This is a fantastic thread Wal! Great work.
This is a fantastic thread Wal! Great work.
Really hoping to have it at the February meeting at Teretonga. Working 10x7.
Chassis was stripped bare over the weekend and is off to be blasted and painted in the next few days. Murph's law says that I must have missed at least one bracket that needs welding when I start final assembly.
George built the thing in about 6 weeks - but he had a few more helpers.
If it is not running I will take it to the meeting as a static display.
Thank you Michael (and you Steve).
This project has been a labour of love, putting me back in touch with those good times and George with whom I had lots of laughs, and a great deal of admiration for what he achieved.
This newspaper cutting is worth posting as well.
I've found another of that first weekend. As I said earlier, I think George didn't get the spring rate right 'straight out of the box'. She looks about ready for take off by half way down the straight - and I can only say again that Barry (Keen) showed large testicles on that day.
Last edited by Wal Will; 01-14-2012 at 09:33 AM.
Just for the record I'll post here the parts that have been collected that as far as possible have been verified as off the original car. I have used the parts that are/were servicable after crack testing and evaluation, the rest will remain as part of the car and its history.
Brilliant thread Wal, thanks for recreating some Begg history.
Probably the only photo I took of the McBegg when Geoff Mardon dropped it into the fence at my feet, Pukekohe March 1969.
Great shot Ta. It would be good to get a copy off that from you for the records.
Sure thing.Originally Posted by Wal Will
Is that the HCM disappearing out of shot in front of the spinning McBegg, Gavin ?
George wrote (quite scathingly) of a coming together with a certain D.M.
I am sure there are 2 sides to a 'racing incident', but by the look of the damage the car hit something quite solid?
Yes, that is the HCM.
I am not sure if there was a coming together, or if he just lost it, was a long time ago. The car hit the horse track outer rail fence, which had thick timber along the bottom about 24" high. No damage to the fence. It was a long haul for a couple of laps.
Good news, Bob Homewood has just come up with this photo of Digby Taylor. I am amazed that he is still using those rear wheels that were past their useby date when they were thrown in the scrap at McLarens in 68.
We are on a roll now, Bob has just found another one. Was Digby quite a tall person?
He appears to sit very high in these photo's.
I don't recall DT being especially tall. Perhaps he just like sitting forward...
Here is a 'back to the begining' while the paint dries.
We have to be careful about what we read. The person who submitted this article could not tell his America from his England, or his Chev. from his Oldsmobile.
The photos were Tylers, but taken in the Colnbrook workshop of the McBegg chassis being built. you can see the 13" wheels.
In the right hand photo you can see the 'Flat Floor' extending right back under the ZF gearbox, and at this stage there is no gear shift linkage. There are metal strips instead of shock absorbers that are being used to check the supension travel.
The car is still in it's gestation period.
The chassis arrived back from the painters on Monday and the (hopefully) final assembly has begun.
Motor and box are back in, and the corners are back on with just a bit of fine fettling to be done there - cutting bolts to length and stuff like that.
Absolutely stunning and very exciting. Can't wait to see it run. The country can't have enough big V8 sports cars with the sort of heritage the McBegg has.
Stunning looking restoration Wal. Really looking forward to seeing it on track and the speed with which it has happened in a real credit to you and your helpers.
Working away on this thing and I have to keep remembering the message George had up on his workshop wall and it said.
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence
Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not: for unrewarded genius is almost a proverb
Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan “Press on” has solved, and always will solve the problems of the human race."
It keeps me going.
All of this productivity, and you still find time to keep us updated daily on the net, Wally : incredible, and much appreciated.
Maybe we forum members could club together and sort out a two-litre can of "Press On" for the blokes building the M8 for the McLaren trust : that'd have to have been on the go for ten years or so by now, glacier-like progress compared to Wal's blistering effort we see evolving before us !
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