The Roaring Season

khyndart in CA wrote:Roger,
With those wide front wheels and double over riders, did you use the Mini for starting the midgets at Western Springs ?
That's a real "chic magnet" mate.
Where is the steering wheel ? Sorry I forgot that I am the one that lives where you drive on the "Parkway" and park in the driveway !

KH

Ken H, funny you should say that push car at the Springs, those double Over-riders helped save the car one day up near Matapouri, Northland as i slid around a bend on a metal road and went front first into an earth bank.
That car got quite modified with twin SU carbs, a Cooper exhaust manifold, the pressed steel one, and a Rob Williams special exhaust with a Massey Ferguson Tractor Muffler [ no sales tax - agricultural equipment - before the GST regime ] with the baffles knocked out. The interior dash was modified too !!
The partially blacked out grille and the little stripe helped it go faster .. Tui ad Yeah Right !!.

The Fergie muffler look



The Dash with Barnacle brand " Oil Gauge and Ammeter" , Smiths Temperature Gauge and a Smiths Tach



Just noticed the foot operated " Dip Switch ", not to be confused with " Dip Stick " that is either under the bonnet or the guy behind the steering wheel..

Chick Magnet - well the jury still out on that, however prior to having " A Car " very hard to get a good night out," meet you at the bus stop in town " did not work

Father of a friend of mine way back in the day, bought his daughter a Mini. Father reckoned you couldn't get up to much mischief in the back of a Mini, and we all know the answer to that Another I know bought his daughter an MX5 for the same reason a few years back.

Oldfart wrote:Father of a friend of mine way back in the day, bought his daughter a Mini. Father reckoned you couldn't get up to much mischief in the back of a Mini, and we all know the answer to that Another I know bought his daughter an MX5 for the same reason a few years back.

Rhys, have owned both, 4 Mini's over the years and one MX5 - didn't do me much good,except to confirm that the first Mini was used for a bit " Couch Rugby " as they called back it in the day

Roger Dowding wrote:My Mini, never raced just thrashed,although did drive around Pukekohe to get to the Flag Marshall point - never realised until then how tight the hairpin is
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47865[/ATTACH]

Are those wider wheels on the front? Did that on my 36 Austin 7 once - only once - made for "interesting" handling......

Milan,
You must have been close to Bruce Blacklock when you took your photo although the Ferrari is facing the other way.
Milan, I just wanted to say thank you for all your accurate race record keeping, photos and memories from back in this era where one could wander among some of the greatest drivers of all time. Also many thanks to Ross Hollings, Ross Cammick, Nigel Watts, Ray Green etc. for bringing all your images to us at no charge. I for one truly appreciate all the effort and time you and many others have taken and shared on this forum. I wish I had taken more photos at the time instead of trying to race who ever I could back over the Kaimais or Pukekohe to Morrinsville in my Anglia. ("Wannabe" race drivers don't walk around with cameras !)

(Bruce Blacklock photo )


(Milan Fistonic photo. Levin. Jan. 15. 1966.)




(Ken Hyndman )

Thanks for the kind words Ken. My record keeping is really just a matter of never throwing anything away. Much to the despair of some people.

It certainly was great being able to get up close to the famous drivers we had out here in those days. I wish I had taken many more photos but photography was not cheap and easy like it is today with digital gear.

I notice the Brabham is registered - I assume the FB630? is the rego number. Does that mean it's road legal.....?

I second Ken's post, Milan. It's great to have all that stuff to hand. We had it good in those days - I only wish I had a better camera than my trusty Zenit 3m and could afford colour film....unfortunately all my records (incl, 10yrs supply of Motorman. Road & Track, Autonews, etc) where burned by a relative who was meant to be keeping them in storage, 20 yrs ago........her son wanted the tea chests to grow dope plants inside......!

Cars were registered in those days as E Class A ,which was basically a farm registration for tractors etc to use the public roads.A lot of hillclimbs and race meetings,[like Waimate and Renwick],were on public roads so had to carry a plate and be E Class A registered to cover them for liability .
Few years back looked at a BMW 2002 for sale in Tauranga and the guy had it registered E Class A,never been picked up,dont know what would have happened if he had an accident and made a claim!!

post #10 fire, looks like the Nazer Cortina Lotus accident. the body shell actually ended up at Waikaraka Park when Ron Kendall put Lotus engine from his little 100e in it. never could get it to handle as well as 100e. scrapped it after only few races.

I spoke to Jack at length about his early cars this year
He said that until I told him about it being a Waikaraka park car, he never knew where it ended up. Never thought it could be used again as body would be too weak after the fire....... like a certain Capri .

Rod, did the Cortina end up on speedway as well as the fastback Anglia. I know for certain the Anglia was on a stockcar running at Rotorua.

seaqnmac27 wrote:1966, #3 is Dennis Marwood, 4 is Frank Gardner

Thank you

SPman wrote:Are those wider wheels on the front? Did that on my 36 Austin 7 once - only once - made for "interesting" handling......

SPman the wide front wheels !!, I saw it first on a Mini that was racing, even remember seeing one with the wides on the back, no idea why, ?? - although when I ran the second Mini with 4.5 inch Dunlop " reverse rim " Cooper style wheels, in car trials use to use the standard rims with 145 x 10 mudgrip tyres,they really cut through the shingle !!