Memories from the 60's

[Shano]

I picked up a copy of Classic Driver today and it says the Boyle "Coke" Viva has been bought my Mike Johns (former Targa man) for restoration and a return to the track. Good news.

[Steve Holmes]

Yes, its been restored to its red and white livery and is basically ready for action, or very close to it.

[nigel watts]

[kiwi285]

Hi Shano, Here is an original photo of the Viva from the period. Mike John has sent me some photos of it since being repainted, but I cannot locate them at the moment. Yes was great to see some opposition to the Escorts.

Same applied to Roy Harrington in the bright yellow Imp against all of the Mini brigade.

[GD66]

Looks like Alan Boyle at the front of the car chatting to Jack Inwood.

[kiwi285]

Here are a couple of photos of my pride and joy from 8 years ago. It is an Almac kitset with a Graham Berry chassis, 351 Cleveland ( good for 300 odd bhp), Supra 5 speed box and Wilwoods all round. Those lake pipes gave it a great sound. First engine run in the car attrached 20 odd people from around the neighbourhood who helped us celebrate. I completed it in two years and had two years of fun before passing it on.

It is currently in Wanganui have the front end rebuilt after the previous owner stuffed it into a bank and the insurance company sold it to recover their costs.

[Rod Grimwood]

Good spotting, who is the bird walking past the rear guard.

Looks like Alan Boyle at the front of the car chatting to Jack Inwood.

[GD66]

Not sure, but she's got a couple of the boys' attention. Notice Fahey's Escort looks to be sitting about 3" lower than the Viva.

[kiwi285]

Here are the photos of the 'Coke' Viva as it is now courtesy of Mike John - ready to roll. Fantastic

[Shano]

A great looking car all right. Can't wait to hear its unique howl.

[Rod Grimwood]

Great to see these classics restored or kept in original condition, Puke 2010 McLaren Festival.

[bob homewood]

[beowulf]

How much of this controversy in the day stemmed from the blind allegiance of Mr Frost and cronies in power that 'real' race cars did not have fenders and that anything from the US was vulgar and tainted by professionalism. Would have loved to have seen the look on their faces when Lotus turned up in GLTL colours in '68.

Cheers
Lee

Hey, I think you are being a little unfair to Ron Frost. He bought us the Tasman series, we saw Jim Clark, Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss, Graham Hill etc etc. Imagine seeing the current F1 drivers out here for a series! They also through the Tasman series enabled Bruce McLaren, Chris Amon, Denny Hulme, Gus Hyslop, George Lawton, Tony Shelly to have a crack in Europe. We raced against the best in the world and it taught us to foot it with them. Saloon car racing throughout the world at that time was not accepted as being serious racing. It was only when some of the Formula one drivers started playing "silly buggers" in production saloons that it became accepted.
Hindsight is wonderful.

[David McKinney]

Well said, sir!

[bob homewood]

This is the front end treatment of The Francevic Fairlane ,it ran at the Pukekohe meeting when the Aussie lightweight Minis came across ,they took everything extra off it to try and save some weight to coax a bit more speed out of it ,frankly I don't think it looked very nice

[bob homewood]

The Bryan Marshall chopped top A40 Farina from the same era ,Bryan put a Ford motor in it for that same Pukekohe meeting I owned this car for a short time just after this meeting

[fastback]

bob
Was this farina built in Wellington and did it have a 1650 pushrod motor?

[bob homewood]

bob
Was this farina built in Wellington and did it have a 1650 pushrod motor?

No Bryan Marshall first raced it with the BMC A series engine in it ,then it got the chopped top look this was done at Owairaka Motors where Bryan worked ,with the other Brian who was involved in building the Custaxie ,after the All comers finished from memory Bryan put the Ford motor into the it,the body shell lay around after that for a while . I brought it with the intention of puting a FPF Climax engine I had rebuilt from sundry bits ( ,that is a thread of its own ) and a Fiat 2300 gearbox,running it as a GT in the sports car races,nobody accepted that as a good idea .but after a couple of "road tests " and witnessing the amount of flex in the body ,I decided I might have been brave but not stupid ,common sense prevailed and it was sold as bits ,out of interest I owned the Climax motor and box for quite a few years afterwards and by the time I sold them they had appreciated quite a bit in value ,which goes against the norm