I think that is IBIS Berkely number one. Certainly that is paint colour we used and I think I recall those wheels too. It was at a few shows and did a few test drives.Originally Posted by Paul Wilkinson
My Sister's old Ibis...
I think that is IBIS Berkely number one. Certainly that is paint colour we used and I think I recall those wheels too. It was at a few shows and did a few test drives.My Sister's old Ibis...
To Patrick Harlow - Mostly right Sir.
The Berkeley shell did indeed fall of back of truck and that is when I came on board. We both wanted simple light small easy cars to gymkhana and do sprints in.
We cut the ruined shell in half and spaced it 6 inches and started adding foam and bog everywhere to build up a shape. Underneath was the Berkeley. We wanted to pay homage to it without copying it. We used a shape that grew organically - we would add a flare and then reduce it. Add a bulge and add more maybe. We went through several nose jobs.
I worked 3 to 11.40 at the time and would work on it from 9 till 2 most day and all days off. We were both Psychiatric nurses though Ian had left by then to work as a drug company rep.
It is fair to say it was Ian’s design in terms of engineering but I would claim to have done a lot of hard graft, modelling, mould making, and design in terms of shape. Ian had great ideas and skill but did not always see his stuff through – hence he sold off what became the Chevron.
Originally we intended to make only 2 shells so the moulds we made needed only be simple and work twice. But when a friend from SPCNZ saw it and wanted one it went a bit bonkers. We ended up having a new moulds made professionally so as to last longer.
Our first glass maker was in West Auckland (Avondale/New Lynn/Henderson somewhere – I can’t recall) NOT Ardmore - they came into it later.
No one helped us in these early days. We worked in Ian’s garage then in a loft at Evan Fray of Chevron fame's place in Henderson. He helped with a few details like brackets etc. A great chap.
The first cars were pure glass with no metal. Foam beams and carbon fibres provided strength.
After the first maybe 4 or 5 cars were made (and still we did not have our own) we decided to take it further and went to Ardmore where they improved the foam beams and other structural details. Their expertise was invaluable though they cost us more! A few more cars were made there and then we scrapped the foam and added a steel frame to make the sills strong and provide seat belt points.
Ian was a very clever man indeed. But he then wanted what he considered his baby to himself and cut me out wanting to expand, and thinking there was a much bigger market for them (I had been doing sales). I did not think there was a big market and so took a body chassis unit with me and built my own car. As was often the case no company was set up and no legal structure was formed so I was out on a limb.
Ian did not sell more than maybe 1 or 2 more cars, and indeed the NZ market really was not there for more than a few. He wanted to sell to Australia and I had disagreed but they never did get into Aus. as their ADR had just been introduced and it would have cost a lot to comply.
Around about then Ian developed a slid beam rear axle system to replace the mini trailing arms - based on what a lot of mini 7 racers were using. I think the idea was too take bigger wheels.
He sold out to Ardmore who remodelled it and I must say improved the fibre glass and details, reshaped the nose, added bigger arches, and later made the wasp. A better machine though I did not like the new look - too much of a mini-me Cobra.
Much later the mould turned up in Brightwater outside Nelson in a place that was actively exporting nice mini’s to Japan when they were still cheap here. They made a few cars though I have not managed to get any reply from messages left for them so don’t know how many.
My own car had a lovely hot motor and was mostly built with new parts from the old BMC warehouse in Mt wellington. I never really used it as it left somewhat of a sour taste in my mouth and sold it and it went to Germany!
Last edited by Tamarillo; 07-07-2013 at 10:17 AM. Reason: added bit about later changing to beam rear axle
Not sure about this Ross. Don't mean to be rude but the first buck and moulds were all done by me and Ian in his garage in Henderson with no help from anyone.
I did an awful lot of glass and bog work, made many moulds and we laid up the basic floorpan buck and took moulds.
Where abouts and at what stage were you involved?
Tim Monck-Mason
The first Chevrons had fibreglass made by me and Ian - we made some to repay his kindness for use of his space in his loft!
You are right that they were based on Viva suspension too.
Tim Monck-Mason
trying to place the green ibis - did your dad work at airnz?
tim Monck-mason
Dad's old Chevron...
The corner of Dad's old Ibis...
Interesting that they have wasp moulds still. Maybe they sold teh old ibis moulds off to Mini people in Brightwater. certainly teh Japanese cars are Ibis shaped.
PS. Dont quite agree that the wasp was completly new and had nothing to do with Ibis - always thought of it as development and structural/quality improvement.
Yours,
Tim Monck-Mason
I have a F10 in my workshop for a hood and tonneau cover.
How many out there have heard or seen one of these 4 cars?
Hi Tim,
As you say, we were told that the blue car was the first one. The doors pretty much wanted to open when you went over a bump - it was pretty 'flexible' but a fun wee car. Dad bought the green Ibis off Ian Byrd, it was sold some time later to a Mini collector in Hamilton, whose name I can dig up if you are interested. I would have bought it myself as everything had been rebuilt on it but I had an Aussie Clubman GT, A de Joux Mini GT, a spare de Joux Mini GT shell and an S4 Lotus 7 at the time. I wish now that I had sold the Clubman GT for it...
I liked the Wasp - the quality was great but there just wasn't the room for the Cobra nose treatment. Give me the Ibis any day, it had better proportions and its own identity...
Oh yeah, no, Dad didn't work for Air NZ.
Cheers,
Paul.
Hi Paul, yes they were emmm flexible. I regretted not putting a big metal brace bar between my door jams and not bothering with the door. wasp was far better made but I do agree that the nose did not work. Maybe like me you preferred the Ac Ace and early 289 Cobra over the 427.
Scary to recall that no one tested the things when we registered them!
Yes i recall the green one now too - did it come with a Lyn Rogers engine? we had one and swapped it to different cars - it was too much power for the wee thing and made the steering very twitchy!
The green one had a very nice 1275cc but I doubt it was a spec that would have justified Lynn Rogers being involved. I must confess to liking all the different Cobras, for different reasons. My issue with the Wasp is that they were trying to include a detail they didn't have room for and it just looks too small and cramped. The initial styling was a great success in my opinion. There was a complete kit sold cheap 18 months ago, I wish I'd bought it!
Hi Patrick,
Here are a few images of my Toyota 18RG powered Chevron. I also have a large collection of very early (ie: from issue #1) Chevron Car Club magazines with features on all the early cars, race results, club cartoons etc. Let me know if you're interested.
Cheers, John
Patrick. Here are some images of my Porsche Carrera 3.0 litre powered McRae 550 Spyder...
And here are a few more taken during the Dunlop Targa. It was a bloody fast car!
Patrick, my third NZ built car was the Almac Sabre S2. I'm sure you have plenty of images of these, but here are a few you may not have seen.
Cheers, John
And finally here are some more recent images of the Sabre...
Do you need any Cobra photos? http://s835.photobucket.com/user/cob...ml?sort=3&o=83
Guys, please be fair to Patrick! We all know more than he has been able to acceptbut he did have to draw a line somewhere. Hopefully he will come out with a second edition using the material he has been offered in hindsight.
There is Heron in my workshop that gets pushed in and out each day that has been there for years.Most of it is there but needs resto.
A reasonable offer may temp the owner to sell it.
Peter.
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