1969-74 Bolwell Nagari: Once a kit car, now a cult car.
03 January 2014
Colours can change the whole aura of the Nagari more than most cars.
Soft-sheen metallics seem to integrate the various body details and make
its fibreglass construction less obvious. The early Cortina
parking/indicator units which Bolwell recessed into the body seemed
purpose-made for the Nagari.
The Nagari marked Bolwell’s transition from kit car to factory turn-key
sports car. Because of tiny local volumes, the Nagari owed as much to
readily available local components as inspired design, highlighting the
fundamental difference between it and mainstream factory rivals. Yet the
Nagari has stood the test of time as the only all-Australian sports car
ever that can boast a production run of four years and an estimated 118
examples, many of which raced successfully.
The Nagari, first seen as a Mark VIII kit powered by anything from a
Ford Kent four to a Holden six according to an owner’s whim and
finances, was pushed into factory production to protect the integrity
and quality of the V8 design. Its Aboriginal name translates to
something that flows, appropriate given the fibreglass body and the way
it looked. The Nagari badge was used to separate its factory-build
status from those before it.
The larger bonnet hump and MGB parking/indicator lights identify this example as a later model with Cleveland power.
Attempts to rate the Nagari against the Chevrolet Corvette or Lotus
Elan, are neither realistic nor helpful as early Nagari examples could
never match their factory development and parts. Even the AC Cobra, a
mainstream production AC Ace with a Shelby Ford V8 engine transplant, is
not a fair comparison. Perhaps the closest in concept and execution was
the TVR Griffith, a model that shared an earlier version of the
Nagari’s Windsor V8.
Later examples, once Nagari production gained momentum, were a huge
improvement over the early cars after Bolwell ploughed sales revenue
back into the cars. The 1970 release price of around $6,000 which had
risen to $10,000 by 1974, ensured that the Nagari always cost 30 to 50
per cent more than a new Falcon GT.
The kit cost of $2800 only made sense if you had access to a wrecked XR
or XT Falcon GT with a decent drivetrain. Despite the transition to
factory production, archival material confirms that the factory would
still supply vehicles in various stages of completion. Even a turn-key
Nagari demanded a serious commitment from 1970s buyers. Its closest
rival, the Datsun 240Z, was only a shade over half the price at the end.
An early Nagari with the black front nudge section, two-piece alloy
wheels with polished steel rims, Dunlop Aquajets and Cortina
parking/indicator units generates a very different presence to the
metallic red car above.
The Nagari was also the first Bolwell supplied with “a round 2-it”, a
mysterious part missing from earlier Bolwells. At one stage, it was
estimated there were more unfinished Bolwell kits lying in Aussie
garages than on the road, because the owner didn’t get “a round 2-it”.
Although Bolwell had been producing cars since 1962, the lack of
visible proof of Bolwell’s formidable credentials and experience was a
major issue in establishing the new Nagari. Even today, less than 200 of
the 800 Bolwells (kits and final production examples) are on the road.
Pristine, untouched kits from the 1960s still surface because the owner
never got “a round 2-it”!
After launching the Mark VIII at the close of 1969, Bolwell pulled the
pin in 1974 just as crash and emissions requirements were about to get
tougher. It was an inspired decision. The Nagari was starting to age but
had left Bolwell with a clear lead in the fibreglass and composites
field. Replacing the Nagari would have been a thankless and
funds-busting project.
Bolwell then built the “back to basics” Ikara clubman kit with VW Golf
mechanicals located behind the driver. Later projects include the front
sections of Kenworth and Iveco truck cabs, Robnell bodies, replica GT40
bodies and a number of OE components for mainstream manufacturers.
Bolwell also built a sci-fi range of supermarket children’s rides and
supplied the colourful moulded McDonald’s family restaurant furniture.
More recent projects include blades for wind-powered generators, a
range of truck aero aids, weather shields and protective casings for
outdoor equipment, futuristic camper trailers, and a revival of the
Nagari itself.
The Lamborghini Miura was obviously the inspiration for many Nagari
details but its Countach replacement was already on the radar by the
time Nagari production gained momentum. (Image from: autodrome.fr)
What was a Nagari?
Campbell Bolwell is often given the credit for the Nagari but his
brother Graeme Bolwell delivered the technology leap that lifted the
Nagari to the next level compared to its kit car predecessors.
The British kit car industry, driven by tax breaks and aspirations of
poorly paid buyers, showed the way. Lotus built an absolute winner with
the Lotus 7 Clubman, a model completed with parts from any number of
rusted-out small Fords. Lotus then offered its benchmark Elan as a kit
to keep its far more sophisticated suspension and drivetrain affordable.
For the Bolwell brothers, it made more sense to exploit the many
Holdens that had left Aussie roads. After establishing the striking Mark
VII around Holden parts, it was time for Graeme to go overseas and work
for Lotus as Campbell took care of business.
The Lotus Elan is most often linked with the Nagari but the Europa was
just as influential in the coupe’s style. Doors, nose aperture and the
fake rear pillars (called strakes or flying buttresses) were
Europa-inspired. Europa-style fixed door glass intended for the Nagari
was ditched in an instant after Nagari internal heat was experienced.
(Image from Wikimedia.commons)
As a result, the Nagari is sometimes mistaken as a variation of the
Lotus Elan. The two models share a similar backbone chassis capped by a
fibreglass body. Graeme also fine-tuned the body-chassis mounting with
Lotus-type aluminium bobbins moulded into the fibreglass but the
resemblance ends there. Local componentry then dictated Nagari
dimensions and the final chassis design.
The Lotus-style backbone chassis, one of the Nagari’s early strengths,
depended on the lightweight fibreglass body for side-impact protection,
one of the many issues waiting to come back to haunt it.
Bolwell did an outstanding job of Nagari styling behind the hessian
curtain at its Seaford facility (a Melbourne bayside suburb near
Frankston). It was inspired by ground-breaking designs already familiar
to Australians. Even if it didn’t establish new trends, it was still far
more daring than the 240Z for 1970.
Elements of the Bolwell Mark VII inspired by the E-type Jaguar were
combined with a front and cabin that both drew on the Lamborghini Miura.
The alloy wheel design was almost a direct lift from the Miura. Door
apertures, rear strakes which created the illusion of long rear pillars
and other design details also reflected Graeme Bolwell’s exposure to the
new Lotus Europa.
It took considerable skill making the coupe’s short and relatively tall
cabin look much sleeker than it was. It also explains why the later
Nagari roadster looked a different car as there was no roof to expose
the short wheelbase. In fact, the roadster dictated major new body
mouldings and chassis tweaks.
The Nagari wheelbase of just 90 inches/2286mm, just two inches longer
than a SWB Land Rover, was way too short for the fat front and rear
tracks of 57inches/1448mm and 59inches/1499mm respectively. The Lotus
Elan had a wheelbase of 80inches/2032mm with a front track of
44inches/1118mm and a 47inch/1194mm rear track.
Nagari cabin was a work in progress evolving from unacceptable to just
acceptable. The glovebox lid, full console and classier black finish
shown in this later example were critical improvements as the seats,
gauges and Cortina dash pad deserved better in earlier cars.
A chassis design that allowed the relatively heavy cast iron Ford V8
drivetrain (compared to the alloy head twin-cam Lotus four and its
single rail Ford gearbox) to be mounted almost front mid-ships was all
that stood between a lethal-handling Nagari and one that was acceptable.
Many would argue this line was in fact too fine.
Anyone familiar with local family cars would recognise the Nagari’s
track figures as belonging to the much bigger XR-XY Falcon series,
dictated mainly by the Falcon’s hefty rear axle. The wide but short
Nagari footprint ensured an innate twitchiness that would challenge even
the best chassis tuners.
Where the Elan had a Y-section at each end to support the
ground-breaking Lotus rear struts, the Bolwell chassis had to end in a
T-section to support the Falcon’s massive live rear axle that could
handle the V8 grunt.
The Nagari design left little room to generate optimum angles for the
various rear suspension arms and mounts. Pulling-up that amount of
unsprung weight before it could launch the almost featherweight rear
section of the Nagari into orbit as it traversed rough Aussie roads, was
also a challenge, and then some.
The rear is one of the Nagari’s best views and most often seen with
its off the line performance. Fake rear pillars as shared with the later
Jaguar XJ-S stopped the cabin from looking short and stumpy.
This was less of a concern for track use where the suspension could be
screwed down but as an indigenous sports car, the Nagari was expected to
cope better with Aussie roads at higher speeds than the average.
Unfortunately, the Jaguar XJ6 which would later provide an almost
limitless supply of tough independent rear ends that would transform
cars like the Nagari, had only just been released!
Although the later Cleveland V8 was still an unbelievably tight fit
even after Bolwell modified the chassis Y-section, it was mounted well
back for better weight distribution than expected. The installation also
left plenty of room for the huge modern thermo-electric fan shown here,
an essential upgrade for modern traffic.
Pick a Part
Bolwell’s integration of readily available locally-produced parts was
inspirational after they came together as if they were meant to be that
way. It was no cake-walk.
Drivetrain: Ideally, Bolwell wanted to maintain its
Holden heritage by using Holden’s new lightweight, compact V8 except
Holden would not supply Bolwell.
It’s not hard to work out why. Holden’s new V8 was brand new and needed
to be kept close to home to sort out any teething issues, of which
there were quite a few. Because a local Holden four speed manual gearbox
was imminent, an imported gearbox could only be a short term solution.
Holden was also busy promoting its new V8 as a sophisticated new engine
choice worthy of powering its stunning Hurricane concept car. You could
imagine conservative forces within Holden not wanting it associated with
a kit car.
Bolwell credits motoring journalist and then Sports Car World editor
Rob Luck with negotiating the supply of Ford’s 302/4.9 Windsor V8 and
top loader four speed gearbox. This was during the reign of Ford chief
Bill Bourke and his competition offsider Al Turner, whose job was to
also market a wide range of Ford performance parts under the Super Roo
mantra to engage younger buyers. Running a Ford engine under the bonnet
of any hot car, kit or otherwise, was exactly what Ford was promoting.
Ford also supplied Bolwell with brand new front suspension uprights and
hubs compatible with the Falcon GT’s huge new Kelsey-Hayes ventilated
front disc brakes, top-loader gearbox and small block 302/4.9 V8 all
fresh from Ford’s current XW Falcon. The heavy duty rear axle was also a
local Ford part.
The benchmark Lotus Elan chassis was designed for an engine narrow at
the base and the clever Chapman-strut independent rear end, later picked
up by Lancia and Mazda thus under the rear of every Ford Laser. Because
the Nagari’s Y-section had to be spread to fit a V8, width was already a
problem before the heavy duty Falcon live axle was adapted at the rear.
Note the early Windsor V8 exhaust manifold swap and coil over shock
rear suspension.
Ford had no problems with diverting an imported crate engine with
manual transmission and its Ford number sequence from its most likely
Falcon GS destination to Bolwell. Bolwell then developed its own front
unequal length wishbones to accept the Falcon uprights and its own rear
axle location and springing which were similar to a Torana’s.
A shortened local Austin X6 Kimberley/Tasman rack and pinion system took care of the steering.
The engine was placed so far back in the chassis that the clutch and
flywheel ended up behind the windscreen. This forced Bolwell to develop
its own short throw linkages to move them forward of the centre armrest
leaving them directly above the gearbox inspection plate. Bolwell was
one of the few that addressed such issues. Sorting Ford’s own top loader
linkages was always a challenge so it was not a task for the
backyarder.
Apart from a switch from the stock Autolite carburettor to a two-barrel
Holley 500, the US engine was kept factory OE. Even the engine-driven
fan stayed although it needed an extension block to reach the radiator
in the nose.
The Y-shaped front chassis section crimped space where it was needed
most for the V8 exhaust to exit on both sides. Bolwell simply swapped
the factory cast iron exhaust manifolds from side to side then flipped
them so they exited at the front of the engine but the manifolds were
now almost level with the rocker covers.
Bolwell engine pipes had to be routed forward between the block and
front cross-member. Because this introduced extra heat high in the
engine bay ready for an under bonnet heat soak scenario, the Mark
VII-type side vents became more than just a styling link. They were
essential to maintain airflow but even then, the heat build-up was too
high for the stock cooling system in hot summer traffic.
Given the challenges, it was a clever installation that didn’t leave
any wildcards to cause warranty issues if something failed, an outcome
not unknown with mass-produced US items at that time.
However, for a Lotus-inspired design that would normally utilise the
lightest parts that Colin Chapman could get away with, the Nagari was
corrupted by heavy-metal US muscle car mechanicals. The engineering
challenges were enormous with a track so wide and components so heavy
compared to the rest of the car. It was about to get worse.
Just as Bolwell had developed the Windsor V8 Nagari over successive
builds, Ford stopped importing the small block Windsor 302 V8 during
1972. Seizing the gap in Holden’s arsenal after the imported Chevrolet
350 V8 was neutered under new US unleaded emissions requirements, Ford
placed a special Geelong version of the Cleveland V8 into local
production.
To replace the smaller imported Windsor 302, Ford built a unique
Australian 302/4.9-litre de-stroked Cleveland version using the bigger
351/5.8-litre block, a disaster for Bolwell. Although the previous
Windsor 351/5.8 could be squeezed in despite its taller block,
everything about the Cleveland was bigger.
This superb early Nagari Sports was a rare factory lightweight version
built as a road car. The roadster body was the better choice for tall
Aussies and the open cockpit provided welcome relief from drivetrain
heat. It must rate as one of the most achingly beautiful and rarest
roadsters ever built. (Image from: bollyblog.blogspot.com.au)
Holden still would not supply its V8 engine despite a new local four
speed gearbox. With a V8 XU-1 under development and the Torana GTR-X
still under consideration, Holden was possibly keeping its options open
on the Nagari market with a GTR-X V8.
The Geelong 302 delivered more power but Bolwell was left to
re-engineer the Nagari chassis for its 351 levels of extra weight and
bulk. Such changes were effective from examples numbered in the high 50s
to the early 60s except some Cleveland chassis cars were fitted with
leftover Windsors in the transition.
The Nagari’s Y-section front rails had to be dropped by a full 2
inches/51mm and the cross member reduced from six to four inches to
create the space for the bigger engine. The bonnet was given a bigger
bulge to clear the extra height.
Yet the Geelong engine was still too big and high to use the stock
exhaust manifolds. Special extractors had to be developed to exit just
ahead of the engine mounts. On the passenger’s side, they had to be
modified to clear the oil filter.
Because the new engines were supplied to Bolwell from Geelong, not US
units diverted from the Ford assembly line, they carried a special AIE
(Australian Industrial Engine) number and prefix. Occasionally, a 351
would be slipped into Bolwell deliveries then randomly fitted during
Nagari production even though Bolwell remained committed to the
302/4.9-litre specification.
However, such flexibility in specification left more space than most
classic cars for later owners to upgrade or finesse their Nagaris for
track use or enhance their performance or practicality. Values don’t
seem to be too adversely affected providing changes don’t stray too far
from the original.
The Geelong 302 boosted performance considerably, but as Allan Moffat
discovered with his much bigger Trans Am Mustang, the extra weight and
size of the Cleveland V8 were not welcome where handling balance was an
issue.
At around the same time, Nagari rear axle location was changed. Earlier
cars had coil over shock units, lower trailing arms and upper control
arms mounted diagonally via threaded ends with cups and bushes to the
outside corners of the rear T-section.
Separate coil springs and dampers replaced the earlier coil over shock
units. A new T-section then housed the upper spring mounts while the
spring bases worked through the trailing arms. The upper and lower
control arms had conventional bushes pressed into them.
Although the improvement over the early cars was dramatic, the lack of
precision in the Nagari chassis and instability over bumps remained an
ongoing concern.
This early Nagari Sports with its Cortina parking/indicator lights is
arguably the prettiest and most integrated of all Nagari models. The
“rightness” of the roadster body and how good it looked surprised even
the Bolwell brothers when its unique rear section came out of the
moulds.
Body: The first coupes featured solid colours
including Ford’s Vermillion Fire and the Mustang’s Grabber Orange.
Cadmium Yellow shared with Coca Cola trucks was so popular that it
became known as Coca Cola Yellow. Later cars featured metallics
including a silver grey, Jaguar blue and the metallic green made popular
by the XU-1 Torana. Again, because Nagaris were so often personalised,
today’s Nagari market tolerates some variation in this area.
Although there were no bumpers as such, Bolwell integrated
easily-replaced nudge sections front and rear. These were painted black
on early examples, body colour later, although the rear section was
usually left black. Factory replacement rear sections gained over riders
as the bootline and rear bumper section were almost flush but this
improved design didn’t reach production cars.
Early cars had the recessed front parking/indicator lights from the
Aeroflow-upgrade of the Mark I Cortina. Later cars had MGB units which
stood proud and didn’t look as integrated. Tail lights were Hillman
Hunter, perfect for the job, as they also appeared on the similar rear
of the latest Aston-Martin. They were no worse than the Fiat units on
the rear of the Lamborghini Miura. Later headlights were Cibie quartz
halogen, a big local advance and essential as the Nagari nose left no
room for supplementary lighting.
Bolwell’s own alloy wheels originally had alloy centres and steel rims
shod with red-walled Dunlop Aquajets. These were later upgraded to a
stronger one-piece all alloy design fitted with Avons.
The new roadster involved far more than cutting off the roof. Although
barely 18 examples of the 118 Nagaris were built as a roadster, the
changes were extensive. Known as the Nagari Sports, the new body was
offered from Build no 47 in 1972. Both the chassis and rear body section
were strengthened including an internal hoop ahead of the boot
aperture.
Other roadster mods included a different inner rear guard design, new
reinforced seat belt mounting points, frameless doors and a rear
bulkhead moved further rearwards. This allowed extra seat adjustment,
addressing the limitations of the coupe cabin. Extra storage behind the
seats compensated for the loss of boot space.
Lightweight bodies could be ordered for racing.
Another variation of the Nagari rear with a body-coloured nudge
section showed how vulnerable all Nagaris were in everyday use and
highlight why Bolwell developed a replacement section with over riders
to provide more protection.
Cabin: The Nagari interior never really lived up to
its purchase price despite Bolwell’s ongoing efforts and its big advance
over earlier Bolwells.
The first cars featured a bleak untrimmed centre console and switch
panel, no glovebox lid and a cheap-looking woodgrain instrument panel. A
leather-grained instrument panel and glovebox lid were added later. A
later padded centre console that extended from the centre armrest up to
the dash also made a difference although its toggle switches were still
what you would find in an early Mini.
The original drilled alloy-spoked wood-rimmed steering wheel which came
from Aussie accessory manufacturer SAAS was a highlight and featured a
factory quality Bolwell boss. There was an interim-spec steering wheel
that featured the three drilled alloy spokes with a thick leather bound
rim and black Bolwell centre. It was replaced by a stark all black
two-spoke design with a thicker leather-wrapped rim and the Bolwell
centre boss recessed into a flat black surround.
The steering column, dash pad and “Aeroflow” eyeball vents came from
the current Mark II Cortina. ADRs later dictated a Valiant collapsible
steering column section with integrated steering lock.
Along with the Stewart Warner gauges, it was the Cortina’s crash pad
(with family resemblance to the one in the XT Falcon GT and ZA/ZB
Fairlane) that saved the cabin from amateur hour status. The special
Bolwell sports seats built on shaped fibreglass shells with contoured
bolsters, textured inserts and separate headrests were state of the art
for the era even if they did slide on XW Falcon runners.
Proper wind-up windows with fixed quarter vents were an important last
minute addition after cockpit heat was found to be unbearable.
Because the optional air-conditioning had to be mounted behind the
seats, it did a better job of chilling the necks of passengers than
dousing the pervasive heat that seeped from the mechanicals around the
driver’s legs and the intense Aussie sun exposed through the
steeply-raked screen.
Why wasn’t it exported?
After 1972 suggestions that it would go to Singapore and South Africa
in various stages of completion (it didn’t happen beyond one-off
examples), a LHD Nagari displayed early in 1973 raised hopes that it was
ready to sell up a storm in the US.
This sole LHD example was an early cancelled California order before it
was presented as the 1973 Melbourne Motor Show car hence some early
body details. It was then raced in Australia in LHD before it was
converted by a later owner.
New ADR crash requirements including tough side impact standards were
then flagged for the local industry for 1974. By September 1973, Lotus,
with its much healthier global sales, had killed the Elan as soon as it
faced the same challenges elsewhere.
Locally, the Torana GTR-X, even if it never reached production,
educated Australians on how a 1970s coupe should look. As described
earlier, the Bolwell brothers had the good sense to prepare for a
dignified withdrawal in 1974.
The sole LHD example was a cancelled California order before it was
presented as the 1973 Melbourne Motor Show car hence some early body
details. It was raced in Australia in LHD before it was converted by a
later owner.
The adventurous Bolwell Ikara marked a return to a Clubman-type kit
which exploited the growing number of VW Golfs sold in Australia during
the late 1970s. It re-located the entire Golf transverse drivetrain and
front suspension behind the driver for a mid-engine layout similar to
the Lamborghini Miura and Fiat X1/9 amongst others. A Nagari
post-script, it showed that Bolwell ingenuity hadn’t died. (Image from: bolwellcarclub.com.au)
So did the Nagari transcend a kit car?
Because of close staff involvement in the Nagari’s gestation, Sports
Car World magazine (from the Wheels stable) was more kindly disposed to
the Nagari than any local publication. In March 1973, when it tested the
final specification of the Nagari Sports and rated it against the XA
Falcon GT Hardtop, Mel Nichols nailed what any keen driver would have
discovered in a test drive:
“The Bolwell still feels rather raw, although you can see and feel how
far it is coming with every one you drive. The suspension needs further
sorting out to get the precision that is missing now, and to stop that
instability over bumps. The braking balance and performance needs
development, the steering needs gearing up considerably, footwell
ventilation will have to be worked in and a better system of sealing the
top around the windows is necessary. A bigger fuel tank would be nice
too…”
All was forgiven however, as Nichols claimed “these faults don’t
overshadow its gut-twanging appeal.” Unlike Nichols, Nagari owners had
to live with one as an everyday driver and even well-heeled Australians
baulked at running a $9200 sports car in 1973 just for a weekend squirt.
A Jaguar E-type Series III V12 was barely $11,000.
After the XA Falcon GT Hardtop moved the local V8 muscle car benchmark
ahead by a full generation in style, refinement and dynamics, this 1973
comparison with the latest Bolwell Nagari Sports was eagerly awaited as
the battle between Australia’s two ultimate muscle cars. Although the
Nagari put in a stellar performance, it emerged that development had not
kept pace with its big price increases, a vital factor in its tiny 18
sales. It really did deserve better.
After almost three years of relentless Bolwell development, these
faults could only be rectified by purpose-built parts. If Bolwell was
able to switch to Holden V8 power in 1972, limited development funds and
resources could not only have been redirected to fix these shortfalls,
the faults would have been less pronounced with the lighter powertrain.
That Nichols felt compelled to state after almost three years since
release “you can see and feel how far it is coming with every one you
drive” suggests the Nagari still had some way to go to match factory
development levels of rivals.
Because the starting-point was so drop-dead gorgeous and fun to drive,
the Nagari is one story with no ending in sight. As Australians
prospered and owner needs could be spread over several cars, the
Nagari’s failings could be subtly addressed with new parts and
technology causing prices and demand to soar.
Although this video features an early coupe, there are glimpses of the
later roadster and the new rear suspension design which mounts the coil
springs in a totally new position separate to the rear shocks. Even
more intriguing is the offer of a Nagari kit suitable for four, six and
eight cylinder engines. Although the Nagari is increasingly being
enshrined exclusively as a turn-key production car, it appears that the
factory was not always reading from that page at the time!
3 comments:
Great couple of articles. Thanks for posting them, John
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