295 replies to this topic

[DanTra2858]

To the best of my knowledge & if my memory is correct the Speedwell Mini were brand new cars that were modified by the Speedwell establishment in the UK prior to being road registed.

Upon the modifications being completed the Badging of the car was changed to Speedwell then Registration took place under the name of Speedwell Mini, wether this had BMC best wishes I do not know but one would expect Speedwell to carry Warrenty for all Road going cars but not race cars, as I said to the best of my memory this was 50+ years ago.

[GeoffR]

"You'd be better on a Malvern Star".

Speaking of which, they have made a serious comeback in the cycling world....

http://www.malvernstar.com.au/

[ellrosso]

Nice looking bikes....... I guess they would have been crazy not to jump on the bandwagon. We live pretty much next to Centennial Park in Sydney and the amount of cyclists is incredible. The Cheeky Monkey bike shop is just around the corner too - amazing bikes and amazing prices too - up to $30,000 for top of the range. Its definitely the "new golf" as far as all these corporate guys are concerned - few laps of the park then latte's at the cafes afterwards.
I probably hold the Malvern Star lap record at Baskerville, having done a "hot" lap there when I was about 14 - well, it was hot on all the downhill bits! Great fun down Skyline into the corner at the top of Shell Straight.
My Malvern Star was originally the old man's which was then passed down to my older brother, then "renovated" with gold paint, butterfly handlebars and 3 speed gears for my 12th birthday. Grandfather's axe......

[275 GTB-4]

Bruce Smith had a Speedwell Mini, which had a few hot bits that still conformed with Appendix J rules. I think a local BMC dealer supplied them. Bruce drives an MG sedan currently, in Historics.

No more Greg....Major shunt a while back

[275 GTB-4]

To the best of my knowledge & if my memory is correct the Speedwell Mini were brand new cars that were modified by the Speedwell establishment in the UK prior to being road registed.

Upon the modifications being completed the Badging of the car was changed to Speedwell then Registration took place under the name of Speedwell Mini, wether this had BMC best wishes I do not know but one would expect Speedwell to carry Warrenty for all Road going cars but not race cars, as I said to the best of my memory this was 50+ years ago.

Sounds right Dan...they would have been "hot" little cars in their day

[GeoffR]

My Malvern Star was originally the old man's which was then passed down to my older brother, then "renovated" with gold paint, butterfly handlebars and 3 speed gears for my 12th birthday. Grandfather's axe......

This is going way off topic, but three speed Sturmey Archer hub gears? My present alloy 'all mountain' bike weighs 13 kgs, runs 3 X 9 (27) gears, 120mm travel at each end, tubeless tyres, hydraulic discs etc, etc. A far cry from my old steel framed steed of the late '60s with the aforesaid Sturmey Archer gears & V brakes.
BTW you can get Rohloff internal gear hubs (up to 14 gears) 'for a price'.

[Ray Bell]

My Speedwell Special Sports served me well enough...

Though at one stage I fitted Sturmey Archer 3-speed with hub brakes to it. Less prone to wheel locking, but mostly I used front brake only, which stopped you better.

I had a big old Dutch-framed bike with a 3-speed Sturmey Archer with back pedal brake too, this was a roughy for doing paper runs, and another lighter-framed job that saw service with a 2-speed Sturmey Archer hub with hub brake. That hub dated back to 1912 or something.

I eventually sold the Speedwell to Manfred Swiec and he later reported to me that it had been stolen. If anyone sees it, the frame number is V66308, let me know.

[Bondy]

Bob Harris from Canberra? the Holden man??

Not sure where he came from, he drove with a P. Tindell, does that help?

[Ian G]

I'm cornfused...Speedwell was/is a UK tuning house...don't recall any production car called the Speedwell Morris. Anyone got a picture??

The little metal plate "Speedwell" replaced the Morris or Austin plate on the rocker cover on Speedwell modified heads,they were on lots of the Mini's that raced at WF in the late 1960's early 1970's.Only problem was when buying a 2nd hand car was that someone in Sydney was making the plate(or importing them) and passing them off as a Speedwell modified head/engine,you can still buy the plates on Ebay.


http://mk1-performan....uk/spdhist.htm

http://mk1-performan...g_equipment.htm

Edited by Ian G, 23 May 2012 - 23:58.

[Lee Nicolle]

Nice looking bikes....... I guess they would have been crazy not to jump on the bandwagon. We live pretty much next to Centennial Park in Sydney and the amount of cyclists is incredible. The Cheeky Monkey bike shop is just around the corner too - amazing bikes and amazing prices too - up to $30,000 for top of the range. Its definitely the "new golf" as far as all these corporate guys are concerned - few laps of the park then latte's at the cafes afterwards.
I probably hold the Malvern Star lap record at Baskerville, having done a "hot" lap there when I was about 14 - well, it was hot on all the downhill bits! Great fun down Skyline into the corner at the top of Shell Straight.
My Malvern Star was originally the old man's which was then passed down to my older brother, then "renovated" with gold paint, butterfly handlebars and 3 speed gears for my 12th birthday. Grandfather's axe......

Mallala used to run a bike race while the sun was setting at the Twilight Meeting. After doing that you discover a few unused muscles!

[eldougo]

I am not sure if i can post a link i found on Autopic page 25 in the Lance Ruting section and low and be hold a photo of a racing Morris 1500 it the first on i have seen on a track.

Edited by eldougo, 19 August 2012 - 05:00.

[Lee Nicolle]

I am not sure if i can post a link i found on Autopic page 25 in the Lance Ruting section and low and be hold a photo of a racing Morris 1500 it the first on i have seen on a track.

A racing Morris 1500 is a contradiction in terms. You mean that somebody actually raced one, a true oddity on a racetrack. Ok road car for its day but never a racing car.

[Ray Bell]

I'm sure there was one run in a 500 one year...

People used to race all sorts of things, Lee... I thought you'd remember that!

[RCH]

Morris 1500? New one on me, it looks like an 1100, did it have a Maxi engine? Given the Australian propensity to race things like Vauxhall Crestas, Humber Hawks and Standard Vanguards this looks like quite a reasonable choice!

[wagons46]

I'm sure there was one run in a 500 one year...
People used to race all sorts of things, Lee... I thought you'd remember that!

1969 a Morris 1500 entered and finished 9th in Class B driven by R.Lanyon/A.Barrett and M. Mollison covering 97 laps and a top speed of 100.45 mph, lapping in 3.30 , 38 seconds a lap slower than the Falcon XW GT.

Morris 1100S's were entered in 1967 and 1968.

Edited by wagons46, 19 August 2012 - 22:57.

[Lee Nicolle]

1969 a Morris 1500 entered and finished 9th in Class B driven by R.Lanyon/A.Barrett and M. Mollison covering 97 laps and a top speed of 100.45 mph.

I think that result verifies what I said. The question is why? Probably someone gave them the car to get some publicity for the model.Though I thought that Mel Mollison was a Holden dealer?
And a 1500 was a 1100 with a 1500 OHC engine it. As I said before a racecar never. Mechanised transport yes.

[Librules]

I sit corrected but although there was a Holden dealer named Mollison's (in Kyneton?), I'm not sure that Mel was the proprietor. Also, regarding inappopriate racing cars, didn't a Marina run at least once at Bathurst? I'd rather run over the top in a 1500 than one of them......

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by RCH
Morris 1500? New one on me, it looks like an 1100, did it have a Maxi engine? Given the Australian propensity to race things like Vauxhall Crestas, Humber Hawks and Standard Vanguards this looks like quite a reasonable choice!

No, not Humber Hawks...

You must be getting confused with some of the stuff the Kiwis did!

[austmcreg]

there was a Holden dealer named Mollison's (in Kyneton?), I'm not sure that Mel was the proprietor.

Correct.

Mollisons at Kyneton was a Holden dealer but had nothing to do with Mel Mollison. It had everything to do with the fact that it was located on Mollison St, Kyneton. Got caught up in Holden credit squeeze during GFC a few years ago and is now gone.

Mel Mollison was a fairly good punter of Mazdas in 1970s if my memory does not play tricks...

Rob Saward

[Ray Bell]

Wasn't Mel also involved in scrutineering somehow?

Yes, he raced Mazdas at Bathurst, from 1300 through to rotaries. But only from 1972 to 1974, a very short run. Undoubtedly he competed prior to that in local events in Victoria, but two second places (to Alfas) in the RX3s in '73 and '74 with Bruce Hindhaugh as his co-driver seem to be the highlight of his career. It appears he gave up racing at the end of the '74 season with a second in class at the Phillip Island event.

[ellrosso]

A Morris Marina entered by the St George/Port Hacking Auto Club and driven by Peter Molesworth/ Neil Byers actually finished 25th in the 1974 Bathurst. Only one car behind them but there was nearly half the field which DNF'd that year, so at least they made it. Another unusual one, albeit a bit more pacey, was a VW Passat driven by our own Seldo. Just put a shot of it on the ORP website the other week, courtesy of another TNF'r, Rob Saward.

[275 GTB-4]

Correct.

Mollisons at Kyneton was a Holden dealer but had nothing to do with Mel Mollison. It had everything to do with the fact that it was located on Mollison St, Kyneton. Got caught up in Holden credit squeeze during GFC a few years ago and is now gone.

Mel Mollison was a fairly good punter of Mazdas in 1970s if my memory does not play tricks...

Rob Saward

Quote from Mr Abbott:

Perhaps you could add a reply for me:

An interesting history on one-offs which I have only just read. I own Peter Williamson’s Supra, which as is noted was also Win Percy’s BSCC car. There were three of these cars built all up in England for Group A circuit racing but Willo’s was the only one to race here or NZ. A second car was built by a privateer in 1986 but was not given an entry to Bathurst by the ARDC so was never logbooked, but was used later in the rebuild of Willo’s own car following the 86 Bathurst prang.

Another one-off I have owned was the ex Ken Harrison Mk 2 Escort. It was a one-off for many reasons. Firstly, in Group C it raced as a 2L Pinto, a 1600 crossflow and a 1600 Pinto as a Mk 2 “Mexico’; don’t think there is another Group C car to race with 3 different engines. It also qualified at Bathurst as an Auto in 1979, I know there are other autos to race there but it is pretty rare. Car blew the auto in final practice so was withdrawn and forever after raced as a manual. Lastly, it was used in Group A in 1985 as a Mexico, possibly the only Group A Mk 2 Escort in the world?

Geminis were mentioned earlier – they were actually sort of common in their later guises. My ex Peter Boston car is a PF60 coupe, and there are three of those; difference being they are 1800 single cams rather than the 1600s sold in Australia. As David noted the only twin cams in Group C were the two sedans, both of which still exist. In Group A, there were also 2 twin cam sedans. However, there was a twin cam Coupe raced in Group A in New Zealand, the only one I am aware of anywhere. And there were at least 6 of the later PF50 Geminis, two at least still exist of those and two like mine were later converted to 1800s. There are FIA papers for the twin cam Coupe so I don’t know why it wasn’t allowed here by CAMS; was just as rare sold here (ie none!) as the 1800 single cams.

As far as Mel Mollison is concerned, yes he stopped racing and was a CAMS scrutineer for ages. However he also had a part to play later, as his son Andrew Mollison also raced in Group C in my Gemini, which was sponsored by Mel’s business, Knight Tailors. And yes as noted, no relationship to Mollison Motors who also sponsored Geminis at the time in Vic, most notably for John Harvey the year he won the Gemini series down there. And if you want more links, that Gemini they sponsored became the Group C car David was discussing earlier, his 1979 Bathurst car.
Unquote

[275 GTB-4]

I think that result verifies what I said. The question is why? Probably someone gave them the car to get some publicity for the model.Though I thought that Mel Mollison was a Holden dealer?
And a 1500 was a 1100 with a 1500 OHC engine it. As I said before a racecar never. Mechanised transport yes.

Autopics has great LJR shot of the #12B 1500 (1969) ever so gently lifting an inside wheel at Murrays....love the large leather bonnet strap used. Captioned as Alf Barrett/Mel Mollison.

...Transverse, SOHC and cable operated gearbox...

[NRMOZ]

A quick word on the Corollas mentioned early in the thread. There were early Corollas (going back to the pre-70's in the ATCC rounds run by a very quick Dick Thurston (KE10?)and Brian Sampson and then a brace of KE20-21s out of South Australia in Series Production trim where we raced in pretty much most meetings at AIR. Mel McEwen, Elfin Mono racer and later F5000 racer, speed record holder and Toyota Dealer at Murray Bridge mentored a group of cars and mine was a KE21 with the genuine factor headers, being one of the last to come out of AMC at Fishermen's Bend in Victoria. This car did double duty as a series prod racer and also as a rally car in SA and later in NSW when I moved to NSW in the mid 70s. The car passed from my hands to Simpson Safety Australia MD, Greg Yard who continued to rally the Corolla for many years. The engine and gearbox still exist but last seen the car had completed use of it's second body and I'm not sure if the current owner has been able to find a third! There was a third Corolla that scored points in an ATCC round driven by (Pete?) Moore who was also one of the SA drivers mentored by Mel McEwen.

 

My 'other' Corolla was the former KE11 SA Champ car of Ingo Beckley; a late 60's Corolla Sprinter that remains (together with our series prod Perrier Alfasud) my favourite car.

 

With the arrival of Peter Williamson's Celica the Corollas faded from the Touring Car scene but were a big part of the Aussie Rallying scene again in the early 2000s.  It should be noted however that in the late 70's through at least the late 80's there were some quick Corollas in the ATCC being driven by drivers such as Mick Quinn, Drew Price and Bob Holden and also the Meadowlea cars of Alexandra Surplice a

Edited by NRMOZ, 31 May 2015 - 08:23.

[Piquet959]

The Mel Mollinson RX3 went on to be raced by Ray Harrison and Craig Bradtke, some back door sponsorship from Mazda Australia main sponsorship from Craig's business, Rotary Rebuild which became Rotary Exchange engines. The car ran the full ATTC and Manchamps series in 1974. Main competition was Nick Louis in his RX3, Don Holland RX3 and the Boat Seton Capri at Bathurst that year.

I think it was the year that the 240K and the merc with the sunroof pop riveted up ran. I'll check up and update the dates if I'm wrong.

[275 GTB-4]

A quick word on the Corollas mentioned early in the thread. There were early Corollas (going back to the pre-70's in the ATCC rounds run by a very quick Dick Thurston (KE10?)and Brian Sampson and then a brace of KE20-21s out of South Australia in Series Production trim where we raced in pretty much most meetings at AIR. Mel McEwen, Elfin Mono racer and later F5000 racer, speed record holder and Toyota Dealer at Murray Bridge mentored a group of cars and mine was a KE21 with the genuine factor headers, being one of the last to come out of AMC at Fishermen's Bend in Victoria. This car did double duty as a series prod racer and also as a rally car in SA and later in NSW when I moved to NSW in the mid 70s. The car passed from my hands to Simpson Safety Australia MD, Greg Yard who continued to rally the Corolla for many years. The engine and gearbox still exist but last seen the car had completed use of it's second body and I'm not sure if the current owner has been able to find a third! There was a third Corolla that scored points in an ATCC round driven by (Pete?) Moore who was also one of the SA drivers mentored by Mel McEwen.
 
My 'other' Corolla was the former KE11 SA Champ car of Ingo Beckley; a late 60's Corolla Sprinter that remains (together with our series prod Perrier Alfasud) my favourite car.
 
With the arrival of Peter Williamson's Celica the Corollas faded from the Touring Car scene but were a big part of the Aussie Rallying scene again in the early 2000s.  It should be noted however that in the late 70's through at least the late 80's there were some quick Corollas in the ATCC being driven by drivers such as Mick Quinn, Drew Price and Bob Holden and also the Meadowlea cars of Alexandra Surplice a

Welcome NRMOZ - great first post!

[fredeuce]

Autopics has great LJR shot of the #12B 1500 (1969) ever so gently lifting an inside wheel at Murrays....love the large leather bonnet strap used. Captioned as Alf Barrett/Mel Mollison.

...Transverse, SOHC and cable operated gearbox...

I think the superficial attraction of these cars was the fact that they had a five speed overdrive gearbox available to them. That is no doubt what enabled them to reach the sizzling top speed of 100mph. As I understand it the best of the Mini Cooper S's were good for 110-115 in the day. No surprise that no-one followed this lead.

[Lee Nicolle]

While not my taste the 1500 was an example of mechanised transport. They were better than an 1100 with better seats and a bit more power. Many were mums shopping hack where they served ok.

[275 GTB-4]

I think the superficial attraction of these cars was the fact that they had a five speed overdrive gearbox available to them. That is no doubt what enabled them to reach the sizzling top speed of 100mph. As I understand it the best of the Mini Cooper S's were good for 110-115 in the day. No surprise that no-one followed this lead.

Uh-huh...

[Piquet959]

An Australian one off /rarity would have to be the Illinga. I believe that Tony Farrell was involved in the design and development of what was billed as a High quality car to take on the world. Sadly it was brought undone by lack of support if not outright sabotage by some of the component manufacturers.

Edited by Piquet959, 02 June 2015 - 11:16.

[Lee Nicolle]

An Australian one off /rarity would have to be the Illinga. I believe that Tony Farrell was involved in the design and development of what was billed as a High quality car to take on the world. Sadly it was brought undone by lack of support if not outright sabotage by some of the component manufacturers.

Hardly a Touring Car. A very limited production Sports Car. 

From what I have seen they had the potential to be good but seemed half finished.

[GMACKIE]

Has anyone mentioned Noel Delforce's P 76 ?

 

A certain Mr Moffat 'mentioned' Mr Delforce a few times.

[Ray Bell]

Wasn't that in relation to his V8 Marina?

And, of course, Mr Moffat had a run-in with Seldo's Datsun 1000...

[Catalina Park]

Moffat met both the Marina and the P76. (I wonder if he met the 24/80?)
From memory Moff got fined for walking across the bonnet of the P76.

[Ray Bell]

He sure led a colourful life...

Especially when it came to running into impecunious competitors' cars.

[group7]

bumping this thread, is this Anglia in the link (click the photo to enlarge) the same type as one that raced in Australia ? I have an image of a similar red one on a trailer

 

at a show in Australia, can't post here. Where there more than one of these built, any history, I seem to remember this being mentioned here before  ?

 

https://stiffspeed.c...st/190347053659

Edited by group7, 20 January 2020 - 04:16.

[TerryS]

These Anglias, affectionately known as "Breadvans", were run in New Zealand but never in Australia.

[Team Result]

Following his recent death, I posted a photo of Eric Olsen racing his yellow Torana SL/R 5000 at Lakeside on the 'Gone But Not Forgotten' thread. The car beside his on the main straight was captioned as Colin Bond, though I believe it was Brock's turn to race the only SL/R built by the HDT that weekend (maybe Bond practised it?). Anyway, there were four of this model raced at the mini-enduro called the Lakeside 1500. Gricey and Brock both crashed at Hungry Corner due to front hub failures. Following this GM hastily released the L34 update with stronger Holden Monaro five-stud hubs, amongst other changes. Eric finished the race won by Charlie O'brien in an XU1, though suffered from oil surge. The other SL/R in that race was a maroon? coloured, near standard version driven by George Giesberts. I believe these were the only four SL/R 5000s ever raced anywhere.  

I do remember a one off meeting for a very common car. it was an XD Falcon, but while it had big wheels it was a bog standard road car. This was a AIR probably 80 or 81. Cant remember the driver and I had never heard of him before or after. It was VERY slow.
I do also remember at AIR in the early 70s a normal Charger RT with just the 2bbl carb.I think a local.
Evidently Barry Sharp ran a XY GT , not a HO in Sydney Touring Car events while working for Jack Brabham.
Also dont forget the HDT SLR5000, I believe one of 2 that competed, the other being Gricey. Story was that Gricey ran one so HDT had to too instead of waiting for the L34. The HDT one was converted into an L34. These days the few pics look a bit strange with XU1 rims and no flares.

[Terry Walker]

Someone raced an NSU Prinz in a six-hour race in WA...

[Team Result]

Frank Leggatt (yellow) and Ian Kenny (red) raced a pair of chopped top, fastback Anglias (breadvans) in Queensland in the Sports/Racing Closed sub-category. After the Sports Sedan regulations were promulgated, Kenny modified (re-shelled?) his twincam-powered car to comply while Leggatt's car disappeared.

 

bumping this thread, is this Anglia in the link (click the photo to enlarge) the same type as one that raced in Australia ? I have an image of a similar red one on a trailer

 

at a show in Australia, can't post here. Where there more than one of these built, any history, I seem to remember this being mentioned here before  ?

 

https://stiffspeed.c...st/190347053659

 

 

These Anglias, affectionately known as "Breadvans", were run in New Zealand but never in Australia.

[Lee Nicolle]

Following his recent death, I posted a photo of Eric Olsen racing his yellow Torana SL/R 5000 at Lakeside on the 'Gone But Not Forgotten' thread. The car beside his on the main straight was captioned as Colin Bond, though I believe it was Brock's turn to race the only SL/R built by the HDT that weekend (maybe Bond practised it?). Anyway, there were four of this model raced at the mini-enduro called the Lakeside 1500. Gricey and Brock both crashed at Hungry Corner due to front hub failures. Following this GM hastily released the L34 update with stronger Holden Monaro five-stud hubs, amongst other changes. Eric finished the race won by Charlie O'brien in an XU1, though suffered from oil surge. The other SL/R in that race was a maroon? coloured, near standard version driven by George Giesberts. I believe these were the only four SL/R 5000s ever raced anywhere.  

The standard LH LX used what was a HD Holden stub axle. Also used on HK HT HG. They all interchange but the early ones that are not much different to look at will break. Same part as an XU1. They quit often broke on Speedway Super Sedans,, though in those days most were using big heavy steel flywheels [steel off road rims] which never helps.

The HQ on stub is stronger and also lowers the car 1/2".

I used them on both the HR and XU1 Sports Sedans. Because they are required to use the 11' vented rotors and callipers.

Anyone using any of these parts hard though should crack test them regularly. They crack/ break where it steps down from the inner bearing.I have replaced  few over the decades but never broke one.

[Catalina Park]

The standard LH LX used what was a HD Holden stub axle. Also used on HK HT HG. They all interchange but the early ones that are not much different to look at will break. Same part as an XU1. They quit often broke on Speedway Super Sedans,, though in those days most were using big heavy steel flywheels [steel off road rims] which never helps.

The HQ on stub is stronger and also lowers the car 1/2".

I used them on both the HR and XU1 Sports Sedans. Because they are required to use the 11' vented rotors and callipers.

Anyone using any of these parts hard though should crack test them regularly. They crack/ break where it steps down from the inner bearing.I have replaced  few over the decades but never broke one.

When I was playing with production car Commodores were got sent new stub axles from Holden via John Harvey. They were just factory standard parts that may have been machined a bit better on the radius.
I would bet the L34 ones were the pick of the bunch too.

[Ray Bell]

The Commodore ones, Michael...

 

Were they the ones which bolted the live axle onto the strut?

 

Toranas, of course, were way different, using wishbones rather than struts. And it wasn't until the A9X that the racing Toranas got the HQ stud pattern etc. L34s had vented discs with the 4.25" PCD. I don't know if the wheel bearing detail is different.

[Lee Nicolle]

The Commodore ones, Michael...

 

Were they the ones which bolted the live axle onto the strut?

 

Toranas, of course, were way different, using wishbones rather than struts. And it wasn't until the A9X that the racing Toranas got the HQ stud pattern etc. L34s had vented discs with the 4.25" PCD. I don't know if the wheel bearing detail is different.

Ray L34s had HQ Stubs. With vented rotors. And the GTS  4 3/4 PCD wheels with about 4mm further out  offset.. Wheel bearings are the same.

The A9X was the evolution of the L34. For racing they used the L34 engine. Had a couple of extra engine mods but was an ADR27A gunker. A9X had the rear discs and modified rear floor to accomodate. And the Salisbury 10 bolt diff. And were homolgated with the Super T10 gearbox as well though evidently not all had that.

The A9X as produced was an asthmatic thing. The standard LH SLR5000 would run rings around it.

But they were fragile,, with a six cylinder gearbox and diff. 

And yes Commodores had pogo sticks.The reason they are such a bad car!! Real cars use double wishbone, cheap cars use pogo sticks.

Drive one interstate and you get out stuffed. drive a double wishbone Falcon and you are fine.

The Thupercars worked this out and allowed the Commondores double wishbones!!

[Catalina Park]

Yes it was the live stub in the strut as well as stubs in the rear with IRS.

Lee is correct, the L34 used the HQ/HJ stubs and brakes and stud pattern.

[Ray Bell]

It makes sense that they would, Michael, being concurrent...

 

I'll bow to your superior knowledge.