A couple more photos taken at the Oct '58 Fisherman's Bend meeting -


Sports cars lining up on the grid.

Derek Jolly in the Lotus XV

Hi Any photos of the 1966 Surfers Paradise 12 hour race,looking for shots of the Jaguar E-type(Scott/Thompson)

Sorry Robert, I don't, but maybe someone else has???

Kaydee.

The blue car is the Cooper Jaguar?..it looks like it and I would have thought the much underated Ron Phillips would have been driving it at that stage....although it must be said the driver's profile looks a lot like S J Jones..although I am sure he always wore a white helmet and also he had bought Mckay's DB3S after Bathurst 1958.

A pity the maestro is not there , but of course the 300S would have been undergoing rush repairs to get it ready for Albert Park after its take-off at Bathurst

Stan

Stan, 'twas indeed Ron Phillips in the Cooper Jag.........



And unfortunately retiring I think with a clutch problem.

Great photos, Gordon!

Wally is still going, a little frail and a little deaf, at about 92 or 93. Yes, he was 50 or so when he took up road racing, after years on motorbikes and in TQs. The car, by the way, sort-of survives. The complete chassis, rather rusty, was salvaged from a tip, and the engine (or at least an engine) is being installed. Unfortunately the body is long gone, and will have to be re-created.

There's going to be a Caversham gathering in October, I think it is, at the circuit itself, courtesy the Vintage Sports Car Club, and it is hoped that Wally Higgs, and the rolling chassis of the Peugot Spl, will be there.

The Vin Smith special, the Sevin, was very interesting because Vin used a Tempo Matador light truck gearbox, which had the same internals as the VW but a different case to allow for the fact that the Matador was front wheel drive (and the Matador used a VW engine, too!). Most of the rear suspension of the Sevin was from the Matador.

The Sevin was later raced by Norm Scott, and it also raced at Wanneroo Park in the early 70s, by which time it was seriously obsolete.

Here's a colour shot of the Higgs car, showing the neat rear end:

kaydee,

and also an oil leak going by the straw...

Alan Jack's Cooper bobtail and the original Vauxhall Special are in evidendce also ...

Some more photos from the October '58 meeting at Fisherman's Bend -


Len Lukey, (Lukey Bristol) after finishing second in Victorian Road Racing Championship being congratulated by Derek Jolly.


Ted Gray (Tornado) being presented with the trophy after winning the Victorian Road Racing Championship.

Is that a young Bob Jane on the left??

No, he was out running in that event in the 300S........

Looks a bit too tall for Bob to me.

Hi everyone. I was advised by a regular here that this is the place to go for all questions anwered. Thanks Gordon.
I'm asking if anyone can help me in locating pictures that they may know of that feature the racing car that I have.
The car is called the GWG and it was racing in Victoria from 1968 to 1970 before being shipped to Tassie until 1980. In 68 it was classed as ANF2 & the ANF3 until about 71
Below is a list of early dates & tracks I know the car raced at

29 Jan 1968 Phillip Island
25 Feb 1968 Sandown - 33rd AGP
28 Mar 1968 Calder
15 April 1968 Phillip Island
28 April 1968 Sandown
19 May 1968 Calder
9 Jun 1968 Hume Weir
4 Aug 1968 Calder
1 Sept 1968 Hume Weir
1 Dec 1968 Winton
29 Dec 1968 Hume Weir
19 Jan 1969 Calder
16 Feb 1969 Sandown - Tasman Cup final
1 April 1969 Phillip Island
17 Aug 1969 Calder

The only original pic that I have


As the car is currently


Web link to page
http://www.warm.org.au/images/WARM-ass/GWG-F3/GWG-F3.htm

As I have been researching the car some of what I have written in the link is now almost correct and requires updating.
I am in contact with the original builder and driver of the car (Graham Gilbert) but unfortunaltly time has left him with no photo's either. I figure that in locating some images I'll be able to bring back some memories for Graham and contribute to my thirst of this cars early history.
Thanks in advance for any help that can be provided.
The paint job may be different but the car is the same one. (Log book has it a green)
regards,
Andrew

www.warm.org.au

Here are some shots of a couple more West Australian Peugeot specials. The first three are of Bob Kingsbury's car. The slightly overexposed shot is from the 64 state championships, the other two I think a couple of years later.







The next two are Dick Ward's Peugeot Elf pictured at the 65 state titles. I think the car was later raced by Bob Innocent, who fitted it with a proper independent rear end. and later took it to the east coast. That's Derek Vince's Hillman powered Elfin Streamliner behind.

Hi Gordon
Would you be interested in contributing to an album on the WARM web with some of the great shots that you have from Western Australia
I'd realy like to post them on the site.
Thanks
Giffo
www.warm.org.au

Some more photos from the November '58 Albert Park Meeting -


Norm Hamilton's Porsche Spyder


Ray Wamsley Alfa Corvette


Bib Stillwell Maserati 250F

Rough hewn Ray Wamsley told me he qualified the Alfa Corvette two rows ahead of Bib Stilwell's 250F Maserati at that meeting. On the grid one of Bib's assistants approached Ray asking him to make way for the 250F off the start. Perhaps predictably, Ray's response" This thing spins the wheels in every gear up to 150 mph. Tell him to look after himself"

Some more photos taken at the November '58 Albert Park meeting.
Film used was Ferranicolor and unfortunately it doesn't seem to reproduce the colour too well.
This time the photos are all of Moss in the Rob Walker Cooper.










From memory(?) I think that this photo shows Moss's mechanic Tim Wall on far side of car and maybe Graham Hoinville squatting in foreground?

Who cares about the colour tone - newspapers were in B/W those days - just stunning kaydee ..thanks

kaydee...


These pictures are biblical........you must publish

Stan

Here is a pic I took at the Collingrove Hillclimb Easter 1971 it depict then record holder Alan Hamilton in his Porschle Spyder . My note on the slide says "record holder 33.0 sec" .
Of course now the record is well under the 30.00 second barrier!

Brilliant photos, as ever, kaydee. I have taken the liberty (much as Twinny did with my earliest photo posts) of titivating the colour a little - I hope you don't mind - If a professional had a go, I'm sure they would look as good as new.




Keep 'em coming........

That sure looks like Hoinville melon to me....Thanks for the GREAT pics Kaydee

Some photos from the Warwick Farm International meeting in January '61 -


Moss's Lotus and the two BRMs forming up on the starting grid (and by the helmets), from left to right, it looks like Moss, Gurney, Ireland and Hill waiting to get into their respective cars.


"The Start" - with Moss (maybe just starting to move), Gurney and Hill on the front row.

And just look at that crowd!

As always, Kevin, tremendous stuff... keep 'em rolling...

I was in the CROWD between Gurney and Hill approx,in the first pic.... Great Day,s of REAL racing CARS.

More photos from the '61 Warwick Farm International meeting -


Off the start line - Ron Flockhart in Cooper Climax #10 shooting up on the inside of Moss(?) with Dan Gurney # 6 in the background


Jack Brabham - Cooper Climax

Yes real racing cars.....

Kevin... do you perchance have a photo of the Dan Gurney Impala sitting in the pits somewhere?

It was in Ron Hodgson's ownership in 1962 and probably during 1963 it passed to Greg Cusack, who had it for his tow car (double deck Rice trailer for the Elfin, Brabham and Lotus 23).

Trying to find out what the numberplate was on it during that Cusack ownership...

Sorry Ray, I've had a quick look through my slides and can't see anything resembling an Impala.
Kevin

yes Cosworth

Real racing cars ...doing real things

If there was any proof needed regarding how corrupt influences have destoyed Australian motor racing..from the glorious days captured by Kaydee.... to the redneck stupidity of today..one need only look at the price a GTHO Falcon brought in Melbourne recently...$525,000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any sensible person would be outraged at $52,500.......

It is a pity that those who had infuence at the time could not have used that power to prevent this self-destruction.

Stan Patterson
Old Aussie Grump

Ray, as an aside, and FYI in case you have not seen it, in this month's Vintage Racecar there is a long piece on the Ron Hodgson Motors liveried 1976 Bathurst winning Torana L34. Several pages and a good selection of photos, mainly modern.

Roger Lund

While I'm interested, of course, I see a certain irony in you posting that immediately after Stan's justifiable 'grump' about our adoption of touring cars as our major race formula...

That magazine seems to carry some very interesting stuff. Who writes the Aussie stuff?

Stanley, just think like the purchaser - who could spend the same amount on an entry for one car at Bathhouse - finish maybe 28th and have nothing at the end except a tired Falcon.
My wife has just looked over my shoulder and said that for $525K you could own/ field an entire grid of FF 1600 race cars and have real racing.

Kevin - photos are great .

I believe it was actually $680,000.

But each to their own Stan.

Just because somebody was willing to part with that much money for something they really desire doesn't make them senseless. It is actually regarded by many as a good investment. I know a lot of people that would say any sensible person wouldn't reminisce about motor racing that happened in another era that we would never see again. But we do.

If we were all interested in the same things and had the same opinions, what a bloody boring world this would be.

[QUOTE
While I'm interested, of course, I see a certain irony in you posting that immediately after Stan's justifiable 'grump' about our adoption of touring cars as our major race formula...
That magazine seems to carry some very interesting stuff. Who writes the Aussie stuff? [/B

Ray,
My post was well-intentioned, I thought, simply trying to link in on the Ron Hodgson topic for anyone interested. On a forum perhaps the timing is often difficult. Whilst some of certain types of racing leaves me unmoved, I do find some of the information very interesting, especially since we in the UK only had sparse reports of your sport down there in period along with that in the US. I particularly enjoyed the recent article on the Zephyr Spl. I try to take a broad-church approach to topics, which I saw as the scope/policy of the magazine which Bob kindly sent to me, and which seems to be the same over here more and more.

A chap called Patrick Quinn did the Torana piece and is listed as their South Pacific Editor

Roger Lund.

More photos taken at the '61 Warwick Farm International meeting -
This time the "Holden Car Race"


Gridding up for the start -


The start -


The field heads off into Paddock Bend

Just think of all those cross-ply tyres howling, all those shoe-polish-tin sized drum brakes fading, all those 3-speed column shift boxes graunching, and all those 4-bearing six cylinder engines on the edge of detonation ...

You're right Terry - that pretty much sums it up....................

Terry,s post just really demonstrates how time and things have changed...............in some ways it is for the better, in other ways it is not so good.....

More photos taken at the '61 Warwick Farm International meeting -


A pensive Dan Gurney in the pits with his BRM prior to the main race.


Graham Hill heading out to the starting grid in his BRM.



Hill leading Gurney along Pit Straight during the 45 lap International "100" Race.

Here are some pictures of a couple of the Coopers raced at Caversham by Don O'Sullivan around 65-67, including one that seems a bit of a mystery (at least to me)
First up is this car, the ex Bib Stilwell Gold Star-winning lowline, seen here at the 65 State Championships, which O'Sullivan won first time out, still with novice's 3 stripes on the tail.



Early in 66 the car was badly damaged in a crash at Warwick Farm. The wreckage was used as the basis for this car, the O'Sullivan Cooper Ford, with a Ford 289 V8.



Here's where things get a bit uncertain, because O'Sullivan then got a second lowline, the car in the next two pictures. I have only the vaguest recollection of reading at the time that it was a spare car that had been brought out for the international series in early 62 by one of the british private entrants (Tommy Atkins? Yeoman Credit?) In the second shot it's fitted with wide, 13-inch wheels, possibly off the ex-McLaren Tasman Cooper he'd acquired by then.





In the second edition of John Blanden's book there's no mention of O'Sullivan having a second Lowline Cooper, but clearly he did, because in the team shot below, there it is, no. 15, parked alongside the car built from the wreck of its predecessor, no. 98. Maybe someone out there knows the full story.

Gordon,

No 20 in that pic is clearly the ex-Tasman Cooper of Phill Hill which Bill Patterson used to enter for John McDonald following the in 1965 Tasman series.

It cannot therefore be described as a "lowline" because that nickname really only applied to the T53 and perhaps to the T55 ala John Youl which was sometimes called "penciline" by motoring writers here and in the UK.

The ex-Stillwell T53 you mention was of course raced by Patto in 1963 and 1964 so it would seem that Mr O'Sullivan must have purchased to Tasman Coopers from Bill Patterson in the early to mid-60's

Stan

err...two, not to..

Too many drinks celebrating the Queens Birthday last evening...sorry

Stan

Stan - yes, I know that, but I wasn't referring to no. 20 as a lowline, I mentioned that car only in passing. I'm talking about no. 15, behind it, which is a lowline, and my point is that it can't be the Stilwell/Patterson car, because that was crashed and rebuilt into the sports car in the same picture.

Sorry Gordon,

I did misundertsand your point... my apologies.

Upon closer inspection of the car you enquire about, I note it has a moulded curved sidescreen...

If it is assumed that the screen is original, the pic is not clear enough to see much detail, then the curved sidescreen means that the car is a T55 (slimline, penciline)...that being the case then the car can only be the ex-Youl T55.....I never knew where or what became of that car!

Hope that helps
Stan

Thanks Stan. I hadn't noticed until you said that about the moulded screen sides that the earlier cars were flatter. And you can see the moulded screen sides more clearly on the 3rd and 4th pic of no.15. Is the Youl T55 you speak of the one that was so heavily modified by Geoff Smedley? The O'Sullivan car looks fairly original.

O'Sullivan's lowline Coopers are discussed here:
http://www.oldracingcars.com/projects/cooper-t53.htm

I'd checked the excellent oldracingcars site, but there's no mention of O'Sullivan having a second lowline Cooper (and it only lists T53s, not 55s, if that's what it is.)

yes Gordon,

These latter-day sites tend to conform to popular mythology and unfortuantely perpetuate misnomers.

Unfortunately I know nothing of Mr Smedley or his "improvements" to Coopers but it seems that the car photographed is a T55......I. remember seeing the Navy Blue Youl Cooper in 1963 and thinking it was just was just exquisite.....still .. back in those times, i didn't "think" I wanted to spend $680,00o on a taxi cab with a truck engine ..I was yet to be educated about the new Australia!!

Poor Old Stan

That sweeping generalisation is libellous if applied to oldracingcars.com, which is far and away the most authoritative site on the subject of which car was (and is) which.
Furthermore, it's run by a prominent TNFer...

Gordon - sorry about the wild goose chase, but I knew the T55 was still on the other coast at the time in question, so presumed (without checking) that a second O'Sullivan T53 would be on the oldracing cars site. I know I have discussed it with them in the past ;)