Murray, Wally Willmot's McBegg restoration is a great diary of a unique (although typical) Begg project and worthy of a documentary, you are the right guy to do it!!
Originally Posted by Murray Maunder
Murray, Wally Willmot's McBegg restoration is a great diary of a unique (although typical) Begg project and worthy of a documentary, you are the right guy to do it!!
Great shot Ta. It would be good to get a copy off that from you for the records.
Sure thing.
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?
Thanks for the show of confidence Amerikiwi! Didn't know I had a friend in Virginia!
I actually met the renowned Wal on Oreti Beach about 4 years ago when directing/shooting the TV show of the first Burt Munro Challenge. He had been involved with work on the replicas used on "World's Fastest Indian" and of course his work was held in high regard. I talked very briefly about my work with the Bruce McLaren Trust and hope that we would one day get the chance to talk of things McLaren. Without hijacking this thread I would say I have wanted to fulfil this hope but the McBegg idea may just be one project too many to have on the backburner. The M8A has consumed enough time (and years!) and still we haven't made the track.
Certainly looks like Wal is powering along on this restoration and I look forward to seeing it on display, racing, demonstrating or whatever it's destiny - Wal?
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 !
Bob sent me this/these via email and with his approval I post them. W.
Wal,
I have really been looking as hard as I can for photos for you ,these photos are amongst a whole lot I was given recently ,I believe knowing where they came from they would be early
1972 ,as I have found some of the car from Puke ,Bay Park and Levin ,some of them are too faded to copy ,but it appears to me the car was in this colour scheme and the perhaps by the Bay Park Easter meeting ,the nose had changed to the deep blue ,well that's my deduction it looks like the nose might have had a repair in that time ,I can remember the car running at some of the meetings but it never ran cleanly and I have memories of it overheating ,leaking rocker covers etc letting oil onto the exhausts,which one of the photos confirm. I am pretty sure I have got the story right in spite of being told today I haven't got it right and that's not the McBegg !
Its not helped also by the fact that its not listed in the Bay Park Program ,but I never rely on that being right as I know I am not listed in some of the Bay Park meetings even though I entered on time and like wise I am missing from some of the Levin ones ,so it never makes it easy when you are chasing history Hope this is of help ,I'm trying to piece it together Best Regards Bob Homewood
Last edited by Wal Will; 01-20-2012 at 11:14 AM.
As I was saying to Jenks the other day...........
+49 years
One of my heros of the day.
Great pic of you and Jenks Wal..I am sure he would be loving the Mc Begg restoration
Last edited by bry3500; 01-21-2012 at 12:47 AM.
In this mornings NZ Herald the car supplement on page 25 has a photo of Wal.
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