133 replies to this topic

[275 GTB-4]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
I spent the night of July 17 flogging around Terry Hills and French's Forest with Mike Kable in an R8 Gordini on the magic wet weather tyres of the day, SP41s.

magic? is this a joke?

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by 275 GTB-4
magic? is this a joke?

Not at all...

It was a most memorable occasion and the details are all correct. Unfortunately Mike's not around any more so you can verify what I've written, but you really should be able to take my word for it.

After all, I was there.

Tell you what, Mick... have a look around at the National Library for Mike's road test of the Renault Gordini. It will be in The Australian some time over the next few weeks from that July weekend.

[Lee Nicolle]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
Yes, John, practice was on July 17, racing took an AARC Club Meeting date on August 8...

I spent the night of July 17 flogging around Terry Hills and French's Forest with Mike Kable in an R8 Gordini on the magic wet weather tyres of the day, SP41s. Eight inches of rain fell all over Sydney that night. The next day we went out to Wiseman's Ferry in the Gordini.

The Cortina in some trouble, which it got into apparently following Beechey into Shell as he stormed through from the back of the grid, was Ken Harrison's. It was being driven by John Gribben.

Nostalgia. R8s and Dunlop SP41s. R8s were fun in their day and SP41s were a good tyre of the day, and both bloody awful now though the 8 stlill has a certain charm

[275 GTB-4]

Sold for AU $130,100.00
18-Sep-08 19:51:56 AEST

[Lee Nicolle]

Is it me or does this make Geoghans Mustang very cheap in comparison. It will cost as much again to rebuild it and it still never will have the same history and pedigree. Very interesting car ofcourse but still will be a 3/4 replica by the time it is rebuilt.

[david5]

I for one am pleased someone has bought it. No its not going to be 100 % original when (if) restored, but so what. I would rather it be bought back to some sort of representation of its past than languish in its current form hiding in someones shed. Sure its not as good value as PGs Mustang nor as important, but again so what, cheap important cars don't grow on trees. As time goes by there will be less & less cars to discover,I'm just grateful this one is on the way back. I would personally go the Neptune route, but that's just me.

Cheers David

[275 GTB-4]

Originally posted by Lee Nicolle
Is it me or does this make Geoghans Mustang very cheap in comparison. It will cost as much again to rebuild it and it still never will have the same history and pedigree. Very interesting car ofcourse but still will be a 3/4 replica by the time it is rebuilt.

Big Pete's Mustang achieved much more fame than Norms....101

However, Norm was the FIRST to race a Mustang in Australia.

The restoration will be very easy to bring the car back to the way Norm ran..watch this space

[275 GTB-4]

Watching HQs waddle around Symmonds Plains on the weekend...and full credit to Dale Beechey for kicking off the series idea...is there any family connection between Norm and the Tasmanians Beechey's?

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by 275 GTB-4
Watching HQs waddle around Symmonds Plains on the weekend...and full credit to Dale Beechey for kicking off the series idea...is there any family connection between Norm and the Tasmanians Beechey's?

From memory they spell their names differently...

Isn't it 'Beechy'?

Of course it's certainly 'Symmons'

[John Ellacott]

Not the Beechey Mustang, but I thought some of you might enjoy the Pete Geoghegan Stang at Warwick Farm either July or September 1968.

[Ray Bell]

September, Australian Touring Car Championship race, won by Geoghegan from Darrell King in a Mini that came from nowhere and was over 90 seconds behind at the finish of the 34 laps...

Jane wasn't there in July. In fact, the list of entries in September included no fewer than seven Mustangs, including Thomson in the one the subject of this thread. Two Camaros too... and a couple of very quick Lotus Cortinas and a bunch of ultra-quick Minis.

But all the fast cars other than big Pete's retired or did something stupid and King came through for second when he passed Hamilton's Porsche on the last lap when the 911 locked a wheel and spun at Creek.

[275 GTB-4]

Darrell King in a Mini, met him briefly, quick peddler

[275 GTB-4]

Big Pete's Mustang achieved much more fame than Norms....101

However, Norm was the FIRST to race a Mustang in Australia.

The restoration will be very easy to bring the car back to the way Norm ran..watch this space

Update: Norms Mustang is in expert hands and should receive a sympathetic restoration...it will be great to see it (and possible the whole team) again some time.

[TerryS]

Update: Norms Mustang is in expert hands and should receive a sympathetic restoration...it will be great to see it (and possible the whole team) again some time.

Does anyone have any update on this great car?

[cooper997]

The chap who owns it, had a Brabham at the 2015 Phillip Island Classic and only found out about him having the Beechey car in conversation with him. Said it was close to finished then. If it hasn't been shown/raced yet then maybe this year's Muscle Car Masters might be half a chance.

 

Stephen

[Lee Nicolle]

And which guise is it in? As reputedly the first Mustang circuit raced in the world it may be fitting too present it as it first ran, showroom paint and drum brakes!

Though Neptune blue,, and discs is how most remember it ofcourse.

[cooper997]

My understanding from the conversation is Neptune colours. But he made a comment that it was probably worth more in Bryan Thomson's colours because of the British history.

 

Here it is at the September 2008 Eastern Creek Muscle Car Masters, in the warm up to get interest for the eBay listing.

 

Stephen

[Lee Nicolle]

Best known to me and probably most in Oz as the Beechey Mustang. In Neptune blue with big white flywheels as they were called by the mechanic. Graham Moore?

[bob433]

Claude Morton?

[TerryS]

Claude Morton was Beechey's chief mechanic for about 8 years including the introduction of the Mustang.

He was followed by Graham Moore

Then young Lou Mallia was chief mechanic in 1970 & 1971 when Beechey won the championship in the Monaro.

[TerryS]

Claude Morton was Beechey's chief mechanic for about 8 years including the introduction of the Mustang.

He was followed by Graham Moore

Then young Lou Mallia was chief mechanic in 1970 & 1971 when Beechey won the championship in the Monaro.

Good photo of Claude Morton here:

http://www.theroarin...ighlight=morton

Go to post#4, and first photo. Shows Norm Beechey and Claude Morton, with Max Stahl editor of Racing Car News.

For other very good photos of the Mustang and its engine see posts #2 & 3 on that thread.

[TerryS]

The chap who owns it, had a Brabham at the 2015 Phillip Island Classic and only found out about him having the Beechey car in conversation with him. Said it was close to finished then. If it hasn't been shown/raced yet then maybe this year's Muscle Car Masters might be half a chance.
 
Stephen

Just read the great and very rare interview with Norm Beechey in the latest Australian Muscle Cars magazine.

Reminds me that I must ask if anyone has any news on the progress on the restoration of his iconic Mustang.

Must be ten years since the unrestored car was at Eastern Creek.

[TerryS]

Just read the great and very rare interview with Norm Beechey in the latest Australian Muscle Cars magazine.
Reminds me that I must ask if anyone has any news on the progress on the restoration of his iconic Mustang.
Must be ten years since the unrestored car was at Eastern Creek.

Any update on this car?

Seems to have been an extraordinary long time.

[group7]

I seem to remember something more recent on the Beechey Mustang, but where ?

 

I love those photos in the "Roaring Season" site of  down under racing ,we here in Canada didn't get much if any news in the '60s & 70s from there.

 

Nobody seems to have mentioned in photo # 4 in the above link from TerryS of the Beechey Mustang, the Mini about to kiss the Armco in the background. The marshalls aren't paying attention 

Edited by group7, 16 August 2018 - 16:49.

[TerryS]

I seem to remember something more recent on the Beechey Mustang, but where ?
 
I love those photos in the "Roaring Season" site of  down under racing ,we here in Canada didn't get much if any news in the '60s & 70s from there.
 
Nobody seems to have mentioned in photo # 4 in the above link from TerryS of the Beechey Mustang, the Mini about to kiss the Armco in the background. The marshalls aren't paying attention 

The 60's and 70's were a great time for Australian Touring car action. Lots of photos on various forums plus this.

On The Roaring Season a photographer Bruce Wells took fabulous photos, lots of threads. Type his name into their search box (the answer to random question is Williams)

here is just one:

http://www.theroarin...ght=bruce wells

Another great site is Primotipo with great stories in addition to photos. Two examples:

https://primotipo.co...r-championship/

https://primotipo.co...y-is-the-spice/

[Lee Nicolle]

Looking through all those great pics but I know where one of those other cars is. The Farrisy FJ  following Moffats very new Mustang is still alive and kicking and being now run by Rodney Wood in Victoria. It was here in SA all the time until recently raced occasionally by Peter Rule then logbooked GpU  by Graham Boulter. It was out in April at the Mallala historics.

Unlike all the other museum pieces!!! Though the Bowdens do give them a showing on occasion.

 

Also it seems to answer a question for me. The Beechey HK started the season as a Warwick yellow then seemed to become a blue car. But Shell's colors were blue hence the change. I though it was 2 different cars. Looked better yellow but I sure Norm liked it better blue because of the money.

 

Edit 19/2 /25 Graham Boulter actually raced against that car in an earlier guise in FJ races in the 60s.

Edited by Lee Nicolle, 19 February 2025 - 02:55.

[TerryS]

Is there any update on the return of this great car?

[ellrosso]

Couple of pics from Norm's Tassy trip in 1966 - very big deal down there at the time.

[Lola5000]

Couple of pics from Norm's Tassy trip in 1966 - very big deal down there at the time.

With Claude Morton standing on the side ,such a nice man ..

[Porsche718]

What do we think is hanging down at the back of the Mustang?

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
Peter Manton in the first Mini, John, then (check the Austin grille...) Johnny Harvey and Brian Foley. It might well be Ron Clarke behind McKeown if it's a red Mini. I would likewise put it as a '65 meeting, Harvey was running that Mini from December 26, 1964 and was into the Brabham in November '65. It could well be the January meeting, which was the first time Beechey ran disc brakes.....

I have to confess to having botched this...

On checking today I found two ways in which it was impossible for it to be the January meeting. First, Harvey wasn't there, second point was Manton at the January meeting ran the car in left hand drive form. Additionally, Ian Geoghegan would have been in the mix in the Lotus Cortina, which he rolled at the January meeting, and Beechey was back on the grid so first lap shots like this saw Minis and Cortinas ahead of him.

 

This pic turns out to be from the August 22 meeting and the red car hidden in the trees behind McKeown would be Steve Harvey.

[TerryS]

Is there any update on the return of this great car?

 

Any late news?

 

Seems to have just disappeared........

[Lola5000]

I always like its appearance as it 1st ran at Sandown for the ATCC with the white wheels .

[Lee Nicolle]

This was the Mustang raced by Bryan Thomson, the one he took to the UK. 

Bryan died last week so very relevant to the cars history. 

Norm is 92 and still going.