ex-850 Mini - 'The Cockney Rebel'

[BigWig]

Excuse this being my first post, but having lurked on here for a while, I thought it was time to do something about it!
I have an ex-free formula 850 Mini that competed in the All Car Equipe/Kent Messenger series during the 70’s. The car, known as ‘The Cockney Rebel’, was driven by a chap called Geoff Poulter and following its competition work, it was then stowed away for years in a container. I bought it complete and original back in 2002, even down to its race numbers, low back Corbeau and rock hard Dunlop slicks. Luckily there was no rust on the girl and it was completely untouched, but I have no period images of it.
From a collection of race programmes in the loft, I’ve found the car listed for various meetings, some of the time in the company of Nick Whiting in his All Car Equipe Escort, but that's about as far as I've got.
At the moment, it is being put back into service (excluding the paintwork which will remain original) and the original 850 engine, which has been rebuilt. I could have gone 1275 (as the latest class rules seem to favour - there's no up to 850 unfortunately), but by going down this route, it would have ruined the originality of the car.
Pasted below is the information I have on two or three of the meetings it has competed in.
Driver: Geoff Poulter
Car description: Red with a white roof (black stripe around its waistline) – black Perspex headlight covers. ‘The Cockney Rebel’ across its boot lid.
Meetings: [Lydden – 27th April 1975, car number 12]
[Brands Hatch - 16th or 17th July 1977 – this was a Kent Messenger event where the car set a fastest lap in the up to 850cc class, but I’m unsure of its race number]
[Brands Hatch – 28th September 1975 – car number 17]
[Brands Hatch – 14th November 1976 – car number 87]


I don't suppose any of you recognise it?
I have already contacted Ferret photography, but I thought some of you lot may have your own archives/good memory bank if you witnessed some of these meetings at the time?
Thanks in advance

[chunterer]

Bigwig, interesting little summary of the car, looks pretty good for an oldun!!

We'll stick this at the top for a bit and see what sort of response you'll get, it won't be long i'm sure!

[driftwood]

i recall the name cockney rebel on a car in the BH saloon races my father had started in 74 racing a mini before he bought an Imp to race for the next 5 years mainly Brand sLydden events
dont recall the name geoff poulter
Homewodo was the 1 litre king nick the 2 litre king of brands back then and in 76 along came Rob Mason in George bevans Imp in the 1 litre class
other top 850 mini racer in 75 77 era was doc david enderby in his pole position racing mini befor ehe then had a 1 litre Imp

i recall the 2 photgrapers of the day who took photos was Fred Scately whop is no longer wioth us ( who bought his negative portfolio?) and a guy from west country way often came to brands i can picture him now tall fella name escapes me
I bet Fred Scately has images in his negative files

[petestenning]

John Gaisford perhaps?




Pete

[Alan Morgan]

I'm sure John Gaisford is the tall guy from the West Country. I think Ted Walker of Ferret acquired the Fred Scatley archive, so you've already got that possibility covered. You could try a similar request in The Other Place, there are a number of people there who were Brands regulars in the seventies.

[driftwood]

Yes John Gainsford is the man i could not recall
fred was local to brands i think john came late 70`s more into the 80`s
steve jones was mid 80`s onwards

[BigWig]

Thanks for the replies - much appreciated, and for leaving it at the top of the board.

Hopefully someone will have a story about it, or at least a photo.

Just waiting on Ferret to get back to me.

[driftwood]

did u phone him nothing else works i would call till he takes out harrassment order on you

[GBRM]

The other photographer would be Jeff Bloxham but all his '70s and '80s stuff is owned by Ted, so Ted is your man!!

[RTH]

Cockney Rebel was on the bootlid of a Mini Se7en formula car in 1972, I remember it well, quite quick too.

[driftwood]

it will be the same man/car

[Russell B.]

We have a program from 1st June 1975 Kent Messenger race at Brands Hatch, listing Geoff Poluter's car under race number 49, posting a qualifying time of 60.1 and 1st in class (up to 850cc).

Also present on 25th April 1976, same circuit and series.

Hope that helps!

[ROB IS THE STIG]

Thats a little cracker! Good luck with it all

[BigWig]

Superb - thanks for the replies.

RTH - did you compete with the car?

Russell, thanks very much for that info, I'll be able to forward that on to the photographer.

In case anyone is interested, this is how the car is at the moment. Rebuilt 850 in situ, and a few other bits just to bring it up to current regs.

[driftwood]

where will you race the car at lydden saloon races?
i cant see where it can run with the 1 piece nose

[BigWig]

It's not going circuit racing - if it was, Lydden would be a possibility, but the content is very mixed there, Caterham's, Cosworth's etc out with the Mini's. So you have to have eyes up your arse.

I'm just going to use it for sprints/climbs - Prescott, Shelsley, North Weald etc etc. Being of a low capacity (and with the up to 850/1000 class long gone, it won't even be competitive, but it will be good to use it in anger again.

[driftwood]

it would be worth your while getting in touch with Daf 33 baby bertha owners do a demo run at some tracks
mick hills vw beetle will soon be running

if you wanted to fit 1 litre motor you could race in the miglia millie series

[GBRM]

Mick Hill's Beetle is running and all three cars ran last weekend; the DAF, the Beetle and Baby Bertha.

[driftwood]

where at?

[GBRM]

The Beetle and the DAF ran at Goodwood at the start of July and then last weekend the three of them ran at the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power.
If you're a TNF member there's some lovely pictures of the three of them.

[Russell B.]

Good to hear the DAF is running ok, as it was experiencing problems at Goodwood. I bet the three of them were a sight together!

I'd like to see some of the smaller capacity cars re-appearing. There must be some Imps and Minis and Anglias out there still in similar spec to BigWig's. Ok ours needs putting back together, but it is there in principal. A group of these would be equally spectacular!

[RTH]

There was definitely a Mini Seven in the early to mid 70s with 'Cockney Rebel' on the bootlid .
I have looked through all my old programmes and no Geoff Poulter drove in those races.
I am thinking the original owner may have been one of these names . This was Thruxton May 14th 1972

[RTH]

This was 8th July 1973 Snetterton I see the programme cost 15p, the entry fee then was £5.
I understand at last weekends Historic Silverstone entry fees were £700 per race and at the Goodwood Festival you are required to hand over £1000 in order to take part !! No wonder things are as they are !

[RTH]

This was 27th October 1974 Snetterton ( programme was still 15p ! )

[BigWig]

RTH - thanks for uploading the programmes. Our car was too heavily modified to run in the 7's, so there must have been another car going by that name during the same period.

I did manage to contact Geoff Poulter about four years ago, but I'm sure he was drunk at the time. He did manage to post me the only remaining photograph he has of the car (just finished, sitting on a trailer outside his house), and a letter explaining the build. I have since lost contact with Geoff, he seems to have disappeared.

All I have are the programmes in the loft, the said photo, a letter and the memories held by those who competed back in that period. That's all the information I have. I'm trying to slowly piece things together!