Fiat 125T

[Steve125T]

Hello everyone, Ive just found this site and joined straight up. By way of introduction I'm in Perth Western Australia and have been campaigning an original Fiat 125T for about 8 years in Historic motorsport mostly here in W.A.,with various trips to other circuits in the east.
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I have a well compiled history file on the car including all photo copies of the registration book. I believe, as other previous owners have, that this car competed at the B&H 500 in 72 but as yet I have no actual proof. I would be grateful if we could, with input from the knowledgeable members of this forum, find this out. The original number plate was GG7963 (I still have those plates) and the car was first registered to Town & Country Cars Auckland in August 1972. This car went on to have some 14 owners between then and June 1974 (including Maurice Thompson for a while in 73) according to these records. I do have a photo that was published in the Australian publication Sports Car World in 1973 showing this car crossed up coming out of a corner with all the sponsors logos still in place.
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I will try and get that photo and the article scanned and post it here.
Any info greatly accepted. If anyone has any questions about the ins and outs of keeping on of these fantastic NZ only cars in active competition then just ask.
Cheers
Steve

[Spgeti]

Hi Steve, I am making some enquires and will come back to you.
Did you buy the car from NZ or from someone in Aussie ?

Cheers
Bruce

[Steve125T]

Thanks Bruce
I am not the one responsible for removing the car from NZ, that was done by an ex pat Kiwi who purchased it and had it shipped over in 2000. I bought the car from him in 2007 and have been thrashing it/maintaining it ever since. He purchased the car from Maurice O'Reilly of Tauranga. In the photo (rear quarter view) you can just make out a Fiat Club Waikato sticker.
A couple of photos taken in 2015 at one of our "Round The Houses" events.
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[Spgeti]

Hi Steve,

It was not the one I was thinking of. An Ex pat kiwi in Sydney purchased a T off a very good friend of mine quite a few years ago ex Manawatu.
I think from memory it belonged to Fred Parker of the Manawatu Car Club and it had no B&H history.
The Ex Pat had it for sale a few years back.
We will check the regos for you and get back to you.

Cheers
Bruce

[Steve125T]

Hi Bruce
As far as know there are 3 genuine 125T's in OZ. Mine in WA, one in Vic (for sale) and one in QLD (for sale). The car in QLD is the ex Tim Bailey- Roy Harrington car GH6701 which came 3rd outright.

Cheers
Steve

[Spgeti]

Hi Steve, yes according to the register your car GG7963 was raced in the 72 B&H by Hughes/T Lawrence car # 33.

Cheers
Bruce

[speedsterboy]

I have twice owned the ex Paul Fahey/ G. Lawrence B&H car registration GG8049. I found it in 1989 in south Auckland with a jacked up rear end tearing around driven by a girl racer. I started restoring it before realising it was too much work for my teen skills , sold it then bought it back 5 years later from the guy in Rotorua I sold it to. He restored and raced it but sad to say he reshelled the car and transferred all the chassis numbers and plates across. It was hard to drive on the road as it was all or nothing , set up for racing more than anything. I sold to to a guy from CHCH who flew to Auckland and drove it back.
I rescued another that was about to have a ford V6 transplant and sold that to Nigel Derbyshire who was an ex Maurice Thompson / Fiat centre mechanic who then restored it and sold it on . I can't remember the plate of that one.

Last time I watched a good race with 125T's was the Ardmore Shell classics with 3 entered. Have some great pictures that I will try to upload.
Am currently racing a Fiat 128 rally after 20 years away from Box car Fiats... Would love another 125T though...

[Kwaussie]

Link to the one in Melbourne for sale. http://www.carpoint.com.au/used-cars/FIAT/125/model-make.htm

[Steve125T]

Thanks Bruce
To read that post and be able to know definitively that GG7963 really did start the race is absolutely fantastic. Then to find a period colour photo of it is brilliant. Now I would really like to know whether the car finished the race, and if so in what position.
I knew quite a lot about the car going back to the late 80's when Maurice O'Reilly bought the car. He raced it in Historics in the late 80's & early 90"s with some success I believe. He also competed in the inaugural Targa NZ in this car. Please if anyone can elaborate on these things we'd love to hear about it. I must commend Maurice for the work that was put into this car in his ownership. They spent quite some time & effort on this body in the early 90's. It was fully seam welded and a bolt in roll cage was installed. The car shows no sign of ever having been rusty and repaired. A testament to the quality of this work is that I have been able campaign this car through 8 seasons with no significant maintenance to the body and little deterioration.

Cheers
Steve

[Steve125T]

By the way this car has been kept in the spirit it's history deserves. It still sports a a Fiat 125 series 1608 engine with it's original spec Dellorto DHLA40 carbs, 4 speed gearbox and Fiat 4.1 axle (with LSD centre added). Original brakes (good pads) and original period option 6" x13 Ward wheels with modern R Spec track rubber. The engine has been "tuned" but only by way of traditional means - cams, compression etc and a decent set of headers. It is still on points ignition. Below is a link to a clip from inside the T at our annual event around the middle of the City of Albany at the very Southern part of WA, we call these events here "Round the Houses" events.
Turn it up - or better still get some speakers.

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

Cheers
Steve

[Powder]

I've a copy of Driver magazine from Oct'72 that has the B&H race report including a couple of photos of GG7963 (it raced with the rego plate still fitted to the rear). If you send me your email address via PM I'm happy to forward scans to you. I might have some other photos/info as well - I haven't looked too hard yet.

[Spgeti]

Great video Steve.
I have also sent you a PM that you will find under Notifications.

Cheers
Bruce

[45DCOE]

[45DCOE]

[Steve125T]

Thanks for all the info everyone, I now have a complete picture. My car was No33 driven by Peter Hughes / Tony Lawrence and finished 7th outright, after some time in the pits with gear selection problems. I have read that it put in 2nd fastest lap of the day late in the race when Mr Hughes was trying to claw back some lost time. So GG7963 was indeed one of the 3 "Works" cars entered by Torino Motors.

[Oldfart]

Steve, PM me with an email address and I will put you in touch with Peter, and possibly Tony too.

[SPman]

Must keep a lookout for your car Steve. Have you run at Northam at all?

[Steve125T]

Every year since 2008 without fail. Fantastic event, had an absolute ball this year.

[Steve Emson]

Hi Steve,
I think Dads car was entered by Torino motors as well. I was still at school and must have been 15 at the time. 'Our' T came as a virtually standard car without the engine mods. I ran this car in for Dad up and down the motoway in Auckland for what seems like ages. Doug Bremner who always drove with Dad in the B & H and Wills races fitted the carburettors and stuff at P & R Motors from memory. This was later, after I had run the car in. I was at Puke for the test day when all these cars ran. Remember it well because Dad was the quickest. In the race he was the leading car until a flat tyre sort of buggered the race for them. I do not think we had a spare handy and they lost a lot of time.
They were good fun cars to drive. I think i am right saying Doug tried tuning this car a few different ways, however ended up putting it back to std specs. It was quick, however as the son speaking here, i think that had a little to do with the drivers and not the car being anything special.
These cars are all special as far as the model is concerned of course! I guess i was the only 15 yo school boy who actually knew how these things performed. Flat out out the back of Papakura, ...................we were very naughty in those days.
Regards to you,
Steve E

[Steve Emson]