Lakeside today.

Good on you Barry.

Showed those Ferraris a thing or two.
Thanks Stacey for the pic.

F86

These things are everywhere.

Even a couple of black ones in our little town.

Ultraracecars.com

That 6 litre sporty at the Targa that caught Phil's eye (after looking up from catwoman) was one of Craig Williams' Ultras.

Here's a turbo Nissan powered one at the Mt. Alma climb a couple of years back.

Graham's Ikara.

Looks like a hive of activity. The pace quickens as an interruption comes up soon with an orchestral tour of New Zealand and Japan. That's followed by a move to a new workshop when the lease runs out on this one. Meanwhile Graham has the tedious job of getting the silicon off the windscreen surrounds. That's all that holds them together as that wonderful new material they are made from cracks into small pieces. This is something I'm not looking forward to when I get around to doing mine but by then both Ross and Graham will have become windscreen experts and can advise me.

What caught my eye at the Gawler swap meet.

Birdwood.

Couldn't spend a day at the museum without posting a photo.

Or two.

This is sad. These same cars have sat in this old stable for donkeys years, getting pooped on by birds and generally deteriorating. Nothing extra special really, but how long since you've seen a Mark 1 Consul? There's a Jowett Javelin, the first of the Coronas, a Fiat 500, a Dodge Kingsway, a Mini, an Austin Lancer, a Vanguard and one other car that escapes me (and it was only this afternoon). Never mind.

Rush

Doesn't come to Palace Nova until 3rd Oct.

Limousine?

That's what BMW called it.

You see, it has a back door.
It has a longer wheelbase than a normal Isetta so, I guess, it's a stretched limo.

Blue Flame.

Most people know that I'm a bit of a fan of the old Chev straight 6 and we've talked before about the long life of the engine from its beginning in the 1929 Chev International right up to the 50s and 60s and finally turning up in the early Toyota Land Cruisers, so it was a delight to see that people still play around with them and that someone has extracted 320 hp out of this one.

There was a Mark 5 in Victoria that was so equipped. This is the car.

I took this photo about 40 years ago. It's all a bit vague now, but it was right down the back of a workshop/warehouse on the outskirts of Melbourne. It may have been Motor Improvements. If not, it certainly had something to do with the 2 Brians (Shead & Sampson) that built and raced the Cheetah F2s.

A different sort of Pope.

The new Pope has just picked up a 190,000 mile Renault R4 to run around in.

Mark 5 on eBay.

Graham describes it as "an interesting project for someone".
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Bolwell-MK5-Sports-car-1965-model-/271277526104?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item3f29668c58

Michael.

It was really good to catch up with Mike Davidson on the weekend. Mike at one stage owned Nagari B8/58 which, incidentally, featured on our very first calendar in 1977. That car went to NQ and hasn't been heard of down this way since.

Mike, as you know, lives and breathes side valve Ford V8s, has written a number of books on developing the old Ford engines and produces parts including aluminium heads and fuel injection which you can read about at flatattackracing.com  He has been behind salt lake racing at Lake Gairdner since its inception and this is the first car he took there in 1990....

...where he achieved a best speed of 124.27mph.
His second racer.....

claimed a speed of 176.560mph.
Now he's working on the next car which will feature twin engines in tandem, supercharged, fuel injected, with nitrous oxide, in fact, anything that makes horsepower.
1. This is the mould for the streamlined body.

2. 3/4 view of the rollcage.

3. Rear of chassis showing parachute tubes and rollcage.

4. Steering.

5. Trailing bottom wishbone, disc brakes and air shocks.

6. Toploader 4-speed connected to overdrive unit 47% stepup, oil filters and power brake booster.

7. 4-speed toploader transmission bolted up to thebellhousing, overdrive unit and quickchange rear end.

8. 2 gallon fuel tanl, low pressure fuel pump, high pressure fuel pump, air tanks, hydraulic steering ram.

9. Overdrive unit before assembly, 47% stepup.

10. The engines.

11. Supercharger and nitrous oxide bottle.

12. Front of front engine.

13. Rear of front engine.

14.front of rear engine.

15. Intercooler- fed by carbon dioxide (total loss system).

16. The engine block D ported and sleeved.

17. Boxed connecting rods and pop-up pistons.

18. Fabricated plenum and 62mm throttle body.

As you can see it's quite a project and with a bit of luck it will be ready for the next big week at the lake early next year. If not, there's always the year after.

Beauty in the eye of the beholder.

Simon Wells writes...

"You mentioned the Mk 4 with the “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” windscreen.

Here’s a couple of pictures of my Buchanan as purchased with a Mini windscreen bonded in, and a hardtop made from part of a mini roof.

After an attack with a grinder, some wire wheels and a coat of paint it didn’t look too bad."

Yes, it certainly turned out to be a pretty car. Other Mini parts are the door hinges. Is that where George got the idea for the Mark 5?

Kapunda - week 67

The Early Ford V8 Club rolled into town for the weekend. A nice group of people. Here's a few car pics.