Where are they now?

david birchall · 1 Nov 2005, 18:03 (Ref:1449598)

I am always surprised at people who purchase historic racing cars and don't bother to trace the history. Two cars I used to own that I have never heard of again are a JP 500 Formula 3. I found it in a barn on Vancouver Island in about 1979, reluctantly sold it to a friend who fitted a JAP 500 engine and then sold it to Robert Mellart, a Dutchman living in Vancouver, who took it to England. I did see it in a classic car magazine picture in the late eighties at a hillclimb.
A 1960 Elva front engined junior. It has the high mounted oil cooler with air scoop above the nose and perhaps uniquely, Cooper 8 spoke wheels. I sold it to a guy in San Francisco in 1984 and hear it was for sale on the web about five years ago. Anybody have any news of either?
David B

Steve Wilkinson · 1 Nov 2005, 20:44 (Ref:1449773)

Quote:

Originally Posted by david birchall

I am always surprised at people who purchase historic racing cars and don't bother to trace the history. Two cars I used to own that I have never heard of again are a JP 500 Formula 3. I found it in a barn on Vancouver Island in about 1979, reluctantly sold it to a friend who fitted a JAP 500 engine and then sold it to Robert Mellart, a Dutchman living in Vancouver, who took it to England. I did see it in a classic car magazine picture in the late eighties at a hillclimb.
A 1960 Elva front engined junior. It has the high mounted oil cooler with air scoop above the nose and perhaps uniquely, Cooper 8 spoke wheels. I sold it to a guy in San Francisco in 1984 and hear it was for sale on the web about five years ago. Anybody have any news of either?
David B

Can you remember who was the driver of the JP in the classic car picture? Or where the hillclimb was? Or the date of the magazine? Was it a colour photo and if so what colour was the car?

Any or all of the above may be able to help me narrow down what has happened to the car. Cheers!

david birchall · 1 Nov 2005, 20:57 (Ref:1449783)

Hi Steve, The JP was a mid blue-sort of a French racing blue. I seem to recall it was at Prescott or Shelsley. The magazine may have been Supercar Classics but I'm not sure. The Elva was dark green, and no, there was no chassis plate. The JP was represented to me as a Keift but was obviously not, so I went page by page through Georgano's Encyclopeadia of Motor Sport until I found JP and that was obviously it. At the time I got the car there were signs it had run with a vee twin I thought, but I might have been wrong. Thanks for the interest.
David B

jamesholland · 2 Nov 2005, 12:48 (Ref:1450367)

Quote:

Originally Posted by david birchall

Hi Steve, The JP was a mid blue-sort of a French racing blue. I seem to recall it was at Prescott or Shelsley. The magazine may have been Supercar Classics but I'm not sure. The Elva was dark green, and no, there was no chassis plate. The JP was represented to me as a Keift but was obviously not, so I went page by page through Georgano's Encyclopeadia of Motor Sport until I found JP and that was obviously it. At the time I got the car there were signs it had run with a vee twin I thought, but I might have been wrong. Thanks for the interest.
David B

The only JP competing in recent years has been Harry Foster's which is the colour you describe and has a JAP engine. It is nicely presented and goes very well - I expect it is the same car.

HiRich · 2 Nov 2005, 13:40 (Ref:1450408)

There are/were a couple of shots at bolide.co.uk of what I presume is Harry's JP from a VSCC hillclimb at Wiscombe Park, 2000.

When the site comes back on line, I'll post the links.

david birchall · 2 Nov 2005, 22:31 (Ref:1450894)

Thank you gentlemen, that seems to have resolved the JP500
Now, what about the Elva FJ? It had the later front suspension which did not use the roll bar as part of the suspension. As I mentioned, it had the oil cooler mounted above the rad with a nicely rivetted on scoop, plated suspension and a transfer case on the nose of the diff that I had (very expensively) carved out of a solid block of T60/61. It had the Cooper wheels and when I got it, it had a dry-sump 1100cc BMC FJ engine with the dry-sump tank from Cooper mounted on the l/h side of the cockpit. Unfortunatley, the engine had so many cracks in the block it was unrepairable and a block from another FJ was substituted-also bored out to 1100cc. I was able to use the original forged crank and ran the engine to 8000 rpm without ever a problem. The problem was, I was the only person running a front engined Junior on the West Coast at the time and I had no competition so I sold it and bought a Lotus 26R (#5)-I wonder where that is now?
David B

HiRich · 7 Nov 2005, 12:44 (Ref:1454106)

Here are a couple of links to pictures of Harry Foster (I presume):

http://www.bolide.co.uk/actions/imag...isc00.6406.JPG

http://www.bolide.co.uk/actions/imag...isc00.6405.JPG

Steve Wilkinson · 7 Nov 2005, 13:05 (Ref:1454135)

The two photos linked by HiRich are indeed of Harry Foster at Sawbench Hairpin, Wiscombe Park Hillclimb.

Not sure of the year, could be a 500 Owner's Club meeting as I can't spot myself hanging over the hedge in the background!

Cameron Winton · 7 Nov 2005, 13:49 (Ref:1454178)

If it is a JP Special as built by Joe Potts of Glasgow, see this: http://www.500race.org/Marques/JP.htm
There was a light blue JP sitting in Lord Doune's museum and I don't know what happened to it after the museum closed. Although I did see a very similar car in the little museum at the old Argyll car factory in Alexandria along with a film about the Rest & Be Thankful hillclimb.
Joe Potts is of interest to me as he was a lifelong friend of my grandfather's (Did trials on bikes) from childhood & my mother can remember going to the Rest to watch in the early fifties. He is the same Joe Potts that built bikes & sponsored Bob Mcintyre. He even built his own wind tunnel to develop bike fairings!

Steve Wilkinson · 7 Nov 2005, 14:26 (Ref:1454224)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cameron Winton

If it is a JP Special as built by Joe Potts of Glasgow, see this: http://www.500race.org/Marques/JP.htm
There was a light blue JP sitting in Lord Doune's museum and I don't know what happened to it after the museum closed. Although I did see a very similar car in the little museum at the old Argyll car factory in Alexandria along with a film about the Rest & Be Thankful hillclimb.
Joe Potts is of interest to me as he was a lifelong friend of my grandfather's (Did trials on bikes) from childhood & my mother can remember going to the Rest to watch in the early fifties. He is the same Joe Potts that built bikes & sponsored Bob Mcintyre. He even built his own wind tunnel to develop bike fairings!

Cameron, the car in the two photos IS a JP Special. Harry Foster still owns the car and is currently undertaking a complete nut & bolt rebuild; meanwhile Harry is back hillclimbing and sprinting his superb BMW sidecar outfit.

david birchall · 8 Nov 2005, 03:14 (Ref:1454894)

Thanks gentlemen. The car pictured at Wiscombe certainly appears to be 'my' old car. The blue car pictured lower down would appear to be a later one. The photo of Harry Foster is interesting, he looks like he is a real mad bugger!
I found the car in a barn on Vancouver island in about 1980. It had no engine and was rough but quite complete. I reluctantly sold the car to my friend Miles Fenton who restored the car and fitted the JAP engine. I do not have a scanner but Miles does so since it seems a bit quiet here right now I am going to ask him to join in and post some photos. David B

Steve Wilkinson · 8 Nov 2005, 13:02 (Ref:1455173)

Quote:

Originally Posted by david birchall

Thanks gentlemen. The car pictured at Wiscombe certainly appears to be 'my' old car. The blue car pictured lower down would appear to be a later one. The photo of Harry Foster is interesting, he looks like he is a real mad bugger!
I found the car in a barn on Vancouver island in about 1980. It had no engine and was rough but quite complete. I reluctantly sold the car to my friend Miles Fenton who restored the car and fitted the JAP engine. I do not have a scanner but Miles does so since it seems a bit quiet here right now I am going to ask him to join in and post some photos. David B

Next time I see Harry I'll pass on your comments. I feel sure he will concur!

PS flinging a 500 sideways is the recommended way to negotiate Sawbench! It also gets the crowd cheering!

Anuauto · 8 Nov 2005, 16:08 (Ref:1455304)

The pictures of Harry Foster at Sawbench seem to have a date of 2000 on them. That seems about right from the condition of the "new" bank further up Castle Straight, built in 1998. Too many people for 500OA meeting? and HF was organising it around then? Rare sunshine for VSCC Wiscombe!

david birchall · 10 Nov 2005, 03:48 (Ref:1456909)

Miles just emailed me some photos of the JP from the eighties-Hopefully I can make this work!

The JP as I found it and sold it to Miles. His 1934 supercharged MG ND behind
Note the white with green stripes-Canadian racing colours. Probably 1981:

During restoration and installation of speedway JAP engine and Norton gearbox whcih Miles tells me came from a guy in Northern BC who wanted to build a bike for record breaking but had health problems:

In the paddock at Westwood, just outside Vancouver:

Rear view-it is a good looking car:

david birchall · 10 Nov 2005, 04:25 (Ref:1456923)

Here are a few more shots of the JP in action:

Miles and the JP with Robert Follows and his ex Jim Russell Cooper-Norton at Portland, Oregon:

Miles at speed in the JP:

Accelerating out of the hairpin at Westwood:

Yes, I am rather bored right now--it's November, raining....

Steve Wilkinson · 10 Nov 2005, 09:37 (Ref:1457039)

I'm pretty bored as well due in no small part to the persistant rain!

Thanks for posting the photos I'll file these for when I next see Harry.

profjohn · 7 Feb 2007, 14:45 (Ref:1835479)

Sadly Harry Foster died in October 2006. His JP has been sold to a friend of mine who is keen to trace its early history and would love to speak to David and others who know about its pre1980 adventures. If anyone would like to send me a pm with their contact details I will pass them on. Thanks, John

jamesholland · 7 Feb 2007, 14:48 (Ref:1835480)

http://www.classic-auctions.co.uk/lo...0806&aucid=250

Looks like your friend doesn't want it anymore

profjohn · 7 Feb 2007, 20:10 (Ref:1835721)

Maybe...

david birchall · 1 Mar 2007, 20:36 (Ref:1854902)

I just got around to checking this thread for the first time in a long time. The new owner of the JP, Ben Waters, has been in touch and we are trying to find out more of the car's history. I have to admit to being unaware that it had a longer wheelbase than standard-I really should have measured it shouldn't I? If it turns out to be the ex Flockhart car I will be quite po'd. I did find indications on the car when I aquired it that point to it's having been fitted with a Vee twin. Ben Waters has come up with the name Mirrlees Chattells and thought this might be a French Canadian name. Research (Google) has shown that he Chattells was very Scottish and was the entrant for Ron Flockart at times. Can anyone add anything to this?
David B

david birchall · 1 Mar 2007, 21:21 (Ref:1854930)

Sorry, that should read " Mirrlees Chassells" not Chattells

darezpub · 24 Jun 2007, 00:08 (Ref:1945193)

Hi, it's early hours and I am new to this forum and was just 'surfing' for info when I came across it.

I was looking to confirm some details on JP500s (hope this doesn't contravene any of this forum's rules) for a book I am publishing and currently proof reading (nightmare!). The book is about a famous Scottish hill climb venue, no longer in use (you can work out the rest). Mirrlees Chassells (Dr.) and Mrs Mabel Chassells are certainly Scottish and have a long history with the hill climb in question - they both COMPETED there in 1947 on 17 May and have received recently (17 May 2007) a special presentation to mark the 60th anniversary of this particular hill climb venue.
They also held records at the hill in their Chassells Special.

Joe Potts manufactued the JP cars at his Bellshill Garage (first ever car designed and built in Scotland? - I need to re-read the book!).

Several entries in the comprehensive tables for JP racing cars. One I was looking (surfing) to confirm was a certain driver with apparently the name Cornish Hunter who raced a JP500 in 1951.

Anyway hopefully I have cleared up the Chassells bit

NB it is important for facts on the net to be correct (not easy!) but above David says Ron 'Flockart' - it should be 'Flockhart' with an h.