Still trying to clarify where B8/44 came from.

Ramon Lopez, now retired and able to indulge his passion for Classic sports-racing cars, was a Renault dealer in Madrid for over 40 years. His proficiency in fibreglass was well known in the motor racing community, having worked on and repaired such cars as Lancia Stratos and Porsches 908 and 917. Due to this reputation, the owner of the Nagari, whoever that may have been, delivered the car to Ramon, minus engine, gearbox and other running gear for body and/or chassis repairs presumably. Joe was not with the organisation at this stage so there was no English speaking person to call on and this was necessary to gain information about this largely unknown car. The car ended up in a dark corner as the owner never came back. That was 35 years ago apparently. 35 years takes us back to 1974 which makes a 1971 model car relatively new. I'm still only aware of one Nagari going to South Africa so it didn't take long for it to get to Spain. The one floating around England has to have been a different one. It is now the turn of the Bolwell to be restored.

Joe has sent some more photos. You have already seen the Bolwell body and chassis. Here's a few other interesting shots.
Picture 1 is Ramon disembarking from the Chevron. The men in yellow are his pit crew.

This is what the Chevron is up against. It is seen here on the grid behind a white Pantera. Had to throw that one in.

Picture 3 - The Porsches in the workshop.

Picture 4 - Ramon Lopez.

Picture 5 - A driver change in an endurance race.

Joe in Madrid

This is Joe who looks after Ramon's race cars in Spain.

His nick-name is Joe Surtees because he is friends of the great man (who is still getting over the loss of his son in an F2 incident).

Stafford Ridge and other stuff.

The text messages keep rolling in from officials assigned to my Stafford Ridge stage in the Classic Adelaide, piking out. It's just as well we have a few of our regulars from Macclesfield coming on board. I think we'll be allright (so far). Last Friday Colin L and I went over to "case the joint". I'm glad I did. I have a real feel for it now. It's an exciting stage. I'd like to be a spectator there one day. There's no chicane (no need for one) and no SOS point but there will be a need for hazard boards. There's hardly any houses along the stage and very few gates to tie but there is a big spectator viewing area, many more road closures than we are used to and an unfenced orchard that is going to require heaps of tape and droppers. I've got a bit of quiet time in the museum this afternoon so I'll be able to do my sums and get my order in for the necessary equipment (hopefully). I've just been informed of a Timing Meeting which will be taking place on Monday, 16th Nov. at Torrens Parade Ground from 8.00pm. It would be good if some of our timing people could get along to that, namely, Dean, Sheryl, Norm, Sarah, Jane, Phil, Barry H, Colin, Paul, Andrew, Astrid, Beven, Jenny.

Tyre Power at Blackwood are having a Pizza Night at 7.00pm on 17th November where wheels, tyres and suspensions will be discussed and options for individual cars will be explored. All Cobra and Bolwell Club members are welcome. Let Roger know if you are coming - 8278 7491.

There's hardly a weekend goes by without a car group travelling to or through Kapunda. Last weekend was MGs turn. MGs galore. The odd TA, TC, TF, MGRV8, and scores of TDs, MGAs, MGBs and MGFs. They were on their annual run which took them to Balaklava I think. They all had their Alpine Rally style sign screwed on the front. One white MGA was doing the trip on a car trailer with the rally sign attached to the towing Land Cruiser. I've never seen that before.

And finally here's Zander's new dog, Crumpet. He's a Spoodle. I haven't met him yet but I'm looking forward to it.

The solar challenge

Last Sunday we had to go down to the Torrens Parade Ground for timing practice for the Classic Adelaide. We shared the grounds with the Solar Challenge mob. While the big budget ones from Japan, Holland and Michigan Uni were up on display in Victoria Square, here's a few of the the others who weren't far behind them. There's a Pommie one, an Aussie one and a couple of Canadians. And good on the combined secondary schools for getting right into it.

Mallala Supersprint, a short pictorial

3 Mark 7s, from left to right, John's, Ron's and Roger's. Where's the Nagaris these days?

Scott and Dean (B) came in the NSX.

This immaculate looking Montreal is a supersprint car.

Here's Roger's old Supercharged MX5 racer. The new owner is getting serious, note the rear spoiler.

Remember Kym who built the yellow Clemente and then drove it around Australia with a trailer on the back. With the skills developed from the Clemente build, he and a couple of other clubman builders have made this clubman based car for track work, calling it a "Fidini".

The Tailem Bend Facility Announcement

Well, it's happening at last. I guess we were a bit too pushy prior to Easter. Never mind. This release came out Wednesday, embargoed to the following day. It all looks good for the future and at least it gives the drag racers somewhere to go.

Last word on Collingrove

I really like this old gum tree. The track winds around it.

And this is the Milano on its way home on its lay down trailer. It's all blurry because it's not easy taking pictures while bouncing around on the Eden Valley Road.

Some other hillclimb notables

What a great little car this early MR2 is. Doesn't go too bad either. Smeetsy picked it up for a song on ebay. It's got the supercharger, the mags, everything. If they're that cheap I wouldn't mind one for a road car.

This MGBGTV8 (mid-mounted 4796cc V8) really flies. It was built years ago by Simon Aram. In one stage of its life it was owned by former Nagari owner and club member, Dave Maxwell.

And here's the Milano. At one stage the course announcer referred to it as 'the Zephyr' which is fair enough I suppose but next time around he called it the 'Magnolia'. The only Magnolia I can remember was that lovely little Lotus Eleven type sports car that Gavin Sandford-Morgan built and named it Magnolia after reading the tag on his wife's bra. Or somebody's bra.

I can't believe how quick this Evo is of Doug Lehmann's.

This is where the action was. There were 3 of these monsters, all red. There was the Shrike of Andrew Mitchell's, Tom Donovan's Pilbeam and Peter Gumley's Wortmeyer which broke the outright record. Bolwell club member, Allan Foster, with the Suzuki Special gave them a run for their money as did a few other hillclimb specials.

A European motorsport article

Just in case you haven't seen it before, here is an article that appeared in a Dutch motoring magazine last year or the year before. This is the car mentioned in the previous post.

A European Nagari mystery.

Most of the Bolwell fraternity would, by now, have read in the club forum or by the various other means of the Spanish Nagari. A large number of photographs (just a few are reproduced here) and correspondence was relayed to the now almost defunct Bolwell club website and susequently relayed to the recognised spokesman for all things Bolwell, Graham N. I will summarise the letter from Madrid which was written by "Joe". Joe is a car restorer working solely for a 78 y o man by the name of Ramon who drives and races, among other things, such delectables as a Porsche GT2 993 (525bhp), a 1963 Ford V8 powered TVR Griffith 400, a split window model Corvette Panamericana racer, a 2000cc BMW powered (210bhp) Chevron B8 GT and a Seat Leon 2 litre "endurance version" (310bhp). Ramon also has a Bolwell Nagari coupe (see pictures below) and it has come time for Joe to begin its restoration, hence the letter seeking advice and parts sources. Ramon was formerly proprietor of a Renault dealership and now, in retirement, plays with his cars with Joe as his full time employee. The Bolwell is B8/44 (see chassis plate). The owner is aware that the car was originally delivered to a South African customer and the original colour was yellow (another one).

I have a somewhat sketchy knowledge of the car which is as follows. Yes, it went new from Australia to South Africa minus engine and gearbox I believe. Some time in the nineties it turned up in the UK ("for sale" advertisements stated that it was from South Africa I seem to recall). On the 14th July 1997, Ramon Lopez Villalba of Andorra, Madrid, wrote to the Australian Automobile Association in Canberra requesting information to assist with the restoration of his car, Bolwell Nagari B8/44. Some time later the letter was passed on to the NSW Bolwell Club to deal with. Prior to this (early 90s I'm told) it was briefly owned by Victorian member and UK resident, Chris Camp, who owns a Mark 7 over there. In 1999 a Nagari coupe, painted in the pale blue and tangerine colours of Gulf Oil and believed to have been B8/44 was advertised in "Autosport" magazine for 15,000 pounds which was quite a sum in those days we thought. Anyway, in 2007 and 2008 we were aware of a Belgian man, living in Holland who raced a Nagari B8/44 in European GT events, predominantly in Germany. The homologation papers to allow him to race were based on that chassis number which produced the year of manufacture. I have copies of those papers somewhere. I must dig them out. I must say I haven't heard from Leo, the Belgian race driver, for about a year now. Anyway, if Ramon has had this car sitting in his garage all along, are there at least two Nagari coupes in Europe?

Out of the past

One of the really nice things for me in doing this blog is the ability to catch up with old friends from way back who discover the blog and make contact. This happens regularly and constantly. Last night I heard from Rick and Lynn Clough which was great. Many readers will remember them from the 70s. Rick was one of the small band of original Mk.7 builders that goes back to before there was a Bolwell club anywhere. We South Australians in the late 60s encountered Victorian Bolwell builder/drivers like Rick, Doug, Ron, John, John etc when we ventured over to Calder and when they drove over together to Mallala. Rick and Lynn currently live in Traralgon but are planning a move to Langwarrin soon to be closer to children and grandchildren. They still have the Mk.7 and Rick is competing in hillclimbs in this "historic" Datsun 1600SSS.

I'm sure there are others who are pleased to hear from the Cloughs.

Those Lancia units.

Following on from the "last post", here's another Lancia FWD unit that inspired me. I'm no expert on Lancia models but this is in a Monte Carlo rally car which to me looks like a lowered Fulvia, but I've got room in the Ikara to fit all that in the back.

But then last weekend I went to Mallala and saw this Fiat X1/9. Lift the engine hatch and this looks promising too.

Then lift the lid on the luggage compartment and you find this turbo. I've got room for all that as well.

This is the Fiat in question.