Bathurst entry lists for 1960s

[rogerwills]

Can anyone point me in the right direction to find entry lists for Bathurst or other major touring car races from the 1960s - especially 1964/1965?

Thanks,

Roger

[Phase3]

There's a great book out there called "Australia's Greatest Motor Race" by Bill Tuckey that has all the entry lists and results from the era your looking at.

[pete55]

Are you looking for anybody in particular Roger?

[rogerwills]

No, I'm looking for ideas.

I have a Lotus Cortina that I race in Europe and have been thinking about building a Mustang or similar to run in the longer endurance events. I'm a kiwi and got thinking that there may be something Aussie that would be more interesting and unusual. 1965 is the cut-off for most of the events but from what I can tell, Falcons only ran V8s from 1967 see http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au...ord_falcon.htm

and

Holdens from 1968 http://www.southgate.com.au/history.htm

So next thought was what was competitive at Bathurst in say 1964/65 that is not common in Europe?

Any thoughts?

Roger

[Pro Racer]

dose the car have to be factory with a V8 or can it be a V8 sloted into an earlier Ford or Holden?

[rogerwills]

It needs to have been homologated unfortunately - hot rods aren't accepted!

[pete55]

Should get an EH Holden. They are only a six though. Shouldn t be too many over there. A Studebaker is another, ran a 289V8.

[rogerwills]

I thought about an EH. But I think it was only homologated with a 3 speed column change and that won't be great to race.

[emjaya]

Originally Posted by pete55

Should get an EH Holden. They are only a six though. Shouldn t be too many over there. A Studebaker is another, ran a 289V8.

The Bert Needham Studebaker is still for sale.

http://http://www.classicrally.com.a...arketplace.htm

Scroll down, it's the eighth car down.

[pete55]

Another eligible car i think is the Chevy Nova.

[rogerwills]

Originally Posted by emjaya

The Bert Needham Studebaker is still for sale.

http://http://www.classicrally.com.a...arketplace.htm

Scroll down, it's the eighth car down.

It was for sale at the Bonhams auction in Perth - did it not sell?

[Phase3]

How bout a Lotus Cortina?

[rogerwills]

Take a look at my earlier post Quote "I have a Lotus Cortina that I race in Europe and have been thinking about building a Mustang or similar to run in the longer endurance events"

So another Cortina is not what I'm after!

We ran the LC in this years 6 hours but they are just not up to the really long distance punishment that a big lazy V8 will take. Hence my search for 2 things:

1. a big lazy unstressed engine that will run and run; and

2. as a kiwi, something from closer to home and a bit different (everyone has a Mustang etc these days)

The Cortina is fantastic and a great car but not for the longer events.

More ideas greatfully accepted!

Roger

[xrystl]

Originally Posted by rogerwills

Take a look at my earlier post Quote "I have a Lotus Cortina that I race in Europe and have been thinking about building a Mustang or similar to run in the longer endurance events"

So another Cortina is not what I'm after!

We ran the LC in this years 6 hours but they are just not up to the really long distance punishment that a big lazy V8 will take. Hence my search for 2 things:

1. a big lazy unstressed engine that will run and run; and

2. as a kiwi, something from closer to home and a bit different (everyone has a Mustang etc these days)

The Cortina is fantastic and a great car but not for the longer events.

More ideas greatfully accepted!

Roger

A few of the unusual vehicles that I remember seeing racing from that era in Touring car events and at Bathurst - Ford Galaxie , 2 or 4 door and could be had with 352 - 390 or 427 cubic inch engines , quite spectacular but let down by poor braking performance - the same could be said of the Studebakers , a few laps into Bathurst and they had next to no brakes ; The Chev Impala was tried by a few competitors , they were however underpowered and only available as a two speed Automatic (Australian spec) ; the same with the "compact Fairlane" 221 - 260 - 289 V8 but only with Auto trans .
The AP6 Valiant was available with the 273 V8 but once again only with auto trans .
V8s were available as an option in 1966 fitted to Falcons and Valiants and Holdens in 1968 .
Chrysler had some "big block" engined vehicles for sale in Australia in the early to mid sixties ,they were really overweight and were mainly used as Limos by the Government .

[Aarrgh8]

I could post the entry list for the 1965 Bathurst 500, but it would be of little use to you. It was a production car race then, and in '65 the only V8 in the race was a lone Studebaker Lark. The other 39 cars entered were mainly Minis and Cortinas, with a few Holdens, and assorted Toyota Coronas, Volvo 122Ss and a few odd things like a Triumph 2000, Renault R8, Vauxhall Viva, Fiat 850, etc.

A 1965 Falcon 2 door coupe with a 289 would be a reasonable thing to put together, but the '65 cut-off would make it borderline.

Edited to add... Xrystl, I don't know about the Impala being underpowered. The only one I remember racing was Norm Beechey's pale blue version, and running a strong 409 big-block with a Muncie four-speed, Norm could smoke the tyres at Catalina Park exiting the 'Tunnel of Love' down across the start/finish line and up the hill nearly 1/2 a mile away. That made an indelible impression on my 13 y.o. mind.

[johnny yuma]

Greg Tkacz runs a 1964 Studebaker Cruiser in Group Nb Historics at
Eastern Creek and other tracks.This is listed as 4600cc,it has disc brakes,
with today's better brake fluids even in stock form would probably not behave like the 1960s Bathurst Studebakers if driven realistically.The
Studebakers were also let down by wheel breakages,as were the EHs,as
stock wheels were required then of course.
I'm not sure of lap times but the Studebakers were quicker than everything
except the very best GT500 Cortinas.They probably guzzled petrol though.

[Forda]

[greenracer]

didn't the EH have a 4 speed version 'EH S4 '

[johnny yuma]

nah still the same 3 speed with double row bearings in the gearbox[the 179 was only intended to be an Automatic initially] and better brake shoe linings and I think some minor engine bearing mod.
4 speed arrived with the HR in 1966 [useless ratios for racing]think it was a vauxhall transplant.

[xrystl]

Originally Posted by Aarrgh8

A 1965 Falcon 2 door coupe with a 289 would be a reasonable thing to put together, but the '65 cut-off would make it borderline.

Edited to add... Xrystl, I don't know about the Impala being underpowered. The only one I remember racing was Norm Beechey's pale blue version, and running a strong 409 big-block with a Muncie four-speed, Norm could smoke the tyres at Catalina Park exiting the 'Tunnel of Love' down across the start/finish line and up the hill nearly 1/2 a mile away. That made an indelible impression on my 13 y.o. mind.

Aarrgh8 , the Impala that Beechey ran during the 1962 and 1963 ATCC was "If I remember correctly" powered by a 283ci Corvette engine with all the good bits added to it and put out about 350hp and was borderline reliability wise , I think the engine disintergrated near the end of the 63 season and the Impala was retired and Beechey then finished the season in the S4 Holden as his FJ was no longer competitive , if you saw it as a 409 configuration it may then have been added later for some other class of racing ? - I don't have any hard information left from those years so it's just my memory that I'm relying on , all the magazines that I kept from those years were disposed of by my wife as "just junk" a few years ago

[Pro Racer]

the FX Brocky drove at Goodwood a week before his untimely death was a bit a hit especially the way Brocky was sliding it around,but probably wouldn't be a good racer.

shame the Torrana's didn't come out in the 60's the XU1's would beat any V8 in handling and the A9X's well nothing needs to be said wins Bathurst by 6 laps and sets the lap record on the last lap (shouldn't be to many of those over there).

the EH would be a good racer as pete said,shame they didn't have a better box in them though.

[rogerwills]

Thanks a lot for the results and also the comments. All food for thought!!

Roger

[rogerwills]

Forda, do you have the '66 results as well?

[xrystl]

Originally Posted by pwr fan

the FX Brocky drove at Goodwood a week before his untimely death was a bit a hit especially the way Brocky was sliding it around,but probably wouldn't be a good racer.

shame the Torrana's didn't come out in the 60's the XU1's would beat any V8

the EH would be a good racer as pete said,shame they didn't have a better box in them though.

pwr fan , surely you haven't forgotten the mighty "Brabham Torana" which graced the showrooms in the sixties !!

[Forda]

Originally Posted by rogerwills

Forda, do you have the '66 results as well?