It seems to me that all Mark 7s built in Victoria have back windows with rounded edges at the base. I have noticed this from day one in the sixties. Someone must have done this, possibly to make life easier when fitting the rubber gasket and everybody else has thought "what a good idea" and followed suit. I'm sure someone from that great state can explain. Below is the shape of a back window in the rest of the world and after that I have included a few photos of Victorian back windows.
Below is the original V8 Mark 7 currently being restored by Chris Gascoigne. It has been in South Australia since about 1972 when it was brought over by the then ABC television presenter, Denise Marcos. In addition to the round-edge window this car has always (as far as I am aware) had the Kamm tail as well.
Below are the 2 Mark 7s of Frank Rushton and Doug Seath and the Victorian back windows are evident. This was at a six-hour at Calder. Is that Frank pulling his trousers up? And is the other guy John White? Just disappearing off to the right is Tim Sherman.
This one is Doug's car again at a later six-hour. The Nagari tail-lights are evident but the moulded in number-plate surround tells us that it is an early one. Alongside the Mark 4 with its bonnet up is John Szabo's undercoat grey Transit van which was significant in that it had a 289 V8 right in the middle of the cargo area - the ultimate in 50/50 weight distribution.
Speaking of John, here is his Mark 7, complete with the aforementioned back window. John built this car in record time, bolted on the racks and went surfing, all around the country.
Now the black Mark 7 in Queensland that originated from Tasmania that was shown in one of last week's posts had a windscreen with rounded edges but the back window is still the "rest-of-the-world" shape.
Below is the original V8 Mark 7 currently being restored by Chris Gascoigne. It has been in South Australia since about 1972 when it was brought over by the then ABC television presenter, Denise Marcos. In addition to the round-edge window this car has always (as far as I am aware) had the Kamm tail as well.
Below are the 2 Mark 7s of Frank Rushton and Doug Seath and the Victorian back windows are evident. This was at a six-hour at Calder. Is that Frank pulling his trousers up? And is the other guy John White? Just disappearing off to the right is Tim Sherman.
This one is Doug's car again at a later six-hour. The Nagari tail-lights are evident but the moulded in number-plate surround tells us that it is an early one. Alongside the Mark 4 with its bonnet up is John Szabo's undercoat grey Transit van which was significant in that it had a 289 V8 right in the middle of the cargo area - the ultimate in 50/50 weight distribution.
Speaking of John, here is his Mark 7, complete with the aforementioned back window. John built this car in record time, bolted on the racks and went surfing, all around the country.
Now the black Mark 7 in Queensland that originated from Tasmania that was shown in one of last week's posts had a windscreen with rounded edges but the back window is still the "rest-of-the-world" shape.
I briefly lived next door to John Szabo in the mid-1970s and I remember his lounge room was filled with fibre glass moulds and car spare parts. He once took me for a spin in his Bolwell around the back roads of Morwell and all I can remember is the scenery blurring into nothing. A bit like when the USS Enterprise hits Warp speed. It was an unbelievable car considering it weighed nothing and had a huge motor.
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