Garry Rogers Torana NZ Visit

[aussiemonza]

While on the subject of Toranas what happened to John Rae's example? I recall him claiming it was a lost /recovered HDT car has that ever been confirmed..awesome looking cars the hatchbacks..

Is "claiming" a key word?

[Powder]

While on the subject of Toranas what happened to John Rae's example? I recall him claiming it was a lost /recovered HDT car has that ever been confirmed..awesome looking cars the hatchbacks..

That would be this car: (Taupo, October 2000)






I understood that the car is a genuine HDT shell that was heavily damaged very soon after being built and it has little/no period race history. I could be wrong though.

Malcolm

[stirlingmac]

I guess claiming is the key word....one story I was told was the the car was a former racecar, damaged and sent to the scrappy. It was intercepted and stored in a shed until it was saved and rebuilt. Another similar story I was told was it was a "spare" shell , that was only built after the Toranas were replaced by the Commodores. Considering the value of these things now I wonder if it's history has been verified and where is it now..?? They are one of my all time favorite race machines..

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks to Warwick Clayton for sending me these pics.

[Steve Holmes]

The above are all from Bay Park, I believe.

[Steve Holmes]

As a guess, Bay Park



Manfeild



Pukekohe

[Trakshots]

[Steve Holmes]

Trakshots, awesome!

[Trakshots]

Piks from my files. The middle one has different signage. Not sure where that is. Other two definitely taken at Bay Park.

[Steve Holmes]

Could the middle one have been Manfeild?

[Mark Fiddyment]

Thanks Trackshots and Steve. And Steve thank Warwick for me. All these photos are absolutly fantastic many thanks.
Regards Mark

[Mark Fiddyment]

This is great stuff Mark, thanks for sharing. Re the ex-Jane car, I thought I read somewhere this car was built using special lightweight body panels punched out of thinner guage steel. Is this right, or am I completely off the mark?

Your car looks stunning! You've done an amazing job with it. Did Rogers race it again following its NZ races? I know the Toranas could continue on into the early part of 1980 in Group C, though with several performance sapping changes required. What was the cars history between Rogers and yourself?

Following his very fast Escort Sports Sedan you mentioned, Rogers also raced the ex-Pete Geoghegan Monaro Sports Sedan at the same time he ran the Torana in Group C. Interestingly, Rogers raced an HQ Monaro just briefly in Group Nc/Touring Car Masters. I wonder if this was because he had fond memories of his old Geoghegan car?

This is what I have found out so far, after the three NZ races Garry raced his group c car in two sports sedan meetings, they were:
1/ Amaroo Park on the 6/4/1980
The race report in Racing Car News even makes reference to Garry running his touring car.
Race 1: a 5 lapper he finished 3rd
Race 2 a 10 lapper going up the hill on lap 4 the engine let go
2/ Sandown 12/4/1980
There were two 13 lap races and whilst Garry was mentioned in the race report there are no details as to his qualifying or finishing positions.
These race meeting were before Gary got his dedicated Torana sports sedan which was the ex- Rex Monaghan hatchback. The group c car was sold in the second half of 1980 to David Langman of Meldourne. My log book shows David as doing two race meetings at Calder Park on the 9/11/1980 and the 14/3/1981. I have found two small race reports but there is no mention of anyone other than the front runners.
I have also found a video on youtube http://youtu.be/vQNz_vNl-kE where David is racing what I am sure is my car an all red hatchback No4 (David painted it red after he bought it off Garry). There is another red hatchback with blue and white stripes on the roof, this is David’s old car a hemi 6 powered sports sedan. David sold the group c car in March/April 1981 after which it saw limited use as a road car.
I bought the car in early 1990 and ran mostly hillclimbs and super sprints but in 1995 I got my provisional race licence and ran it in a group c demo event at Amaroo Park on the 4/6/95. In the last 6 or 7 years the only outings it has been to is display/demo at Muscle Car Masters and Torana Fest at Newcastle.(I need to get it out more and have some fun with it)

[fullnoise68]

Mark, I think you`ll find that Greater Pacific Finance was - and possibly still is - actually one of Garrys own companies, as he had his own finance company for his various car franchises/dealerships.

[Mark Fiddyment]

Hi fullnoise68
Interesting thought that about Greater Pacific, and while i have not asked Garry about that (will have to ask next time i speek to him) as far as i was aware it was a seperate entity and was managed by a guy named Brian Tilley and was eventually taken over by a larger company.

[Spgeti]

I guess claiming is the key word....one story I was told was the the car was a former racecar, damaged and sent to the scrappy. It was intercepted and stored in a shed until it was saved and rebuilt. Another similar story I was told was it was a "spare" shell , that was only built after the Toranas were replaced by the Commodores. Considering the value of these things now I wonder if it's history has been verified and where is it now..?? They are one of my all time favorite race machines..

Here in Feilding.....owned by a good friend.

[Steve Holmes]

This is what I have found out so far, after the three NZ races Garry raced his group c car in two sports sedan meetings, they were:
1/ Amaroo Park on the 6/4/1980
The race report in Racing Car News even makes reference to Garry running his touring car.
Race 1: a 5 lapper he finished 3rd
Race 2 a 10 lapper going up the hill on lap 4 the engine let go
2/ Sandown 12/4/1980
There were two 13 lap races and whilst Garry was mentioned in the race report there are no details as to his qualifying or finishing positions.
These race meeting were before Gary got his dedicated Torana sports sedan which was the ex- Rex Monaghan hatchback. The group c car was sold in the second half of 1980 to David Langman of Meldourne. My log book shows David as doing two race meetings at Calder Park on the 9/11/1980 and the 14/3/1981. I have found two small race reports but there is no mention of anyone other than the front runners.
I have also found a video on youtube http://youtu.be/vQNz_vNl-kE where David is racing what I am sure is my car an all red hatchback No4 (David painted it red after he bought it off Garry). There is another red hatchback with blue and white stripes on the roof, this is David’s old car a hemi 6 powered sports sedan. David sold the group c car in March/April 1981 after which it saw limited use as a road car.
I bought the car in early 1990 and ran mostly hillclimbs and super sprints but in 1995 I got my provisional race licence and ran it in a group c demo event at Amaroo Park on the 4/6/95. In the last 6 or 7 years the only outings it has been to is display/demo at Muscle Car Masters and Torana Fest at Newcastle.(I need to get it out more and have some fun with it)

Mark, did he not race the Torana in Group C form in the ATCC in 1980? A couple of teams did run the Toranas, including Allan Grice, but of course were required to make several changes to them.

[aussiemonza]

That would be this car: (Taupo, October 2000)






I understood that the car is a genuine HDT shell that was heavily damaged very soon after being built and it has little/no period race history. I could be wrong though.

Malcolm

This car was purchased here in Australia as "...a white LX Hatchback" (on the receipt). Any later HDT lineage attached to this car in NZ is fiction (and has been proved in an Australian Court Committal Hearing). Who is John Rea?

[Mark Fiddyment]

No Steve, Garry didn't race the Torana in the 1980 ATCC. I'm not sure without checking but i think Garry may have only done the enduros. In either 1980 or 81 he co drove with Peter Janson in the Cadbury Schweppes Commodore.
Yes Grice raced a Torana in 1980 but they had to change to drum brakes on the rear, the bonnet scoop had to go so no down draft webers and i think they also had to lose the rear spoiler. In 1981 and maybe 82 a guy who i think his name was Gary Whittaker raced a Torana in the ATCC but only in the Queensland round.

[Steve Holmes]

Hey, you're right Mark, I went through the ATCC results from 1981, and sure enough, Gary Whittaker took a 6th place finish (in outright class) at the Lakeside round. Amazing! I didn't realise anyone raced a Torana this late in the piece.

And yes you're right re the rear spoiler on the Torana's from 1980, they had to be removed too. I assume the Torana's couldn't be based on the A9X from 1980? Grice ran the Torana while Bob Morris ran a second Craven Mild entry, which was a Commodore.

[Mark Fiddyment]

Yes, i wonder what became of the 1980 Grice Torana. Does it still exist?