1977 Ford Protest

[Kingair]

A letter in this week's Auto Action #1340 about a small team lodging a complaint about Moffat's all conquering Falcon's victory at Sandown in 1977. The letter writer says a small lowly placed Holden team with connections across the Tasman lodged a 15 item protest against Moffats Ford Team, which was dismissed. The letter writer then mentions the Tasmanian team driver in 1977 has popped up in the V8's stewards box in recent times handing out penalties to Ford Drivers.

Who was the team and driver?

Was it the Roadways team and Garth Wigston?

[rustyinsthoz]

Actually, it was Ian Harrington and Norm Gown of the Roadways team, Garth was the driver for the team. Interesting that the Moffat Falcons we disqualified from the the first practice session for irregularities in their differentials.

Mind you, this was small beer compared to what happened at the 1978 sprint race at Sandown.

[Silver 3]

Originally Posted by Kingair

A letter in this week's Auto Action #1340 about a small team lodging a complaint about Moffat's all conquering Falcon's victory at Sandown in 1977. The letter writer says a small lowly placed Holden team with connections across the Tasman lodged a 15 item protest against Moffats Ford Team, which was dismissed. The letter writer then mentions the Tasmanian team driver in 1977 has popped up in the V8's stewards box in recent times handing out penalties to Ford Drivers.

Who was the team and driver?

Was it the Roadways team and Garth Wigston?

Not across the Tasman-- across Bass Strait = Tasmania.

[Kingair]

Thanks for that gentlemen.

[Amaroo Park]

There was always rumoured that scruitineering at the time was not what it could have been, but as I say they are just rumours

[NewsStalker]

There were also rumours that like a proverbial saying, magnets wouldn't stick to certain Ford motors at the time! Apparently they weighed just a tad less than the normal production models!

[GTRMagic]

Must have been all those aluminium cans from the Coke sponsorship laying around

[Chatters]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Must have been all those aluminium cans from the Coke sponsorship laying around

Well if they were made from cardboard of a VB carton we know where THAT came from...

[PhaseIII]

The VB Carton was WAY BEFORE 1977 !!!

[Rob Bailey]

or the rumour when Bond 1st raced the Falcon GT XB at the Sandown Tasman round in early '77,that it had a stroked motor.

[billy bigtime]

All rumours gentlemen. Let's not bag the most successful team of any year ever.

[Rob Bailey]

Originally Posted by billy bigtime

All rumours gentlemen. Let's not bag the most successful team of any year ever.

i was not bagging them,i was a Moffat /Ford GT XB guy,loved those cars,but it was a rumour at the time.
For me the '76/77 years were my favourite ATCC time post the Mustang era.

[Chatters]

Originally Posted by PhaseIII

The VB Carton was WAY BEFORE 1977 !!!

Hence the

[NewsStalker]

As Rob says - not bagging anyone - they were the rumours at the time and they were never verified either way.

[Rob Bailey]

Originally Posted by NewsStalker

As Rob says - not bagging anyone - they were the rumours at the time and they were never verified either way.

I never thought it,IMO it was the Goodyear tyres,the late Mr C.Smith,Bond all fired up and a track that suited the big falcon.

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by NewsStalker

There were also rumours that like a proverbial saying, magnets wouldn't stick to certain Ford motors at the time! Apparently they weighed just a tad less than the normal production models!

that would have been normal for both brands would it not?

the real question is did it create an advantage, or did the disavantages out weigh the advantages

[Rob Bailey]

Originally Posted by peckstar

that would have been normal for both brands would it not?

the real question is did it create an advantage, or did the disavantages out weigh the advantages

in those days you could buy a paint that had metal in it ,so the magnet idea goes out the door.

[Camaroz]

Originally Posted by Rob Bailey

in those days you could buy a paint that had metal in it ,so the magnet idea goes out the door.

I have heard about this "metal paint". Spray it over aluminium and a magnet "sticks". What was the brand name, where can I buy some?

[Rob Bailey]

Originally Posted by Camaroz

I have heard about this "metal paint". Spray it over aluminium and a magnet "sticks". What was the brand name, where can I buy some?

Sambo made it ie VHT.

[RotorFan]

Originally Posted by billy bigtime

All rumours gentlemen. Let's not bag the most successful team of any year ever.

Why not? Whats your logic?

[david5]

Originally Posted by billy bigtime

All rumours gentlemen. Let's not bag the most successful team of any year ever.

Aaahhh...find myself agreeing with billy......it burns...aaagghhh.

[DAVID PATERSON]

Billy doesn't want us to bag the most sucessful team of any particular year, but he goes out of his way to bag the most sucessful driver of all time.................

[RotorFan]

That's what I was getting at.

[NewsStalker]

There will always be rumours and rumours about any team, driver or car. For example, despite being scrutineered after the race, the Bathurst '74 winning Falcon GT was rumoured to have a magnificent oil system in its engine that wasn't picked up on when post-race checking was done (it was discovered when the car was bought the following year though!).

[MPA]

I guess Garth has paid his dues over protesting after spending time as a steward.

Late on sunday night while everyone else has gone home and drinking milo watching some euro GP late at night he'd still be there in the stewards room listening to some protesting git.