Bucklers!

[Roger Dowding]

Re ; Carjam - It is quick I put in some number plates as a mate had " personalised " and had just put ordinary ones on,selling the car - it showed both plates and new one just issued the day before .
" Carjam yes - very inaccurate sometimes - often sports cars are saloons - so what else can be wrong - I am unsure how it works - does it get information directly for LTNZ or NZTA ?? I only have limited access which is usefull but as we know not perfect - "

Re TRS - it kept shutting me out but today seems OK>

[Roger Dowding]

A couple of Bucklers, some well known drivers and the Man in the Triumph had a Healey 100S at one time ..

Thanks to Milan Fistonic for this little Gem ..
There were four pages -have included the whole list including the GP cars - post now corrected

The Jim Ganley Ford 10 was /is the Jarvie bodied one that features in Howden Ganley's biography -
" The Road to Monaco "
- both he and Dad drove it at times , Dennis Ganley probably did too !!

May have to put some on the Austin Healey thread !!

[Allan]

That list is a veritable who's who of New Zealand motor racing in the 60s and 70s.

[Trevor Sheffield]

That list is a veritable who's who of New Zealand motor racing in the 60s and 70s.

The maximum speeds recorded are very interesting and clearly indicate the factor involving, car quality/driver ability.

[Roger Dowding]

From the Programme for the 1954 Ohakea Motor Races - images from Graham Woods - has been posted to David Montgomery who manages the Bucklers Facebook page. Thanks Graham.

[Roger Dowding]

Thanks to Graham Woods for the entry lists.

1963

See a few Mistrals in the entry and the Kato Special which had a De Joux like body as did some Bucklers

1958

Results from Milan Fistonic
Result: 1st Merv Neil (14), 2nd Ray Thackwell (30), 3rd Len Gilbert (33), 4th Ted Avery (23).

[Allan]

I note the prize money. In 1958 10 pounds would have been a weeks wages for some.

[Roger Dowding]

Put the Austin Healey pics on their thread - here are a couple of shots of a Buckler that attended - a well known car but I do not know much about it - others will.
Again " borrowed " pictures - as was back in the Bay..

Next event for me should be " Greerton Vintage Fayre " in a couple of weekends [ 16th March ]

The 90 with Elva OHV conversion on the Ford 10 motor - a popular choice back in the 1950's 60's ..

The 90 and a Jensen

[Oldfart]

I can't help myself! I have rescued another which had only 2 days before the scrap men arrived. When I was on my way home having negotiated the acquisition I did some research, to find that my car was the Buckler which Allan Staniforth cut his competition teeth in. Staniforth went on to become the designer of the Terrapin single seat cars, writer of a number of books on suspension design and tuning, and motoring journalist, let alone his achievements with the Terrapin(s) in British motorsport. He built the car, and a number of family photos, and such come with the car.
It doesn't look much like this now, but what a target. Picture is taken at Silverstone in October 1955.

[Paul B]

What a great and unique find! Is the car fairly complete? I would love to see some current pics.
Are you planning to restore?
Cheers

[Oldfart]

Yes Paul, fairly complete, but heavily damaged body. It had been part restored some years back. It came from a deceased estate. Photo of what I saw when I went there.

[Paul B]

The chassis looks pretty good, the body will be repairable with your fiberglass expertise. hopefully you gained a big box of parts with it.

[khyndart in CA]

Rhys,
I admire your skills and taking on this project. Let me know if you are searching for a particular part etc..
May this site be an inspiration to you from Argentina.

http://www.speedhunters.com/2016/11/pur-sang-argentinas-classic-auto-artisans/



(Ken H)

[Oldfart]

Ripley comment "Believe it or Not" we gathered 5 of us round the thing as parked among the brambles and thought we could lift/drag it out to the place where we would winch it onto the trailer. No we gave it a pull and it wheeled happily. Only issue was that the steering box is seized, so it travelled in a slight arc.
It's now a bare chassis, off for media blasting. As far as we can see there is one piece of chassis about 50 mm long to replace!

[Paul B]

Lucky with the chassis Rhys, I would love to see some progress pics as you go.
Cheers

[Roger Dowding]

Story added follow but this is 90/1 in 1974 when owned briefly by Peter Hill [ Peter now lives in Australia ].
Bart who now owns the car would like to know more !

The photo - given to Bart Jonkers - the current owner..

More to come !! " Oldfart " and Kelvin Brown both know a bit about the car - its early history is needed.

Bart wrote " Buckler 90 photo (90/1, 1974/1975)
Please comment if you recognize this car.
I am trying to trace the early history of my NZ Buckler 90/1 back to 1950s/1960s ownerships. I was able to contact the oldest confirmed NZ owner for my car, Peter Hill. Peter lives in Australia now and still writes about motoring as well as fiction. He gave me the attached photo of the car as he had it around 1974/1975 before selling it to Bruce Sutcliffe.
Peter tells me he was living in Auckland at the time and bought the car from a guy owning a repair garage. He confirms the car had a 100E Elva engine and the body colour was red. He does not remember a name for the repair garage owner.
As you see, the car has some distinctive features:
- A windshield with metal surround.
- A 'raised' hood scoop. The intake opening looks elevated above the hood plane.
- Widened wheels, but still E93A hubs.
- Chromed door hinges on the outside (so far only known only known on Ray Tyler and Dennis Lyndsey cars).
- Front indicators placed close to headlight buckets.
- Clearly visible pivot points for the front section.
- The front wheel arch looks very wide where it folds inwards.
It looks very similar to the Reed Buckler (but other wheels) and to the Ray Tyler car (but i believe that's accounted for).
Does this newly discovered 1974/1975 photo help in linking 90/1 to an early history?
"

and some more comment- Bruce Sutcliffe bought the car - paid for in kind .. he worked of the cost.
It saved the Car.

" The car was purchased for 400$ by Peter around 1974/1975. It was still running. He never got around to using it and a while later, Bruce Sutcliffe paid for it with new carpenting for Peter’s house! “

My own comment
" Which indicates Bruce Sutcliffe owned it 1975 on "..
"

A note by Kelvin Brown - a recognised expert of New Zealand owned Bucklers

" Bart great to see that early photo from Peter Hill. It has some distinctive features. One of the missing cars Mk.90/15 does have some compatible detail. It was raced by Doug Smythe in the 1960's era, out of Taranaki Car Club, but I have limited details so far. "

Looks like this now - photo from Bart Jonkers in Europe ..

[Roger Dowding]

Photo from Bart Jonkers - who owns 90/1 in Holland.
Unsure if this is connected with the Peter Hill photo from 1974/75 or not.

Any comment appreciated !!

[Roger Dowding]

Photo from Steve Sharp archives - at Pukekohe . comment on the photo
" Young Bruce Sutcliffe tending to his baby.**
Bart Jonkers may have already seen this one. "

According to notes I have Bruce owned it ** his baby in the 1970's -1975-ish ..

Bruce Sutcliffe well known in Buckler Circles [ owned a few ] and Bart Jonkers now owns this Car - which is in Holland.
The creator of this thread will know more than I do.

The year - not known - looking at the shorts early 1980's - I had those too !! Not a good look !

[ERC]

I swear Dale Mathers (Muscle Cars) still wears his!

2017 Leadfoot - paddock exit

[Roger Dowding]

Bart Jonkers who now owns 90/1 NZ Reg KA6377 - has been busy getting the car ready to use again - he took some time off work to get it in order.

This is what he wrote
" Soon back on the road. Or at least i’m pretty confident she’ll be running again before summer is over.
Due to a new job, I had very little time to work on cars over the past two years. But then I decided enough is enough. So I took a week of holiday, locked myself up in the shed and build up the car again in some 80 hours. Had to install the gearbox 3 times because an ‘expert’ promised me he had adjusted the clutch already. The clutch now has the 3 added springs for a total of 9, as recommended in some old Buckler literature. Happy to report that it actually does not feel bad at all, having to depress this 50% heavier clutch.
I have now seen oil pressure starting her w/o spark plugs. So now it’s only a matter of taking her off the jack stands and seeing if the engine will really start! I’ll be posting some new photos of the car on dutch roads soon. Below a photo I recently found of the car still in NZ. "

He found this image in a " Beaded Wheels " the NZ Vintage Car Magazine.
Stated to be at the Kairangi Hill Climb by Steve Sharp.

Apologies for the ..oops .. the NZ Registration in later years was KA6377 .. I need to check my typing and also the notes on my photos ..