56 replies to this topic

[Lee Nicolle]

HDT Beast 1 was ex-GTR that was used as a test mule at Easter Bathurst 1970, then was supercharged with set back 186 engine, raced as Sports Sedan, and had the radiators moved to the rear guards for rallycross.

The  Repco-engined Beast 2, was ex-Series Production LJ Bathurst 1971, then Frank Kilfoyle's 1972 rally car.

And the Sports Sedan beast ended up on speedway with a 6 back in it.

The team,, and Colin and Peter were very unimpressed with Harry using a very tired old rallycar as a base for that car.

 

Edit, 5/3. watching some old Aussie sedan video on You Tube there it was. Chris Taylor from Geelong. Which was a competitive car in period.

So rallied, Sports Sedan and then speedway sedan. A very hard life

Edited by Lee Nicolle, 05 March 2025 - 04:59.

[Lee Nicolle]

Re the Sports Sedan XU1/Chev, I always thought it was interesting that Thommo's "bitzer" was so well sorted compared to the HDT "Beast" Repco 5.0, which from all reports was a real dog to drive, at least in the early days. Lots of grunt but a real handful in the corners. 

If my memory is correct it was built up from a rally HDT XU1? It broke an axle at Firestone cnr at Bask in 1973 with Brock driving and the back lifted way up in the air. Came down right side up but certainly looked spectacular. Have included a shot of Bryan's short lived foray into Imp Prod Tourers with an XU1 in '73.

When I first met Bryan at Mallala with a mutual interest in Chev powered Toranas he told me a bit about his car. Evidently the Jag rear end worked quite well BUT had lousy ratios. 

The reason I was forced into a 9" which I hate but there is all the ratios you can ever need.

[Lee Nicolle]

This thread has lost the pics. But when I made a comment on Ellrossos comment there was the pics at giant size.

[ReWind]

Not this thread but the whole forum. See there.

[MarkBisset]

​

 

 

[url=https://postimg.cc/sQZDBmSB][/url

 

Some more about Thommo's Torana Chev, a favourite of mine too. From David Hassall's wonderful BT pieces in AMC. Doesn't add to Stepehn's post #44 but included all the same.]

Edited by MarkBisset, 03 March 2025 - 00:32.

[MarkBisset]

 

img photo sharing

 

Stephen,

 

Here is THAT rear suspension shot we discussed. No photo credit, every man and his poodle have used it. No idea of where or when

 

 

And demonstrating the effectiveness thereof…

 

m

Edited by MarkBisset, 05 March 2025 - 03:21.

[cooper997]

That's the one Mark. But having just had a scratch through a couple of files doesn't reveal a link to the original poster.

 

It may relate to about the same 11/2020 period Lee Stringer posted his colour shots of the car in the Hume Weir pits. (link on previous page)

 

 

Stephen