1977 IROC Camaro Race car info needed.

[thunder road]

chris-Melb.;1970/71,I stopped at a small 'car yard' on the Nepean Highway/prior to South Road, heading to Frankston(south!),they had in stock a 'black' Camaro with the 'white ' nose strip that ran back along the fender,towards the door, the 'Hurst'shifter had been heated with the 'oxy'bent over to the right side ,there was no 'console',black carpets/black interior 'rhd',behind the 'drivers seat was a triangle 'impression ,with three 'holes in the carpet (perhaps were the 'roll-over hoop/bar'had been mounted)I dicussed the possilility of trading my v8 hk Holden, but alas I still owed too much to make a 'deal'...I was part-time working with a guy who worked doing 'alloy'work for, Norm Beachey /Allan Moffat/Larry Ormsby/'Shepperton's/Thompsons Bros,etc, while I was waiting for the finance 'yes or no',we went to have another 'look;(as you do when you're excited!!!)and he proclaimed at that time that it was the 'EX'Beachy car ,as he had worked on it,Norm had painted his 'HK',(service vehicle) panelvan 'black'to match the Camaro,with the 'white matching 'nose'stripe, this van was retained for sometime as Norms 'speed 'shop run around, so there is a starter!!!

[cavvy]

The Beechey Camaro: saw one posing as this car on the road around Melbourne & later in the car park at the Winton historics a couple of months back with rego BEECHY. No idea if it is genuine!

[Steve Holmes]

Hey that's a cool story thunder. That would have been a neat car to own. Those 68s are oh-so-sexy. Especially that one. How much were they asking for it, do you remember?

thunder, 69 Sunoco Camaro. With or without the vinyl roof?

[Chris - Melb]

Thanks Thunder Road. That is the only piece of info I have seen on the fate of the car post Beechey.

Cavvy, the car you saw was probably this replica unfortunately:
http://www.chevcarclubvic.org.au/cam...s68_camaro.htm

You may have to “cut” and “paste” this web address into your browser address bar. The car is fairly well done, other than the bonnet scoop.

BTW, around 1970 my cousins in Shepparton reckoned that Bryan Thomson had two Camaros at that time, although I suspect that they may have been confused when the car changed from black (which I presume it was painted to when the flared guards were added) to the final “Alfa Yellow” colour.

The car looked to be a different colour again when Bryan first raced it (dark red maybe?). I haven’t seen any colour photos of the car other than when it was yellow.

Chris.
www.MotorsportArchive.com

[Al Weyman]

What happeed to thatorangething (man I wish you guys would use proper names on these boards) is he on holiday or something? I thought he would have contibuted to this or the other thread he started on the IROC, I have PMed him with no response.

[Peter Mallett]

Wow.

Al you've achieved 100 posts! Congratulations.

[Al Weyman]

Yeah fastest typist in the west, that's me, sad really should get a life eh?

[thunder road]

BIG AL; now if you could get that Camaro to 'run' as hard as that 'key board',then we would be reading about you in some other 'thread'.chevy v8's rule !!!!

[thunder road]

Chris-Melb; another part of the 'puzzle' to consider,living in Shepperton was another family (not related)called the 'thompson's', known as the 'thompson brothers',Neville/jock/'pud',Neville,opperated a wrecking yard specialising in 'yank'cars,which he imported from the 'states',they were also very 'strong 'in to'Drag Racing' with an 'altered-t-bucket that ran a blown'big block(think it may have been a Chev!!),they ran a 427 chev. in mitz/colt,but Neville was 'right' in to the 'Chev thing',read this and weep!!!my buddy bought a genuine 1968 /302 Camaro of neville that really 'hammered',ripped the engine out and installed a genuine L88/427,went 'drag 'racing,when not at the drags could be found 'cruzine' Dandenong(saturday nights was fun!!""wan'a race???)but Neville Thompson had some of the 'best' chev's of the 70's...food for thought !!!

[Al Weyman]

Well I have just finished rebuilding the bottom half of the 2nd gen car (not the Iroc) and hope to clean the heads up and pop them on at the weekend, that should make about 450 bhp so should hop along quite nicely. I am almost finished off bolting a Steve Spohn racing torque arm and combined cross member to the 3rd gen car as when I took it out last year to a trackday after sorting the engine and clutch the back axle was trying to climb out the car under heavy braking. It was damned quick though and it has at least 550 to 575bhp with an all roller motor proper heads etc and showed a clean pair of heals to one of those noble thingys.

[Camaroz]

Hi Big Al,

What was the Gardner video called? Do you know if it is still available?

[Al Weyman]

I will have a look tomorrow and post back as I have just got back from the pub (hic) but try Duke Video (do a google search they are big) I am sure they have it. It is a really great film if you are into 70's Uk racing and Camaros including an interview with Frank, a few laps of Oulton Park with inn car shots and a race from Thruxton. Well worth seeing, I could do a copy to DVD but I better not if you know what I mean.

[cavvy]

Camaroz
In Doug Nye's Castrol racing drivers manual by Frank Gardner (published Oct 73)is a photo of the first Gardner Camaro captioned ' The original SCA Camaro was an ex-Bill Shaw 5.7 litre Z28. It started winning when the Gardner - Chambers combination came into being ....'

[Camaroz]

Thanks Cavvy,

Yep, thats the car I have.

[Camaroz]

Big Al,

I have seen that the ex-Martin Thomas 1st Gen Camaro (Ovaltine?)is on the market! (Classic and Sports Car Adv).

Do you know the owner of the car?

What class would my ex-Gardner Camaro be eligable for? (If anything is available, can you put me (and the car) up over next Summer if I come over?)

How did the Engine rebuild go?

Cheers

[Al Weyman]

Wow that is a long way to come for a race. There are a few different championships and invitation races for these type of vehicles, is it pre-66 because the most Prestigeous is the Historic Touring Cars I believe and I know Mk 1 run successfully in that but the rules seem to allow a lot of trick parts like 6.3 short stroke engines and the like and I have seen reports of guys spending £100,000 preparing cars for this chamionship and out of my league.

Personally and it all depends on the state of tune of your vehicle and depths of your pockets I think the Classic Saloon Car Club offers the best options, here is there home page with all the details you need http://www.csccgb.co.uk/pages/forum.asp They seem a good bunch of guys with some sensible technical regs and the 6.3's would not be elligible and I am modifing my 2nd gen to their Pre-73 Touring Car rules. There is also Rolling Thunder an invitation race for V8's but it seems a bit of an anything goes formula so I am not sure it is for me, maybe for my 3rd gen car. You could also enter it into my old club that I started The Racing Saloon Car Club incorporating the Toyo Tyres Modified Production Saloon Car Championship. The rules allow a bit of flexibility and can be found at www.rscc.co.uk you have to run on Toyo road tyres though and that can be fun and to be competitive you would need to run at least a 17" rim. I am sure there are others like the Heritage Saloons etc that others could advise you on.

[Al Weyman]

Camaroz

Re: the engine rebuild, you won't believe it but I put my back out lifting the cylinder heads two weeks ago and that has now progressed to severe syactica so since Friday I have been confined to lying o my back as every time I stand for more than a few minutes my right leg locks up with severe cramp like pains so the whole thing is on hold. I did manage to finish the short motor and did a bit of port blending on the Chevy angle plug heads and lapped all the valves in so they are already to pop back on and the engine is ready for installation. But at the moment I have had to shut my graphics shop and put everything on hold till I can walk again, all very worrying.

[Steve Holmes]

Al check out the August issue of Motorsport magazine if you haven't already done so. There's an article on Al Holbert which has a good side on pic of the Camaro he ran in the 77 IROC. Same as yours.

[Al Weyman]

Thanks Steve, where would I get a copy of that?

[Steve Holmes]

Al, you should be able to get it in your local magazine shop. I didn't buy the one I saw, it was an airfreighted copy. I was just reading through it. I used to buy them when I was living in London. But now only get them when there's something I really want from them. They're wickedly expensive. NZ$26.00 (around ten quid!).

But let me know if you can't find one, and I'll buy a copy for you and send it accorss.

[Al Weyman]

Thats very nice of you Steve but I will firts ask the newsagent on the same parade as my shop, he is a helpful guy or maybe get onto them vis the internet if it is a back copy, August addittion you say.

[Camaroz]

Al,

Hows the Back?

[Al Weyman]

Hi Camaroz, Thanks for asking, I managed to put a day in at the shop today so it is very slowly on the mend as I could not hardly walk a few days ago.

[Camaroz]

Hi Al,

Do you have any knowledge of the ex-Martin Thomas 67/68 Group II car that is advertised in the September Classic and Sports Car Magazine. It lists previous drivers as Roy Pierpoint as well as Martin Thomas! As far as I am aware, Pierpoint only drove two Camaro's, the original Bill Shaw car (written off at Oulton Park in 1969) and the ex-Malcolm Wayne/Mike Kearon car that went on to be the SCA/Castrol car for Gardner, that being the car I now have.

[Al Weyman]

No sorry I can't help you with that one