Historic Sports Sedan Register

[Camaroz]

Steve Holmes, Bruce 302, Robert Ryan, Cavvy, Chucky, Trev Campbell, Valtheval, Pete 55, GTRM, Falcadore et al...

I had a long chat with Frank Ure today re Historic Sports Sedans and putting together a Register for those that are interested.

First step has been to set up an e-mail group, find this at hssr@yahoogroups.com

Second step is a slot on the card at the Touring Car Festival at Oran Park in January (Display and Parade Laps.)

Let's see if there is any interest out there!!!

Can you guys spread the word?

Cheers.

[F|sh]

camaroz the car we were talking about recently has gone tot he painters. Now that is a historic sports sedan.

[Crash Test]

We've already seen a couple out on the track here in demo runs at the QLD Historic meet. There were a couple of Fred Sayers Minis, Matt McGrath's Mini, the Thomas RX3, the Trenoweth Jag, some Anglias etc. Plus there are a few more out there floating around, ey FalconEL?

[cavvy]

would Dick Ward be able to run the Fiat Abarth in Rothmans colours - now that was muscle the way Dick hustled that off the oval at AIR.
Surely no cover ups would be required by the thought police! What next - a picket line to prevent the Ansett Charger appearing.....

[F|sh]

cavvy i'll find out for you wat colours it will be running tommorrow if you like

[cavvy]

Thats a yes please to the man in Freo F|sh

[thunder road]

camaroz; the only way that it would be possible to have a "sport sedan" class would be to bring all those "kings for a day" scrut's out of the 'retyrement homes'to make the day as difficult as possible,then it would would feel right as well as 'being' right,!!!so I suppose its a "quicky" paint job for 'FRANK' the camaro interested??? MJ

[Camaroz]

Hi Guys,

Fish, got your PM's. Good to see that the Fiat is comming back!

Forget the yahoogroups thing - too hard.

Lets see if we can spread the word here through 10-10ths.

I have organised a Display area and Parade Laps for Historic Sports Sedans at the Touring Car Festival at Oran Park in January.

Starters so far are Frank Ure's Torana and the ex-Gardner/Pollard 67 Camaro. I will be speaking to Tino Leo at Sandown about the Monaro and Clearihan about the Alfa. If we could get 12 cars that would be grouse! Anyone know how to contact the guy with the ex-Thompson Merc?

As for a Register, e-mail your interest, leads, gossip to info@touringcarfestival.com.au or post here!

The Register is interested in cars that competed as Sports Sedans from the early 60's (as well as the ASSC) through to the mid 80's when the class started to be 'infected' by GT Rules.

I don't beleive that Sports Sedans will ever attain a true Historic catergory recognition through CAMS because cars changed meeting to meeting but that may not be a bad thing!

I would also like to get a "Gone to God" file to record where some of these great cars unded up, i.e., the Corvair went to the tip, Thommo's Torana got trashed at Lakeside (Lusty), David Birks 4 door Monaro (ex-Ramsey Tourer) got crushed by a falling wall, Bob Jane's Monza became the Supra, Thommo's VW went to the tip etc, etc.

There may be some old ground from other threads being repeated but if we can keep the HSSA on 10/10ths I'm sure plenty of info can be recorded.

Keep the info coming, Cheers

[Robert Ryan]

Camaroz noticed a piece about the formation of the Historic Sports sedan Register in Auto Action ...in the "Historically Speaking" section.
Feel pretty good about getting that ball rolling with my original post.

The ex-Thommo Merc is now being campaigned by Roger Williams a New Zealander although the car may be kept in Australia.

Did hear that Thommo had the VW and was restoring it but cannot confirm.

Would be worth your while to be at Oran Park next weekend for the final round of the TranZam Sports Series on Saturday November 13.

Being as most of the guys involved in Sports Sedans, they have been in the game a long time and would know revelant history.

[jetsetter]

Seeing a lot of those names & cars brings back some wonderful memories as i don't think that there has ever been a category as exciting to watch as Sports Sedans were at their peak.

[Camaroz]

Originally posted by Robert Ryan
Camaroz noticed a piece about the formation of the Historic Sports sedan Register in Auto Action ...in the "Historically Speaking" section.
Feel pretty good about getting that ball rolling with my original post.

Robert, all credit due to you!!

Thommo's VW was back in his factory for many years but eventually went to the Tip!! Shame.

One concept I am thinking of is that replica's would be allowed. An example would be the VW. The last owner to race the car (I think Vince Gregory) would have the first option to build a replica. If He didn't want to, then the previous owner (Thommo) could! In the case of the VW though, forking out hundreds of thousands of dollars for a donor McLaren M10B may be a limiting factor!!!

[Camaroz]

Originally posted by White Knight


Would be worth your while to be at Oran Park next weekend for the final round of the TranZam Sports Series on Saturday November 13.

Being as most of the guys involved in Sports Sedans, they have been in the game a long time and would know revelant history.

WK, can't be there but can you spread the word?

Cheers.

[cavvy]

Originally posted by Camaroz

One concept I am thinking of is that replica's would be allowed. An example would be the VW. The last owner to race the car (I think Vince Gregory) would have the first option to build a replica. If He didn't want to, then the previous owner (Thommo) could!

Camaroz,
What about the Bob Jane Repco Torana - I understand the current owner offered it for $100k as a roller No takers (where is Bondy when you want him, Alan not Colin).

Could Bob Jane have a replica built in its original spec, LC & 4.4 Repco rather than the LJ/F5000 spec it finished its racing days in.
Thunder Road would weave his magic a la Camaro.

Keep going lad

[bartman71]

a mate of mine has got in his shed for sale an old sports sedan that never raced. it is an alloy Towbridge tub chassis with 12 P.P. either a VW or Hewland transaxle (Can't remember what it is) it has a Fiat 850 body that came off of a car in Victoria many years ago.

[Camaroz]

Cavvy,

The BJ Torana question is a good one. I am sure we will loose some cars along the way as hoarders and opportunists stash cars away! If you have ever seen in the shed where the Torana is you could almost gaurantee that it will ever see the light of day again. So, I reckon, we could modify requirements to read that the Original builder could re-create their original car! That would fix the 'yellow brick road' syndrome!!!

[Steve Holmes]

Hey, now this is a great thread! What a fantastic idea, and Camaroz will make it a reality too!

Camaroz, I'll spread the word here in NZ, and although its unlikely any Kiwi cars would make the trip for the January meeting just because of the costs involved, what I'll do is start gathering photos and information on the cars I know of which competed in NZ Allcomers, OSCA, Sports Sedan up until the late 80s, before TraNZam was introduced, and which still exist, and in many cases, are being brought back out and raced again.

Here's some straight off the top of my head. The PDL Mustang I, PDL Mustang II, Rod Coppins 67 Camaro, Ron Sylvester pre war Chevy Coupe, Don Grindley Mazda RX7 Buick, both Trevor Crowe Toyota Starlet V8s (the first had Oldsmobile power, the second Rover), Grant Brennan Escort Chev, Don Halliday Escort BDA, Brent Bullivant Capri V8, Ian Munt Capri V8 (this is the ex Aus Bruce Cary car), Avon Hyde Capri Chev, Rod Coppins Zephyr Corvette (this is actually a replica, built in the early 80s, but was driven by Coppins before he died), Peter Bennet Austin A40 Lotus.

All the cars listed above are currently active in competition, or have been up until recently, and all are in running condition. All the above cars competed in either Allcomers, OSCA, or Sports Sedan, and many were very successful too.

When these cars come out at NZ meetings, particularly classic meetings, there is huge interest in them. I imagine Australia will be the same. These are the ultimate in Kiwi or Aussie ingenuity, cars usually built in the backyard, using local ideas and local parts, and cobbled together to create something totally unique, completely spooky, and much loved by spectators. In many cases, the workmanship of these cars is world class. In other cases, its just downright terrifying! But thats why these cars were so spectacular, so popular, and so fondly recalled. A historic register for such cars has to work.

Then on top of the above, there are several which are being restored for classic racing, and which will hopefully see the light of day in the not too distant future.

Camaroz, I can start gathering photos and info on the above listed cars as being 'active' in NZ. I can email all the stuff through to you if you like, so you can print it all off and attach it to a Kiwi board or something, to show the potential Historic Sports Sedans have. At the very least, its got to stir some added interest in Aus to bring cars out over there. Imagine if the cars from both countries could be brought together once or twice a year. They're doing it with Historic F5000.

[275 GTB-4]

Originally posted by Camaroz
Hi Guys,
Lets see if we can spread the word here through 10-10ths.


I would also like to get a "Gone to God" file to record where some of these great cars ended up, i.e., the Corvair went to the tip, Thommo's Torana got trashed at Lakeside (Lusty), David Birks 4 door Monaro (ex-Ramsey Tourer) got crushed by a falling wall, Bob Jane's Monza became the Supra, Thommo's VW went to the tip etc, etc.

There may be some old ground from other threads being repeated but if we can keep the HSSA on 10/10ths I'm sure plenty of info can be recorded.

Keep the info coming, Cheers

Cam, AMC regularly runs a "where are they now" section and have featured several significant cars including the Gary Cooper F5000 powered beast. Check them out...write to them and let them know what you are up to....they are liable to be supportive

[pete55]

Camaroz, I will try and catch up with Jeff Barnes and Bruce Smith up here and tell them about it.

[Camaroz]

275 GTB-4, I have nearly all the AMC's and it is partly their MIA articles and the Robert Ryan Thread that got me (should be us) going. I will let MO know what were are all up to!

Pete55,

Has Jeff still got the ex-Briggs Monza?

The Register should be just that, a Register. There is no need to approach the CAMS Historic Commision, the Register can be part of the various ASSA's and if we get enough cars together, we can still run as Sports Sedans (Log Books) be it in races, demo's parades, whatever and be Self Governing.

[pete55]

No, Jeff doesn't have the Monza. I do know he was looking to find the new owner of the car a few years ago for some reason though. I don't know what happened to the Capri Bruce Smith ran either.

[Camaroz]

Pete55,

I did hear that (John?) White bought a Monza to rebuild the one he crashed at Lakeside. Can you ask Jeff is this who he sold it to?. This would be a significant car as I think the Briggs car it was the ex-Red Dawson car (I can sit corrected)!

[Morris 1100]

Barnes got the Mong from Mike Griffin who got it from John Briggs. Who did Briggs get it from?

I saw Barnes' old Mustang at Wakefield Park last year.

[Camaroz]

Morrie,

I think Red Dawson - NZ

[pete55]

It wasn't John White who originally bought the Jeff Barnes Monza. It was a newcomer to the sport at the time. I think i only ever saw it race once after that.