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Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:57 am
by Imp Wagon
Carlo wrote:Hmmm.. I am pretty sure that saw that Husky Imp cruising our patch a short while ago. I do recognise the photo background
Lake Pukaki, Mt. Cook in the background, 2004 from memory.
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 7:31 pm
by Oldfart
To answer the question about the de Joux Mixi, believed to not have been finished, probably involved in a deal when Alec acquired the Renault 5 Turbo (mid engine rally car) from Chris Barnes.
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:02 pm
by Steve Holmes
Imp Wagon wrote:Hi Steve, thanks for the positive feedback, and can I compliment you on the great effort you put in on this forum - fantastic!
I actually got the rolling shell from Graeme Clyde who had built it and raced it for a couple of seasons in OSCA in the seventies with a red and black colour scheme. I then added the group 2 arches, hand built the alloy doors, modified the rear suspension, painted it yellow and built my own 998 engine using some components that I purchased from George Bevan who's Imps won the BTCC 3 years in a row in the early seventies.
As for the Kent Messenger Imp, it was rolled heavily at Paddock bend at Brand's in 1975 when John hit some oil on the track and went off. He disposed of the remains in the pit on his farm and burnt it along with the other rubbish. When I visited him in 1978 I retrieved the only piece I could find left of it and still have it to this day.
Finally, you are right about the Husky, it is a 1968 model and was imported to NZ and first registered in 1969. I have owned it since 1989 and it has now covered 250,000 miles.
Wow, George Bevan components! His cars were hugely successful in the BTCC. How many years did you race the car for? Got any more photos?
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:23 am
by Imp Wagon
Steve Holmes wrote:Wow, George Bevan components! His cars were hugely successful in the BTCC. How many years did you race the car for? Got any more photos?
Hi Steve, I ran it for 2 seasons in the 0-2 litre class which was a bit of a mis-match but it still managed to turn a few heads. I have only a few photo's tucked away somewhere, but will try to find them. I did actually meet George Bevan when I picked up my bits from him in 1978 (George knew my friend John Homewood well and built his engines for him) and he kindly let me take a photo of him in his workshop. (see below.)
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:37 pm
by Steve Holmes
Hey, great photo! Boy he really knew how to make one of those Imps run hard. And whats more, his cars were absolutely gorgeous!
So after you'd raced your car for two seasons, what happened to it then?
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:17 am
by Imp Wagon
Steve Holmes wrote:Hey, great photo! Boy he really knew how to make one of those Imps run hard. And whats more, his cars were absolutely gorgeous!
So after you'd raced your car for two seasons, what happened to it then?
I sold it to a friend of mine, Dave Rycroft, who did very little with it and then on sold it to Tony mann who has raced it at Wigram, Waimate, Dunedin and Ruapuna over the years. I am fairly certain he still has it.
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:48 pm
by Steve Holmes
Thanks for that info, its great to be able to join the dots on the histories of these cars. Did you race anything after you sold the car?
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:08 pm
by Imp Wagon
I did eventually import a Ginetta G15 into NZ in 2000. Most Ginettas were Ford powered but the G15 is Imp powered and has good performance due to it's low weight of 560 Kg. Mine is a 1973. I have competed at Hawkswood and Gebbies pass hillclimbs plus track days and the odd grasskhana, but nothing serious. I guess I can sneak a photo in this thread as it is Imp powered.
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 4:39 am
by Steve Holmes
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:04 am
by Imp Wagon
Fantastic! Thanks for all the links. It certainly brings back a lot of very happy memories. I can almost smell the Avgas.......
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:20 am
by Imp Wagon
Now here are a couple of photo's from the UK in the 1970's of an aluminium bodied, space-framed mini countryman built and raced by a guy called Ginger Marshall. It was actually powered by an Imp engine mated to a Mini 'box - ingenious! It was quicker than all the other BMC powered Minis and was a match for the Imps which by then were dominating the up to 1000cc categories.
The countryman was not quite as bonkers though as the 850cc 2 cylinder BDA powered Fiat 500 (Bambina) affectionately known as "Mighty Mouse" which was raced in the UK in the 70's by Peter Day. I saw it race at Brands in 1978 and it sounded like a 4 cylinder that was down on 2 cylinders, but it could fly!.
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 4:52 am
by Milan Fistonic
John McKechnie wrote:Hi Guys, 2 important photos you need to put up for Minis.Well known Stuart Lush rolling his Mini on the first corner at Puke and it catching fire in mid 70s .Also Peter Batten in early 70s smacking his mini into the out side fence in front of the grand stand, absolutely destroyed it...
Ask and you will receive.
I'll have to dig out the newspaper page that had the photo of Peter Batten crashing.
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 2:20 am
by Steve Holmes
Amazing sequence of photos Milan. What a mess! Is this the same Stuart Lush who now races historic F5000s?
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 2:23 am
by Steve Holmes
Imp Wagon wrote:Now here are a couple of photo's from the UK in the 1970's of an aluminium bodied, space-framed mini countryman built and raced by a guy called Ginger Marshall. It was actually powered by an Imp engine mated to a Mini 'box - ingenious! It was quicker than all the other BMC powered Minis and was a match for the Imps which by then were dominating the up to 1000cc categories.
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The countryman was not quite as bonkers though as the 850cc 2 cylinder BDA powered Fiat 500 (Bambina) affectionately known as "Mighty Mouse" which was raced in the UK in the 70's by Peter Day. I saw it race at Brands in 1978 and it sounded like a 4 cylinder that was down on 2 cylinders, but it could fly!.
Wow! Those are wild! I love British Super Saloons, some of the wildest, most creative saloon cars raced in that series. Good to see many are now being restored and used again.
Re the Mini Countryman, why did they build a Countryman over a normal Mini? Also, why a Mini at all, why not an Imp?
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 9:34 am
by John McKechnie
The same person, and the flames were scary.
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 9:34 am
by Imp Wagon
Steve Holmes wrote:Wow! Those are wild! I love British Super Saloons, some of the wildest, most creative saloon cars raced in that series. Good to see many are now being restored and used again.
Re the Mini Countryman, why did they build a Countryman over a normal Mini? Also, why a Mini at all, why not an Imp?
That's the Brits for you, anything to be a bit different!
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 9:40 am
by Milan Fistonic
Here's the front page of the Auckland Star dated Monday October 15, 1973. It's become rather discoloured but you should be able to see the severity of the damage to Peter's car.
Note also that he shared the front page with the announcement of Jackie Stewart's retirement.
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 10:01 am
by Rod Grimwood
Steve Holmes wrote:Amazing sequence of photos Milan. What a mess! Is this the same Stuart Lush who now races historic F5000s?
Same person. Greg Thornton has apparently bought the F5000 (McRae) off him to replace his cars he lost in shed fire in England. 2x F5000 and 2x F1 apparently.
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 12:52 am
by John McKechnie
Hi Milan,
Thats great adding off photos on the 2 incidents I mentioned.
Now, heres a biggy,-have you got the pic showing Jim Boyd at Baypark trying to slow down Barry Phillips Team Cambridge Mini by dropping it into low when he ran out of brakes-lot of wheel spinning and the fence................,once again, right in front of me.
Re: Minis and Imps
Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:45 am
by Ellis
A bit of a handfull I would imagine...Wodonga car
