Indianapolis 500 1965

On July the 8th I posted a picture of a "bunch of bananas" for no other reason that they looked good. It was the exhaust system on Jim Clark's 1965 Indianapolis winning Lotus 38. Since then, more that one person has directed me to this picture of the actual car.Have a look at the people in the photograph. Is there someone you recognise?

Dinky - The early days

From time to time I hear from Dave Chandler, the original owner/builder of the 4A coupe we later came to know as "Dinky". This I enjoy, because David is always good for an interesting story, like his road battles with the Honda 750/4s of the time (which is a fair indication of the power of the grey Holden equipped car back then) and the fact that Peter Holinger made the wishbones for it (and they're still with the car today) and while at the Holinger workshop, Sir Jack would wander in for a chat (in town for the Tasman Cup race of that particular year). Anyway, a while back, Dave sent me some photos of the car and it is time I shared them.That baby-poo colour was actually a popular Porsche colour back then. I just happen to have forgotten the name but it was something exotic like Desert Sand. Someone will remind me.As you can see there wasn't a lot of room in the coupe and Dave was more comfortable driving it with the doors off. It saved having that crick in the neck. I can attest to that.KLU-077 was its first number. It changed not long after, I'm not sure why.

A response to "Anyone know this Mark 7?"

did it have an accident in cottosloe or did the guy live there? if so the only one we can think of is that one-did have an accident- jeff pascovich bought it, (now deceased, great bloke) and he sold it to mike julien who still has it and is trying to restore it in time for next easter. (after he has finished his race season-street sedans) he is that eager that he has booked the trimmers for feb. was going last time we had a national meeting here and kept going until mike started racing.

This is the only response so far, as predicted, from Stacey Nicolaou.

State of Origin

There's a theory that's been going around for a while (and there's a number of examples) that these Nagaris eventually end up back in the state where they began, True to form, B8/49 has left the Healey Factory and has taken up residence in Tasmania.

Anyone know this Mark 7?

Col Watson has had an enquiry from a former Mark 7 owner wondering if anybody recalls this car. His description is below. There are a number of distinguishing things on the car. Does anybody know it? (Especially the guys in WA). Col thinks it might be the Ron Westren Mark 7 but I'm pretty sure that car didn't ever live in the West.

I bought my Mk7 in Melbourne in ‘73 assembled and after a minor prang rebuilt it extensively in ‘74/’75 while I was stationed at Naval Air Station Nowra. I drove it up and down the East Coast and eventually to Port Pirie where it went on the train with me to Kalgoorlie from where I drove it to Perth on posting to RAAF Pearce WA. I finally sold it to a young guy in Perth in about ’77 who subsequently had an accident with it and gave the police my name! Ho hum. At that point I lost touch with the car and have often wondered if it was saved from the scrap heap. I must say it was a great little car to drive, attracted the girls, which was important at the time :O) , and it took me everywhere. Something tells me it may have eventually been painted red, I’m not sure about that though. I installed a roof console during the rebuild, which may help to identify it as I haven’t seen any other Mk 7s with one.

The piccies are all prior to the rebuild

Kapunda - week 5

This is Ross' Plymouth. It's a great old car.Ross is in his mid to late 80s. He also has a BRG MGB which he races around town in. You'd almost think it didn't have a roof. I've never seen it up. It's referred to by everybody as the "Chick Magnet".

McArlus - a proven race car for sale.

This is Simon's present McArlus. As you know he's building another one. He's decided not to run again until the new car is ready.
$22,000 seems a pretty fair price for such a well sorted car as this. It will do a 1.36 lap on secondhand Formula Ford tyres on the long track at Winton. Compare this to the lap record of 1.32 for an Aussie Race Car and 1.32 for John Bowe in his Historic Touring Mustang.Last year, in the tradition of Jack Brabham and Bruce McLaren, Simon won the AASA Sprint Series in this car, a car that he had designed and built himself, and , although it is not named after him, it is, at least partly, named after his brother.This is the Denny Hulme McLaren M8A on which the McArlus is based, albeit in about 3/4 scale.Simon would love the car to stay in Victoria, only so that at some stage there could be three of these cars running together, "but that's not imperative".

Contact Simon at sarahsimon1@iprimus.com.au

Marauder car body

This happy bloke is Paul. He's looking so pleased with himself because he's just tied down the Dino replica body he's bought in readiness for the long trip home. He's from up Gosford way.

I, for one, am looking forward to some progress reports once construction gets under way.Yes, that particular body has been sold. It's funny, over the last month, there were more people interested in it than you could poke a stick at. Well, Paul's bought it, but to those who didn't, don't despair. When you're ready, the team can always build you another one.

Here's a couple of close-ups. There's a few extra moulds. You can have it with the scoops on the side or without for example.
These are the moulds for the original Marauder. Garry warren has found this article from Sports Car World Quarterly from the early nineties. There were a number of Marauders made but eventually the business was liquidated and Geoff Tan bought the body moulds at an auction at Wingfield. Geoff was a high school teacher and the mould was used training composites students. Unfortunately Geoff became another cancer victim but managed to complete his own Marauder before he died, which, I believe, is still kept by the family.
The moulds are kept at Murray Bridge High School and, as I intimated before, if you would like a body made for you, the students can make you one under the watchful eye of Norm Clements.

Apart from the VW Type 3 chassis, we have also heard that the body can go on to Porsche 914s and the Lancia Monte Carlo (there may be others). The 914 wasn't sold new in Australia but old ones are incredibly cheap in America now (less than $3000) and some people are bringing them over to use in Historic racing.

Eastern Creek yesterday

The big Eastern Creek do happened yesterday and Peter Marr took a few shots with his phone. There were 10 Bollies there including these 3 from Victoria. Ron and Carol MacPherson, John and Penny Hartney and Phil White and Pete Garvin all drove up for the occasion.The above red Mark 7 with the mesh grille (no.327) is one Peter Marr used to own. This is the one that he bought in Queensland years ago. It had had the roof cut off but it was never finished as a sport. Now it has a new roof and hatch fitted to it and it looks great.

The one next to it is the "Mark 7 with the Nagari doors".

A new club project?

What about this mob. They take this little unit up the river when they go.Spa, CO2 unit, 2 kegs, fridge. What more could you want really?

Leyburn today

Neil, in Brisbane, (of Jowett/Italia fame) was at Leyburn today and sent me this photo.

Thanks Neil, and good on you John. I hope you go well tomorrow too.

1995 - A Good Targa Year.

Some magazine clippings from Peter G's collection. He asked me if I knew these cars. Well, not really, except for the Nagari. There are readers out there who know them well and I, for one, would like to learn more. The WA Mark 7 of Trevor Eastwood looks the goods with its louvered bonnet and tiny headlights etc, etc.The Rawlings - Palmer Mark 7. My guess is it's a local Tasmanian car.The "City of Cairns" above the windscreen is a clue to this one with the then owner in the passenger seat on this occasion.