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Queensland sports car racing programmes and photos from 1957-1960


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#1 dmcindoe

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Posted 04 July 2015 - 00:01

Hi Guys,

 

Some great pics and stories in the forums here, a fantasic archive of information!

 

I am chasing information on sports car meetings from 1957 and '58 for a CoD application.  Any programmes, reults, photos or the like for meetings at Lowood or Lakeside would be very appreciated.

also any lead son where they may be available for sale, copies or originals, would also be helpful.

 

Specifically I am looking to define the first, or ealiest recorded, outing of a "Ford Prefect Special" or "Elford" or "KM-200" built in Queensland in the late 50s.  I believe it was first raced in 1957 at Lowood.  I believe the car was green then, probably competition number 22, 44 or 55.

 

(Elford was the name given to the car, which was based on Ford Prefect mechanicals and KM-200 was/is the figreglass body)

 

Most of the history has been compiled and is avaialble on the forum here: http://forums.autosp...16#entry7030207

 

Just looking to finish the paperwork (which has been extensive... ) by finding a 1957 or 1958 track appearance.

 

Thanks in advance, Dan



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#2 Ray Bell

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Posted 04 July 2015 - 18:54

I wonder if Jim Bertram can help you with this?

Sent me an e.mail and I'll check him out for you...

#3 Jake Alderson

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Posted 05 July 2015 - 14:33

Dan,

Brier Thomas is your man for photographs and he also has scanned in programmes. 

Try the Brier Thomas collection, thus:

Search 'Vern Hamilton racing' and click on 'special motorsport photo project'

Best of luck

Jake 



#4 Ray Bell

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Posted 06 July 2015 - 00:55

That photo collection seems to begin at 1961...

Dan's looking for 1957.

#5 dmcindoe

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Posted 06 July 2015 - 08:11

Thanks for the resonses so far.

 

Some photos of the car:

 

1_Front_3_4.jpg

 

 

Elford_compnumber_45_Page_1.jpg

Elford_compnumber_45_Page_2.jpg


Edited by dmcindoe, 06 July 2015 - 08:12.


#6 Ray Bell

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Posted 06 July 2015 - 09:56

Looks a lot like this one, Daniel...

0715fr_KRpicssportscar53lowood.jpg

#7 Dick Willis

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Posted 06 July 2015 - 11:37

That photo collection seems to begin at 1961...

Dan's looking for 1957.

The Brier Thomas Lowood pics on disc go back to about 1957



#8 ReesMackay

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Posted 10 July 2015 - 00:32

While looking for KM200's in Qld racing could you also look for another fibreglass bodied car - my Buchanan.

 

It is a Rizzo chassis with FJ/FE holden engine, suspension, with Buchanan body No 10. It was red (twice), then white, and finally yellow, and had a fastback roof put on it for GT racing in Queensland. The front mudguards were also filled in, probably at the same time, which would have changed the appearance  a lot, and I think it was white during the GT stage.

I don't have any photos in GT form as when I got it all the non Buchanan bits had been cut off.



#9 Ray Bell

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Posted 10 July 2015 - 02:45

Rees, where have you been?

I went through about half of Claire's photos and I think I can discern three Buchanans:

0715fr_KRpicsbuchanan4stud.jpg

4-stud wheels... I think that's unlikely.

0715fr_KRpicsbuchananinverell.jpg

This appears to be a white car with possibly blue or green stripes, and a headrest, at Inverell Hillclimb.

0715fr_KRpicsbuchanantamhilabr.jpg

Same car and configuration again, this time at Tamworth Hillclimb.

0715fr_KRpicsbuchanantamhill.jpg

Another at Tamworth Hillclimb, looks like it was spectating. At least it has a roof!

0715fr_KRpicsbuchanan_GTontrailer.jpg

Back to the white one with the stripes, now with a roof too. This is Lowood, I think June 1960.

0715fr_KRpicsbuchanan_GThillclimb.jpg

And again, Tamworth Hillclimb this time.

It appears to me that Claire had a liking for the Buchanans, possibly Keith was looking at getting one at some time?

Anyway, have we found what you were looking for?

#10 Dick Willis

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Posted 10 July 2015 - 05:07

Pics 2,3,5 and 6 are of Tony McLelland's RAWGS special from Tamworth , it was a very succesful car in northen NSW in the early sixties, very aggressively driven, it had a Grey Holden motor and Skoda IRS as is evident by the positive camber on the RHR wheel in pic no 5.

The Buchanan in pic no 4 is Leo Drummonds car from Kempsey, Holden powered again but with Peugeot IFS, red in colour with white hardtop but it was more a road car rather than a race car although he did run at several standing quarters in the Kempsey area.

Whereabouts of both are unknown at this time but we would welcome any leads.



#11 john medley

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Posted 10 July 2015 - 05:42

I second Dick Willis' IDs,

and pic 1 is Norman James (Jim) Wright's Buchanan TR

#12 Ray Bell

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Posted 10 July 2015 - 06:03

So all of this is of no use to Rees?

Which car does he have?

#13 Dick Willis

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Posted 10 July 2015 - 06:22

There were about 150 Buchanan bodies built and probably less than half that number currently identified. Given that a lot of them were fitted to non racing cars it is near on impossible to find history on so many of them.



#14 DaveSt

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Posted 12 July 2015 - 11:12

Rees,

A friend of mine had your car No.10 in the 1980's I remember it well and I have a similar Holden grey engined Buchanan.

 

IMG_1202_zps0vumu82v.jpg


Edited by DaveSt, 12 July 2015 - 11:19.


#15 ReesMackay

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Posted 13 July 2015 - 12:29

This is fantastic Dave, thank you for posting the photo. Do you know anything further of its history?

 

Thank you to everyone for their posts, photos, and identities. Even if they weren't identified there are detail differences between each of them and mine.

 

It seems that at some time after the photo was taken the guards were flared and smaller and wider volvo wheels fitted, and it was painted yellow. The roof was then removed and front guards opened out again. I have the windscreen, albeit perspex - does anyone know where the glass came from originally?

 

Further points -

The first car was completed March 1957, Sports Car World March 1958 quotes Buchanan "next month we will be delivering our 100th body"

Sports Car World June 1958 suggests about 8 Rizzo chassis

Rizzo himself wrote many years later that he had built "about a dozen chassis for various people, one going to New Zealand" but it seems that this number covers all projects, including the 2 earlier Buchanan sports car prototypes and the Crowfoot Holden. Perhaps this means that there were up to 9 Rizzo Buchanans.

The Buchanan website refers to 5 other known Rizzo Buchanans. Some used MG front cross members (ie Gladiator) and some Holden FJ cross members.

Mine has FJ cross member,but FE hubs and wheels (FE has wider track), and FJ engine.

Mine has Body No 10, suggesting early - mid 1957, but who knows how long it took to complete the car? However, the general opinion is that all Rizzo chassis were commissioned for racing, and if someone was going to those lengths they would be unlikely to waste much time. This leads me to suppose the car was finished late in 1957, but was it ever raced?? and when was the GT roof put on?

 

PS apologies to Dan for hijacking the question on KM200



#16 DaveSt

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Posted 14 July 2015 - 21:05

Hi Rees, I've messaged  you my contact details. I knew know two of the previous owners, one who got it going and registered for the road. I believe it was a race car but finding out which one may be difficult.