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Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2016 1:58 am
by Peter Nelson
Hi Yes no problem, found a couple more too so feel free to post ( otherwise have to get my son to show me how LOL )
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2016 2:06 am
by Steve Holmes
Peter Nelson wrote:Hi Yes no problem, found a couple more too so feel free to post ( otherwise have to get my son to show me how LOL )
Thanks Peter, much appreciated.
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2016 2:07 am
by Steve Holmes
This video and those to follow courtesy Peter Nelson from his Youtube page.
[video=youtube;WiYmYrCCffU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiYmYrCCffU[/video]
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2016 2:08 am
by Steve Holmes
[video=youtube;joFBUNxRKtM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joFBUNxRKtM[/video]
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2016 2:09 am
by Steve Holmes
[video=youtube;Rt5MUDeMrmw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt5MUDeMrmw[/video]
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2016 2:09 am
by Steve Holmes
[video=youtube;iC-6OfEOgZI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC-6OfEOgZI[/video]
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2016 2:10 am
by Steve Holmes
[video=youtube;wv3bYbY40bQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv3bYbY40bQ[/video]
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2016 11:05 am
by John McKechnie
The Taupo meeting mid March has changed its date and is now not the Classic Festival.
Update below.
October 8- TACCOC. ...........................Hampton Downs
November 12, 13-MG. Classic...........Manfield
January 14,15 -Ken Smith Festival...Hampton Downs- National Track
January 21, 21- Ken Smith Festival...Hampton Downs- International Track (Longer)
March 27,28 - Legends of Speed- Hampton Downs
April 8,9 - Hooters Vintage Series.....Taupo.
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2016 11:28 am
by John McKechnie
How Adrian Dobbe found the Warwick Gray Viva as a "barn find", this car was first raced in 1974.
"it all started with a race down the middle of Avondale in 2002.
I was driving around in my 1973 GTR Torana -had a Holden V6 in it, other car was a Torana XU1.
We stopped and got talking, turned out he was Chris, the son of Warwick Gray.
He started talking about his fathers old race car- a 1969 HB Viva, and that it could be for sale and that Warwick had built it up himself..
I thought to myself-who the hell wants to have a Viva ?
Nothing more happened for a couple of months until I bumped into Chris again, and we ended up at Warwicks place.
After a cup of coffee , , he took me down to the old shed where it took a good 10 minutes just to get the garage door open.
The car had been locked up there since 1984.....18 years !!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I looked at it and just fell inlove with the damn thing..
Warwick must have liked me, took my money and I came home with a Viva.
After all those years in the shed, we had it going within one hour.
One year later I had finished restoring it.
I didnt have to do anything to the engine except paint it.
Took it to Pukekohe , had a really neat, fun day and did a 1.06 after just 3 laps.
I have owned the car for 14 years now and still enjoy driving the damn thing.
I did Hampton Downs in 1.14 last year as it is so light and has great steering.
This is more there, but as I want to live longer, i am not the guy..
I had a video camera with me when I met the car for the first time in the barn, and John will put it on youtube and post the link here.
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2016 11:43 am
by John McKechnie
[video=youtube;hbg1KK7a45w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbg1KK7a45w&feature=youtu.be[/video]
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2016 8:52 pm
by Oldfart
How cool is that?
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2016 9:16 pm
by Spgeti
Yes it is cool Rhys, and after pushing it in the pits at Legends it is light..!
Nice car and a great story.
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2016 10:24 pm
by John McKechnie
Yep, every car has a story- another Barn Find would be Grimmies Escort.............
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2016 1:51 am
by Oldfart
John McKechnie wrote:Yep, every car has a story- another Barn Find would be Grimmies Escort.............
In a sort of a barn, not sure whether you would call it a barn as so many have known where it has been for years.
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2016 2:32 am
by Rod Grimwood
Oldfart wrote:In a sort of a barn, not sure whether you would call it a barn as so many have known where it has been for years.
Even I remembered last week end.
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2016 6:36 am
by Steve Emson
I have a photo of me following this car at Baypark in my shellsport Datsun. Unfortunately you can only see the rear mudguard of this car. So you might say I know first hand how this car went.
John McKechnie wrote:How Adrian Dobbe found the Warwick Gray Viva as a "barn find", this car was first raced in 1974.
"it all started with a race down the middle of Avondale in 2002.
I was driving around in my 1973 GTR Torana -had a Holden V6 in it, other car was a Torana XU1.
We stopped and got talking, turned out he was Chris, the son of Warwick Gray.
He started talking about his fathers old race car- a 1969 HB Viva, and that it could be for sale and that Warwick had built it up himself..
I thought to myself-who the hell wants to have a Viva ?
Nothing more happened for a couple of months until I bumped into Chris again, and we ended up at Warwicks place.
After a cup of coffee , , he took me down to the old shed where it took a good 10 minutes just to get the garage door open.
The car had been locked up there since 1984.....18 years !!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I looked at it and just fell inlove with the damn thing..
Warwick must have liked me, took my money and I came home with a Viva.
After all those yearsin the shed, we had it going within one hour.
One year later I had finished restoring it.
I didnt have to do anything to the engine except paint it.
Took it to Pukekohe , had a really neat, fun day and did a 1.06 after just 3 laps.
I have owned the car for 14 years now and still enjoy driving the damn thing.
I did Hampton Downs in 1.14 last year as it is so light and has great steering.
This is more there, but as I want to live longer, i am not the guy..
I had a video camera with me when I met the car for the first time in the barn, and John will put it on youtube and post the link here.
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 1:10 am
by seaqnmac27
Or the front of it here Steve.
Gray Viva
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 5:38 am
by BMCBOY
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 5:53 am
by BMCBOY
Re: Historic Sport Sedans
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 6:15 am
by John McKechnie
The Viva received its Schedule K COD yesterday.
Your pics of these are so neat BMC boy.