Formula 5000

[GD66]

Fair point ! Stewart would normally have carried #6, and he features in the Wigram results in the T400, so I reckon you've cracked it, Beetle.

[bry3500]

[video=youtube;553Oem8An4E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=553Oem8An4E[/video]

[bry3500]

[video=youtube;64-bWU_5k8U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64-bWU_5k8U[/video]

[Terry S]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2430[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2433[/ATTACH]

This beautiful Lola 300 #4 was entered by "Reg Papps & Sons" and driven by Bob Muir.

"Reg Papps & Sons" appear to be a bit of a mystery. I have never seen anything at all written on them, which is strange.

I believe one of the sons may have briefly driven a Lotus 22/31, without distinction. Then they appeared out of nowhere with this Lola 300, ran it for a very short time and then just as quickly disappeared, never to be heard of again.
I think they may have come from Central Coast of NSW, but can't recall where I got that. Perhaps Aussie readers may be able to help.

I recall seeing the car in the pits at Warwick Farm and it was absolutely beautifully prepared and presented. Probably the best presented open wheeler I have ever seen. It just stood apart from the other F5000's, even the internationals.

I would love to know who they were, and their story.

[gokiwi]

Found this very brief excerpt from another site

The AUST/31 etc. was done by Reg. Papps and sons when they did the '' update'' to Lotus 31 sort of specs.
The rear uprights had been modified by Papps's by welding a new magnesium top section to the existing Lotus 20 uprights
which during the course of restoration we painstakingly removed and linished back down to correct spec.
When purchased by myself the car was on 8.0'' front and 10.0'' rears , the fronts were Lotus , the rears MRC from Lionel Ayers
and were swapped in a standard chinese deal with Stephen Fryer as spares for his MRC 23B for a pair of 45 Webers.

Also found this, not sure if it is the Reg Papps you are after.

http://www.gourmantic.com/2016/04/04/ironbark-distillery/

[Terry S]

Found this very brief excerpt from another site

The AUST/31 etc. was done by Reg. Papps and sons when they did the '' update'' to Lotus 31 sort of specs.
The rear uprights had been modified by Papps's by welding a new magnesium top section to the existing Lotus 20 uprights
which during the course of restoration we painstakingly removed and linished back down to correct spec.
When purchased by myself the car was on 8.0'' front and 10.0'' rears , the fronts were Lotus , the rears MRC from Lionel Ayers
and were swapped in a standard chinese deal with Stephen Fryer as spares for his MRC 23B for a pair of 45 Webers.

Also found this, not sure if it is the Reg Papps you are after.

http://www.gourmantic.com/2016/04/04/ironbark-distillery/

Thanks go kiwi, any little bit appreciated.

[Ray Bell]

Reg Papps was a 'drinking mate' of several, including Bob Muir...

He is not the man with the distillery. Reg would be in his mid-seventies now, he was one of those people who, like Bobby, was a part of the Parramatta Road car dealer world in some way or another.

He didn't race very much, but was well-known for his meticulous preparation. The Lola, however, I seem to recall as being originally trimmed like that by Niel Allen's crew. I could be wrong, of course, Niel was never seen at a race meeting in the car.

[Terry S]

Reg Papps was a 'drinking mate' of several, including Bob Muir...

He is not the man with the distillery. Reg would be in his mid-seventies now, he was one of those people who, like Bobby, was a part of the Parramatta Road car dealer world in some way or another.

He didn't race very much, but was well-known for his meticulous preparation. The Lola, however, I seem to recall as being originally trimmed like that by Niel Allen's crew. I could be wrong, of course, Niel was never seen at a race meeting in the car.

Unfortunately this does not increase my knowledge much as these are just a few generalisations.

Re the Allen crew doing the original trim of the car, I very much doubt this as the car was green when Allen had it, and it was involved in big crash at Surfers.

What I was after was along the lines of
- Was "Reg Papps and Sons" a business, where/what etc.
- They came from nowhere to Australia's top formula with a beautiful car, and then just as quickly disappeared again.
- Are they still around?

[Ray Bell]

Reg Papps, to the best of my knowledge, worked on his own...

Like I said, he was part of that Parramatta Road car dealer scene. I met the man several times in that era, usually at after-meeting sessions when the sun had gone down.

I can offer no more until I get home and ask others, but I'm sure you could make contact with someone who knows more.

[Terry S]

Reg Papps, to the best of my knowledge, worked on his own...

So why was his business name "Reg Papps & Sons"?

[Ray Bell]

I don't know, but perhaps it was his father's business and he took over?

If I was at home I'd call Bobby Muir and ask him, or Peter Molloy, but I'm a fair way away from home at the moment...

[Terry S]

Ray, your posts seem to imply that you know very very little about Reg Papps.

However I found another forum post by you, and I quote one sentence from your post:

"Please do not tell me he's bringing that dreadful Reg Papps with him".

So who is this mysterious Reg Papps?

[Ray Bell]

I'll be home in July...

Remind me then to call Bobby Muir and ask him.

[Terry S]

I'll be home in July...

Remind me then to call Bobby Muir and ask him.

Why do ou need to ask Bob Muir, Ray?

You purport to know very little about Papps yet you label him "dreadful".

[Steve Holmes]

Why do ou need to ask Bob Muir, Ray?

You purport to know very little about Papps yet you label him "dreadful".

Er, anyway, lets keep this on subject.

[Terry S]

Er, anyway, lets keep this on subject.

Steve, with the greatest respect I believe what I am asking is entirely in line with the subject of this thread.

The Reg Papps & Sons entered Lola T300 F5000 as shown in post#8 is the most beautiful racecar I have ever seen.

The Papps seem a complete mystery, they appeared and went very quickly. Why does nobody know anything about them?

That is what I am trying to find out.

[GD66]

Why don't you contact Bob Muir direct and stop sniping at Ray, then ?

If you keep marking others' contributions the mod can get hacked off and close the thread, then we all miss out. If you really are busting for the info there are ways to get it, not just grumbling at Ray.

[Ray Bell]

And consider the fact that you asked the question a week too late...

I flew out for three months away on April 20. I don't have Bob's phone number with me.

I never, to my knowledge, saw another Papps other than the one I've mentioned. The '& son' could relate to his father, it could relate to his son if he has one. But neither or both were never present to my knowledge with the cars at the circuit.

[Dale Harvey]

I remember looking at that car at Warwick Farm and thinking the same as most, gee, it is immaculate. I also had never heard of Reg Papps and Sons and have never heard of them since. Maybe it was their one only involvement with racing cars. ???
Dale.

[Michael Clark]

There was a photo of that car in the annual review of Australian Motor Racing for about 1973 and I recall thinking that even those colours could make a Lola T300 look good. The 'immaculateness' of the car oozed off the page.