Argo

[Dan Rear]

Argo F Atlantics. How many made, and who to ? I have the Gorne JM1X, at least one JM5 (Nugent in Ireland) and 2 JM9s, Tyrrell Arnold, and Goodwin Racing. Anyone know any more, and what happened to these 4 after ? Was Dave Rackham due to get one too.

[Richard Young]

I seem to recall a JM9 on the UK sprint/hill climb scene a few years ago, but can't remember who had it.....
No doubt somebody does.

[David McKinney]

Simon Frost & Ken Snailham were running a JM9 about ten years ago. This was the Neil White car from your neck of the woods, driven on this side of the water by Barry Goode in 1989 or 1990

[cirrus]

An Argo JM9 appeared in the Hillclimb Leaders Championship this year, driven by Laurie Ritchie of Studley.

[Neptune]

There are several JM2, JM4 & JM6 running in SVRA/ HSR/ MR in north east USA. All FSV configuration and quick in F70 (pre- Dec '79 cut-off date).

[Chris Townsend]

Might the Goode/Frost/Ritchie JM9 have been the car run by Colin Lees
in 1981? Not many JM9s were built - indeed, might this be the only one?

Chris

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by Chris Townsend

Might the Goode/Frost/Ritchie JM9 have been the car run by Colin Lees
in 1981? Not many JM9s were built - indeed, might this be the only one?

Chris

When I last saw Laurie Ritchie he knew all the Speed Event history of the car but nothing of what it did before.

[Bryan Miller]

As advised elsewhere I was at Eastern Creek Historics on the weekend and the subject came up of Argo's , and I was informed of an Argo about 100km from me , I can only think that it is the 2nd of the two that came into Western Australia about 20/25 years ago, so will track it down.
Bryan.

[Chris Townsend]

On reflection I think it's more likely that the Goode/Frost/Ritchie car started life
with Tyrrell Arnold in N.Ireland in 1981

Chris

[Dan Rear]

Chris, yeah I reckon only 2 JM9s, the Goodwin/Lees UK car, and the Irish Tyrrell Arnold one. I suspect the latter is the Laurie Ritchie car that Steve mentions above.

[Chris Townsend]

Found a third JM9 Atlantic.
Delivered new in 1981 to Jim Blackwell in Seattle, retained until early 1985
at least. Then to Marty Knoll and Terry Edwards [both NW USA] and then
to Canadian Gary Milligan who used it as the basis of his national autocross
champ winning "Lotus Europa" in 1994.
There was also at least one JM11 Atlantic sold new in Seattle in 1982.

Chris

[allenbrown]

Chris

Have you spoken to the Bob Relinski who is listed as owning chassis JM11-061-SV in the FSV register? His email is given as karwashbob at aol dot com.

Allen

[Dan Rear]

Originally Posted by allenbrown

Chris

Have you spoken to the Bob Relinski who is listed as owning chassis JM11-061-SV in the FSV register? His email is given as karwashbob at aol dot com.

Allen

Allen wasn't the JM12 the FSV, not the JM11 ? I'd thought that for that year, 1982, the F3 was the 10, the FAt the 11, and the FSV the 12. Except that Bill Burley (?) used a JM12 FSV in the 'year-old cars' F3 class a year or so later in Britain IIRC.

[allenbrown]

Absolutely no idea Dan!! Not sure Argo always did.

[jleonard]

I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to go look at the ex Nugent car to confirm it's a JM-8.I thought there was only 2 JM-9 FA built, we had sn 056 (which we bought used, not new) and Wille Stobart in Perth Australia had the other. Could sn 057 that is hillclimbing be the Stobert car gone back to the UK? We did own the 11 (065) that came to Seattle. There is another 11 style car in the area which started life as a super V and left the factory as an FA. It's been a while but I think it is stamped with SV/FA. I do own JM5-036-FA and it is the Rackham car. He did race the car at a boxing day event and had an accident which was rapaired at Anglia cars.

[allenbrown]

Hi jleonard

Thanks for this - very useful indeed. I had completely failed to spot the information you posted on the 1-off F2 cars thread so I've just grabbed this so it's accessible on this thread. Maybe John can transfer the posts across later and remove the quotes?

Allen

Originally Posted by jleonard

From here: I see this thread is over a year old but I thought I would add a few notes on Argo atlantic cars. The Rick Gorne car was a converted F3 called a JM1X. The Mike Nugent car was a 1980 JM8 and is in the Seattle, WA. U.S.A. area.It is rumored to have been in a shop fire with partial damage.We imported JM9-056-FA to the U.S. in about 1982. The car was sold and went to B.C. Canada was raced then the suspension was used for an autox special and the gearbox,adapter and tubs (yes 2, one was a used F3) went to Tennesee U.S.A. I was told there was also a JM9 in Australia. We also owned JM11-065-FA which was rebuilt as a sports racer using JM21 bodywork after an extensive accident.The last I heard that car is in Florida.The gem though is our JM5-036-FA which we purchased from Dave Rackham in 1980. I won the first SCCA national it was entered in which we think was the first for an ARGO atlantic.In recent years we have run the car in some vintage events and also against current Swifts and Ralts in SCCA nationals when the Reynard hasn't been ready.Like the comment about the RT1 the 5 is a great car to drive.I think there is also in the Seattle area another JM11 built as a super V converted to atlantic before it left the factory,a JM4 type SV and a ff2000. I just got to thinking that the JM5 could be the only operational true ARGO atlantic car in North America, maybe the world?

Originally Posted by jleonard

From here: Dan,Jon Peterson arranged the sale of the 9 to us and the money was paid to Anglia Cars.I'm 90% sure it's the Arnold car. We got quite a few spares with the car as they were disassembling the F3 cars after they turned out to not to be very good. The 9 did look much different, Pininfarina's wind tunnel might have made the aero OK but the cars were very flexible. When we bought the JM5 it was the intention of my brother and I to inspect both the 5 and the Nugent JM8. When we left the US both cars were for sale, when we landed in the UK 12 hours later Nugent had taken a deposit on his car from an agent in the US. We also bought an Alan Smith engine from Andy Barton (iron man of the north?) on that trip.I still have the autosport ad listing the Nugent car as an 8,also I should have race results from here in the US with the car listed as an 8.The 5 and 8 Have different tubs the 8 being longer extending into the engine bay along with some other minor changes.The nose and upper bodywork are the same,the sidepods are different as well as most of the rear suspension.The 11 we had was built as an atlantic same bodywork as the F3 but with all the right brakes ,wheels and wings. It did use the front upright from the 1981 F3/atlantic. Back in about 1985 the 5,9and 11 all attended the same pro atlantic race (half the worlds population of ARGO atlantics?) Thanks for the intrest,Jo would be pleased. Is there an area for atlantics I don't want the F2 guys to be upset with us? J

[allenbrown]

Tom Johnston in Canada has emailed me to say that:

The JM6 referred to as being driven by Ross Bentley is actually a Johnston JM6, one of my cars. The similar mark designation often resulted in confusion at the time.

Allen

[Chris Townsend]

I'll say, I only found one contemporary reference to it as a Johnston rather than as an Argo!
Though from seeing a photo on CMSHG a few years back I recall it did have an uncanny resemblance to Argo's FF2000 car that appeared at the same time.
Chris

[allenbrown]

I've asked Tom for some background on the car. He's also said he'll look into our other Argo queries.

Allen

[Chris Townsend]

From what jleonard is saying here it looks as though JM9-056-FA was the Blackwell car in Atlantic before being AX'd and had previous in 1981 -
presumably as the Arnold car which disappears after 81. That would make our UK/Irish based JM9 the ex Goodwin Racing chassis. I can't find any evidence of an Argo in Australian Pacific class in 81/83.
The Seattle location makes the Nugent JM8 a fine prospect for the car of Jim Burnett. All we need here is the chassis no!
The outstanding question is JM11-65.
jleonard is your car the ex Karlberg-Boley Atlantic racer or was that the hybrid FA/SV that's still up there in Seattle?
Also, would love some results and background on SCCA Nationals in the 1980s as I start doing pro races in that period
Chris

[Bryan Miller]

Chris,

Western Australia is a long way from the other side of OZ where most Atlantic stuff happened , Willie Stobart certainly is a name that rings bells re . one of the two Argo's that came here, which has reminded me to try and find out about the one I was told of up the coast from Sydney.

[jleonard]

The JM-11-O65 is the Karlberg/Boley car that I owned and yes I am Jim Blackwell. Jim Burnett owns the 11 FA/SV the 8, ex Nugent car and a JM17 FF2000. I called Jim and confirmed that the early car is JM8-044-FA. So the list of ARGO atlantics goes JM1X sn?,JM5-036,JM8-044,all early design. JM9-056 dismantled, parts in US and Canada. JM9-057, one of two built for Irish series now speed event car, back from OZ? 9s were the Arrows F1 lookalikes. JM11-065 ex Karlburg/Boley,Blackwell,now in Florida with JM-21 sportsracer bodywork.And the Burnett JM11 S.N. unknown, car in storage. The 11s looked like Ralt rt4s. Wille Stobert also had a March 832. Please do not call Jim about his cars as they are not for sale.

[Chris Townsend]

Jim

A proper welcome to CF3 and thanks for all the information. Apart from the Willy Stobart mystery you've cleared up every query on the Argo Atlantic cars. [I have a pencil written note of the Gorne chassis number, but need to clarify the handwriting with the original note taker.]
Have a look at the 84 WCAR results on www.oldracingcars.com and tell us if we're gettting it right.

Chris

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by Chris Townsend

Have a look at the 84 WCAR results on www.oldracingcars.com and tell us if we're gettting it right.

Somewhat confusingly listed under Canada: try here.

[Dan Rear]

I'm getting lost here chaps. Are we saying there were/are only 2 JM9s made, thats why I think FWIW - the Lees/Goodwin car, and the Arnold one. One is still in UK with Ritchie, the other with Jim B in US/Canada.

I still maintain the Nugent car was a 1979-80 model, a JM5, and NOT an 81 JM8/9. The 2 models, ie the 79/80 and 81 cars were distinctly different. I think the sequence is as follows :

JM1X 1979 convert of a 78 F3 car
JM5 1979-80 'new' car, similar to the classic JM6 F3, 2 made for Nugent and Rackham
JM9 1981 car, the equivalent to the awful JM8 F3 car - 2 made, Lees and Arnold.
JM11 1982, one only and slightly RT3-4 looking.

How do we think about the above ??