Monthly Archives: May 2015

Indy Monza Daytona – Kurtis KK500C

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In 1954 Kurtis Kraft built nine Kurtis KK500C roadsters and today’s featured car chassis #376 was entered for the 1954 Indianapolis 500 International Sweepstakes as the Merz Engineering Special for Fred Agabashian to drive.

Kurtis 500C, Silverstone Classic, Test Day,

Fred qualified the #77 for the 24th spot on the grid and finished in 6th place third best of the 9 KK500C’s which all made the start.

Kurtis 500C, Silverstone Classic, Test Day,

The following year Walt Faulkner took over the #77 for the Indy 500 and starting 7th went one better than Fred and finished 5th.

Kurtis 500C, Silverstone Classic, Test Day,

For 1956 chassis #376 was rebranded as the Hoyt Machine Co Special and entered in the Indy 500 as the #10 for Ed Eliian who qualified 14th but had to retire 40 laps short of the full distance with brake issues.

Kurtis 500C, Silverstone Classic, Test Day,

Jimmy Reece qualified the #5 Hoyt Machine Co Special 6th at Indy in 1957, but retired 18 laps short of the full distance with throttle issues.

Kurtis 500C, Silverstone Classic, Test Day,

In 1958 Gene Hartley failed to qualify the Hoyt Machine Co Special for the 500 but with Jimmy Reece back at the wheel the car finished 5th in the race of the Two Worlds at Monza.

Kurtis 500C, Silverstone Classic, Test Day,

After returning from Italy #376 was rebranded as the Wheeler Foutch Special and entered for Red Amnick for the Indy 500, Red qualified the #87 26th but retired after an accident and completing only 45 laps.

In April 1959 Dempsey Wilson qualified #376, now returned to Hoyt Machine Co Special colours, 4th for the Daytona 100 USAC race run at the then brand new Daytona Superspeedway.

Dempsey spun the #24 out at turn 2 on lap 28 of the Daytona 100 and then took over the #75 Racing Associates Kazuma for the 2nd event of the day a shortened 50 mile “Libre”, open to all comers, race from which he was flagged running in 9th place having completed only 17 of the scheduled 20 laps.

Chassis #376 was retired from competition in 1962 and was fitted with a V8 and clothed as a road car until 1995 when it was returned to the condition in which it is seen today, this car is considered one of the most original roadsters to have survived having never been converted to a super modified spec for dirt track racing.

My thanks to Willem Oosthoek and Jerry Entin at The Nostalgia Forum for anticipating my question regarding events at Daytona in April 1959.

Thanks for joining me on this “Indy Monza Daytona” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a seriously modified FIAT. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Clarke Brothers Upgrades – Iota P1-5 CB2

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Today’s featured car was one of the 5th of six Iota P1‘s to have been built by by Iota Racing Cars of Alma Vale, Clifton, Bristol.

Iota CB2, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

It was bought by garage owner Tom Clarke for the 1950 season during which he achieved some success up until the end of 1951.

Iota CB2, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

For 1951 the driving position was moved forward and the fuel tank removed from over the drivers legs to a position twixt driver and the JAP motor, in this form the car was known as the CB1, for Clarke Brothers the name of Tom’s garage.

Iota CB2, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

After finishing in podium positions through the 1952 season the car’s chassis was upgraded again to CB2 specification for the 1953 season with an emphasis on weight reduction.

Iota CB2, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Tom continued to race the CB2 with similar success until the end of 1954 when he and the car retired from racing, although he continued to compete in the occasional hill climb with the car.

Iota CB2, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

The CB2 remained on the family business premises for three decades and through several changes of ownership before being brought out of retirement in 2011 by Mike Wood.

Thanks for joining me on this “Clarke Brothers Upgrades” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Kurtiss Indy Car, don’t forget to come back now !

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’67 ECOTY – FIAT 124 S

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In 1966 FIAT replaced it’s 1300/1500 range with the FIAT 124, a fresh design led by Chief Engineer Oscar Montabone which was awarded the 1967 European Car Of he Year accolade by a collective of European journalists.

FIAT 124 S, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

The 124 range, which included 4 door saloon/sedan, 5 door estate / station wagon, Coupé and Spider models, was powered by a variety of motors producing from 60hp to 115 hp for the 2 litre / 122 cui overhead cam motor that was used in the Spider.

FIAT 124 S, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

Today’s featured 1969 FIAT 124 S is powered by a 1,438 cc Over Head Valve 4 cylinder engine that produces 74 horsepower transmitted to the rear wheels through a 4 speed fully synchromeshed manual transmission.

FIAT 124 S, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

FIAT 124 trivia includes a one off 124 2 door convertible that turned out to be the last car built by Carrozzeria Touring in Milan.

FIAT 124 S, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

The FIAT 124 went on to become an early global car as production expanded to the Soviet Union with the Lada brand, India, Spain with the SEAT brand, Bulgaria, Turkey, Korea, Egypt, Morocco and land locked Zambia in southern Africa.

FIAT 124 S, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

It was in Zambia that this correspondent took his first driving lessons on the open road at the wheel of a Zambian built ’74 FIAT 124 S.

Thanks for joining me on this “’67 ECOTY” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another 500 Formula 3 car built just down the road from me in Clifton, Bristol. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Cobra Hi Riser – Shelby Mustang GT 350

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In order for Ford’s new 4 seat Mustang to compete in the SCCA’s B Production class Carroll Shelby set about building a series of Shelby Mustang G.T. 350’s to meet the series regulations which stipulated a requirement for a minimum 100 examples of a “2 seat sports car”.

Shelby Mustang G.T. 350, Niello Concours At Serrano

To power the new “sports car” Shelby used the K-Code 271 hp 4.7 litre / 289 cui V8 modified with the aid of the Cobra “hi riser” intake manifold fed by the scoop in the fibre glass bonnet / hood and dual side exhausts, to produce 306 hp.

Shelby Mustang G.T. 350, Niello Concours At Serrano

Having opted for limited engine modifications the SCCA permitted more radical race suspension options which in the G.T. 350’s case ran to lowered A arms, heavy duty shock absorbers and upper arms, a heavy duty Ford Galaxie rear axle and “over rider” traction bars fitted above the rear leaf springs.

Shelby Mustang G.T. 350, Niello Concours At Serrano

The space where the back seat had been was taken up by a full size spare wheel comprising Goodyear Blue Spot tyre on either a 15″ steel wheel or a 15″ cast magnesium Crager Shelby item.

Shelby Mustang G.T. 350, Niello Concours At Serrano

34 G.T.350 R race spec cars were built and between them they captured 3 consecutive B Production class SCCA titles from 1965 to 1967 with Mexican Freddy Van Buren winning the ’67 title along with the 1966 and 1967 Trans Am titles.

Shelby Mustang G.T. 350, Niello Concours At Serrano

The rest of the Shelby G.T. 350’s, including today’s featured car were built for road use though the owner of this one confesses that “Driving a 1965 Shelby Mustang G.T.350 is a blast for the first 20 to 30 minuets… after that it starts to hurt”.

Shelby Mustang G.T. 350, Niello Concours At Serrano

All 562 Shelby Mustang G.T. 350’s were painted Wimbledon white and had the Guardsman Blue rocker stripes with the G.T. 350 logo, only 28% had the full length Guardsman Blue Le Mans stripes from new, though now nearly all of them do.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photographs taken at Niello Concours at Serrano a couple of years ago.

I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at one of my all time favourate FIAT’s. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Coffee, Croissant & Cars 05/15 – Avenue Drivers Club

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The second Sunday of the month at Queen Square in Bristol is maintaining it’s standing as one of the more extraordinary word of mouth gatherings for petrol heads in the country.

Land Rover, Ford, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol,

At this month’s gathering I tried to pay a bit more attention to some of the low riders present including the 1960 Land Rover 80 fitted with a 4 litre / 244 cui version of the Buick derived Rover V8, which is dwarfed by the 2008 Ford RBP Super Duty that was imported into the UK in December last year.

Volkswagen Lupo, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol,

Among the smallest of the low riders present was this 2004 Volkswagen Lupo.

BMW 635i, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol,

Low riding BMW’s are not that unusual but this is the first 1980’s E24 635 CSi I have seen so dramatically stanced.

Avenue Drivers Club, Jaguar X Type S, Queen Square, Bristol,

Leaping forward back to 2008 is this stanced diesel powered Jaguar X Type S the like of which I have also never seen before in the flesh.

Audi RS5 Quattro, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol,

Amazingly this Audi RS7 Quattro is a 2014 model first registered, given that car was fitted with 19″ wheels as standard one would have to conclude the wheels on this one are well over 20″.

Datsun Sunny, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol,

Back in the day when I used to deliver Datsuns new for a dealer in London I realised that they did exactly what they said on the tin and unless one was deliberately trying to break one they would run until the body rotted off, above is a stanced 1982 Datsun Sunny Estate with a well above average preserved body.

Thanks for joining me on this “Coffee, Croissant & Cars 05/15” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another Pony. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Major Reliability Leap – Hispano Amilcar Special

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The motor powering Robin Baker’s 2 speed, chain drive 1930 Hispano Amilcar Special is a 1916 Hispano Suiza V8 aircraft engine.

Hispano Amilcar Special, Robin Baker, VSCC Prescott

Marc Birkigt’s HS8 design with a swept volume of 11,760 cc / 717 cui originally produced 140hp and was only accepted for use by the French Military after it had passed a 50 hour full speed test, more than three times longer than any comparable test held hitherto.

Hispano Amilcar Special, Robin Baker, VSCC Loton Park,

After demonstrating it’s major leap in reliability a new SPAD S.VII fighter was quickly designed around the new motor which helped the Entente, British, French and Russian, air forces regain air superiority during the 1914-18 war.

Hispano Amilcar Special, Robin Baker, VSCC Prescott

By the time production of HS8 motors ceased in the mid 1920’s they were producing 300hp and they had been built under licence in 21 different factories under licence in Spain, France, Britain, Italy, and in the United States where they were recognised as superior to the Curtiss OX5 V8.

Hispano Amilcar Special, Robin Baker, VSCC Loton Park

By 1930 I believe the only Amilcar chassis being built large and substantial enough to carry a 185 kg / 407 lbs HS8 would probably have been a C8 which would have originally been fitted with a 2 liter / 122 cui or 2.3 litre / 140 cui straight 8.

Thanks for joining me on this “Major Reliability Leap” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be visiting the Avenue Drivers Club. Don’t forget to come back now !

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DIY Bakkie – Ford P100

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In 1971 Ford in South Africa built a version of the 2 door Ford Cortina Mk III with a pick up body on the back marketed as the Ford Cortina Pickup and known locally as the “Bakkie”.

The Bakkie utilised a modified Cortina floor pan with a ladder frame to carry the rear load carrying body and initially used Rover 5 stud hubs, post 1988 examples were fitted with Ford Granada front axles with 5 stud adaptors and 5 stud Ford Transit rear axles.

Ford P100, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

In 1977 the Bakkie was up graded with an adapted Cortina Mk IV body which used the shorter doors from the 4 door body and from 1980 adapted Cortina Mk V bodies were used.

Ford P100, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

From 1982 the Bakkie was rebranded as the P100 model and exported from South Africa to Europe and remained in production with the Cortina Mk V body until 1988.

In 1988 the P100 received a final upgrade utilising the Sierra body and production of the P100 for the European market switched to Portugal until 1993.

Ford P100, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham,

This particular 1987 Ford P100, seen at the Classic Motor Show a couple of years ago, originally carried a Ford Cortina Mk V front end, but it has been modified to carry older Cortina Mark III wings, bonnet and nose.

A newer Sierra P100 pick up body has been added to the back and it is powered by a Ford Cologne 2.9 litre / 176 cui V6 as used to power the later Ford Granada/Scopio models, the interior includes Porsche 944 seats.

Thanks for joining me on this “DIY Bakkie” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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