Rod Coppins

[Bruce302]

I would like to start a thread that consolidate the thoughts, memories and photographs of the popular and successful amateur racer from the 60's and 70's.

Rod ran a diverse range of cars from a Tec-Mec with Chevrolet V8 power, a 38 Chev coupe, Ford Zephyr with Chev V8 power, Ford Mustang, Chev Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Holden Torana, Chrysler Charger and more, both here in NZ and Australia. Rod also reached the podium with his good friend Jim Richards at the big Bathurst race in the L/34 Torana.

To kick of the pic side, here is a pic supplied by Steve Elliott (fullnoise68) of Rod's Pontiac Firebird, taken I believe very soon after it came to Rod in early 1972.

There are many more to follow, and I hope we can have a thread for each of the deserving people who made racing so popular in the periods we each remember best.



Bruce.

[fullnoise68]

Bruce, as I said to you today, other than all the ones I have collected myself, many of the photos I have were given to me by a family friend Frank Renwick, who died some 12 years ago. Others were given to me by Peter Hanna, and some of these are likely to be either Jack Inwood, Terry Marshall, etc.
I have asked Bruce to post these photos on the basis of sharing them for everyones enjoyment, and not to ruffle anyones feathers. if anyone requires credit for this thread, or any of the others that Bruce is going to post on Red Dawson, John Riley, etc, please acknowledge them as being your photos.

[Frosty5]

Bruce, as I said to you today, other than all the ones I have collected myself, many of the photos I have were given to me by a family friend Frank Renwick, who died some 12 years ago. Others were given to me by Peter Hanna, and some of these are likely to be either Jack Inwood, Terry Marshall, etc.
I have asked Bruce to post these photos on the basis of sharing them for everyones enjoyment, and not to ruffle anyones feathers. if anyone requires credit for this thread, or any of the others that Bruce is going to post on Red Dawson, John Riley, etc, please acknowledge them as being your photos.

Hi Steve, the name you mention - Frank Renwick - not a common name, however I served my time (not porridge either!)with a chap with the same name. He lived in Onehunga for many years and had a relationship with a lot of the old Epsom and Glouster Park stock car guys. He drove a Ford twin Spinner, loved his grog and was a real rough diamond. Are we talking about the same guy?

[fullnoise68]

Yes that`s him. His nickname was `Hoss' and he was the king of the acetelene bomb! Frank worked for Refrigeration Engineering in Penrose for many years and I wouldn`t say he was a rough diamond, but he was a real character! Send me an email to vmt@xtra.co.nz if you like.

[Frosty5]

Yes that`s him. His nickname was `Hoss' and he was the king of the acetelene bomb! Frank worked for Refrigeration Engineering in Penrose for many years and I wouldn`t say he was a rough diamond, but he was a real character! Send me an email to vmt@xtra.co.nz if you like.

Well, its a bloody small world isnt it. Yes I remember the acetylene bombs very well having been on the receiving end many times. As a cheeky apprentice I thought his nickname should be Barney Rubble, only called him that once, bad call!!!!!As apprentices we were always the subject of pranks by tradesmen having been on the receiving end of many of them, he also bolted my toolbox to a workbench. Come end of week I was in a rush to leave work for a weekend at Puke and just about broke my arm as I slid past the bench and grabbed the box, I carried onto the floor but the toolbox stayed on the bench, talk about Mr Bean!!. All that aside I had a lot of time for him, certainly taught me a lot but also kept my feet firmly on the ground. He assisted me in building my first stock car in 1968 which I raced at Waikaraka Park with, shall we say limited success but a truckload of fun.

[fullnoise68]

Well, its a bloody small world isnt it. Yes I remember the acetylene bombs very well having been on the receiving end many times. As a cheeky apprentice I thought his nickname should be Barney Rubble, only called him that once, bad call!!!!!As apprentices we were always the subject of pranks by tradesmen having been on the receiving end of many of them, he also bolted my toolbox to a workbench. Come end of week I was in a rush to leave work for a weekend at Puke and just about broke my arm as I slid past the bench and grabbed the box, I carried onto the floor but the toolbox stayed on the bench, talk about Mr Bean!!. All that aside I had a lot of time for him, certainly taught me a lot but also kept my feet firmly on the ground. He assisted me in building my first stock car in 1968 which I raced at Waikaraka Park with, shall we say limited success but a truckload of fun.

Without diverting too much away from this thread topic, but something that is relevant to it, the grid photo taken amongst the crowd at Baypark posted earlier on by Bruce302 was taken by Frank. I reckon it`s a bloody good photo. After getting them printed, Frank got that photo enlarged to in his words - `the size of the Saturday Herald' so in those days it would have a been pretty expensive exercise. Frank did this so he didn`t have to look at all the other `crap' on the lunchroom wall. One of the then pommy bosses promptly tore the big photo off the wall, unbeknown to him that Frank had got the big boss' permission. Well that poms life became quite stressful, what with his car grille being chained to a culvert grate for when he reversed out of his carpark, acetylene bombs under his bedroom window at all hours, etc. A lot of guys on here knew the late Noel Goodwin as a real prankster as well. I knew Noel pretty well too, but Frank Renwick was relentless in getting even......

[Frosty5]

Hi Steve, have sent you a PM

[Bruce302]

This pic is Rod in The #41 Cambridge Camaro circa Sept/Oct 1970

[fullnoise68]

This pic is Rod in The #41 Cambridge Camaro circa Sept/Oct 1970

If #41 Camaro goes half as good this weekend as Rods one did all those years ago, I`ll be stoked!

[John McKechnie]

Steve E- great photos you have supplied to be posted. A very loud thanks for giving these to us .Look forward to seeing pics that havent been posted before.

[Bruce302]

Here is a pic of the Camaro Rod ran in the Glenvale 100, a stock '67 SS, that became the McConnochie Bros dirt track car after it was wrecked in a road accident.
That's Rod at the back supervising the refueling. Can anyone name any of the guys standing next to the car ?

[fullnoise68]

Bruce, the guy in the light coloured jersey in line with the aerial, maybe Colin Giltrap, to his right, looking in the same direction, is my father, and the young kid standing in the `pit garage,' entrance, well he`s gunna race one of these cars very soon....

[Steve Holmes]

Here is a pic of the Camaro Rod ran in the Glenvale 100, a stock '67 SS, that became the McConnochie Bros dirt track car after it was wrecked in a road accident.
That's Rod at the back supervising the refueling. Can anyone name any of the guys standing next to the car ?

Amazing that this is the same car!

[Steve Holmes]

This is the front cover of Allan Dicks NZ Motorsport annual for 1966.

[Rod Grimwood]

This is the front cover of Allan Dicks NZ Motorsport annual for 1966.

Ah, new it was from mag i had cut up, wish i had kept them.

[stubuchanan]

Ah, new it was from mag i had cut up, wish i had kept them.

Page 35 from Allan Dick Yearbook :



Stu

[Kwaussie]

This is the front cover of Allan Dicks NZ Motorsport annual for 1966.

Alan Dick must have reversed this photo when in production - two clues.
But a neat photo never the less.

[Shano]

Alan Dick must have reversed this photo when in production - two clues.
But a neat photo never the less.

In the old days there were hard and fast unwritten rules about the way photos faced. You never had vehicles or boats facing into the spine of the magazine, always outwards. Same for people's faces on the cover. However when people were inside a publication they were to face the spine.

It was deemed more important to follow these rules than such accuracy as having the wheel on the right side of the car.

And so it was (or at least that's what I had beaten into me by the grumpy old sub editors).

[Bruce302]

Well spotted Steve.
One more of the 67 Camaro as used in the Glenvale 100. It appears to have 396 badges on the front fenders.

[Kiwiboss]

Well spotted Steve.
One more of the 67 Camaro as used in the Glenvale 100. It appears to have 396 badges on the front fenders.

Whats dates are we talking here Bruce302? this pic looks to be Baypark, which opened Nov 67. Just luv the skinny wheels and the "Nose up" stance, you know he's got the hammer down!!

For those reading this post, this Camaro represents the very reason why we started HMC with its applied rules, the fact is that this vehicle is in full road going trim, lights, bumpers, mirrors, etc and went straight to the race track, how they got raced in New Zealand. A true Muscle car been raced and very historic, and this is what created the legendry drivers such as Rod Coppins. Without a doubt a great picture.

Dale M