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Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2014 10:32 am
by stubuchanan
Steve Holmes wrote:How cool is this! Ernie battles with a couple of wheels as he prepares to unload the Maserati. Tow car looks like a 1938 or '39 Ford. The single axle open trailer oozes character and the ramps are held in place by wire. What a brilliant photo! How much would this car be worth now?
Grant, any idea where this was taken?
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I think this may well be at Southbridge, Canterbury, in 1957, where there were 2 race meetings held, in June and December on a fairly rustic 4-mile-odd road circuit with about 1 mile unsealed surface! Probably December I think, the last "road" race held in NZ as distinct from "street" races (round the houses).
Where's his band of helpers, no-one to lug wheels around for him?
Stu
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2014 10:36 am
by stubuchanan
Hey! Where's the photo of the 4CLT! Go back to previous Page!
Stu
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2014 10:51 am
by Kwaussie
Here is a photo of Ernie's ex Parnell 4CLT in 2011 - please note the two spare wheels are still with the car!
http://www.geolocation.ws/v/W/File:Maserati%204CLT%20ex-Parnell.jpg/-/en
The V8 FORD tow truck.
Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 1:20 am
by T332
Steve Holmes wrote:This is a beauty! The Sprague Motors tow truck has just recovered an inverted VW Combi. Ain't that old truck just beautiful!
Compare this photo to that in Post 23. Its the same forecourt, but now a large corrugated iron tin shed replaces the old church that Ernie had Leo Leonard tear down.
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I have an idea that this Tow truck is or was in the RUSH collection, I was speaking to Tim Rushs Dad at RUAPUNA about four years ago and he had just driven up from the Timaru area after flying down from Palmy to pick it up where he had purchased it and it had been restored partly from memory and was in a Red shade.
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 11:26 pm
by paul lancaster
Steve Holmes wrote:This is a beauty! The Sprague Motors tow truck has just recovered an inverted VW Combi. Ain't that old truck just beautiful!
Compare this photo to that in Post 23. Its the same forecourt, but now a large corrugated iron tin shed replaces the old church that Ernie had Leo Leonard tear down.
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Hey grant, was that tow truck the one that lived at levels for many years, I remember that as a kid
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 4:59 am
by Grant Sprague
paul lancaster wrote:Hey grant, was that tow truck the one that lived at levels for many years, I remember that as a kid
Yep Paul same one ...... when we were kids at West school I can remember Leo picking us up in the wrecking truck and putting our bikes on the back , I do remember Ernie saying he bought the truck from Tepuke BOP .. & drove it back so that would be the mid to late 5os at a stab in the dark. Hey Paul did u ask Paul about our road trip to heat way in his new sss ????. Nice warm day to day in Tauranga hope you not too cold down there
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 10:39 pm
by Steve Holmes
OK, not sure why this is in the collection (Grant?) but its of great interest regardless. This is the Stanton Corvette, in one of its many guises, following a big hit. I know Morrie Stanton had a couple of big shunts in this car, one in which it was up-ended, at which time he stepped away from driving. Was this that shunt?
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 5:31 pm
by Grant Sprague
Steve Holmes wrote:OK, not sure why this is in the collection (Grant?) but its of great interest regardless. This is the Stanton Corvette, in one of its many guises, following a big hit. I know Morrie Stanton had a couple of big shunts in this car, one in which it was up-ended, at which time he stepped away from driving. Was this that shunt? I AM not sure Steve, but looks like one of those Timaru street race days
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Not sure Steve looks like one of those Timaru Street race days
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 7:02 pm
by Carlo
Think you will find that it was Waimate Grant, looks like the white horse on the hillside above the front of the ambulance cab.
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 8:09 pm
by Grant Sprague
You little detective Carl well done , I struggled with this , although I can not see the white horse on my PC it is probably correct, I only remember going to Wiamate once as a kid & that was when Ernie towed the Mk 111 down with pumpkin steering it on the end of a tow rope I was beside Pete [Pumkin] on a spare wheel I do remember that , & Jim Palmer or Roly growling at me for wanting their fizz bottles that were not quite empty lol
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 2:25 am
by Carlo
Grant Sprague wrote:You little detective Carl well done , I struggled with this , although I can not see the white horse on my PC it is probably correct, I only remember going to Wiamate once as a kid & that was when Ernie towed the Mk 111 down with pumpkin steering it on the end of a tow rope I was beside Pete [Pumkin] on a spare wheel I do remember that , & Jim Palmer or Roly growling at me for wanting their fizz bottles that were not quite empty lol
Murray McKissock in his white coat stands out in the photo, reckon Ray Egan and Gibby Aitcheson are in the shot too, don't know about the rest. Think it might be from around 1964 or 65. In 1966 it took out the shop window when turning off the main street at the end of the main straight
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 2:29 am
by Carlo
Think that it might be from around 1964 - 65 as in 1966 it took out Porters shop window on the corner at the end of the front straight. Can recognise Murray Mckissock in the white coat on the left and it looks like Ray Egan on the far right.
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 3:12 am
by John H
Steve Holmes wrote:OK, not sure why this is in the collection (Grant?) but its of great interest regardless. This is the Stanton Corvette, in one of its many guises, following a big hit. I know Morrie Stanton had a couple of big shunts in this car, one in which it was up-ended, at which time he stepped away from driving. Was this that shunt?
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I was on the back straight right opposite this car in a huge prang. I was at the end of the back straight on the old street track at Tauranga as it rode over the rear wheel of David Young’s little Cooper. I can still see in my mind seeing the complete underside of the car as it was launched into the air. Had it not rolled and bounced down the other side of the road it would have been very bad for spectators.
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 12:25 am
by Steve Holmes
OK, this is Ernie with his 1934/35 Alfa P3. He owned this car in the late 1950s, possibly just prior to buying the Maserati in 1957?
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 1:11 am
by Bryan
Was the Alfa P3 photo taken at the Mairehau track?
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:25 am
by Steve Holmes
I'm not sure sorry Bryan, I'm sure someone will be able to post the correct answer.
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:31 am
by Steve Holmes
Brilliant image here, which I assume is a publicity shot, either taken for a magazine article or advertising of some kind. Perhaps Todd Motors?
Anyway, thats Ernie on the left, and Leo Leonard on the right. Pictured are two pretty significant Charger race cars. The car in the foreground of Leo's massively successful E49, which dominated the 1972/73 Castrol GTX series. The white car is the 770 which Leo and Ernie shared in the Bensen & Hedges 500 race. I'm pretty certain this is the car they drove in the 1972 race, which finished second to team mates Jim Richards/Rod Coppins after a late pit stop for tyres and brake pads cost them time. If I'm right, and this is the 1972 770, then this is the car that later became the wild Graeme Addis Sports Sedan with the motor in the back.
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 4:21 am
by Grant Sprague
Bryan wrote:Was the Alfa P3 photo taken at the Mairehau track?
Sorry Bryan not certain
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 4:25 am
by Grant Sprague
Steve Holmes wrote:Brilliant image here, which I assume is a publicity shot, either taken for a magazine article or advertising of some kind. Perhaps Todd Motors?
Anyway, thats Ernie on the left, and Leo Leonard on the right. Pictured are two pretty significant Charger race cars. The car in the foreground of Leo's massively successful E49, which dominated the 1972/73 Castrol GTX series. The white car is the 770 which Leo and Ernie shared in the Bensen & Hedges 500 race. I'm pretty certain this is the car they drove in the 1972 race, which finished second to team mates Jim Richards/Rod Coppins after a late pit stop for tyres and brake pads cost them time. If I'm right, and this is the 1972 770, then this is the car that later became the wild Graeme Addis Sports Sedan with the motor in the back.
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Im sure the same E49 Gary & Leo shared at Bathurst . .... later sold to Bob Stewart in Tauranga then Gary did the next lot of super car races& winter series in it
Re: Photos: The Sprague Family Collection
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:41 am
by spinner32
Grant Sprague wrote:Im sure the same E49 Gary & Leo shared at Bathurst . .... later sold to Bob Stewart in Tauranga then Gary did the next lot of super car races& winter series in it
This E49 has lived in Oamaru for many years. I doubt that the owner will ever sell.
