn't work out as the 66 fairlanes were converted from a unibody to a modified Galaxie chassis..

[Beedub]

I remember the good looking young man that did some work on bobs car????

[Grant Ellwood]

I started a thread on ten-tenths yonks ago and from what came forth, It is now claimed to be owned by a Martin thomas in the UK... No pics or any info provided, apart from that It may be restored... Interestingly, it is also claimed now that TWO 64 427 race fairlanes were built by Holman Moody, one was the Daytona car that went to AMR, the one we are talking about, and another one was built for NASCAR as a study to see if a unibody car would work in NASCAR, as they were planning to downsize the cars (which they did, in 1966). It obviuosly didn't work out as the 66 fairlanes were converted from a unibody to a modified Galaxie chassis..

And two more Fairlanes were built circa 2005 at Holman Moody in Charlotte, North Carolina. I saw both cars in the closing stages of the build, one car was ordered by a customer in Germany for historic racing in Europe, I don't know where the second car ended up.
The Fairlane was a real rocket, Lee Holman tested one at my local track in Virginia, 180mph through the kink on the front straight...
The German Fairlane is a winning car and although FIA specced, some of the mods are a bit of a stretch! However, the Germans did supply Lee with a list of "homologated" parts approved by FIA before the build began.

[Jay Bowden]

Thanks Pauly, is this the Iso you're referring to? Reading what you've written about the Falcon motors, does this mean only the 1964 Falcon is eligible to run the fibreglass body panels in both FIA historic touring car racing and in Australia, given the '65 Falcons never ran in the Monte?

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I found this photo from my albums of Laurie at Lakeside.

[Milan Fistonic]

Oh wow, that is really cool Pauly. I wonder how the Fairlane went against the small block V8s. Interesting looking at the final results, with Anglia finishing first ahead of the Mini Cooper and another Anglia. I wonder what happened to the V8s? Maybe it was raining.

Yes it was raining.

The Autosport report of the meeting starts out with this.

A sharp shower of rain turned Brands Hatch into a skating rink last Sunday...

As seen on television news later in the day , spectacular accidents were the order of the day.

The report on the saloon car race begins with this.

The bigger saloons promised more excitement, but the weather put paid to any chances of the Mustangs and the V8 Cortina being up with the faster Anglias and Minis.

[grp n eh]

sorry I am a bit confused regarding the falcon sprints.some years ago while talking to david meeks I noticed his sprint fitted with front drums.he told me that no falcon sprint of that era were fitted with front discs.we now have nb sprints using front discs.when did cams allow them to run front discs?could somebody please set me straight regarding this matter.

[Ellis]

Cams regs since July 1997 have permitted disc front on Sprints...

Originally Cams only issued 4 permits for Nb Sprints in Oz as they didnt run here in period.
After one of the 4 was sold to England and another built to take its place it appears they have permitted more to be run than the original 4.

[zombie289]

They WERE Homologated with front disc brakes, in fact TWO disc options were offered. The girlings were the same as what they fitted to the TDF Galaxies IIRC... Of course you could not get these on any showroom floor falcon in 1964... Heres a pic from the rallye sprint owners manual supliment..

[Steve Holmes]

Great info guys!

Here is the superb Pete Cordts Falcon Sprint that contested a couple of very early Trans-Am races, and won a couple of SCCA A/Sedan championships. Now owned by Mike Eddy, it races with Historic Trans-Am, and looks beautiful! I think these cars look great with the bumpers removed.

More info here: http://www.historictransam.com/Drivers/MikeEddy64Falcon17.html

[tbro]

Steve,
Last I heard Laurie had the Mustang built as the Rivolta was getting too valuable.
I'll check with Jim Cutler as to where it is now.

Terry

Again another thread revival.
Unfortunately Jim Cutler has passed but thankfully a few his old race buddies came to show respects. Laurie was one of them and we got to talking so I asked what happened to the Iso.
Seems CAMS in all their wisdom decided that after allowing the car to run for a couple of years they would reclass it as a sports sedan only, rightly so Laurie declined and sold the car detuned to a "collector/developer in the Parramatta area. the car was repainted blue and then the new owner went bellyup and everything disappeared. So no-one know where it is or what has happened to it.

Talk of a Appendix J gossip, Mike Dyer, Lindsey (muff) Dyer and Laurie and many a lap.

[Grant Ellwood]

Great info guys!

Here is the superb Pete Cordts Falcon Sprint that contested a couple of very early Trans-Am races, and won a couple of SCCA A/Sedan championships. Now owned by Mike Eddy, it races with Historic Trans-Am, and looks beautiful! I think these cars look great with the bumpers removed.

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More info here: http://www.historictransam.com/Drivers/MikeEddy64Falcon17.html

Great article in the latest (USA) Vintage Motorsport mag July/Aug issue about a 1963 Falcon Sprint built in England by a guy called Robin Ward. The Falcon complies with FIA regs which he says are more restrictive than US historic specs i.e. "No additional locating links,relocated pivot points or suspension tweaks and trickery as were commonly employed on our domestic Trans-Am, IMSA and even SCCA amateur series. The car also sits high and narrow by American "vintage" standards and runs a 320 but engine. Despite these disadvantages Ward shipped his car to east coast USA and raced at a major Road Atlanta historic series event,drove the " living snot" out of the Falcon and ran 1st in class/2nd overall in wet conditions. Reminded me of watching Gary Sprague running a much later model production class Falcon at Manfeild in the rain (back in I guess the '80s) on tippie toes, very smooth but certainly on the limit and of course at the front of the field. Like JR, a rain-master.

[khyndart in CA]

Grant,
Here are a couple of photos I took of Mike Eddy in the 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint at Sonoma Raceway. June 3rd 2017.

( Ken H photos )

[Steve Holmes]

Great article in the latest (USA) Vintage Motorsport mag July/Aug issue about a 1963 Falcon Sprint built in England by a guy called Robin Ward. The Falcon complies with FIA regs which he says are more restrictive than US historic specs i.e. "No additional locating links,relocated pivot points or suspension tweaks and trickery as were commonly employed on our domestic Trans-Am, IMSA and even SCCA amateur series. The car also sits high and narrow by American "vintage" standards and runs a 320 but engine. Despite these disadvantages Ward shipped his car to east coast USA and raced at a major Road Atlanta historic series event,drove the " living snot" out of the Falcon and ran 1st in class/2nd overall in wet conditions. Reminded me of watching Gary Sprague running a much later model production class Falcon at Manfeild in the rain (back in I guess the '80s) on tippie toes, very smooth but certainly on the limit and of course at the front of the field. Like JR, a rain-master.

Thanks Grant, would love to see that article.