Rod Coppins

[fullnoise68]

Bay Park, Dec 1970 grid, Rod is on row two in the Cambridge Camaro. Up front is Joe Chamberlain, Paul Fahey, then Bryan Thomson next to Rod, back to Terry Allen and Johnny Riley, then Clyde Collins in the Falcon.
Good size crowd, all standing in anticipation of some serious action. (Steve Elliott supplied photo)

Dale, I think the Mustangs are about to get their arses kicked! Man I`m looking forward to the Denny Hulme Festival!

[fullnoise68]

[QUOTE=Bruce302;21925]Here is a pic of the Terry Allen Camaro promoting the end of year meeting at Bay Park.



and Terry Allen followed by Bryan Thomson at Bay Park. (Steve Elliott supplied photos)


In reference to my comments at the start of this thread regarding posting some of the photos from my collection. The bottom Terry Allan/ Bryan Thomson photo is obviously a cropped version of the same photo on the NZ Historic Muscle Cars homepage, so is likely of credit to a professional photographer of this era. Again, I apologise on the basis of sharing them for everyones enjoyment.

[Bruce302]

A very tragic event Bob, and I understand the reluctance to display such images, but they are a part of the fabric that is the history of motorsport. It could have been cause for a young racer such as Rod to leave the sport.

Bruce.

We probably don't need to dwell on this one and its not the sort of thing I believe in posting ,but this is from that day at Pukekohe



Attachment 14497

[bob homewood]

Some one may well correct me ,but I think that is possibly Rod standing there in the white helmet ,I do remember however that day he got a ride back in the Lawrence Lola to the pits in the aftermath

A very tragic event Bob, and I understand the reluctance to display such images, but they are a part of the fabric that is the history of motorsport. It could have been cause for a young racer such as Rod to leave the sport.

Bruce.

[Kiwiboss]

I found this picture of a Camaro dirt track racer, its a 67 or 8 by the looks and looks to be at the Bay Park infeild dirt track, was this the Coppins Camaro? All i can read on the roof is "Prestige Panelbeaters"

Dale M

[fullnoise68]

Dale, when the McConnachie Bros built the damaged Glenvale Camaro into a speedway saloon, they made it right hand drive. If you emailed this photo to Tony Cardwell, he`d probably know whose car this is. I`d say it`s the same era, and possibly a guy from down south. Maybe 1974 with having the Commonwealth Games logo on the side.

[Milan Fistonic]

Here's something different. A couple of Unofficial Result sheets showing Rod had a successful day at Pukekohe on March 11, 1973.

[Bruce302]

Rod had the Firebird pretty much sorted by this time. He has had it for a year and it was at it's best, both mechanically and cosmetically. The season culminated with Rod winning the NZ Saloon Car Championship.
Thanks Milan.

Here's something different. A couple of Unofficial Result sheets showing Rod had a successful day at Pukekohe on March 11, 1973.

[Rod Grimwood]

Would this be Bryan Innes driving stint? Look at those pram wheels, when was the last time you ever saw a Camaro on such skinny wheels?

Reference to #7 Those pram wheels have state of the art 'Aquajets' John, this was ground breaking stuff.

[John McKechnie]

Rod-absolutely ground breaking.He was the only one on them and set the fastest time. When you look at the width of the tyres on his car sliding, they do look like pram wheels. Ahh, the joys of standard production racing.

[Rod Grimwood]

Been into the scrapbbook again, (wish i had kept these in the books i cut them from way back then)

The 1st is from a mag. and next 3 are from the Glen (Jigger) Jones Collection. Thats Glen with Rod.

Have a few from back then will sort and post.

I like the first.

[Rod Grimwood]

Think these may be from Auto-Action or Motorman got all types clippings

[fullnoise68]

Rod, they are good photos of Glen with Rod and Pam Coppins. When you look back and think how many people who were involved in motorsport of all types that have sadly been taken by different forms of cancer over the years, such as Rod and Glen, Bruce McLean, Red Dawson, Barry Butterworth, Bruce Drinkrow, even Peter Hanna, and more recently Jason Richards, and there are many more, maybe it`s a coincidence, or maybe a combination of fumes, tension, anxiety, etc that triggers it off. I`m no doctor, but I`ve often thought about it.

[Rod Grimwood]

Steve, I think we may think that way because we know all these top people through our motorsport conections, but tennis players, golfers, fishermen etc have all unfortunately fallen to this horrible disease. Technology today and tomorrow is making huge steps at last to counter act this and we can only hope. As you say all way too young and with so much to offer.

[Kiwiboss]

I spoke with Ken Bailey today, Ken lives in Tauranga and i worked with him for a couple of years in the early 80's, he said he'd crewed for Rod back in the Zepyhr/Corvette days and did in fact buy this vehicle from Rod and continued to race it a few times, he said Rod also drove while under his ownership, he then sold it to a Chinese guy in Wellington and never saw it again. I have invited Ken to come to the Denny Hulme Festival as im sure he'll have a few good "Rod Coppins" stories to tell, he was chuffed i'd asked.

The other guy that always had a few good stories about Rod and really spoke highly of him was that character "Cedric Price" from Matamata.

Dale M

[stubuchanan]

From Practice Day NZGP 1965 :



What came first? These pipes look brand-new, heat marks from welds visible. By Matamata (top picture in Rod's post #51) they were painted white. Then the chromed pipes and fancy air intake in post #52.

Stu

[fullnoise68]

Stu, apparently the `optimum' length for each pipe was 30 inches, so with the bends being different radius',etc, this is how the staggered height came about where each pipe finished at that length. The `prototype' pipes in your photo were too small diameter and too long, even though the car went well with them. The chrome pipes and the bonnet scoop were the brainchild of Keith McGregor, who incidently ran one of my father in law Barry Pointons' workshops and did a lot of work on Barrys' Chev V8 Coupe which was also raced previously by Rod Coppins ( Barry bought the coupe less motor/box, as the Tec Mec engine which was in the Chev Coupe went into the Zephyr). Keith and his brother John started Heat Treatments Ltd, and Keith is a well known ex Hydroplane, Flatbottom racer, and as Rod told my father in law at the time, `shit Barry, she goes now!'

[Steve Emson]

Agreed, I also have wondered about it. I will always remember standing at Turners car auctions when a gentleman came up to me for a friendly chat. I did not recognize him at all. It was Rod. He looked totally different as seems to happen with cancer. Very sad, i always thought of Rod as a kind of good looking movie star guy. It did have an impact on me, terrible business..............

Rod, they are good photos of Glen with Rod and Pam Coppins. When you look back and think how many people who were involved in motorsport of all types that have sadly been taken by different forms of cancer over the years, such as Rod and Glen, Bruce McLean, Red Dawson, Barry Butterworth, Bruce Drinkrow, even Peter Hanna, and more recently Jason Richards, and there are many more, maybe it`s a coincidence, or maybe a combination of fumes, tension, anxiety, etc that triggers it off. I`m no doctor, but I`ve often thought about it.

[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]

These are by Steve Twist.