The Morrari recreation

[Steve Holmes]

Greg, have you guys made anymore progress on this project?

[Greg Stokes]

Hey Steve,
Unfortunately we have been busy with other things but I think we have enough info and drawings (even a Ferrari GP die cast model) which we can start chassis construction. I doubt it would be before the end of the year though.
Thanks,
Greg

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks for the update Greg, the research is a pretty important part of the project, sounds like you're making good progress there.

[Greg Stokes]

Still looking for a shot of the interior or anyone who maybe able to advise what the interior looked like - we know some details but would like to see if we can find out more. We have most of the front and rear suspension pieces to build the suspension in an "era correct" manner. Hopefully we can make a start on the chassis this year. We now have two Morris Minor's - one with the correct body (see back in this thread) and the Lo-Lite body from which we will use the front from onto the other body as it seems that's how the Morrari was originally bodied. If anyone has any information or pictures regarding the Morrari please post them here and/or email either myself at greg@nzhotrodmag.co.nz or my father Mark Stokes at the.bundys@xtra.co.nz - many thanks!

[Allan]

In the background in the photo of the yellow low light minor is what appears to be a bofors gun or similar. Do you have a problem with your neighbours and use this to keep them in line?

[Greg Stokes]

In the background in the photo of the yellow low light minor is what appears to be a bofors gun or similar. Do you have a problem with your neighbours and use this to keep them in line?

Haha - no my Dad just likes collecting weird stuff

[Andrew Metford]

Any more progress on the project?

[Greg Stokes]

Not as much as we like. We finally have the correct donor vehicle now after three different cars. Collected up some components and still looking for photos.

[robmahoney]

Hi Greg, are you still going to recreate the Morrari? You mentioned in one of your earlier posts that your Dad used to go to meetings at Pukekohe with Mike Stock. Mike worked with my Dad, Des Mahoney at the Auckland Star and Mike often went to the track in the 60's as part of the reporting team including Jack Inwood, to cover the races for The Star from the press box on top of the old members stand. It was like a military operation with regular dispatches being sent to headquarters as practise and the raceday progressed, plus beer! It was a big deal in those days, of course, especially during the NZGP, with big crowds and the excitement building as the drama of practice unfolded. I was only little but I remember when the Morrari first appeared and how wonderful people thought it was. The saloons were totally entertaining and the mixture of well funded and shoestring entries guaranteed high drama and innovation at every turn. My Dad and most other people in those days couldn't have cared less that an old and never particularly competitive or attractive Ferrari (nobody would have done that to a 250F!) had been put to such imaginative use and every other wild car that appeared was greeted with the same level of enthusiasm. If you're still in touch with Mike please say hi to him from me, he came to Dads funeral in 2010 and it was great to see him there.

[AMCO72]

Greg, you say that you now have the correct donor vehicle. What was the problem with the first one.......the yellow LoLite. There was some discussion on another thread that the original car was a Hi lite with the light pods removed........I find that hard to believe. If it was, the body man made a damn good job of filling in the places where the pods were removed.........and why would you bother when there were, at the time, plenty of Lolites around to choose from.

[Greg Stokes]

Hi Greg, are you still going to recreate the Morrari? You mentioned in one of your earlier posts that your Dad used to go to meetings at Pukekohe with Mike Stock. Mike worked with my Dad, Des Mahoney at the Auckland Star and Mike often went to the track in the 60's as part of the reporting team including Jack Inwood, to cover the races for The Star from the press box on top of the old members stand. It was like a military operation with regular dispatches being sent to headquarters as practise and the raceday progressed, plus beer! It was a big deal in those days, of course, especially during the NZGP, with big crowds and the excitement building as the drama of practice unfolded. I was only little but I remember when the Morrari first appeared and how wonderful people thought it was. The saloons were totally entertaining and the mixture of well funded and shoestring entries guaranteed high drama and innovation at every turn. My Dad and most other people in those days couldn't have cared less that an old and never particularly competitive or attractive Ferrari (nobody would have done that to a 250F!) had been put to such imaginative use and every other wild car that appeared was greeted with the same level of enthusiasm. If you're still in touch with Mike please say hi to him from me, he came to Dads funeral in 2010 and it was great to see him there.

Hi Rob,
Your post brings back memories of the stories I heard from Dad from the times he would go to various motor racing events with Mike - much history there.
I will pass your message on to Dad.
Thanks,
Greg

[Greg Stokes]

Greg, you say that you now have the correct donor vehicle. What was the problem with the first one.......the yellow LoLite. There was some discussion on another thread that the original car was a Hi lite with the light pods removed........I find that hard to believe. If it was, the body man made a damn good job of filling in the places where the pods were removed.........and why would you bother when there were, at the time, plenty of Lolites around to choose from.

Dad learnt that the Morrari was a one year only Lo Lite body with a distinctive swage around the rear window area - actually as I write this I think it was picked up on this thread. Anyway - in order to get the car as close to the original he located the correct donor vehicle. This is a tricky project as essentially we have to build a Ferrari chassis with a 327 in it and then throw the Morris body at it. The guise we are choosing to run with is in red with the widened (by Graeme Addis) 15" Merc rims with the number 177 on it and the headers through the hood. From our background this is the most hot rod looking. This is really Dads project - his vision - I'm just his help and his researcher. Another problem we have is the Ferrari chassis had a distinctive transaxle specific only to that rare and expensive racecar so we are making some concessions to the build utilising similar styled components of the period. For the very most part we want to get it pretty damn close. Still looking for an interior shot too. Would really love to know how it looked inside.

[Greg Stokes]

Gerald, I think the choice of guise is just down to the builders personal preference as much as the cost of steel wheels versus Borrani's. He was influenced by the car as a youngster and loved the way it looked with the steel wheels and exhaust stacks bursting through the hood.

Good question about the lhd thing, does anyone know why this was? The car was really only raced at clockwise circuits, so it would have been more of a benefit to make it rhd, which makes you wonder if he didn't have a choice.

Ive been going back thru this thread out of interest and with regards to the wiper here's my theory. The firewall area appears to be mostly cut out of the Morris body so I wonder if the class rules stipulated that the car must have a wiper? Easiest fix - drill a hole in the roof and it now has a wiper?

Re the LHD aspect. Perhaps the clutch arrangement on the Ferrari chassis was already on the left hand side? And perhaps the steering box was too?

[Roger Dowding]

[grelley]

Perhaps a call toTemperos in Oamaru could be worthwhile as they have built a number of early Ferraris and would have experience with chassis design and manufacture and sourcing of suspension, steering and brake components

[Rod Grimwood]

mk4 Zephyr back end (independent) should be ok if you can find one as they all ended up in speedway saloons.

[Jac Mac]

mk4 Zephyr back end (independent) should be ok if you can find one as they all ended up in speedway saloons.

Couple or three of those floating round here somewhere, Rover 3500 might be better, taller ratio. Most MKIV's were 3.7/3.9. If you want a full transaxle assy Porsche 924/928 or the small Volvo sedan ( 70s/80s ), that is trans in front of CWP assy. If $$$ no problem late model Vette .

[Rod Grimwood]

Thinking of the z-car uprights as well, Jac,

[Oldfart]

Other Z car (Datsun) for rear diff? I thought the car was on wires when it ran early on?

[Roger Dowding]

Other Z car (Datsun) for rear diff? I thought the car was on wires when it ran early on?

Yes Rhys it was Borrani's, have seen a few photos on them when first built ..