My Time At Trojan Works, London. By Ken Hyndman

[khyndart in CA]

[quote="Grant Sprague"]Ken , do you have the 1967 entry list ???? who partnered Ernie in the red mk 3 Zodi ......

Grant, I found this piece that Steve Holmes had written for the Allan Cameron Collection - Part 2 10-22-2013.

" Sprague also teamed up with his son Gary to win the last Wills 6 Hour race in 1967 driving a Ford Zodiac."

( I hope that is of help to you....Ken Hyndman )

[GD66]

[Grant Sprague]

Thanks Ken .... still the red mk 3 is a around some where ......Yes that is the Red mk 4 Ernie & Gary drove later sold to Timaru publican Bill Greg

[khyndart in CA]

October 1965. Pukekohe.
Still the highlight for me that day was watching the Fleetwood Mustang, at least for the first two hours before the rear brakes wore out.
Just to know what was involved in bringing a large engine US car into NZ at that time makes it amazing this car even got to race as much of the car had to be as standard. The NZ Classic Car magazine from January 2005 has some interesting information. For instance ; " unbelievably dictatorial constrictions imposed by the government of the day. This farcical situation required the car to be re-exported out of the country again at time of sale as the bond could only be recovered at the wharf of another country. "
Also some of the modifications carried out by Dennis Simmons are amusing. "Dennis also lowered the front of the car in an attempt to make it handle, and then raised the wheel arches on inch to disguise this modification (as lowering was banned).
Interior-wise, the cabin looked totally stock, with original bucket seats, no roll bars, a standard factory dash with strip speedometer and factory steering wheel. Every second seat spring was removed, brackets were binned, and sound deadening removed to lighten the car, but keep the ‘stock’ upholstery which was called for the current rules ! "
It looked great that day and was my introduction to "American Muscle" cars that I will admire the rest of my days.
( Ken Hyndman )

(Terry Marshall photo )

[khyndart in CA]

October 9th. 1965. Pukekohe.
Out of the programme I found this page which has some interesting figures about the cars from that era.
They may seem cheap today but I was about to start my apprenticeship in Morrinsville that paid the huge sum of 5 pound and 10 pence a week and I got that amount because I had just scraped through on my School Certificate (51 % for English !)
( Ken Hyndman )

[BMCBOY]

Start of the Gold Leaf Challenge 1965

(Jack Inwood Photo) Bill Dunster driving Pukekohe Sweeper

This Austin-Healey is still owned by myself - I purchased it in 1973

[khyndart in CA]

Ross,
That is a beautiful car you have. I enjoy helping Healey customers here at Moss Motors as they are in a class of their own.
Do you know if the number was changed for this race as it is listed as # 21 in the programme ?

Compared to the Daimler the Mustang looks like they forgot to empty the boot before the race started !
Perhaps it needed some Grant Sprague type suspension tweeks !

(Ken Hyndman )

[Spgeti]

Well Ross....41 years of ownership of a beautiful car....congratulations. Cheers, Bruce

[Kevin Hirst]

Ross,
That is a beautiful car you have. I enjoy helping Healey customers here at Moss Motors as they are in a class of their own.
Do you know if the number was changed for this race as it is listed as # 21 in the programme ?

Compared to the Daimler the Mustang looks like they forgot to empty the boot before the race started !
Perhaps it needed some Grant Sprague type suspension tweeks !

(Ken Hyndman )

Maybe musting power compared to daimler power, if this is at the start of the race, mustang has got a fair jump on the others.

[BMCBOY]

[quote="khyndart in CA"]Ross,

Do you know if the number was changed for this race as it is listed as # 21 in the programme ?

I'm sure the second photo is of another race meeting as it has no bumpers fitted. Bill raced the car quite often that season, but had a big off on Cabbage Tree corner at Levin when the spokes collapsed in the right front wheel. The effects of which I had finally repaired properly when I rebuilt it between 1974 and 1978. Bill said to me he wasn't too happy with the handling after it had been repaired initially and it was easy to see why once I stripped it down as the geometry was well out. Drives OK now for a 1959 car!!

[jamie]

Hi Ken.
Spent time looking over the M 20 at Manfeild in the weekend what a grate car sounds Wonderful and goes better.
A bit after your time I think but is a fabulous piece of work.
Jamie A

[BMCBOY]

Hi Ken.
Spent time looking over the M 20 at Manfeild in the weekend what a grate car sounds Wonderful and goes better.
A bit after your time I think but is a fabulous piece of work.
Jamie A

[khyndart in CA]

On August 22 1992 at Laguna Seca I met up with Denis Hulme as he was signing autographs with George Follmer.

I think he enjoyed the 1971 Can Am season a lot. He signed my photo of the VDS M8 turbo and said that he was glad he did not have to drive that vehicle !

He also signed the specification page for the "Cars in Profile" book on the M8.
Sadly Denis was to die just 6 weeks later at Bathurst. (He had mentioned to others here at Laguna that he was feeling tired from all the travel etc. But he was doing what he enjoyed most.)
In later years I had others, who had driven or worked with Bruce McLaren and Denis Hulme sign the page and here is a copy.
Signed by ; Hulme, Brian Redman, Dan Gurney, Vic Elford and Howden Ganley.

( Ken Hyndman photos )
(p.s. Ross, thanks again for your great, clear photos. I notice that Laguna Seca is spelt differently in NZ !)

[Grant Ellwood]

Ken, guess the sign-writers software doesn't have spell-check, that's a funny version of Laguna Seca.

[khyndart in CA]

My favorite photo of Denis Hulme.
In the McLaren M8 F at speed during the 1971 Can-Am race at Elkhart Lake. August 29. 1971.
Hulme set fastest lap but retired on lap 17 with a broken crankshaft !
Such a great looking car even after 43 years !

( photo taken by his friend, Pete Lyons. See more of Pete's wonderful photos of that era at http://www.petelyons.com )

[Grant Sprague]

Cool piks Ken .... very cool ..............did you find that other shoe box ..................lol keep cool

[khyndart in CA]

Grant, I do have to admit that I do have some "stuff" out in the garage. My dear Judy did intend to tidy it up one day but when she opened a cupboard to rearrange things she was almost killed by the pile of "Road & Tracks" and "Motorsport" etc magazines and books that spilled out. She has never dared to to go back ! The garage is mine ! So I may still find something yet to post.
I had forgotten about this last lot until I saw the Mortimer 1971 McLaren..That is a fine restoration of a Trojan vehicle.
I also like this photo of Denny at work coming into Turn Nine at Laguna Seca in 1971. ( note the tire marks on the front area...do not get in the way of " The Bear " !)

photo thanks to "Cars in Profile" McLaren M8 ( F. David Stone )

[Grant Sprague]

Yes this is a great shot, looks like he has a hand full by his arms & posture... I would not have noticed the tyre marks unless you had not mentioned , that would have been a big hit who ever it was ??/ as for Mortimer I use to race against him in escort sports also he & his son race in the open BMW series here , Warrick has lost none of his driving ability what so ever..... Now ken thank you for finding particulars on Ernie & Bro will 6 hours the car I was meaning was a red mk 3 zodi not the mk 4 .... so would be a year or two before this my mistake re the years.... he might have never raced it at Puke not sure..... keep them coming big brother Ken .. Thank you

[khyndart in CA]

Grant,
I enjoyed this video of your Dad in Mk 3.

[video]https://showyou.com/v/y-PvqcEQsR21Q/ernie-sprague-and-his-mkiii-zephyr[/video]

[Oldfart]

Grant, there is mention in the 1965 Shell book of NZ Racing that Ernie and Harold Heasley ran a Zodiac in the DB National 5 hour at Teretonga to finish second, picture shows a Mark 3. No mention at the Wills at all. Next year it was the Jag