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14 Oct 2005, 02:41 (Ref:1433262) | #1 | ||
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Gp A Toyota 1980's -anyone interested?
I am restoring 2 Gp Corolla AE86 models. Both have well known history here in Australia, with 1 also racing at Spa & Nurburgring. I have accumulated some other Toyota /TRD/TOMS parts for other Toyotas of the 1980's. Anybody out there interested??? I'd also be interested in corresponding with anyone else with GpA Toyotas and knowing of any that might be available for sale, especially the later Supra.
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27 Oct 2005, 10:57 (Ref:1444936) | #2 | ||
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Just out of curiosity are the Corolla's the later FX model that were raced by the likes of Don Smith or Phil dowsett in England, or are they the 'coupe' version?
If they are the latter, are these cars that Chris Hodgetts originally built and sold to Andrew Bagnall before he went onto pedal Sierra's? |
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27 Oct 2005, 11:26 (Ref:1444957) | #3 | ||
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chunterer, I think they're the model that preceeded the FX type that Dowsett ran. The liftback-version of the final RWD Corolla that the drifters like to use.
terryobeirne, I assume these are ex-Bob Holden cars? |
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22 Jan 2007, 20:34 (Ref:1822102) | #4 | ||
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I've just noticed these old replies, so thought I should set the record straight. The FX-GT I have is the 2 door , front drive hatch. Built circa 1987 by TOMS GB and sent to Australia in late 1989. I also have two of the AE86 rear drive hatch models (called Sprinter in Australia). I have 3 ex Bob Holden cars. Unfortunately, I have still not been able to contact Phil Dowsett who drove the FX-GT to a BTCC class win in 1989. Dogetts won BTCC outright in his AE86 in 1988. This car was sent to Hong Kong and appears "lost".
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23 Jan 2007, 08:39 (Ref:1822506) | #5 | |||
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terry, just to assist with your history, the AE86/GT16 model won the '86 and '87 BTCC titles in Chris Hodgetts' hands. |
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20 Sep 2006, 00:50 (Ref:1714227) | #6 | ||
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Group A Toyota Corolla History (merged)
I'm in the midst of buying a AE82 Corolla FX-GT that was raced by TOMS UK in the mid 80's. I'm trying to track any history. Apparently the car was one of a few , built in japan, sent to TOMS UK, and eventually came to Australia when TOMS closed in early 1990's. I've looked at Fran De Jong's site but there are no pics of this car/UK races. Can anyone help with any info or referrals to others who might know something. Would be great to contact someone who used to work at TOMS UK??????????
many thanks |
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20 Sep 2006, 01:13 (Ref:1714232) | #7 | ||
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Is this one of the two cars that Bob Holden ran for various customers?
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20 Sep 2006, 02:02 (Ref:1714247) | #8 | |
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The AE82 is the front-drive version of the Corolla, so we're talking about this one?
http://www.racingsportscars.com/etcc...-08-02-113.jpg http://www.racingsportscars.com/etcc...-09-06-114.jpg If so, then as far as I know, it ran the Spa 24 hours and Silverstone TT WTCC rounds, and a couple of late season BTCC races in 1987. Drivers were Phil Dowsett and Tiff Needell, plus Masanori Sekiya at Spa. Needell drove the car in it's BTCC appearances. Dowsett then drove it in the BTCC in 88, also appearing at the TT (again with Needell), and scoring several BTCC 1600cc class wins (and I think the class championship?) TOM'S didn't run in the BTCC in 89, but Dowsett raced what might have been the same car, entered by his own team. No idea what happened to it after that, but it certainly didn't appear in the BTCC again Last edited by KA; 20 Sep 2006 at 02:07. |
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20 Sep 2006, 07:40 (Ref:1714363) | #9 | ||
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Surely, if this was the Phil Dowsett car, wasn't it involved in the accident Robb Gravett has in his RS 500 at Thruxton?
(I just thought that mentioning this may jog someone's memory, plus I'm sure there's video of the accident somewhere...). |
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20 Sep 2006, 08:52 (Ref:1714428) | #10 | ||
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24 Sep 2006, 10:26 (Ref:1717471) | #11 | ||
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the car I have was first log-booked here, 22-2-1990. according to Bob, 2 of them were shipped direct to him when TOMS UK closed, and the CAMS log book clealry shows the TOMS livery of silver and red stripes, and thats how it raced here for quite a while. I'm not sure what this means about the supposed later UK history--maybe same car, maybe not. The latest pic provided appears to show the "other" car at bathurst 93, and which Bob still owns. The car I have was raced by Frank Binding in 93. At some stage Bob's car got a sunroof equipped shell, so maybe that was the crashed car.
Anyone know how to contact any of the UK drivers of someone from TOMS in that era???????????? thanks again. |
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27 Sep 2006, 17:33 (Ref:1721365) | #12 | ||
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Tiff Needell will be about somewhere (he usually is)
Dunno what Phil Dowsett is upto these doors though. Did Glen Waters run the Tom's GB op's in between his 80's and then 90's Intersport F3 campaigns? |
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30 Sep 2006, 21:41 (Ref:1723900) | #13 | ||
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thanks guys, I've tried Google searches on all 3 people mentioned, and whilst I've got plenty of hits with historical race info, especially for Needell, I'm no closer to a real contact for any of them. anybody help??
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24 Mar 2007, 12:00 (Ref:1875014) | #14 | ||
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Dowsett appears to have won 1989. BTCC home page...
Drivers Championship - Class D - up to 1600cc (Phil Dowsett). I cant find any pics or details however. |
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30 Mar 2007, 10:23 (Ref:1879768) | #15 | ||
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Go woke, Go broke… Here’s hoping a random universe works out in your favour… The meaning of life… ENJOYING THE PASSAGE OF TIME! #CANCERSUCKS |
3 May 2008, 09:51 (Ref:2193103) | #16 | |
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As there's now a Group A Corolla thread, I thought I'd rescue this from the archives- do we want to talk about both the rwd and fwd versions in the new thread?
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2 May 2008, 02:46 (Ref:2192269) | #17 | ||
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Group A Toyota Corolla
I have really enjoyed reading the other Group A thereads in this forum and have anxiously awaited a thread about the little 4AGE powered cars that dominated the 1600cc class, but to no avail.
Well my Nanna always said, if you want something done.................. |
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2 May 2008, 08:14 (Ref:2192355) | #18 | |
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The rwd coupe was a fabulous car for sure. Chris Hodgetts used them to devastating effect in the BTCC in the mid-1980s.
Some trivia to start with. Apparently the 4AGE engine bears more than a passing resemblance to the BDA and apparently is classic example of 'Japanese copy but done better'. They did make a helluva racket though didn't they... gotta have been one of the loudest touring cars ever. |
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2 May 2008, 18:51 (Ref:2192794) | #19 | |
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There were certainly enough of them to talk about- there always seemed to be hordes of them in the ETCC....
Just looked back through some of my old notes of BTCC results so I'll kick things off with a rough rundown on the BTCC cars..... The CHMS/Toyota GB programme started in 86 and delivered two BTCC championships- initially a single car programme for Hodgetts (the white car) later joined by a second (red) Demon Tweeks-backed car for Alan Minshaw. CHMS also did selected ETCC rounds and most of the WTCC in '87 with Andrew Bagnall sharing the car- Gulliver's Travel (Bagnall's company?) were a sponsor for most of the overseas adventures. All sorts of other people appeared in CHMS cars often in one-off drives- Barry Sheene, Patrick Watts, Alex Moss, Will Hoy, Mark Hales, Tony Dron, Chuck Nicholson Colin Pearcy etc....I don't think anyone ever handled one in quite the extrovert manner Hodgetts did though.... Apart from the Hodgetts cars the main Corolla campiagners in the BTCC tended to be Geoff Kimber-Smith and Tony Crudgington. MIL Motorsport also had one which occasionally appeared alongside their Supras in 1988 GK-S's car was entered under the AGK Motorsport banner (later 'Five Star Racing or something like that) and made a few ETCC appearances as well- a certain Mr Marshall had a couple of outings in the car as I recall? Other Kimber-Smith co-drivers included Crudgington, Barbara Cowell, and Bob Holden in the Spa 24 hours- was that with GK-S's regular car, or did Holden ship one of his over from Australia? (didn't Holden make a couple of Spa appearances around 1986-8 or so?) Crudgington's car was usually sponsored by Clausthaler, which was an alcohol-free lager (I've got a vague memory that he ran a pub?). I think he occasionally shared the Kimber-Smith car in the 1-hour BTCC races and some ETCC appearances. The fwd version of the Corolla appeared in '87 initially in a programme of selected races for TOM'S GB with Phil Dowsett and Tiff Needell behind the wheel- think we've been through some of the history of the TOM'S car before on here- believe it's now in Australia? There were a couple of other Corollas around 1988/9 for Les Liddiard and Tony Dolley- I think these were the fwd variety like the TOM'S/Dowsett car- Can anyone confirm that, or even better have pics? (don't think I ever saw either of these at the time) Anyone got any pics? I might have some 1988 TT pics somewhere, plus maybe a few BTCC shots- I'll have a look |
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3 May 2008, 05:36 (Ref:2193012) | #20 | |||
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"The Great Race" 22 November 1960 - 21 July 1999 |
8 May 2008, 02:13 (Ref:2196525) | #21 | |||
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8 May 2008, 07:50 (Ref:2196639) | #22 | ||
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Not a bad engine at all to use as the template I would've thought!!!
Back to the cars themselves, what was the deal with Tony Dolley and Les Liddiard's FXGT's in 1989. They only appeared for that season in plain white and red colours. Were they new or sourced from elsewhere and why were they so off the pace? I also recall the Ray Armes driven PG Tips Honda Civic V-Tec coming out late in the season and setting a new benchmark for cars in that class; then MSA adopted Class 2/SuperTouring and a very well sponsored and expensive motor car was instantly obsolete...... |
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11 May 2008, 23:10 (Ref:2199586) | #23 | |
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Group A Toyota Corolla History
About Stig Gruen's Corolla, Jesper suggests that that model (3-door) might have been sold in Sweden too, however Stigs was bought in Denmark! I Don't think that Corolla with the "right" engine was sold in Sweden at all.
I helped Gruen at different races when I had no other comittments, and once I happend to meet him at Oulton Park, Easter 85(?). He was alone, so we helped him with "basics" to do. Think he made an easy bump into the tires in practise. As Jesper writes, Stig was Swedish Group A Champion in 86 (at 60), beating the Volvo and VW teams. Remember at Knutstorp, it was a 1½ h. race and there were two compulsory pit stops, with two wheel changes and tank filling with jerrycan. We had prepared the can with an air release nipple to make it easier and faster. We did it all at the first stop, so the 2nd one was just a stop and go, and Stig finished 4thO/A among all bigger machinery. For '87 Gruen planned to go the ETC, so as Toyota Denmark were closing down, Gruen asked Erik Höyer if he wanted to join the team. Erik said yes, and enjoyed to be in the "cosiness team" - his own expression. Erik also liked that Gruen was faster than John Nielsen (not that F-3 Nielsen) in Toyota DK had been. I don't think Erik was paid for the drives with Gruen, he just loved to drive fast saloons. The car was gradually updated with some homologation goodies, most on the suspension. He also bought some expensive bigger brakes and hubs and wheels with center lock, but they were never put on the car, so the car most run with 14" ordinary ATS wheels. The first engine was made with bits from Fritzinger in Germany, but think he then also got things from Toms. He designed the camshafts himself. When they raced together I think they managed with a couple of third places, as at Anderstorp '87. We had a record crew of 6 incl. the drivers, which was laucy as we got lots to do. The first practise Gruen did think 2 laps and was then missing the rest of the session. The bolts to the flywheel had broken off. John Nielsen turned up to tell "You have to have new bolts every time the flywheel is off". Of course he was right. We changed the engine for Erik to begin the 2nd session. After 2 laps he was missing. The engine had lost the oil pressure so he stopped. Gruen had taken off the swing damper on the lower pulley to make the car 1 or 2 kgs lighter, but that broke the oil pump. It was "impossible" to change the pump without taking the engine out and apart, but somehow we did it whith the engine still in the car. So for the 3 and final session they just had to do their obligatory laps each. Yes, there are many memories turning up. Regards, Hagis |
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2 May 2008, 19:18 (Ref:2192814) | #24 | ||
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Que Dennis Bassom! :-)
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3 May 2008, 10:05 (Ref:2193111) | #25 | ||
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JT can you move this to MH so I can merge it with the other Corolla thread please?
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btcc, chms, chris hodgetts, group a, jtcc, toyota corolla ae86, toyota corolla gt16 |
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