#917 Looks like Goodwood. The 'Festival of Speed' has had a rally section/stage - though I haven't been to an event and seen it... Just reading the various clues in the Pics.
#917 Looks like Goodwood. The 'Festival of Speed' has had a rally section/stage - though I haven't been to an event and seen it... Just reading the various clues in the Pics.
I think you are correct Ray, the side on shot of the Healey (I love those big Healeys) has a Goodwood festival header on the number plaque, the thing with wings, and the big wheel in the background looks right too.
This one is far-removed from such stuff:
Russell Ness and his Austin Healey at Hampton Downs today (Jan 26, 2020)
Last edited by Milan Fistonic; 02-02-2020 at 08:26 AM.
Brett Young, a Healey enthusiast from Wellington - describes himself as retired - has a project..
This 1959 Austin Healey Sprite ;.
[Will follow the project, now I am back from " Overseas " at Waiheke -no Wi-Fi.
Did see a few Classic cars including a friends 1969 MGB GT.]
The Sprite - before the stripdown of paint and filler ;
.
More to follow ;
Brett likes Models of cars he owns/owned too !!.
PS
Milan - Thanks for the Russell Ness - photo - does he still have the car? He was doing Classic Trials in it, had heard It was " For Sale ".
PPS, Thought I saw a familiar face in Brett Young posts about the Sprite Restoration ..
Then realised who he is. He is " faminz ".
Last edited by Roger Dowding; 01-31-2020 at 06:26 AM. Reason: PPS ' faminz '
borrowed some of " faminz " archives for the story of the 1960 Sprite.
A photo from when " Phil " Philomena Ganley owned it in 1982 raced at Ohakea Reunion Meeting.
Brett owned in its early days, and bought it again in 1990, It had a rebuild then and is now being " Restored.
Milan Fistonic copy of the Sports Car entry list for Ohakea 1982 - both classes.
My only photo of the car - well it is hidden in the back row in this group.
A group from the Austin Healey Club in Auckland went to support Frank Karl and Cameron McKay in their 3000's Des Spillane from Timaru and others were there in Healey 100/4's and others.
1983 Jaguar Drivers Le Mans Relay Race - the Team Healey entries on this page [ page 3 of the Programme/ Entry List.
Brett tells me that the car is being restored at Andrew Fox workshops " Classic and Modern " a restoration shop in Wellington.
another glimpse of the work being done. Other Healeys in the background.
The car is well known in AH Club circles -restored to works style - a 1959 AH 3000 as rallied by Pat Moss and others - the restoration / replication done by Andrew Shrimpton as a tribute to Pat Moss - Carlson the car went to Harold Church before being purchased by Russell Ness a year or two ago.Originally Posted by Milan Fistonic
Russell Ness and his Austin Healey at Hampton Downs today (Jan 26, 2019)
[ Milan's caption says today ( Jan 26 2019 ) presume was 2020..
That isn't a Nash Metropolitan with a racing number in the background of that Okahea photo is it?
Oh yes it is. On entry list as no 22. Howard Ferrabee from Hamilton.
I suppose stranger things have been raced...
Somewhere.
" That isn't a Nash Metropolitan with a racing number in the background of that Okahea photo is it? "
Ray, Think of it as an Austin A40 - which it was based on -mechanically, not sure about chassis etc.
A bit like this also from Austin .. really an Austin Healey with a big body - this is Godfrey Paape - stalwart of the Otago Sports car Club, organiser [one of them ] of the Dunedin Street races in the 1950's. photo from son Godfrey Paape's archives. Car also features in a couple of publications of South Island Motor Racing.
With the generous rules, I guess both cars could race as Saloons, Hardtop roof - or Sports Cars, two doors.
A closer view with the Sprite in the frame, beside the Metro.
" That isn't a Nash Metropolitan with a racing number in the background of that Okahea photo is it? "
Not only in 1982 but here in the South Island in 2020 - Gary Talbot photo -
go hard out,
roll those tyres.
Came across the photo today - Believe from the recent Skope meeting in Christchurch.. at Ruapuna ..
Just think of it as a Sprite !!
You make me wonder now what sort of chassis was underneath them...
But I could never relate it to a Sprite.
Here's a similar one in its native habitat:
It's in Montana. Probably awaiting fresh shells for No. 3 big end.
" It's in Montana. Probably awaiting fresh shells for No. 3 big end. "
Well,
Ray Bell,
the racing didn't go well,
it turned into a No. 3 wheeler oh hell
.. another Gary Talbot photo..
Apparently it got fixed and in the British Tradition " kept calm and carried on "..
And you can see the reason, can't you?
They upset the balance of the car by removing the spare.
Brilliant Ray,
Remember going to HillClimbs and Sprints and taking all the stuff out of the boot, so the tail of the Sprite went up, handling went down though ... and a huge amount of stuff to pack up after
- when you carried spare everything,-
Wheel and Tyre, Fan Belt, Radiator Hoses, Tool box, Hydraulic Fluid, Oil Container, Petrol Container, Tyre pump -hand or foot
[ of course ]- none of this plug into you battery or a spark plug thing, and other stuff, which you just might need.
We had Service Stations in those days too .. Not these Convenience Stores that happen to sell petrol.
I just had to look up some details, this is all new to me...
They were built from '53 to '61. That they were built beyond about 1956 was a surprise. I knew they had the A40 engine, but over the years the B-series went into production and was substituted. They had the A40 4-speed box, too, but with first gear blanked out. Too low, they thought. Ah well, personal experience tells me that it's at least one gear it would never jump out of.
The main point of my interest was the front suspension and even though I nurtured the belief that it would probably have the traditional Armstrongs as top wishbones it didn't. Pressed steel wishbones top and bottom, a coil operating on the top one and the tubular damper working on the lower one.
Further surprise. I rather thought that it would be like the Nash Healeys, with a lot of American content. But no, they were built entirely by BMC in England and for the first five years sold solely in North America. After that BMC negotiated the rights to sell it as one of their own, but not many were sold.
And no bootlid until 1959, which means the yellow one above is pre-'59. And it might explain the need to put the spare on the back.
Roger,
I found this ad in a 1959 "Sports Car Graphic" and I wanted to share it. (Note the prices !)
(Ken H)
Thanks Ken H, keep those inputs coming..
Appropriate as am putting together the story of the " faminz " - Ganley - " faminz " Sprite restoration
Roger,
Here is a neat story of a Moss customer and a beautiful restoration of a 1956 A/H 100 BN2.
(Looks neat with that windshield lowered.)
Ken H.
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