Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The Mark 7 with the Nagari doors - part 1

Some time ago I posted the middle one of these 3 photos in a "where is it now?" segment.
Quite a while before that I had received email contact from an owner of the car who lived up the coast of NSW wondering about its origins. I'm sure I could put my hands on the emails from back then if I tried very hard. At that stage it was quite the worse for wear and had been stored out in the open for many years. This man had it stored under a tarp and was wondering whether it was worth spending heaps on bringing it back to the condition seen in these photos. Eventually the interest subsided and it was moved on to a new owner and disappeared off the radar again. In a nutshell, the car started out in Victoria, then lived for much of its life in New South Wales, then returning to Victorian ownership before ever so recently going back to NSW. Apart from the Nagari doors, there were other distinctive features of this Mark 7 like the well executed rear hatch and the unusual nose treatment that is not like a Mark 7 and not like a Nagari and described by Dino as "not like anything I have seen before". It has a protruding upper lip slightly coming to a point somewhat like a shark nose. Obviously the car started life as a pretty normal looking Mark 7 and its transformation took place in the Fibrecar days, not by Roycey, although his input was evident at the time. When Royce had Fibrecar, he was everybody's mate, and anyone who had a collection of Bolwell bits would end up there endeavouring to turn them into a motor car, with Royce's assistance and, no doubt, a bit of fabrication from there as well. This car was no exception. Rather strangely, I've been told not to mention whose project it was and I'm honouring that and as this story unfolds I'll do what was suggested to me yesterday and not use any last names. I've been told that the doors came from Barry Main's old race car. As we know, ProdSports as a championship came to a rather abrupt end and Barry was left with what was a valuable racing car one day being of no further use the next. Reluctantly, the car was eventually "parted out", the chassis going North to form the basis of Rob's project and mechanical bits and body bits going all over the place. This may explain why when John V.W. gathered up what was left of the body, his creation had no door tops and a modified roof (since altered). I can sense a few messages telling me where I am wrong..........to be continued.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

i am the new owner, and loved your comments. i want to know as much as i can about my new toy, so i would appreciate it, if anyone who knows about it could comment on it.
the car now lives in gosford, nsw.
regards vic.

Anonymous said...

can anyone tell me what the front blinkers are off...
vic

Colin said...

would the front lights be 240Z

Anonymous said...

I did see something similar on an early Honda Prelude 2 door coupe. But I guess that would be too late for this car.

Dino

Anonymous said...

i think you're right colin, the 240z looks exactly like it. thanks...
vic

Colin said...

John my question on the next installment of this car - is it the blue car that came to Easter in mid 70's/ with flat black nose and 240Z indicators? John someone? You posted a pic of that car from Easter in a where is it now thread?