The Roaring Season

I've been a fan all my life. Two particular cars were a big influence on me at a young age;

1. The Night Riders stolen black HQ Monaro in Mad Max 1, which exited the movie in a ball of flames.
2. The ex-Jim Richards Jerry Clayton owned HQ Monaro that was raced out of Waikaraka Park speedway, and eventually ended up at my local speedway in Palmerston North, owned by Bill Dorn, and painted up like an American flag. With tall injector stacks bursting through the hood and open exhausts, it was a real weapon.

So how about a thread dedicated to 1st and 2nd gen Holden Monaros, from HK - HZ in 2 and 4 door form. There were several raced in speedway in Australia and New Zealand, plus in production car racing including Bathurst. From there they competed in Improved Production in Aus, and Sports Sedans on both sides of the Tasman

Today, there are several that race in Australia in both historic racing and the Touring Car Masters series.

Kicking things off with two of the toughest Monaros built; Pete Geoghegans HJ and Bob Janes HQ, at Calder in 1974 or '75. The 6-spoke spin-off wheels looked amazing on Geoghegans machine.

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A few from the dirt bull-rings, including Bill Dorns ex-Richards car.

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Beechey 327 at Calder 1st meeting...pic by Leo D


Beechey 350 Carbs Baskerville Tas


Beechey Symmons Plains tas


Jane Calder


Geoghegan Calder


Geoghegan Calder

I was hoping you'd have a few to offer Ellis. These are great! Didn't Beechey's HK look fantastic. I believe the body for this car sits in a field somewhere in pretty bad shape? I assume it was painted blue first, then yellow?

Bob Janes HQ really didn't look nice in yellow, as much as I love yellow race cars. It was a superb looking car.

Nice shots too of Geoghegans HJ/HQ in its different guises. For me it was a far better looking car in its first season than with the box box arches.

In the photo of Beechys HT, is that Michael Stillwells Escort Twin-cam in the background on the trailer?

Beecheys HK 327 was standard Warwick Yellow when he first raced it....Blue Later
He told the story at that meeting of ordering a special GM racing steering wheel from USA.
When it arrived it was excatly the same as the standard GTS wheel...

Thats Stillwells tow car etc in the background.

Notice also Jims Sidchrome Mustang in front of Geoghegans Monaro

I was pretty fond of the Monaro's then and had a Warwick Yellow GTS from new in 1968 albiet a 186S tho.

Actually, lots of interesting cars in the background of those photos, including Ron Harrops EH Holden, Allan Moffats Monza, and the Frank(?) Ure V8 Torana which he still owns. Who are the two guys next to Bob and the Monaro in the Kleber t-shirts?

Bet you wish you kept the Monaro!

Steve Holmes wrote:Actually, lots of interesting cars in the background of those photos, including Ron Harrops EH Holden, Allan Moffats Monza, and the Frank(?) Ure V8 Torana which he still owns. Who are the two guys next to Bob and the Monaro in the Kleber t-shirts?

Bet you wish you kept the Monaro!

You need to ask someone who still has memory cells intact...lol
Went to Ford after the Monaro...once bitten twice shy.
Still got some of those.

Steve Holmes wrote:Actually, lots of interesting cars in the background of those photos, including Ron Harrops EH Holden, Allan Moffats Monza, and the Frank(?) Ure V8 Torana which he still owns. Who are the two guys next to Bob and the Monaro in the Kleber t-shirts?

Bet you wish you kept the Monaro!

Steve,the guy in the white 'Kleber' T.shirt is Pat Purcell,Bob Jane Racing Team Manager/'Wizard' responsible for creating the Monaro 'Sports Sedan' and the 'Yet' to be created Monza,the other guy is Harvey Spencer,BJR Team mechanic (got to love those 'flares'/Pants!!!) I shared a house with Harvey and a fellow called John ('the Ferret') Reirdon (Whincup/ Monza fame) about this time,thats how I got the "Call up" to respray the Monaro back to the Bob's Orange (GMH/Sebring Orange),Ovoiusly the 'Fearless Learder' with his drive suit at 1/2 mast..catching some rays!!!

I'm pretty sure thats actually at Sandown,where the Monaro was the 'First' Tintop to Crack the 100MPH lap........Bob had been in the 'States on Business only to come back and to find his company heads had decided to "paint' his best Monaro 'YELLOW'..a Personality colour I think Bob described it!!!!!!!!!! ....regards thunder427/MJ

NB;Harvey Spencer was a great Single seater mechanic (F5000 etc) went to England worked for Williams...then Mclaren,still lives in England I believe where he was last working in Formula3......John Rierdon followed suite via the USA,then on to Mclaren where I believe he's know to this day as their 'longest' Employe

Thanks for that Myles, I figured one of them must have been Purcell. And your paint scheme was the wild 4-tone stripe version that appeared in '77?

Just out of interest, was the Monza that replaced the Monaro built from scratch or was it US sourced? Bob must have had a real soft spot for the Monaro, I think he kept it for longer than any other car he raced, from '72 as a brand new car, until '78.

Keep the pics and updates coming guys.

The George Bunce Monaro (was he still driving it at this time ?) behind Robin Tanner, must be '74 or '75.

A buddy of mine had this as a street car about '78, By then it had a 307 backed up by the Muncie, but it was pretty strong and it handled well, and stopped extremely well.
A later owner is said to have wrapped it around a power pole, I haven't seen or heard of it since.



Bruce.

Beechey...

A couple of shots I took last year. Hopefully it will see the light of day again.

Interesting looking at frontal shot of Beecheys monaro, now days we try and keep as much air as possible out from under the car, the aluminium scoops on this old girl look as if they are designed to stuff as much of it under the car as possible. I guess cooling the over worked brakes was more important than making it go round corners.

Grady Thompson, I apologise to the photographer, I don't have those details , but full credit when I find out,

So is the Spinner Black/Grady Thompson Cambridge Monaro also the Bunce Monaro?

I think there is a connection there. It sat at John Windleburns workshop on the Shore for ages after George had finished was burnt orange in colour. I want to catch up with John about something else so while there i will do some research

This was a street car I had. 375/396 big block Chevrolet, Turbo 400, 9" Ford rear axle with 4.70 gears. 11.5-28.5-15 slicks.
Can you say 'HEAVY'

The ex Bunce Monaro as a street car with yet another licence plate.