7 replies to this topic

[theotherharv]

I am currently playing with Amals, and am intrigued by some of the earlier uses in old Holdens. Des West's humpy stands out. From what I can gather, Des campaigned the car in the first ATCC in 1960. From Wikipedia:

 

By lap 14, McKay had a lead of 26 seconds over Pitt, while rain was beginning to fall over the circuit. Sawyer spun his car coming over the crest at Connaghans Corner, hitting the inside bank and rolling. Jack van Schaik narrowly missed Sawyer's car while Ken Miller scraped his roof on one of Sawyer's bumpers. Des West stopped to held Sawyer escape the car while the driver of a Ford Zephyr had also stopped, their car blocking the track. After helping Sawyer, West burned his hands while restarting his own car.

 

Bit of a long shot, but does anyone know the story behind Des West's burns? Assume he got under the hood to operate the tickler on the Amals, but could be wrong.

 

Cheers,

HArv

[Ray Bell]

Max Stahl might know, I'll try to remember to ask him...

 

If her was there, Bob Holden might also know, and Ray Eldershaw is an outside chance.

[cooper997]

The answer to how Des was burnt may be difficult to find why/how.

 

Ruth West's booklet mentions he burnt himself on page 26, but not big on explanation.

"Des entered and during the race had been following Roy Sawyer a friend from Queensland, when Roy slipped in the rainy (??) conditions and rolled his car, Des stopped his Holden to assist Roy get out of his seriously damaged car which had come to rest on the race track and was centre of a very dangerous situation. Although Des had badly burnt his hands restarting, he did finish that race 11th outright and 8th in class..."

 

Feb 60 AMS mentions the incident to 'Len Sayer' rolling and Des helping, but doesn't appear to be anything about getting burnt.

 

Denis Gregory's Gnoo Blas book doesn't appear to elaborate either.

 

So Kevin Bartlett, Charlie Smith, John French and Denis Gregory (if he has unearthed something since the book) are possibles to ask. If Bob Holden was there then I can't see his name in the programme entry list and AMS mentions Ron Marshall running the ex Bob Holden FE to 4th in the meeting's opening race.

 

Failing that the owner of Des' racing Holden pops up on the old motor racing photograph's - Australia FB page.

 

 

Stephen

Edited by cooper997, 14 June 2020 - 07:50.

[Dale Harvey]

That would be David Wilson from Wallsend near Newcastle NSW.

Dale.

[Ray Bell]

Max remembers nothing about it...

 

He was in the race, apparently.

[Ray Bell]

Neither does Ray Eldershaw...

 

He can't imagine how burns could come from trying to start a car. Maybe from putting his hands on the exhausts of the other car, lying on its side, as he struggled to help the driver out. Or, wild guess, if he flooded the carbies and had an underbonnet fire which led him to open the bonnet to extinguish that.

[theotherharv]

Thanks gents.

 

The humpy was running a set of three GP Amals. They are motorbike carbs, designed to be fed at low pressure (~0.3psi) from a motorbike tank. The humpy fuel pump (~4.5psi) has too much grunt for them, so a surge tank is used. The surge tank is mounted on the firewall, fed by the fuel pump with a simple float. The surge tank then feeds the Amals by gravity. Lots more petrol running around the engine bay then normal. The chokes (air valves) look like they had also been removed, and plenty of open holes in the carb. I too assumed it had been some form of underbonnet flash.

 

Cheers,

Harv

[Lee Nicolle]

Amals were not uncommon on Humpies. And on Holden powered speedway midgets as well. On home fabricated intakes

My knowledge is that they came in a couple of sizes, were a motorcycle carb. So gravity feed would be right.