1970's & 80's Super Saloons & Special Saloons (merged)

[glyn parham]

The #30 Escort; is that Dave Matthews?

It certainly is Clive.

Glyn

[Blazerteam]

Røsvoll in Mo i Rana Norway..the year is 1976.

[big andy]

are any of the above still racing

[Gerry Taylor]

I would like to know that too Andy.

[Gerry Taylor]

Here's a picture of SHAWS HAIRPIN at MALLORY PARK taken late 1972.
Note: No Fireproof Overalls, or anything protective at all. A packet of Woodbines and a Meat Pie for lunch.
Happy Days.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by big andy

are any of the above still racing

That Lime green Kadette looks like it's been driven straight in from the car park compared to the other machines?!

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Gerry Taylor

Here's a picture of SHAWS HAIRPIN at MALLORY PARK taken late 1972.
Note: No Fireproof Overalls, or anything protective at all. A packet of Woodbines and a Meat Pie for lunch.
Happy Days.

Great stuff Gerry, the woodbines and pie, I mean!!

[Clive Brown]

Originally Posted by chunterer

That Lime green Kadette looks like it's been driven straight in from the car park compared to the other machines?!

What lime green Kadett?

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Clive Brown

What lime green Kadett?

I thought the same thing Clive then scrolled up at re-visited post #577 and found car number 501 with a stoved in door & front wing...

[Clive Brown]

Oh, that lime green Kadett!

My fault entirely, for assuming that poor old Chunters could keep up with events!

[Mike Bell]

Great pic Gerry! Keep 'em coming......

[ezwalk43]

Gerry,
Remember watching an early season race at Mallory about 72 where there was a lime green 1 litre Escort driven by Mike Young from Superspeed - very quick but retired half way through. Not sure if its the one in your pic though,
Ez

[ezwalk43]

From the days when you could pick up ex British Saloon Championship cars for a song these graced my garage in the mid 80's:
The ex Terry Sanger Falcon
The ex Dennis Leech Boss 429 Mustang
Th ex Martin Birrane Boss 302 Mustang

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by ezwalk43

From the days when you could pick up ex British Saloon Championship cars for a song these graced my garage in the mid 80's:
The ex Terry Sanger Falcon
The ex Dennis Leech Boss 429 Mustang
Th ex Martin Birrane Boss 302 Mustang

Superb, what ever happened to them after they left your premises?

[Gerry Taylor]

Originally Posted by ezwalk43

Gerry,
Remember watching an early season race at Mallory about 72 where there was a lime green 1 litre Escort driven by Mike Young from Superspeed - very quick but retired half way through. Not sure if its the one in your pic though,
Ez

Looked through a load of old programmes mate, and can't find who the driver of the Escort was. Maybe it was Mike, I did race against him, and John.
Lost in the mists of time I'm afraid. It looked like it was a mid-summer race by the weather though. Seems like yesterday.

great photographs Ez. Bet you wish you still had them under wraps today eh?

[Gerry Taylor]

Way back in 1967 & 68 I had a 1650 cc motor. We used to tow it to Prees Heath, a disused airfield in the countryside. The car was an all steel bodied car, and the engine was built on the kitchen table ( well, virtually anyway). Here's my little brother Jeff, who I used to drag along on a Saturday to help me. Just the two of us, an old tow car and the proverbial fags & a flask.
By contrast, my old friend and adversary George had a better set up, and was a brilliant engineer, whilst I fried Fish n' Chips to pay for my lovely car.
Two pictures from the past. Enjoy.

[ezwalk43]

The was no historic racing for cars like mine back then but the plan was to keep the two Mustangs until a class started then sell one to pay for the restoration of the other - was a good plan too although would have had to keep them over twenty years before a suitable formula started! Unfortunately a divorce in '87 cost me the lot plus a few other old special saloons I had at the time. The Falcon went to Sweden and the two Mustangs to the USA - the Boss 302 was an original factory development trans-am car before it came here and got restored into a typical "school bus yellow" 1970 factory trans-am colour scheme to run vintage races while the Boss 429 is still under restoration.

And Gerry - dug the programme out from that Mallory race March 26 1972. You finished 5th one place ahead of a Steven Soper and the Escort was driven Mick Young according to the programme - maybe I assumed it was Mike Young of Superspeed by the way it was so quick,
Regards,
Ez

[chunterer]

Christ so Soper was competing as early as '72 then?

We learn things every day!!

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Clive Brown

Oh, that lime green Kadett!

My fault entirely, for assuming that poor old Chunters could keep up with events!

Sorry, I don't follow......

[Gerry Taylor]

Thanks Ez. Yes Steve was in a few races at the time. I'm only guessing here, but would the race have been won by either Doug Griffiths or Terry McNally? They were in the travelling circus that year.

I'm attaching another couple of photographs from 67/68 of the old 1650 engine compartment. The other is of the car itself. Very heavy, but then we all were in those days, well before spaceframes, and lift off bodies. I had one set of tyres in those days, Firestones I think? I often look back and think of those days, you know before the thought of chasing points in championships, or trying for that extra tenth of a second. Then it was just fun, trial and error...but most of all just fun. Enjoy.

[Alan Raine]

Originally Posted by Gerry Taylor

Here's a picture of SHAWS HAIRPIN at MALLORY PARK taken late 1972.
Note: No Fireproof Overalls, or anything protective at all. A packet of Woodbines and a Meat Pie for lunch.
Happy Days.

The same corner in 2011. Unfortunately you need a Press Pass to get in the same position, but there is one spot where you can poke a lens through a gap in the fencing to get some almost head on shots of the cars coming into the Hairpin. Mallory is one of the better places for photos.

[ezwalk43]

Gerry,
1,2,3 in this race were Pete Baldwin, Dave Gunn and Mike Evans.
Steve Soper was driving an Imp that day but was b~~~~y quick in what ever he drove - was incredible in an A35 against my Zephyr in classic saloons round about 1979,
Regards,
Ez

[Gerry Taylor]

Dear Pete, see picture...165 and still racing!
David Gumm or Gumn, was also quick, but my dear old mate in the 850 mini MIKE EVANS was amazing, you really had to work hard to shake the bugger off!

[Geoff Clement]

Can anyone advise me if a fully space framed ,fibre glass bodied purpose built, 6ltr race saloon is elligeable to race in any formulae in the UK this year.?

[oneofapair]

Hello Geoff, I would have thought that possibly Lydden with semsec,not sure if there is a maximum engine size re Lydden races?? Might only apply to single seaters?? Oulton/darlington and district motor club?? Castle combe? Welsh racing Drivers association (WRDA) pemrey/anglesey??
If it fits in with the new CSCC series and is a new build they are running an invitation class ,if historically a special/silhouuette it would be allowed to run in an appropriate class ???

Above is me thinking "out Loud" worth a little look though! Good Luck

John Woods