Rod Coppins

[Bruce302]

Great photos guys, thanks Mark, Stu and Ross.

Right or wrong, I have always thought of 141 as being Rod's number. I know he used other numbers, and others used 141.

[Rod Grimwood]

Thanks Stu, the Chev Coupe in your bottom photo was later sold to my father in law Barry Pointon - less motor and box, as the Chev V8 from the coupe, originally from the TecMec, went into Rods Zephyr. After Barry raced it, and heavily modified it, he sold it to Ron Sylvester who ran it for many years, and Grant Sylvester still has it today.

This must have been not long after Ron got the Coupe, looking at the paint work which became more silver with red guards. This was and still is a neat beast.

[fullnoise68]

Excellent photos Rod. When Barry had built it to this stage, prior to selling it to Ron who continued developing it, Bob Ferabend, brother of stockcar legend Sam Ferabend, had hand fabricated an aluminium bonnet, bootlid and door skins to try to loose some weight. Keith MacGregor built a pretty strong 327 Chev engine, coupled to a Super Snipe 4spd gearbox.He also adapted Wolseley 6/110 discs/calipers all round with two brake cylinders to help stop it. Just prior to selling the coupe, both Barry and Rod Coppins ran the car at a meeting at Puke where it was timed at 144 mph at the 200 yard braking point on the back straight.

[Steve Holmes]

Good stuff guys, I love these pre-war coupes! Just a quick question, one of the racing annuals from 1966 said Ron destroyed his Chevy coupe during the 1966 season when he rolled it, and that he replaced it with another. Was this actually the case, or did he rebuild it? Or was the car he bought off Berry the replacement for it?

[Rod Grimwood]

Coupe in new colours. Believe at some stage it caught fire in the carbs, and Ron fitted extinguishers to rear in case of repeat. Have a look at back shot.

[Kudu]

Hey Scott, was it owned by Rod personally, or by Rod Coppins Motors or Coppins and Coley Motors?

Hi there,
No i was not lucky enough to have it owned by Rod personally, so its not an ex racer. It just went through the hands of Rod Coppins Motors. (....as many hundereds of cars out there did I am sure) Its just neat to have even a little link though.

[Kiwiboss]

Steve Elliott, Bruce Thompson with Rods only daughter Toni Coppins receiving there "Rod Coppins Award" trophys at the DH Festival.

Photos by Warwick Clayton

[fullnoise68]

Hi there,
No i was not lucky enough to have it owned by Rod personally, so its not an ex racer. It just went through the hands of Rod Coppins Motors. (....as many hundereds of cars out there did I am sure) Its just neat to have even a little link though.

Hi Scott, if you email me your details to mailto:?subject=&body=, I`ll send you an original Rod Coppins Motors rear window decal for your Torana.

[Bruce302]

I used to go to Rod's car yard and "test drive" the hot cars. I probably wrung the neck of that Torana at some time.

[John McKechnie]

Bruce-Did you wring the neck off your purchase or did others do that before you?

[markec]

[markec]

[Bruce302]

Yes I did John, Even got chased by a cop down Chinamans Hill who finally caught me at that little gas station in Kingsland. He wasn't happy.
Bruce.

Bruce-Did you wring the neck off your purchase or did others do that before you?

[Bruce302]

Thanks Mark, He achieved a lot in his time racing, and made many good friends.

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[John McKechnie]

Understand aforementioned cop was pissed off with you because-
1-brakes on these cars non existent and took you a long time to slow down and stop
2-only caught you because you stopped to let a little old lady cross the road.
3-He was on one of those little 2 stroke shitboxes, that would make anyone unhappy.
4-He would rather have been driving this car with his siren on.
5-you had hit top speed and was slowing down and didnt even know he was there-happened to me once
6-your own reasons................
7-he probably sat there all the time outside Rods Car sales catching test pilots and missed getting you all the other times.
8-you only stopped at the gas station to fill up, not for him
Hey this is fun-anyone else want to add.

[fullnoise68]

Not bad for someone that`s `flat out' this week!

[Bruce302]

#8, as you know there is very little gas in the tank on used car yards, I needed more for an extended drive, but I did buy the car.

Bruce.

8-you only stopped at the gas station to fill up, not for him

[John McKechnie]

Thats the reason for stopping , BUT-why were you nabbed??????????????
and.........why was the cop pissed-did he want to buy the car instead???????????

[Bruce302]

Too fast down Chinamans Hill...........He didn't want to see me in his patch ever again.

Thats the reason for stopping , BUT-why were you nabbed??????????????
and.........why was the cop pissed-did he want to buy the car instead???????????

[stubuchanan]

Steve, if you think the photo is cool, what about the T shirt Rods racing in!

That was part of the James Dean image from the 1950's -

"You know he always got an extra pack of cigarettes,

Rolled up in his T-shirt sleeve"

It was considered very cool when I was a teenager.

Stu