It was powder blue originally, then red/orange. As with all Clydes cars it was a great looking car. It later went to Bruce Bellis, who had a mega-motor built for it (will grab the details and post later) and ended up with Steve Vigurs who raced it for a while then used most of the mechanicals to build his Mitsubishi Celeste OSCA racer. The Cortina body went to the crusher. Don Elvy confirmed that for me.
Steve, That was my good friend Rod McCallums car ,it was the last of the 186 XU! cars ,but it could more than hold its own with the 202 cars,Rod raced it in the GTX seies that year and he was good enough to give it to me to drive in those first North Island OSCA races,we also drove it together in The Glenvale 100 ,that car now resides in Queensland,owned and raced by a ex-pat kiwiOriginally Posted by Steve Holmes
This car IIRC was built up using a new shell from Ford [ The one they sent out from UK for local assy jig checking]. Motor was stroked 325 ci Ford that originated from the Red Dawson Mustang, when Clyde changed to the chev engine this motor [ the ford] was then sold to Frank Ryan for the Capri that he had built up in Invercargill by Bryan Taylor. Guy in pic with Clyde is Marty Westrynk, car was sold to Bellis, John Beattie, then Steve Vigurs
Last edited by Jac Mac; 02-21-2014 at 06:05 AM. Reason: Corrected & further info.
Thats great info Jac.
Hi all. The RW Fuller in the shot of the Levin program was responsible later for the V8 Escort driven by Roger Brader which features in another thread. Bob your memory is truly fantastic. Don't you love the prize money available,$10 for 4th place, probably a weeks wages then. Roger Brader has a car yard in Masterton, a nice guy. Wayne Fuller has retired to Omokoroa, he was a pharmicist in Masterton, hence the Mennen sponsorship on the V8 Escort. His cars were always beautifully presented.
Well spotted Beowulf. I spoke to both Wayne Fuller and Roger Brader about this car. Where is Omakoroa? Wayne didn't seem overly interested in talking about it for some reason, but Roger was and still is very enthusiastic about the car. The Escort listed in the entry list is the same one later fitted with the Chevy. I'm still trying to find out what happened to it.
Hi Steve congratulations on the site. Omakoroa is in Tauranga, (probably my spelling differs from the correct version, and this is Maori language week!) If you talked to Wayne recently he may have been a little distracted as his rented out house in Masterton was in a fire recently.Wayne was a hard charger and very competitive, he and Roger had some big offs when they were running a rally Escort. Not the same car.
Thanks Beowulf. I think it was probably early last year when I called him. I assumed he was still in the Wairarapa, but I think from memory I phoned his mobile number. I have sent Roger Brader a link to this site, would be great if he came on board.
OT - Wayne Fuller married my sister's best friend from school. I think she was Miss Wairarapa at the time (Mrs F, not my sister)
He was also known as Fred
Hay Jac, you're wrong about Marty, he worked for two garages in Sydenham, (possibly more) after he and Clyde split, then he wowked for me, (about 21 years ago), then for a car sales in Yauldhurst road. I dunno wot's happened to him since then, though.
PK.
Murray built and raced the one I have Bob, saw Murray about 20 years ago when I had the car stored in Whangaparoa and he recognized it and I lost contact with him after I shifted north. I may do some research with friends down there and try and make contact with him.
Can someone please post more info re OSCA revival in November it could help with travel plans thanks
Sticking my neck in the nose !!!!!!!!......True or False ????
Mr Bellis, Ex Police deptment, proprietor/owner, 'Coachman Steak House', owner of the Ex Clyde Collins OSCA/Cortina, part-time 'Boy' racer, ordered a ,as quoted;.."A mega Motor Built"...from a Sydney/Australia engine supplier/builder, in those times you could send a motor out of the country of New Zealand for 'reconditioning',re-importing the then 'rebuilt' item did not incur the heavy import duty//Tax a 'new' motor would,so our 'Boy racer,(a paid up member of the Christchurch 'Party People', Great Fridaynights!!) exported some old ,read 'Junk' engine with the required Number stamped in place..........well the rebuilt engine arrived and was installed, but the 'Australian' end didnt pick-up the 'dud at the Sydney Docks...some Custom's officer poking around ask's the question....'whats with this piece of Shite"????...checks the 'Con-note',does some research I'm guessing, only to find the same motor/number was exported back to NZ some week's/months before...........I seem to remember that the Cortina may have been impounded!!!!!!!......the engine removed ........Our Paul Kirk should remember in more detail, he was at some of those Friday Night parties......all the Car yards personal got together after the 9oclock close of bussiness,somebody always had a party going or out to the 'Russley' or the 'White Heron' for late drinks,the line up of American Muscle Cars was something else, could be up to twenty 'Left Hand Drive' cars linning the street............Just the Best Times....when 'SEX' was safe and 'Sky Diving' was DANGEROUS!!!!!!!!!!!!.......................regards thunder427/MJ
Myles, Yes you are pretty close to the money on that one,I thought about that one ,when the car first started getting discussed on here ,Peter Molloy ? was it might be able to perhaps enlarge on that one,yeh what was the name of that other watering hole where the Osca boys used to meet up and drink ,something or other Tavern
Yeah, Thunder, I did get seriously involved with the ex-Bellis Molloy Weslake 32 valve Chev engine, but it was after the customs went around to his workshop and siezed it. It went to auction as a Holden Racing engine, and was bought by Roy Granger who installed it in a speedway supersaloon and suffered much frustration and expense, then sold it to another speedway competitor on the west coast (probably Greymouth). He later reposesed it (because he didn't get paid for it), and asked me if I was interested in putting it together for him. Like a silly buggar (I liked a chalange) I said "Yes".
Mr Bellis, Ex Police deptment, proprietor/owner, 'Coachman Steak House', owner of the Ex Clyde Collins OSCA/Cortina, part-time 'Boy' racer, ordered a ,as quoted;.."A mega Motor Built"...from a Sydney/Australia engine supplier/builder, in those times you could send a motor out of the country of New Zealand for 'reconditioning',re-importing the then 'rebuilt' item did not incur the heavy import duty//Tax a 'new' motor would,so our 'Boy racer,(a paid up member of the Christchurch 'Party People', Great Fridaynights!!) exported some old ,read 'Junk' engine with the required Number stamped in place..........well the rebuilt engine arrived and was installed, but the 'Australian' end didnt pick-up the 'dud at the Sydney Docks...some Custom's officer poking around ask's the question....'whats with this piece of Shite"????...checks the 'Con-note',does some research I'm guessing, only to find the same motor/number was exported back to NZ some week's/months before...........I seem to remember that the Cortina may have been impounded!!!!!!!......the engine removed ........Our Paul Kirk should remember in more detail, he was at some of those Friday Night parties......all the Car yards personal got together after the 9oclock close of bussiness,somebody always had a party going or out to the 'Russley' or the 'White Heron' for late drinks,the line up of American Muscle Cars was something else, could be up to twenty 'Left Hand Drive' cars linning the street............Just the Best Times....when 'SEX' was safe and 'Sky Diving' was DANGEROUS!!!!!!!!!!!!.......................regards thunder427/MJ
Well, there's a long, and some may say, interesting story to be told and if anybody's interested I'll put pen to paper (so to speak), and tell that story another day!
PK.
Hey Paul it would be neat to hear more of the Weslake Chevy.
I remember it being for sale...the engine...years ago.
From memory it had been in a jet boat?
It is still in NZ somewhere, I remember reading about it in the NZHRM a year or 2 ago.
A grouse looking engine!!!
Rodney
Yeah, Thunder, I did get seriously involved with the ex-Bellis Molloy Weslake 32 valve Chev engine, but it was after the customs went around to his workshop and siezed it. It went to auction as a Holden Racing engine, and was bought by Roy Granger who installed it in a speedway supersaloon and suffered much frustration and expense, then sold it to another speedway competitor on the west coast (probably Greymouth). He later reposesed it (because he didn't get paid for it), and asked me if I was interested in putting it together for him. Like a silly buggar (I liked a chalange) I said "Yes".
Mr Bellis, Ex Police deptment, proprietor/owner, 'Coachman Steak House', owner of the Ex Clyde Collins OSCA/Cortina, part-time 'Boy' racer, ordered a ,as quoted;.."A mega Motor Built"...from a Sydney/Australia engine supplier/builder, in those times you could send a motor out of the country of New Zealand for 'reconditioning',re-importing the then 'rebuilt' item did not incur the heavy import duty//Tax a 'new' motor would,so our 'Boy racer,(a paid up member of the Christchurch 'Party People', Great Fridaynights!!) exported some old ,read 'Junk' engine with the required Number stamped in place..........well the rebuilt engine arrived and was installed, but the 'Australian' end didnt pick-up the 'dud at the Sydney Docks...some Custom's officer poking around ask's the question....'whats with this piece of Shite"????...checks the 'Con-note',does some research I'm guessing, only to find the same motor/number was exported back to NZ some week's/months before...........I seem to remember that the Cortina may have been impounded!!!!!!!......the engine removed ........Our Paul Kirk should remember in more detail, he was at some of those Friday Night parties......all the Car yards personal got together after the 9oclock close of bussiness,somebody always had a party going or out to the 'Russley' or the 'White Heron' for late drinks,the line up of American Muscle Cars was something else, could be up to twenty 'Left Hand Drive' cars linning the street............Just the Best Times....when 'SEX' was safe and 'Sky Diving' was DANGEROUS!!!!!!!!!!!!.......................regards thunder427/MJ
Well, there's a long, and some may say, interesting story to be told and if anybody's interested I'll put pen to paper (so to speak), and tell that story another day!
PK.
Yeah Boss, after Roy finished here and went to Oz one of the jetsprint guys bought it and stuck it in a short hull, but he barely used it due to work commitments, another jetsprinter bought it for the same purpose but they couldn't use the torque of it (mainly because technology in the jet units was not advanced enough to efficiently harness 650 ft/lb, and hull design was not helping either), so it was purchased by somebody who I understand used it as a lounge ornament/furnature! That was probably 20 years ago so who knows what's happened to it now? I can follow that up, actually, as I do WoFs for his son.
PK.
Yeah, Thunder, I did get seriously involved with the ex-Bellis Molloy Weslake 32 valve Chev engine, but it was after the customs went around to his workshop and siezed it. It went to auction as a Holden Racing engine, and was bought by Roy Granger who installed it in a speedway supersaloon and suffered much frustration and expense, then sold it to another speedway competitor on the west coast (probably Greymouth). He later reposesed it (because he didn't get paid for it), and asked me if I was interested in putting it together for him. Like a silly buggar (I liked a chalange) I said "Yes".
Mr Bellis, Ex Police deptment, proprietor/owner, 'Coachman Steak House', owner of the Ex Clyde Collins OSCA/Cortina, part-time 'Boy' racer, ordered a ,as quoted;.."A mega Motor Built"...from a Sydney/Australia engine supplier/builder, in those times you could send a motor out of the country of New Zealand for 'reconditioning',re-importing the then 'rebuilt' item did not incur the heavy import duty//Tax a 'new' motor would,so our 'Boy racer,(a paid up member of the Christchurch 'Party People', Great Fridaynights!!) exported some old ,read 'Junk' engine with the required Number stamped in place..........well the rebuilt engine arrived and was installed, but the 'Australian' end didnt pick-up the 'dud at the Sydney Docks...some Custom's officer poking around ask's the question....'whats with this piece of Shite"????...checks the 'Con-note',does some research I'm guessing, only to find the same motor/number was exported back to NZ some week's/months before...........I seem to remember that the Cortina may have been impounded!!!!!!!......the engine removed ........Our Paul Kirk should remember in more detail, he was at some of those Friday Night parties......all the Car yards personal got together after the 9oclock close of bussiness,somebody always had a party going or out to the 'Russley' or the 'White Heron' for late drinks,the line up of American Muscle Cars was something else, could be up to twenty 'Left Hand Drive' cars linning the street............Just the Best Times....when 'SEX' was safe and 'Sky Diving' was DANGEROUS!!!!!!!!!!!!.......................regards thunder427/MJ
Well, there's a long, and some may say, interesting story to be told and if anybody's interested I'll put pen to paper (so to speak), and tell that story another day!
PK.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote