The Roaring Season

Great hillclimb tyres....could do with some like that for the BCM today

I kid you not!!
This is from SSCC Bulletin No. 5 Sept - Dec, 1967. Vol.XVI
Page 7

For Sale
700 x 15 Continental Super Record, 25% worn. 2 only $16 each.
550 x 15 Continental Monza Racing type, 50% worn. 2 only $10 each.
John Reid
Box 63 Gore.

Kwaussie wrote:I kid you not!!
This is from SSCC Bulletin No. 5 Sept - Dec, 1967. Vol.XVI
Page 7

For Sale
700 x 15 Continental Super Record, 25% worn. 2 only $16 each.
550 x 15 Continental Monza Racing type, 50% worn. 2 only $10 each.
John Reid
Box 63 Gore.

Put that in perspective with earnings, I was being paid $32.16 per FORTNIGHT after tax in 67, so that is not far off a month's wages for me.

Agree O/F, I should have referenced to Chris Read's post # 21 - that John Reid had owned the BCM Special and the tyres advertised were from the BCM Special that Chris now has..

Photo taken at Pukekohe by my dad. Probably 1964 ?
Lovely profile of the ( un-numbered spare car ? ) BRM

What a great photo of one of my favourite cars of the era.

A favourite of mine too. Note the slicks as I am pretty sure they initially raced with treaded tyres on the P261!

I have this vague recollection of the Tasman rounds being used as trial of slicks. Now the years have passed but does anyone else remember such things? A bit like Lotus trialling Firestones?

Oldfart wrote:I have this vague recollection of the Tasman rounds being used as trial of slicks. Now the years have passed but does anyone else remember such things? A bit like Lotus trialling Firestones?

There is something not quite right with that photo. Both the BRMs were in the showroom at Seabrook Fowlds at the top ot Symonds street when I worked there. I sat in the Hill one very comfortable but the Stewart one he had blocks of wood on the pedals so he could reach them I guess. Slicks mmmmmmm dosn't just seem right to me.

Thats very interesting John ? Note the treaded tyres on the ground at left.
Those tyres on the car appear to be Goodyear's. I cant' be sure if it is '64 but it must be somewhere close to that.
I honestly hadn't realised the car was on slicks !

John H wrote:There is something not quite right with that photo. Both the BRMs were in the showroom at Seabrook Fowlds at the top ot Symonds street when I worked there. I sat in the Hill one very comfortable but the Stewart one he had blocks of wood on the pedals so he could reach them I guess. Slicks mmmmmmm dosn't just seem right to me.

Aha !
I was just having a good look at the original BRM photo and I can make out tread grooves on the nearside rear wheel.
The camera angle makes the narrow grooves look almost invisible and the scan didn't really show this well enough.
You can only see the treaded tyre on the ground because of the angle it is on.

Hey John , that was quite a unique opportunity you had being able to sit in Hill's car and get the feel of it.
Not many people could say they have done that ! Quite a memory - we are jealous
In that day ,drivers were mostly "down to earth" ( attitude / ego with some exceptions ) and certainly more approachable than today.I recall Chris Amon saying that during the Tasman series on a rest day at Levin he had Jackie Stewart come over and mow Chris's mother's lawn !

John H wrote:There is something not quite right with that photo. Both the BRMs were in the showroom at Seabrook Fowlds at the top ot Symonds street when I worked there. I sat in the Hill one very comfortable but the Stewart one he had blocks of wood on the pedals so he could reach them I guess. Slicks mmmmmmm dosn't just seem right to me.

Lots of stories back to the spare BRM. I can remember that Robbie Francevic, or LRA Brownlie were reported to get a drive. Don't think either got their backside into one, but maybe Robbie had a drive?

Jeff wrote:Hey John , that was quite a unique opportunity you had being able to sit in Hill's car and get the feel of it.
Not many people could say they have done that ! Quite a memory - we are jealous
In that day ,drivers were mostly "down to earth" ( attitude / ego with some exceptions ) and certainly more approachable than today.I recall Chris Amon saying that during the Tasman series on a rest day at Levin he had Jackie Stewart come over and mow Chris's mother's lawn !

Yes it was. As I really dig deep into the memory it was just amazing how it went. To think those 2 F1 cars were sitting in an open showroom with just a small sign saying do not touch. The hotel is the now on the site where the original old Seabrook Fowlds buildings were. The 2 BRM’s arrived on an open truck in the top car park. I was a teenager sales cadet. No one seemed to be in charge and as they had to be wheeled down into the showroom I just hopped into the Hill car as they pushed and then I rolled down through the labyrinth of passageways down to the showroom. 50 years on I have never felt more comfortable and at home as I did in that car. As I climbed out some mentioned I looked the part. I know I did!! I guess someone else did the same with the Stewart car. The Hill car looked a bit shabby and well used. The Stewart car had a tartan seat and as I say had wood blocks about 2 inches to extend to the pedals. I am sure that year he just followed Hill at the GP into 2nd place. At around that time I was also sent to collect the team manager. One Chrighton – Brown or similar double barrel name. A pleasant enough guy who I fired questions at the whole way. He said Chris Amon was far too young to drive an F1 Car.
Don’t ask me about the movie I went to see last week as I've forgotten but this BRM story is all still very clear.