A chance to talk mostly about Bolwell Sports Cars.
Friday, November 18, 2011
A slightly different FJ
This was a race car in the Eastern states in the early 60s.
It looks remarkably similar to the metallic blue one that got around the streets of Adelaide and at local drag strips about the same time. Is it the same car?
9 comments:
Anonymous
said...
G'Day John, The Wal Blackwell sectioned 53 FJ Holden from Mt Gambier was built in about 1965/66 and was called the Starfire. I examined a sectioned FJ in Myrtle Bank in about 1978 and that car had all the hallmarks of the Starfire and the then owner thought it was the Blackwell car. Let's face it sectioning any car is a massive undertaking so not many around. Is not the Rod Coppins car as that had an EJ roof, nor the Lance Simmons car as that was also cut down to a 2 door 2 seater and obvioulsy not the Bobcat of Bob Moule. Chasing around Holden blogs it appears that the Myrtle Bank car still exists as a custom in South Australia. I know the pic on the blog looks early but it cannot be before 1968 (HK Holden in pic) so maybe the Starfire became a sports sedan before it became a street custom. From memory when I saw it it had a Simca front grille and HQ tail lights and was really well finished - red motor powered. It did not look like it had been a racing car in a previous life. Col
The FJ was built and raced by John Bertina of Western Australia. It has always been in WA. I purchased it in 1970. I knew John very well and watched him build it. He started building it in 1967. Then raced it at Caversham circuit where this photo was taken. John then raced it at Wanneroo Raceway in 1969. He sold it in late 1969 to Brian Phelps of Balga WA. I purchased it from Brian in early 1970. I am currently restoring it. It will be back in action this year 2018. Cheers John Napier-Winch of Wanneroo, WA.
9 comments:
G'Day John, The Wal Blackwell sectioned 53 FJ Holden from Mt Gambier was built in about 1965/66 and was called the Starfire. I examined a sectioned FJ in Myrtle Bank in about 1978 and that car had all the hallmarks of the Starfire and the then owner thought it was the Blackwell car. Let's face it sectioning any car is a massive undertaking so not many around. Is not the Rod Coppins car as that had an EJ roof, nor the Lance Simmons car as that was also cut down to a 2 door 2 seater and obvioulsy not the Bobcat of Bob Moule. Chasing around Holden blogs it appears that the Myrtle Bank car still exists as a custom in South Australia. I know the pic on the blog looks early but it cannot be before 1968 (HK Holden in pic) so maybe the Starfire became a sports sedan before it became a street custom. From memory when I saw it it had a Simca front grille and HQ tail lights and was really well finished - red motor powered. It did not look like it had been a racing car in a previous life. Col
The pic was taken at the Lex Davison Memorial Trophy meet in 1969 at Wanneroo and it was red motor powered. Did the guy come from SA or move to SA?
The FJ was built and raced by John Bertina of Western Australia. It has always been in WA. I purchased it in 1970. I knew John very well and watched him build it. He started building it in 1967. Then raced it at Caversham circuit where this photo was taken. John then raced it at Wanneroo Raceway in 1969. He sold it in late 1969 to Brian Phelps of Balga WA. I purchased it from Brian in early 1970. I am currently restoring it. It will be back in action this year 2018. Cheers John Napier-Winch of Wanneroo, WA.
I knew it when JB built it..
If you zoom in you can see John in the driver's seat.
The car in the picture was Built by John Bertina. A Western Australian Panel beater,Painter. (You can clearly see him in the driver's. Seat
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