New Zealand ShellSport Saloon Series 1978 - 1985

[Rod Grimwood]

Thanks Carl, I need to catch up with Bryce as I have something in my backroom that Murray Soames and he were familiar with a while back, been sleeping there since 1990 I got it about 1983/84 off Cheese in one of those demon deals in those days. Now it may be.

[PhotoSmith]

Photos from 1982 + 1983 Seasons - Baypark + Pukekohe

[kiwi285]

Some great looking cars there - can someone identify them for us. Do any of these cars still exist today ??

[seaqnmac27]

Ok so off the top of my head, pic one is Harrington Escort, Cook Bluebird, Henley Datsun 160J?. Pic 2 no idea other than its a Toyota Trueno. Pic 3 is Cook Sunny, Burt Starlet, Harrington? Escort, Murdoch Avenger. Pic 4 Burrows, ex Ryan Datsun Sylvia/180J and Cook Bluebird. Pic 5 Warren Burt Starlet. and pic 6 kinda self explanatory for the Escorts, Harrington, Halliday and Kirk Stoneman with the Burt Starlet.

[PhotoSmith]

From the top....
Harrington-Cook-(?) Not sure myself, looks like a 120Y coupe (#7?) - Baypark easter '83
Rod Collingwood, Trueno - Pukekohe - march '82
Cook-Burt-Harrington-Murdoch - baypark Jan '83
Geoff (?) Burrows - baypark easter '83
Burt - Pukekohe jan '83
Baypark jan '82

[Carlo]

From the top....
Harrington-Cook-(?) Not sure myself, looks like a 120Y coupe (#7?) - Baypark easter '83
Rod Collingwood, Trueno - Pukekohe - march '82
Cook-Burt-Harrington-Murdoch - baypark Jan '83
Geoff (?) Burrows - baypark easter '83
Burt - Pukekohe jan '83
Baypark jan '82

Think Phil Henley is in the 120Y in the 1st shot. The Halliday car is the ex Kevin Ryan OSCA championship winning car with a twin cam engine replacing the BDA. Kevin imported the car from the UK and ran it in the colours of Californian Fried Chicken. Don Halliday retained the colour scheme when he ran it. The car went fron Don to Warren Steel and I do wonder where that car is now

[PhotoSmith]

Don Halliday Escort at Baypark easter '82
Grant Aitken 120Y - pukekohe march '82 - is this same car Henley the follow year?
Tony Marsh baypark Jan '84

Cheers
Martin Smith

[bob homewood]

A couple of cars that passed through my hands that had a Shellsport connection of those years ,were the first L/H drive Mark Rutherford Mk 2 Escort ,that Warren Steel had built by Cook Motor Racing ,that car exists no more ,what little remains of the body shell now resides on my Space frame Escort ,the other car that I owned for a short time was the ex GM Vauxhall Chevette,that was also built by CMR and I think driven a couple of times by Mike Hannell,the then GM dealer from Dargaville.I brought that car as a roller with the intentions of building it into a Sports Sedan,using my 416B Hart Twin Cam,with a Hewland gearbox in the rear ,it never happened because the whole project got binned when some body in their wisdom changed the then non existant rules around to stop me putting the gearbox in the rear,so I then onsold the roller on to Warren Steel,and from memory some one with a connection to Ralph Mossman brought it and built it up into a sports sedan using a V8 engine

[Steve Holmes]

Don Halliday Escort at Baypark easter '82
Grant Aitken 120Y - pukekohe march '82 - is this same car Henley the follow year?
Tony Marsh baypark Jan '84

Cheers
Martin Smith

Martin, I love your photos! Thanks for posting these. How many years were you photographing for?

[PhotoSmith]

Hi Steve,

from 1980 onwards, Racing, Rallying & Speedway, mostly around the top half of the Nth Is.

[Rod Grimwood]

A couple of cars that passed through my hands that had a Shellsport connection of those years ,were the first L/H drive Mark Rutherford Mk 2 Escort ,that Warren Steel had built by Cook Motor Racing ,that car exists no more ,what little remains of the body shell now resides on my Space frame Escort ,the other car that I owned for a short time was the ex GM Vauxhall Chevette,that was also built by CMR and I think driven a couple of times by Mike Hannell,the then GM dealer from Dargaville.I brought that car as a roller with the intentions of building it into a Sports Sedan,using my 416B Hart Twin Cam,with a Hewland gearbox in the rear ,it never happened because the whole project got binned when some body in their wisdom changed the then non existant rules around to stop me putting the gearbox in the rear,so I then onsold the roller on to Warren Steel,and from memory some one with a connection to Ralph Mossman brought it and built it up into a sports sedan using a V8 engine

Bob my brother bought the Chevette and ran a 3.5 Rover in it for Sports Sedans, he did a huge rebuild of it with the spare 9 inch from Pinepac Mustang that Tony Rutherford and Dave Lowe had and space framed front and rear with big brakes etc. Had very similar flares, air dam etc as Roger Freeths Starlet and was all in under coat ready for paint when he had his accident. the car sat for along time in the back of my garage and family decided to sell it for children schooling etc.

[Steve Holmes]

Hi Steve,

from 1980 onwards, Racing, Rallying & Speedway, mostly around the top half of the Nth Is.

I hope we get to see more of it. What you've posted so far has been great.

[Rod Grimwood]

Bob the car mentioned above:
Found this photo of brother at club day Puke before he stripped the car right back and did the big rebuild with major lowering, suspension and big flat flares etc. Engine was all tricked with what they do to Rovers. Unfortunatly Mike passed after his accident and never got to drive the car with any anger on the track.
At this stage the car was a good club car with mild Rover in it. Humour to watch.

[Rod Grimwood]

Bob the car mentioned above:
Found this photo of brother at club day Puke before he stripped the car right back and did the big rebuild with major lowering, suspension and big flat flares etc. Engine was all tricked with what they do to Rovers. Unfortunatly Mike passed after his accident and never got to drive the car with any anger on the track.
At this stage the car was a good club car with mild Rover in it. Humour to watch.

Sorry pushed wrong button

[seaqnmac27]

Can somebody give some information about the Collingwood Trueno? Is there any relationship to the one that was run by the Radisich's in the B & H series in 81 -82?

[PhotoSmith]

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Can somebody give some information about the Collingwood Trueno? Is there any relationship to the one that was run by the Radisich's in the B & H series in 81 -82?

Different cars, I believe the Frank & Paul Radisich from 81-82, was driven by 1 of the Radisich's and Bob Pennell (?) the following year & ended up rolling onto the front straight at Baypark, labour weekend '82. Then ran by the Emson's in the B&H series in 83-84, with the Motor Expo colours.

[Steve Holmes]

Sorry pushed wrong button

I love that Chevette Rod. The Chevette was a was a good performer in its day, but doesn't seem to be at all popular with the historic racing crowd compared to the Escorts and Cortinas etc.

[Rod Grimwood]

Steve I found the car about five years ago, and it is sad but the guy butchered it. He sold rear end but doesn't know were it is, stuck in another 9inch and locked it so he could run it on dirt at speedway, took of the nice flares and body kit and doesn't know were they went. Motor was also sold and I think it went into another Rover speedway car. He only did a couple of events and car then just sat outside his workshop for ages and deteriorated. Pity as it was pretty good little car with alot of work put into the suspension and braking area and also a good looking beast. I along with mate looked at rebuild but it was too far gone.
I will try and find some photos of it when it was just about finished etc.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Rod, I'd love to see the photos. What a shame its ended up as it has.

[Ian.Maskell]

I have a Datsun 1200 coupe which I believe was build by Rod Collingwood for the 1980/81 Shellsport series. I purchased the car in 1989 from Peter O'leary of Carterton, and raced it in the early SS2000 series for a class win. The car has remained in use (now treated as a classic) and has just had a birthday with a new engine and tlc getting ready for Chc Festival of speed in Feb 2012. Always good to go to Chc as there are so many people that remember the car and come over for a look and a chat