The Roaring Season

taking the Monaro to Hampton Downs today for test run.
Weather is clearing 11 am onwards.
HMC Monaroman Brett is having a run also...should make for a good photo shoot.

Went out there and gave Roger Davis and my son Dennis some laps of the inside track area.
Then went out and did 6 laps...all good
Clouds then dumped rain on us for an hour, so came home.
Car has double thumbs up for the TACCOC on the 14th October.
Monaro felt beautiful to drive, non power steering, leaves the Torana and Falcon for dead as far as easy on the track.
Naturally some minor things to take care of in the meantime

Custom Card Camaro was also at the track yesterday, but wet weather shut down any chance of a photoshoot of the duet.
Last time they were at the track together was Pukekohe 1975.
Doesnt that say it all about Historic racing and the REAL cars.
BTW....Manfied will have the best field of GENUINE Escorts seen on the track all together in a long time

any photos Johny boy, love that car

Rod, until the issue of missing pix and this site being unsafe is resolved - wont be posting pix.
October 14 TACCOC will be a blast, make sure you have your cameras there as the cars last came together in 1975.
Saw in the latest Petrolhead- Jim Richards HT Monaro now re-enginded, gearboxed,and diffed.Apparently he raced it twice. Rego was the same. Nothing like in depth reporting

This Saturday October 14 TACCOC is hosting HSS at Hampton Downs.
The Team Cambridge Monaro is entered for racing as an Invited Allcomer with the Historic Sports Sedans.
For the first time since 1975 it will be at the race track with the Custom Card Camaro and the Coppins Firebird.
Best thing will be another memorable car from our past will be on the track where it should be seen....not as a display or as land fill.
Special thanks to Bruce and Tony for wanting to make this happen.
Ken in L.A.- got your passport...do you want to be picked up at the airport, what will the Boss and Work Boss say......?

John,
I truly would love to attend and be there for this auspicious occasion. Perhaps at another time. All the best and stay safe.
Cheers,
Ken

Woke up this morning at 4.30 , am so excited about running the Monaro.
Spent yesterday afternoon with Bruce taking the XA Coupe and the Firebird out to HD- thanks Elton for stating late so we could get the cars into the garage..
Reality hit yesterday when i saw what traffic is like going though East Tamaki, Manurewa, Takanini on the suburban roads. Took 2 hours to get from Bruces to HD. I am so spoilt working from home
At about this moment, Angus should be saying farewell to Austin, -my guys watched me get up but didnt want to get up for an early morning walk..their time is next weekend for the NZ Agility champs at Kihikihi -and he should arrive at 7am with the Monaro for scrutineering.
Craig was really buzzed yesterday with getting the Zephyr Corvette out- I have 2 genuine Molyslip stickers from 1968 for the car.
We hope to do the photo shoot of the cars at lunchtime around shed 21
For a one day meeting this seems to be more exciting than the Festivals.
Hope everyone out there has a great time
The other night I got back home at 11pm from walking the dogs, message on the answer phone...was waiting for the message, instead of a voice, it sounded like the space shuttle taking off.
When my ears were recovering I could faintly hear Angus telling me that he had changed the faulty spark plug, lowered the fuel pressure and didnt the 327 sound better.... Thanks mate, slept better that night and the birds didnt wake me.

Legendary line-up at Hampton Downs today. Angus Fogg photos:

It was a near perfect day at Hampton Down. I can't think of anything negative so it may well have been a perfect day.
Caught up With Paul B and his wife Bibby, and had some great long chats, So neat to hear stories of cars being thoroughly well researched and built to very very high standards, as is Pauls' Falcon Sprint.

The line up of genuine period correct race cars was impressive and I think ever one had a great time. A few cars broke, but that goes with all aspects of motoring.

Thank you John McKechnie for your generosity , and thanks also to Angus Fogg who made it all so seamless, professional and thoroughly enjoyable.

Bruce.

Great weather for you and your camera Nigel.

How did the Monaro go on debut John?

I don't think it completed one of the races. but was still running under its own power when I last saw it Steve. Nigel's pics are so much better than mine! Great stuff. I might have to invest in a better lens...

I did get a couple of pictures with both of John's cars on track at the same time. Still on the lap top being sorted before transferring to the PC.

Steve- Totally Fantastic and the sun was definitely shining for the Monaro and TACCOC.

Thanks to Angus Fogg being there attending to the various cars under his care, nothing was a problem-except fuel guage giving incorrect reading
In the first race, I didnt have enough petrol in, and there was some starvation, so pulled back in to top up.
Rest of the time was spent simply having fun ......best time was 1:24 BTW-much faster than the XA when I first started running it
Craig, Bruce, Tony A and myself were going to all run together
Tony A had brake probs in practice,
Craig had clutch probs was hauled off, later was seen lighting up the Zephyrs tyres while tied on the trailer.
All the stars were in alignment for Bruce, so I said go out and race.
Great feeling having both cars reliable and able to run at Manfield.
Definitely the Monaro is not the race car that the XA is,but racing is not what Historics are all about...I was more than 100% satisfied.
It ticked all the boxes for all those interested, most memorable for me was Dave Graham -he was positively beaming with delight seeing it there finished and out on the track racing.

John McKechnie wrote:Steve- Totally Fantastic and the sun was definitely shining for the Monaro and TACCOC.

Thanks to Angus Fogg being there attending to the various cars under his care, nothing was a problem-except fuel guage giving incorrect reading
In the first race, I didnt have enough petrol in, and there was some starvation, so pulled back in to top up.
Rest of the time was spent simply having fun ......best time was 1:24 BTW-much faster than the XA when I first started running it
Craig, Bruce, Tony A and myself were going to all run together
Tony A had brake probs in practice,
Craig had clutch probs was hauled off, later was seen lighting up the Zephyrs tyres while tied on the trailer.
All the stars were in alignment for Bruce, so I said go out and race.
Great feeling having both cars reliable and able to run at Manfield.
Definitely the Monaro is not the race car that the XA is,but racing is not what Historics are all about...I was more than 100% satisfied.
It ticked all the boxes for all those interested, most memorable for me was Dave Graham -he was positively beaming with delight seeing it there finished and out on the track racing.

It was one of the best things I have seen in a long time. I grew up with these cars. Particularly Team Cambridge Racing Team. There were many different cars in these colours and to see one of the most iconic cars of that team back out on the track in its livery was spectacular to say the least. Well done John, you persistence and determination to see the project through to the end is nothing short of amazing. An absolute credit to you. regards, Dave Graham

Just for you John! I haven't started posting on my own thread as yet.

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Thanks for these Ray, really neat. Bruce and i will get together with you to get the pdf and take some prints.
Ahhh....at last clarity .
Every time I get the Falcon back there are these mysterious unexplained flat spots, usually told- leaving the car standing too long when they are hot- now I know better.

John McKechnie wrote:Thanks for these Ray, really neat. Bruce and i will get together with you to get the pdf and take some prints.
Ahhh....at last clarity .
Every time I get the Falcon back there are these mysterious unexplained flat spots, usually told- leaving the car standing too long when they are hot- now I know better.

It was that guy in the Belmont Coupe, he 'brake checked' me....

Bruce302 wrote:It was that guy in the Belmont Coupe, he 'brake checked' me....

WOW one race and you're a TRUE racer Bruce........lets "blame the other guy" ha ha...........you'll fit in perfectly.......hey that's a good time you done mate you're a natural............Dale M