The Roaring Season

may be but never drove at 120 mph with a trailer!!!!

This thread seems to have run into a brick wall.

It sure has. I think we have all given up trying to decipher the hints and inuendos of Mr Custaxie. What I would like this gentleman to do is to start with a clean sheet and a clear head, and tell us in PLAIN ENGLISH, that we can all understand, his involvement with THE Custaxie......not the replica...the REAL thing. Despite what you say custaxie50, you have NOT told us all that you claim to have....you keep telling everyone that you have 'posted on roaringseason. Well I think I am reasonably educated, and apart from a few hints, nothing of any substance has appeared on these pages. If you do put pen to paper, you will be our hero, as another important piece of the life of THE Custaxie will be down on paper for posterity. Do you think for the sanity of all the contributors to this thread that this is possible?? You could perhaps start with the day you saw the car for sale, then its purchase, your time with it, maybe some mechanical specifications, and lead up to the time you sold it....perhaps you can remember who you sold it too, and even the price you got for it, and it's condition when you sold it. All of this guff is priceless information to future owners. We don't care if maybe you wrecked it for instance, times were different back then and we didn't appreciate history like we do now. So it's up to you Sir......and remember, PLAIN ORDINARY ENGLISH.........I ain't holdin me breath.

kiwi285 from cambridge--you are talking about the custaxie is that right- if so like i have said before-we need tony krilitech to come on to this thread ,and have his say on how this car was made up.there has to be more out there who know about the old girl.brian north usa has put something up which is not on the roaring season,if you look on the net you will see what he has put up about the custaxie.

your back-SHIT- what does he want to know now---you are fishing again AMCO72--can i have a minute to go outside and look for a wall to clear my head--be back soon----do you think i could find that brick wall--no-so i tried kicking the cat-missed the cat hit the side of the house and fell over-SHIT-right back-now lets see what he wants today- give me a minute-shit-where is that beer i just had-good thank god for that because i will need it today.i reading what you what to know,MY INVOLVEMENT THE REAL THING-THE DAY I SAW THE CAR FOR SALE THEN ITS PURCHASE--MY TIME WITH IT-THE MECHANICAL SPECIFCATIONS TIME I SOLD IT--AND EVEN THE PRICE YOU GOT FOR IT--FUTURE OWNERS--FOR WHAT THE REAL THING IS GONE--YOU SAY--NOW-NOW AMCO72 YOU ARE STARTING TO FISH AGAIN-I THINK -AGAIN MOST OF WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW IS OUT THERE DEAR--SHIT-NO- SIR-WILL THIS DO FOR TODAYwheres that beer gone must be outside with the cat-all the best to you-CUSTAXIE50.

Goodness me......how do I reply to that tirade? Well frankly I'm not going to. You've beaten me Custaxie....I give in. Just as well I wasn't holding my breath!!!!!

Did someone leave the nuthouse door unlocked again?

ITS ALL OUT THERE,GO LOOK FOR IT.

SHANO--JOURNEYMAN RACER WHATS THAT -BOY OR GIRL

CUSTAXIE50 wrote:SHANO--JOURNEYMAN RACER WHATS THAT -BOY OR GIRL

[color="#0000CD"]Keep right on posting mate, then you might just need to ask yourself the same question!!... BTW, I asked my mate again if he could recall the new owner of the "CUSTAXI II", he did tell me, but damn, its slipped my mind again....[/color]

CUSTAXIE50 wrote:....brian north usa has put something up which is not on the roaring season,if you look on the net you will see what he has put up about the custaxie.

An interesting post on another forum from 2008 that's worth copying here:

Hi,
I have just happened onto this website and found your quotes and attached photo of Robbie Francevic's "Custaxie". The most interesting things about this story / photo for me are; (1) The Custaxie was originally built in my workshop at Owairaka Autos, in Mt. Albert, and (2) I am also the person in that photo, the one working on the Custaxie over by the right front wheel.

Almost all of what you have said previously is correct, and Tony Kriletich was definately the "brains" behind this whole project.

The stories realted to this car are numerous, but here are just a few facts you might like to know about how it came about.

Firstly, the 427 was originally brought into NZ by the Urghart ?Brothers (Coventry Motors was down in Albert St at that time) as a "Marine" motor - as the Import Duties on all AUTO parts at that time was HUGE - whereas "Marine" items incurred no Import Duty. The 427 was initially installed into a ski-boat and run up and down the Waitamata Harbour for a while, this to ensure we met the "letter of the law." The 427 was then removed from the boat, stripped, reworked and prepared for its new life in the Custaxie and on the racing circuits of NZ.

As for the famous Custaxie itself - the old 1955 Customline was totally stripped, all the better to build all the new suspensions, brakes and other mods required. The body itself (from the firewall back) had 2 x Five inch square holes cut in the lower, outer front edge of the firewall - with matching ones in the rear seat walls. The body (which normally sits on TOP of the chassis) was then "threaded" back onto the 5 inch box chassis of the Customline from ther rear - and then bolted up onto the chassis from underneath. The instant effect was to lower the whole body by about six inches - thus minimize the frontal area without losing any of the internal height - as Robbie was a very tall boy - and so we needed all the head-room we could get.

We expected BIG things from those E-Type Front Disc brakes we had managed to procure - but the truth was (although we never told anyone at the time) they never did work very well at all - and it was only because of Robbie's talent and determination that he managed to keep the "Beast" on the island as much as he did (although he did manage to have a few excursions off during the season ;-)

That same photo also has a "Breadvan" Angila next to it, I believe - and it could even be Jack Nazer's old Yellow Submarine. We also took over that vehicle after Jack had rolled it (down at Levin, I think it was) and, when Jack's wife then would not let him drive any more, we took it over, rebuilt it and then Robbie raced that one for us too for a season.

At that same time we were also sponsoring Brian Marshall in his Owairaka Auto's A 40 Farina - as Brian worked for me at that time too. We were also the tow team for Jimmy Clark and Lotus in those "heady" days too - as our "Owiraka Autos" racing colour scheme and trailers perfectly matched the Lotus colour scheme at that time too - and, with John W. Andrew being the Ford agent (Lotus Ford) - all preparation was done down at their facilities. We were close friends with that company too and so it was a tight little group.

I have numerous stories about Jimmy Clark, Jackie Stewart, Jim Boyd and others, but won't go off there right now - other than to say I was there when Jimmy Clark was offered a drive in the Lycoming by Jim Boyd. Since Clark had even driven F 700 Ford trucks around tracks (there was nothing he wouldn't drive) he accepted - and off he went. On the second lap, Jimmy Clark equalled Boyd's BEST time ever at Puke - and so as Jimmy Clark came around for the third lap (and well inside Boyd's best time ever) Jim Boyd jumped up and ran out into the middle of the track and waved Jimmy Clark to immediately stop - and this before Clark had finished that record setting third lap too. For me, that was both Jimmy and Jim at their "raging" best. Shortly after that I actually ended up marrying the new receptionist from Boyd's office.

Of all the memories of have of that time, I must say the joy of working with Tony Kriletich and Robbie Francevic were the highlights for me. Tony was a "brilliant" self-taught designer / engineer and yet very humble about his achivements and still willing to listen to other points of view too.

I consider Robbie to be a very generous, a very special person. I have seen times when he should have been getting ready to race or help resolve a "problem" and yet he would take the time to meet and talk with young children (or other similar "non-business" and/or "relatively unimportant" people) and yet he would give them his virtual undivided attention. This was, indeed, a rare gift I have seldom seen in other people - especially in celebrity icons like he became - and this is from someone who used to travel 200 days a year, six times around the world a year - and so I have seen and met many, many people - but have still never seen someone as generous with their time as Robbie was with his. In fact, I have tried to emulate Robbie's humility, manners and mannerisms into my own life - but I just know I have not come close to doing like he did then.

One final story - and it concerns the old "Tune - Meister," Ted Thompson. Ted was virtually deaf - and always walked around with his "Listening Scope" around his neck. Whenever you asked Ted anything, you would usually have to repeat it several times to get him to understand it properly. One day he came into Maxted Motors (I used to work there too before starting Owairaka Autos) to collect a jon we were doing for him. When Ted asked how much - we "whispered" you can have this one for FREE. Tes immediately said, Thanks very much, picked up the job, tuned on his heel and walked out. The loss of income we suffered has surely been made up by all the laughs we have had on that one instance since - and here I am nearly 45 years later still getting value from it.

I LIVED for motor racing at that time and so, when I moved to California in 1982 - I was sure I would attend many race meets up here. In 25 years, however, I have not attended one meet - with the only exception being I sometimes attend a "Classics" Race Day over at Coronado - where all the "Oldies and Goodies" strut their stuff. I guess its like they are almost taking me back to the era we are talking of here.

Not sure how this transmits - so if you do want to contact me on anything here - you can get me at

mailto:?subject=&body=

Blessings to YOU

Brian North

Gee i am glad i missed this lot, I have been fishing (real fishing on a boat, rod and hooks etc) and got as much as has come out in the last 24hr. nothing.
If it nots constructive and is so precious to you Custaxie50 please just keep it to yourself, no one is trying to brain wash you or trick you into anything, so lets just drop it and we can all move on in a little more sane manner.

A pity that one of NZs most famous and treasured allcomer saloons has turned into this. I don't think it was rebuilt for this, but was rebuilt because it was a genuine bit of NZ motorsport history. Lets stay with this, the history, the car.

Brian..THANK YOU for a great post...

bry3500 wrote:Brian..THANK YOU for a great post...

Brian probably won't hear you.
As I tried to explain at the top of my post, Brian's letter was posted on another forum back in 2008.
I just tracked it down, based on the 'heads-up' from Custaxie50, and copied it here.
I've gone back and italicized the text. Sorry for the confusion.

Malcolm.

sit down- think why did custaxie50 say that to me-think about it.shit its what i put up first.NOW look at this this way i had the real custaxie first, that was made in 1966-not some look a like car.they say going first is best, its not the first lap its the last one that counts. thanks for your first in put about where the car is-all the best to you- but i think your mate and you ,do not know the new owner at all- if you did you would have put this up by now.ps its called CUSTAXIE II.

Wow was Ted deaf or not?/me and my mate used to go up to his place quite a bit we had ford ten spec sports cars we drove petrol takers for standard vacumn{mobil} he had this two tone 39 coupe at one stage fitted 8 amull?carbs then he was buildig a speciall with 2 lawrence?? starter motors of a flying boat i thinkover 50yrs. ago but my best mem. was ostridge road when he broke the record he said i left in 2nd all the way and just reved it..i often what it went to certanly a clever man

ALL THE POWER TO YOU, ALL THAT YOU HAVE PUT UP YOU GOT FROM THE HAMB OVER THE NET,ITS A GREAT STORY THAT BRIAN PUT UP ABOUT THE CUSTAXIE.I HAVE TALKED TO BRIAN NORTH USA OVER THE NET ABOUT THE CUSTAXIE,I ASKED HIM WHAT DIFF WAS IN THE CAR.-I KNOW ROBBIE ONLY TO TALK TO BECAUSE OF THE CUSTAXIE ,AND I HAVE FIND HIM ALLSO TO BE A TOP MAN WHO GIVES HIS TIME TO TALK TO YOU ,AS I SAID A TOP MAN FROM THE OLD SCHOOL.

You are correct about Robbie - Top Man.
If you are talking to him ask about when Alan Moffat showed him how to fix the rear suspension on his Lotus Cortina.
Great story!

come on kwaussie dont be like that,come on tell your story about robbie and alan moffat ,and tell nz about ourself get on the thread have your say, have some fun have a laugh.

Powder wrote:Brian probably won't hear you.
As I tried to explain at the top of my post, Brian's letter was posted on another forum back in 2008.
I just tracked it down, based on the 'heads-up' from Custaxie50, and copied it here.
I've gone back and italicized the text. Sorry for the confusion.

Malcolm.

Ah yes.. should of said thank you Malcolm for a great post