George Smith - the GeeCeeEss and other cars and boats

[Steve Holmes]

Sorry Trevor, I've managed to confuse things. I was making the assumption the Allard Smith drove was Cadillac powered. Sounds like it was Ford powered?

[Trevor Sheffield]

Hi Trevor,
Could you please elaborate by what you mean with "Was he not aware that the dual water pumps required quietening when high RPM became constant? He was not one to openly discuss technicalities in respect of his cars. Having attended to the water pumps, I ran a Ford V8 in all sorts of competition without the need for even a radiator fan". The GeeCeeEss still overheats so what you are talking about could be a remedy but I don't quite understand what modification to the water pump is required.

Cheers
Roger

Greetings Roger,

The known fix for flat head Ford V8 engines was to knock back the output from the dual water pumps by drilling quite large holes in the rotors, or by simply breaking off part of every second rotor. Alternatively and without even removing the engine, to fit large washers in the top water outlets so as to restrict the flow.

The theory was that at higher than normal RPM, the water did not spend sufficient time within the radiator to enable the proper transfer of heat. There was also the possibility of excessive turbulence being created within the heads. Whatever, the crude fix was certainly effective.

Cheers also, Trevor.

[Trevor Sheffield]

Sorry Trevor, I've managed to confuse things. I was making the assumption the Allard Smith drove was Cadillac powered. Sounds like it was Ford powered?

Greetings Sreve,

No apology required or called for, as a completely confusing and unconfirmed issue is involved.

After rattling all of this around in the old brain box I now can not get rid of a recollection that the Allard was actually imported without an engine. Otherwise how did he get around the strict regulations then current?

At the time, I was within my working environment constantly involved with Customs Dept. and import licensing matters, so was specially interested in this aspect of things. Importing a car was extremely difficult at the time due to import and overseas exchange restrictions. I seem recall that George was able to clear the Allard through customs based on it being an incomplete vehicle due to having no engine.

Based on a past history of importing vehicle spare parts, George could well have had access to a basic import license for spares but not vehicles as such. Without an engine the car could have been classified as being parts only, or alternatively a CKD (completely knocked down) vehicle. Either way, provided he had overseas funds on hand, Customs could have been sympathetic. There were various ways of obtaining overseas funds at a cost. Furthermore, at the time Allards were routinely being exported to the States less engines, so that exporting one in this form to NZ would have not created any logistical problems.

The alternative would involve importing the car via another person who had visited the UK and as result had been eligible for special import license. In this event the car would first have been registered in that persons name and could only have been legally transferred to another owner, after the required elapse of a considerable period. The original registration documents would prove the point either way.

Trevor.

[RogerH]

Greetings Roger,

The known fix for flat head Ford V8 engines was to knock back the output from the dual water pumps by drilling quite large holes in the rotors, or by simply breaking off part of every second rotor. Alternatively and without even removing the engine, to fit large washers in the top water outlets so as to restrict the flow.



The theory was that at higher than normal RPM, the water did not spend sufficient time within the radiator to enable the proper transfer of heat. There was also the possibility of excessive turbulence being created within the heads. Whatever, the crude fix was certainly effective.

Cheers also, Trevor.

Thanks Trevor - much appreciated.

[Steve Holmes]

Greetings Sreve,

No apology required or called for, as a completely confusing and unconfirmed issue is involved.

After rattling all of this around in the old brain box I now can not get rid of a recollection that the Allard was actually imported without an engine. Otherwise how did he get around the strict regulations then current?

At the time, I was within my working environment constantly involved with Customs Dept. and import licensing matters, so was specially interested in this aspect of things. Importing a car was extremely difficult at the time due to import and overseas exchange restrictions. I seem recall that George was able to clear the Allard through customs based on it being an incomplete vehicle due to having no engine.

Based on a past history of importing vehicle spare parts, George could well have had access to a basic import license for spares but not vehicles as such. Without an engine the car could have been classified as being parts only, or alternatively a CKD (completely knocked down) vehicle. Either way, provided he had overseas funds on hand, Customs could have been sympathetic. There were various ways of obtaining overseas funds at a cost. Furthermore, at the time Allards were routinely being exported to the States less engines, so that exporting one in this form to NZ would have not created any logistical problems.

The alternative would involve importing the car via another person who had visited the UK and as result had been eligible for special import license. In this event the car would first have been registered in that persons name and could only have been legally transferred to another owner, after the required elapse of a considerable period. The original registration documents would prove the point either way.

Trevor.

That makes plenty of sense Trevor. A lot of the Allards were exported to the US without motors, as the motors were American anyway, so were just fitted on arrival. And this saved Allard some money, as it didn't mean they had to import engines for cars being sent to the US.

So where do you suppose the Ardun heads were sourced?

[RogerH]

Here are some Ardun heads (NOS) for sale on eBay at US$16,500 :
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Flath...0#ht_500wt_956

[Steve Holmes]

Boy, those are nice! Those are the Orosco Arduns which are exactly the same as the originals. From what I have read the current Ferguson Ardun heads are much improved over the originals and far more user friendly for everyday hot rodding.

[SimonSez]

Pretty sure the truck heads with 21T casting that are mentioned in the letter on page 1 are side-valve heads (21T heads were fitted to '42 Ford Trucks), and the Ardun's were added later on.

NZ Hot Rod Mag did a couple of articles tracing the history of all of the Ardun heads known to be in NZ. Been a while since I read it, but it was pretty detailed so would probably have some info on what happened to these ones. Sorry, can't remember which issue it was in without digging through them all - maybe Greg can help?

I like how Tom Sheehan described the Ardun heads as truck heads. He is correct of course, as Gavin has already pointed out. In 1971 when this letter was written Ardun heads would have still been quite desirable in certain circles, but for a race team they would have just been trying to make as much power as they could with what was available, and when the Chrysler motor was available, the Ford motor would have been put out to pasture. I wonder what became of it.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Simon, would be great to see that Hot Rod mag article posted up here. I'd love to read it.

[pallmall]

Pretty sure the truck heads with 21T casting that are mentioned in the letter on page 1 are side-valve heads (21T heads were fitted to '42 Ford Trucks), and the Ardun's were added later on.

NZ Hot Rod Mag did a couple of articles tracing the history of all of the Ardun heads known to be in NZ. Been a while since I read it, but it was pretty detailed so would probably have some info on what happened to these ones. Sorry, can't remember which issue it was in without digging through them all - maybe Greg can help?

I got all the info from the Hot Rod mag articles and started to update and check some of the stories, sorry got a bit side tracked as it led me to some information I needed for my Stockcar books. Will try and get back to it soon, or at least post a bit of basic info from the articles which of course are copyright and can't be reproduced here.
Steve, did you see any Ardun parts when you were doing your recent Hot Rod book? Great book too, by the way.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Gavin, much appreciated. Nah, didn't see any Ardun stuff. Kept hoping I would. Grease Martin was supposed to be in the book but we couldn't get the timing right to do the photos. I think he may have some Ardun heads. Or am I mistaken?

[pallmall]

Yep, Grease has some, used to run them on the 32 Coupe.

[markec]

http://www.ardun.com/ardun_pictures.htm,
http://www.ardun.com/ardun_histrory.htm,
A couple of sites where the now Ardun heads are made and marketed.

[porka]

Bill Paterson sold Highcliff Motors in the early seventies and bought a farm in partnership with his daughter and son in law in the Motueka area.
I think Aquanaut went with him.I remember that he had a 57 Mercedes 4 wheel drive truck that sat in his garage for at least 10 years to be converted to a tow truck but not finished then fitted a flat deck to it and a 2 axle trailer on behind loaded with a lot of gear headed to Motueka.This truck would have been only about 100 hp and reputedly in excess of 20 tons all up but the trip was too slow and ended up leaving the trailer in Oamaru.

[Roger Dowding]

these are from the Dunedin 1984 Historic meeting

[BMCBOY]

[BMCBOY]

[Kwaussie]

Seems about the best time to reboot this one!

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Steve Holmes
Here are some NOS Ardun heads sold by RM Auctions in 2009. These heads sold for US$26,000! RM Auctions description says there were actually thought to have been no more than 275 sets made, so ever rarer than I thought.

Ardun heads were also available for the smaller V8-60 engines...

There would no doubt have come out in even smaller numbers, but eventually sold in the many thousands as they were adopted by Chrysler in South America for the Simca-derived Chrysler Esplanada engines in the sixties.