I read that too about the front horns creating lift. I also read somewhere (can't remember where) about someone who recently restored one and wantred to retain the front horns because they look better. Cutting louvre vents just behind the top of the front guard "hump" solved the lift problem.
Interesting note on the ME5! The "M" was supposedly for "Monocoque" and "E" for "Elfin" and "5" being 5 Litre. The "in house" designation was was "Matich Eater"Originally Posted by Leo D
Just following up on these cars, you can read the note from Alan Hamilton about his purchase of the cars here
http://www.vhrr.com/newsletters/2011...Newsletter.pdf
Niel Allen was one of the first F5000 runners here in Australia. His car was in fact painted a light iridescent blue colour, which would be the colour mentioned earlier.
The Elfin Traco Chev
The Elfin ME5
That was his "Team" colour at the time, being used on the Elfin Traco Chev as well as the Elfin ME5 sports car that he had built to order by Garrie Coopers Elfin Sports Cars in Adelaide. Niel only did a few races in the ME5 before moving into F5000.
The 1967 Mustang that he had was an ex Greg Cusack car that he ran for a while alongside the Elfin Traco Sports Car.
Rowan, very cool! Did it ever live up to its name?
"Quote Leo D"
There were only ever 3 of the Elfin 400 models produced. The first being the Globe Product car driven by Noel Hurd which was powered by a Globe Products Quad Cam Ford.... The Bob Jane Repco powered unit and the Graham Harvey car.
While the Hurd car was the first ordered and carries number 1 it was not the first completed. The Jane car leapfrogged the line for whatever reason ($'s maybe). I was at Bob Jane Chrysler dealership when the car came in from SA on a low loader on a Frid. It was immediately unloaded in the workshop area and taken to Calder for testing. There was a Calder meeting that weekend.
I was also at Calder later when Hurd ran his for the first time.
Hurds car at Calder on its 1st outing...(Globe Quadcam engine yet to be installed)
Same car at Longford Revival Tas Mar 2011...
The car has just had a new engine fitted earlier this year.
The pics of it in the National Auto Museum in Launceston are mine. I dont copyright any so feel free.
The 4th car...The Matich Car.....
The mechanic / machinist who was employed by Total Oil, Frank Matich's sponsor at the time , lives just down the road from me here in Launceston.
He was sent from their base in Sydney to Elfin in SA with suspension bits from the recently wrecked Lotus 19 and did the machine work to fit parts of it into the Matich.
A chap who worked at Elfin during this period also lives in Tas. He has recently purchased an Elfin 300 from the States in very original condition and only very lightly raced. He worked on all these cars and has some very unique photos of the inner factory.
Noel Hurd at Longford in 1967 ended up in a ditch which may have been the first of the lift problems becoming evident on the high speed circuits.
Last edited by Ellis; 08-06-2011 at 09:40 AM. Reason: Add info
Ellis,
So what engine did they put back in the Elfin? I saw it in the Launceston museum back in 2009, with no engine installed from memory.
This is the "Globe" unit in the car
I think the Matich SR4 lived in the Launceston for a while when it was owned by ACL? It was no longer there when I visited, having returned to the mainland. I think you may have posted some pics of it on another forum that we both frequent.
The Bob Jane Chyrsler Dealership was in Sydney Rd Brunswick from memory.... that'd have to be some time in 1966 that we're talking about regarding the cars delivery?
This shot would have been taken at the meeting that you refer to, as the Roll Bar configuration of the car was changed later in its life.
Last edited by Leo D; 08-06-2011 at 10:04 AM.
Leo D
The ex Hurd car has a nice 289 with Webers.
Its last race meeting was at Adelaide GP meet. The scruitineering sticker is evident on the cockpit museum shot.
A Globe Quadcam engine on dyno.....
The Jane car......
Bob got in it on the low loader and immediately hit the starter.....problem was the trumpets had bath plugs in them
which were sucked in and took about 15 minutes to extract them. Once off the trailer it left some decent rubber on the workshop floor.
Last edited by Ellis; 08-06-2011 at 10:23 AM. Reason: add info
Hey guys, this is great info on these cars. Thanks for posting.
Love that engine on the dyno photo,and the instrumentation etc ,being a dyno man that looks like a old Heenan Froude ,no doubt Ellis will correct me if thats not right
Just following up on these cars, you can read the note from Alan Hamilton about his purchase of the cars here
http://www.vhrr.com/newsletters/2011...Newsletter.pdf
Niel Allen was one of the first F5000 runners here in Australia. His car was in fact painted a light iridescent blue colour, which would be the colour mentioned earlier.
The Elfin Traco Chev
The Elfin ME5
That was his "Team" colour at the time, being used on the Elfin Traco Chev as well as the Elfin ME5 sports car that he had built to order by Garrie Coopers Elfin Sports Cars in Adelaide. Niel only did a few races in the ME5 before moving into F5000.
The 1967 Mustang that he had was an ex Greg Cusack car that he ran for a while alongside the Elfin Traco Sports Car.
Here are the two photos I have of Niel Allens M10B at Pukekohe.
Peter Molloy steering the car, I reckon.
So, to recap, are we saying that Niel Allen never raced his McLaren in NZ in the dark green/dayglo nose livery ?
Last edited by GD66; 08-11-2011 at 08:24 AM.
I'm pretty sure he did. He raced different cars over two years. I'd need to check up to confirm, and can't spare the time right now. Perhaps someone else can help
He did, as proof there is a colour photo taken at Wigram on the cover of the Shell NZ Motor Racing 1971 booklet.
Whew, that's a relief. Thought I was starting to come unravelled for a bit there...
Shouldn't be long, though...
.....and the cover of Motorman.
Hope this assists...
This is Noel Riley's Honda S600, it appears to be at either Bennet Honda in Gardeners Rd Mascot or Campbell Scotts Honda in the city...
Great photos do you have any more?
Cheers
A Couple more photos
Thanks for that info. Neat photos by the way!
there are 3 M10B's now in Melbourne. Alan hamilton has 2 and the ex Frank Matich m10B is still around.
Hi M10B, great to have you on board. Does Alan intend to restore the two cars that he has. What is the status of the ex Matich car. I am sure that I have a photo of that car at Pukekohe.
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