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Re: Frank Gardners SCA Freight Camaro Restored
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 9:31 pm
by Spgeti
The attached photos of this car are just superb. The detail is really there for those of us into that sort of thing.
Shame I have not got the money and one can’t live in a car....
Re: Frank Gardners SCA Freight Camaro Restored
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 10:27 pm
by Steve Holmes
Spgeti wrote:The attached photos of this car are just superb. The detail is really there for those of us into that sort of thing.
Shame I have not got the money and one can’t live in a car....
I agree Bruce. The car was never really changed from how Gardner raced it in 1971, even though it ended up in Australia being campaigned in the Sports Sedan ranks. It only raced briefly as a Sports Sedan and then quietly put away. So although its been restored, there was very little to actually change, so its now presented as a really honest car, and something of a timewarp.
Re: Frank Gardners SCA Freight Camaro Restored
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 10:31 pm
by Steve Holmes
Ray Bell wrote:That would be the car which got the gearbox then...
Jane used it himself through 1971 IIRC.
That sounds right then Ray. Gardner did the deal with Bob Jane in early 1973 after he'd raced the Camaro in New Zealand and then in Australia. He'd already been racing his new second generation Camaro throughout 1972, but fitted with a small block Chevy 350. The big block 427 motor/box was fitted to the new car for 1973.
Re: Frank Gardners SCA Freight Camaro Restored
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 11:24 pm
by khyndart in CA
It was fun to watch this Camaro in action, especially when these two Australians, Brian "Yogi"Muir and Frank Gardner were racing at the same time. (Luckily there was no live on-board "mike" in 1973 !)
( Ken H )
Re: Frank Gardners SCA Freight Camaro Restored
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 11:38 pm
by Steve Holmes
Great clippings Ken. These two had some furious battles in the BSCC, beginning in 1970 when Gardner raced an ex-Bud Moore Trans-Am Mustang and Muir had an ex-Penske Racing Camaro.
Re: Frank Gardners SCA Freight Camaro Restored
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 11:58 pm
by Spgeti
Superb shots of the 2nd Gen Camaro. What rules did this race in Steve. Why I ask is that the bonnet is modified with a rear facing scoop.
Re: Frank Gardners SCA Freight Camaro Restored
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 12:37 am
by khyndart in CA
Bruce,
This was the 1973 RAC British Saloon Car Championship. Touring Cars class A-D.
Is this any help ? It certainly had a wide range of engine sizes and the big complaint of the day was the speed differences and you can see why !
You can read a bit about it here;
http://www.btcc.net/history/in-depth/1958-1990/
(Ken H)
Re: Frank Gardners SCA Freight Camaro Restored
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 12:52 am
by Steve Holmes
Spgeti wrote:Superb shots of the 2nd Gen Camaro. What rules did this race in Steve. Why I ask is that the bonnet is modified with a rear facing scoop.
Bruce, it was actually raced under Group 2 regulations, although these were obviously getting further and further offtrack throughout the 1970s. This is why its important to use the FIA date classifications when building a racing group around Appendix K regs.
Re: Frank Gardners SCA Freight Camaro Restored
Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2019 9:50 pm
by khyndart in CA
While messing around today I found the original slide I took at Silverstone July 1973 at the British GP Meet.
It gives an idea of how Becketts Corner looked back then as the Saloon Car race started.
(K Hyndman photo..)
This is a modern day clip of the same corner.(The grandstand is about where the red and yellow
Land Rover is in the top photo ..but a lot further back from the track !)
[video=youtube;OCIUhN61jEw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCIUhN61jEw[/video]
(We had more fun in 1973!)
Ken H
Re: Frank Gardners SCA Freight Camaro Restored
Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 10:08 pm
by Steve Holmes
khyndart in CA wrote:While messing around today I found the original slide I took at Silverstone July 1973 at the British GP Meet.
It gives an idea of how Becketts Corner looked back then as the Saloon Car race started.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]60422[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]60423[/ATTACH]
(K Hyndman photo..)
This is a modern day clip of the same corner.(The grandstand is about where the red and yellow
Land Rover is in the top photo ..but a lot further back from the track !)
[video=youtube;OCIUhN61jEw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCIUhN61jEw[/video]
(We had more fun in 1973!)
Ken H
Wow! Superb photo Ken. In the end Frank Gardner in the Camaro took the win, from David Howe in an AMC Javelin who finished just ahead of Jonathan Buncombe in an Escort. Muir in the BMW was out early with engine failure, while Dennis Leech pictured in the Mustang drifted back to 14th due to various issues.
Not sure if you recalled Ken there was a big shunt early in this race?
Re: Frank Gardners SCA Freight Camaro Restored
Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 12:58 am
by khyndart in CA
Steve,
The day was spoiled by the accident in that race.
Dave Mathews was in the Broadspeed Capri which had a slow start and is in about 7th position behind the white Escort. If you look closely you will see it is a LHD Capri and that is a factor that helped saved Dave's life.
You can read more at this site written many years later.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity- ... d-10523107
(Ken H)