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George Reynolds has passed away

Started by GMACKIE , Mar 05 2012 22:04

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24 replies to this topic

#1 GMACKIE

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Posted 05 March 2012 - 22:04

Just had some sad news. George Reynolds has died. He and I raced VW Beetles together a couple of times, in the early '60s......he beat me both times.

RIP George.

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#2 Ray Bell

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Posted 05 March 2012 - 22:26

A Bathurst winner too...

I saw him win a race at the Farm in a VW, were you in that race, Greg?

Didn't he also build some Vees?

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#3 wagons46

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Posted 05 March 2012 - 23:01

Just had a look at the drivers he co-drove with at Bathurst. Quite a classy lot including Bob Jane ,Greg Cusack ,Jim McKeown ,Brian Muir and David McKay.

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#4 seldo

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Posted 06 March 2012 - 05:07

George was both a very good preparer, as well as a very handy steerer. His VWs always seemed to be quicker than anyone elses.

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#5 Ray Bell

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Posted 14 March 2012 - 22:16

I know Greg will appreciate this pic:

Posted Image

As I recall, the car was trailing a smoke haze down Hume Straight when George had that tearaway win at the Farm... is that right, Greg?

Photo posted with permission.

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#6 GMACKIE

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Posted 14 March 2012 - 23:50

I know Greg will appreciate this pic:

As I recall, the car was trailing a smoke haze down Hume Straight when George had that tearaway win at the Farm... is that right, Greg?

Photo posted with permission.

Yes, Ray, I was in that race with George. I managed to stay with him, until the main straight, where he powered away. When I confronted him [in a nice, friendly way] about having a 'low top gear', he showed me his VW parts book. It listed a 1:1 4th gear. When I tried to get one from a VW dealer, they had no such listing. :rolleyes:

You've snuck in another little glimpse of Hemsley's Morris 10, I notice. :up:

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#7 E1pix

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Posted 15 March 2012 - 00:16

Sorry to hear of the loss of your competitor, Greg.

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#8 Formula 5000

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Posted 15 March 2012 - 06:04

Many years ago my Uncle Bert lived in Creek Road, Mitcham, (about 15-20 km out of Melbourne for those o/s). A few houses away lived George Reynolds. My Uncle was in maintenance at Melbourne University and George was a Dental Technician I think.

Visiting my uncle was a visit to George’s workshop. Always the VW was jacked up and the engine out. I think my uncle used to fabricate bits and pieces for George which I doubt the Boss new about.

My Uncle always told me George had a Certificate from VW in Germany stating his was the “fastest VW in the world.” Whilst as a 10 year old I believed it, 60 years later as a Forensic Accountant I would ask to see such a certificate.

The issue is I was always told about the innovative things that George was working on. After the sedan he moved onto a Formula Vee.

A rather slight man but always friendly and patient in answering my many questions.

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#9 GMACKIE

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Posted 15 March 2012 - 06:23

Do you remember how George 'twin-ported' the single-port VW cylinder heads? It involved some 'Dental Technology'. Your Uncle Bert may have helped. It was quite clever, and within the Appendix J rules. Clue; adding METAL was not allowed, according to the CAMS rule book.

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#10 Ray Bell

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Posted 15 March 2012 - 10:14

Forensic Accountant, eh? An interesting line of work...

I was sure George had something to do with Vees, didn't he build one?

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#11 Ray Bell

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Posted 15 March 2012 - 11:15

I checked a little...

First record I find of George in a Formula Vee was at Calder on October 30, 1966. He won in an Elfin Vee.

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#12 chequer57

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Posted 17 March 2012 - 11:09

Early great in Formula Vee, even took an Elfin Vee to Germany to race so I am told. He built 2 or 3 Elfin Vee copies that he never called "Reynolds" but they are now known as Reynolds. I spoke to him about a year ago. Sad to hear that he has passed on.

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#13 Ray Bell

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Posted 17 March 2012 - 21:06

I'm not so sure they weren't known as 'Reynolds Vees' at the time...

That name is jogging around somewhere in the memory banks. Maybe it'll turn up in an RCN report somewhere.

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#14 Ray Bell

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Posted 21 March 2012 - 12:34

I just located one mention...

A Reynolds Vee was advertised in RCN towards the end of 1981. No mention of whose.

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#15 chequer57

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Posted 24 March 2012 - 11:50

I just located one mention...

A Reynolds Vee was advertised in RCN towards the end of 1981. No mention of whose.

They weren't called Reynolds because if they were Mr Taxman would have come knocking....

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#16 Ray Bell

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Posted 25 March 2012 - 11:01

I assure you they were called Reynolds...

As evidenced in this ad I mentioned above.

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#17 Ray Bell

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Posted 24 April 2012 - 12:29

Another finding...

In the Bathurst entry list for the 1972 Easter meeting:

44 Stan O'Shaughnessy/S. O'Shaughnessy Reynolds Vee 1192 black/white

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#18 SJ Lambert

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Posted 22 August 2020 - 04:53

A6786-E7-F-1679-43-A7-8254-D723-D6-D008-

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#19 SJ Lambert

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Posted 22 August 2020 - 04:55

52-CA8-BCF-882-C-46-C5-8006-E2-EAED92-EE

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#20 SJ Lambert

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Posted 22 August 2020 - 06:10

Do you remember how George 'twin-ported' the single-port VW cylinder heads? It involved some 'Dental Technology'. Your Uncle Bert may have helped. It was quite clever, and within the Appendix J rules. Clue; adding METAL was not allowed, according to the CAMS rule book.

Do you have any info on whether he did that to his Elfin FV Greg?

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#21 Ray Bell

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Posted 22 August 2020 - 09:27

We haven't seen Greg around for a while, perhaps as long as a couple of months...

I recall that he mentioned putting his wife into a nursing home and then a week or two later he simply wasn't around any more. I've been meaning to send him an e.mail but I keep forgetting... so I've just done it.