Nagari quarter windows

The latest is a batch of quarter windows. They have a slight tint and are cut to size.They are $50.00 a pair plus postage and are available in the usual manner through this blog, through the SA Club or via the Beven Young network.

An exceptional Z

This is a 1970 Datsun Z432. It has a factory installed S20 Skyline 6-cylinder engine. 420 of these cars were built and from what I can see none have ventured outside Japan where they are understandably highly revered. They can't be called 240Zs because they were only two litres. They were Fairlady Z432s. The 4 represented the number of valves per cylinder, the 3 the number of carbies and the 2 the number of camshafts. They came with magnesium wheels, 5-speed transmission and "one of the sweetest engine notes you will ever find". This one is for sale for 8,800,000 Yen in Japan which is apparently quite reasonable. Going on tonight's exchange rate, that's A$104,761.

Are there any Atoms in Australia?

I'm sure there are but I haven't seen one yet. They're in New Zealand though. This one was at the Speed Show last weekend looking pretty crazy after the Neville Cooper Boss treatment.

The Mighty Hunter/Arrow

These rugged little cars are still popular among enthusiasts in Australia and absolutely ubiquitous in Iran. One of them won the "world's toughest rally", the 1968 London-Sydney. I read this week that William Towns, the designer of the Aston DBS, Lagonda and V8 models had a hand in the design while at Rootes. Obviously he took the tail light idea with him to Aston (that is after pinching the design from Bolwell).The car lives on in Iran (just as the Morris Isis lives on in India and the XK Falcon lives on in Argentina) in the form of the Paykan. Taxi drivers in Tehran, I'm told, wouldn't drive anything else. I wouldn't have thought they had much choice.Here's an Iranian police car.........and they even do a ute............which, of course, provides the basis for ambulances and camper vans.Is that a Mazda I see there?

The bonnet on Nagari number 1

With all of this discussion on Nagari power bulges, you may have noticed Peter G's comment a few days ago about the scoop on B8/001. To recap, he mentioned that it used the early narrow scoop turned the other way in the style of the Mark 7. Below is the famous release photograph showing a completely flat bonnet, something I, personally, aspire to, using fuel injection in the future. We all know that in order to lock that flat bonnet down they needed to remove the carby so the car wasn't running when the photos were taken. The first official public showing was in January 1970 at the newly opened Doncaster Shopping Town as part of a plastics expo. That was a static display too. Pete recalls seeing it as a 13 y.o. I remember it too just prior to my getting married. Gawd, I must be old.The February 1970 photos in SCW were the first shown with the car under its own power and there was the back to front scoop. The September 1969 SCW article showed the car with the flat bonnet.Below is a page from the February 1970 Motor Manual showing the same car. Well, it had to be - it was the only mobile Nagari at that stage.Here's a picture from Bolwell's archives showing the car on the road, date unknown (well, to me anyway).Finally, here's an excerpt from Pedr Davis' 1979 Australians on the Road. As you can see the colour has changed from white to yellow and it has also acquired a set of wind-up windows.I do remember the car being traded in on a Cortina some years later at a Paramatta Road car yard. Does anybody know where it is now?

Kapunda - week 1

It's seldom that I go down the street without seeing something interesting in the automotive world. So, I've decided to post a weekly shot of what I happen to see, starting today. This morning I found a large collection of cars from the Barossa club (including a very smart looking Austin Sheerline complete with the huge P100s) lined up outside the funeral parlour for some reason. Maybe they were there to be the first to collect Prime Minister Gillard's $2,000 for their old cars or perhaps they just couldn't find anywhere to park in the Main Street because most of the street was taken up with motorbikes from the Ulysses Club as their riders grew old disgracefully outside the pizza shop. Talking about Ms Gillard I couldn't help thinking yesterday that most of the cars she was leaning on during her cash for clunkers release were cars that I would aspire to if I were rich enough to buy one of them. Anyway, despite all this, I have chosen another picture altogether. Around the corner I discovered this Jensen Healey. It's actually a local car and the owner is a member of the local chapter of NARC.Now, while I've got the camera out, here's a few more photos I'll empty out. Firstly, this Jowett Javelin parked near the Willaston Hotel last week. A handy spot for interested people to notice the For Sale sign.And for all those who have been involved in the growing debate on modern wheel design and sizes this week, here's the wheel they use on recent model Aston Martins.And yesterday while out putting up corflutes, I took this photo of the polling booth in Marrabel. It's the "Oddfellows Hall".

The latest Australian Classic Car.

Must get down the street and get my copy.Come to think of it I haven't got my copy of the new Custom Kit Car yet. I know it's out. What's going on here?

Anyone got a nice XB Falcon?

Jenny Faimington is looking for a wedding car. It has to be an XB Falcon. If you can help, give Jenny a call on 0411 036 619 or at the office on 7389 5418 (RAAF).

F8/48 for sale.

Bolwell Nagari Sports F8/48

This is a damaged car that requires a Torana front end, Front clip plus other panel repairs.

Undamaged items include:

Set of laminated windows (including ¼'s & removable rear window)

Mercedes Benz material soft top & Torno cover

Interior carpet set (Mercedes black wool)

Wiper / Washer / Fan systems, Heater & Handbrake

Wood grain dash (Glove box lid signed by Campbell Bolwell)

Set of Auto Meter (Pro-Comp) gauges, Momo steering wheel

Wiring loom, Relays, Horns & Fuse box with wiring diagrams

Leather interior trim: Doors, Console, Dash & Rollbar

Aluminium Pedal Box assembly, Master cylinders: Brake & Clutch

Steering column with Gemini ignition & switches

Various Sway bars , Spring sets and 4 * Koni + 4 * Bilstein shocks

Wilwood 4 spot callipers, Group A rotors, Harrop steering arms

Locks, Hinges, Window winders & Door handles

Headlights, Indicators & Tail lights

5 Link Panhard rear end (4:11 ratio LSD)

17" Simmon rims 2 * 8" - 2 * 10"

New set of Proxy R888's - 235*17 & 255*17

Plus over two decades of Bolwell parts.

Expressions of interest welcome, call Dennis on 0401 145 817, NSW.

What happened Dennis?

This ad appears on the NSW Club website. I'm reproducing it here for the benefit of those people who have asked me about any open Bolwells for sale, including Colin L.

That bonnet

Kevin has dug up some old photos of his car showing the bonnet.And here's a couple of other cars with that bonnet style.But they were both racing cars in former lives.And talking of Kevin, he's redesigning the mould for the Cortina front lens and using different materials and techniques. Hopefully he'll have a high finish indestructible lens so that if a rock hits it, it will bounce off. He'll keep us posted on the outcome.

Road Test book in National Archive

Bolwell, Australia's ultimate sports car : road tests

Bib ID	1101122
Format	Book
Description	[Adelaide] : Bolwell Car Club, [1985?] [ii, 100 p.] : ill. ; 30 cm.
Notes	Cover title. "The Bolwell Car Club of Australia Inc. (South Australia Branch) has produced this collection of road tests ..." -- p. [i]
Subjects	Bolwell automobile. | Sports cars - Australia - Testing. | Automobiles - Australia - Testing.
Other authors/contributors	Bolwell Car Club of Australia. South Australia Branch

More bonnet alternatives

This scoop was designed for the racers. It's a little higher and has a provision at the front to let air in although Arthur hasn't opened his up.Kevin has. He has also taken the next step, an air outlet in front of the scoop to flow air through the radiator. That was also a race car development.If you are a Victorian you can have this attractive version.

Redline Roadsport

What a beaut little car this is. From what I can see it started life in New Zealand as the Beattie Clubman in the 90s. Then Kevin Hunt picked it up and ran with it in about 2003, calling it the Redline Roadsport. There's quite a few racing over there and several road cars. Just when I track them down and start to learn more about these Toyota powered, well engineered delights, they pick the whole lot up and take it to the UK where they call it a Beattie again.There's a UK website called Beattie Racing which shows some videos of a couple of these cars touring the New Zealand countryside. No addresses or telephone numbers.

SA Mk.7

From the Queensland page of the NSW Club website comes

"Dennis Andrado, who spends most of his time in Malaysia, has parted with his Mark 7.....which is now registered in SA."
It's looking good, Bryan.

Early and late Nagari bonnets

There was a time when there was a need to make a wider bonnet bulge for the Nagari. I'm only mentioning this because I've been asked about bulges a fair bit lately. Anyway this is the original narrow one. As you can see it springs from the days when carbies had pissy little air cleaners (or remote ones).That bulge is actually the one from the Mark 7 turned around the other way although on the Mk.7 it's a scoop not a bulge.The narrow bulge continued into the thirties (chassis numbers I mean) and were eventually replaced by this wider and more stylised one as the cars came out with the wide replacable air filters. This photo gives a better idea of how it looks. There aren't too many of the old style ones around any more because one by one they seem to be replaced by the newer type.

Do you know this car?

That is the question Tim Backhouse is asking. The photograph was sent to him by a friend who thought it was his old Mark 7, which it isn't. Tim's old one, by the way, now lives in Ballina NSW, inherited by Chris Wall (so that's where Chris got to).This one shouldn't be too hard to identify. I'd give it until the end of the day. It has a Vic. reg. no., it's competing in a hillclimb by the look of it, it has a BCCA sticker on the side and lots of other identifying characteristics.

Dutch news.

Leo Kusters reports that his Bolwell is nearly ready to go again with its new engine and new paintwork. Pictures will then be forthcoming. Leo had been running the car in endurance events, sharing the driving with Ab Flipse. This photo was taken at Assen in 2007.Meanwhile he is building this 2010 Chev Camaro for next year's GT races (Le Mans Series 2011).Here's a few shots of that car coming together.

Murphy's Mk.7........a bit more.

Sean says:- "The car I'm pictured with in 1971, talking to Dick, was his second Mk VII and was the one wrecked by whoever he sold the car to. This was a very special car and was a 4 layer (standard was 7 layers I believe) lightweight special order. Dad often speaks of having to move it by rolling the wheels as pressing on the body would damage it. He drove the car on a few occasions and says that while acceleration was impressive, it was its braking and handling that made it hard to beat."This photo is of Dick's first Mark 7. Where is that now? Dave Hamlin is rebuilding the second one, which has been no mean feat. It's coming along nicely, he's doing a great job. The intention is to race it. I can't wait.

Old German cars - fantastic

Exotics aside, German cars of the 30s and 50s were so interesting (and innovative). Borgward were no exception. They were so good that BMW saw the need to have them put down. This is my friend Marius and his Borgward. They are up North in Laura. I wish my Isabella looked that good.

NAGARI badges

The Nagari badges are here. They are $12.00 each as well. Beven will no doubt have them on his website soon and on the Slipstream merchandise page. I have to pick up the Nagari quarter windows when I'm in Adelaide next. There were 3 shades of tint. I chose the lightest one. They'll be $50.00 a pair.

WA memories

Sean's Bolwell "roots" go back a long way. That's 4 year old Sean with his hand on Dick's racer.When would that have been, Sean? About 1970? This car is referred to as Dick Murphy's second Mark 7 racer. Presumably the first one was wrecked in that prang at the pit entrance. Do 2 cars exist?

The Mark 7 with a boot

I've heard from Sean Martin, the current owner of "the Mark 7 with a boot" and he's sent some pictures. Firstly though here's some photos of the car being built on the banks of the Hawkesbury River in 1975.Sean says "I did buy the Mark 7 with a boot from Jeff Barry in 2004 and have owned it ever since. It's seen very little bitumen but I did drive it around a fair bit for the first year or so.....under "repair" permits. It's been on blocks for a long time while I've been renovating our home, throw in a lot of travel with my job and consequently things haven't advanced much. What I can say is that the car is a gem, it was well built from the start and was well sorted later on in its life. It was originally built with a 186 and a 3 speed Holden box, had a turbo motor at one stage and now has a mild 202 coupled to a M20 4 speed."It's still looking good don't you think?