17 replies to this topic

[Bondy]

Hi, the other day, a customer came in to my shop and we were talking about race cars, he tells me he has a Formula Ford bulit in the late 60s early 70s, its called an Adams, and Colin Bond apparently drove it. can anyone give me some information on this car, i assume it mainly ran at New South Wales tracks. Thanks

Curt

[Ray Bell]

Was it built by Clive Adams or his son Ian?

Frankly I don't remember the car. I remember Colin driving a Vee once, but I'd need a jolt to the brain cells to recall the FF...

Tell me a meeting and I'll look up the report in a fortnight or so, however.

[Bondy]

I will ask him Ray, see what he can find out. i have'nt even seen the car as yet, but plan to in the near future, that may help the mystery

[Allen Brown]

There was also an "Adams" F5000 car. Any relation?

[Damon Beck]

I was introduced to Darryl Adams by Peter Finlay in 1968, shortly after Peter commenced racing in his Nota Vee. Darryl and Peter had attended the same school (Trinity Grammar, in Sydney). In 1969, Peter and I teamed up with Darryl, who, by then, had started his mechanical repair business, Adams Automotive, in Salisbury Road, Asquith, NSW. My first race with his mechanical influence was in May, 1969, at Warwick Farm where I ran with a newly rebuilt motor. Peter was well placed and I had the good fortune to "latch on" to Bernie Haehnle by the exit of Creek Corner on lap 1. Bernie and I "streeted" the field to finish nine seconds ahead of third place at the end of ten laps, lowering the lap record by .9 of a second .

With Peter and I consistently at the front of 1969 Vee fields with Darryl's preparation, other competitors soon came to him and paid for his expertise. In 1970 I moved to Melbourne and Peter continued with Darryl's help until he, too (with his lovely wife, Gaye) left Sydney (for Europe via Canada - he was successful, coming second in the Euro FF series in 1972). I returned to NSW (Katoomba) in March 1971 and repurchased my Rennmax Vee from Alan Tucker. As Alan had taken over my sponsorship with Darryl when he purchased it, the car remained under Darryl's care and began winning almost immediately . By then Darryl was building the Adams Formula Ford in his workshop, for Colin Bond to drive. Colin had been in the loop, I think because of Darryl's association with Bob Riley also from school days (Colin's great friend and navigator in the late '60s Mitsubishi Colt Rally cars).

As I recall, the FF only had a couple of runs - without much success. Darryl was trying to take on the Autralian giants of FF, Elfin and Bowin, who were constructing world class cars. The Adams was his first attempt at a car and, had Darryl had a less prominent driver than Colin, I am sure that he would have ultimately developed and refined it to competitiveness without suffering the disappointment of having a top driver being uncompetitive. He went the route of self-construction for one simple reason - not much money!

The Adams FF was the only open-wheeler he built.

It is some years since I have had contact with Darryl - I believe he still lives in the Newcastle area.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Allen Brown
There was also an "Adams" F5000 car. Any relation?

Not at all... and thanks for the fill in there Damon, I'd have to look at a photo to help me remember the car... maybe it can be a topic for 'Fast That's Past' some time soon?

The Adams F5000 was built by Graeme 'Lugsy' Adams, who had crewed for most of the F5000 Lola drivers in the country at some time or another and had gone on to race his own Torana XU1 with no notable success.

It was largely made up of Lola bits, one is tempted to think 'lifed' Lola bits, and had a unique tub etc. It achieved very little and was ultimately (IIRC) crashed out of existence. No doubt the various good bits found new life under some sedan body somewhere...

[Bondy]

Thanks Damon for the information, now i just got to convince the new owner why he should put a Kart driver in it and race Historic Formula Ford, hehe, my name is C. Bond a sense of Deja Vu,

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Allen Brown
There was also an "Adams" F5000 car. Any relation?

Appropriately in a thread with FVees... here's eldougo's photo of the Adams GA1 F5000:






Pic restored from slaveHD posting pics 250920.


.

Edited by Ray Bell, 25 September 2020 - 10:36.

[Gary C]

that's interesting, three wets & one slick.

[Ray Bell]

If you knew Lugsy (and the budget he was on...) you'd understand...

He might have only had three front wheels, so only one wet was mounted... or his other front wet might have gone flat, or he'd loaned it to a competitor, or it's really a wet that's worn right out...

[Allen Brown]

eldougo

Could I use your picture on my site?

Thanks

Allen

[Mallory Dan]

That F5000 looks pretty neat, very similar I thought to an Ensign N175, tyres apart ! Colour is close to the Deliotti 1978 Ensign, MN04.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Allen Brown
eldougo

Could I use your picture on my site?

Actually, Allen, I was supposed to e.mail it to you... sorry, I forgot.

It's all yours...

[eldougo]

Originally posted by Allen Brown
eldougo

Could I use your picture on my site?

Thanks

Allen

Of course you can use it Allan it's taken me 12 to 18 months to get that photo i promised back then. Graham Adams has never seen the photos up until now ,and currently it is being restored here in Sydney by a chap who worked for Lugs all those years ago. It's nick name
was the Lugs - O- Matic it had great character like it's owner builder.

Ps thanks for posting Mr Bell Happy Christmas.

[planeimages]

I was introduced to Darryl Adams by Peter Finlay in 1968, shortly after Peter commenced racing in his Nota Vee. Darryl and Peter had attended the same school (Trinity Grammar, in Sydney). In 1969, Peter and I teamed up with Darryl, who, by then, had started his mechanical repair business, Adams Automotive, in Salisbury Road, Asquith, NSW. My first race with his mechanical influence was in May, 1969, at Warwick Farm where I ran with a newly rebuilt motor. Peter was well placed and I had the good fortune to "latch on" to Bernie Haehnle by the exit of Creek Corner on lap 1. Bernie and I "streeted" the field to finish nine seconds ahead of third place at the end of ten laps, lowering the lap record by .9 of a second .

With Peter and I consistently at the front of 1969 Vee fields with Darryl's preparation, other competitors soon came to him and paid for his expertise. In 1970 I moved to Melbourne and Peter continued with Darryl's help until he, too (with his lovely wife, Gaye) left Sydney (for Europe via Canada - he was successful, coming second in the Euro FF series in 1972). I returned to NSW (Katoomba) in March 1971 and repurchased my Rennmax Vee from Alan Tucker. As Alan had taken over my sponsorship with Darryl when he purchased it, the car remained under Darryl's care and began winning almost immediately . By then Darryl was building the Adams Formula Ford in his workshop, for Colin Bond to drive. Colin had been in the loop, I think because of Darryl's association with Bob Riley also from school days (Colin's great friend and navigator in the late '60s Mitsubishi Colt Rally cars).

As I recall, the FF only had a couple of runs - without much success. Darryl was trying to take on the Australian giants of FF, Elfin and Bowin, who were constructing world class cars. The Adams was his first attempt at a car and, had Darryl had a less prominent driver than Colin, I am sure that he would have ultimately developed and refined it to competitiveness without suffering the disappointment of having a top driver being uncompetitive. He went the route of self-construction for one simple reason - not much money!

The Adams FF was the only open-wheeler he built.

It is some years since I have had contact with Darryl - I believe he still lives in the Newcastle area.

Rather late to comment but dear Damon is quite correct about the Adams FF. Darryl had a workshop at Asquith. Probably the worst feature of the car is the fact that I laid down the base chassis tube and welded the first joint. I guess that's where the troubles started! Darryl does, indeed, live in the Newcastle area and I last stayed with him and his wife, Helen, during the MG Nationals. All the best Damon, too.

[lyntonh]

I've just worked out that this is Colin Bond at Warwick Farm in the Adams FF on 5th September 1971.

[lyntonh]

Here dicing with Michael Hall in the Aztec AR8B.

CB came tenth. MH retired.

[lyntonh]

 

Peter Finlay

The Adams was built by my school-mate and Formula Vee engineer, Darryl Adams , in his workshop in Asquith, NSW. It was originally planned for me to drive it but Gaye & I went to Canada and England before it was anything more than a couple of tubes on the jig. The McLaren M4A body panels came from GS Motor Bodies and this is why the appellation M4 is in the name. The late Alan Tucker drove the car and experienced a prang at Amaroo prior to CB and Bob Riley taking over the preparation. Even they didn’t seem to have the same level of success as Colin enjoyed in the pretty archaic Bardhal Vee in the 1970 Empi Mini Tasman, particularly at Surfers.

This comment was added by Peter Finlay to a Facebook post about the Adams FF today.