Hi, has anyone any comments etc on Bill Stuart, he prepared Norton motors in the 1950"s The driver I used to mechanic/gofor had his F3 motors in the 500cc days prepared/tuned by him. IIRC he came from a place called Aston Cantlow in Warwickshire, didn"t seem to get the credits of Beart, Lancefield, Petty, etc but my driver did pretty well with his motors
Bill Stuart Norton Tuner
#1
Posted 31 July 2014 - 13:47
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#2
Posted 02 August 2014 - 19:31
There are two pages devoted to him in Mick Walker's book on the Manx Norton. He worked in Norton's race shop under Joe Craig before branching out as an independant Norton tuner. Apparently Geoff Duke and Dan Shorey are among the motorcyclists who have used his services and as you say, he also did a lot of work for the Manx-powered car racing boys. The book goes on to say that he had a hand in the development of the Meir Ariel Arrow racer and once made a 715cc monster Manx engine for sprinting! He was also the first to offer an enclosed coil valve-spring conversion for the Manx, which was very popular. As you say "46700", he doesn't seem to have had the recognition he probably deserved, in comparison to some other Norton tuners - maybe because he was from an earlier era?
I remember that in the early seventies his name used to appear in programmes as the "entrant" of welsh rider Brian Adams - and I assume therefore, that he also prepared his engine.
#3
Posted 04 August 2014 - 13:35
There are two pages devoted to him in Mick Walker's book on the Manx Norton. He worked in Norton's race shop under Joe Craig before branching out as an independant Norton tuner. Apparently Geoff Duke and Dan Shorey are among the motorcyclists who have used his services and as you say, he also did a lot of work for the Manx-powered car racing boys. The book goes on to say that he had a hand in the development of the Meir Ariel Arrow racer and once made a 715cc monster Manx engine for sprinting! He was also the first to offer an enclosed coil valve-spring conversion for the Manx, which was very popular. As you say "46700", he doesn't seem to have had the recognition he probably deserved, in comparison to some other Norton tuners - maybe because he was from an earlier era?
I remember that in the early seventies his name used to appear in programmes as the "entrant" of welsh rider Brian Adams - and I assume therefore, that he also prepared his engine.
Thanks for that, The driver I gofored for was Philip Robinson who did quite well in a Cooper Mk8 & then Mk9 with first long stroke, short stroke,& then over square Manx motors all tweaked by Bill, at one meeting he ran a a Bill" s experimental motor with outside fly wheel It was removed at meetings end & Bill took it away with him, I can"t remember seeing it again.From 57 or maybe 58 the car was entered as a Stuart Cooper never saw any other cars with this entrant name, although I don"t know the details of the deal. We ran a 690cc motor in the Elvington sprint =FTD much to the dismay of C.A.N MAY; Who at the time seemed to be reckoned the king of the sprint, & even though was up to 1100cc"s class his J A P was no match for the big bang Manx. we swopped to 500cc motor & won that class as well.
#4
Posted 12 August 2014 - 12:44
Actually it was a pair of Mk VIIIs - the former an Albert Elliott car, and the latter being Cliff Allison's (albeit more of an VIII 1/2, with a single rear hub brake). It's not known what other developments had made it onto Allison's car, as later Mk VIIIs had several Mk IX features. Records can be politely described as a right mess, but Phil confirmed this himself, and we've been able to cross-reference all the photos. The former was picked up in 1955, and the latter mid-way through 1956 - on leaving 500s at the end of 1959 Phil sold the car to Isobel Robinson
He also told us that the "Stuart-Cooper" moniker was a joke, specifically at "Francis Beart-Cooper's" expense. I can't recall Bill being involved with any other driver, which probably says more about my records than anything else, but it is quite possible that he mainly restricted himself to motorcycles.
Can you remember which year the Elvington Sprint was? It's a new one to me, and it all goes in the records.
Although I haven't seen him for a couple of years, Phil is still knocking around the Paddock at race meetings with his home-built sports car.
#5
Posted 13 August 2014 - 00:28
But could Bill tune a std 750 or even 850 Commando to stop it shaking itself to death! ...Isolastic suspension my ass! (tingled)
Edited by 275 GTB-4, 13 August 2014 - 03:42.