Hey Bruce, this is awesome! Damn thats a great looking engine bay. Did the hood scoop seal over the top of that platform sat on top of the carbs? Looks like its made from foam rubber or something soft.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce302
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Hey Bruce, this is awesome! Damn thats a great looking engine bay. Did the hood scoop seal over the top of that platform sat on top of the carbs? Looks like its made from foam rubber or something soft.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce302
Yes, the foam topped plate sealed the the underside of the scoop.
Here is another from front on.
http://i42.tinypic.com/2yv6n1e.jpg
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Holmes
When Rod had finished racing the Firebird in Australia in 1974, he put it up for sale. To re-import the car to NZ would have meant paying import duties which had been avoided by re exporting the car to Aust each year to race.
Robin Tanner was a friend of Rod's and even did a little selling at the yard in Great North Road, bought the Firebird and imported it afresh. The car was re-registered as a racing car, and as such was issues new licence plates, papers and windscreen sticker.
Robin very kindly gifted me these items as they belong with the car. He has held them for nearly 40 years in anticipation of reuniting them with the car, despite offers from keen collectors in the interim.
As far as I can tell the plates have never been fitted to the car. I am extremely grateful to Robin and would like to thank him publicly.
Bruce.
http://i42.tinypic.com/2uzcsb7.jpg
That is amazing Bruce. I still have the original ownership papers and rego plates (used) for the Tulloch Camaro. Not for sale.
Cheers,
Bruce D
I guess that makes us kind of 'auto nerds'.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spgeti
Actually the exact opposite. Ownership of this memorabilia should automatically entitle you to membership of the Rationalist Society.
Anyone else see Robin Tanners letter in latest Classic Car magazine?
Hi John,
Yes I saw Robin's letter, and I actually spoke with him again this morning. More great tales to come.
Bruce.
So while progress can sometimes get slower that molasses in the winter, it is progress.
Among other things happening Gunnar McKechnie started talking decals.
This is how the correct date coded and Pontiac part numbered Konis on the Firebird will look. Won't be seen by many but the detail is important to me. These decals are available from various sources in various degrees of quality.
These are some of the better ones.
http://i65.tinypic.com/11ry5ps.jpg
So does your car still have the original Koni shocks it raced on in period Bruce?
Yes it does, they are the ones being restored to the condition above, decals included.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Holmes
The rear shocks on mine are this colour- I thought it was spray from Buncies paint job.
So this is the correct colour from new?
Yes, that is the correct colour for Konis. Now available a "Classic shocks" still the exact same unit. (As on the front of the Standard 10 I raced at Roycroft nearly 2 years back)Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
Thanks Rhys for this. Now will be getting rear ones checked out , paint is actually very good condition-,car done little mileage,-and now know what to look for for the fronts.
BTW...havent seen our messenger yet
Wow, that is awesome! These Koni shocks are quite hard to find these days, and really sought after. I just finished doing a story on the Johnny Ware '68 British Green A/Sedan and Trans-Am Camaro that runs with HTA. Much like your car, it survived the years almost unscathed, and still wears its original double-adjustable Koni shocks it was fitted with in 1970.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce302
Attachment 31944
I had my Komi shocks restored by Stocks in Auckland and the price was comparable to the replacement cost. They did a fantastic job and I was very pleased with the results.
I love saving and resurrecting the original parts, but mine are the earlier single adjustable Konis, compress them fully then clicks left or right to adjust.
Bruce.
Thats the way to do it Bruce. Every old parts has its own story to tell and is a piece of history in its own right.
Some neat photos here from Warwick Clayton of the Firebird, including when it was owned by Robin Tanner. Some have been posted before, others are new:
Attachment 46722
Attachment 46723
Attachment 46724
Attachment 46725
The Trans Tours colours were from the last outting on Australia, Robin bought the car when it was based over there and Rod drove it at Bay Park before it was repainted yet again.
B.
A great read of your build Bruce, you have some amazing pieces for the car.
Nice work!! I bet Robin would be pleased to see the car being restored.
Cheers
Paul B
Cheers Paul, it is very slow buy satisfying to play with the original unique parts, replacements are not an option.
The day job gets in the way some time though.
Robin is always happy to see the car as were his 3 daughters when they came to visit a while back. It got a bit emotional for them.
Bruce.
Interesting set of wheels fitted to the Firebird here. Red Dawson had a similar set of wheels on his Camaro. I assume they were available in wider options than what could be bought from Minilite. Does anyone know what brand wheels these are? I'd guess they were possibly New Zealand made? I think the Dawson Camaro still has its set. I can't think of any other car in period fitted with these wheels.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Holmes
Those are "Span" mags, made by Dave Wallace in Onehunga. I still have the Coppins Wheels and yes they are the same as the Dawson wheels. Fronts are 15 x 10 and the rears were 15 x 14. Apart from very light weight F 5000 type wheels there wasn't a lot else available in those sizes, though Croyden Thompson was also making wheels in Otahuhu, and one big sizes too. I believe they were cast at the NZ Railways workshops near by.
B.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Holmes
There are a few companies in UK that make Mini lites, here is one:Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Holmes
http://www.johnbrownwheels.com/produ...minilight.html
I have another good one but I need to find it.
I hadn't seen the John Brown Wheels before, I have Miniltes from the original guys. [URL="http://minilite.co.uk/index.htm"[/URL]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul B
Thanks Bruce. When NZ switched to its Schedule E regulations from circa 1973, teams were allowed to fit much wider wheels than they were allowed previously. Up to 14 inches wide. Some teams such as PDL Racing used McLaren Can-Am/F5000 wheels, but Dawson and Coppins obviously switched from their Minilites to the wheels pictured above.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce302
I imagine there were very limited options for wheels this wide back in the early '70s.
How did you come to own the Span wheels? Were they with the car when you bought it?
The Span wheels were part of the deal when I bought the car, they are the actual ones Coppins raced on.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Holmes
Bruce.
Good to see Rod supporting local industry....did he have advertising on the car for Span wheels?
I don't think so John. 'Span' wasn't around for very long. Dave Wallace went on to own Mission Bay Motors, later you could find Dennis Dunbar on he spanners at the same place.Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
B.
Are they alloy or magnesium? I assume they're alloy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce302
There were quite a few NZ cottage industry businesses making wheels during the late 1960s and early '70s. They were usually a cheaper and more accessible alternative to the expensive products being produced in other countries. Graeme Addis was another one making wheels around that time.
The Span wheels are aluminium, so not that light , I had some 15" x 14" or 15" on a T bucket back in the early 80's and they were magnesium, no name so could have been locally made.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Holmes
Bruce.
While Bruce had the Firebird at the track today, he was running in my XA Coupe.
At his first race meeting, he showed quick learning and genuine race craft .
He was lapping in the low 1 minute 17 seconds.
Thanks John, That car (lets call it El Gordo) is a dream to drive though a little on the heavy side. It was a very enjoyable day.Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
B.
Sheesh, 1:17 is pretty impressive!Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
Yep, we have all known him here as Bruce302, now we can see him as a racer in his own right and have a better understanding of why he has the Firebird.
We towed both cars down on Friday and you could easily feel how heavy my Bluebird was on the trailer compared with his Whitebird.
Man, just imagine how light weight Falcon Coupes would have been if they had been in TransAm............"he cars were stripped, seam welded, then acid dipped, before the chrome moly cages were Tig welded in"
Not as light as this Falcon!
That looks extreme Grant, what series or class is that competing in ? On your part of the country I guess ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Grant Ellwood
Bruce.
Hi Bruce, the "Falcon" was running in the GT1 class in the recent annual SVRA Gold Cup historics event at Virginia International Raceway.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce302
I think it has a fairly modern TransAm chassis but the builder decided he wanted something different so cloaked it with the Falcon bodywork. I did see an article some time ago about the car in one of the vintage magazines, if I can find it I'll post more info.
I ran the Peter Bennett A40 twin cam at this event, probably the first time aNZ ex-Allcomers car has run here in USA. Certainly attracted a lot of attention! I plan to post an article about the experience on RS soon.