Hi, just thought i'd add some details here for any one interested. The torana concerned in this thread was the 3rd of Garry's group c a9x's. The first car i don't know if it had any race history before Garry or not but he had been very competitive in an escort sports sedan and with the backing of long time sponsor Greater Pacific Finance decided to also compete in group c. His first torana started the 78 touring car season with a Blue, Green, Red & White paint scheme and during the year to save time when repairs were required the stripes were left of the sides. By the next year all the blue and green was gone.. He had some good results in the championship and south pacific touring car series with the odd DNF. Garry started to make plans for Bathurst but could not get an entry. He did a deal with Bob Jane to buy his beautifully presented 77 Jane/ Pete Geoghegan car
which came with a Bathurst entry & Big Pete as co driver, their race didn't go to well though ending on lap 29 with Pete coasting into the pits with no oil pressure (i think the oil filter came loose). Garry ran the car for the rest of 78 and the first half of 79 with a change to the paint scheme
he had some good results but also had some engine problems. He was contemplating his future in group c when contacted by Ian Tate with an offer to do his engines, then in July 79 in an Amscar round at Amaroo Park the car was destroyed when it hit a wall side on due to a brake failure.
Garry went back to racing his first car for the short term but with Bathurst looming he bought an unused spare shell from John Sheppard at HDT that was in HDT colours, this was confirmed by Paul Bowman (in Timaru)who worked for Garry and Bob Stevens who was to co drive with him at Bathurst. Paul and the team transferred anything that could be saved into the new shell and to save time some of the new colours were masked straight off the HDT colours hence the vee in the green on the bonnet.The car was finnished just in time with Bob fitting the diff ratio needed at the Bathurst Holden dealership, the log book was issued on the 21-9-79 and the race was on the 30-9-79.
Starting from 6th on the grid they were having a trouble free run till 30 to 40 laps to go the car ran out of front brakes. Garry was able to maintain the gaps between the 4th and 6th positioned cars to bring it home for a well earned 5th. Laps of Bathurst at speed with poor brakes would not be easy. Paul tells me he still has a front brake pad backing plate with caliper pistons embeded in it.
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