Photos: The Keith Growden Collection

[spinner32]

Thanks Sean. It is indeed this car. I always remember John Haszard's car being in "Raro" colours, not this colour scheme. Don Grindley sold it to Craig Hool. It is still in a similar colour scheme as above, but is currently semi space framed. Hopefully one day it will be restored to Rex Findlay's colours.

[tonttu]

Thanks Sean. It is indeed this car. I always remember John Haszard's car being in "Raro" colours, not this colour scheme.

John's association with "Raro" started in 1975 or 76 with his 4 door RX3 rally car

[GD66]

Johnny Riley's Lotus 18/19 Olds, Gavin Evitt pic...from Found On A Rubbish Dump 2...

[seaqnmac27]

Thanks Sean. It is indeed this car. I always remember John Haszard's car being in "Raro" colours, not this colour scheme. Don Grindley sold it to Craig Hool. It is still in a similar colour scheme as above, but is currently semi space framed. Hopefully one day it will be restored to Rex Findlay's colours.

The following is from this cars first meet, March 1976.

At long last, Rex Findlay appeared in his Findlay's Gold Crust Mazda RX3. Firstly we must congratulate Rex and Geoff Sutherland on the presentation of the car. The finish on the red and yellow once rolled ex rally Mazda was incredible-absolutely immaculate and very attractive. The car runs a 13B rotary motor (as in Rod Millen's rally car and Frank Radisich's March), but the rest of it is virtually all Escort, including the rocket gearbox, Atlas differential, twin can front legs etc. The suspension and general setting up of the car is the work of Peter Bruin, while the motor was prepared by Bill Rotorsport Shiells of course. It was to the teams credit that the car went so well straight off as it was only finally assembled on Thursday night. Rex clocked a 1.24.3 without trying too hard especially as the car was far too undergeared, reaching maximum revs half way along the straights.

MotorAction 19 March 1976

[TonyG]

Hi Tony. I own the Garry Rogers number 7 Torana in these photos and would be interested in a copy of any photos you have of this car.
Regards Mark

I will organise them for you Mark
Regards
Tony

[TonyG]

Hi Tony. I own the Garry Rogers number 7 Torana in these photos and would be interested in a copy of any photos you have of this car.
Regards Mark

I will organise them for you Mark
Regards
Tony

[spinner32]

Thank you for this info Sean. A friend was offered the body shell about 10 years ago, and rather than have it going to the dump, he put it in the corner of my shed with the intention of restoring it. What with earthquakes and family growing up, the resto just hasn't started. However, now that we know the specs, we have most of the parts available, apart from a set of flares and the rear wing.

[Rod Grimwood]

Thank you for this info Sean. A friend was offered the body shell about 10 years ago, and rather than have it going to the dump, he put it in the corner of my shed with the intention of restoring it. What with earthquakes and family growing up, the resto just hasn't started. However, now that we know the specs, we have most of the parts available, apart from a set of flares and the rear wing.

Be great to see this car restored, should be able to hunt out flares. Got photo on trailer just after build.

[Rod Grimwood]

Nice looking car, may have photo of racing. Rex is a neat bugger and maybe contact with him could help in tracking flares etc.

[fullnoise68]

Rod, did Jigger race this as well or only Rexs' Datsun?

[Rod Grimwood]

Rod, did Jigger race this as well or only Rexs' Datsun?

Only the Datsun,

[Mark Fiddyment]

I will organise them for you Mark
Regards
Tony

Thanks Tony that would be fantastic. Let me know what I owe you.
Regards Mark

[seaqnmac27]

This is John Haszard. This car was built up for Rex Findlay in 1975. John Haszard sold it to Don Grindley who raced it from late 1980 to at a guess 83 or 84.

Somewhere I have the build story. Will have a look and try and scan it.

Sean

From what I just read, Haszard sold the RX3 over christmas 1980 and Grindley raced it from 1981

[Dazz]

Thank you for this info Sean. A friend was offered the body shell about 10 years ago, and rather than have it going to the dump, he put it in the corner of my shed with the intention of restoring it. What with earthquakes and family growing up, the resto just hasn't started. However, now that we know the specs, we have most of the parts available, apart from a set of flares and the rear wing.

I don't know about in NZ, but Fibremaster in Australia have a few of the old Group C body kits for various Mazda's, those flares look identical to the ones on the Findlay RX-3.

http://www.fibremaster.com.au/mazda.htm

MAX3FL-201 Flares - Group C. $420.00
MAX3FS-202 Front spoiler with brake scoops - Group C. $180.00

I'd love to see any more pics of that RX-3 as well, what a great looking car.

[Milan Fistonic]

I'd love to see any more pics of that RX-3 as well, what a great looking car.

[Dazz]

Such a tough looking car, very much like one of my mates ex Group C RX-3's in Australia.

[Dazz]

[spinner32]

Thanks for the address for the flares, Dazz. They look the same. The previous owner cut the front off at the firewall, and space framed the front. Luckily we have a 808 floor pan, we just need to combine the two and build one good shell now, and also undo several other mods made during its racing career. We have been gathering the parts, but haven't yet started the restoration. Like so many other projects, it will be a long and slow process.

[Steve Holmes]

Jim Richards in the Leckie Capri

Just to clear things up for anyone who wasn't sure, this photo was taken after the nasty Manfeild event where the Bill Leckie V8 Capri caught fire (and Red Dawson rolled his Monza), and Bill was badly burnt. Despite appearances, the Capri actually wasn't too badly damaged, and was repaired fairly quickly, to appear here at Pukekohe a few weeks later. However, Bill himself had yet to return to racing, still recovering from his burns. But, luckily, Jim Richards had been having problems with the Sidchrome Mustang, so drove the Capri.

Despite the Capari being a 4.2 litre class car, JR actually broke the outright saloon car lap record, held by Jack Nazer in the V8 Victor. It was a really quick little car. Too bad its racing career was cut short.