Lost Race Cars

[Steve Holmes]

So how about we start a thread on race cars that appear to have vanished from trace. See if we can't track a few of them down.

Here is one I've been trying to learn the fate of for some time, with no luck. I first found out about this car when writing an article for Australian Muscle Car mag a couple of years ago. The reason it grabbed my attention was because it was built in the Wairarapa, in New Zealand, where I moved with my partner Helen a few years ago. While researching various magazines gathering info for the article, I stumbled upon details of this car.

It was built around 1971 by Wayne Fuller, and fitted with an FVA motor reportedly from Paul Faheys Escort. Fuller raced the car in OSCA during the 1971/72 season, and was often the fastest car in the field. At the end of the season Fuller set his sites a little higher, and took the car to Graham Berry (of Berry & Chung hot rodding fame) to have a heap of fabrication work done on the firewall and transmission tunnel, so he could fit a 350ci small block Chevy, with twin off-set Holleys.

This was quite an ambitious project at the time, and appeared to have quite a bit of potential. The newly rebuilt Escort finally debuted at Bay Park in late 1973, driven by 24 year old Roger Brader, another Wairarapa hot shoe. It was very quick in a straight line, as fast as the front running machines of Allan Moffat, Jim Richards, Leo Leonard (in Mustangs), Red Dawson (Camaro), Rod Coppins (Firebird), and Paul Fahey (Capri), but required some development work on suspension and brakes.

Brader and Fuller raced the car at several events throughout the 1973/74 season, but at seasons end Fuller decided to sell it and go boat racing instead. The Escort was sold engineless to Warren Steel in the Hawkes Bay. Steel had planned to fit a smaller Chevy motor to compete in the 4.2 Saloon Car Championship, but failed his eyesight test, and had to sell the car.

It was purchased by John Scott in Auckland, who owned a transport company. This would have been late 1974, or early 1975. From there, the trail goes dead. I'm not sure if the John Scott who purchased the Escort was the same John Scott who raced speedway in the '70s and '80s, but that John Scott did happen to own a transport company, also in Auckland, so perhaps it was the same person. Either way, I've not been able to track him down.

Would love to know what happened to this car, and if it survived. Obviously Escorts were pretty popular during the '70s, and it could have ended up anywhere. Was it converted for ShellSport? Was it scrapped? Was it pushed into someones shed and forgotten about?

Anyway, here is a pic of the car at Levin when it was still fitted with the FVA. It changed little when the Chevy was shoe-horned in, except the wheels became slightly wider. It was silver with a green stripe down each flank, then later had a red or orange stripe.

[Steve Holmes]

Here is a photo taken by Terry Marshall at Wigram 1974, showing Brader in the Escort (left of shot) now fitted with the Chevy, and chasing Trevor Crowe (Chevy Corolla), Glenn McIntyre, Fiat, Bruce Jenner (Camaro), and Don Halliday (Escort).

[Steve Holmes]

Here is a photo taken by Terry Marshall at Wigram 1974, showing Brader in the Escort (left of shot) now fitted with the Chevy, and chasing Trevor Crowe (Chevy Corolla), Glenn McIntyre, Fiat, Bruce Jenner (Camaro), and Don Halliday (Escort).

Any further info on the Fuller Escort up to and beyond Ian Knight? Does anyone have a contact for Ian Knight?

[grelley]

Not lost, but trying to track the history?. It is one of the many clone Lotus Cortinas, only this one was registered by Ward and Coppins Motors as a Lotus Cortina in 1968. I have been told that it was reshelled from a genuine L/C that was burnt out but I really have no idea. The car did about 500 miles in their ownership. I dont think there were that many genuine L/Cs in New Zealand back then. It is definitely not a L/C shell. The reg no is AS754. Does anybody have any knowledge of this car. Regds
Grelley

[Andy G]

Here is a photo taken by Terry Marshall at Wigram 1974, showing Brader in the Escort (left of shot) now fitted with the Chevy, and chasing Trevor Crowe (Chevy Corolla), Glenn McIntyre, Fiat, Bruce Jenner (Camaro), and Don Halliday (Escort).

I was just looking for some history of a v8 mk1 escort that I have found in Hawea and brought through a Wigram 1974 programme that my old man gave me and seen the dates on this pic so I will scan the driver list and post it once I work out how to.
Andy Giles.

[Hart1598]

the Fiat is now owned by Lyndsay Sheard in Tauranga

[Oldfart]

the Fiat is now owned by Lyndsay Sheard in Tauranga

I wonder if people could please put a reference to the car, or the posting which they are talking about? Please

[seaqnmac27]

the Fiat is now owned by Lyndsay Sheard in Tauranga

So therefore this is the ex McIntyre Fiat 124.

http://www.groundsky.co.nz/index.php...ImageID=309212

[Steve Holmes]

And while on the subject of Anglo-American racing saloons, what happened to Ralph Mossman's V8 Viva he raced in NZ during the '80s? And does anyone have a photo of this car?

[rogered]

ralph "went off" at wigram i think, and pretty much wreaked the car. (and this is off the top of my head)
Pretty sure the 5 litre motor whent to the Windelborns for the T400 lola.

[bigbanger]

And while on the subject of Anglo-American racing saloons, what happened to Ralph Mossman's V8 Viva he raced in NZ during the '80s? And does anyone have a photo of this car?

In the NI, I recall Steve James having a very similar looking Viva but with a Hemi 265. Warrick Gray also had one with a 202 Holden and John Thorby also had a Viva with an Olds 215 V8 which he later took to the SI.

[Steve Holmes]

In the NI, I recall Steve James having a very similar looking Viva but with a Hemi 265. Warrick Gray also had one with a 202 Holden and John Thorby also had a Viva with an Olds 215 V8 which he later took to the SI.

There is a silver one with black flares running in historic racing now, is this the Warwick Gray car?

[Rod Grimwood]

Yes that is the car, still has Grey Motors on it I think.

There is a silver one with black flares running in historic racing now, is this the Warwick Gray car?

[Rod Grimwood]

The Fiat was built by Gary Hastings a nice guy and very clever fella. He was involved with the original build and maintenance of Mr Huxfords Capri, they were very good mates. Garys car was a Fiat 850 shell with the front built into a kind of mono with adjustable a-arm suspension, a smart bit of fabrication. the rear was basically a space frame with a Rover V8 mounted across the back east west sitting on a (don't laugh) Tasman gearbox which was all run through chains from engine to gearbox. the rear was also adjustable a-arms. It went alright. got out of corners well. Had a couple of laps in practice at Bay Park one day and it was impressive. If you went in hard it would have a little understeer, but once used to it you could use that to get a good straight exit on to straight. Use the right foot with brain, I did adjust.
Last talked to Gary about 15 years ago he had a Rover 3.5 original and was doing engineering in Kerikeri, but then moved on and i lost contact (shame)

[Rod Grimwood]

Yes that is the car, still has Grey Motors on it I think.

Think the Dobbe Brothers own it now, he peddles it real good too.

[Steve Holmes]

Ok, I'm on a roll here, so I'll keep going. In the early 1970s, when Jim Richards still lived in New Zealand and was taking just about any drive offered to him, he did quite a bit of speedway and rallying. Those helping his career along were Jim Carney and Jerry Clayton. Clayton would later supply the 302 Boss Mustang he and Murray Bunn would build into the Sidchrome Mustang, but prior to that, had a speedway saloon built from an HQ Holden Monaro, which, at the time, would have been a near new car. From what I can tell, the Monaro sported a couple of different paint schemes, including one for Sidchrome Tools, as pictured.



Richards raced the Monaro out of Waikaraka Park, though I don't know how much travelling he would have done with the car to other tracks.

It would eventually be sold to Palmerston North racer Bill Dorn, who did just about everything in speedway, including Stockcars and Modifieds. All Dorns race cars were painted up like large American flags, and the Monaro was the same. He raced the car during the 70s, when it was sold to another Palmy racer. It was eventually retired, but I'm quite certain, later re-appeared as a Streetstock, painted black, when Streetstock racing was introduced to Palmerston North speedway in the late '80s/early '90s.



Most Streetstocks end up getting crushed, as they're eventually no good for anything else. Was this the case with the old Jim Richards Sidchrome Monaro?

[Steve Holmes]

Here is another shot of the Fuller/Brader Escort, supplied to me some time back by "faminz". Its taken at Bay Park, during the 1971/72 season, chasing Dennis Marwood (Camaro), Brian Foley (Alfa), Rod Coppins (Camaro), and leading John Riley (Mustang), etc.

[pallmall]

The speedway Monaro was also driven by Steve Millen at Waikaraka Park. I doubt that JR ever raced it anywhere else but Waikaraka and Forest Lake.
And yes, apparently ended its days as a streetstock, but considering these car were built on the original floor pan and had some very hard racing it wouldn't have been much use for anything else.

Here is Mr Millen showing Ray Wright that there are two laps to go...............


And the Capri that Rod and Steve Millen both raced at Waikaraka Park with much success. Steve also drove Midgets at Western Springs.



Photos by Andre Ruiterman used with permission.

[Steve Holmes]

The speedway Monaro was also driven by Steve Millen at Waikaraka Park. I doubt that JR ever raced it anywhere else but Waikaraka and Forest Lake.
And yes, apparently ended its days as a streetstock, but considering these car were built on the original floor pan and had some very hard racing it wouldn't have been much use for anything else.

Here is Mr Millen showing Ray Wright that there are two laps to go...............


And the Capri that Rod and Steve Millen both raced at Waikaraka Park with much success. Steve also drove Midgets at Western Springs.



Photos by Andre Ruiterman used with permission.

Thanks pallmall. Do you know the name of the last person to race the Monaro in Streetstocks?

[GD66]

Here is another shot of the Fuller/Brader Escort, supplied to me some time back by "faminz". Its taken at Bay Park, during the 1971/72 season, chasing Dennis Marwood (Camaro), Brian Foley (Alfa), Rod Coppins (Camaro), and leading John Riley (Mustang), etc.

"Etc" in this case including Reg Cook, Dexter Dunlop and our own Bob Homewood...

PS: that Dulon Wildfire Escort of Max Pennington used to look VERY snappy, but as I recall used to have terminal understeer...