36 replies to this topic

[Crashly]

Just wondering if anyone has any information or pictures of the Farrell Clubmans, built by Tony Farrell during the 70's and 80's. I own an 83 model, which i believe was original raced by Peter Coffey.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Ashley

[Ray Bell]

I didn't know Tony built them that late...

I understood that the super lightweight one raced by Ross Wemyss was his last. However, many late Farrells were built by others to plans purchased from Tony Farrell. Notable ones were Bob Abberfield's and Jock McLean's son (sorry, can't think of his first name right now).

1983, however, was right in the thick of the beginnings of aerodynamics being added to Clubmans.

What sort of pics do you want?

[Rosemayer]

A couple of shots Cheers Rosey


http://rides.webshot.../64504345pHYXWI

[Bondy]

Crashly, do you have the F483? Rex Colliver ran that car for a few years. I think Max Engellenner had it by about 1986 iirc... I think when Rex ran it it was owned by Alby Middleton? and perhaps Peter kyriakidis (my spelling is way off here going off the top of my head) had a run in it circa 84.....

[john medley]

I imagine there is still one in the town I currently live in, being built up in the late 70s but to my knowledge never finished or raced

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by john medley
I imagine there is still one in the town I currently live in, being built up in the late 70s but to my knowledge never finished or raced

Sounds like one of Gronky's many cars...

[Crashly]

Bondy: I have one FA83's where the built by Tony (I beleive 5 where built?).

Rosemayer: Thanks, the fibreglass on my car actually taken from molds of that car.

Ray: I am interested in seeing what the original bodywork looked like, as I have been told it was original quite different, but not sure how.

Cheers, Ashley

[Ray Bell]

Which car was it originally?

I can locate a good pic or two of regular Farrells, and probably one of the Wemyss car.

[Crashly]

Ray,

From what I have been told the car was originally owned/raced by Peter Coffey, possibly also raced by Andrew Stevens but unsure.

Cheers, Ashley

[ellrosso]

Hi, I have a shot of Ross Wemyss' and Col Pavic's Farrell Clubmans on the oldracephotos.com website. Just type Farrell into Search Phrase on the Advanced Search (Home page) and it will bring them up. Cheers, Lindsay Ross

[Ray Bell]

Colin Pavic's car was running in the early seventies, '72/73 or so... Ross was driving the lightweight car in about '75 or '76 as I recall...

Then, if I'm not mistaken, he got into some grubbly little thing with 10" wheels, didn't he?

[watts447]

Hi, In reply to your Dec 2007 question, I built and raced a FA83 Farrell. Tony built the chassis and diff assy. and front control arms and I did the front uprights and mounted the Corolla engine and gearbox. It was raced late ,85 all ,86 and won the NSW series in 1987. I still have molds for engine cover and nose. The car is now in S.A. Also have many photos Dick Watts Email retrowheels@optusnet.com.au

[Ray Bell]

Welcome to the forum, Dick...

I spend some time with Bob Abberfield occasionally, who built a Farrell from plans back in the late seventies. He still has a hankering to put it back together (crashed badly at Huntley Hill).

[timbo]

A couple of Farrells.

The first is Keith Williamson at Historic Mallala 2008.


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I'm not sure of the driver of this one, but it was at a NSW State meeting at Oran park quite a few years ago.


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There are similarities in the cars, especially the nose bodywork, but there are big differences around the rear bodywork, and engine cover.
I'm not sure if they all started out like Keith Williamsons, and just developed over time, or they are different models.

[Ray Bell]

Around '84 or so 'aerodynamics' were introduced to Clubmans in Australia...

That led to a lot of home-made bodywork. Not to say that all Farrells had bodywork formed up by Tony Farrell anyway, as the cars built from plans would have had their own variations.

[Lee Nicolle]

And like most racecars probably evolved from car to car and owner to owner.
I am sure that Keiths car did not have that front either a few years back. He has had that car a very long time. The collective ages of that car and Doigs probably exceed the average age of the drivers of a Touring Car field!

[2Bob]

A few Farells at AIR (first one) and Mallala, mid to late 1980s. (The white clubby in a couple of them is my ASP). As Ray says aero bodywork (???) was coming in the period.

Tom Tymons on the grid AIR. (Could be the race that we beat Russel Ingall in what was probably his first FF race).


Dave Benda


Michael Clark



Clark again


And again - at least I think it is the same car with updated body - someone else might confirm


Benda and Clark in the pits


To the best of my knowledge all are still owned by the same people. Michael Clark's has had a twin cam 1600 toyota engine and used to run at Collingrove until a few years ago. Pretty sure all of them had Corolla engines in the period. Keith Williamson's had (and has) a Datsun engine.

[micl]

Well well well, the things you find on the web!
A recent chance meeting with Bob, the previous poster, got me inspired to get my car back on the track so I started doing some research and discovered this board and in particular this thread.
I own the Farrell which was first owned and partially built by Dick Watts who has also posted on the thread. The car is then shown above, presumably with him driving at Oran Park #61. It was then raced by Wesley Inkster in Melbourne and I bought it in 1993. It is shown again in Bob's post at Mallala, #72. I bought it after I put my previous Clubman into the wall at Mallala, it is also shown above (#15) and was a Gordon (not a Farrell with a previous body). At one stage in its life the Gordon was raced by Chris Hocking in Melbourne. I did not have the time to re-build it and sold the remains to Stefan Jelinek and I have not since heard of its fate. I bought the Farrell because of the pedigree which Dick has mentioned and in my previous racing, Farrells always seemed like quick cars. After a few years of racing at Mallala and a memorable meeting at Adelaide International in 1995, someone drove into me at Mallala, badly damaging the rear. I had a break for a few years and then fulfilled a long held desire to put a 4Age in it and I ran it at Collingrove hillclimb with perfect reliability. A busy life has got the best of me over the past few years and it has sat in the shed but I now want to get the Farrell back on the track its original guise. This thread has enabled me to get in touch with Dick and as he says he still has moulds. So a project is about to be embarked upon.....

[2Bob]

Well well well, the things you find on the web!
A recent chance meeting with Bob, the previous poster, got me inspired to get my car back on the track so I started doing some research and discovered this board and in particular this thread.

Great news Michael. Incidently if you wanted to I reckon you could run the car as it is now in the races we have at Mallala - mainly historics but some cars 'by invitation', I am sure you would get an invite! Must go now - Mallala is calling for this weekend. Car loaded, sandwiches to make and off we go ....

See you out there soon.

[Ray Bell]

Any old-style Clubmans are a good thing to see going...

Have a lot of fun with it.

[redgts]

Any old-style Clubmans are a good thing to see going...

Have a lot of fun with it.

I agree Ray lets see a race clubman tread of its own,and what ever happened to this wonderful class ?

[Ray Bell]

It descended into the abyss of aerodynamics...

The owners were sold a pup. They were told they would go faster and things would be better if they spent money on their cars. With 1300cc production based engines, yet, and single camshafts.

Today it's all-in, whatever you have, they run it. But today's racing is a mere shadow of what it used to be anyway.

[micl]

Great news Michael. Incidently if you wanted to I reckon you could run the car as it is now in the races we have at Mallala -

Thanks Bob, the car needs a rebuild and while I am at it I would prefer to restore it back to its original form and preserve an example of Clubman history.
Hope the weekend at Mallala went well for you.

Any old-style Clubmans are a good thing to see going...

Have a lot of fun with it.

Thanks Ray, I am sure I will. I agree with your later thoughts about the demise of the Clubman class. The original concept and appeal got lost somewhere along the line and they didn't go much faster, if at all.

[Ray Bell]

Why don't you get in touch with Bob Abberfield?

He's still got the remains of his (as wrecked at Huntley Hillclimb) and looks to imminent retirement...

[2Bob]

Thanks Bob, the car needs a rebuild and while I am at it I would prefer to restore it back to its original form and preserve an example of Clubman history.
Hope the weekend at Mallala went well for you.

Original will be good. You are welcome to the inlet manifold we talked about if you want it. Mallala was good - Keith in his Farrell won (clubbie section) 3 races and I won 1 after a couple of self induced ignition problems. Video of one race (guess which!) is on YouTube here good dice with Keith and Melissa Ford (Mallock).

Send me a pm (personal message) with your email address if you want to converse more privately.

[Lee Nicolle]

Original will be good. You are welcome to the inlet manifold we talked about if you want it. Mallala was good - Keith in his Farrell won (clubbie section) 3 races and I won 1 after a couple of self induced ignition problems. Video of one race (guess which!) is on YouTube here good dice with Keith and Melissa Ford (Mallock).

Send me a pm (personal message) with your email address if you want to converse more privately.

That rear view is quite disconcerting. I guess I am used to going forward! Gee you guys are slow down through the kink.

[jeremy durward]

Dave Benda


Benda and Clark in the pits


To the best of my knowledge all are still owned by the same people. Michael Clark's has had a twin cam 1600 toyota engine and used to run at Collingrove until a few years ago. Pretty sure all of them had Corolla engines in the period. Keith Williamson's had (and has) a Datsun engine.

Dave Benda still has his. no engine in it due to that being sold with the Formula 3 but otherwise its all still there. i've been trying to talk him into getting it going for years... i'll get him one day i think Daves always ran the corolla motor.

[micl]

Why don't you get in touch with Bob Abberfield?

He's still got the remains of his (as wrecked at Huntley Hillclimb) and looks to imminent retirement...

Thank you for that suggestion, Ray - I will contact him and see what his plans are for the remains. There are some bits I need the likes of which are no doubt sitting around unneeded in various sheds but they will take significant money and time to newly make or buy.

Dave Benda still has his. no engine in it due to that being sold with the Formula 3 but otherwise its all still there. i've been trying to talk him into getting it going for years... i'll get him one day i think Daves always ran the corolla motor.

Dave has been threatening to get his car going again for ages so keep working on him. Yes, all the time I knew the car it ran a 3K Corolla engine and was very quick

[Ray Bell]

I think you misunderstood me about Bob and his wreck...

He plans to rebuild his car. It's a car he originally built from Farrell plans, which was one of the methods that Farrell got cars onto the track with his name.

But Bob can encourage you (as you might encourage him...) and possibly steer you in some right directions.

[micl]

Ah, I see. Well that is the best outcome if Bob gets his car back on the track.

I have only recently discovered that Farrells were often built up from a frame and some other components built by Tony Farrell, as in the case of my car, or as you say, just from plans. This accounts for the different appearance of the cars with original owners organising their own bodywork etc.

[Ray Bell]

Most had the same bodywork originally...

But the aerodynamic era took care of all that.

[jeremy durward]

Dave has been threatening to get his car going again for ages so keep working on him. Yes, all the time I knew the car it ran a 3K Corolla engine and was very quick

Oh i will, dont you worry i know he's had a read of this so maybe it might get him enthused again.

[Ray Bell]

I'm currently showing this thread to Bob Abberfield...

He's all in favour of you encouraging each other, e.mail me (click on my e.mail address in my signature) and I'll put you in touch with him.

[Andrew73]

Hi All,

Reviving an old topic, I'm interested in purchasing an 80's era Clubman / Sports 1300. There was a Farrell Clubman F483 (see photos) that competed in the 80's which I am interested in trying to locate, I've heard it may have ended up in Qld. It was mentioned by Bondy in Post # 4.
There are 2 photos of it here, it is Car # 19 http://www.tony-farr...contents06.html

Any information or photos much appreciated !

Cheers, Andrew

[126Benz]

A few Farells at AIR (first one) and Mallala, mid to late 1980s. (The white clubby in a couple of them is my ASP). As Ray says aero bodywork (???) was coming in the period.

Tom Tymons on the grid AIR. (Could be the race that we beat Russel Ingall in what was probably his first FF race).

 

 

Hi, I know this is an old post and I doubt anyone looks at it anymore but just to clear it up incase it is looked at.

 

This was not Tom Tymons racing the  #27 C1/P farrell Clubman. Tom did indeed own this car in the 70's and raced very successfully in It but never raced against Russel Ingal. This is my father, Mark O'Connell driving the car who did in fact race against Russell Ingall and did indeed lap faster than him. Mark bought this car in about 1983 off Richard Warland.

 

Previous owners & racers of this car include:

Tony Farrell

Tom Nuaghton (read somewhere he had raced this car but havn't seen any evidence of this)

Colin Pavic

Mike Drewer

Tom Tymons        

Richard warland     - 1978 - 1983

Mark O'Connell      - 1983 - current

 

 

My father still owns the car and is looking to talk to anybody who knows anything about the car, has any photos, old time sheets, storys etc. My father and I are very Keen to put together a history for the car and restore it to its former glory.

 

I would highly appreciate it if anybody with any information about this car would please get into contact with me. My email is: oconnrya14@hotmail.com

 

 

Many thanks,

 

Ryan.

Edited by 126Benz, 10 April 2014 - 04:21.

[2Bob]

I have sent an email to you with email addresses for Richard Warland Dave Benda and Michael Clarke.  Will provide any help I can provided you promise to get the car back on track!  See you at Mallala for Easter Historics - Kieth will be there with his car (as I will be with my ASP and Doig with his ASP and there will be a few other clubbies too I expect).   If you want a pit pass or 2 then we probably will have a couple spare!

[RW7]

Hi Ryan and anybody else who is still following this thread.

 

Regarding your list of owner/drivers of C1/P, I think you are right except for Tom Naughton.

 

Tony built the car for Col Pavic, hence the "P" and I don't think Tom figured in this car.

 

C1/P is a significant historic car and although the bodywork is not as Pavic/Drewer/Tymons raced it, I believe its new bodywork which Tom Tymons gave it after his big shunt at AIR is still part of its important history.

 

Cheers

 

Richard W.