Philip Island Classic - 8-10 March

I thought it prudent to hold off from posting all my photos - there were over 450 in total!

I've got around 1500 photos from the three days, but it will be some time before I can classify them.  If you are looking for something, post here, or pm me.

 You win! :-)

Ahem. Nearly 1900, AFTER I deleted (some of) the junk.

They'll be appearing in Australian Muscle Car and Vintage Motorsport. Well, some of them.

Bruce Moxon

Do you know the story of the Bellett, GreenMachine?   Real or replica?

Do you know the story of the Bellett, GreenMachine?   Real or replica?

Color scheme reminds me of Miles Jackson [SA] Sports Sedan. Though that had the usual flares and was then powered by a 2 litre Ford. Later used a `192 Holden motor, almost  ok at Mallala but ran out of revs very quickly at AIR.

Do you know the story of the Bellett, GreenMachine?   Real or replica?

Hey - quote works - first time since the upgrade for me!

I was told by the bloke who drove it out that it was a barn find, the genuine Reynolds/Ferguson 1966 Gallaher car. It looked like it to me, but I would be happier for some corroboration. The numbers and stickers look too good to me, compared to the 'B', but the rest of it looks the part.

If anyone wants the full res jpg (c5mb) or dng (c25mb), let me know. I have no interior photos. The photo on the windscreen is from the autopics site.

Did Bellet's have a live axle or independent rear? (shoulda take more notice of the neighbours years ago) .....if IRS then they do tend to squat like that (if asked nicely  )

Did Bellet's have a live axle or independent rear? (shoulda take more notice of the neighbours years ago) .....if IRS then they do tend to squat like that (if asked nicely )

Did Bellet's have a live axle or independent rear? (shoulda take more notice of the neighbours years ago) .....if IRS then they do tend to squat like that (if asked nicely  )

Belletts get more camber the lower they get. And that one is quite low.They are a basic swing axle IRS. As a street car lowered a bit w ith 6" rims they were fairly good handling cars, just a bit underpowered with their Hillman clone engine. Mate had one in the late 70s.

Belletts get more camber the lower they get. And that one is quite low.They are a basic swing axle IRS. As a street car lowered a bit w ith 6" rims they were fairly good handling cars, just a bit underpowered with their Hillman clone engine. Mate had one in the late 70s.

It,s Sunday Lee has been to Church

Plenty of Jap Crap that has plenty of good points. All of those later 60s early 70s cars were improvements on the Brit and Euro prams they were clones of,, in suspension and engines. I have no great ambition to own most of them, and few are left as they fell to pieces or rusted away 25 years ago. 

The Aussie classics though were stronger and more robust cars. 

I actually had a young guy in today with stars in his eyes with a very rusty 260Z shorty. But it was buggered, rusted more than most. And most are sculptures! He loves it but probably will not when he gets the costs to rebuild the body, yet alone the trim and mechanicals. But it may well soon have a set of Superlites!

Plenty of Jap Crap that has plenty of good points. All of those later 60s early 70s cars were improvements on the Brit and Euro prams they were clones of,, in suspension and engines. I have no great ambition to own most of them, and few are left as they fell to pieces or rusted away 25 years ago. 
The Aussie classics though were stronger and more robust cars. 
I actually had a young guy in today with stars in his eyes with a very rusty 260Z shorty. But it was buggered, rusted more than most. And most are sculptures! He loves it but probably will not when he gets the costs to rebuild the body, yet alone the trim and mechanicals. But it may well soon have a set of Superlites!

So long as the sills are intact and strong enough to mount neons...its all good!

So long as the sills are intact and strong enough to mount neons...its all good!

Sills? on a Datsun? They were rusted in 1973

... nor these

Core Blimey! talk about pornographic!  

So long as the sills are intact and strong enough to mount neons...its all good!

Sills? on a Datsun? They were rusted in 1973

While the Bellett did suffer a large amount of camber change, I don't think they were a pure 'swing axle' as in VW style...

Trouble is I can't check it out anywhere!

Try here Ray...

https://sites.google.../bellet-page-03

Top set of photos I have been trying to do the same, well done. The pictures are of the GT model the four door model would of had drum brakes on the front, from photos that I have seen the Standard 4 door appears to have about 3/4 to 1 deg. postive camber on the rear as standard.

Just like a Vette. Transverse and IRS. GM did do it a bit better on the Vette. 

Bellets do get a fair bit of camber change. though so does a VT Commodore!  For their day they handled ok, probably as well as a 1600 datto. But the L16 had about 30 horse power more. Though the Bellets finished about the time the 1600s started.

Some Bellet sedans had disc front brakes, my mates did and it was as he bought it. Non assisted from memory. I feel there was two actual models [64-65 66-68] plus ofcourse the GT which was a half pretty little car that did have a bit more punch and ability to be revved. Two SU style carbs [CD?}

Some Bellets were 4 on the column and some were 4 on the floor. For a while I used a Bellett floor change  box in my HR Rallycross car but gave up as the conversion was crap, as was the gear ratios anyway. 

Edit, just looked at those pics. Learnt something! I though the transverse spring was all they had. I have never had too take the wheels off of one,, just cylinder heads and that was probably late 70s.

Though the guy in the pics just needs a big hammer to make those wheels fit, every Bellet I have ever known had stretched rear guards!

Edited by Lee Nicolle, 25 March 2014 - 04:57.

Swing-axles, Lee...more like VW or  356 Porsche than Corvette. The leaf spring is a 'compensating spring', which has almost no roll resistance.

I can recall several with what seemed like 10deg neg! In fact seemed to have much more neg than any VW I've ever seen.

In this case it is the geometry of the semi-trailing arm that almost turns it into a semi-swing arm.
Probably worse than a Datsun with worn bushes. (but better than a VP SS Commodore V6)

Anything is better than an IRS VP. Though very popular sellers in their day. I have sold a few. And people used to bring them back under warranty and complain the rear tyres are wearing out. Sorry Sir, that is the way they are. Lower them and they have 4 deg of neg at the rear.

OK...I'll be Dorothy Dix....

That'd be KMac Kevin...?

APPOLOGIES ... this is not a reply and all I am trying to do is summons help to get F5000 cars/drivers to our historic race meetings ... especially 2014 where our calender is bare except Sandown in November or F5000 will die .... again!

HELP!!!

For anyone interested in more info on the Phillip Island Bellett,  there's an article on it in the latest issue of Australian Classic Cars.  I only browsed it briefly in the newsagents so unable to provide any further info...

For anyone interested in more info on the Phillip Island Bellett,  there's an article on it in the latest issue of Australian Classic Cars.  I only browsed it briefly in the newsagents so unable to provide any further info...

May I remind you Sir, that the Newsagent is NOT a library, go back and legally acquire a copy of the magazine and duly relate its contents to those of us waiting patiently here for you to report back 

It's not worth actually buying any more, is it?

I think it used to be...

I bought every copy and really enjoyed it but shortly after the NRMA takeover I realised I was reading an Open Road clone, written for the layman, not the enthusiasts magazine it used to be with articles by Ray Bell etc. Consequently I haven't bought ACC since that time.

Back on topic, the last from me:

Attention getter!
 

Getting his hands dirty ...

Good dicing!

It's how high?

Edited by GreenMachine, 28 March 2014 - 10:42.

May I remind you Sir, that the Newsagent is NOT a library, go back and legally acquire a copy of the magazine and duly relate its contents to those of us waiting patiently here for you to report back 

Consider me suitably chastised.  In my defence I did buy a couple of other mags, including the fishwrapper's fortnightly (now weekly) with input from Ray.  My due diligence prevented me from buying the aforementioned publication along the lines espoused by Mr Willis.....

Ah yes, the NRMA takeover...

The demands they were making on contributors weren't reflected in the finished product at all. 

But when it comes to magazines, I'm now well-stocked. I bought a nice collection of AMS when I went to Sydney last week, 1946 to 1970 with only seven issues missing. If anyone has a spare of the very first issue, the March or November 1969 issues and I think it's the October 1970 issue I'd be happy to discuss a change of ownership.

This actually gives me duplicates of 1946 to 1950 as I'd already acquired Bud Luke's bound volumes of those years some time ago. There's some interesting reading in those pages!

If anyone has a spare of the very first issue, the March or November 1969 issues and I think it's the October 1970 issue I'd be happy to discuss a change of ownership.

Sorry Ray, I have about twenty assorted issues but I don't have those dates.

You may need to start another thread, Ray.