Remember the KINCRAFT?

[Andrew Kitson]

Do any members out there have long enough memories to remember the Kincraft single seater? I saw it race many times as a kid from 1967-69, driven by Jim Moore.
It was based on a Cooper built by Jack Pierce and was the fore-runner to F5000, with a 4.7 litre Ford engine in the back. The colour was maroon and it raced in many F.Libre events against the likes of John Jordan's GT40, John Woolfe's M6B McLaren and various F2, F3 and other sportscars. It is one of the all time classic club racing cars.
Anybody know if it still exsists / where it is?
A sportscar Kincraft was also built but on a seperate tub.

[paulzinho]

Never heard of it but sounds quite feisty!

Have you got any pictures of it at all?

[Andrew Kitson]

Yep, I have a couple of photos. Will have to scan them and put them up.
I certainly was a hellova car for it's time. I can still hear it now hurtling around Snetterton!

[mickj]

Andrew
I've found the Kincraft sports racer. It was built in 1966 and now has been fitted with a March 74s body. Its in the US. I found it under Blenko Glass Company Inc. Sorry I dont know how to link it across to this page.
I remember reading about the single seater in Autosport long ago.
Think of a few more interesting cars to get our brains working.

[Rob29]

It was buit I think for Robin Darlington and later sold to Moore. I remember the colour as more Ferrari red than maroon.I remember seeing it in a 10 lap Libre race at Brands-it lapped a F.Vee about 3 times! i wrote a letter to Autosport(which was published) about the danger of such a wide wariation of performance,and why could we not have a series for that kind of powerful car? Not long after that F5000 was invented.

[Andrew Kitson]

Thanks for the input guys.
Mickj, yes you are correct that Richard Blenko has the sports version. He is a good friend. He too though is at a loss as to the whereabouts of the single seater.
I think he aquired the sports one from Anthony Taylor.
Rob29, I have photocopies from photos of the car ( from Richard Blenko's collection) of the single seater when first built. It ran on skinny tyres at first- these were taken at Combe in 1966/67. Robin Darlington was indeed the driver then. Once Jim Moore was driving it- but still owned by Jack Pierce I believe, it ran on big wide F1 type tyres of the period. just another note - I still have Moore's autograph in my schoolboy Autograph book from the time!
Lets do as Mickj suggests and try some other long un-seen cars to tease our brains!

[ghinzani]

Theres a picture of it in one of Mike Kettlewells Motor Racing directories from the lates 70s/early 80s.

[allenbrown]

It was in a museum on the Isle of Man for many years and was then, IIRC, bought by Roger Cowman. That would be 3-4 years ago.

[Andrew Kitson]

Thanks Allen.
Have you updated your site with this info?

[tonyabacus]

Hi Andrew
I had contact with a chap called Edgington in about 1995 in Teignmouth Devon who supposedly had this car stored away.He claimed to have had the car for a number of years following a divorce and an interest from the Inland Revenue. It seems he had sold up a business in the Midlands and took the car down south and hidden it away.
I got on to it through a small ad in the local free paper for some wheels and other bits and bobs. When I got to his place it was a small old boatyard with a very early TVR, Midget and Mustang sat around. The wheels turned out to be early F1 Brabham which I purchased, he also had a lot of other stuff in an old net loft which included American V8 parts.
He claimed to have raced this car earlier in its life and had also raced other big bangers and big saloons.
Despite my efforts I could not get him to part with the Kincraft or indeed get to see it, alyhough I kept contact for a long time afterwards.
Last year(2001) I put Spencer Elton on the trail and he found out that Mr Edginton had not been around for a little while and was told that the Kincraft had been sold.
I hope this may be of value, I know he told me quite a bit when I met him but it is difficult to recall it all after this length of time.

[Andrew Kitson]

Wow. thanks.
Hopefully it will appear some day and we will see it on the tracks again. Perhaps it could compete in the fantastic growing Force F5000 series, although not a true 5000 car.
Just look at what Goodwood has done for some long idle old race cars!

[zealot]

Doesn't anybody have a photo of the Kincraft they can put online?

[Andrew Kitson]

Yes, will do that tomorrow. Without a scanner at the moment.
While were on the subject of 60s club racers, remember these:

The purple and orange sports Astra RNR1 of Roger Nathan.
Chris Skeaping's pale blue Chevron B6.
John Gott vs. John Chatham ( DD300) Healey 3000s.
John Quick, Mike Loveday, Warren Pearce ( Father of Laurence - Lister cars) - E Types.
Brian Tarrant - Blue V8 engined Austin A40.
Mick Hill - jaguar engined 'Janglia'.
Tim Goss - Clubmans U2.
Albert Betts - Jag MkII with two tone green metal flake paint.
John Britten, Gabrielle Konig - sprites / Midgets.
Pat Mannion - blue/white Anglia.
Bill Nicholson - red/white MGB

remember?

[racing fxgt]

Here's the Alan Mann escort

[racing fxgt]

Is this the same Stan Matthews

[racing fxgt]

Brian Tarrant A40 4.6 Chevrolet

[racing fxgt]

Warren Pearce's E-Type

[racing fxgt]

John Chatham's Healey

[Andrew Kitson]

Here is a photo of the Kincraft taken in 1968 at Snett with Jim Moore at the wheel. Now that IS a REAL racing car!
And yes to my friend in NZ, that is the same Stan Matthews in the F100 at Brands. thanks!

[ghinzani]

Thank god for that - I thought we was never gonna see the 'kin kincraft!

[ghinzani]

That was the pic in the Kettlewell book btw...

[allenbrown]

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
Thanks Allen.
Have you updated your site with this info?

No - I haven't got to the Kincraft yet. I need more time or a large number of volunteer helpers!

It wasn't originally a "real" F5000 but it did appear in one race, Hockenheim 1969?.

Allen

[Peter Scillitoe]

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
While were on the subject of 60s club racers, remember these:

The purple and orange sports Astra RNR1 of Roger Nathan.
Chris Skeaping's pale blue Chevron B6.
John Gott vs. John Chatham ( DD300) Healey 3000s.
John Quick, Mike Loveday, Warren Pearce ( Father of Laurence - Lister cars) - E Types.
Brian Tarrant - Blue V8 engined Austin A40.
Mick Hill - jaguar engined 'Janglia'.
Tim Goss - Clubmans U2.
Albert Betts - Jag MkII with two tone green metal flake paint.
John Britten, Gabrielle Konig - sprites / Midgets.
Pat Mannion - blue/white Anglia.
Bill Nicholson - red/white MGB

remember?

Yes. John Quick was a neigbour at the time. A few other names to toss into the list:

Reg Gubbins (an Essex scrap dealer) raced a special saloon mini
Ken Costello, a garage owner and tuner from Sidcup, who also raced a special saloon mini
Spotty Muldoon (not his real name) who raced a white Ford Anglia covered with black spots.

[Andrew Kitson]

The one I remember most from your list Peter is Ken Costello. He raced a white Mini with BRG roof.
Had some great scraps with the yellow and black Mini of David Alexander that had a chequered roof.
Spotty Muldoon - don't remember him. Sure it's not his real name?

[racing fxgt]

I always remember seeing Tony Roberts on the starting grid at Brands and his model girl friend dressed in fur coat and thigh length boots giving him a last minute hug before the race,which she done every time he raced.