110 replies to this topic

[Quixotic]

I know that Austin 1800s were rallied successfully, ( the London to Sydney with Evan Green Driving for example), and that a couple appeared in the Hardie Ferodo 500 races a few of times, but did anyone race successfully race a Austin 1800 Land Crab with Hydrolastic, (It floats on fluid), on circuits?


If so any pictures?


I would have thought they were too heavy for the power produced to be any good, but, as has been proven time and time again......... What the hell do I know!

Edited by Quixotic, 25 December 2010 - 23:06.

[GD66]

Hydrolastic, in fact...

[Quixotic]

Hydrolastic, in fact...

Thanks....... My memory is a fallible thing....

[timnevinson]

1800s were quite prominent in the early British Rallycross events, can't remember if they ever won anything but they weren't completely uncompetitive. Drivers if memory serves correctly were Geoff Mabbs, Mike Dabbs, Tony Fall maybe even Paddy Hopkirk - someone will no doubt correct me.

[cooper997]

They were also used in rallycross in Australia. British Leyland MC of Australia works drivers. Evan Green & Jim Smith used them at Calder's Rallycross back in the early 1970's. Maybe even Catalina Rallycross too.

And the 1800's successor, the Austin Tasman/Kimberley was used by Ken Tubman in the Dulux Rally. I think it was Lynton H who posted photos on the 1950s to 70s Australian photos thread - somewhere in the high 90's pages I think it was.

Peter Manton used an 1800 ute (pickup to our overseas friends) as his tow car for his 'Shell' Cooper S race car.

But as far as actual 1800's ontrack though I'm not aware, but it's still possible.

Stephen

[Terry Walker]

An Austin 1800 tweaked to hot MG B tune raced at Wanneroo Park in Western Australia for a season or two in the 70s before the owner switched to a Dauphine body shell as the basis of a sports sedan. I have not yet found a photo, though the car appears in the results of the time. The driver was Noel Pratt.

I'm about to vanish out the door for the day, so haven't time to look myself, but if you dig through the RACE RESULTS section of www.terrywalkersplace.com you ought to turn it up eventually.

Edited by Terry Walker, 26 December 2010 - 01:57.

[RTH]

1800s were quite prominent in the early British Rallycross events, can't remember if they ever won anything but they weren't completely uncompetitive. Drivers if memory serves correctly were Geoff Mabbs, Mike Dabbs, Tony Fall maybe even Paddy Hopkirk - someone will no doubt correct me.

Indeed so, that long stroke 1800 engine with long established power modification had good low down torque and the heavy weight over the driven front wheels good traction in mud. The body shell of the 1800 was also immensely stiff and rigid.Not at all a bad vehicle over rough terrain.

Some history here

http://www.landcrab.net/

Edited by RTH, 27 December 2010 - 08:51.

[wagons46]

and that a couple appeared in the Hardie Ferodo 500 races a few of times, but did anyone race successfully race a Austin 1800 Land Crab with Hydrolastic, (It floats on fluid), on circuits?

!

IIRC nobody ever had the courage to appear with a Austin 1800 at Bathurst, maybe they entered, but NEVER practiced or competed.
The circuit wasn't wide enough!

[eldougo]

[Lee Nicolle]

Landcrab and racing is really a contradiction of terms. i guess you can make up the numbers in anycar but they were not suited to racing. As a contradiction they were a competent rallycar though not through power or handling but just by hanging in there. Though how a front heavy car liked that worked but they did.

[RCH]

Landcrab and racing is really a contradiction of terms. i guess you can make up the numbers in anycar but they were not suited to racing. As a contradiction they were a competent rallycar though not through power or handling but just by hanging in there. Though how a front heavy car liked that worked but they did.

I seem to recall that after winning a rally in a Landcrab Tony Fall commented that it was just like a "Big Mini". Not a bad recommendation for its handling.

[RS2000]

I seem to recall that after winning a rally in a Landcrab Tony Fall commented that it was just like a "Big Mini". Not a bad recommendation for its handling.

The Danube Rally, although I don't think the opposition was too much of a challenge. OK handling, by the standards of the day? Shame about the rest...
The thought of a Landcrab racing is mindboggling. We only recall it being rallied now because the "marathon" events with "anything goes" vehicle regulations coincided with its appearance on the scene. In conventional major events requiring homologation, "whatever were they thinking" seems about the best comment. Even on club road rallies, its weight (yes, I once helped heave one out of a ditch) made it a strange choice.

[Amphicar]

Not a Landcrab - but even bigger and heavier with front wheel drive, an Oldsmobile Toronado won the stock car class at Pike's Peak in 1966. The Toronado was nearly 18 feet long, weighed in at two tons and sported a 425 cu in (7 litre) V8 driving the front wheels.

[bill moffat]

I distinctly remember Geoff Mabbs driving an Austin 1800 in a race at Llandow in the early 1970's - it was presumably his rallycross car and was pretty slow over the bumpy oval.

Perhaps the one and only circuit appearance of an 1800 ??

Edited by bill moffat, 27 December 2010 - 18:16.

[maoricar]

I distinctly remember Geoff Mabbs driving an Austin 1800 in a race at Llandow in the early 1970's - it was presumably his rallycross car and was pretty slow over the bumpy oval.

Perhaps the one and only circuit appearance of an 1800 ??

Possibly not............IF I were a betting man, I'd bet that SOMEONE raced an Austin/Morris 1800 in one ot the annual endurance saloon car races at Pukekohe, during the 60's.......in those days, if it had wheels..it was raced

[Lee Nicolle]

I seem to recall that after winning a rally in a Landcrab Tony Fall commented that it was just like a "Big Mini". Not a bad recommendation for its handling.

Really they were a big Mini with all the bad traits too. Mostly being so front heavy.Though the bigger wheels must have helped in the rough stuff. How did Minis with their tiny whels ever cope?
In the late 60s early 70s they were competitive in toroise and hare fashion as a rally car. And roomy and comfortable in marathons. But never very fast.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Amphicar
Not a Landcrab - but even bigger and heavier with front wheel drive, an Oldsmobile Toronado won the stock car class at Pike's Peak in 1966. The Toronado was nearly 18 feet long, weighed in at two tons and sported a 425 cu in (7 litre) V8 driving the front wheels.

IIRC, this was sponsored by or done in conjunction with Hot Rod Magazine... is that not right?

One of the features I recall strongly from the write-up was that they relied on body roll to get the tyres (sorry ...tires) to dig in for grip) and either didn't lower or actually raised the car.

Another thing I recall from past conversations is that, with a front wheel drive car, Renault's R12 Gordini actually packed everything heavy right up the front. Battery... behind the headlight... etc to get them to work.

Never heard of a Mini having its battery relocated from the boot, though.

[Amphicar]

IIRC, this was sponsored by or done in conjunction with Hot Rod Magazine... is that not right?

One of the features I recall strongly from the write-up was that they relied on body roll to get the tyres (sorry ...tires) to dig in for grip) and either didn't lower or actually raised the car.

Another thing I recall from past conversations is that, with a front wheel drive car, Renault's R12 Gordini actually packed everything heavy right up the front. Battery... behind the headlight... etc to get them to work.

Never heard of a Mini having its battery relocated from the boot, though.

Bobby Unser (who else?) drove the Toronado at Pike's Peak in 1966 and I believe he repeated the win the following year. Not sure if it was sponsored by Hot Rod Magazine but I'm pretty sure there was factory support - I read somewhere that Bobby U did much of the pre-production testing on the Toronado.

My first two cars were Minis so I can say from bitter experience that there was no spare space under the bonnet (ever tried changing a by-pass hose?) so relocating the battery was never an option!

[275 GTB-4]

Bobby Unser (who else?) drove the Toronado at Pike's Peak in 1966 and I believe he repeated the win the following year. Not sure if it was sponsored by Hot Rod Magazine but I'm pretty sure there was factory support - I read somewhere that Bobby U did much of the pre-production testing on the Toronado.

My first two cars were Minis so I can say from bitter experience that there was no spare space under the bonnet (ever tried changing a by-pass hose?) so relocating the battery was never an option!

The Toronado would have been a hand-full at Pikes Peak!

As for bypass hoses....thats why they brought out the convoluted (concertina) type so that you didn't have to lift the head...I would prefer to fit one of these suckers...

http://www.minispare....aspx?pid=36108

Minis often have their batteries relocated....usually when the rusty battery box gives way and lets your battery drop to the road!!

[Ray Bell]

Yeah, I know there are tight squeezes everywhere about a Mini...

The Toronado that was the subject of the article was a factory car, yes.

[Milan Fistonic]

Possibly not............IF I were a betting man, I'd bet that SOMEONE raced an Austin/Morris 1800 in one ot the annual endurance saloon car races at Pukekohe, during the 60's.......in those days, if it had wheels..it was raced

You would have won that bet.

Three Austin 1800s, with drivers to be nominated, were listed in Motoman's provisional entry list for the 1965 Wills 6-hour Race but only one car actually started. It was driven by Peter Ellis and Roger Staniforth. They almost made it to the end but, as reported in Motoman, they retired on the back straight with just minutes to go when a half-shaft broke.

Edited by Milan Fistonic, 28 December 2010 - 02:02.

[Lee Nicolle]

Jay Leno solved all the factory problems with the Olds Tornado. He fitted a 500+ci Chev and made it drive at the back. Just like GM should have done. I bet Bobby would have loved that!!
Google. Jay Lenos Garage. to see it.

[ExFlagMan]

As an engineering student at Southampton University in the late 60's, the Engineering Society used to organise visits to places of engineering interest, mainly breweries I seem to recall. One non-brewery visit I remember, as opposed the many brewery visits I find it very difficult to recall with any clarity, was to Janspeed at Salisbury. As part of the tour, conducted by Jan Oder himself, we saw the London-Sydney 'land crabs' in their final stages of preparation. One of the notable modifications was a very large hydraulic pump handle - similar to those used for emptying the bilges of small boats - mounted on the rear seat shelf within reach of the co-driver seat. Jan explained that this was connected to the 'hydrospastic' suspension system and allowed the system to be pumped up to increase ground clearance for rougher conditions.

I also recall seeing the Army motorsport club entered land crabs on the RAC rally in the early 70's, in particular one that came through the Harewood hill climb stage early on the first morning of the rally, almost at the out-of-time limit after about 2 stages, the car sporting a length of military spec electrical cable running from the boot lid, over the top of the car and into the bonnet - seems that they had shorted out the internal connection on the first stage and had to make emergency repairs.

[eolith]

As an engineering student at Southampton University in the late 60's, the Engineering Society used to organise visits to places of engineering interest, mainly breweries I seem to recall. One non-brewery visit I remember, as opposed the many brewery visits I find it very difficult to recall with any clarity, was to Janspeed at Salisbury. As part of the tour, conducted by Jan Oder himself, we saw the London-Sydney 'land crabs' in their final stages of preparation. One of the notable modifications was a very large hydraulic pump handle - similar to those used for emptying the bilges of small boats - mounted on the rear seat shelf within reach of the co-driver seat. Jan explained that this was connected to the 'hydrospastic' suspension system and allowed the system to be pumped up to increase ground clearance for rougher conditions.

I also recall seeing the Army motorsport club entered land crabs on the RAC rally in the early 70's, in particular one that came through the Harewood hill climb stage early on the first morning of the rally, almost at the out-of-time limit after about 2 stages, the car sporting a length of military spec electrical cable running from the boot lid, over the top of the car and into the bonnet - seems that they had shorted out the internal connection on the first stage and had to make emergency repairs.

About forty years ago I accompanied Journalist Bunny Tubbs to Silverstone on a Press Day where it was possible to have a go round the circuit in various cars. Bunny was a keen front wheel drive enthusiast having owned a number of Mini Coopers which he always drove with enthusiasm ,and he chose to have a go in a Land Crab.I sat in the passenger seat with a large vessel of water by my feet ,and after a lap or two my driver began to get faster and faster and when rounding a corner at speed the huge screen washer jets began to discharge volumes of water onto the screen without the wipers working.With driver unable to see we ran of the track for several hundred yards until I realised that he had hit a switch with his elbow which had started the deluge .I found the switch after some time and the water stopped and we regained the circuit.The next car that we tried to have a go in was one of Urens modified Fords the custodian of which had seen our antics in the 1800 and politely refused to let Tubbs drive it.

David Baldock

[eldougo]

Found an Article on the LARGE &SMALL.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us
You can just see the 2 minis behind the Toronado



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Edited by eldougo, 16 January 2011 - 05:47.

[eldougo]

...CAR OF THE CENTURY



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[eldougo]

How about BLOW FOR GO......

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Edited by eldougo, 16 January 2011 - 06:36.

[BRG]

There's an interesting article in the current Practical Classics magazine about an ex-works 1800 rally car which has been recently restored which supposedly had the original engine as built by BMC Special Tuning. When stripped for a rebuild, it proved to have an illegal 2-litre capacity apparently using Lotus Cortina pistons. There seems to be some evidence that ST were cheating! Not unheard of, of course...

[Amphicar]

Not one of the Bobby Unser racecars but a nicely preserved Tornado sporting a replica of the Pike's Peak livery



And this is Frank Peterson's understated '69 Toranado in which he matched Bobby by winning the Pike's Peak Stock Car Division in 1970

Edited by Amphicar, 16 January 2011 - 19:39.

[Lee Nicolle]

There is a few pics of crabs on the Southern Cross Rally 1971 thread

[Cirrus]

It goes on a bit, but it's true to the title of the thread.

[davejohnson76]

This is my first post, so please excuse me if I mess up some protocol.

Yes land crabs were quite sucessful in the Teams award in the London Sydney marathon in 1968 and of course Paddy Hopkirk placing second in an 1800.

Tony falls car stayed in Australia and Adrew Cowan won the 1969 Southern Cross in that car against fairly hefty competition from Kilfoyle in a Cortina for Ford Motor Company.

Tim Kennon from Victoria has the car now.

I know nothing to confirm an 1800 being raced, but some of the comments ring a bell in the brain, or what is left of it.

[Terry Walker]

Wanneroo Park, 1970:

Race 3: Touring Cars, 5 laps

1 76 Mustang Gordon Stephenson 1:10.2 5:59.5
2 69 Mini Cooper S Howie Sangster 1:13.2 6:14.9
3 70 Monaro Dick Roberts 1:14.7 6:24.2
4 53 Mini Cooper S Neville Grigsby 1:17.0 6:38.6
5 46 Monaro Peter Briggs 1:11.0 6:39.7
6 77 Porsche 911S Leo Stubber 1:17.4 6:45.1
7 26 Mini Cooper S Paul Wilkins 1:19.6 6:53.6
8 45 Mini Cooper S Jan Shenton 1:19.5 6:54.2
9 40 Mini Cooper S Barry Coleman 1:23.4 7:10.6
10 52 Holden HR Philip Brodie-Hall 1:24.5 7:18.7
11 97 Cortina Peter Stanley 1:25.0 7:23.6
12 92 Mini Cooper S Lance Barrett 1:26.0 7:30.1
13 71 Austin 1800 Noel Pratt 1:27.8 6:05.9 4 laps
14 35 Corona 1600S Keith Blizzard 1:32.7 6:25.0 4 laps
15 81 Subaru FF1 Elemer Vajda 1:36.2 6:37.5 4 laps
DNF 63 Mini Cooper S Rick Lisle 1:13.4

Class places

over 1600 1st 76, 2nd 70, 3rd 46
1100/1600 1st 69, 2nd 26, 3rd 45
under 1100 1st 53, 2nd 81

[Quixotic]

Wanneroo Park, 1970:

Race 3: Touring Cars, 5 laps

1 76 Mustang Gordon Stephenson 1:10.2 5:59.5
2 69 Mini Cooper S Howie Sangster 1:13.2 6:14.9
3 70 Monaro Dick Roberts 1:14.7 6:24.2
4 53 Mini Cooper S Neville Grigsby 1:17.0 6:38.6
5 46 Monaro Peter Briggs 1:11.0 6:39.7
6 77 Porsche 911S Leo Stubber 1:17.4 6:45.1
7 26 Mini Cooper S Paul Wilkins 1:19.6 6:53.6
8 45 Mini Cooper S Jan Shenton 1:19.5 6:54.2
9 40 Mini Cooper S Barry Coleman 1:23.4 7:10.6
10 52 Holden HR Philip Brodie-Hall 1:24.5 7:18.7
11 97 Cortina Peter Stanley 1:25.0 7:23.6
12 92 Mini Cooper S Lance Barrett 1:26.0 7:30.1
13 71 Austin 1800 Noel Pratt 1:27.8 6:05.9 4 laps
14 35 Corona 1600S Keith Blizzard 1:32.7 6:25.0 4 laps
15 81 Subaru FF1 Elemer Vajda 1:36.2 6:37.5 4 laps
DNF 63 Mini Cooper S Rick Lisle 1:13.4

Class places

over 1600 1st 76, 2nd 70, 3rd 46
1100/1600 1st 69, 2nd 26, 3rd 45
under 1100 1st 53, 2nd 81

Ahhh so I was right....... someone did........ I am still certain that someone raced one in the Hardie Ferodo though

Edited by Quixotic, 21 January 2011 - 09:07.

[Ray Bell]

You can lose your certainty...

I've just taken the trouble to go through the entry lists '65 to '67 and there are NONE mentioned anywhere. It never happened.

[Catalina Park]

Ahhh so I was right....... someone did........ I am still certain that someone raced one in the Hardie Ferodo though

A Morris 1500 raced in the Hardie Ferodo and so did a Morris Marina but an Austin 1800 didn't.
The problem with the 1800 was because of the classes being based on price the 1800 would have been in the same class as the Cooper S.

[wagons46]

I've just taken the trouble to go through the entry lists '65 to '67 and there are NONE mentioned anywhere. It never happened.

........and for those of us that were there in those years, we surely would remember rolling around on the ground in laughter had it occured.

Edited by wagons46, 21 January 2011 - 19:25.

[Ray Bell]

Well, I was there too...

And there were some oddball things did run. And run in classes where they didn't stand a chance, just to put up a show, display their reliability or to get on TV. Or simply to be able to get a drive at Bathurst.

Like the FB Holden that ran in '63... why would you do that? A Fiat 850 against Cortina 220s and Datsun 1300s... why?

There was an HB Torana ran in '67... would you think anyone would do that? X2 Holdens against Cooper Ss?

[Terry Walker]

I picked that race at random - Noel Pratt raced the 1800 for a couple of seasons before building a sports sedan based on a Renault Dauphine. Because it was called a Renault 1800 I mistakenly asssumed he'd switched the engine and box from the Austin into the back of the Renault, but apparently that was not the case.

[Ray Bell]

Was it a bored out 16TS, then?

You might get one of them out that far if you found a sleeve to fit.

[Bloggsworth]

Didn't the Toronado have a prop-shaft made of flexible Bowden cable on steroids?

There was no space for a battery under the bonnet of a Mini, if you leant on the grill too hard you cracked the distributor cap.

The biggest problem with the Austin 1,800 was the 8 turns from lock to lock. It handled like an overweight Austin 1100, but was not a vehicle for English country lanes. It also seated 8 with room left over for 2 small pigs...

[Ray Bell]

No, no...

That was the 4-cylinder (half a V8) Pontiac Tempest.

The Toronado had a big chain that transferred the power from the engine to the transmission.

[Amphicar]

There was no space for a battery under the bonnet of a Mini, if you leant on the grill too hard you cracked the distributor cap.

Absolutely right - see my earlier post (#18) re changing a by-pass hose (why did they always fail on the M6, at night, in pouring rain?). I fitted quick release buttons on the grilles of both my Minis so I had better access to the distributor.

On a different tack - why can I quote the registration numbers of those two Minis (CKA737B & MMA764H) without a problem but I have no memory of the number of any of the VWs (many), Renault, Peugeot, BMW, Mercedes, & Volvo that succeeded them (or indeed of my current Honda)?

[Bloggsworth]

Absolutely right - see my earlier post (#18) re changing a by-pass hose (why did they always fail on the M6, at night, in pouring rain?). I fitted quick release buttons on the grilles of both my Minis so I had better access to the distributor.

On a different tack - why can I quote the registration numbers of those two Minis (CKA737B & MMA764H) without a problem but I have no memory of the number of any of the VWs (many), Renault, Peugeot, BMW, Mercedes, & Volvo that succeeded them (or indeed of my current Honda)?

It is related to interest. Minis were fun and interesting and at the start of your motoring life. I can recall the number of my primary school master's Austin 7 from 1955 - JT6868 (Dorset IIRC), because we could pack 1/2 dozen into it and take half the school football team to play at Wormwood Scrubs...

[Haggis 2]

I picked that race at random - Noel Pratt raced the 1800 for a couple of seasons before building a sports sedan based on a Renault Dauphine. Because it was called a Renault 1800 I mistakenly asssumed he'd switched the engine and box from the Austin into the back of the Renault, but apparently that was not the case.

Whoever said you were wrong is misinformed Terry. Noel's Renault did definitely carry a turbo'd BMC 1800 in the back. It fitted in like it was made for the car and for what it was, the car was quite quick.

As for all the laughter at Landcrabs, how many of the knockers actually ever drove one? I had one as my first car and kept it for 12 years (until 1989 in fact) despite having several other more "mainstream" cars along the way. It was the most comfortable car I have ever owned, driving the 730km from Perth to Norseman about once a month for several years was like a 50 mile trip in most of it's contemporaries. It sat on 75-80mph the whole way, used about 15 gallons of petrol and was like riding in an armchair. Sure, it was underpowered, but the handling was (if you new how to drive a FWD PROPERLY) very good - as others have said, just like a big Mini) and the brakes excellent. Being the 1970/80's most of my mates had XR Falcons, EH's and HR's and a few Toranas. None of them could stay within cooee of me on tight twisty bits of road in the Crab, especially if it was unsealed. The car still has "legend" status with those of my teen mates still around now we are 50, and many still speak with awe at high speed antics I put them through as passengers just to be able to see their eyeballs bulge and the terror rise on their faces. They were tough too... I only ever really lost control once and clobbered a tree out back of the WA goldfields. It hit hard enough to probably see off most cars, but a rear quarter panel and door and some shoves with a porta power had it good as new.

Most of you probably think I'm a loony (you're not orphans on that!) as the lone positive voice on this thread, but as long as you weren't looking for a race car, the venerable Landcrab was a good unit!
___________________
Brendon Hagarty

[Ray Bell]

An interesting comment from a bloke who was at BMC when they and later the P76 were built...

Telling me about all the quality control problems they had with the P76, and that he was on the task force looking at how to overcome it all, he said, "If the blokes who'd been there building the Austin 1800 - and it wasn't easy to build - had still been there, it would have been a much better car!"

No doubt the Land Crab was strong, John Smailes got out of a serious crash in one where he really mashed his face, but he always said afterwards that he'd have been dead if he'd had the same crash in a Holden or Falcon.

[Les Dalton]

Bon Jour Ray,
Les Dalton here in France, your comment about the inbuilt strength of the old Austin 1800 Landcrab was dead on, during one rather boring (but very important) day throwing my Army prepared 1800 around a fairly short stage for the Army PR guys, and also for the people who made my rallying happen, the SPONSORS, I got a little blase and went into a 90 left about 30 MPH to fast, in the blink of an eye, my car had flipped sideways three times and came to rest on the drivers door, when everyone ran around to help us, my right hand was visable sticking out of the door by the roof, the sight of this made my service manager, who was a lovely West Midlands lad, shout out F---ing Hell because he thought it had been chopped off, they pushed the car back down onto its wheels and to their (and of course mine) relief, relalised there were no injuries.
I would point out that stupidly "in retrospect", we were not wearing crash helmets nor the full harness belts!!.
Anyway such was the strength of the car that I drove it back 50 miles to our camp, where we found that the LH inner sill was not even bent.
Three days later my service manager called my office and said Les, your car is ready come down and get it, I could not believe that they could have repaired the damage and resprayed it so quickly and went off down to the workshops to collect the car.
When I got there, I could not see the car in the usual garage and went next door, there was my rally car, still battered and bent, but with four bloody great big metal castor wheels welded onto each corner of the roof, just then all six of my service crew jumped out from behind a Bedford truck and yelled, well, we thought that if you are going to drive on your roof, we had better put some bloody wheels up there for you! we did laugh about that, the car was repaired ready for the Scottish International rally just two weeks later.
I shall attach three pictures of 1800s for your perusal, the first is the bog standard and straight out of the box Staff Car that I used to finish 34th overall (from 250 starters) on the 1971 RAC rally, my 1800 was the only one of the ten Group 2 and ex marathon cars that started, to finish the rally.
The next picture shows the CRAB a few seconds after touchdown, and the last picture shows the last 1800 to finish an International rally when we finished 32nd overall on the 1978 Scottish rally.
Kins Regards,
Les Dalton.

Edited by Les Dalton, 22 January 2011 - 19:00.

[cooper997]

There's a photo of the Tony Fall works 1800 'LRX 824E' in John Sprinzel's column in 'Motor Racing' Sept 67 issue. John Rhodes is at the wheel as they tested the car at Silverstone. If you're familar with Rhodes tyre smoking Cooper S antics, then that's how he has the 1800 dancing in this shot. Fall went on to win the Danube Rally with the car.

In line with Brendon's (Haggis 2) comments, the 1800 was a great family car for our family from early 1974 to 1979. My sister was born in August 1973 and the EJ Premier was no longer big enough for 4 kids in the back seat. But the 1800 was, and compared to the slug that was an EJ Prem hydramatic, it went better too. We lived in Wangaratta at the time and in early 1975 moved to Edi in the King Valley, where my parents ran 'Edi Motors' for a couple of years. This was the checkpoint for the 1968 London to Sydney.

The 1800 did all the running around even towed a 4 berth caravan on family holidays, including to and from Qld.

Stephen

[Catalina Park]

Just looking through the BMC Australia/Leyland Australia Special Tuning Parts List & Data Tuning Sheets.
The section for the Austin 1800 only covers stuff for rallying. Things like what distributor and valve springs to use and how to twist the handbrake cable to make it a fly off handbrake. Only three pages worth.

[Paul Newby]

I knew an old work mate (about 20 odd years ago) who had an English built 1800 Mk3 in which he built up what amounted to an MGB spec engine in it. He used to give a lot of sports cars a real shock on the infamous Kiama bends south of Sydney.

I drove it once and I was quite impressed, it was probably quicker point to point than my Alfa GTV - not that I would ever admit that to him...