Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldtony
Re 1797.
What is the history of that particular Humpy?
The 05 number came into being well after that model was regularly raced, even after the A30 based unit in which PB gained his reputation.
Humpy's were not part of his background in my recollection.
EB is based in Victoria so may have more background on it than us non Mexicans.
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He certainly did not have a huge history of racing "Humpy" Holden. What I do know is that he obtained his CAMS licence in one though. Apparently he owned a few in his youth, before he raced legitimately.... a legacy of his days watching / following anything to do with Motor Racing and the fact Humpy's featured strongly. All the greats at that time etc. Basically he fell in love with them. My understanding was that living in Hurstbridge, what was then a rural area outside Melbourne, and Brocky admitted admits to doing a lot of "unofficial motorkhanas" around Hurstbridge in his wild youth and that required a steady supply of FXs. He would hot them up, although I think that as more stick radial tyres and big rims on.
As mentioned I know that he got his CAMS licence doing an official Motorkhana (driving a Humpy) back in the day when you could just do an observed run to get your provisional X plate. I believe it was the only official Motorkhana he ever did.
That particular car Bauble has snapped is but a re-creation and was constructed this millennium. Dont take this as gospel but my feeling is this car was created primarily to run at the Goodwood Revival. A local noted motorsport benefactor and owner of a large crash repair business in Melbourne (Phil Munday) also shares a love of Humpy Holdens and had a number of body shells collected because he could. One of those shells became the car photographed.
In between it had an Ian Tate (Ian used to build my engines for me) engine built and installed. Being a Goodwood special not many of the oily bits are as original in period.
Apparently Goodwood regs allow overboring etc. Anyway it was built so as not to look silly or embarrassing on track if you get my drift. Yes it has period triple SU's and cam, but a few modern touches like Mitsubishi rods....
Oh and Bob will be happy it has a Vauxhall (steel) crank!
Drive train consists of a Muncie box as opposed to the original three on the tree, and brakes are discs on the front and IIRC rear brakes are from a 70s Torana racecar of Brock's.
The (real) colour has no historical significance other than it was the colour Brocky had used in a watercolour painting of a Humpy he had done once. He called it Gum Leaf green!
As OT hinted I guess the car is reality is more a Brock dream / fantasy than one based on fact or his career.
Again as OT said the 05 number is a much later than Humpy era.... being something he first used on his Torana in the ATCC at Sandown in 1975. Brocky was very much into road safety initiatives and the #05 he made so famous from the mid seventies onwards related to the 0.05% blood alcohol driving limit in Victoria.