Sitting in some one's workshop

[Chris Read]

Bob, wish I had known about your t/c fetish (Post #20) . Gave away a t/c head with cams and valves to a young guy who was just starting out so you missed out on giving it a good home. Motor came from a a racing boat in Dunedin belonging to a chap Kane and the garage was Brian Middlemass's - now perhaps we should start a thread as his Jaguars were legendary and you will remember he co owned the Queenstown Motor Museum. Before he died of cancer he had an XK120 (correct Dave Silcock?) with lots of modern bits in it. He had just fitted an XJ o/d box to it and wanted me to go for a squirt and hold something - think it was a petrol pressure gauage. Off we went along the straight at the base of Coronet Peak and as most will know 'Middle' was a vigorous peddler so we were doing 100mph before we entered the straight. I know the speedo was showing 150mph with the o/d 'in' as the corner at the end was coming up. I remember him saying 'this will bed those new pads in'. He worked on the 4CLT that Rob Boult later owned and did some work on my BCM. - but I digress again as the t/c boat motor as was told to me came from an important NZ racing car and cost a lot of money - I have no recollection what its history was but it is now in Wellington on an escort rebuild.

Real reason for this reply is can anyone tell me what this motor is. I am dislexic when it comes to two wheels and their motors even tho I own two of the earliest racers in NZ in the Moore Kiefts complete with Vincents. It will be obvious to most so make and approx year please.


Just in case you are bored with all of this have a look at this YouTube (acknowledgement) clip that features a 180hp Vincent. Even Dave Silcocks 'Jilly' didn't have this much even tho it used to sail past me with Dave's knuckles dragging on the ground as he hung on round the corners.