Mo Harness GRD Leabro 372

[Chris Townsend]

Petter

I think that Allen maybe needs to update that info [which is maybe from a certain book on NZ motorsport - or was it me!]
Anyway - I've just spent a happy day in the company of 1971 Autosport and Motoring News
A/S carries a very full report on the company 30.9.71 pp. 37 - 40
They show a photo of McConnell's car which they say is bound for NZ and decribe it as the first car built
There are a number of photos, in one of which you can see work going on on the prototype 372

14.10.71 A/S says that Martin Watson has ordered the first customer car to race in UK

M/N report is 23.12.71 pp. 6 - 7
It says that McConnell's car was first built and has already left for the Tasman series
The 372 driven by Sutcliffe at the end of the season is tested
Watson's car is seen under construction.

I think this backs up
010 McConnell, returned to UK converted to F3 for Harness
011 Sutcliffe [F3] which stays as works hack car until August at least
012 Watson, new for 1972

The differences of set up between F2/FB/F3 GRD was minimal - it was a matter of different fuel tanks and engine frames.

Chris

[Dan Rear]

Chris, did we say where the Watson car is now, I can't recall ?

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by Chris Townsend

Petter

I think that Allen maybe needs to update that info [which is maybe from a certain book on NZ motorsport - or was it me!]

No, not Vercoe. I changed it from 010 to 012 a while ago following a discussion on the main GRD thread. I'll defer to you on any Atlantic chassis numbers. Shall I change it back to 010?

Allen

[Chris Townsend]

Yesterday I got the results of an obscure Atlantic race at Road America in August 1974. Amongst the retirements was Cliff Hansen in a GRD-BDA entered by Swanson Racing!
It looks as though Bev Bond's car made it to the US, even if he didn't. This is still the only appearance for the car that year [so far] but don't have all the runners from Waterford Hills, where it would also have made sense for it to appear. It's not on the very full entry list at Watkins Glen, so wonder what happened to it.

Chris

[Chris Townsend]

Apologies
Meant Dave Walker, not Bev Bond, who also raced GRD FB briefly

[nickp]

Hi Dan

012 is sitting in my garage awaiting a complete rebuild, i have the original bill of sale and the original RAC certificate of conformity together with a letter from AB wild on its authenticity. The car was actually sold to John Watson (Martins Father -bill of sale.but that would be splitting hairs!)

regards

[Snowy]

Adam,
The GRD is chassis 019 F2, which was apparently the 'backup' chassis according to Dave McConnell. Other than some tarnish from sitting it is excellent condition. The original car #10 or #11 that Dave drove he said was not changed, he belives it was the same car driven in the Tasman series then brought back to Canada; although he is not 100% about this. Jacques Couture still lives in California and Dave said he ask Jacques about the chassis.
I have purchased a David Wood BDA to put in the GRD as a number of GRD's have a Wood BDA listed, to keep it period correct. So I am looking for more information on the Wood engines.
Mike

[wbmoore]

How do guys ?

Here are two more GRDs to ad to the group. I'm the owner of "272 020 F2" and "B73 074 FB". 020 is complete and waiting it's turn to be freshened. 074 is in need of a complete restoration. It used to be owned by Willy T. Ribb's father and was (I assume) raced by Willy.

Great to find other GRD owners. brad moore.

[Chris Townsend]

Brad

Welcome and great to learn of the existence of another GRD Atlantic.
B73 074 FB would most likely be, I guess, either the John Milledge/Archie
Snider car - which would give the car a west coast history mainly in SCCA
from 73 to 75, or the 1973 DART car allegedly sold to Mike Hiss, though I can't find evidence of this appearing in UK or US. More remote possibility is
that it's the ex Bev Bond car, which would mean US history starts 1974 at
the earliest.

Do you have any back history of 074?

Chris

[wbmoore]

How do Chris ?

It's the Milledge car. I bought it as part of a deal and am slowly (very) getting all the parts together....still missing some odds and ends. Some of the bits are as hard as Hen's teeth to find........like wheels. It was always a San Francisco Region S.C.C.A. car. I received a record of the previous owners when I bought it. I have the names out at the shop and will send them along when I next get out there.

There are three other cars that I know of out here on this coast.

Do you know of any information sites for GRDs ? Or Books ? I have some period articles but am always looking for more.

Great to hear form you. brad moore.

[Chris Townsend]

Brad

That's great and look forward to getting the complete back history of the car.
There aren't any books, or for that matter contemporary articles - as far as I know - on GRD. I guess that this thread is it, based largely upon Adam Ferrington's expertise in gathering GRD chassis nos in the 1970s and keeping the records.

It did occur to me that the GRD build records might be with Van Diemen who took
over the GRD operation in 1976. Has anyone ever looked into this?

Can we discover more about the other 3 west coast cars? I presume that one of these has to be the ex DART car.

Chris

[wbmoore]

Chris.....

One is is Southern California and the other two that I know of are up north.

The person that owns the two thinks one car is the Wheatcroft/Williamson car. I think not, but maybe............

More info coming. brad.

[Chris Townsend]

Brad

Was there a point at which your Milledge car was fitted with a BDA?
It would have been delivered with a t/c for FB in 1973, but by 1975 Milledge was
able to beat Don Briedenbach's March 75B in SCCA, which I would have thought
unlikely if he still had a t/c in the back.

Chris

[HH Tech]

Hello
I found a Picture of #10 on the front of Autosport 30september 1971 as a F2 with FT400 gearbox with FT200 internals and BDG engine. Car was intended for "Canadian driver John McConnell to take to the Tasman series"





Henrik

[allenbrown]

Anyone need to talk to Milledge? Someone I know was talking with him about a M10A last week.

Allen

[Dan Rear]

Isn't that a great pic. I guess the white coats are meant to signify what a high-tech scientific outfit GRD was. Anyone know who they all are ?

[Michael Oliver]

Originally Posted by Dan Rear

Isn't that a great pic. I guess the white coats are meant to signify what a high-tech scientific outfit GRD was. Anyone know who they all are ?

Left to right: Jo Marquart, Derek Wild, Gordon Huckle, Dave Baldwin. Jo and Dave were both designers but I am not sure who did what - I would guess Jo did the sports cars and Dave the formula cars as Dave had already designed the Lotus 59 and 69, maybe someone with more knowledge of GRD can put me right on that one!? As most of you will know, Jo sadly died a few years back. Dave still works for Van Diemen after all these years! Derek was a fabricator with Team Lotus and still works for Van Diemen today.

Gordon was a former Chief Mechanic at Team Lotus, he had worked with Alan McCall on Jimmy Clark's cars in 1967 and before that as well (e.g. on the 33s). After a spell IIRC on the 47s and 62s, he returned as Chief F1 Mechanic for the 1970 season. By the time Monza came round, he was suffering from exhaustion (in common with most of the GLTL F1 mechanics that year) so did not travel to that race and in fact I think I am right in saying did not do any more races that year. Gordon is now happily retired. I had recent contact with Derek, Gordon and Dave concerning a Gold Leaf Team Lotus reunion I organised earlier this year and in fact Dave came along to the event.

Hope this helps!

Cheers

Michael

[Dan Rear]

Very interesting thanks Michael, did Derek do any racing himself, F4 rings a vague bell ?

[Michael Oliver]

Originally Posted by Dan Rear

Very interesting thanks Michael, did Derek do any racing himself, F4 rings a vague bell ?

Not sure about that, I haven't ever met Derek, only had a brief conversation on the phone and he didn't want to attend the re-union, so I didn't get a chance to talk to him in more depth...

[Matthew Sturmer]

I have just picked back up on this thread.
I purchased an F3 GRD back in March, and it came with an amount of paperwork. One piece was dated circa 2000 and was from a German guy who was trying to collate a record chasis and had set up Classic Team GRD. It said that he had picked up some of the chassis records of GRD on a trip to Van Diemen when he had met Derek Wilds. If anyone is interested I will dig out the contact details of this chap.
As an aside, Peter Denty has access to many GRD parts, moulds, castings and general information.

[allenbrown]

Oh yes, definitely interested!

[Adam Ferrington]

Matthew,

Yes, I would definitely be interested in any factory derived records for GRD.
At the time I compiled an incomplete list of cars and there owners, but there are many gaps!

[Matthew Sturmer]

Sorry for the delay in getting back, few IT issues!

The name of the chap who Derek Wild gave some GRD information to was Ekkhard Krause. From looking at the letters they were dated end of 95. I you send me a pm I will forward you the address and phone/fax numbers that I have.
As an aside, I also have a letter from a chap named Per Erik Syverstad of Norway from the same period who at that time had two GRD's. He had 373 no.47 that he had restored, and he also had 372 no 10 which was in bits, but with a new tub. At the time both of these cars were for sale.

The car that I have is a Van Diemen / GRD 376 which I am restoring for use in the HSCC Classic F3 Championship. The chassis number is either 02 or 102 and I have it's history from 1980 to date but not the first 4 years. It appears to have always run a 2ltr Lotus Twin Cam engine and spent it's time in Scandanavia. Any info would be appreciated.

I have also come across 2 other F3 GRD's that are currently in bits but being rebuilt in Woking. At present I don't know what the chassis numbers are but they appear to be early cars as the tubs are tapered at the rear for side mounted rads.
When I find out the numbers I will let you know.

[Adam Ferrington]

Thank you Matthew.

I have sent you a PM.

[Rob021]

hello- I am completely new to this forum so please bear with me if I make a few mistakes. I am currently racing GRD chassis 021 in the eastern US and know very little about the history of the GRD cars. I was racing at Watkins Glen and happened to meet Mike Snowdon and John Milledge both of whom provided significant backround information. Mike mentioned this forum to me and I can see from the various entries that there are several of you who know a great deal about the cars and have quite a bit of historical information.
I am planning to keep the car as period correct as possible and would like to race it with its original livery which I understand was as a Gitanes sponsored car. Would anyone be able to tell me how I might locate a period photo of the car? Also would anyone have any information about the car after it was driven by Passadore in 1973?
Any background information that anyone might have about the car would be greatly appreciated.