The front seats ended up in my Firebird, so at least Bob Cox must have known where it was.Originally Posted by John McKechnie
Bruce.
The front seats ended up in my Firebird, so at least Bob Cox must have known where it was.
Bruce.
interesting
Trevor had just bought the Mustang from Warren Priest, I think (not posistive) some of the mechanicals went into a van that was built as a service vehicle by Warren and team.
GT 500
Yes correct Duncan GT500..........heard many stories about Chapel road and this Shelby and once stopped to look at this bad corner and wonder about this accident and how bad it must have been back then, tho its not a country road anymore. The story I got told was this accident was new years eve 1970? some may know otherwise but off-course this made this Shelby a near NEW and not so cheap vehicle in its day. I believe Brett Wilson got the wreck under tender, the 428 motor and trans ended up in his T-Bucket and Trevor Gary here in Tauranga bought the wrecked body shell and built it as a dirt track saloon car fitting the ex-Urquhart 427 Cammer engine which is now in the Hogg front engine dragster...although only 11 or 12 at the time I remember it getting built in Bruce Kenney's 15th ave workshop, big deal in its day........all interesting stuff. Dale M
Last edited by Kiwiboss; 04-13-2017 at 12:49 AM.
Dale the New years Eve accident was the Mopar crash where four of our friends were killed . Their car, which was wound out missed the bend and launched itself off the road to hit the stream bank some couple of hundred feet away. The Mustang was a little later, the details elude me at present but it was a near identical accident
The dangers of working from memory.........
Dale you are right in thinking NYE but 1970 is too early, we think it was 73 or 4 .It was a big deal in the day made the papers. The Shelby (which was a KR500) was chased all round east Auckland before the crash. It was NOT the car in Kaspas yard. That was a Mach 1 that belonged to another Howickite. The crash that involved the 4 fatalities was a Dodge Coronet in early Jan 78. That's why I thought it was New Years Eve. Sorry to have put you wrong but it niggled me enough to do some checking in order to put the record straight.
Duncan- I remember seeing a 69-71 shell with frontal damage- think it was yellow- sitting in a yard where Kaka St, Otahuhu goes down to Pacific Scrap. Was working at Davie Motors, could have been 1981.
How does this sound?
Remember seeing the 69 MACH 1 in Kaspa's yard in the 80's Blue with left rear damage.
John it was a Yellow (light yellow) one that Trevor crashed, ex Warren Priest. Think most of running gear that was left went into another project.
OK, makes sense as I only saw it while driving past, never saw it close up, but from the accident pics the car was in to halves.
Passenger was very lucky just to have a sore back from this.
Last edited by John McKechnie; 04-14-2017 at 02:32 AM.
Trevor Grays wife was part Maori and deeply superstitious and wouldn't let him race the Mustang(Shelby GT500KR) at any dirt track Saloon meetings over the New Years period, so the story goes.............because two persons were killed in the crash of this car New Years eve...which I know was Chapel road.......70 maybe too early, memories not like it was when I was kid and soaked it all in, LOL but it seems this Shelby would have been a very near new striking car in its day....other must know. I also heard some of its parts like tail lights etc came up at a garage sale around Howick way some years back. Sure would luv to know the VIN number. Dale M
Bob Carlyle owned the wreck for a while He probably got it from Wilson, I shall ask him.
Yes that was it , Les Pickett crashed it into a lamppost.
Last edited by duncan fox; 04-14-2017 at 09:00 AM.
Yes that was Kaspas yard just after the bridge on the right. Although Bob Carlyle doesn't reckon it was there I still seem to recall it was.
Yes, Duncan , your memory is still sharp.
Before the bridge on the left was Kaka Auto spare- Bryan Moselems business, Ray Chatfield used to work for him there in 1973.Think Charlie Wallace also had it.
Over the bridge and as the road bends to the right it was just there..
Will get Bob on the right track next time I see him, have some driveshafts for him
Also pick his brains on the Mustang- hes had a few cars mentioned on TRS.
Bryan Moselem- had a 383 Super Bee- yellow- took John Scott for a run in it one night.
John was living next to the motorway top of Panama Rd.
They took off down Panama Rd, and where the road forks, car was going so fast it didnt turn , just went straight ahead over the kerb onto the grass, going round and round.
When the car stopped, John said, "I will walk home from here."
Few more stories of this legend still waiting to be told including the house demolition party, the night before the house got demolished,
Last edited by John McKechnie; 04-14-2017 at 09:26 AM.
Amazing recollections guys, keep them coming.
Both the Dodge Coronet and '69 Mach 1 would have been rare cars in NZ during the '70s. Here are examples of each from earlier chapters from the Allan Porter Collection. Might be completely different cars to those mentioned above but just thought I'd post them anyway.
Pink tyre Mustang- saw that at Ardmore as a teenager along with Drag-On Lady Gail Praast.
Graeme Addis has a few tales of him and this car.
Seen the picture of the Mustang a few times , looks like a 69 Shelby from the A pillar back even the wheels and stripes.Amazing recollections guys, keep them coming.
Both the Dodge Coronet and '69 Mach 1 would have been rare cars in NZ during the '70s. Here are examples of each from earlier chapters from the Allan Porter Collection. Might be completely different cars to those mentioned above but just thought I'd post them anyway.
But 69 Mustang front ???????
Thats really good spotting! I noticed the scoops on the rear quarters but didn't manage to put the rest together.
So its likely this is the same car. I guess they must have hit something in the front, requiring a change of nose?
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote