Group B MG Metro 6R4 History

[andy97]

http://www.racecarsdirect.com/listin...Brallycar.html

How Much?

Makes me really wish I'd robbed my granny for the ex Llewellin Computervision car when it was up for sale for c£70K a few years ago now!

[metro6r4rallycar]

Hello, where I can find Rick Lee please ?

[Bennett6r4]

[QUOTE=KA;2779498][LIST][*]Paul & Brent Bennett- (reg no. not visible)- won the K&N Filters Rally (EARS/Motoring News Championship). The entry for this also included John Price's 6R4 (DNF) as well as Jeff Churchill's


Hi I'm Paul bennett s daughter the reg no was Q491 VHR ..... Any more info needed let me know....

Cheers

[RGM]

Hello Paul Bennetts daughter.... last time I saw you, you were sitting on the roof of your mums(?) BMW with your feet inside the sunroof watching your dad rallying at Colerne....
I hope your Dad is keeping well.....

Ask him if he remembers me accidentally drilling a hole through his petrol tank whilst fitting underbody protection the night before he was due to do his first ever rally in the 6R4..... I was tired and made a mistake....!

I always liked your Dad and your uncle.... :-)

David...
Long time no see....
The Rover v8 engine is safe and sound, not much has happened with A20ROV in the past year, but the plan was never to rush it to completion, just try to obtain the missing parts at a steady pace for sensible money...

Craig bought the car as a pension fund.... so plenty of time to get it sorted and they are only increasing in value, so no rush.

Take care folks....

Mike Billett.

[RGM]

Just a quick warning folks.
I was contacted via this websites PM function by a person claiming to be from France calling himself: Massip Agathe <agat@ymail.com> and he signed his messages "Agatomik".
Asked me if I knew of any 6R4 for sale.
I then set about wasting the best part of a day putting an offer together for him.
To which he replied "It hasn't got a 6R4 chassis number".

This person is obviously just a time waster and I want to warn the rest of you in advance.

Mike

[M.Lowe]

I must of been asleep having not seen this thread
Aythami had a shell I got a contact which is now in the UK.

I will keep an eye on here from now
Regards
Mark
Metro 6R4 Online News.co.uk

[MG Rover Sport]

Eh up Mark - how's it going? I'm surprised that you never saw this thread, in fact I am sure I emailed you a link quite a while ago? Either way, at least you're here now!

Very coincidentally, I too heard recently about Aythami's spare shell, and where it has ended up. Be interesting to see what he has planned for it eh...

[GBRM]

Great thread chaps - wasted a day's work reading but well worth it.
I went to Prodive a couple of weeks ago and you're allowed to sit in all the cars - the first one I sat in was the 6R4 but I didn't get a good picture, doh!!





It was probably down to my acute embarassment as I told my friend to look in the passenger footwell as there would be a little clock showing the engine hours and there wasn't one!!

My late Dad's friend Colin had a Computervision car (I'm fairly sure a proper works car) and that had the engine hours clock but maybe it was a one-off.
Incidentally, when Colin spun his car at the Superprix race, he stripped all the gears, his mechanic took the box out to get it rebuilt and it cost £18,000 - wow!!

I remember a red 6R4 that was raced 87/88 in club MG races - the owner was a lovely chap and quite eccentric - walked with a limp and had a walking stick that contained a shotgun which he left it in the bar at Snetterton, not sure if he ever got it back!! I think he used to drive the Metro to and from the tracks too.

Also, I got an e-mail last year about my late Dad racing a 6R4 at Castle Combe after a TVR Tuscan race, starting from the back (as he hadn't practiced as not entered) and overtaking everyone on the grass!! I couldn't trace it though and the CC archivist couldn't either, so if it rings any bells with anyone then let me know - would have been late '80s, possibly early '90s.

[KA]

Originally Posted by GBRM

It was probably down to my acute embarassment as I told my friend to look in the passenger footwell as there would be a little clock showing the engine hours and there wasn't one!!

My late Dad's friend Colin had a Computervision car (I'm fairly sure a proper works car) and that had the engine hours clock but maybe it was a one-off.
Incidentally, when Colin spun his car at the Superprix race, he stripped all the gears, his mechanic took the box out to get it rebuilt and it cost £18,000 - wow!!

Hi Gregor, would 'Colin' be Colin Pearcy by any chance? I've got a copy here of a 1991 Autosport ad for 'A private motorsport collection', offering a Computervision Metro Turbo, Bastos Rover and Computervision 6R4. The ad describes the 6R4 as chassis no. 005, ex-Pond, and 'totally rebuilt for the 1988 Birmingham street race'.
The ad is illustrated with a pic of a Metro in Computervision colours, with registration no. B197XUD, which was one of the cars used on several national events in 1985, before the 1985 RAC debut

[bigears]

Originally Posted by KA

The ad describes the 6R4 as chassis no. 005, ex-Pond, and 'totally rebuilt for the 1988 Birmingham street race'.

But did he actually took part in the race? I got nothing of him in the 1988 entry list but he did take part in the 1989 race when he didn't finish the race.

[GBRM]

Originally Posted by KA

Hi Gregor, would 'Colin' be Colin Pearcy by any chance? I've got a copy here of a 1991 Autosport ad for 'A private motorsport collection', offering a Computervision Metro Turbo, Bastos Rover and Computervision 6R4. The ad describes the 6R4 as chassis no. 005, ex-Pond, and 'totally rebuilt for the 1988 Birmingham street race'.
The ad is illustrated with a pic of a Metro in Computervision colours, with registration no. B197XUD, which was one of the cars used on several national events in 1985, before the 1985 RAC debut

Yeah, same bloke and you'll probably find the telephone number on the ad was my Dad's - I've got the ad somewhere but all reference stuff has been filed now book done, back to normal life!!

[morninggents]

Also, I got an e-mail last year about my late Dad racing a 6R4 at Castle Combe after a TVR Tuscan race, starting from the back (as he hadn't practiced as not entered) and overtaking everyone on the grass!! I couldn't trace it though and the CC archivist couldn't either, so if it rings any bells with anyone then let me know - would have been late '80s, possibly early '90s.[/QUOTE]

Hi Gregor. My brother and I raced against (or, more accurately - were in the same race as) your father many times in special saloon and super saloon races and occasionally in HRSR races in more recent times. Your tale of him overtaking everyone on the grass at the start struck a chord as the first time we ever raced at Oulton Park in either 1969 or 1970 your dad was racing a Mini in the special saloon race (we had an Anglia) and he'd missed practice and started at the back. As the flag dropped your dad took to the grass and passed half the field before Old Hall - magic!

[GBRM]

Thanks Peter; that was probably 4th October 1969 at Oulton in Hugh Denton's 1275S Mini - unfortunatley the timing chain went whilst leading.

Hopefully someone will remember the 6R4 story but it could have been confused with many of the others!!

[bigears]

Originally Posted by GBRM

Thanks Peter; that was probably 4th October 1969 at Oulton in Hugh Denton's 1275S Mini - unfortunatley the timing chain went whilst leading.

Hopefully someone will remember the 6R4 story but it could have been confused with many of the others!!

Could you give s a definite month or date? So I can dig up my Motoring News to see if there is anything?

[KA]

A few circuit racing 6R4s, from the Castle Combe GT series

http://www.motorsport-fanatic.co.uk/...ialGT-6R4.html

[caprisport]

Originally Posted by caprisport

We have now desided to sell this car and all the parts we have for it.
This is the genuin mcrae/colman c84 RBD rothmanns 6r4.
The car is in norway and still in the glomma papp colors as seen on the photo.
Vidar@
Viko Racing

The car is sold.
Vidar

[KA]

Originally Posted by MG Rover Sport

.

Ken was the 2nd to use a Clubman 6R4 on a rally KA - 26 October on the 1985 Sprint Tyres Trossachs Rally.

Another pic of the Ken Wood 'Golden Wonder' Metro- and another instance of registration number swapping....All the pics I've seen of the car over the years have it carrying the same distinctive number- 261GWC...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tangosierraone/4738076258/

However, take a look at this video clip- the 1985 Trossachs Rally, with the Golden Wonder Metro clearly carrying the plate 'TFT882Y' on it's debut
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2LjhQskWl0
Presumably it was swapped for something more distinctive (and appropriate to the sponsor- it's only taken me 20-odd years to notice that the 'GWC' on the plate is presumably for 'Golden Wonder Crisps'!) between the debut and the RAC

[andy97]

And how about this for a real oddity.......

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...:B:BCA:GB:1123












& for those that are looking back at this from some date in the future (when the ebay ad will have time expired) - the ebay item is ....................................................a Renault Clio bodied 6R4 ice racer! Who knew?

[metro6r4rallycar]

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=146629175456

[GBRM]

My version:-

[MG Rover Sport]

Originally Posted by GBRM

I remember a red 6R4 that was raced 87/88 in club MG races - the owner was a lovely chap and quite eccentric - walked with a limp and had a walking stick that contained a shotgun which he left it in the bar at Snetterton, not sure if he ever got it back!! I think he used to drive the Metro to and from the tracks too.

Hi Gregor,

Apart from the rallyboys that took to the tracks during the 1988 and 1989 Superchallenge / Birmingham Superprix races, the only other individuals that I can think of that raced a 6R4 would be the likes of David Appleby, Sam Nelson, Robert Dennis, Derek Tyndall, Brian Walker, Bryan Howells, Colin Pearcy, Max & Rupert Turner, Ian Donaldson, etc - with the only red cars being Nelson's, Tyndall's and Walker's respective cars.

Both Nelson and Tyndal tended to run in the Merlin Special GTs at Castle Combe, but Walker ran in some form of Modified Saloon Car series mainly at Oulton Park, but I suppose there could have been a round at Snetterton? Walker's car was actually Cyril Bolton's Presspart / Rallypart sponsored car Q979 GFR.

Originally Posted by GBRM

Also, I got an e-mail last year about my late Dad racing a 6R4 at Castle Combe after a TVR Tuscan race, starting from the back (as he hadn't practiced as not entered) and overtaking everyone on the grass!! I couldn't trace it though and the CC archivist couldn't either, so if it rings any bells with anyone then let me know - would have been late '80s, possibly early '90s.

All I can think of is a Merlin Special GT race on the same bill as the TVR race, but I have certainly never heard any mention of your Dad racing a 6R4 before you mentioned it Gregor. If I find something I'll happily post it here...

[MG Rover Sport]

Originally Posted by KA

A few circuit racing 6R4s, from the Castle Combe GT series

http://www.motorsport-fanatic.co.uk/...ialGT-6R4.html

Nice link KA - cheers for that!

[MG Rover Sport]

Originally Posted by KA

Another pic of the Ken Wood 'Golden Wonder' Metro- and another instance of registration number swapping....All the pics I've seen of the car over the years have it carrying the same distinctive number- 261GWC...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tangosierraone/4738076258/

However, take a look at this video clip- the 1985 Trossachs Rally, with the Golden Wonder Metro clearly carrying the plate 'TFT882Y' on it's debut
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2LjhQskWl0
Presumably it was swapped for something more distinctive (and appropriate to the sponsor- it's only taken me 20-odd years to notice that the 'GWC' on the plate is presumably for 'Golden Wonder Crisps'!) between the debut and the RAC

Ken Wood's Golder Wonder sponsored MG Metro 6R4 was indeed rallied with TFT 882Y - but ONLY on the 1985 Sprint Tyres Trossachs Rally debut KA. For the 1986 season it was fitted with the 'infamous' Golden Wonder Crisps registration 261 GWC.

Your comment '...between the debut and the RAC' implies that it contested the 1985 RAC Rally, but I am sorry to point out that it didn't. After the Trossachs debut, the car was not seen on the stages again until the 1986 Skip Brown Cars Gwynedd Rally on 8 February. It did however contest the 1986 RAC Rally if that is what you were thinking of?

[KA]

Originally Posted by MG Rover Sport

Ken Wood's Golder Wonder sponsored MG Metro 6R4 was indeed rallied with TFT 882Y - but ONLY on the 1985 Sprint Tyres Trossachs Rally debut KA. For the 1986 season it was fitted with the 'infamous' Golden Wonder Crisps registration 261 GWC.

Your comment '...between the debut and the RAC' implies that it contested the 1985 RAC Rally, but I am sorry to point out that it didn't. After the Trossachs debut, the car was not seen on the stages again until the 1986 Skip Brown Cars Gwynedd Rally on 8 February. It did however contest the 1986 RAC Rally if that is what you were thinking of?

Yes, that was a moment of total brain fade on my part- I had it in the back of my mind that a privateer Metro did the 85 RAC- which of course was Geoff Fielding's R-E-D car, not Ken Wood's...

[MG Rover Sport]

No problems KA - proves you're human!....