The Roaring Season

Symmons Plains

Wow, what an amazing photo Ellis. The Monaro looks stunning! I assume this wasn't the Symmons Plains ATCC round? That was at the end of the season, by which time it would have been blue. Is it the same event as pictured above where he parked it in the armco?

John McKechnie wrote:Looks like it has Torque Thrusters, same as Beecheys HK and mine. Very popular mag wheel. Probably the only mag available then.

Yes, there wasn't too much choice in Australia. Mawer wheels and Simmons began to appear around this time. Minilites started to gain popularity in 1969, and even in the Trans-Am championship where everyone was using Minilites by 1970, several teams started 1969 on American Racing style wheels, including the Bud Moore and Shelby Mustang teams. Mag wheels were only for the wealthy teams. Most just used widened steel wheels.

Steve Holmes wrote:Yes, there wasn't too much choice in Australia. Mawer wheels and Simmons began to appear around this time. Minilites started to gain popularity in 1969, and even in the Trans-Am championship where everyone was using Minilites by 1970, several teams started 1969 on American Racing style wheels, including the Bud Moore and Shelby Mustang teams. Mag wheels were only for the wealthy teams. Most just used widened steel wheels.

Is this correct - didnt the first Geoghegan & Jane Mustangs run mags, hello Miles, what were they American Racing Torque Thrusters? The Beechey HK sure didnt run widened steel wheels, although the Beechey Muzzy did.

Steve Holmes wrote:Pete Geoghegan in the Super Falcon. This car is often referred to as a GTHO, but my understanding is that its not.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12925[/ATTACH]

Photo by Graham Ruckert Photography, taken at Surfers Paradise, Glyn Scott Memorial Trophy meeting, 27th August 1972.

Steve Holmes wrote:If only this one came with sound! Blast-off at Lakeside, 1970. Beechey lights up the bags as the Monaro squirms, while Geoghegan gets away much more cleanly, if less spectacularly! In behind Geoghegan is Chris Brauer in the ex-Jane Mustang that was destroyed here at Lakeside.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12466[/ATTACH]

Lakeside at the Australian Touring Car Championship meeting, July 1970. Beechey and Geoghegan lead the pack away from the start of the supporting trophy race. Photo by Graham Ruckert Photography.

Steve Holmes wrote:Brian Foleys beautiful little GTA lifts the inside front waaaaaaayyy in the air!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12609[/ATTACH]

Photo by Graham Ruckert Photography, taken in Lakeside's Eastern Loop, Australian Touring Car Championship Round 6, July 24th 1971.

Ellis wrote:http://www.carpartsandmore.com.au/mustang/improved_production04.htm

and

Ex Niel Allen etc Shelby for sale in USA 2012

It is interesting that this Mustang is still for sale over three years later.
See http://www.canepacollection.com/detail-1967-shelby-mustang-trans_am-used-5117120.html
Lots of photos, info etc there

They must want a very pretty price for it......

Also note the bonnet scoop it is wearing which it never had when raced in Australia, so how can it be passed as historically correct?

I vaguely seem to recall they were asking around US$300K for it Terry, but the site doesn't list prices anymore for some reason. As you know, people wanting to race sedans with period history in the US are all after old 1966 -72 Trans-Am cars so they can run in Historic Trans-Am. Although this Mustang is built to the same spec as many of the Mustangs in HTA, it has no Trans-Am history, and therefore, not eligible. You can pick up a privateer Trans-Am car for much less.

I guess the price tag is one of the reasons it hasn't returned to Aus either.

Steve Holmes wrote:Norm and Peter Manton discuss team tactics. Pete Geoghegan tries to look like he isn't listening in.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12340[/ATTACH]

Always wondered why Minis had bumper over-riders - now I know.

Steve Holmes wrote:I vaguely seem to recall they were asking around US$300K for it Terry, but the site doesn't list prices anymore for some reason. As you know, people wanting to race sedans with period history in the US are all after old 1966 -72 Trans-Am cars so they can run in Historic Trans-Am. Although this Mustang is built to the same spec as many of the Mustangs in HTA, it has no Trans-Am history, and therefore, not eligible. You can pick up a privateer Trans-Am car for much less.

I guess the price tag is one of the reasons it hasn't returned to Aus either.

Steve, even at USD 300K it wouldn't be unrealistic to return to Aussie. Although would have been much better when AUD was stronger.

I recall Geoghegan's went to Des Wall for AUD 330K (plus action premium probably 10%)

Yes I agree Terry, not completely unrealistic, and certainly on a par with other improved production cars.

mid-year wrote:I have also never seen a shot of the ZL-1,s engine bay when Cams forced Bob to re-configure the car as a Z-28 but I suspect it would have utilized the LT-1 aluminum valve covers as in the shot of the HQ . The steel covers in the unknown photo appear to be for a 327, unlike the 350 which had a different breather system.
Pete.

Given the Beechey stuff in the BJ collection, there's a famous car that ran the 58mm crossover Weber set up, which no one's picked up on, and that's the Nova. If the rocker covers are 327 style, that could make sense, too. The RF guard showing is a suitable colour to tie it in.
The only stumble is that engine, from memory, was a Traco & you'd expect their rocker covers to have replaced the pressed tin items.
Ken.

Yes! Good point Ken.

Steve Holmes wrote:The John Kay Indy Speed Shop Camaro. This car is still around, though much modified and baring little resemblance to how it looks here.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]14800[/ATTACH]

Several of these cars from this rough time period including Moffet's Mustang and the Sidichrome Mustang, among others, are sporting these distinctive mag type wheels. What were they, particularly the ones seen here on the Indy Speed Shop car?
Thanks.


Steve A

Slate wrote:Several of these cars from this rough time period including Moffet's Mustang and the Sidichrome Mustang, among others, are sporting these distinctive mag type wheels. What were they, particularly the ones seen here on the Indy Speed Shop car?
Thanks.


Steve A

I'm no expert here Steve but they look a lot like American Racing Standard Slots
http://www.ebay.com/itm/15X7-American-Racing-STANDARD-Mag-Wheels-Rims-Chevy-Ford-200S-Slot-Torq-Thrust-/181849021225

Originally posted by cavvy
Is this correct - didnt the first Geoghegan & Jane Mustangs run mags, hello Miles, what were they American Racing Torque Thrusters? The Beechey HK sure didnt run widened steel wheels, although the Beechey Muzzy did.

Beechey ran steel wheels... but not always...



This pic was taken in August '65 at Catalina Park.

Just to answer a few questions that have come up here, the introduction of alloy wheels to the Australian racing scene could be plumbed by following advertising and race reports.

And at the risk of wasting a lot of my own time, I did a bit of this, traversing RCN page by page from 1965 through 1967. Here are things I found:

Bob Jane was on alloy wheels, probably American Torque Thrusts, from the first outing of his Mustang in April. Peter Manton, and therefore probably also Brian Foley, had Minilites on his Mini by July. The Geoghegan Mustang debut was on August 29 and it was on Torque Thrusts.

Advertising from Hunter and Delbridge in the December, 1965, issue included their own brand of alloy wheels. They sold for £10 each, though by the February, 1966, issue they were up to £12 each. It wasn't general inflation, either, as their ad included disc brake conversions in both issues but their price didn't change.

These wheels were similar in pattern to Brabham wheels, they had rolled steel rims (just like you get on regular steel wheels) and I think these must be one of the type that had some kind of rivet to attach the rims.

The February issue of 1966 has an ad for Robbie Mac's Speed Shop in which alloy wheels are listed among their offerings, the following month Brian Foley Motors lists 'Mag alloy' wheels for Minis. In that same issue there's a classified for the Magnolia Climax sports car which mentions 15" cast electron wheels. This was a South Australian-built car.

Then the April issue sees the beginning of advertising from CC Tyres & Wheels for their Hi-Torque wheels, later called Road Runner Hi-Torque wheels. Like the H & D wheels, these have a regular rolled rim, but they seem to have a flange welded into them and bolts through from front to rear to join the alloy to the steel. They aren't very attractive, but were priced higher at £17.10.0 with a premium of £2 for chromed rims.

Then the surprise of it all... in that same issue there's an ad from Scotties and another from Modern Accessories with simulated alloy wheel trims, already there are fakes before the market is even gaining strength!

The June '66 issue has a picture of the new alloy wheels adopted by the Ford Works cars in England in the European Scene feature. In that issue's classified we see that Andrew Mustard (who had an Elfin WR375) offers Minilites in a wide range of sizes from 10" to 15".

Foley responded in the next issue by including Minilites for a wide range of models other than Minis while Lancaster Motors begins running an ad with a drawing of a Mini fitted with their 'Customag Wheel Trims' complete with 5-stud fitment!

An accessories feature in the August '66 issue sees Foley claiming to be the sole Australian agent for Minilites, Allspeed Performance Centre in Brisbane offering a large range of mag wheels, Dave Evans Racing Equipment (Brisbane) listing mag wheels, H & N Firth offering alloy wheels for Cortinas (POA), Neil Parkinson Performance Centre on the Gold Coast listing the CC Tyres Road Runner wheels and South Coast Wrecking at Southport offering magnesium wheels.

In an ad for the Buckle Monaco conversion in the September issue the photo shows a Brabham-style wheel that's almost certainly a one-piece cast alloy wheel. October's advance is from 'Woodpark Speed Equipment', not yet open and never to advertise again, who claim to be about to make GoCo mag wheels available.

In the November issue we see a pic of Norm Beechey in the Hillman Imp at Collingrove and the wheels look like Minilites to me. Mick Crampton begins advertising in that issue with the wording 'imitation magnesium wheels (actual castings) to suit Mini Minor' in their ad. Whatever that might mean.

By the December issue CC Tyres have their pricing of their Hi-Torque wheels from $32.95, possibly a minor price drop or possibly a smaller rim size or something. Mind you, none of these rims were very wide.

In February '67 there's the beginning of advertising for St George Imported Tyres in which they have mag wheels and 'mag centres for your rims'.

The July 30 meeting report has a photo of Beechey's Nova which appears to show him on alloy wheels, though later and earlier meetings show him on steel wheels. And in September there's a photo of Rusty French in a Chev Impala that also appears to have alloy wheels, but they aren't clear enough to say so with certainty.

Tasman Mags are advertised from the November '67 issue with alloy centres and regular rolled rims starting at $32.95 each, a month later CC Tyres makes a new advance with one-piece cast alloy wheels for Minis at $40 each.

Regarding the spun rims used on Simmons, Dale, Mawer etc wheels, these were around for ages. Ron Hopwood spun them for most makers in both steel and aluminium and even back into the fifties people like Ron Tauranac cast centres to suit.

Tony Simmons came up with his Hustler SC1 during 1968 and this had the first of his 8-spoke lightweight wheels using the Hopwood rims. The very first of these were prone to cracking on the outer part of the spokes and he quickly revised the patterns to put more material into them.

Somewhere along the way Big Dave told me the story about how he came to begin making the wheels that Mawer Engineering grew up on. I've forgotten the detail now, but I'd say it was late '69 at least before he got into the business.

Another variation on the them is the Mario Costa wheels out of Melbourne, these were used on the Cheetahs and their spinnings were made without a well to allow tyre fitting. The rims had to be split for tyre changes, they were alloy and very light.

I hope that gives some idea of how the scene changed from the mid-sixties to 1970 or so, it was certainly evident to all enthusiasts that alloy wheels were arriving even if they weren't on every second car on the road.

A couple of things on reading through this thread...

Kingsley Hibbard - he was an early Holden racer who retired for a few years. His return was in the Phase 3 days and he drove his car (probably that same yellow one) to Melbourne to run in the Sandown race. But he progressively pushed the envelope as he got closer and became the subject of a high speed police chase. He turned off the highway at Broadmeadow and tried to hide among the cars in the Ford car park but it didn't work.

That was as a Series Production car, the following year he turned it out as an Improved car as shown in the pics.

I always thought his body mods to the ex-Geoghegan Falcon were quite lacking in understanding of the stresses, and this is especially so seeing as the car had been given a good going over by John Joyce. So many mods were carried out that it carried a Bowin job number, I think it was the Bowin P7 but couldn't swear to that. It was in that form that it handled so well and it dominated the Oran Park ATCC round totally, with lap times previously unheard of.

But it wasn't only the handling, it was also the testing. Mick Lambert told me they spent a full day (or was it two days) at the circuit trying different things and in particular diff ratios. He couldn't believe it, they changed from one ratio to another, maybe it was 4.1:1 to 4.2:1, just a small change like that, and picked up over a second!

So what went wrong? The engine was cutting out in left hand corners, and there's a few of them at Oran Park. A comment was made that 'we always do a new wiring loom for all of our cars...' implying that something in the wiring loom, which they hadn't replaced, was amiss.

This was also the race where John Harvey really taunted Moffat. As Moffat came up to try to pass him after Jane had faltered, John would pull to the left of the straight and stick his hand out the window and wave him by. As he planted his boot into an engine that had much more grunt that Moffat could muster.

Originally posted by Steve Holmes
OK, who is driving the Plymouth?

There's a bit of a funny story about this car...

A few years ago I was living near Caboolture, north of Brisbane, and a local bloke had bought a similar car and intended to do a bit of street-dragging. He told me he went to the local motorcycle shop to get a helmet.

"As soon as I pulled up out the front," he told me, "the bike salesman came out and started raving about the car, that he had driven the one like it that Ash Marshall had imported from the wharf to Brookvale without registration."

In the meantime, he related, the various mechanics and so on from the shop came out and started lampooning the salesman. "He's always making up stories like that," they told the Plymouth owner. So he decided to let him keep on talking, he knew Ash Marshall and eventually the bloke would say something that proved either he was being truthful or bunging it on.

In the end he proved himself honest, the Plymouth owner asked him a question that could only come from someone who knew what it was all about and the mechanics etc retreated with their tails between their legs.

Having heard this story and recalling that Bob Levett, my flag-waving companion at Warwick Farm, and I used to always get the latest gen on Marshall and his doings from a workmate, I called Bob and told him about it. "Who was it that we knew who worked for Ash Marshall and kept us informed," I asked him. "That was Bruce's brother..."

So I phoned Bruce and learned that his brother was now on Bribie Island, only about 15kms from where the motorcycle shop. I had ascertained that the salesman had been a kind of hanger-on at Marshall's yard and had just happened to take the trip to the wharf the day the Ramcharger cars had arrived.

Marshall was unwilling to leave the cars on the wharf overnight and that's how he had come to drive the car back to Brookvale. I got the guys together, it was the first time they'd seen each other in forty years.

But getting back to Caelli and the subject Plymouth, he did run it for a few meetings, I think that included a Hume Weir, certainly a Calder and a Sandown, and he also drag raced it. Today the car is in WA and still goes drag racing.

Originally posted by Steve Holmes
Impressive Sports Sedan line-up at Adelaide in 1976. This is Round 5 of the Australian Sports Sedan Championship, the first year Sports Sedans were given a national championship by CAMS.

Looking at the first couple of rows, Frank Gardner is on pole with the Chev Corvair, while Allan Moffat is next in his Capri RS3100. Moffat had actually run his DeKon Monza during the first four rounds, winning three races, but with Ford upping its involvement again with Moffat, he parked the Monza and dusted off the Capri, which he already owned. Pete Geoghegan is the third car on the front row, in the Craven Mild Monaro, now fitted with its huge flare kit, and with its nose reverted back to an HQ, after months of battling CAMS to retain the HJ nose.

On the second row is Jim Richards in the Sidchrome Mustang, enjoying another good year in Australia, winning the Marlboro $100,000 series and finishing 4th in the ASSC. Next to him is (I think) Ian Diffen in the ex-Bob Jane Torana, while Vince Gregory, in the ex-Bryan Thomson V8 VW rounds out row 2.

Further back Tony Edmonson can be seen in the ex-John McCormack Repco Charger, while further back Garry Rogers Escort and Frank Ure's V8 Torana (I think) are also visible. Good days!

This was the debut race for the Gardner Corvair. It took pole and won, then won the remaining two ASSC rounds, and finished second to Moffat in the championship, despite only making three starts.

I think you'll find that's John Virgo's red Torana...

Frank Ure wasn't there at all.