Does anyone know what happened to the Barry Wearing 67 Z28 SS Camaro, sold in 74-75

[nick_tassie]

Can anyone recall when Terry would had been racing in the USA, my parents were telling me the other day that he had a huge crash over there and nearly lost his arm, his mother Lucy went over to help with his recovery. They can't recall the exact time frame or what type of racing he was doing, just that it was a big crash and he was lucky to keep his arm. It most likely would have been after 71 when he had already sold the Camaro and had left Australia again for the US. He was racing EH's and a Ex Moffat Cortina prior to buying and racing the Camaro in 67 so it most likely was after 71. It would be good to get a clearer picture of what he got up to and what type of racing he did in the US.

[Ellis]

EH's.....

First one was his own built up and the second one was the famous ex Brian Muir S4 probably before Dave Price got it from memory.

Lotus Cortina...

Moffat raced 2 different cars/colours ... The first was std Lotus White / Grn stripe...ie Longford 1965....and the second car/colour was all red. I have movie of it at Calder in 1966. I did ask Moffat a few years ago whether it was same car but dont recall the answer. The red was definitley 2nd tho.

Why dont you contact Moffat...he may be able to help you.
I read somewhere Terry was going to USA Transam with ex Moffat car or to drive a Moffat car but Moffat advised not sufficient funds for 2 cars....This would have been in Lotus Cortina days I assume.

[nick_tassie]

EH's.....

First one was his own built up and the second one was the famous ex Brian Muir S4 probably before Dave Price got it from memory.

Lotus Cortina...

Moffat raced 2 different cars/colours ... The first was std Lotus White / Grn stripe...ie Longford 1965....and the second car/colour was all red. I have movie of it at Calder in 1966. I did ask Moffat a few years ago whether it was same car but dont recall the answer. The red was definitley 2nd tho.

Why dont you contact Moffat...he may be able to help you.
I read somewhere Terry was going to USA Transam with ex Moffat car or to drive a Moffat car but Moffat advised not sufficient funds for 2 cars....This would have been in Lotus Cortina days I assume.

Cheers, Ellis

Mum can recall going to race meetings at Calder with Terry in one of the EH's, this would have been most likely in 65. There is a great story by Tony Stott on Terry and his EH days on the motorsportarchive.com, most likely where you read about the Moffat Lotus Cortina link.

http://www.motorsportarchive.com/rea...yStott29-12-03

I was checking the Web the other day researching the Brian Muir S4 EH and came across a photo of what was claimed to be the car at the Phillip Island Motor Museum. Its painted light blue with #4 race number, most other photos I seen including ones you have posted show the car red.

Maybe someone can confirm this is the ex Brian Muir S4 the Terry did once own and race.

I do vaguely recall Uncle Terry talking about racing Trans Am but I can't be sure, it was a long the ago and you start to question your memory. In my searching for information where the Camaro might have got to I did talk with someone who knew Terry when he was in the US racing, but for the life of me I can't remember his name now to call back find out more about it, I'll have to back track through my notes and contacts. He was a member of the Vic Historic Racing Club and John Blanchard put me onto him.

[Rondonrus]

Hi Ron, nice to hear from you again. I can't recall exactly who Wayne said they got to manufacture the crossover manifold, it certainly could have been Briar McKay as you have suggested. I'll have to check with him next time I'm talking to him. I'm certain he did say that it was a fabricated steel manifold.

Its interesting that Wayne can't recall seeing or hearing about the Trans Am 302 engine that Terry brought over as a potential spare power plant option. Can you recall if this was a complete running engine with all the bolt on's or just a long motor?

As much as I can recall it was a 302 long block (complete engine less carb; water pump; clutch assy; distributor.) painted Chev orange. but it was a built 302 from the engine room at BTRC. It was in a unique crate that covered it completely and look like a large box from the outside ( quite honestly it was an old crate that I used to send 4 cam Ford engines back and forth from Indy for Jerry Grants Indy Car) and was buried in a sea of auto parts when I last saw it. Like I said before Terry took back a tremendous amount of spare parts.

He had talked about opening a speed shop in Auckland and I thought that's where most of that stuff was headed. Is there or was there a speed shop in NZ?

[Jac Mac]

IIRC some of the early McKay manifolds were made up of several pieces [ castings ] and then those were all welded together. Would have been a nightmare to cast in one piece, whereas this way the four pairs of runner castings were the same and then the valley/port casting.

[Ellis]

[QUOTE=nick_tassie;5215]Cheers, Ellis

Mum can recall going to race meetings at Calder with Terry in one of the EH's, this would have been most likely in 65. There is a great story by Tony Stott on Terry and his EH days on the motorsportarchive.com, most likely where you read about the Moffat Lotus Cortina link.
I was checking the Web the other day researching the Brian Muir S4 EH and came across a photo of what was claimed to be the car at the Phillip Island Motor Museum. Its painted light blue with #4 race number, most other photos I seen including ones you have posted show the car red.
Maybe someone can confirm this is the ex Brian Muir S4 the Terry did once own and race.
........................

This is it in Aug 1966 I took at Calder. It was then Dave Prices along with the Humpy next to it.
I think Terry and Dave Price were aquaintenances.
Edit..
I just looked up the Calder 8/66 Dave Price Humpy entry and he was entered by Dave's own business, Syndal Motors. Terry was entered by same in May 66 in an S4 at the ATCC at Bathurst.



After Dave Price it went to Garry Rogers and was painted Brn/Yell/Red
Gary Rogers sold it to someone and it was burnt out and or wrecked at Calder in private practice.
I'd be very surprised if the one in museum was same car. If it is why that colour scheme.

[nick_tassie]

In my searching for information where the Camaro might have got to I did talk with someone who knew Terry when he was in the US racing, but for the life of me I can't remember his name now to call back find out more about it, I'll have to back track through my notes and contacts. He was a member of the Vic Historic Racing Club and John Blanchard put me onto him.

That someone was John Reaburn (Buchanan Holden Special fame). I had a chat with him today, mistakingly on my part, John met up with Terry in the UK and not the US as I first thought. We worked out it would have most likely been at a Silverstone race meeting probably in early 67, he thinks Brian Thompson was racing his Mustang at the time. Maybe terry was checking out other car options in the UK before heading over to the US.

I'm not sure who else to talk to about his US racing, I haven't found any links to US racing on the Web as yet.

[nick_tassie]

After Dave Price it went to Garry Rogers and was painted Brn/Yell/Red
Gary Rogers sold it to someone and it was burnt out and or wrecked at Calder in private practice.
I'd be very surprised if the one in museum was same car. If it is why that colour scheme.

This is the photo of the Ex Brian Muir S4 EH that is in the Phillip Island Motor Museum, maybe someone can shead light on if this is the original car (rebuilt after fire or crash) or is it a second car he raced or maybe even a replica?

It does look like it has got the leather bonnet strap at the front as seen on photo's of Brian's original race car

[Ellis]

Thats PK751 ...Beecheys old one. The chap that owns Perf. Ignition Systems (Scorcher) has it.
Should have triggered when you said #4...... Neptune Blue....you must have had rose coloured glasses on....lol
There are a couple of replicas of it around as well.

John Reaburn you mentioned .....
John was also a Humpy driver of some renown.
He went onto Open Wheelers and ran with the best of them. He did a lot of racing in Europe
probably culminating with LeMans 24 hour in a GT40.....a real one.

[nick_tassie]

Thats PK751 ...Beecheys old one. The chap that owns Perf. Ignition Systems (Scorcher) has it.
Should have triggered when you said #4...... Neptune Blue....you must have had rose coloured glasses on....lol
There are a couple of replicas of it around as well.

John Reaburn you mentioned .....
John was also a Humpy driver of some renown.
He went onto Open Wheelers and ran with the best of them. He did a lot of racing in Europe
probably culminating with LeMans 24 hour in a GT40.....a real one.

Thanks for clearing that up Ellis, you certainly do have to be careful believing what you read at times. There was also a car sold recently on Australian Muscle Car Sales that claimed to be a spare Brian Muir car to the one that raced at Bathurst, again not sure if thats correct or not.

John was certainly great to talk to, he mentioned racing GT40's in the UK, how cool would that have been. It certainly sounds like he had an interesting racing career, it would be good for someone who knows more to start a thread on it.

[nick_tassie]

I had a fantastic chat with Graeme Blanchard tonight, he contacted me after reading my Muscle Assist article in the current Australian Muscle Car Magazine.

He confirmed that he brought the car with the 396 big block engine although it was in a pretty poor state at the time. The block had been welded in a number of places to repair damage, I recall in the NZ sale advert for the car it had a couple of damaged crankshafts and used conrods in the spares list which might explain the bottom end damage as described by Graeme.

Graeme initially raced the big block for a while before changing it for the 350ci engine, he recalled it went like a rocket on the straights but lacked stopping power, he even mentioned with pride out dragging Moffat in the Coke Mustang on the straight at Warwick Farm in one race although Moffat got him easily under cornering.

Seems Moffat also protested against Graeme running rear disc brakes in the Tasmanian ATCC round at Symmons Plains in 72? He wasn't a happy chappie about it either.

Interestingly he also mentioned the car was white with the red centre stripe when he brought it from Terry, all he did at the first race was to add his name on the guards as can be seen in the AMC article photo. I presumed he had painted the red stripe but that's not the case. The photo's of the car in early 71 when Terry last raced it were all white with the Castrol side stripes.

Sad to say those special quad webers and crossover manifold were stolen off the Camaro shortly before he sold it to Lakis Manticas, they broke into the shed and took the lot, the car was then sold with the holley setup. It was also sold as a complete running race car which means the running gear was stripped out of it by Lakis before being then sold as we know to Barry Wearing as a roller.

[nick_tassie]

Hi Nick, a long shot but im in Sydney next month for the EC Muscle Car Masters and im staying with a mate Keith Knightingale. Keiths probably mid 60's and been in Sydney all his life, he raced Toranas back in the early 70's and prior, i'll print this out and ask him!! He doesn't do E-mails and getting him on the PH is tough but i will ask for you!! From stories he's told me he seem to know alot from that era in and around Sydney and was a GM guy!! you never know!!

Dale Mathers
Tauranga, NZL

Hey Dale, did you get a chance to ask Keith about the Camaro?

[Steve Holmes]

Hey Nick, you say he injured his arm badly in a crash in the US. Could this possibly be early in 1971 when he did this? He was quoted as saying he was heading to the US with Joe Chamberlain after his NZ races at the Bay Park Xmas meeting to buy a small block motor for the Camaro. Is it possible he took in a race while he was there and crashed then? He had big plans for the Camaro for 1971, but then suddenly it was for sale a few months later. If he had crashed in early '71, that could explain why he suddenly put the Camaro on the market and stopped racing.

[AMCO72]

Hey Nick......in post 91 you mention that Barry Wearing purchased the Camaro from Lakis Manticas. My interest in this is that Lakis did some guest drives in the AMCO Mini in about 73/74 when it was owned by Warren Reid. Have only heard snippets of Lakis Manticas and his exploits on the track but by all accounts was a pretty spectacular driver!!!! Would this be right? We now own the Mini, and any history of it, and it's drivers, is always welcome, so anything you can tell me would be useful.

[nick_tassie]

Hey Nick......in post 91 you mention that Barry Wearing purchased the Camaro from Lakis Manticas. My interest in this is that Lakis did some guest drives in the AMCO Mini in about 73/74 when it was owned by Warren Reid. Have only heard snippets of Lakis Manticas and his exploits on the track but by all accounts was a pretty spectacular driver!!!! Would this be right? We now own the Mini, and any history of it, and it's drivers, is always welcome, so anything you can tell me would be useful.

Yes Lakis was a well known Mini driver from what I've read when doing some research, I certainly don't pretend to know to much though. I'm sure there are members on this site who would know more and might reply to you. Coincidentally I was actually speaking with him again early today just asking a few questions about the Camaro and what may have happened to the cars racing Log Book and the running gear.

He does have a Facebook page so you might like to send him a message to get in contact with you. If you don't have access to that just google his name, he is a real estate agent and his mobile number is publicly available.

[nick_tassie]

Hey Nick, you say he injured his arm badly in a crash in the US. Could this possibly be early in 1971 when he did this? He was quoted as saying he was heading to the US with Joe Chamberlain after his NZ races at the Bay Park Xmas meeting to buy a small block motor for the Camaro. Is it possible he took in a race while he was there and crashed then? He had big plans for the Camaro for 1971, but then suddenly it was for sale a few months later. If he had crashed in early '71, that could explain why he suddenly put the Camaro on the market and stopped racing.

You could be right Steve, I'll check that with Graeme Blanchard next time I contact him as he mentioned that he spend some time with the family when he was negotiating to buy the Camaro. Its just unfortunate that none of his close family are around any more to find out this history, I'm not sure who else might know at this stage. Mum is pretty certain that he almost lost his arm in the crash and that is was in the US, she remembers that Auntie Lucy (Terry's Mother) spend some time over there helping with his recovery. Graeme might be able to at least shead some light on why Terry changed his mind about continuing to run the Camaro and sold it.

[nick_tassie]

He confirmed that he brought the car with the 396 big block engine although it was in a pretty poor state at the time. The block had been welded in a number of places to repair damage, I recall in the NZ sale advert for the car it had a couple of damaged crankshafts and used conrods in the spares list which might explain the bottom end damage as described by Graeme.

Maybe this photo from Oldracephotos.com explains the damage to the 396 big block, looks like some serious oil smoke after a possible engine problem at the 71 Symmons Plains ATTC round, Symmons Plains is renound for creating oil surge with the high speed sweeper and hairpin, it must have been a big problem in the early days before dry sumps. I noticed Graeme Blanchard ran the car with a dry sump system.

Ellis can you recall the damage that Terry sustained in this photo?

http://www.oldracephotos.com/shop/pr...1#1677HAllan72

[Steve Holmes]

Thats interesting Nick, I hadn't realised Allan had started the 1971 ATCC with this car. I assumed he'd sold it before the start of the championship. This round was held on March 4. Was he at Calder for Round 2 on March 21?

[nick_tassie]

Thats interesting Nick, I hadn't realised Allan had started the 1971 ATCC with this car. I assumed he'd sold it before the start of the championship. This round was held on March 4. Was he at Calder for Round 2 on March 21?

Steve it looks like although he may have raced at the event he didn't enter in the ATCC as he is not shown on the official records. My info comes from the motorsportarchives.com site that shows a photo of the car on the start line at Symmons with a caption suggesting it was on 1/3/71 ATCC.

http://www.motorsportarchive.com/bits_and_pieces.htm

The photos Ellis posted and the ones of Ray Sinclair seem to be from the same event with the white paint and Castrol sponsorship.

Looks like he is racing with the same spec as Bay Park, 10" minilites and the big front spoiler and brake ducts, maybe these ruled him out of running in the ATCC so he just raced at the event without gaining points??

I noticed they had 72 on the Oldracephotos.com site for the photo of the car in the pits but I'm 100% certain this is a wrong date as Graeme Blanchard had the car by then and never ran it with the Castrol sponsorship, he said he purchased the car all white with the new red centre stripe.

I haven't seen any evidence that he may have raced at Calder in 71, maybe that smoke indicated some serious repair work needed to be done so that ruled him out.

[Steve Holmes]

Thats a bit strange Nick, I can't imagine what other race he would have competed in at that ATCC opener. The 10" wheels with spoiler and brake ducts should have been OK for the ATCC race, as the wheel width limit was 10" from 1970 onwards. Perhaps the engine expired in practice and he never got a start?

Yes you're right, OldRacePhotos have listed their photo as being 1972, but Blanchard owned the car by this stage and it didn't look like that.