Mid- 80's Auckland based Rally / Hillclimb photo's

[Jeff]

Hi all ,
I took these photo's between 1983 and 1989 around my local car clubs in Auckland with a few trips to North Island club rally events.
I will post more once I get a decent scanner and dig out my collection but these are only a small sample.

[Jeff]

[Malcolm McLeod]

Nice photo of Ian Attwood!
Looking foward to seeing some more once you get organised.

[Jeff]

Thanks Malcolm , I always loved both Ian Attwood's and Brian Watkin's driving styles in their respective escorts

[Rod Grimwood]

Thanks Malcolm , I always loved both Ian Attwood's and Brian Watkin's driving styles in their respective escorts

Do Escorts go differently to that.

[Jeff]

I think Ian Attwood's car was a 1600 BDA compared to the more common RS1800's of the day but I do not have any photo's of a BDA Escort going in a straight line !
Ah the good old days

[Jeff]

[Raceman]

Hello. I think that picture of the V8 Falcon was Peter Grey from Waiuku.

[Jeff]

Many thanks Raceman , I'm always happy to have my memory corrected. I was going off my memory from the days and I knew Grant Scurr ran a white XA Falcon coupe at almost the same time - I thought they were the same car.( perhaps it is the same car ? ) How many Falcon coupe's were rallied ??? I will try to re-name the photo to avoid confusion.

Hello. I think that picture of the V8 Falcon was Peter Grey from Waiuku.

[Jeff]

Here's a series of photo's of the aftermath of Possum going off at McLaughlan Road , Kaukapakapa in '86

Possum had Snow Mooney with him as passenger when they shot off the road on a high speed downhill sweeping left at the HCMC Rallysprint.
Paul Adams and Jim Scott were sharing the car that day with Possum ( I think it was Paul's first drive in a 4WD car ? )
Only a handful of us saw the crash. The car was so quiet that you couldn't hear it coming and as it somersaulted into view - I was dangling my camera down by my side. Dammit
Myself and fellow HCMC driver Brian Chadwick got to the car in seconds as Possum and Snow were climbing out the windscreen.
Snow had a hand injury from ( I think ) grabbing the rollcage above his head and having it crush his hand in the process.
The car was totalled - it couldn't even really be towed off the paddock because all wheels were pointing in different directions
The alloy cage above Snow's head shattered on impact ( the MANZ steward had a good , long look at that ).
I have a feeling the rules about alloy cages in N.Z were changed not long after.
Sure was the fastest crash I've ever seen and we were glad they weren't too badly hurt.
The crash really set back Possum's lead up to the International rally a mere month or two away
There is now a house and garage built on the spot they came to rest.

[Jeff]

Photo's from the Waitekauri Rd ( Waihi ) hillclimb.
Possibly 1986 - 87

[Jeff]

[Rod Grimwood]

Photo's from the Waitekauri Rd ( Waihi ) hillclimb.
Possibly 1986 - 87

Red (was white) V8 Capri is Terry O'Brien then from Paeroa who raced car in Sports Sedans and it was a quick bit of gear and Terry drove very well. Terry also played with jet boats and the engine did dual duties. It was a strong 302.

[Steve Holmes]

These photos are just absolute gold Jeff! Many thanks for posting.

Rod, do you know what happened to that V8 Capri? Its a nice looking car.

[Steve Holmes]

Hi all ,
I took these photo's between 1983 and 1989 around my local car clubs in Auckland with a few trips to North Island club rally events.
I will post more once I get a decent scanner and dig out my collection but these are only a small sample.

Wow, a Falcon hardtop rally car! That must have been a handful.

[Grant Sprague]

I remember this weekend well ....... took the scanz car up .. [the black car with no nose cone]... was a weapon on the hill climbs [a good car] had a run off with John Murphy, John wigston had the chevron there , but was out dated to our light cars & not suited to this hill.. we started off on a bridge or close to it ...... Ernie had come up from timaru that weekend we went back to Tauranga with a smile ...... hey thanks Jeff

[Allan]

Unfortunately that piece of road no longer exists. It was straightened and realigned by the gold company who was mining at Golden Cross. There is however a lot more of that road which is sealed and has been used for a rallysprint (down then back up - 8 km so 6 runs on a good day) and part of which will be used in a hillclimb in the next couple of weeks.

[Rod Grimwood]

Steve about Capri I will find out as I want to get in touch with Terry.

Notice that Wiggy had wets on Chevron, did it rain. If it was dry then that would have been like driving on jelly.

Now Wigston, there's another reason for a post about this little bit of trouble. Top rooster, but damn dangerous to be around.

[Jeff]

I do remember there being a couple of light showers during the day - just enough to make the course a little greasy

[Grant Sprague]

Roddy , the slicks were a hand full as well not to mention only able to heat the rear tyres as the fronts stayed cool, intermediates wud have been the go , I think is was coarse chip made it tricky, other hill climbs I went up back wards on occasion lucky not to have done some dammage ??