Photos: The Sprague Family Collection

[Grant Sprague]

Thank you Ken yes we are fine thanks mate , just water but one of the elements of big power we need to treat it with respect it can save us or kill us , we are on high ground , feel sorry for some others though , Rod & GD66 thank you also , for playing about with the photos much appreciated .

[Andrew Metford]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]42021[/ATTACH] Latest little escort we are racing , group one ...RS2000..great little fun car , first time this car been raced for 17 yrs..... loved this day with HSC/HMC....will do a few more meetings with it , but need to focus on a quicker grp 2 build ..

Here are 2 pics of your new car when it was owned by Lex Linklater. These were taken at Pukekohe in February 1998. The last time I saw the car race was at the Whangarei Street race in the year 2000. Then as you say, it rested for the next 17 years. Good to see it back out, and still as it was.

100 by Andrew Metford, on Flickr

101 by Andrew Metford, on Flickr

[Grant Sprague]

An other shot of Gary,s escort , [mount cook airlines sponsor]

[GD66]

Spotted on the NZ Car-related street scenes fb page. Allan Dick has kindly added a caption there.

[Grant Sprague]

[Grant Sprague]

A bit of a long winded build with parts scattered from UK , USA , Chch & Auckland , but will be a good car , not one bit of rust chassis like new, heard from my mate in Chch last night cam carrier is cracked the list mounting up & up . Not like the old days the $$ went down the dunny but not these thank God ....

[Andrew Metford]

You doing bubble guards in the second picture? Shame to see such an original unmolested car cut up...........

[Spgeti]

You doing bubble guards in the second picture? Shame to see such an original unmolested car cut up...........

Hi Andrew, the car is an existing bubble flared Mk1, not the existing RS2000, and is being built to FIA Appendix K.

[Grant Sprague]

Hi Andrew, the car is an existing bubble flared Mk1, not the existing RS2000, and is being built to FIA Appendix K.

Andrew , I would never ever do that , the new car has a like new chassis complete virgin chassis

[Andrew Metford]

Oh ok so the bubble guard / 5 link pictures are not the ex Lex Linklater car? That's great then, carry on!!!

[Grant Sprague]

[Grant Sprague]

Gary & Grant Xmas meeting Auckland 2018...............

[Grant Sprague]

I have another Brother Wayne , he is between Gary & I in age , Wayne had a wee play in racing , he won a 30 min production race at Ruapuna if my memory serves me correct [in ex B&H victor] , shortly after that Ernie put him in the deep end with the GTHO at Wigram , Wayne complained of rear brake lock up in practice , it let go at Bombay backwards into 44 gallon drums of water , it was the year JR came down for a race in his HO, was a very tall ask for an 18 yr old with absolutley no race experience escpecially in that super car of the 70,s ... that was the end of it for Wayne as this put him off not to mention wanted more of a family life , Gary never raced the HO as was in UK & Grant was way too young

[Grant Sprague]

Replica Mk 3

[Grant Sprague]

Levels late 60,s

[Grant Sprague]

Gary & Red Levels

[khyndart in CA]

Grant,
I am sorry to have missed you the other day and this is to prove I came by your office !
All the best in your racing endeavors this year.
Cheers, Ken Hyndman. (p.s. Grant, can I get the ice cream, pencil and a balloon when I come back ? )

[John McKechnie]

#322- would this have been one of the meetings after Red and Spinner came together at Wigram, could explain the big damage to the Mustang ?

[Grant Sprague]

Ken , I just missed you & got yr note .........ps, when you mentioned might catch up at Taupo I was racing at the 50th at levels that same weekend , got to drive a mates laser turbo , very interesting weekend never raced on that extension and found it quite interesting the challenge was exciting , more to learn another weekend I might add.

[Roger Dowding]

Grant,
I am sorry to have missed you the other day and this is to prove I came by your office !
All the best in your racing endeavors this year.
Cheers, Ken Hyndman. (p.s. Grant, can I get the ice cream, pencil and a balloon when I come back ? )

[ATTACH=CONFIG]51665[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]51666[/ATTACH]

Ken and how about a " Cordial " welcome, would prefer a beer..

Story ... When Caltex used the " Boron " name and the slogan as seen above " NOTHING MATCHES BORON " my mate Ron, thought it was great, he got a sticker and trimmed in down so it read " NOTHING MATCHES RON " " and stuck it on his bicycle, that must have been around 1964 when we were still at school .. this from a bit later - the boys in 1967 when we had cars, but no girlfriends, well me anyway .. Richard Steve the other Rog and Myself all had cars, Ron still had his bicycle .. poor lad.

Steve's Humber 80, with wide Jaguar wheels on the rear, My Mini, with Jolly Wides on the front and a Tractor Muffler, Richards new Fiat Bambina and the other Roger's PA Vauxhall, which was the main transport to Pukekohe as seated 6, with the four on a tree and a bench or crook seat in the front ..

and the tractor muffler ; courtesy of Rob Williams of Allard and Ford V8 Coupe fame an NSCC stalwart since the early 1960's - great mate of Colin Waite, and Allan Woolf - Allan and Colleen Woolf were my neighbours in the late 1950's early 60's in New Lynn. Knew Rob from schooldays as used to callin after school in my mates 1939 Hillman to see welding and stuff, and knew Colin from NSCC days 1967 on, when the above Mini was purchased, about the same time Ken that you had a Anglia " passion wagon "