The Roaring Season

Custaxie for sale on trade me.
Item number 425725024.

Check this out, bit dearer than the awesome custaxie but purely awesome.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/ford/auction-424241432.htm

I can think of a number of 'classics' at half a million dollars that I would have long before an old HO.....history and all. As I related in 'yards and yarns', my friend Des Brassington had one when he belonged to the JDC in Hamilton in the mid 70's. He may well still have it, and if so will be watching this 'sale' with interest! It certainly had a bit of get up and go, as we had a couple of 'races' with an E type once. Needless to say it left the E type for dead.........well not quite dead, but in the dust. I think the E type had a slightly higher top speed, but goodness me the HO was a course old bus. Perhaps agricultural would be a better term. OK, shoot me down.

Well I certainly wouldn't shoot you down Gerald! The GTHO was only built for one thing, that was to win Bathurst, which meant climbing Mountain Straight as quickly as possible, and getting down Conrod Straight as quickly as possible. There were other cars of the era that could beat the GTHO on other race tracks, but Bathurst carried to much weight all that was forgotten about.

And that is the thing. It really is Australian icon, and despite it's NZ history I think that is where it will end up......IF it ends up anywhere different from where it is now! I thought the value of these had dropped in the last few years. There were reports of genuine HO's selling for a 1/4 of a million dollars in OZ, how true I dont know. You bandy these figures around long enough and people get used to them, and the shock isn't so great when one for 1/2 a million turns up.

Yes the money being asked for them a few years ago was quite something. There was one known as the Grey Ghost in Aus that had a unique combination of paint, diff gears etc, that made it extremely rare, and the sellers were asking A$1 million, but I don't if it was ever sold. But this one was a road car. Because the GTHO was created for racing, any which has racing history is worth more, sort of like a Ferrari.

Back on topic, the custaxie listing is a trifle misleading is it not?

The famous championship Allcomers Race Car has been restored to it's original condition

Surely this is a recreation not a restoration.

Cheers
Lee

Lee,

Apart from a few dissentions, you will get little argument here. Look at the "Race replica debate" thread for discussion on this very subject.

I'm with you on this one Lee.....I do think they are treading on broken glass here. Most of us know that the original car was sent to the tip!....(makes me cringe to even write that!).......Replica wouild be my description?
Wonder what Tony Kurilatich (sorry spelling) would think .....?

Lee Tracey wrote:Back on topic, the custaxie listing is a trifle misleading is it not?

Surely this is a recreation not a restoration.

Cheers
Lee

This is an Al Porter photo from NZ Hot Rod of the Custaxie at the Wiri Drags in January 1971.
I would be interested to know what engine was in the car at this time and did Custaxie50 have an involvement with the car then, is it Custaxie50 driving it here?