Thursday, December 19, 2013

Gary Allen's Nagari for auction.

Wanted to let you know that Nagari B8-57 will be auctioned by Shannons in Melbourne on 17th February 2014. Gary's family have taken the decision to sell his beloved car and hope it gets the same love and attention it deserves and Gary would want. I have updated the unique history of this Nagari in the attached document. I hope the file is not too large to give you problems. I could send it on a CD if required. Could you put the word around and I can talk to any interested people.
Regards for Xmas and 2014.
Ross
Ross' mobile number is 0478 228 399.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi John,
B8/57 was not built in 1970, it was finished off about August 1972, I see Shannons is advertising it as a 1970 model as well. Probably this should be changed to be acurate not two year's older then it is.

Anonymous said...

I will get Shannons to change the build year and update the history file, thanks RA

Jim S said...

For what it is worth, I don't think the anonymous commenter has got it quite right. My memory is a little hazy but I think I saw the LHD car at the 1971 Melbourne Motor Show along with silver prototype sports.
The Sports was definitely there because I remember vividly walking around and around it slack jawed. I'm pretty sure the coupe with it was the LHD car (B/57?) but I can't be certain as I only had eyes for the sports :)

What I am certain of, though, is that when I went to work for Bolwells later that same year (1971), the blue LHD car was on display in the showroom in the Governor Rd factory.

It was there for a long time and then it was disassembled sometime in 1972 or 73 and the parts going back into the store. The body was stored around the back of the factory.

The history quoted by anonymous could easily fit the original factory racer, the Cannon car. It was partly built when I arrived in '71 but lay under quite a layer of dust. It had been like that for a while. So body and chassis were probably built in 1970. It had a Boss 302 motor and had spent time at Lakemba being wired and I think the motor came from there, too. But it was back at Governor rd. stuffed into a corner when I arrived in '71.

It was completed in '72 in time for that years Melbourne Motor Show. It was exhibited on the Ford stand.

Late in '72 it was severely damaged when the trailer it was on came adrift from the tow car. A new body was built and the car reassembled by Ross McConnell and Terry Spooner over the Christmas/New Year break of '72/3. It was distinguished from the earlier body by having much smaller wheel arch flares.
This incarnation was then destroyed at Hume Weir only rise again with the LHD body and rebuilt yet again. (You can't kill Bolwells!)

Back to B8/57, my guess is that it was originally built either in late '70 or early '71. So if it were me, I'd leave the build date at 1970 unless someone can come up with definitive documentation proving otherwise.

Jim Shanahan

Anonymous said...

This information about the built date of B8-57 comes straight out of a copy of Bolwell's own records early from the 70's, showning all the other build date's and orders recieved from customer's for Bolwell cars. How could such car's like B8-28 be built 10/71 and then build another 29 Nagari's from October to December 1971?

Jim S said...

How could such car's like B8-28 be built 10/71 and then build another 29 Nagari's from October to December 1971?

Good question. I don't know why the records would show B8/28 built in Oct '71. Which car is it? And who am I talking to?

Anonymous said...

Perhaps someone may have photos from the 1971 Melbourne Motor Show of the Bolwell exhibit which would hopefully identify what cars were displayed that year.

ps the ..I am a different anonymous to the previous,I have no idea how to post my name as this site is rather difficult to leave a message.

Jim S said...

A photo would be really good!

To head up your comment with your name, click on "Name/URL" under "Choose and identity" and type your name in there. You can leave the URL box empty.

Or you can simply sign your name at the end of your message.

Anonymous said...

I haven't entered into this one yet as I've been offline for a few days.
The first article on the proposed Sports was Dec 1971 in Modern Motor: 'Bolwell's Secret Super Sports' shown in a very unfinished state.
Next article, June 1972 Modern Motor: Shown registered and with racing doors, no windows.
Oct 1972 Motor Manual: Shown with full window doors and a folding roof.
The Bolwell records as vague as they are, suggest up untill the end of 1971 cars upto B8/49 not including B8/43 were either ordered or built.
In the information supplied by Ross Allen (in the post): B8/57 was shown in the 1973 Melbourne Motor Show, maybe that's also when B8/47 was first shown.
Sorry Jim maybe your memory is a little hazy, B8/47 would initially have been built in 1972.
PeterG

Anonymous said...

Sorry again that last line was meant to read: B8/57 was initially built in 1972.
PeterG

Jim S said...

Hi Peter,
Well you've got the magazines with the dates! Can't argue with that. :)

It looks like my memory is out by a year which is entirely possible. In my faulty memory, I actually thought B8/57 was most likely built in '71. So being a year out in my dates, that makes it built in '72 and the original anonymous' comment is correct. And thanks for your input, Peter.

"In the information supplied by Ross Allen (in the post): B8/57 was shown in the 1973 Melbourne Motor Show, maybe that's also when B8/47 was first shown."

After adjusting the dates in my head and if I was a betting man and betting with your money, Peter, I'd say the prototype sports B8/47 and Gary's car the LHD B8/57 were at the '72 Motor Show and the '73 Motor Show featured the 'Canon Car' on the Ford stand and Ian(?) Crawford's coupe on the Bolwell stand.

I don't know the number of the Crawford car but it would have been out of sequence registration-wise as it was supplied incomplete to the owner. It had an owner supplied and fitted Boss 302 motor. So both cars at the Motor Show that year (whatever it was!) had Boss motors fitted.

Anyway that is my memory for what it is worth!

Unknown said...

Hi
I can provide information on the Crawford car. It was built by my Father, Eric Crawford, and was (is) number 80. It had the registration BN 880 and I believe it is still around.
I have a photo of it at our house and my Dad has a photo of it at the Motor Show.
If some one sends me an email address I can send copies of the photos.
Regards
Howard Crawford

Jim S said...

Hi Howard, thanks for leaving the information. It was an impressive car. I remember your father, Eric (thanks!), fitted 15x7" Globe mags early on in its life and was good enough to lend them (with tyres!)to Terry Spooner one wet day out at Calder to race the Canon car with. I don't think many blokes would be that sporting.
Yes, I'd love some copies of your photos. My email is jameshanahan at yahoo dot com dot au

cheers,
Jim

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the comment Howard, I have some later photos of your dad's car, it had Dragaway wheels in the late '80's. A freind still owns the car, but unfortunately it's been in storage for the last couple of decades. Could yo please send me coppies of your photos, I can send you copies of mine along with a magazine article of the car featured in Restored Cars magazine.
PeterG
bolwellcarclub@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Appreciate all the comments, but I am still confused. The plate on my brothers car is stamped 1970 but the chassis number is stamped N932898P. Any comments? I guess 1970 is the best build year, even if it was 1991 or 1972 when it was finished. Cheers Ross Allen. Ring me if needed 0478228399

Anonymous said...

Hi Ross,
Chassis #N932898P is a NSW police issued number, to vehicles where the original chassis number for example "B8-57" can not be found stamped on the vehicle. So for NSW new Rego's the police issue a new number and that's what has happend to your brothers car.

John L said...

B8/28 is not a good example as it's been around the block a bit. It actually had B8/13 stamped on the chassis and B8/28 stamped over it. At some stage it had a chassis plate with 1972 stamped on it as the build year. In 1979 it was fitted with a reconditioned Cleveland 302.

Anonymous said...

Sorry John, that's not ture I owned this car in 1983 and it had a 302 windsor fitted to it and it was the original engine supplied by Bolwell. I have heard the stories that this car was B8/13, but I could never see B8/28 stamped over B8/13 on he chassis. The Windsor remained in this car for the next two owners that I know of, so if it has a 302 Cleveland in it now it is from the current owner in Melbourne who has fitted it. It left NSW with the original engine in the late 80's early 90's.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, also I have looked at my pictures from 1983 and the (ADR) plate is stamped 1971. The car when I got it was very original, with its original paint Diamond White & red trim, Bolwell wheels & seats & original gauges. The car was a very nice original early model, not what I would call a car that's been around the block, at lease not in 1983 to the late 80's, before it went to Melbourne.