Photos: The Sprague Family Collection

[Charles Hertz]

Video by David Thompson, A battle with car 63 Grant Sprague and car 69 Dennis McConnell's MK1 Escorts at Hampton Downs Tazman Revival 2017

[Steve Holmes]

Grant,
Speaking of Cameron Road, when we came out to NZ in 1990 I got hold of this XD with the front bench seat and a boot full of a CNG tank from an unnamed salesman close to Roly's lot. I told him we, as a family of 4 were going to take it around the South Island and he assured me of what great mileage I would get with the CNG set up. So we ferry over and I drove into Nelson and started looking for CNG outlets. The BP operator gave me a hard time for being suckered into believing the salesman as there was no CNG in the SI at that time ! She was a great cruiser although when we stopped near Motueka and left a window open while on the beach the wasps invaded and slowed us down a bit. Made it back to Tauranga and found that when we visited the farm we could get the sheep moved as they loved to follow the "family Falcon" perhaps they had picked up my habit of "sniffing the fumes." I tried to sell it after a year but it had a lot of rust and failed WOF. A friend took it and probably made it into a farm trailer or a "paddock racer." So there you have a piece of completely irrelevant information but after seeing the Pukekohe Falcon XD pics. I thought I would throw in another memory.
Attachment 42065
Sprague Falcon at Pukekohe. 1981. (Thanks Ross )

Attachment 42066
Hyndman's Family Falcon on the farm. 1990

Hi Ken, would you be able to email me a cope of this photo so I can use it in my upcoming Fords book?

[Grant Sprague]

This is an interesting clip as it shows how easy it is to keep your ground when two others are fighting behind giving me breathing space , also shows the difference in looks etc between group one & group two , these are fun cars in HMC /NZHSC

[Grant Sprague]

[Grant Sprague]

Sorry for such a small photo will try & enlarge , this shows Peter & Ernie getting the Jag ready for SI production races plus one of the Mk4 zephers for Puke , I always loved this work shop as Dad thought about the light aspect getting as many windows as possible.

[khyndart in CA]

I gave it a try mate but these are tough ones.
Hoping you and all dear ones are doing ok. Flooded buildings can be a nightmare. Stay safe my friend.





(Ken Hyndman )

[Rod Grimwood]

i may have copy of this Grant, not positive but remember it, will have alook.

[GD66]

Don't think the pic will co-operate, it was only small to start with.

[Grant Sprague]

Thank you Ken yes we are fine thanks mate , just water but one of the elements of big power we need to treat it with respect it can save us or kill us , we are on high ground , feel sorry for some others though , Rod & GD66 thank you also , for playing about with the photos much appreciated .

[Andrew Metford]

Attachment 42021 Latest little escort we are racing , group one ...RS2000..great little fun car , first time this car been raced for 17 yrs..... loved this day with HSC/HMC....will do a few more meetings with it , but need to focus on a quicker grp 2 build ..

Here are 2 pics of your new car when it was owned by Lex Linklater. These were taken at Pukekohe in February 1998. The last time I saw the car race was at the Whangarei Street race in the year 2000. Then as you say, it rested for the next 17 years. Good to see it back out, and still as it was.

100 by Andrew Metford, on Flickr

101 by Andrew Metford, on Flickr

[GD66]

Spotted on the NZ Car-related street scenes fb page. Allan Dick has kindly added a caption there.

[Grant Sprague]

[Grant Sprague]

A bit of a long winded build with parts scattered from UK , USA , Chch & Auckland , but will be a good car , not one bit of rust chassis like new, heard from my mate in Chch last night cam carrier is cracked the list mounting up & up . Not like the old days the $$ went down the dunny but not these thank God ....

[Andrew Metford]

You doing bubble guards in the second picture? Shame to see such an original unmolested car cut up...........

[Spgeti]

You doing bubble guards in the second picture? Shame to see such an original unmolested car cut up...........

Hi Andrew, the car is an existing bubble flared Mk1, not the existing RS2000, and is being built to FIA Appendix K.

[Grant Sprague]

Hi Andrew, the car is an existing bubble flared Mk1, not the existing RS2000, and is being built to FIA Appendix K.

Andrew , I would never ever do that , the new car has a like new chassis complete virgin chassis

[Andrew Metford]

Oh ok so the bubble guard / 5 link pictures are not the ex Lex Linklater car? That's great then, carry on!!!

[Grant Sprague]

Gary & Grant Xmas meeting Auckland 2018...............

[Grant Sprague]

I have another Brother Wayne , he is between Gary & I in age , Wayne had a wee play in racing , he won a 30 min production race at Ruapuna if my memory serves me correct [in ex B&H victor] , shortly after that Ernie put him in the deep end with the GTHO at Wigram , Wayne complained of rear brake lock up in practice , it let go at Bombay backwards into 44 gallon drums of water , it was the year JR came down for a race in his HO, was a very tall ask for an 18 yr old with absolutley no race experience escpecially in that super car of the 70,s ... that was the end of it for Wayne as this put him off not to mention wanted more of a family life , Gary never raced the HO as was in UK & Grant was way too young

[Grant Sprague]

Replica Mk 3