Grp C/Grp A/V8SC 'Where are they now?' continued...

[KA]

Wasn't the Netcomm car the earlier (DR30?) version of the Skyline, not an HR31? Started off in pale blue 'Everlast' colours, then changed to the black Netcomm livery when moved on to a Commodore. Murray Carter then had a black 'Netcomm' Sierra- I don't remember him having an HR31, or was that the guy who brought the Netcomm money (Horley?)

[Umai Naa]

Everlast/Netcomm DR30 was Murray Carter's.

Everlast came about through Bill O'Brien in '86. Netcomm through Dennis (?) Horely in '87.

At some stage after the DR30, Mr Carter moved onto a very questionable Sierra after that, which had a habit of cracking windscreens like they were going out of style.

[one five five]

Carter ran the DR30 for most of the 1988 ATCC, before switching to the Sierra for the last round at Oran Park.

Pretty sure the Sizzler Skyline was an ex-GMS car, the Grant's only started racing it in late-1990 after the GTR had been introduced.... and i have a very vague recollection of the Gibson team initially preparing it?

[David Towe]

If Smallman still owns one then there has to be three ex Gibson HR31's. Carey McMahon, Jim Richards and Smallman. The Alf Grant Sizzler car is still owned by Chris la Rosa and is still up for sale. Beautiful car in excellent condition at a good price at around $200K IIRC.

[adz_34]

Just how rare is this. Bit vague on details and a bit far fetched to claim it as a ex MHDT car with no idea on who drove it.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HOLDEN-VH...item2ec40254cf

[Oran Park Forever]

Originally Posted by adz_34

Just how rare is this. Bit vague on details and a bit far fetched to claim it as a ex MHDT car with no idea on who drove it.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HOLDEN-VH...item2ec40254cf

Auction ended early....one of those 'real deals' that wasn't.
Promised images in current form never shown.

No shock there...

[ART Racing]

Originally Posted by David Towe

If Smallman still owns one then there has to be three ex Gibson HR31's. Carey McMahon, Jim Richards and Smallman. The Alf Grant Sizzler car is still owned by Chris la Rosa and is still up for sale. Beautiful car in excellent condition at a good price at around $200K IIRC.

Yes Gibson bought 4 Nismo shells but only 3 were turned into logbooked cars, the 4th had some mods done but was never caged or logbooked. Unfortunately that was the one I used to own......

John

[douglasjames671]

Pretty sure Dennis Horley was seriously hurt in a prang in the DR30 . . . not sure why but Adelaide GP supports springs to mind . . . has anyone got a better recollection??

[KA]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

Everlast/Netcomm DR30 was Murray Carter's.

Everlast came about through Bill O'Brien in '86. Netcomm through Dennis (?) Horely in '87.

Thanks- I somehow managed to miss Bill O'Brien's name out of my earlier post- As you say, he was in the Carter Skyline for 86, before moving on to a VL Commodore (sourced from Larry Perkins IIRC?) for 87.

[KA]

Originally Posted by David Towe

If Smallman still owns one then there has to be three ex Gibson HR31's. Carey McMahon, Jim Richards and Smallman. The Alf Grant Sizzler car is still owned by Chris la Rosa and is still up for sale. Beautiful car in excellent condition at a good price at around $200K IIRC.

So if I'm reading this correctly, the Grant car (IIRC Chris la Rosa still has it in the Grant/Sizzler colours?) wasn't one of the three raced by the Gibson team?

Presumably the Lambden/Beaurepaires car was one of the ex-GMS trio?

I'm looking at this from the UK, and it's interesting that the various models of Skyline were raced in reasonable numbers in Australia/NZ (and obviously at home in Japan), but were almost unknown over here in Europe (we only saw the Nissan Europe HR31 for a few races in 1988)
Compared with Australia, Nissan in Europe seemed to have little or no interest in touring cars, focusing more on rallying. Almost the only Nissan Group A race car seen here before the NME Skyline was Graham Goode's BTCC Bluebird Turbo Coupe in 84/85, which was a purely privateer effort.

[david5]

I was sure the ad for the Sizzler car said it was an ex GMS car.

I remember sikaflexing a couple of screens in Murrays Sierra, it was a little questionable in a few areas.

[Sultan]

Both the Grant/Sizzler car & the Lamben/Beaurepairs cars were Ex GMS.

IIRC there were no other HR31's in the country..

As far as DR30's - was it 3 or 4?

[David Towe]

Originally Posted by Sultan

Both the Grant/Sizzler car & the Lamben/Beaurepairs cars were Ex GMS.

IIRC there were no other HR31's in the country..

Smallman, McMahon and Richards all have ex Gibson HR31's. LaRosa still has the Grant/Sizzler car which is ex Gibson so there was at least 4 HR31's built by Gibson.

[Rob Bailey]

When was the State round and the car that Moffat allowed the late Greg Hansford to have his 1st race in a Moffat car?
Was it one of his Mazda's or in '78 in one of the Group C Falcons?

[one five five]

Originally Posted by Sultan

As far as DR30's - was it 3 or 4?

Four GMS cars at least i would say

There were three Peter Jackson cars (Seton, Fury & Bowe) at the end of the 1987 ATCC, plus there was the Wills/Henley Nissan, which i'm assuming was ex-Gibson as it fronted at the start of 1987 in the '86 PJ livery (just with red instead of blue)

Then as well there was the Netcomm car and the two Nissan NZ cars

Originally Posted by Rob Bailey

When was the State round and the car that Moffat allowed the late Greg Hansford to have his 1st race in a Moffat car?
Was it one of his Mazda's or in '78 in one of the Group C Falcons?

Hansford drove the #1 Moffat XB in a preliminary race at Calder in 1977 (perhaps the ATCC round). I think that was his first race in a Moffat car

[Rob Bailey]

Originally Posted by one five five

Four GMS cars at least i would say

There were three Peter Jackson cars (Seton, Fury & Bowe) at the end of the 1987 ATCC, plus there was the Wills/Henley Nissan, which i'm assuming was ex-Gibson as it fronted at the start of 1987 in the '86 PJ livery (just with red instead of blue)

Then as well there was the Netcomm car and the two Nissan NZ cars



Hansford drove the #1 Moffat XB in a preliminary race at Calder in 1977 (perhaps the ATCC round). I think that was his first race in a Moffat car

that would make sense,as as a kid I remember reading it in Racing Car news,Sports sedan race?

[Nivola]

So Paul Stubber has entered his RX7 in the Wanneroo 300 this weekend.

Its going to be like the old days.

[jd yort]

Please someone who will also race it buy it.
http://www.ecurieinvestments.com.au/godzilla

Is he retiring from racing or bought something else?

[Librules]

Originally Posted by jd yort

Please someone who will also race it buy it.
http://www.ecurieinvestments.com.au/godzilla

Is he retiring from racing or bought something else?

Not sure but he's been gradually selling off all the Gibson cars.

[David Towe]

Retirement beckons for Terry. We'll see how long it lasts.
Many don't know, but Terry was the driving force in getting Group A back on track in the early naughties. Without his vision we'd still be racing them in Sports Sedans and many more may have been cannibalised. The Group C Touring Car Company was a body that was interested in increasing its' membership numbers and Terry had about 10-12 of us looking for a home.
My personal thanks to Terry and I might suggest that if you like seeing Group A back on track, that you say thanks to him as well.

[Carter-Nelson]

Well said David.
Terry has been instrumental in Group A getting Historic recognition. I hope this is only a short break from racing, I always enjoy speaking with Terry and watching him pass me every few laps...
I don't have cars as exotic, powerful or as well presented but any time he wants to drive one he is welcome.
Nev.

[jd yort]

Originally Posted by David Towe

we'd still be racing them in Sports Sedans and many more may have been cannibalised...

To be honest David how many cars were actually ever lost to Sports Sedans? Off the top of my head I can only recall the one Rx7 that is in NZ that is supposedly too far gone to be returned to Group C spec. I cant think of a single Sierra, Nissan, BMW or even a Walkingshaw Commodore that was modified for Sports Sedans and has not been returned to its original specs. A few cars were involved in accidents racing (eg Alfa 75) but an accident is not unique to Sports Sedans.

People seem to forget Sports Sedans gave these cars a home to race in when no one wanted them and I really believe this whole cannibalisation gripe is a myth.

[gt4v]

The Ex Tim Slako,Barbagallo Motor Sport Walkinshaw is now For Sale.
All fresh top components and ready to race.
Fresh Engine,Harrop camber 9inch diff and axles,has original Harrop struts and brakes,bathurst fuel tank and gearbox/diff coolers.
Restored to Bathurst 1989 with Historic COD and original Log Book.
Car ran ATCC upto 1993 still pink and black.
Includes Spares package.
Very straight original body with original panels and no hits.
Fastest Group A Commodore at Phillip Island.
Phillip Island event winner 2011 and 2012 and second at AGP 2012.
Last race at Sandown 500 2012 finnished second using old tyres where car set a new PB.
More information at http://www.v8sleuth.com.au/classifie...php?chassis=27

[David Towe]

Originally Posted by jd yort

To be honest David how many cars were actually ever lost to Sports Sedans? Reply; My old ex longhurst BMW 323 was nearly lost as when I was selling it I had an inquiry from a bloke who asked what it weighed and did I think he could get 200kgs out of it? I politely told him it wasn't for sale right then. One of the B&H M3s was lightened and modofied to run in Sports Sedans, sure it could be returned to Group A trim. Please correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Simon Emmerling's 635 an ex Group Cor A car? There are more cars out there that were modified to some degree to race in SS and a few that have already been returned to Grp A or C trim.

People seem to forget Sports Sedans gave these cars a home to race in when no one wanted them and I really believe this whole cannibalisation gripe is a myth.

It's not a gripe, in fact if it wasn't for SS I possibly wouldn't be racing these days. I did 2 and a bit fantastic years in the NSW SS championship in the 323 before Terry got the ball rolling. There will be others trying to claim the kudos for where Group A is now, but let me assure you Terry was the instigator of it all.
Cheers
David

[Nivola]

Wasnt the Ceviri Sierra sports sedan the ex rolled OXO car?

Simon has butchered the 635 sadly.

The mustang at Bowdens was butchered aswell.

I think the only true group A in spec still is the Lancia Delta over here in the west. if its still actually here