Steve Holmes wrote:OK, heres another one. In late 1986 or early 1987, Kieran Wills appeared with a Group A Nissan Skyline DR30. I vaguely remember it running at the (January) 1987 Wellington Street Race. It was painted up in a similar scheme to the factory Peter Jackson cars run in Australia, but in place of the blue paint, it was (I think) red. It might have have yellow wheels. It was later repainted blue at the front and white at the back. The car didn't seem to have raced much, and vanished as quickly as it appeared. Does anyone know its history, and what happened to it?
Contemporary reports say the car was "written off" after a crash during qualifying for the Oct '87 Wellington Street Race. Here's a 'before' photo from that weekend that my father took:
Sometime in the early 90's I rang a guy in the lower north island who had a Skyline Dr30 advertised, he told me the car had a white bootlid on it from the racecar that was written off. I might be wrong but I think he said it had "sleepyhead" on it
rt6pack wrote:Sometime in the early 90's I rang a guy in the lower north island who had a Skyline Dr30 advertised, he told me the car had a white bootlid on it from the racecar that was written off. I might be wrong but I think he said it had "sleepyhead" on it
Didn't Kent Baigent and Graeme Bowkett run a couple of DR30 Skylines with Sleepyhead signage? I'd actually completely forgotten about those cars. Wonder where they got to?
Good point Steve. not sure .. but know where one of the old capris are that he brought into NZ from UK ..'''' Skyline ..... they seemed quick & were ..... Croz [Graham ] &Gary [brother]were invited to drive their 2nd car at Wellington ..... Croz & Gary teamed up in the 2nd car I am 99% sure that year they were first Kiwis home . that yr ......... never meet Croz but would like too ..Am friends with locals Craig Coleman & Richard Scott in Tauranga [Bikers & quick on 4 wheels] ..we have shared some fantastic stories ........ ps do u need a hand re those piks
Steve Holmes wrote:Didn't Kent Baigent and Graeme Bowkett run a couple of DR30 Skylines with Sleepyhead signage? I'd actually completely forgotten about those cars. Wonder where they got to?
stirlingmac wrote:And the Henley /Wills Skyline is still safely tucked away in Wellington...
That's great so did it do any more events after 1987 Wellington? Nice to know that the Sleepyhead cars are still alive as well, were they built in NZ or Aust?
Powder wrote:Contemporary reports say the car was "written off" after a crash during qualifying for the Oct '87 Wellington Street Race. Here's a 'before' photo from that weekend that my father took:
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the commodore beside it started life as graeme bowketts roadways sleepyhead car
rt6pack wrote:That's great so did it do any more events after 1987 Wellington? Nice to know that the Sleepyhead cars are still alive as well, were they built in NZ or Aust?
The Sleepyhead Nissans were actually entered as Team Nissan Racing New Zealand and had this very unfortunate end to the 1987 Bathurst
Does anyone recognise this 2 door Avenger? The story goes that it was originally brought into the country by an englishman to do the international rally. It has/had a whole pile of works/UK bits - 4.4:1 LSD, hot ~1700cc motor, quick rack, fancy shocks and springs, UK spec bolt-in cage, Avenger tiger rear wing mould etc.
Unfortunately it was left under a cover in a paddock for too many years and trapped moisture has killed the body... Almost every panel is falling off and there's not much structure left. Although the guy who's stripping it knows where another 2 door shell is, so there could be a replica/rebuild coming.
It would be awesome to see old pictures of this car. All I know is that it was run as a rally car and eventually became a circuit car - possibly running in Shellsport or SS2000?
Truenotch wrote:Does anyone recognise this 2 door Avenger? The story goes that it was originally brought into the country by an englishman to do the international rally. It has/had a whole pile of works/UK bits - 4.4:1 LSD, hot ~1700cc motor, quick rack, fancy shocks and springs, UK spec bolt-in cage, Avenger tiger rear wing mould etc.
Unfortunately it was left under a cover in a paddock for too many years and trapped moisture has killed the body... Almost every panel is falling off and there's not much structure left. Although the guy who's stripping it knows where another 2 door shell is, so there could be a replica/rebuild coming.
It would be awesome to see old pictures of this car. All I know is that it was run as a rally car and eventually became a circuit car - possibly running in Shellsport or SS2000?
Truenotch wrote:Does anyone recognise this 2 door Avenger? The story goes that it was originally brought into the country by an englishman to do the international rally. It has/had a whole pile of works/UK bits - 4.4:1 LSD, hot ~1700cc motor, quick rack, fancy shocks and springs, UK spec bolt-in cage, Avenger tiger rear wing mould etc.
Unfortunately it was left under a cover in a paddock for too many years and trapped moisture has killed the body... Almost every panel is falling off and there's not much structure left. Although the guy who's stripping it knows where another 2 door shell is, so there could be a replica/rebuild coming.
It would be awesome to see old pictures of this car. All I know is that it was run as a rally car and eventually became a circuit car - possibly running in Shellsport or SS2000?
It you rebody this, it will only be a replica. Restore this , and its value will be the genuine car.. Those of us who have gone to the trouble of retaining the original body will say its worth every dollar to say- yes, its THE car, had some rust, but we went to the trouble of removing the rust. Bonnet, bottom of doors and rear quarter look the worst.
John McKechnie wrote:It you rebody this, it will only be a replica. Restore this , and its value will be the genuine car.. Those of us who have gone to the trouble of retaining the original body will say its worth every dollar to say- yes, its THE car, had some rust, but we went to the trouble of removing the rust. Bonnet, bottom of doors and rear quarter look the worst.
Right John. big job but with that history it speaks for it's self. a few what now would be 'classics' cars ended up in different states of racing back then, young bros, Chevette had different start to life and he did a couple rally sprints before chopping her up for circuit.
Geoff Burrows in Hamilton is the guru for Avengers. Is this the car which Mike Vincent had? If the car is the car which Mike had it was not a Cowan car. The Cowan car went back to the UK if it ever car came to NZ Only 5(?) 2 door cars came to NZ originally.
