School days and Elfins -Pete S reminiscing.

Hi John.
I used to go to Unley High in this car when it belonged to Colin Banks. His mum was the vet. in The Grove at Mitcham where I lived.
Colin swapped a nearly new Cooper S for it at Clem Smith motors. It was black and had an MGA engine and TC gearbox all "factory fitted"
It was originally part of the Morris Earthmovers team at Mallala - with Peter Hood and Colin Morris. They had x2 black clubmans. 
The other was called a Triford.
The Elfin's sump was very low and used to bottom out going over the railway crossing at Mitcham. Banks only raced it once, and we drove it in to the rear
of Clem Smith Motors on West Terrace for scrutineering on the Tuesday night before the race meeting. Then drove it to Mallala race day with all numbers etc. covered in newspaper. Colin sold it to Indy Speed Shop for use in the John Walker Race Driver School. They put in the Cortina motor and gearbox and widened the back guards.
Attached photos show it being raced with Ford engine. A30 was Ivan Piatenesi, spun car is Froya Ford, then Hamiltons Porsche Spyder.
The Spitfire in next photo is the ex factory all alloy bodied car Brian Sampson used to drive. I believe still in Adelaide with .......? Carey still the owner.
Cicada BMC and several other cars also shown....Elfin marked in field.
Finally the Elfin ad as it appeared in Race Car News. It had an MGA engine.......ie B Series, but whoever wrote the ad. stuffed up.
Love yu work!!
Pete S.

I presume you are referring to the Price Avenue/Wattlebury Road Mitcham crossing. It was very bumpy going across there. My Austin 7 used to drag its sump plug across there too. Another hazardous railway crossing was the next one down, Grange Road, there by Hollards Fodder Store. Another Unley High student who had 2 speeds (flat out and stop) used to get her Lloyd Hartnett airborne going across there. 

Yes, in those days CAMS wouldn't let us drive on the road with our race numbers on so they had to be covered up.

You're right, Rod Carey still has the alloy bodied Spitfire and from time to time still brings it out to MSCA supersprints.

Probably fatty was writing Clem's ads at the time. I see a Geneer Outlaw was for sale on the same page. Olympic GT radials eh? That's what I used on my TR2 as well.