Grp C/Grp A/V8SC 'Where are they now?' continued...

[groupnxu1]

Just wondering if any of you guy's can help me out? I want to add to my collection, and i would really like to track down a VL Walkinshaw Group A tourer not to worried if it is only a shell,roller or complete willing to look at any option.

One that i would like to know the whereabouts of is the EX Lansvale Dulux car last i had heard was that someone in Sydney had the car and it had road car running gear in it.

Any clues guy's??????

Cheers

Dylan

[Camaroz]

GNXU1,

Was that the car that was used in the Grand Prix and Indy Rally events? All done up in 'Strathfield Car Radio' livery.

[Falcadore]

Steve< my brains a bit funny - don't listen to me for a few days at the moment mm'kay?

[David Towe]

Yes Steve, mine is one of the first two built. One was a 325 they had in progress and converted to an M3, and the other was a new M3. I can't tell which I've got. I've emailed BMW Germany and am waiting final confirmation from them.
If you lift the boot lid seal you can still see remnants of yellow paint in places from the Sax days.
The ECU bears a handwritten name Trevor Crowe on it as though it were put there whilst it was out of the car for identification during repair. I'm not sure of the connection between Trevor and Sax if any.
The car was white when owned by Kiwi Motorsport and run by Sharpe and Spurle under Castrol sponsorship.
Any pics or Kiwi motorsport magazine articals anyone can supply of my car in different liveries would be appreciated. I'm preparing for the day when I apply for an "Historic" log book and will need these sorts of pics and magazine articals to prove the heritage of the car (plus it would just be interesting to read and have) and it's hard to track down any NZ reports. My email is djtowe@pnc.com.au
Allan Cattle also owned the car and ran it NZ this time with some stripe down the sides. Trevor Bills of Dominator Garage Doors restored the car I believe before it was sold to a UK collector (for the parts inventory) then on to Jim Searley in OZ who bought it from.
Perhaps you could help with some contact details for any of these people.

[adz_34]

Whatever happened to the XU-1 that brock drove to his first victory in '72?
and the twr jag that won in '85 where is this car today?

[racer2_uk]

Hi adz_34, I am not sure which of the Jag's it is, but one of the green and white TWR cars is in my friends office ! here in the UK.

Andy

[adz_34]

hi racer2 would love to find out which one it is. Its one of the few bathurst winning cars hardly anyone in aus talks about

[Crash Test]

Originally Posted by adz_34

Whatever happened to the XU-1 that brock drove to his first victory in '72?

Some names I've heard related to this car inlcude Dennis Geery, Barry Nixon-Smith and Dick Johnson.

[Sultan]

David, was it Trevor Crowe who drove with Peter Janson in (I think) the '88 Bathurst in an M3? I think they finished 4th outright & 1st in class. I think that was an ex JPS car too....

[David Towe]

Sultan, was that a Sax Racing entry?

[pete55]

Originally Posted by Crash Test

Some names I've heard related to this car inlcude Dennis Geery, Barry Nixon-Smith and Dick Johnson.

I think one of the Nixon Smith cars ended up with Charlie O'Brien in 73. I saw it run at Lakeside.

[David Towe]

Does Dave Bowden have anything to do with this car?

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by David Towe

Sultan, was that a Sax Racing entry?

There were 2 entries for Mr Sax at Bathurst in 1988... the #53 M3 for Trevor Crowe/Peter Janson, in Cardinal Network purple(?) (P200,P213 Great Race 1988), and the #54 M3 which was in the "Dulux Autocolour" design of orange nose, yellow rear (P130, P206,P217 Great Race 1988) for Kayne Scott/John Sorensen...

I am not sure which is which... the Great Race discussion seems to make it more confusing....

The Great Race book for 1988 says (p73) "One of the unfulfilled entries for a Schnitzer car, Australian entrepreneur Greg Siddle having been unable to stitch together a deal, went to New Zealander John Sax, who already had himself entered with Graham Lorimer in an M3. Thus No. 53 went to teh first JPS M3 built - the Jim Richards 1987 ATCC car in which the 44 year old Trevor Crowe has won the 1987 NZTCC - and No. 54 the 1987 Longhurst car that Sax and Lorimer had raced four times in Australia in 1987, had entered for Bathurst, then shipped home in disgust because they were on the bottom of the lost of reserves for Bathurst and seemed certain not to get a start..."

I presumed that the car you have is the M3 with the Autocolor paintscheme... which was crashed at Bathurst 1988 with Mr Sorensen at the wheel.... the pic on P217 of the Great Race book shows some of the damage...

[Group'C']

Does anyone know how many Sierra's Glenn Seton ran?

Bob Tweedie shows up in one now and then and another is in Tassie.
The one in Tassie turned up with a 2Lt NA motor in it,but had all the
bits to go back to the Turbo motor. Has fronted for a race meeting
about 5 years ago but had engine drama's in practice and hasn't
been seen since.

Did Ellery have 2 of the old seton cars?

[GTRMagic]

I thought there were only 2 GSR Sierras... that the one crashed at Lakeside was pulled straight again.... Celette (apparently a brand of smash repair equipment) appeared as a team backer at one stage..

Mr Ellery bought one, converted to 2 litre spec, and run by Mike Quinn in the enduros with Garry Gossati in 1993(?) in Tisco/Chelgrave colours, and in the ASTC in 1994...

Mr Tweedie bought the other, from GSR, in turbo form.. and apparently later bought the ex-Ellery chassis too.. after Mr Kratzmann had a run with it in Data #3 colours

[Group'C']

So both cars may have run in 2Lt form ?
One of the cars would have been low milage as Seto only ran a one car team for a while.

[Falcadore]

Tweedie was supposed to run the turbo car at Speed on Tweed last year but did not show for undisclosed reasons.

Ellery, funnily enough, crashed the Sierra again at the same point at Lakeside and missed the round.

[cornermsport]

Originally Posted by Group'C'

So both cars may have run in 2Lt form ?
One of the cars would have been low milage as Seto only ran a one car team for a while.

As far as i'm aware, Tweedie's Sierra has always remained a turbo car, and was never converted. I remember that he basically bought all of the tyres that were available at the time off all the suppliers that suit, which left all the other people trying to run old Sierra's high and dry!

[David Towe]

Originally Posted by Falcadore

Tweedie was supposed to run the turbo car at Speed on Tweed last year but did not show for undisclosed reasons..

Mr. Tweedie had an engine let go at the Eastern Creek Historics in June last year and as far as I know has not managed to rebuild it yet. Rumour has it that he had the boost wound right up although he'll tell you different.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by David Towe

Mr. Tweedie had an engine let go at the Eastern Creek Historics in June last year and as far as I know has not managed to rebuild it yet. Rumour has it that he had the boost wound right up although he'll tell you different.

Ah the old boost knob... compensating for a lack of driver finesse for decades

[Henry]

whoops, I've had issues!

[Henry]

Originally Posted by Crash Test

Some names I've heard related to this car inlcude Dennis Geery, Barry Nixon-Smith and Dick Johnson.

Dick is on record as saying that the ex-HDT Torana (apparently nick-named "Old Flexible", possibly due to it's crash history) he campaigned was the one Bond rolled early in the 1972 race. It was apparently Brock & Chivas' 1973 car, and then was rolled again by Dennis Geary in 1974 (he was teamed with the car's owner, Barry Nixon-Smith). Dick bought it from BN-S, following a hire/purchase deal which involved rebuilding it after it had been panel beaten following it's Forrest's Elbow crash in 74 and campaigned it into 1976, until he took up with Bryan Byrt Ford's efforts. What happened to the car after that hasn't been explained anywhere that I've seen... although this may be the place to find out about it.....

[A9X05]

Originally Posted by Henry

Dick is on record as saying that the ex-HDT Torana (apparently nick-named "Old Flexible", possibly due to it's crash history) he campaigned was the one Bond rolled early in the 1972 race. It was apparently Brock & Chivas' 1973 car, and then was rolled again by Dennis Geary in 1974 (he was teamed with the car's owner, Barry Nixon-Smith). Dick bought it from BN-S, following a hire/purchase deal which involved rebuilding it after it had been panel beaten following it's Forrest's Elbow crash in 74 and campaigned it into 1976, until he took up with Bryan Byrt Ford's efforts. What happened to the car after that hasn't been explained anywhere that I've seen... although this may be the place to find out about it.....

The 1972 Torana XU-1 No 24 C that Bondy rolled on about lap 3 in 72 was in fact a write off not due to the actual roll, but when the car was picked up, they put a sling thru the two front doors to lift it, and it bent the roof like a bananna! That car never returned, That actual car has been reproduced as a replica to all its former glory, and even has some of the original decals, from that era, supplied by the old fox him self the great Harry Firth!

[Crash Test]

Henry, taking to Barry on the weekend, IIRC he said it was the 72 Bathurst winner, but other than that, the story seems to be on the money.

[A9X05]

Originally Posted by Crash Test

Henry, taking to Barry on the weekend, IIRC he said it was the 72 Bathurst winner, but other than that, the story seems to be on the money.

The 72 Brock XU-1 28 C still survives and has been restored, only difference being it is a mixture of series production and Group C bits! It has the 1973 GP C Sprintmaster wider wheels and the side exhaust of that year! I have personally seen this car it has been around at different venues!
The 24 C Bond 1972 car as I mentioned in a earlier post has been reproduced as a very good replica! I actually saw the both cars at the Torana Nationals at the Gold Coast last Easter they looked fantastic racing around on the track at the Driving Centre! Its a credit to the current owners of those cars!