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CONTENTS February/March 2014
04 08
HIGH OCTANE Robert Coucher back home and enjoying a deceptive Mercedes-Benz KILLARNEY HOT ROD Modified Peugeot 203 returns to the track
12 20
NEWS & EVENTS Latest from the classic scene
24
MOONSHINE COUNTRY Ford Country Sedan Wagon with a boozing past
30
LEADER OF THE PACK The home grown Alfa Romeo GTV6 3-Litre
34
HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER De Tomaso Pantera the wise exotic option
40
TO THE HILLS Ingenuity shines through this Peugeot Hill Climb Special
44 48 54 56 62
SUPERBOSS 7 Birkin’s fastest production Seven
THE GOLD MEDAL SELLER Chevrolet 4100 GA, South Africa’s 1970s favourite
FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE South Africans at Le Mans – Part 1 IN THE FIRING LINE Jake Venter talks spark plugs
66 70 74 78 82 90 94 96
A DIMINISHING GENE POOL The inbred motor industry AN OLD IDEA THAT WON’T GO AWAY Opposed piston engines LIKEABLE LAMMIES Andre ‘Lammies’ Lambrechts ONE LAP WONDER Classic Minis circumnavigate SA ON THE BOIL ‘Mr Modified’ Brian Cook LETTERS You have your say GEARBOX Classified adverts BOOK REVIEWS Motor books and models
20
30
LET THE BUILD BEGIN Part four of our BMW first car project THE WHEEL DEAL Legendary bike and car racer Mike Hailwood
www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 1
EDITOR’S POINT OF VIEW
Publisher Zig Zag Publishing Editor Stuart Grant stuart@cpca.co.za Sub-Editor Thora Paver Art Director Ronel van Heerden www.nineninetynine.co.za Contributors Greg Mills, Robert Coucher, Mike Monk, Dave Hastie, Gavin Foster, Oliver Hirtenfelder, Roger McCleery, Jesse Adams, Ryno Verster, Dawid Botha. Advertising Sales Derek Hulse Derek@cpca.co.za 082 451 3899 Marketing/Subscriptions & Accounts info@cpca.co.za 082 921 4583 Northern Regions Sales Dave Hastie djh@icon.co.za 083 418 0372 Subscriptions, Advertising & Editorial info@cpca.co.za Stuart: 082 921 4583 Fax: 086 568 0193 P.O. Box 987 Jukskeipark 2153
The publishers makes every effort to ensure this magazine’s contents are correct. All material published in Classic and Performance Car Africa is copyright and unauthorised reproduction is forbidden. The opinion of contributors, as published, are not necessarily the opinions held by the publishers or editors of Classic and Performance Car Africa. The publishers and editors make no representations, nor do they give any warranties, guarantees or assurances, for any goods or services advertised herein.
BUSY TIMES AHEAD
W
elcome to 2014. Already the classic car scene is heaving and it looks like it will be a bumper year filled to the brim with events. Racing kicks off with the Zwartkops and Killarney Internationals while show goers can get into the swing of things with the massive George show in February. Some top news came from Jaguar Land Rover South Africa earlier this month, announcing that it was stepping up to the plate and backing the Simola Hillclimb in Knysna. The event takes place from 16 to 18 May but make sure not to miss the classic-orientated Friday runs. It seems we have opened up a can of worms by looking at cars unique to South Africa as the stories just keep rolling in thicker and faster than expected. This time round we feature Chevrolet South Africa’s 4100 Golden Anniversary, the iconic Alfa GTV6 3-litre built for racing homologation purposes and a blitz Birkin Seven from KwaZulu Natal. On the exotic front the best of American muscle and Italian
styling join forces in the De Tomaso Pantera while a very different pair of competition Peugeots get a look in. On the personality front Greg Mills starts a series that delves into the South Africans or South African connections that have competed in the Le Mans 24 Hour, Gavin Foster talks about car and bike racer extraordinaire Mike Hailwood and Dave Hastie gets down to basics with Pretoria’s Ford guru Lammies Lambrecht and ‘Mr Modified’ Brian Cook. Our BMW 2002 Youth Project continues to progress well and the number of contributors raising their hands shows the strength and sense of community our classic car scene holds. Of course the pages are also filled with book reviews, letters, classified adverts and general interest items. It’s all systems go; thank you for the support and all the best for another classic year. Of course your thoughts, comments, letters or chit chat are highly appreciated so don’t hesitate in dropping them to me via email or post. Stuart www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 3
High octane
Stuttgart
Steamer
Robert Coucher takes a blast in the Broederbond Racing Bronze Wabenzi.
4 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
Robert Coucher was born in Cape Town but has lived in London since 1988. Previously the editor of Classic Cars and the Bentley magazine, Robert started Octane magazine ten years ago and it now sells around the world to discerning motoring enthusiasts and racers. www.octane-magazine.com
E
very year I look forward to flying from London back to my hometown of Cape Town. This year I got the chance to enjoy driving this 1988 MercedesBenz 560 SEC. Most years on a late December evening I climb wearily onto a British Airways Jumbo jet and fly through the night leaving rainsoaked Heathrow behind, looking forward to landing at Cape Town International Airport 12 hours hence. I have been doing this for 25 years yet every time I see Table
Mountain hove into early morning view through the aeroplane’s window I get a lump in my throat. Slaapstad, I am back! As a child my parents used to take us to the old airport to collect friends and we’d stand on the open balcony and watch the jets land. It was small and quaint with one arrival and departure hall. We even went to watch the Concorde conduct its test flights in 1976. Those were the Jet Set days. Now air travel is just like catching a bus. I often fly with SAA but in 2012 it dropped the direct London to Cape www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 5
High octane
Town route because of ‘lack of demand’. Well, I am afraid I am not prepared to deal with a stopover at Jo’burg airport – now named O R Tambo International – because the last time I was there it was total chaos. Now that Cape Town Airport is so big it is no longer easy to be collected by family or friends and local taxi services are affordable even if the cars are a bit decrepit. Every year I notice the traffic has increased which is a good thing. Also the shanty town of Khayelitsha seems to expand down the N2 every time but it appears there are more formal structures being built and lots of electricity and telephone lines are evident. But judging by all the hissing and booing aimed at President Zuma at Nelson Mandela’s funeral last year, the locals don’t feel the ANC is doing enough for the people on the ground. I have to agree. Under bright early morning sunshine the traffic moves busily
I never really took much notice of the large Bruno Sacco-designed Benz, preferring to drive his black Porsche 911 SC, now sadly sold
6 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
along the freeway with many fully laden taxis zipping into the flow from the townships. South Africans have long regarded Capetonians as bad drivers. Up in Jo’burg I remember the traffic moving with more intent. In Slaapstad, drivers have always meandered along rather sedately with no lane discipline and oblivious to their surroundings. Now that the large townships rely on private taxis to shuttle many of their 400 000 residents around the city the local doff drivers are indignant because the taxis drive fast (they are working!) and stop often (they are taxis!). Over the course of this trip, on two separate occasions I saw cars sail calmly though red traffic lights as well as the requisite taxi smashed to bits lying upside down on its roof on the infamous Hospital Bend under the lee of Groote Schuur Hospital. So I was rather pleased when my old father, resident in Constantia for over 40 years, offered to lend my wife and me his big old Mercedes-Benz for the duration of our annual holiday in one
of our favourite cities in the world. The Benz has been part of the family for over a decade and father, who has owned a Rolls-Royce, numerous Bentleys, Jaguars, BMWs and Porsches, reckons the 1988 Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC is the best car he has ever driven. Hmmm. I never really took much notice of the large Bruno Saccodesigned Benz, preferring to drive his black Porsche 911 SC, now sadly sold. The Broederbond Racing Bronze colour scheme of the Wabenzi never appealed and the few times I drove the coupe it felt like a whale. But I have read in the past that the W126 series, 5547cc V8 ‘Big Block’ 560 SEC was always highly rated and often cited as the best coupe of the Eighties. Weighing some 1 750kgs and pumping out about 220kW the Big Block promises a 0-100km/h time of seven seconds with a top whack of 250km/h. So I pile my wife’s ample luggage into the huge boot and we motor off in comfort. The Benz slides down the motorway in air-conditioned serenity with its atypical MB wooden throttle
response, woollen steering and sluggish auto ‘box that I remember. Oh well, it should be the perfect tool for easing about in unhurried style. And so it proves. I find the Big Block’s fat silver covered handbook in the door pocket and, sitting down on the stoep with a glass of chilled Chardonnay and a bowl of sliced biltong within easy reach, I start to flick through the paperwork. Seems this old Benz has a fully stamped MB service history from new and the 167 000km reading is correct. It had its brakes, gearbox, radiator, and exhaust done some 30 000 kilometres ago and has been driven gently ever since. Then I read in the handbook that the gearbox has two settings: ‘E’ for economy and ‘S’ for Standard. Surely ‘S’ is for sports…? Next morning I have to go out on a solo mission. I fire up the 560 and switch the gearbox into S mode. The Benz pulls away in first gear (in E it moves off in second) and instantly feels a lot more alert. Allowing the Big Block to warm properly I reach the bottom of
a long mountain pass and floor it. The Wabenzi draws a deep breath and hoofs up the road with a muted roar. The steering, with its usual loose straight ahead position, becomes accurate when weighted into the corners, the handling is taut and sharp when pushed and the big brakes more than capable of slowing the beast down for the next bend. The rather old tyres scream in alarm but the coupe hammers up the pass at speed. With such a big engine you don’t realise quite how fast you are moving because its muscle makes it all seem so easy. Plenty of smaller-engined hot hatches will keep up with the old Benz to about 100km/h but the car’s forte is moving from 100km/h and up. With the gearbox awake, it kicks down smartly and holds the revs to the red line. What a revelation. Later, with my wife back on board I slip the gearbox back into ‘E’ mode but smile at the knowledge that the Big Block can be awakened at the mere flick of that innocuous little switch. The best coupe of the Eighties? Probably. www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 7
MODIFIED PEUGEOT 203
A very special car that has been nestling in the forests of the Tsitsikamma in the sleepy holiday resort of Nature’s Valley for over thirty years, recently returned to Killarney Racetrack, fifty years after competing there with great gusto. The car’s new owner Dawid Botha takes up the tale.
8 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
P
hilip Wagener started the project that would become a lifetime adventure when he bought an unroadworthy 1951 Peugeot 203 sedan from a friend for £75 early in 1962. He had revamped the car, but sadly an accident with a pickup saw the 203 being written off. Another body, originating from the gravel roads of Namibia, which had no serious accident damage but lots of rust, was bought. The new body was stripped and built up from scratch and the already modified engine and other mechanical components from the first
car were transplanted. Voila! They had a Peugeot again. At that time the distributor had already been moved to the front of the engine to accommodate the inlet manifold and carburettor arrangement. The radiator was moved forward to accommodate the distributor. The inlet ports had been enlarged and separated and two Solex carburettors were fitted to a custom-made inlet manifold. The exhaust manifold had four 900mm equal length pipes. (Very much the same as Italian tuning expert Nardi had done on the European 203s.) There were stiffer and stronger valve springs,
Hand-painted rev counter the jewel of the functional dash.
retaining collars were machined from high tensile steel. Compression was raised from the standard 6.8:1. Philip then made an aluminium inlet manifold for twin 11/2 -inch SU carbs and in this state of tune participated in the Camps Bay Hill Climb, finishing second overall. Ever evolving, the 203 then received the later C2 gearbox, a handpainted tachometer (from a discarded speedometer connected to the gear where the distributor used to be), electric SU fuel pump and seat belts. Early in 1963 Philip started practising at Killarney and he realised that he
1935 Riley Kestrel sourced bucket seats.
could not stay upright in the standard seats so a pair of buckets from a 1935 Riley Kestrel found a home. For racing, four SU carbs, a racing camshaft and a front anti-roll bar were fitted. All this proved worthwhile as Philip came third in all three four-lap ‘Scratch’ races in which he participated. That was against racing aces like Koos Swanepoel in his Anglia and Emmot Barwell in his Alfa. Only three gears were used, reaching 7000rpm at the end of the longest straight. Although this was the end of the Peugeot 203 and Philip’s short racing career, it was by no means the end of www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 9
Philip came third in all three four-lap ‘Scratch’ races in which he participated.
the development of the car. Straight after racing at Killarney the two SU carbs were refitted as well as a camshaft that was more suited to road use. The 15 x 400 rims were changed for 15 x 380 rims. During 1964 a new exhaust manifold was made: four 18-inch pipes going into two 24-inch pipes going into one pipe all the way to the single silencer at the back. Getting those pipes around the right-hand drive steering column was no mean feat and there was a little cutting done to the monocoque body structure. 1965 modifications included boring the 1290cc block to 1618cc with a specially made hand-cranked tool, which the mathematicians out there will quickly spot is a massive 255 increase. Over the following three years he widened the rims from 41/ 2 inches to 6 inches, modded the cylinder head to take bigger 404 inlet valves, and larger Leyland truck outlet valves were fitted . In September 1968 Philip took over a workshop and could buy his own machinery and tools. A camshaft
Philip told me the top speed was about 180km/h and that it could spurt to 100km/h in 10 seconds! His wife Rika recalls with great amusement how she once beat a big noise V8 at a traffic light in the nearby town of Knysna
10 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
Still relatively standard at 1290cc in 1963.
with a Meissner No. 7 profile (suited to road and track) was cut and two Weber 40DCOE carburettors fitted. The bigger inlet ports were matched to four short rubber tubes for the Webers. (The 203/403 engine is highly suited for this kind of adaptation as you only have to remove a plate on the side of the engine and fit the inlet manifold of your dreams, unlike the 404 engine, where you only have one small inlet port. Soon after this a 403B bell housing, 404 gearbox, shortened 404 driveshaft and torque tube and the later 404 differential and half shafts followed. The engine got a new 403 (still three main bearings) crankshaft and by this time the compression ratio was 10:1. A special intake was made for the air cleaner taking in air from just behind the grille. The intake on the right-hand side of the engine was for a specially designed heater for the Cape winters. This was now a substantially modified car and I would think quite fast for its day. Philip told me the top speed was about 180km/h and that it could spurt to 100km/h in 10 seconds! His wife Rika recalls with great amusement how she once beat a big noise V8 at a traffic light in the nearby town of Knysna. But this hotrod had
Philip Wagener.
to stop. The huge standard Peugeot front drum brakes were changed for Ford Zephyr Six discs, Triumph calipers and a brake booster working on the front wheels only were fitted. At the rear a flat oval homemade stainless steel silencer tried to keep the sound down, but that was only up to about 2000rpm. Beyond that chaos broke loose! (The car now runs with an additional small stainless steel silencer just in front of the rear axle. It seems that at this stage Philip considered the development complete. Apart from stripping the paint to the bare metal (second time in twenty years) and respraying the car in 1982, the only modification that was added many years later was Luminition electronic ignition. How did I get to know of the car? If I remember correctly, another 203 enthusiast, Johan Fourie of Witbank, told me about it and one year, in the late eighties, whilst holidaying nearby, we made a pilgrimage. Our two families immediately bonded and we became friends. On that first visit I was granted the rare privilege of driving the car. The power going up the Grootrivier Pass and the acceleration as soon as we reached level ground gave me the
impression that this little car was faster than my 1985 2.2-litre ohc fuelinjected Peugeot 505GTI. And so the friendship grew with me drawing as much information out of Philip as I could during each visit. The fascination with the car stayed, but I never even had a wild dream that I would one day own the car. That was until August 2011 when Rika phoned me and said that Philip had passed away at 81 and that she would prefer that I buy the car. We settled on a price and on 13 October I took delivery – with quite a load of spares, including a gearbox and differential. The return journey of about 550km went without a hitch. I just scared some people up some steep hills... This year Johan Loubser, ViceChairman of the Peugeot Club, and I took it around the Killarney track during the Sunday lunch time parade at the South Easter Historic Races during the weekend of 4 and 5 February. It was a great feeling. No, I am not going to race the car! I have never raced, it costs too much money, and if anything breaks I am in big trouble as this car actually exists in the mind of Philip Wagener, who is no longer with us. So I am going to enjoy it, nurturing it for many years to come. www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 11
News & Events
UP THE HILL
& FAST AWAY
Jaguar Land Rover South Africa is proud to announce its sponsorship of the Simola Hillclimb, an event which is not only becoming a highlight of the motorsport calendar, but also a social occasion of major significance for performance car enthusiasts. The Jaguar Simola Hillclimb extravaganza will take place in Knysna from May 16 to 18 and will comprise a host of automotive events and competitions designed to cater for young and old alike – whether talking about the people or the mechanical machinery. The latter span nearly a century of competition and production cars, from pre-war thoroughbreds to the very latest performance offerings, including the Jaguar F-TYPE launched locally last year. Says Jaguar Land Rover South Africa and subSahara Africa Managing Director Kevin Flynn, “The Simola Hillclimb is custom-made for Jaguar, a brand which not only has an incredibly rich heritage but an impressive current line-up and an equally exciting future.
We are thrilled to be the headline sponsor of an event which pays homage to the past but is firmly rooted in the present. “The Jaguar Simola Hillclimb transcends the mere metal however, and is ultimately a weekend for those who love car culture and what it embraces: it is a celebration of all that personal mobility is about, bringing people with a common passion together. I can’t wait for May to come around and enjoy the sensory pleasures that are part and parcel of the weekend!” Jaguar has signed up to be the title sponsor of the Simola Hillclimb for the next three years, and has every intention of powering it into the same league as the Durban July horse race and Sun City’s Million Dollar golf tournament. This will be the fifth running of the event and each year it has grown in stature. Jaguar’s involvement will accelerate that process. “We are incredibly excited to have Jaguar on board as the title sponsor as there is no doubt that it will mark a turning point for the event and lift it to a new level,” says Event Director Ian Shrosbree. “Jaguar and the Simola Hillclimb are a perfect fit for each other, both
The festival will include Classic Car Friday for pre1975 cars and the King of the Hill Shootout for modern, exotic and supercars on the Saturday and Sunday
12 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
representing the finer things in the automotive world.” The festival will include Classic Car Friday for pre-1975 cars and the King of the Hill Shootout for modern, exotic and supercars on the Saturday and Sunday. Needless to say, Jaguar has cars which fit perfectly with both sides of this coin, from the graceful SS100 of the 1930s, through D-Type competition cars, the iconic E-Type and MkII saloon cars, and more modern R cars. “It has been our vision from day one to build the Hillclimb into the premier motorsport event in South Africa – objectives which gel perfectly with Jaguar’s goals for the event. Jaguar is as enthusiastic as we are to grow the Simola Hillclimb into the South African equivalent of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It has grown incredibly quickly in its first four years which has set a solid foundation for it to now move to a new level. Competitors and fans will not be disappointed when they arrive in Knysna in May,” says Shrosbree. The invitational event is expected to attract a wide variety of the best and fastest competition cars in the country, including at least one surprise never seen on SA roads before.
www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 13
News & Events
PHAKISA 6 HOUR
BACK AGAIN
International endurance racing makes a return to South Africa when Phakisa hosts the second Africa 6 Hour endurance race on 22 February 2014. For various reasons, mainly the prohibitive costs of hosting international events, there hadn’t been a proper endurance race until the inaugural Africa 6 Hour race last year. It was hailed as a great success and the organisers have promised the 2014 event will be bigger and better. Open to all saloon and GT cars as well as sports prototype cars complying with MSA technical regulations or FIA LMP1 & LMP2 cars and GTE-Pro and GTE-Am. Endurance racing is all about durability and strategy so it makes sense that great emphasis is placed on the role of team manager. He, or she, may not assume the role of driver or pit crew and all official notifications will be communicated to teams via the team manager. Organised by Classic Car Events, it is led by well known motorsport adventurer Roger Pearce, who believes there is room for a professional endurance event. “It has always been my ambition to return endurance racing, run to International standards, back to South Africa. It was always popular with the public in days gone by and we see no reason why this cannot happen again. The current status of National Car Circuit racing in this country is in a shambles and we feel that a properly constituted series of endurance racing around the country would be welcomed by the public. We have a five-year plan to bring this series to fruition.” Last year’s event was comfortably won by the Ecurie Zoo Pilbeam MP98 Cosworth in the capable hands of Duncan and Graham Vos which covered 191 laps or 809 kilometres at an average speed of 134.4km/h. With good strategy and planning, that is a target well within reach of many cars currently racing in SA.
14 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
NEW
DUCATI AGENTS
Ducati has appointed Rodeo Drive as the new official importer for Ducati motorcycles in South Africa. The full range of Ducati motorcycles is now on display at the company’s establishment at 190 Bram Fischer premises in Randburg, Johannesburg, including the Monster, Hypermotard, Multistrada, Streetfighter, Diavel and Superbike models. Underlining the premium status of the Ducati brand, a new approach to servicing has been introduced, entitled Ducati Ride Plan. The no-cost benefit includes three years (90 000km) full maintenance and warranty plan for all new Ducati motorcycles purchased from Ducati Johannesburg and, with a wide range of Ducati accessories and apparel also now available, Johnny Araujo, Brand Manager for the new Ducati venture in South Africa, invites bike fans to visit and meet his experienced team.
CLASSIC FLOWER P O W E R Following on from our Classic Car Tours of Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, African Odysseys One and Two, various overland trips to Cairo and beyond, we bring you the Lap of the West Coast 2014. This is a short ten-day tour of the West Coast of South Africa during the popular flower season. We have been very fortunate to acquire accommodation for forty people in the heart of the Cederberg at the height of the flower season and we will be able to accept only twenty entries. We will also take in Moffat’s Mission, Augrabies Falls, the Cederberg, lunch at the Muisbosskerm near Lamberts Bay, Stellenbosch and its surrounds, Sutherland and its observatory, an 1800s farm near Victoria West and finally the Kimberley Big Hole where we will finish with the regular ‘Last Supper’. Contact Roger Pearce of Classic Car Events at roger@afriod.co.za or visit www.afriod.co.za for more information.
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News & Events
TAILOR-MADE COVER “With so much time, money and effort invested in making these old cars look amazing, it makes sense that insuring them shouldn’t be a rushed decision,” says Indwe Risk Services MD, Peter Olyott. Indwe has insured vintage and classic cars for over twenty years and are well aware of the risks involved in covering these particular vehicles. Owners should consider various factors, such as ensuring that the cover does not fall away during rallies and motorsport events, extending cover for components and accessories to guarantee they are covered when on display, and cover in the event of theft. The most sensitive of all the challenges to bear in mind when insuring vintage vehicles is the question of the market value of the vehicle. It’s well
worth having the vehicle properly and independently assessed so that there are no doubts about the value and condition in the event of the loss of the vehicle. Cover can be arranged on a full comprehensive basis; balance of third party, fire and theft; as well as on a laid-up basis should the vehicle be on permanent display. When insuring a classic or vintage car, it is important that a thorough risk review be done, which will leave both the owner and the insurer with fewer unpleasant surprises should there ever be a claim. Is your oldie properly insured? For more information about Indwe Risk Services, visit www.indwerisk.co.za or speak to their experts today by contacting Jacqui Venter on 012 471 1100.
LOTUS RALLY
BLOSSOMS
Regularity rallying has gone through a trough of late in terms of entries and support for their cause. Lack of sponsorship for their series has meant that individual events have to be self-supporting. As a result a number of events this year have been cancelled. The Lotus Register rallied the social side of their members and a good support base came to the party with 13 entries in the Club class. A further 14 cars were entered in the SARRA classes A, B and C while the Blind Navigator class saw another 13 entries. The event started in Kempton Park on 24 November and headed towards Pretoria, east towards Bapsfontein, and then the Cullinan area to refuel after 149km. Roads were excellent and the experience of Steve Crook ensured that even the Novice crews returned to base. There were a few stragglers but the Novice crew of Geoff Fish ad Mike Chitty proved that even with a 1968 Lotus Elan, no odo and a speedo calibrated in mph they made it home 3rd in Class and 441 seconds penalty. Classic Car Rallying at its best! Winners by Class Class A Schalk and Susan van Niekerk Class B Duncan and Agata MacGregor Class C Luisa Gomes and Manny da Rocha Class D Jacobus and Chiquitha Volschenck Blinds Gerhard Korff and Susan Webber
16 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
33 penalties 46 penalties 519 penalties 230 penalties 103 penalties
∙ PE WOWS ∙
400 cars of all ages, 65 different makes from 10 different countries, plus nearly 60 motorcycles were on display for 4 000 passionate fans at the Herald World of Wheels PE Motor Fair held at the Newton Park Tech grounds in early December. Being South Africa’s first motor town, it has been left to motoring enthusiasts to stage this show to demonstrate what vehicles in South African motoring history over 100 years are still available and lovingly restored in garages in the Eastern Cape and along the Garden Route. The event was organised by Llewellyn Faifer of the EPVCC in aid of charity. He was ably assisted with publicity by the Herald’s long-time enthusiastic motoring chief, Bobby Cheetham. Based on the success of these three shows held since 2011, plans have been put in place to host the biggest motoring festival ever held in Port Elizabeth from the 14 to 24 September 2014. It will incorporate the Soccer stadium and Aldo Scribante Circuit. It will highlight every sort of motoring activity to appeal to the public of all ages.
Franschhoek Motor Museum News
A time of
remembrance Madiba’s charity work honoured and the anniversary of Heidelberg’s closure.
Heidelberg closure anniversary
Just 10 years ago – on 31 December 2003 – the Heidelberg Motor Museum closed its doors for good, an action that paved the way for the establishment of the Franschhoek Motor Museum. It all started when Dr Anton Rupert and the Simon van der Stel Institute felt it was important to restore the Heidelberg (NZASM) station as a national monument for the people of Heidelberg and South Africa. This red sandstone building was built in 1896 and was officially opened by Paul Kruger. It survived the Anglo-Boer War and later was visited by Mahatma Gandhi while he set about his Satyagraha (passive resistance) against the Transvaal and, later, the British Union. The facility was officially opened as the Heidelberg Motor Museum on the 22 November 1974 by Dr Anton Rupert, and in 1996 it was visited by the then State President Nelson Mandela. Control of the Museum was passed on to the British American Tobacco Company in November 1999 but by 2003 it had been decided to close the Museum. This led to Dr Anton’s vehicles being sold to his son Johann, owner of L’Ormarins, and the collection relocated to the estate situated in the heart of the Franschhoek Valley. Although the closure of Heidelberg was a sad occasion, the motoring heritage assembled by Dr Anton has not only been preserved but enhanced in bright, modern and majestic surroundings amongst the vines and paddocks of L’Ormarins. The exhibits are continually rotated so regular visitors always have something different to view and this world class collection of automobiles remains a star attraction, not only locally but nationally and internationally.
18 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
Madiba BMW
on view
In celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life and all that he did for South Africans and humanity in general, the BMW 760Li Security Edition that was Madiba’s official transport during his HIV/Aids campaign undertaken between 2004 and 2009 is back on display at FMM. The Presidential Office returned the car to BMW South Africa at the end of its service life – it has less than 50 000km on the odo – where it was fully checked over before being donated to the 46664 Mandela Day School Library project. It was purchased by the Museum and the proceeds went towards supplying fully-stocked container libraries to disadvantaged schools. The car is displayed together with some background information on the campaign and on the car itself, which was featured in an article in CAR, February 2013. The Museum was closed on 15 December as a show of respect on the day of Madiba’s funeral in Qunu, Eastern Cape.
Holiday viewing Some of the displays at FMM over the festive season included a line-up of Ford and Shelby Mustangs – plus a Cobra, of course – the ‘simply red’ collection of convertibles, and some historic bakkies. The Peugeot Hill Climber Special reported on elsewhere in this issue of C&PCA was also on view.
Gunston tribute at
Zwartkops FMM is supporting local classic car racing impresario Peter Du Toit’s tribute to Team Gunston at the ‘Passion for Speed’ event at Zwartkops on 31 January/1 February. Team Gunston is the oldest branded racing team in the world and the Museum’s distinctive Gunston-liveried Chevron B25 will be on view at what will be FMM’s first visit to Zwartkops.
Wings clipped & wheels
punctured
FMM had prepared 10 cars and two motorcycles for display at the Wings and Wheels show scheduled for the Ysterplaat air-force base in Cape Town last December but the event was cancelled a couple of weeks beforehand. A rather clinical press statement issued by the Department of Defence claimed that austerity measures instituted earlier in the year forced it to scale down the number of air shows it would host. The popular Wings and Wheels event was a victim of this decision but the lastminute cancellation has created a lot of ill-feeling – and some considerable financial loss – amongst the entrants and denied the general public a rare opportunity to view at close quarters an interesting mix of classic transport machinery in one location.
More on the web For more information about the Franschhoek Motor Museum, view galleries of the collection and learn more about forthcoming events, logon to www.fmm.co.za The Franschhoek Motor Museum is situated on the L’Ormarins Estate along the R45 in the Franschhoek Valley in the Western Cape. The opening hours are Monday to Friday 10h00 to 17h00 (last admittance 16h00), Saturday and Sunday 10h00 to 16h00 (last admittance 15h00), and the museum is open on most public holidays. Admission prices are R60 adults, R50 pensioners, R30 children. An on-site delicatessen offers refreshments and tasting of L’Ormarins estate wines is also available
www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 19
CHEVROLET 4100 GA
F
ittingly by the time the 50th anniversary of Chevrolet in SA came around in 1976 the model still topped the charts and celebrated with a limited edition Gold Anniversary 4100 badged the 4100 GA. But let’s start with the bottom of the range and work up. In 2500 guise the 2.5-litre 4-cylinder engine from the Firenza found a home in the German-sourced Opel Rekord body shell. Automatic and manual transmission were offered, ride was said to be exceptional thanks to some locally beefed up suspension (unequal wishbones up front and live rear located by four links and a Panhard rod) and fit and finish excelled. Performance met the requirements and fuel consumption impressed, which, considering the fuel crisis was in full swing, could well have played a part in the decent sales. Interior space was good for a full family and the boot large enough to swallow up all the paraphernalia one could hope for. Next on the rung was the 3800 which, as the badging suggested, housed a 3.8-litre motor in straight-6 format. This time the basis for the car was the Opel Commodore but again suspension was re-engineered to suit, as were the brakes (servo-assisted dual-circuit discs/drums setup) and the body contours were slightly modded. Interior equipment was class leading with, wait for it… a rev counter. In 4100 format the only
Mike Monk got behind the wheel of Franschhoek Motor Museum’s fine Golden Anniversary edition 4100 and took it for a spin. A chance to drive this example reminded me of when South Africans were in love with, and could afford big comfortable cars. Of days when there was less traffic, horizons were less cluttered with urban sprawl and the TV had not yet made it here. Inside the Chev (Americans would cringe at us saying this and not Chevy) the fully
20 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
How this country of ours has changed. Today the number one selling car is the Volkswagen Polo but 40 years ago the top-ranking passenger car on the South African sales figures list was a Chevrolet. Yes that’s right, with a total of 18 610 units moved off the 1974 showroom floors the Chevrolet 2500/3800/4100 range was top dog. Established in Port Elizabeth early in 1926 and providing vehicles adapted for South African conditions, Stuart Grant says it’s no wonder the brand dominated and the jingle ‘Braaivleis, rugby, sunny skies and Chevrolet’ hit radios countrywide. Images: Oliver Hirtenfelder
reclining seats offer generous size but not vast amounts of support. Driving position allows for a full view of the bonnet and the slender body pillars let the magical South African vistas in. Although power assisted the 4100 makes use of four turns from lock to lock so pointing the bow isn’t the sharpest reaction on earth. It does however mean parking in tight confines is no problem. On the open road I recalled how front wheel patter was a common attribute of the cars when new, so could not help
but smile when this example exhibited the same from its 14-inch wheels. While the single carburettor-fed motor is no racer, it develops a notable torque figure way down at 1600rpm, which makes for plenty of pulling power and perhaps the car’s most impressive trait. This coupled brilliantly with the slick shifting 3-speed auto to make for an exceptional drive down memory lane to simpler times and Chevrolet on the beat as the heart of South African driving.
www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 21
real differentiating characteristics were the front headrests, boot badging and 4.1-litre straight-6 engine sourced from the USA. A total of 1000 LE (Luxury Edition) versions released in 1974 saw the inclusion of a sunroof, power steering , heated rear windscreen, cut pile carpets, radio and high-backed seats. Both models offered manual gearbox options but the vast majority went for the problematic TriMatic before it was replaced with GM’s bulletproof 3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 350 auomatic.
Figures for the 2500 read 88kW at 4600rpm and 220Nm of torque at 3200rpm while the 3800 mustered 104kW at 4400rpm along with 289Nm at 1600rpm. For the 4100 those numbers increased to 116kW at 4200rpm and 319Nm at 1600rpm – perfect for pulling the Jurgens to the seaside. So with all the angles covered, what did the GA edition bring to the party in April 1976? Like the LE it sported power steering and cut pile carpets, but on top of that luxury it got cruise
control, velour seat inserts, inertia reel seatbelts, ‘GA’ script on the rear quarterlight window and a South African flagcoloured Chevy bowtie on the rear pillar. The optional vinyl roof came along too and a state of the art Sharp FM radio. White on black gauges sat in a woodlook binnacle, the facia housed a clock and showing its tendency toward safer driving GM added dual halogen lights, energy absorbing steering column, antiburst door locks and crumple zones at front and rear.
SALES FIGURES CHEVROLET 2500
CHEVROLET 3800
CHEVROLET 4100
YEAR
PRICE
NUMBER SOLD
YEAR
PRICE
NUMBER SOLD
YEAR
PRICE
NUMBER SOLD
1973
R3 222
4 600
1972
R3 538
548
1972
R3 720
605
1974
R3 400
7 534
1973
R3 574
5 116
1973
R3 794
5 707
1975
R3 795
7 988
1974
R3 940
6 153
1974
R4 360
7 368
1976
R4 610
5 181
1975
R4 555
4 057
1975
R4 730
6 565
1977
R5 305
2 025
1976
R5 155
2 680
1976
R5 850
3 160
1978
R5 487
1 253
1977
R5 371
1 388
1977
R6 425
1 550
1978
R6 350
409
1978
R6 970
593
22 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
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2000 FERRARI 360 F1 55000km, yellow with navy leather, Challenge Grill, Tubi Exhaust, FSH. R1 049 990
2001 FERRARI 360 MODENA COUPE Manual 42000km, red with black, red carpets, FSH, very rare manual car. R1 299 990
2000 FERRARI 360 MODENA F1 COUPE 36000km, red with black, optional Ferrari split rims, fender badges, Challenge grill, FSH R1 349 990
1997 FERRARI 355 GTS MANUAL 38000km, red with cream, red carpets, FSH. This car is in pristine condition, and very collectable. R1 299 990
1981 FERRARI 308GTS CARBURETTOR 106000km, RHD, red with black, service history, these carb cars are becoming very collectable. P.O.A.
1995 FERRARI 456 (M) 43000km, silver blue with grey leather interior, Full service history. R699 990
2005 FERRARI 612 SCAGLIETTI 21000km, black with Ox Blood leather interior, Full service history with agents. R1 659 990
2012 Ferrari California 6000km, red with black, red stitching, fender badges, kiddies seat, PDC, full house. R2 974 990
2001 Ferrari 360 Spider 22 000km, Gunmetal grey with black, red inserts, Challenge grill, Topgear exhaust, FSH R1 449 990
2008 FERRARI 430 SCUDERIA 8000km, fender badges, yellow callipers, red harness, full carbon interior, FSH with agents, only one in SA of this colour. R2 799 990
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2005 FERRARI 430 SPIDER 25000km, manual, red with black, red stitching, fender badges, red callipers, FSH with agents. R1 799 990
1989 Ferrari 328 GTS 56000km, red with black, Full Service History, ABS Model. P.O.A.
1974 FERRARI 365 GT/4 2+2 102000km, manual, maroon with black, totally original, a rare collector’s item. R549 990
2007 FERRARI 599 GTB 27000km, Scuderia red with tan interior, red carpets, fender badges, red callipers, carbon interior, FSH with agents. R1 999 990
If it’s Ferris, old or new, we’ll love it as much as you do! Shop 41 Broadacres Shopping Centre, Cedar Road, Tel: (011) 021 3340/1
FORD COUNTRY SEDAN STATION WAGON
24 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
Mike Monk tries out a station wagon that did the alcohol run and carries some ‘Greyve’ provenance...
Ford has produced a staggering number
of model lines over the years,
some more memorable than others, and in the early post-war period, the company – along with all the other American automakers – produced vehicles with a short lifespan in an effort to attract an increasingly affluent buying population. Being fresh and fashionable was the order of the day, and in October 1956 Ford introduced completely restyled models for the 1957 model year and to see out the decade (they lasted until 1959). The first-year sales contributed to Ford’s 1957MY production total of 1 655 068 units, which out-sold Chevrolet to make it America’s No.1 automaker. Although very popular at the time, with a couple of exceptions, the ’57-’59 Fords never reached any great heights of desirability, which perhaps makes them a bit of a sleeper in classic car circles. www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 25
But for sure, the line-up certainly had merit. It consisted of a staggering 41 models based on Custom Six/V8, Custom 300 Six/V8, Fairlane Six/V8, Fairlane 500 Six/V8 and Thun de r bir d r un n in g gear. The chassis was allnew and stiffer, with the perimeter rails moved outwards so that the passenger compartment could be contained within them, which helped reduce body height (by 100mm) without compromising headroom. Custom models and all the station wagon derivatives rode on a 116 inch (2 946mm) wheelbase, the Fairlanes had 118 inches (2 997mm) between the axles, while the sporty T’bird’s measured 102 inches (2 591mm). As to be expected at the time, there were a number of engine and transmission options to add to the complexity – customers really were spoilt for choice. Not only that, the Ranchero
Amongst his numerous businesses were three bottle stores and a couple of hotels in Brandfort, about 50km north of Bloemfontein, and the wagon was routinely filled to capacity with liquor and used to deliver stock to these premises
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pick-up – dubbed a ‘coupé utility’ and built on the swb station wagon chassis – was introduced. The ’57 Fords represented the largest number of model variations on a single assembly line that any car maker had ever produced, before or since. Apart from the obvious appeal of the Thunderbird, the glamour derivatives of the line-up were the Fairlane 500-based glass-roofed Crown Victoria Skyliner and a forerunner of what in recent times became known as a coupé convertible (CC), a Skyliner derivative with its then innovative and unique retracting-roof hardtop. But the subject of this feature is a more humble derivative, the Country Sedan Station Wagon. In between the twodoor Ranch Wagon, two-door Del Rio and the (very British sounding) rangetopping four-door Country Squire were two four-door Country Sedan models, one seating six, the other nine: I wonder why the sedan name was used for a wagon? Anyway, it is the six-seater version I am driving and it has quite a background. The Ford was bought in the early
1960s by Waldie Greyvensteyn, a hard-working, highly successful businessman with a passion – and outstanding collection – of old cars. Amongst his numerous businesses were three bottle stores and a couple of hotels in Brandfort, about 50km north of Bloemfontein, and the wagon was routinely filled to capacity with liquor and used to deliver stock to these premises. Not only that, it was used as a tow vehicle for hauling Waldie’s classics to events as far and wide as the then Rhodesia and Mozambique. It racked up over 350 000 miles (560 000km) in its early life before being retired with distinction and treated to an overhaul, respray and new trim in 1988 – a fact recorded on a plate fixed to the dashboard. The wagon was such an integral part of Waldie’s everyday life that when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, his wish was for his coffin to be transported in the Ford – a poignant yet touching finale to a remarkable automobilist. The car was purchased a few years ago by the Franschhoek Motor Museum along with some other
models in the Greyvensteyn collection and looks quite at home among the vines, horse paddocks and Cape Dutch architecture of the rolling expanse of the L’Ormarins Estate. The wagons were available with six-cylinder or V8 engines and this one has a 292ci (4 785cm 3) overhead-valve cast-iron Y-block V8 – the same as the standard T’bird – that with a dual-barrel carb delivered 212hp (158kW) at 4 500rpm and 403Nm of torque. Like every other model in the range, the standard transmission was a ‘three on the tree’ column-shift manual with synchromesh on second and third, but an ‘automatic’ overdrive and a Ford-OMatic torque converter autobox were listed as options – this Port Elizabethbuilt right-hand drive car has the manual with overdrive. The ’57 Fords were completely new designs. Lower, longer and with an increased wheelbase over the outgoing model, the new cars sat on 14-inch wheels for the first time and while single headlamps were retained, styling highlights included ‘streamlined wheel openings’, a front-hinged bonnet www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 27
(complete with bull’s eye ornament) and a windscreen that wrapped around the A-pillar – a fashion of the time. Another nod to fashion was what Ford called ‘high canted fenders’ – sales speak for tail fins although, in truth, of all the American manufacturers, Ford’s interpretations of trend during its 10year popularity was always on the conservative side, as can be seen here. Being a wagon, the tailgate was horizontally split with a slightly wraparound glass upper with C-type hinges and concealed assist springs that automatically popped the panel open when released. Knurled knobs held it in place thereafter. The lower section has extra-strong support arms at each side. Flipping the rear seat cushion forward – a metal hoop folds out to act as a leg – and folding down the squab realises a huge, flat load floor, looking big enough to carry a distillery let alone crates of liquor. Inside, the dashboard features recessed control knobs and the deepdish steering wheel was also touted as
Another nod to fashion was what Ford called ‘high canted fenders’ – sales speak for tail fins…
28 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
a safety item. Seatbelts were an option but taken up by only six per cent of buyers. The arcing speedometer is flanked with fuel and coolant gauges, with warning lights for oil pressure and generator below. The big V8 goes about its business without fuss. With abundant torque available from basement level, the Ford will pull away in second on the flat and run to over 100km/h in the same gear. Top speed is over 160km/h. With independent front suspension courtesy of short, swept-back lower control arms and coil springs, and lengthened, variable-rate leaf springs outboard of the chassis rails at the rear, the wagon’s ride is typical of its era – boulevard soft – yet because of its relatively low centre of gravity and wide-based suspension mountings, it does not wallow excessively. Hydraulic brakes provide confident retardation. All-round visibility is excellent with the runway fender tops framing the road ahead. While driving the Ford I soon understood why Waldie used it as his daily driver – solid, comfortable, spacious and powerful. What more could he have asked for?
R759 000
2011 BMW 6 SERIES 640 F12 40 000km, twin turbo, heads up display, reversing camera, balance of motorsplan at last a good looking 4-seater convertible.
R259 000 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS CLK350 85 000km, white, beautiful low mileage example of the 4 seater cabrio from ze clever chermans, spectacular condition, smooth, powerful V6 with relative economy.
R295 000 2011 VOLVO S60 T6 EXCEL GEARTRONIC 58 000km, bronze, top of the range S60 with the very powerful and sporty 3.0 turbo engine producing a healthy 224kWs of power.
R219 000 2012 PEUGEOT 308 THP GTI TURBO 20 000km, sliver, new spec, sexy hatchback with real attitude. This hot number just needs to be driven and you will buy it.
R199 000
2001 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 114 000km, quality craftsmanship, black leather, navigation, full service history with agents and condition that belies its age.
R199 000 2013 FIAT 500 CABRIO 500km, how cute is this car? It is almost brand new, having first been registered 10 weeks ago, classic red with black, balance of long service and warranty plan, shy wallflowers need not apply.
R275 000 1981 PORSCHE 911 SC COUPE This is no ordinary 911SC I can tell you that, it’s a fast road/race spec model that has had more than R300 000 spent on making it a delightful package.
R395 000 2006 BMW 650 CABRIOLET 40 000km, automatic, black, petrol, superb example having only covered 7000kms per year from new.
R185 000
2009 MAZDA MX-5 60 000km, nice original full service history example of the most popular sports car in stunning midnight blue with black interior. So good, so reliable, so inexpensive to maintain.
R359 000
2007 BMW 3 SERIES 335i Cabriolet 51 000km, 2 drs, Tiptronic, blue, petrol, twin turbo award winning engine with ideal power for the Highveld.
R275 000 2013 FIAT 500 ABARTH CABRIO SERIES 1 New spec Series 1 with delivery mileage, giving you immediate saving on a non discounted model of R50 000, skip the waiting list on this sports commuter with armfuls of character. Service and maintenance plan included.
R325 000 2007 PORSCHE CAYENNE 3.6 TIPTRONIC 105 000km, grey, excellent example of the 213kW 3.6-litre Cayenne. Electric seats, tow bar, full service history and very well priced for the new spec.
R215 000 2006 NISSAN 350Z 21 000km. How superb does this 4 wheeled rocket look in this unique colour combination? And the condition is as new. To replace this model would set you back R650 000.
R365 000 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ A180 CDi A/T
10 000km, the most desirable new model on the market today with a waiting list stretching into the 2nd half of next year (thats a minimum of 2 if not 3 price increases), white with black full leather, and media interface option, balance of 6 year/ 100 000km motorplan.
R465 000 2011 BMW Z4 35i S-Drive Superb original example of the top of the range Z4, with a balance of Motorplan to 100,000kms or 2016. Stunning sports car with proven performance and style.
R155 000 1969 TRIUMPH GT6 MK2
The rarest GT6 model made, with a production run of only 2 years, this example has recently been subjected to a full restoration, both mechanically and bodily. It has been modified to club road\race spec with a specification sheet that would fill much more space than is available.
We stock a range of classic and collectable cars – for more info on these visit our website
ALFA ROMEO GTV6 3-LITRE
30 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
LEADER PACK OF THE
What wins on Sunday sells on Monday. This train of thought saw to it that in the early 1980s South African Group 1 racing series was littered with manufacturers fighting for top honours and some very special machinery taking to the track. Rulings stated that a minimum of 200 road-going versions had to be made so regular road users got some equally special machinery. BMW blew the doors wide open with their 535i, and Alfa’s 2.5-litre GTV proved a little outclassed. But as Stuart Grant discovers, the local Italian subsidiary punched back with a 3-litre alpha male in 1983. Photography by Oliver Hirtenfelder
I
ncreasing the GTV capacity from 2 493cc to 2 934cc resulted in the new road-going Alfa claiming the title as the fastest locally built production car of its era. The output numbers quoted read 128kW at 5800rpm and 222Nm of torque at 4300rpm. On track it did the job too with the homebrewed Italian Stallion scooping the 1983 Lodge Group 1 International 2 Hour at Kyalami on debut, scoring a one-two in class during the Killarney Castrol 3 Hour and nabbing the Index of Performance title at the Kyalami World Endurance Championship 1000. Of course winning brings with it protests and the 3-litre GTV was never shy in controversy. BMW disputed the fact that Alfa had built enough for homologation purposes but investigations proved Alfa in the clear. Then there’s the story of how, when one race car engine was sealed for officials to measure, the following day it somehow had had fresh unused internals fitted overnight. The rumour mill claimed that the Alfa crew removed the illegal components and replaced with legal ones via the sump.
www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 31
Luck was on Alfa Romeo South Africa’s side because Autodelta (the tricks department at Alfa in Milan) had, unbeknown to the masses, already developed a 3-litre version of its 2.5-litre 6-pot engine. With development done the plan was scrapped because of the capacity-based taxation structure in Italy. When a South African contingent, including Roger McCleery (Alfa Romeo PR) visited the Autodelta works they stumbled across a rally-prepared GTV6 in a corner. Ever inquisitive McCleery asked what it was and learned it had a 3-litre mill. He immediately phoned home to Alfa SA’s MD Dr Vito Bianco and the plan for Sampi Bosman (Alfa Romeo South Africa Motorsport Manager) to build a
32 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
GTV6 in South Africa took shape. Autodelta supplied cylinder head castings, crankshafts, pistons and sleeves while the local lads did the required machining, manufactured a new flywheel, added a tuned exhaust manifold and tossed the electronic fuel injection in favour of a six-pack of downdraught Dellorto carbs sourced from the Alfa Six sedan. This in turn meant a larger, South African designed and developed airfilter, which not only saw a 7.5kW increase in power but also made it imperative to remake the bonnet from fibreglass and featuring a serious power bulge to house the airguzzling package. If the lump in the hood wasn’t enough to frighten off the robot racers, Alfa South Africa beefed
up the front end with an aggressive looking, but fully functioning cool air ducting, deep front spoiler and dropped the car on some 15-inch Compomotive alloy wheels. The ‘More Sporting’ theme continued inside the cabin with fully adjustable Recaro bucket seats decked out in some period-fashionable velour, and leather 3-spoke steering wheel. Radio and aircon were not offered in standard format, despite the 3-litre commanding a relatively hefty price of R29 500, but this is quickly forgotten when the key is cranked and the exhaust and carburettors combine to make a snarling aural overload. The GTV will trundle along at 2000rpm all day long but even though it sounds
very lumpy will still pull effortlessly from this number with a stab of the loud pedal in any gear. The zero to 100km/h sprint comes up in 8.36 seconds and the top speed claimed at over 220km/h, but road tests of the time indicate that the recycling of the 2.5-litre gearbox ratios was not ideal with 120km/h in fifth seeing the tacho sitting at 3000rpm and the top speed cut to 218km/h by the standard 6500rpm rev limiter. Cornering is a thrilling experience, not only because the lower stance and beefier takkies make it work but also because the feedback coming through the wheel and seat of your pants is spot on. You know what the car is doing at all times and inputs made to correct have an
immediate effect. It drives like it looks. Handling prowess is an attribute that the 2.5-litre passed on thanks to an almost 50/50 weight distribution created by the use of the same 5-speed transaxle. When the red mist sets in, and it will with such a thrilling drive, it is good to know that the brakes are up to the mark with power-assisted vented discs at the front and solid discs (mounted inboard) at the rear. On track the 3-litre worked, scooping victories well into 1985 with names like Nicolo Bianco, Abel d’Oliveira, Arnold Chatz, George Santana, Serge Damseux, George Fouche, Maurizio Bianco and Dick Pickering spending time behind the wheel. In the sales department (according to Auto Data
Digest) 174 units were sold in 1984 at a cost of R33 490 each, and 68 in ’85 at R35 995. Doing the maths according to the above sees 242 but as is the norm with SA specials, different numbers abound with the 212 and 220 most often mentioned. Alfa pulled out of South Africa in 1985 killing any further 3-litre GTV production. The rarity factor therefore ensures that an original 3-litre GTV6 is a worthwhile investment and an extremely enjoyable classic. Sadly though, you’ll have to shell out 3, 4 or even 5 times the amount of loot today than you would have had to in the mid ‘80s. But beware - there are plenty of 2.5-litre cars parading in a 3-litre’s manly outfit.
www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 33
DE TOMASO PANTERA
34 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
Often confused with a Lamborghini Jalpa or Countach the De Tomaso Pantera is true Italian Supercar in appearance, but as Stuart Grant finds out the under-stressed American muscle power lurking in its rear could make it the most mechanically friendly and driveable of the exotic lookers. Images by Oliver Hirtenfelder
www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 35
T While the styling is a thing of beauty the real feather in the De Tomaso cap, and a trait that continued all through the firm’s life, was the use of an off-the-shelf power unit 36 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
o start the De Tomaso story we head, not for Modena and Italy, but rather South America, the birthplace of the company founder and visionary. Alejandro De Tomaso was born to a wealthy Italian family that ran a cattle farm on Argentinean soil granted by the King of Spain to one of De Tomaso’s ancestors. From an early age Alejandro showed a penchant for motoring and during the 1950s took to the local tracks in borrowed machinery. He wasn’t shy to speak his mind either, and when he expressed his political views about the country’s dictator, Juan Peron, in a student newspaper, he was forced to flee. His bloodline meant that Italy was the ideal new home. All things happen for a reason; for the motoring world the move was a good one as he met and teamed up with American lady racer Isabelle Haskell. The pair competed in numerous international races together
before tying the knot in ’57 with a glamorous West Palm Beach, Florida wedding. Two years later they formed De Tomaso Automobili in Modena, initially building a 1.5-litre OSCAengined Formula 2 car. Next on the list was Formula Junior and eventually the company took the Formula 1 plunge in 1962 with an Alfa power unit. From the outset De Tomaso was regarded as an experimental designer with such oddities as a flat-8 engine and casting a monocoque tub in magnesium. Road cars that embodied futuristic thought and sportiness were an obvious financial and brand strength tool and the pair put an effort into these from 1963 with a small coupe named the Vallelunga. While the styling is a thing of beauty the real feather in the De Tomaso cap, and a trait that continued all through the firm’s life, was the use of an off-the-shelf power unit. In the case of the Vallelunga it was the humble Ford Cortina 4-cylinder. 52 units were manufactured between 1963 and 1968
when the duo roped in the Haskell in-laws for some investment capital and went on to bigger and better cars. With a Ford V8 mounted midships in a Giorgetto Giugiaro body the De Tomaso Mangusta hit the streets. Debate still rages as to whether the Lamborghini Miura or the Mangusta is the bestlooking sportscar of the late 1960s. Mangusta translates to ‘mongoose’ and 401 units were produced before sales stopped in 1971. De Tomaso weren’t resting on their laurels though, and by 1969 had a new monocoque concept lurking in its stable. Timing was impeccable as Ford USA were snooping around with the intention of buying an Italian exotic manufacturer, and while on a scouting trip to see the De Tomaso plant, Ford execs were shown this idea. Known as the Pantera (Panther), this concept suited Ford’s vision more than the Mangusta, and the motor industry heavy hitter gobbled up a large chunk of De Tomaso shares as well as the Ghia and Vignale coachbuilding
outfits already under the De Tomaso umbrella. Promises of 10 000 Mustang V8-powered Panteras being sold to the lucrative American market were made by Ford and things looked rosy for 1971. But recalls and teething problems instantly gave the reputation of poor quality, and cost them dearly. While the gremlins and recalls weren’t fictitious most were sorted by owners almost immediately making the car reliable and a price beater to those in the know. A tendency to rust, poor rear visibility and dodgy electrics are about the only negatives to be found. Elvis is even said to have unloaded a gun at his Pantera because it would not start. With a total of 5 500 cars sold in the States, Ford pulled the plug on official imports to America in 1974. De Tomaso managed to hold on to the Pantera rights in the whole debacle and continued to make cars in various guises until 1991, bringing the total production number to 7 260. Along the way changes like massive arches
and wings found home and more luxurious versions badged Lusso and GTS offered hand-fitted leather door panels, dashboards and seats. The last off the line Panteras, called Si’s, delivered 500hp, enough to keep up with supercars of the 1990s. It wasn’t all Pantera at the firm though; added to the mix they also produced a Ford Cleveland V8-powered sedan titled the Deauville between 1971 and ’85, and a GT based on the Deauville known as the Longchamp lasted from 1972 to ’89. 1993 saw the launch of a new sports car, the Guarà, which was based on the Maserati Barchetta Stradale prototype and featured a handful of BMW parts. In 2004 De Tomaso went into liquidation. The last car, ordered by an Austrian in 2004, was only delivered in 2011 after De Tomaso’s liquidation was completed. But back to the Pantera, As mentioned it was launched as the Mangusta replacement and too was a mid-engine machine. Although instead of the www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 37
The zero to 100km/h sprint was impressive at 5.5 seconds and top speed came in just over 250km/h
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backbone chassis, the Pantera made use of a steel monocoque and was clothed by a Tom Tjaarda body. Out came the 289/302 Ford V8 and in went the stronger 351 Ford V8, with 11:1 compression and hot cam, which saw it churning out 330hp. The zero to 100km/h sprint was impressive at 5.5 seconds and top speed came in just over 250km/h. So it had the go and look to match the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche. Like its Italian counterparts it was an odd cabin to sit in and not the most comfortable with the must-have Italian supercar offset pedal position. However it differed from the rest in the pricing department – less than half the cost of a Ferrari 365 GTB in 1971. Add to this that it featured a Ford (sold via Lincoln-Mercury dealers in the States) drive-train, and the running costs were kept in a similar line to those of a Mustang, and a half-decent DIY mechanic could (and still can) maintain and modify them. It must have irritated the ‘real’ exotic lads when a two-valve, cast iron pushrod V8 fed by a single carb gave their OHC aluminium 12-pot a run at half the price. This simplicity played into the drivability appeal because it meant you could pull off at low revs and trundle along without stalling thanks to bundles of torque. The ZF 5-speed
transaxle sourced from the Ford GT40 used an hydraulic assist clutch, which kept the action light enough not to feel like you’d been in the gym all day. Even when the Pantera moved to a lower 9.0:1 compression 351 V8 in its second year the performance remained on par by modding the camshaft. Weight distribution came in at 40.9/59.1% and although never really anything to write home about, the handling was said to be adequate, not likely one to kill you, and significantly better than the Mangusta. Cabin specification was good with electric windows and aircon standard but although a hole was left for a radio it was only an option, with De Tomaso believing that Pantera owners would rather hear the pounding lump and Holley 750 sucking air right behind their heads than any tunes. Like Sylvester Stallone, this Italian/ American hybrid is the hard hitting Rocky Balboa of the supercar world. It is a looker, a goer, sounds the part and something just that little bit different. But the best part is that it is relatively bulletproof when talking supercars. A number of units made it down to the tip of Africa, so keep your eyes peeled for this aggressive cat. Thanks to Motostars for the loan of this example.
Our shop is situated at 117 Strand Street, Cape Town. For more information on any of these cars, please contact Jason on +27722296967 or JB on +27834602228, or email us at jason@motostars.co.za. For a selection of more cars for sale, please visit www.motostars.com Unique cars for the individual
Featured Cars For Sale
1970 Buick Riviera Coupe, Gold with two tone cream and brown interior, recently overhauled 455ci V8, A/C, P/S, electric windows, GS rims and white wall tyres. R295 000
1941 Packard One Sixty Convertible Coupe, Cream with brown interior, possibly the only one in SA, RHD, call for more info. POA
1994 Porsche 911 (993) Carrera 4 Cabriolet, Ice blue silver metallic with blue leather interior, 81 000km with books, new tyres, new soft top, excellent overall condition. LHD. R495 000.
1969 Mercury Cougar XR7 Coupe, white with black interior and original vinyl top, 302ci V8, 3 speed auto, P/S, disc brakes, these are great Muscle cars with all the features! R225 000.
1965 Austin Healey Sprite MKIII, red with black interior, completely restored with full photo record. POA.
1964 Ford Thunderbird Coupe, Salmon Metallic with cream interior, concourse level restoration. POA
1984 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, repainted in original colour, original interior, new soft top, FSH and books and a file of invoices for all work done. R395 000.
1981 Yamaha XT500, completely restored, near perfect, the stuff of legends! R55 000.
1972 Plymouth Barracuda, Metallic green with black interior, 440ci V8, Auto, P/S, A/C, converted to RHD! POA.
1972 Mercedes Benz 280SE, Avocado green with tan leather interior, floor shift Auto, P/S, A/C, full books, totally original! R125 000.
1974 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV, red with new black interior, recently resprayed, serviced and tuned and ready to go! R125 000.
1981 Fiat 2000 Europa Spider, fly yellow with black interior, very original, recently serviced. R150 000.
We buy and sell classic, collectable, sports and muscle cars | We collect and deliver cars anywhere in South Africa and the World We can source specific cars for individual requests | We are an approved Wesbank Dealer and Finance is available on certain models We always have over 50 cars in stock
PEUGEOT HILL CLIMB SPECIAL
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FMM’s Peugeot Hill Climb Special has been fully restored and its remarkable construction is a classic example of South African ingenuity. Mike Monk gets a head for heights.
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outh African car enthusiasts have been, are, and surely will continue to be an amazing breed of people. Ever since the horseless carriage first rolled its wheels on our soil, locals have embraced the technology and despite being geographically a long way away from the birthplace of the motor car, have always shown an innovative streak. But perhaps it is only in today’s world that we can look back on some locally ‘built cars’ and appreciate what was then a case of a boer maak ’n plan, now stands as a proud example of engineering ingenuity. Take this Peugeot Hill Climb Special as a case in point... It is based on the chassis of a late-’30s model 402, a remarkably swoopy and aerodynamic-looking vehicle available
in a number of body styles, all with headlamps located behind a swept-back waterfall grille: certainly distinctive and quite a radical design for the time. However, this example did not survive too long because by the early 1950s it was languishing in a scrapyard from where it was rescued by Don Tout who,
back in 1971, he was inspired by the pre-war 402 sports models that performed well in long-distance races and, more specifically, the twoseater special built by French Peugeot distributor Emile Darl’mat, which was, in fact, a coupé built on a 302 chassis but with a 402 engine. Don removed the body, shortened the wheelbase and replaced the halfelliptic springs with quarter-elliptics. With 402 parts generally difficult to obtain, the chassis was fitted with brakes from a Dodge and a steering box from a Riley 9, the flat-spoke 402 wheels being retained. He then engaged a panel shop in Melville to make up a bespoke, all-aluminium two-seater body with a long, louvered bonnet, twin aero screens and rear fenders integral
Don wanted a sports car but was not prepared to pay the asking price of ready-made examples so decided to build his own as we shall see, was a man on a mission and not short on ideas. Don wanted a sports car but was not prepared to pay the asking price of ready-made examples so decided to build his own. According to historian Ken Maxwell who interviewed Don
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with the body. But far from being an uncoordinated ‘back yard bitsa’ build, Don applied sound engineering skills to his project - witness the neat engine-turned dashboard with all its gauges: oil pressure, boost pressure, oil temperature and water temperature. The four-cylinder 2 142cm3 44kW poppet-valve engine (early 402s had a 1 991cm 3 ) was reconditioned with pistons of a British make, possibly from a Triumph, the cam modified to drive a Lucas distributor and an oil pump, of undetermined origin but bearing a similarity to that of a Bedford. The overhead valve rockers and adjusters are British, Whitworth Fine threads and all, and there’s an Austin starter and a Jaguar radiator. But the most remarkable modification was the addition of a supercharger, but not your usual Roots-type blower, oh no… Output enhancement was in the form of a 750cm3 cabin blower taken from the Merlin 76 engine of a de Havilland Mosquito WWII combat plane, the blower adapted to act
as a supercharger fitted with twin 1 1/ 2 -inch SU carburettors. Geared to run at two-and-a-half times engine input speed, it required an oil cooler to lower lubricant running temperature from 140 to around 85 degrees. Yet another remarkable part of the car’s make-up is the transmission: a Cotal four-speed automatic, which was
interviewed about the car by Maxwell. Despite the diff’s higher-than-standard ratio – 37km/h per 1000r/min in top gear – acceleration in the gears was “very good”’ according to Don. It was a relaxed cruiser that could rev to 4000 in top on the flat but spin beyond that on the downhills. Don did not compete in circuit racing but took part in a number of hillclimbs before, surprisingly, selling the car soon afterwards. The history of the ‘bitsa’ Peugeot from then is not known until the Heidelberg Museum obtained the car in 1979. When Heidelberg was closed 11 years ago, the collection was incorporated into and transferred to the Franschhoek Motor Museum and the car made a number of select appearances before 2009 when it performed demonstration runs at the inaugural Knysna Hillclimb, driven by FMM curator Wayne Harley. Afterwards, it underwent a groundup restoration that has just been completed and the refurbished car was
Output enhancement was in the form of a 750cm3 cabin blower taken from the Merlin 76 engine of a de Havilland Mosquito WWII combat plane, the blower adapted to act as a supercharger fitted with twin 1½ -inch SU carburettors
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only an option on the 402 and a not very popular one at that, so making this quite an unusual application. The Cotal’s electric gear change was moved from the steering column to between the seats, which came from an Austin 7. The diff was not standard 402 but described by Don as being from a “sports Peugeot” when
first shown to the general public at the Museum’s Heritage Day celebrations last September. Restorers Steven and Graham Mesecke were instrumental in uncovering some more interesting facts about the car. For starters, the chassis has been three different colours in its lifetime, starting out as grey then yellow and finally black. It was also determined that the car had originally had a red body and only later did it become the French racing blue it is today. And at some point the rear fenders were replaced with the cycle-type mudguards that are now on the car. Resplendent in its striking blue paintwork and with more louvers than your local DIY store, the Peugeot has real presence. The racing roundels carrying number 39 are in recognition of the year the original chassis was built. Aero screens offer token wind protection and running along the driver’s side bodywork – just below elbow level – the chromed, unsilenced exhaust is as ‘straight through’ as you can get. Inside the cockpit everything mechanical is exposed: there are certainly no sops to luxury save leather upholstery for the pair of tiny bucket seats. The engine-
turned instrument panel contains a surprising number of gauges, including oil pressure and temperature. Climbing in is aided by a removable steering wheel held onto the keyed column by a spacer and a giant wing nut – placing the spacer either behind or in front of the boss constitutes adjustable steering. The steering is very heavy and direct, compensated to a degree by the amount of leverage afforded by the classic upright, close-to-the-chest wheel position (not to mention the proximity of that wing nut…). Firing up, the motor bursts into a raucous crackle, spitting and barking with considerable menace. A push/pull knob – in for forward, out for reverse – selects the desired direction of travel (all the gears work in both directions). A conventional handbrake stands alongside the Cotal’s tiny selector switch and with first gear preselected, I cautiously depress the central accelerator pedal and I am away, quickly off the mark thanks to the low gearing. Flick, flick and into the higher gears with modern autobox alacrity and the Peugeot gets quicker, louder, hotter and slightly easier to steer. Being aware of the front wheels jiggling over the bricked roadway highlights the
stiff suspension set-up and the whole driving experience is very involving. A rudimentary bonnet scoop directs air onto the driver’s feet but on this mid30s summer’s day drive has little cooling effect. With a still-tight motor and no rev counter, I was not prepared to push the car too hard. Easy through the bends, too, as this was one of the rebuilt car’s early outings but especially through the right-handers, elbow out (mind the exhaust!), did evoke plenty of images of war-time racing heroes man-handling their machines with spirit – and not a little skill. To a mere mortal today, their exploits simply beggar belief. At the end of the day, switching off and listening to the hot metal tick-ticking in a kind of mechanical perspiration, I was left awestruck by what Don Tout not only produced but drove to the limit on some of SA’s demanding and infamous hillclimb venues. This Peugeot is certainly not for the faint-hearted but the sheer thrill of heading to the hills in such a one-off special is Boy’s Own material. My ears are still ringing… The Peugeot Hill Climb Special can be viewed at the Franschhoek Motor Museum. www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 43
BIRKIN S3 TOPCAR LIMITED EDITION
SUPERBOSS 7 SHEER DRIVING PLEASURE In the mid-1990s there was one car to have: an E36 BMW M3 sporting bright Dakar Yellow paint of course. While the majority of E36 M3s were produced in Germany a small number of slightly detuned right-hand drive cars left South Africa’s Rosslyn plant. South African M3s did the 0 to 100km/h sprint in 6.32 seconds and quarter-mile at 14.41 seconds, and cost a pretty penny. But if you could live without the BMW comfort, didn’t mind bugs in your teeth and weren’t afraid of grabbing attention, there was a way to get those sorts of numbers for a lot less cash from a local manufacturer. Stuart Grant stumbles across the car that proposed to do this. Photography by Oliver Hirtenfelder 44 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
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nter the Birkin S3 Topcar Limited Edition – whether or not that it sported a very similar yellow hue was coincidence, is open for debate. Birkin Cars formed in Pinetown during 1982 when John Watson, John Scott and Barry de Groot combined forces to build five Lotus Seven-type cars. When the local Lotus agent saw the quality of the job, pressure was applied to the crew to make a commercial go out of building cars. Naming the company was easy with Watson using his great-uncle, Tim Birkin’s surname – he had raced the legendary Bentley Blower at Le Mans back in the day. From humble beginnings Birkin has grown into a high-tech operation utilising the latest gadgetry and materials to supply the world with Birkin Sevens. While obviously drawing from Colin Champman’s Lotus Seven theme, Birkin aren’t replica manufacturers and years of development and R & D has seen to it that the firm is a registered manufacturer of SAproduced vehicles, a car manufacturer and not a kit car builder. The pictured machine came about when Topcar magazine and Birkin collaborated to develop a new Birkin model. Known internally as RD028 the project saw a revised stiffer tubular chassis, the introduction of some fresh seats, redesigned front mudguards, upgraded brakes and most importantly a new
power unit. Out went the old Ford Kent 1600 and in came a 2-litre 16 valve unit from Opel. But not just any Opel; this unit has the same basics as that found in the SuperBoss race cars that took it to BMW’s 3-Series on the race tracks around the country. It took a bit of clever engineering to fit the larger engine into the same confines of the Ford but with new engine mounts, a trick exhaust manifold, inlet manifold and modified sump the Opel unit squeezed under the aluminium bonnet with a few millimetres to spare. Fuel injection was tossed in favour of some 45 DCOE twinchoke side-draught Webers which looked and sounded the part sticking out of the right hand side of the diminutive car. To stop the projectile, vented discs were fitted to the front and solid discs replaced drums at the rear,
unassisted though because in a car that weighed next to nothing and for better feedback it was deemed not necessary to fit a booster – and of course space limitations added to the equation. In the end, figures from the 1998cc 4-pot read 125kW at 5750rpm, 195kW/ tonne and a torque figure of 259Nm at 5200rpm. But the real bonus was the fact that torque curve was incredibly flat and 224Nm of these torques were on tap from 2500rpm. All these numbers were put to the rear wheels and road via a 5-speed manual box and saw the zero to 100km/h time achieved being 6.4 seconds. A sub-15 second quartermile was impressive but the top speed couldn’t match the BMW M3’s 250km/h mark because the Birkin gearing ran short at 200km/h. But in something as small and as low to the ground this feels fast enough, in fact downright scary.
It does fall short of the BMW in the comfort department too, and even with the full weather kit fitted, occupants can get a bit damp. Birkin did pull some specification punches with a heated windscreen though. Climbing into the cabin requires a bit of practice, similar to the stand-onseat and slide-legs-down action needed to get into a single seater racing car. Once inside it is a tight fit with buckets offering lots of side support and the road within arm’s reach. Everything about it is small. For anyone with a size 7 or up, feeling which pedal is which is impossible in anything other than dainty shoes and the best plan would be to keep your racing boots in the ‘boot’ space behind the cockpit. From the driver’s seat the quality of the build becomes apparent. This is no backyard beast; the padded dash www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 45
and centre consol are outstanding and the use of a full complement of VDO clocks a classy choice. Years down the line, joins and gaps have remained within tight tolerances and there is even a full quality carpet. Somehow Birkin managed to squeeze a heater and 3-speed fan under the scuttle area. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your brand flavour, the Opel engine deal never really took off and most Birkins end up with Ford or Toyota power units, making this Topcar Limited Edition very limited to just one unit. Today it has remained true to its original form but with a few tasteful tweaks. In the looks department the original 15-inch TSW Blade alloy wheels were swapped out for some Superlites but the originals have been packed away for safe keeping. Under the hood it all looks as it did from the factory but to make for an even crazier package the motor has been fully balanced, crank knife-edged and new lightened pistons fitted. Everything is held together with ARP fasteners and the head fettled by Van der Linde Developments. For some lumpy sound and performance the S3 now features 290° cams and the 45 carbs swapped for 48 throttles and Dictator management. A more race46 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
type clutch was next and then some bigger brakes. Zero to 100km/h is now expected in the 5-second region. Pump the loud pedal once or twice and crank the key. Straight away the Webers start doing the job of mixing the fuel and air. Even before the exhaust note cracks into life the sound of the carbs makes one’s hair stand up and sitting only a few feet away from the action you can’t help but hear it. With a bang the engine pops into life and a free revving crackle deafens your passenger as it exits just under their elbow. And it’s not much quieter from the outside echoing down the road and leaving onlookers’ ears burning but mouths smiling. As one would expect it doesn’t ride like a limo though, and occupants feel every bump and undulation in the road. Road irregularities can make the S3 tend toward the skittish side of things but find a twisty section and the handling that made the original Lotus famous comes to the fore. A wishbone set up with coil springs, anti-roll bar and Spax dampers keep the front rubber on the tarmac while the back is handled by a live axle, Panhard rod, trailing arms, coil springs and Spax dampers. Direct steering is a treat with no electronic aids hampering the talk from
the front wheels, which is good to know when you can kick the backend out with even just a hint of clumsiness on the loud pedal. Simply put, there are not many other cars on this planet that feel, sound and go like a race car on the road legally. And it goes like stink. Once the cams come on song the Birkin kicks like a mule and rockets. Gear ratios are well spaced to keep it on the boil and the torque figure keeps on pulling and pulling. The experience of being so close to the ground with the elements buffeting you and sound deafening you is one not to be forgotten. This is real driving and one real car. So M3 or Birkin S3 Topcar? As in 1996 it is still a difficult choice because in reality these cars only compete in performance terms. If it was just me and a winding road with no rain it would be the Birkin. Add a bit of traffic, inclement weather and a passenger who doesn’t like that windswept hair look then the BMW. But both are safe bets as future classics. Unmolested M3s of this era are already hot property with collectors, and quickly becoming hard to find. This S3 though is a one-off, the fastest road-Birkin ever made and the time is right to bank it now. It could be for sale to the right person; drop me an email for details.
70, Main Road, Knysna (N2) – Next to Total 082 921 4156 / 082 566 7897 / 081 325 1507 email wendy.r@hocasc.co.za www.hocasc.co.za
We buy and sell all makes of Vintage, Classic & Sports Cars.
Consignment sales welcome – Our location on the N2 gives great exposure!
1958 Ford Fairlane R148 000
1986 AC Cobra
1961 Opel Rekord
POA
R65 000
1997 Ford GT40 R420 000
1950 Mercedes Ponton R85 000
1981 MGB GT
R95 000
1933 International Truck POA
1955 Ford Customline R128 000
1928 Rugby Durant R148 000
1978 Jeep CJ7
R125 000
1968 Wolseley 1660
1961 Cadillac De Ville
R55 000
POA
1948 MG TC POA 1958 MGA 1500 POA 1951 MG TD POA ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
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ALSO… 1940 Packard 110 Touring Sedan…1953 Mercedes 300 Adenhauer… 1967 MGB GT… 1998 Mercedes SLK200 1936 Chevrolet Sedan… 1969 Rambler Rogue… 1967 MGB Roadster… 1948 Chevrolet Sedan…1977 Mercedes 450SL 1974 Volvo 164… 1986 Porsche 924S… 1971 MGB Roadster… 1941 Chevrolet Panel Van…Plus… Plus… Plus.
SOUTH AFRICANS AT LE MANS – PART 1
South Africa has a long and enviable history at the Le Mans 24 Hour. Greg Mills takes a look at the connections, drivers, trials, tribulations and unique nature of the event, over the next three issues.
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n the last three decades, Sarel van Merwe, Desire Wilson, George Fouché, Graham Duxbury, Wayne Taylor, Werner Lupberger, Grant Orbell, Gary Formato and Jack Gerber have all participated, and with distinction. Desire finished 7th in 1983 and Sarel 3rd on debut the following year; Taylor and Fouché managed 4th sharing a Porsche 962 in 1987, the year Duxbury finished 13th; and, in 2013, steelmagnate Gerber managed a notable 3rd in the GTE-Am class in a Ferrari 458. The proud association starts much earlier with the three-victories-out-ofthree-attempts record between 1928 and 1930 of Woolf Barnato, son of legendary diamantaire Barney Isaacs (Barnato). Woolf is the only Le Mans driver with a perfect win-to-start ratio. On his death in mysterious circumstances in 1897, officially lost overboard near the island of Madeira whilst on a passage home to England, Barney’s fortune (estimated at R30 billion in today’s terms, the result of a payout from Cecil Rhodes over
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the consolidation of the Kimberley diamond fields, the single largest cheque cut at the time) went mostly to his then two-year-old son, Joel Woolf Barnato. Educated at Charterhouse and Cambridge’s Trinity College, Woolf, as he was known, served as an officer in the Royal Field Artillery in the First World War. He was also an acknowledged sportsman, playing first-class cricket for Surrey. Drawn into motorsport in 1921 with a 48bhp eight-litre Locomobile, Barnato soon progressed to a yellow Calthorpe, replaced for the next season by Malcolm Campbell’s old 2.6-litre Talbot and an Ansaldo. With some success at Brooklands in 1923 with both a Wolseley Moth and his touring eight-litre Hispano-Suiza, in 1925 Woolf bought his first Bentley, the prototype short-chassis three-litre capable of 100mph.
Oh, My, What a Big Wallet You Have Nicknamed Babe on account of his heavyweight boxer’s stature, Barnato agreed to finance Bentley’s business on
the back of the marque’s 1924 Le Mans win with John Duff and Frank Clement, becoming its majority shareholder and chairman the following year. He eventually sank over £100 000 into the company. Though he was considered the last of the big spenders, reputedly lashing out £1 000 a week on his social life, he apparently also expected full value for his investment, including the pick of the firm’s products for his own use and a place on the factory team. The activities of the dozen (or so) ‘Bentley Boys’ were themselves the stuff of legend, gravitating around Grosvenor Square in Mayfair where Barnato, Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin and Glen Kidston had taken adjacent flats, giving rise to the spot being labelled ‘Bentley Corner’. With Barnato’s backing, Bentley was able to design another generation of cars, the six-cylinder 6 1/2 -litre, and the famous (although unreliable) s u p e r c h a r g e d 4 1/ 2 - l i t r e ‘ B l o w e r Bentley’. His Le Mans wins came with co-drivers Bernard Rubin (1928), Birkin in 1929 and, finally, with
Rules were strict in the early days stating that all repairs must be carried out by the driver.
Kidston the following year. In 1928, after his favoured team-mates, Birkin and Benjafield, had been put out of the running, Babe not only managed to overhaul his principal rival, Edouard Brisson in his Stutz, but nurse his car’s cracked chassis, which caused the engine to lose all its water, to the finish to win. “The best driver we ever had,” said WO Bentley of Woolf, underscoring his patron’s role beyond the cheque-book. This Babe needed to be tough. Le Mans was set up towards the end of 1922 when the motoring journalist Charles Faroux of La Vie Automobile was visited by his old friend Georges Durand who informed him of his ambition to organize a race ‘out of the ordinary’. The race was to be limited to production cars and the length was set at 24 hours around the track that had hosted the 1921 French Grand Prix. Known as the Circuit de la Sarthe after the department housing the town
of Le Mans on the Sarthe River, since 1923 the track has used a mix of public and private roads. Although it initially entered the town of Le Mans, the track was shortened to better protect spectators, leading to the creation of the Dunlop Curve and Tertre Rouge corners before rejoining the old format on the 6km-long Mulsanne straight. In
on 26 May 1923. Since then the race has been held every year apart from 1936, when cancelled due to general strikes in France, and with the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, the race went into a ten-year hiatus. Organised by the legendary ACO – Automobile Club de l’Ouest (‘Automobile Club of the West’) – the largest motorsport fraternité in France, it continues to go from strength to strength, the interest in entries far outstripping the 55 race places available.
With Barnato’s backing, Bentley was able to design another generation of cars, the six-cylinder 6½-litre, and the famous (although unreliable) supercharged 4½-litre ‘Blower Bentley’ 1990 chicanes were inserted onto the Mulsanne due to an FIA ruling that it would not sanction any circuit with a straight longer than two kilometres. Thirty-five stock cars from 18 manufacturers, sixteen of which were French, one British and one Belgian, lined up for the first race which started
Brakes and Breakages
Far from the slickly-run, media-polished non-stop contemporary 24 Hour entertainment machine après and on track, the early days were tough going. Racing journalist Sammy Davis recalls the format of the 1926 event from the cockpit of his Bentley. “In a whirl of cars we arrived at the Pontlieque hairpin… then we were all rushing up the slope to dive gloriously www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 49
Glen Kidston and Barnato share the spoils in 1930.
downhill to the straight beyond, where a moment’s inattention amidst all those fighting cars would let the rev counter needle go up to 4 000 – would mean trouble later. “All along the straight the cars fought, then Mulsanne, a quick snarl from the accelerated engine while the car swayed on the brakes – we had special pedals to enable the driver to work throttle pedal and brake together – a change to second from top that went perfectly, a swing left, then round the corner just nicely balanced, and away. On the short leg of the course, up to third, then top, the next two corners flat out, cut off at a certain tree, brake, come down to third, open up, round the corner, brake, change to second, negotiate cautiously at the next corner, accelerate, brake, round the last bend of Arnage, and away once more, a glorious and thrilling run as the car responded exactly to everything one did! “Then along the twisty road, shoot round White House, turn, up the slope to the grandstands, black with people, and the pits, decorative with signals, so to commence another round.” What Davis disguises well, perhaps because he had not experienced much better, was the condition of the road, often badly rutted and lined with people, trees and houses. The cars also had drum-brakes trying to stop two tons of three-litre Speed Six Bentley from around 100mph for hours on end. 50 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
Almost inevitably his 1926 event ended after 138 laps stuck in sand, having ploughed through a palisade fence after the brakes failed. Such were the expectations of the times, perhaps, or the cost of living life to the full, but Barnato died young, in July 1948 aged just 53. He was driven to his gravesite in the Speed Six Bentley in which, in March 1931, he had beaten the French ‘Blue Train’ express in a match-race. There was another, sad southern African connection with the Bentley Boys. Woolf’s last victory at Le Mans in 1930 with Kidston was in the venerable Speed Six Bentley which had also won the previous year. Kidston was an adventurer, known (ultimately mistakenly) as the man ‘who cannot be killed’. When his ship, HMS Hogue, was torpedoed in September 1914 off the Dutch coast, he was picked up by the Aboukir, only to be torpedoed and rescued again. His next narrow escape came in 1919 when he succeeded in surfacing from his submarine after it got stuck in mud on the sea bed. In 1929 he was one of two survivors of a Lufthansa plane which was en route to Berlin when it crashed in fog. A noted boxer, he escaped by punching a hole in the fuselage. But eventually he broke his moniker. On 31 March 1931, Kidston and Owen Cathcart-Jones departed Netheravon in their Lockheed Vega to attempt
The Kidston/Barnato victory parade.
to break the UK-Cape Town record. Routing via Naples, Malta, Cairo, Kosti, Malakal, Kisumu, Salisbury, Bulawayo and Pretoria, they reached Cape Town some six days nine hours later, establishing a new record at an average speed of 134mph. On 5 May Kidston and Captain Thomas Anthony Gladstone were on the first leg of a South African tour in a De Havilland DH80 Puss Moth when they flew into a gale and dust near the Tandtjiesberg Mountain. Onlookers saw a wing break loose, and the Moth crashed fatally on the farm Uitvlucht. A memorial was erected near the site, east of Harrismith. Some might dispute Barnato’s South Africanness, but the origins of the money behind his Le Mans victories are indisputable. A series of photographs today hangs in the Kimberley Club, the centre of 19th century corporate power in southern Africa, celebrating his effort. And the same accusation might be levelled against the English-born Pat Fairfield or the private equity and hedge fund investor Mark Patterson, who emigrated to the US in the mid1970s, both of whom were educated, if fifty years apart, at Grahamstown’s St Andrew’s College; or Jack Gerber, who left South Africa ‘after Sharpeville’ and who was educated and made his career overseas, before heading up Macsteel, the large SA-based steel trading company. Both Gerber and Patterson raced in the 2013 event, the
Kidston, a record setting pilot too.
The Bentley Boys.
latter finishing 12th (and 6th in class) in an Oreca LMP2. ‘Skidder’ Fairfield (so named after an early propensity for wild driving), lost his life after an accident not of his making at White House corner in the 1937 24 Hour. Born into a White River farming family, Fairfield had made his name finishing 3rd in the little 1100cc ERA in the second SA GP held at East London in January 1936 – an event won by Cape Town-based Italian engineer Mario Massacurati’s Bugatti Type 35B, in which this author’s grandfather, Billy, finished 6th in the Plymouthbased ‘Pyroil Special’. Despite his short career, such was his impact that Fairfield was the first South African to be invited to become a member of the elite British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC).
45 watts, but with the yellow glass they make you use in France, this gives them an effective 30 watts – which Lucas say is safe up to 60mph. But you’re having to do 145mph, because you know that the others are. And there are still little Renaults all over the road, doing 80. You come up behind one and suddenly get the horrors at the sight of a white light on the road. Before you wonder what a car can be doing coming towards you, you find that it’s a Renault with a light shining on its number, and then you’re
Lots of Feet Under This Moss
past it in a momentary cold sweat. I tell you, those were my worst moments in motor racing.” Still Moss was able to lap his Jag at 6.5secs under the 1950 lap record, pushing up the average lap speed to 105mph. ‘He was taking,’ his 1953 biography reminds us, ‘the two righthand curves between Mulsanne and Arnage on full bore, the curve on the brow of the hill before White House at 130mph, White House curve itself, a blind bend, at 120mph, without any
brakes, and the curve past the pits at 115120mph. again without brakes – just.’ Fast forward to the 1960s, and Bobby Olthoff and Cooper F1 ace Tony Maggs raced in the classic several times, with a best place finish of 6th(and 2nd in the 1500-3000cc GT class) for Tony in a Ferrari GTO shared with the Scot called Innes Ireland who was born in England and lived in Wales in 1964. In a quirk of SA history at the Sarthe, Bob Olthoff survived a crash at the same White House corner that claimed Fairfield, in a works prototype Austin Healey Sprite shared with Sir John Whitmore in the 1963 event, but with a broken foot, collarbone and shoulder, and a fractured skull. Olthoff, who died in April 2004 aged 66, also raced there in 1961 and 1962 in an MGA and Ecurie Chiltern Austin Healey 3000 respectively, finishing 22nd overall and 4th in class on the latter occasion. Maggs also drove on two other occasions at Le Mans, in an AstonMartin DBR 1-300 with Roy Salvadori in 1961 (they dropped out in the 19th hour “after I managed to spin it through the Esses in practice without touching sides” recalled Maggs years later), and in a flat-8 Porsche prototype with Swede Jo Bonnier in 1963 (they crashed out in the 9th hour when a Ferrari blew-up in front of Jo on the
Despite his short career, such was his impact that Fairfield was the first South African to be invited to become a member of the elite British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC)
Things were still pretty rough and ready in the 1950s. In an era when drivers were masters of several disciplines, from F1 to rallying and including sportscars, Stirling Moss first drove at the Sarthe in 1951 in the C-type Jaguar. He found the straights acute mental strain. “You’re driving in the rain to start with,” he said, “which makes it hard to see anything. Then you’ve got headlamps like overworked glow-worms. The regulations permit
www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 51
The mid to late 60s was dominated by Ford GT40s.
Mulsanne, coating the windscreen with oil). Maggs “hated Le Mans – almost all F1 drivers did.” This was because “you could not drive the car flat out, and you were always running at 75 percent of your car and your capability. Like that it just gets bloody boring. I did it in the Aston, which was hopeless and the fuel tank split. It was quite an adventure with Innes Ireland in the Ferrari. The clutch was slipping like crazy – we could hardly get the thing out of the pits. Innes would drive it like hell. I would then spend my session trying to get it working again, only for Innes to thrash it again!” The F1 driver, who preferred the single-seaters, in which he achieved two second-place GP finishes for Cooper in the French event in 1962 and 1963, remembered, “Although you were not allowed to change any major components, there were plenty of tricks to getting cars to the finish at Le Mans, which the organisers kept a close eye on. The mechanics would drop an old part into a bucket full of dirty water to cool it down, and would feel around in the bottom and pick up a new part which had earlier been put there.” Back in 1923 the first set of regulations was very severe, stating that ‘All repairs must be carried out by
Peter de Klerk finished 6th in the factory Porsche 906.
the driver. The help of pit personnel will be limited to placing ad hoc on the counter the tools and spares which are required.’
From Sammy to Colin and PDK Two years after Maggs’ drive with Ireland, Peter de Klerk, who had made a name for himself in his self-built Alfa Special in SA’s F1 series, was signed up to drive a works two-litre Porsche 906. He finished 6th sharing with the portly Udo Shutz, behind the top three 7-litre Ford GT40s of Bruce McLaren/Chris
The Porsche was, according to Peter, a difficult car to drive, at least initially. With only the briefest of introductions to the 906, “enough to get a seat made and work out where the rev-counter and wiper switch were”, he found the first two laps in the car undriveable especially on the Mulsanne straight. “The Porsche mechanics put a small envelope of metal halfway down either side of the tail, however, which transformed the handling, enabling us to take the kink flat out, even in the rain.” The 240bhp, twin-spark, titanium flat-6 never missed a beat, hitting over 170mph down the Mulsanne, though the rasp of its exhaust note left the drivers with splitting headaches. And de Klerk observes that driving these four-hour stints at Le Mans was not for the weak or fainthearted, especially in the rain - a race that he was paid R800 (then £400) to drive. By the 1970s the speed was up considerably and the lap records started to tumble with the arrival of the Porsche 917. Next issue we look at the rise to dominance of Porsche, changes to the track layout and drivers like regular South African visitor Brian Redman.
Innes would drive it like hell. I would then spend my session trying to get it working again, only for Innes to thrash it again!
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Amon, Ken Miles/Denny Hulme and Ronnie Bucknum/Dick Hutcherson, and his Porsche team-mates Jo Siffert/ Colin Davis and Hans Hermann/ Herbert Linge. Targa Florio winner Colin Davis, the son of 1927 24 Hour winner SHR ‘Sammy’ Davis, who enjoyed a distinguished record at Le Mans including an Index of Performance win in 1958, emigrated to Cape Town in 1976 where he remained until his death in December 2012.
FIRING LINE
SPARK PLUGS
IN THE 54 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
Modern spark plugs are far more robust than most older designs. This has happened in spite of the fact that modern engines run at far higher internal pressures and rotational speeds than what was normal 30 years ago. Jake Venter investigates.
M
odern spark plugs have been redesigned to cope with these conditions. In fact, the plugs on some American engines can only be changed by removing the engine, so that the plugs are designed to last a long time! They’re made from stronger alloys and are running in engines fuelled by unleaded petrol that no longer leaves many harmful deposits behind. SPARK PLUG STRESSES Spark plugs have a hard life. During one complete cycle of operation the temperature can vary from 120 to 3 000°C, while the pressure drops to below atmospheric on the intake stroke but soon afterwards rises to over 50 bar. The result is that the part of the plug that projects into the combustion chamber can become red hot at one moment and be subjected to relatively cool air soon afterwards. These cyclical variations are stressful because the various metals and ceramics that are joined to create a plug respond by either stretching or shrinking. In addition, the insulator has to resist arcing even when plug voltages rise to as high as 30 000 or deposits resulting from the combustion process coat the outer surface. These deposits include soot, carbon residues, and ash from oil or fuel additives. Plugs are also put under stress during installation. If they’re over-tightened the outer shell can easily get distorted and this may lead to failure or gas leaks later in its life.
Self-ignition zone Thermal reserve
Temperature (ºC)
850
[C] Self-cleaning zone
[B] 450
[A]
0
15
Deposit zone
50
75
100
Engine load (%) HEAT RANGE The spark plug must dissipate the heat it absorbs from the combustion process and pass it along to the cooling water. Experience has shown that a plug functions best when the temperature of the part of the insulator that extends into the combustion chamber is between 450 and 850°C. When an engine starts from cold the combustion process is incomplete and the spark plug temperature is well below 450°C. The low engine temperature results in a high percentage of soot being formed and the low spark plug temperature allows soot to coat the surface of the insulator to such an extent that it forms a path for the electricity. This may eventually lead to a misfire. A spark plug is therefore designed to heat up to above 450°C as soon as possible. Between 450 and 850°C the soot formation will be greatly reduced because the engine will be running at a normal temperature. The higher temperature will burn the soot away to such an extent that this is called the self-cleaning range. Above 850°C some plugs may still
operate satisfactorily but once the temperature goes over 1 000°C the tip gets hot enough to ignite the mixture before the spark does. This is one of the causes of running-on (dieseling), i.e. the tendency for an engine to keep idling when the ignition is switched-off. CONTROLLING THE HEAT This delicate heat balance is controlled by designing a unique spark plug for every engine. In earlier days this was a mammoth task but many modern engines are so similar in design that many engines are able to run on the same type of spark plug. In spite of this, there is still a bewildering range of plugs on the market. The temperature of the tip is controlled by: 1. The length of the heat path from the hot tip to the thread, i.e. the part where the plug makes contact with the cylinder head that contains the cooling water. In some engines this part runs at a higher temperature than others, depending on the cooling system design. 2. The heat input from the engine. This varies not only from engine to engine
but also depends on the operating conditions, i.e. full-throttle running will result in a higher temperature than cruising at a constant speed. Interestingly enough, neither the engine nor the spark plugs cope well with prolonged idling because most engines need a rich mixture to do so. This causes unburnt fuel to migrate to the sump where it contaminates the oil while the excess carbon being formed tends to foul the spark plugs. SPARK PLUG CODES The codes on the side of a plug tell a story, but every manufacturer uses a different code. The numbers usually refer to the heat range while the letters refer to the application or feature. The key is available for consultation at spares counters, but in most cases you simply have to buy the plug type mentioned in your car’s owner’s manual. Buying a modern plug for an older engine can be nightmare. One can usually get advice from old car clubs, other members with similar cars or the one-make clubs that are such a feature of the motoring scene.
www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 55
YOUTH PROJECT
4
ROUND
LET THE
BUILD BEGIN! Our 2002 is back home, and at last, we’re able to start assembling! From a motivation point of view, that was an important turning point for James Burford, and patience is generally not a virtue of the young – especially in an age of instant gratification. So one of the first things on the ‘to do’ list when it was back in the garage was to fit the kidney grille. In an instant, it looked vaguely like a BMW. Words and Images by Adrian Burford
56 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
Thumbs-up…James Burford says thanks to Chris and Mark Corna of Cornright Motors for the paint job on the 2002…they also reworked the engine compartment so that it’ll accept a larger radiator from a 3-Series. Now all we need to do is put everything back together…!
www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 57
R
Granddad and Lad…Eddie Burford watches critically while James handles the soldering iron. All joins were soldered, then sealed with heat shrinkable tubing and new terminals fitted where necessary. Thanks Jonnesway for providing a quality crimping tool.
58 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
eaders of this series may recall that the original plan was to take the painted shell directly from Cornrights to Evolution 2, but it made more sense to bring it home first. With James having time on his hands during the December holidays (notwithstanding the lure of his girlfriend, and – later the KZN coastline), a lot was achieved. That was mainly thanks to Grandpa Ed, an automotive Jack-of-all-trades but especially handy with old-school stuff like carburettors and distributors where you can still measure a dwell angle, who made a number of trips across town. He bought his electrical nous with him and as a result, the electric fan (thanks, ATS), as well as the electric fuel pump, and bootmounted battery of sufficient output to power various non-standard accessories have all been fitted. The latter items and a bunch of other, electrically-related bits and bobs were supplied by Motorzone, Autobarn’s bustling Midrand branch in the heart of Halfway House. They gave us great service at short notice, and supplied everything on our list. We opted for the rear-mount battery mainly for improved weightdistribution, but in fact it was a prescient change, as the E46 ABS pump/control unit will now nestle in the left-front corner of the engine bay – where the battery normally lives. We had also considered rewiring the entire car, but it wasn’t necessary thanks to the quality of the original materials and once cleaned up and with new terminals soldered and/or crimped in place where necessary, it is looking healthy again. We’ve been through a few metres of heat shrinkable tubing (worth every cent!) along the way, and using it makes for a tidy and watertight end result.
NEW PARTNERS
We’ve put the battery in the boot, along with the electric fuel pump. Hopefully we’ve left enough space between the two for a subwoofer, to be provided by Audiomotive Distributors a top name in car sound.
Audiomotive Distributors If there’s a partnership which excited James Burford it is the news that Audiomotive Distributors – best known for their flagship Rockford Fosgate brand – have agreed to supply an ICE system for Project 2002. While the details are yet to be confirmed, we’re sure they’ll find something suitable in their portfolio (they do a number of audio products apart from RF), but we’ll definitely aim for a system which is Bluetoothenabled for seamless phone and iPod integration. Almost 15 years ago they built me an awesome sound system for a VW Caddy, and I’m hoping they can do the same for my lad! Prostreet Originals We’ve been looking for a fabrication partner for a while, as we will need to get a few parts custom-made. One important item will be a suitably sturdy bracket to carry the ABS unit, and in all likelihood we will need some fabrication work with engine and gearbox mountings to get the non-standard items to line up. For this kind of work we will rely on Prostreet Originals, owned by former racer Grant van Schalkwyk, now wellknown for his race-prep skills. With the ability to bend, shape and weld and a proper understanding of what it takes to make an ‘original’, Grant’s expertise and skills will be highly valued in the coming months.
The fuse box is back in place and everything is looking ship-shape – and we have confirmed that our electric fan, indicators, ignition circuit and fuel pump all work. So far so good! We’re also indebted to various people whom we’ve met through the pages of this magazine, like Formula Vee racer and car technician Revel Crossland, who has allowed us to dig through his 2002 parts bin on various occasions, not to mention
Dick Sorensen, who has been kind enough to loan his bakkie and trailer for transporting the 2002 to and from Cornrights. Follow BMW Youth Project 2002 on our Facebook page: https://www. facebook.com/bmw2002youthproject. Here you’ll also be able to view our parts wish list, and if you’re a 2002 owner, racer or collector and have any of the bits we’re after, we’d love to hear from you!
Supreme Bumpers As we went to press, Supreme Bumpers confirmed that they will be joining our band of merry partners. They will take the front and rear bumpers and rebuild them sans overriders for a lean and clean look, before re-chroming in a gunmetal or charcoal hue for a more sporty effect. They’ll do the same to the B-Pillar chrome finisher, hopefully making it merge with the window tinting, creating the illusion of a lower roofline.
www.cpca.co.za www.cpca.co.za || February/March 2014 | 59
GO PLAY
ITEM Front Spoiler Side Skirts Rear Boot Spoiler Rear Under/Bumper Spoiler High Response Muffler Muffler Garnish Rear Diffuser (to be ordered in conjunction with High Response Muffler) TRD Push Start Button* Shift Knob (MT) Shift Knob (AT)* Security Film * Only applicable on 86 High Grade
Part Number MS3411800200 MS3441800200 MS3421800200 MS3431800200 MS15318001 MS34318003 MS34218003 MS42200003 MS20418001 MS20418002 PZN55X3036
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MIKE HAILWOOD
THE
On 23 March 1981, Mike Hailwood died in hospital, two days after some twat in a truck did an illegal u-turn in front of him on a freeway in England. Gavin Foster reckons if he’d stayed here in South Africa where he belonged, even with the hijackers, taxi-drivers and muggers, the greatest motorcycle racer of all time would probably still be alive.
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DEAL
H
ailwood had a long association with this country. At the end of 1957, when he had just a handful of club races under his belt, his father packed his young son off to South Africa with a personal mechanic, a GP rider called Dave Chadwick to hold his hand, and a 1955 250cc NSU he’d borrowed from World Champion John Surtees. That’s the way you do things when you’re very wealthy. Mike kicked off his campaign in Port Elizabeth on 1 January, when he won the 250cc class in the PE 200. Two weeks later he repeated the feat at Roy Hesketh in Pietermaritzburg, and at Grand Central in Midrand the 17-year-old won the scratch race and took second in a handicap event to set the tone for a year that saw him win 74 races, take 17 second places, and occupy the lowest step on the podium five times. “That trip to Africa was an eye opener,” Mike says in the book, Hailwood that he co-wrote with Ted Macauley in 1968. “Those riders must have been the hardest in the game; if you got in their way it was just too bad, they’d drive straight through you. I found the racing there much tougher
than it had been in England, and a good bit wilder. When the flag dropped it was like the Charge of the Light Brigade, but there were some good men who were hard to beat. Africa was a terrific experience. Some of the circuits were out in the sticks and just about as primitive as you could see anywhere. The Port Elizabeth 200, for instance, was run in the wilds over a nine-mile (14km) circuit that was really rough. There were donkeys and tortoises all over the place. It was a bit hairy.” According to the Hailwood book and other sources, the youngster went home with a South African national championship. He acquired some bad habits over here, as his father pointed out to Macauley. “I was horrified to find out that Mike had picked up the dreadful habit they have there of using their feet like speedway riders,” he said. Hailwood countered that at least he hadn’t come home with the South African racers’ habit of running out of road, which he reckoned was second nature to them because we have so much run-off area over here. “Apart from that, though, I was amazed at their ingenuity. Not only were they good riders, but most of them were
Hailwood (McLaren M23) ahead of Patrick Depailler (Tyrrell 006) - Dijon, 1974.
superb mechanics too. Spares for racing machines were terribly difficult to get hold of, but those boys just got down and made their own. If they dropped a valve they’d simply weld bits on top of the piston and still they’d go like blazes.” At the end of ’58 our man returned to SA, where he scored hat tricks at Killarney and Hesketh in November and December before taking three second places at Roy Hesketh in January and February ’59. By the end of that year he’d already won around 150 races and it was clear that a superstar was on the rise. Ducati lent him a 125 and a 250 that year, along with a technician to look after them. By mid-year head honcho Dr Montano was so overwhelmed by the success his rider was achieving in England that he fired off an emotional telegram to the Hailwoods: I AM ENTHUSIASTICALLY GLAD FOR VICTORIES OF MIKE WHO ALONE SAVED THIS YEAR THE DUCATI PRESTIGE STOP I AM GRATEFUL TO HIM AND TO YOU DEAR MR HAILWOOD WHO ARE VERY LOVELY AND DO ALL YOUR BEST FOR OUR PRODUCTS STOP HURRAH TO THE CHAMPION OF ENGLAND
HURRAH TO YOU AND TO THE DUCATI STOP Quite so. Although it’s virtually impossible to compare riders from different eras, Hailwood’s claim to be the greatest racer ever is convincing. Between the ages of 17 and 27 he won almost 350 races against some of the best riders around, on just about every make of machine imaginable. He claimed 76 wins in Grand Prix, of which 12 were on the Isle of Man, and won nine World Championships between 1961 and 1967. He very often raced in and won in three different classes in a single day. Hailwood had an uncanny ability to race anything, anywhere and go quickly. In 1963 and 1964 he contested six Formula One GPs in between his motorcycle commitments, scoring a sixth, four eighths, and a tenth. After Honda packed in motorcycle GP racing in 1968 he retired and became more involved in car racing, and in ’72 won the European F2 championship; those he pipped to the title included future
Although it’s virtually impossible to compare riders from different eras, Hailwood’s claim to be the greatest racer ever is convincing. Between the ages of 17 and 27 he won almost 350 races against some of the best riders around…
www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 63
Relaxed Hailwood at Kyalami.
Following an 11 year bike racing break Mike took TT F1 honours for Ducati.
F1 World Champions Niki Lauda, Jody Scheckter, and James Hunt. By the time he gave up racing cars in 1974 Hailwood had racked up 49 GP starts, scoring numerous placings between 2nd and 8th after failing to finish 27 times. He also picked up a third place in the Le Mans 24 Hour endurance race. Mike owned a house in Durban for a couple of years, where he set up a building contracting business with Suzuki star Frank Perris in 1967. He married his girlfriend, Pauline, in South Africa shortly before moving to New Zealand in 1976. Those who met him here remember a party animal with no big attitude. He loved a good time, and in his GP days bedded hundreds of beauties, claiming that sex before a race invigorated him. An article on the BBC website claims that his face was familiar at hospitals around the world, not because of racing accidents, but because he frequently popped in for injections to clear up the sexually
Those who met him here remember a party animal with no big attitude. He loved a good time, and in his GP days bedded hundreds of beauties, claiming that sex before a race invigorated him
64 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
transmitted diseases he picked up on his travels. Luckily Pauline was understanding; she joked that all these other women kept her lover in practice while he was away from home. Now why are there no similar stories about Mr Rossi, who’s more rich and famous that Hailwood ever was? Mike Hailwood’s greatest achievement came about in 1978, when, after eleven years out of motorcycle racing, he entered the Isle of Man TT on an F1 Ducati and won, following up with a win at Mallory Park the following weekend. The Ducati win brought him another World Championship – the F1 title. A year later he pitched up at the Island again and won the Senior TT by over two minutes on a Suzuki two stroke, giving him his 14th and final TT win. Two years later The Champ set off in his Rover with his children to pick up a fish and chips takeaway for dinner. His daughter died instantly when the fool in the lorry did a U-turn, while Mike lingered on for two more days. The truck driver later received a 100 pound fine.
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PRESTIGIOUS LEATHER UPHOLSTERY
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NUDGEBAR
THE INBRED MOTOR INDUSTRY
Bond Minicar.
A DIMINISHING GENE POOL
Carmakers are so easy! For the right money they’ll get into bed with just about anybody, and then fob their bastard offspring off under false pretences. But as Gavin Foster points out, this is nothing new.
T
he Dodge Caliber, lumbered with as American a moniker as you can think of, shares a platform with the Mitsubishi Lancer and the Jeep Patriot, and relies on a Volkswagen Golf diesel engine to get it wheezing down the road. The Citroen C1, the Peugeot 107, and the Toyota Aygo are virtually identical under the skin, and all roll out of the same European factory. The Daihatsu Sirion is sold as a Toyota Passo in some markets, and as the Subaru Justy in others. The Ford Focus, Mazda3, and Volvo S40 are all built on a common platform, and the Land Rover
This vigorous coupling on the wrong side of the sheets isn’t a new development though
66 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
Freelander uses a Volvo petrol engine built at a Ford factory in Wales. This vigorous coupling on the wrong side of the sheets isn’t a new development though. In the 1980s thousands of Germans bought VW Toro pickups, fondly imagining them to be recycled Messerschmitt fighter planes, while they were really nothing more than Toyota Hilux bakkies assembled under licence by VW. BMW’s first car, in the 1920s, was actually an Austin Seven built under licence. Toyota’s twin cam performance engines are built by Yamaha, who has quietly collaborated with the car maker for 40 years. But Yamaha isn’t faithful only to Toyota – they’re also in bed with Ford, who owns Volvo – wanna guess who builds
Harley-davidson slapped its badge on the Aermacchi 2-stroke GP racers.
In ’66 Norton Villiers was formed to build the new Norton Commando – the machine that was meant to fight off the Japanese onslaught.
the 4.4 litre V8 snuggled under the bonnet of the Volvo XC90? Bike manufacturers, although better than carmakers, have also had their fair share of bastardry. Think Triumph/ BSA, Matchless/AJS, and countless other component-sharing and badgeswapping exercises in the mid-20th century. Harley-Davidson, determined to score in Grand Prix racing, bought Italian manufacturer Aermacchi, slapped Harley-Davidson badges on their two-stroke twins and won themselves 28 250cc GPs and a pair of World Championships in ’75 and ’76. More recently, during the ‘90s, the BMW F650 Funduro was built entirely by Aprilia at their Noale factory, using Rotax engines, and the current Yamaha
660 singles all use the same Italian Minarelli engines as are fitted to the latest Aprilia 650 thumpers. And don’t forget the disastrous alliance between Suzuki and Kawasaki a few years ago, that saw each of them selling the other’s dirt bikes with their own badges adorning the tanks. The manufacturer who put it about the most in two-wheeled circles, though, must surely have been Villiers. The British company started off making Sunbeam bicycles in 1898, then opened a second plant in Villiers Street, Wolverhampton, to
Harley-Davidson, determined to score in Grand Prix racing, bought Italian manufacturer Aermacchi, slapped HarleyDavidson badges on their two-stroke twins
www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 67
BMW Dixie, the firm’s first car, in the 1920s, was actually an Austin Seven built under licence.
manufacture their own pedals in 1898 – their bought-in components were inferior. After establishing a network to supply pedals to other bicycle manufacturers, they went on to invent the freewheel hub, which most of us have had experience with. Villiers held the patent for bicycle freewheel hubs for decades, and by the end of WW11 they were selling four million a year. But there was more to come. In 1902, the company took on a young man, Frank Farrer, to design and build a cheap, lightweight engine for use in motorcycles. Farrer went for design simplicity, and came up with a little two-stroke single engine with just three moving parts – the crankshaft, the con rod and the piston. The factory ended up manufacturing two and a half million engines, ranging from singles to a flat twin two-stroke, most of which were fitted to British motorcycles. Brands that used Villiers engines in various models included AJS, Allegro, Ambassador, Chater-Lea, Cotton, Cyrus, DMW, Dot, Excelsior, FrancisBarnett, Greeves, Grindlay-Peerless, Invicta, James, Panther, Rex-Acme, Sanglas, Velocette, Wolf and Zenith. The company stopped production during both world wars to produce munitions for the British military,
but always returned to motorcycles, and developed the Villiers flywheel magneto that took the world by storm. In the 1960s Villiers was taken over by Manganese Bronze Bearings, who also bought Associated Motor Cycles (AMC), owners of Norton, Matchless and AJS. In ’66 Norton Villiers was formed to build the new Norton Commando – the machine that was meant to fight off the Japanese onslaught. As history has recorded, it didn’t, but there are loads of Villiers two-stroke engines still around, and people still race them extensively in
Frank Farrer, who went on to become managing director of the Villiers Engineering Company, eventually retired and moved to Westville near Durban, where he died in about 1976. And Villiers? In probably one of the weirdest turnabouts in history, Villiers PLC bought the healthcare company, Ultramind, and renamed itself Ultrasis. Today it offers computerised healthcare products for the treatment of stress, anxiety and healthcare problems. Funny, hey? I’ve always used motorcycles for that. History is repeating itself these days, not in England, but in China, where hundreds of motorcycle and scooter manufacturers source their engines from a few suppliers. Zongshen alone produces over two million engines a year – almost as many as Villiers did in 60 years – and most of these are sold to other motorcycle manufacturers. As the Chinese products get better – and you can be sure they will – the factories are likely to start becoming more ambitious and look at superbikes. Perhaps when that starts happening we’ll see the Japs, the Europeans and the Americans forming alliances to cut back on development costs. Anybody fancy a Suzuki with a rebadged R1 motor, or a Harley with an Italian engine?
Villiers engines of between 197 and 330cc were also used in a host of shoddy little cars and invalid carriages
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the UK. Google ‘Villiers engine’ or visit http://www.lortim.demon.co.uk/ for a look at the Villiers scene in that country. Villiers engines of between 197 and 330cc were also used in a host of shoddy little cars and invalid carriages, including the infamous three-wheeled Bond Minicar, the AC Petite, the Frisky, the Harper Runabout, the Scootacar, the Xtra Cyclecar, the Invacar, and the Argson Runnymede that was originally designed in South Africa. Interestingly, there’s another South African link here:
www.cpca.co.za | Feb/March 2013 | 1
OPPOSED PISTON ENGINES
AN
OLD IDEA THAT WON’T GO AWAY
T
By Jake Venter
he first successful petrol engines had only one cylinder, and until about 1900 most motorists preferred the simplicity of a single. Gottlieb Daimler produced a very successful narrow-angle V-twin in 1889, and this started a trend for twins in parallel- or V-form. The next
year Daimler and his technical partner, Wilhelm Maybach, developed a straightfour and this layout was soon adopted by most luxury car manufacturers. The first 5 years of the new century saw straightsixes and V-eights being introduced, but the first car to be timed at over 160km/h (100mph) was fitted with an opposedpiston engine. This happened in 1904
at the Ostende Automobile Week in Belgium when a 15-litre four-cylinder Gobron-Brillié averaged 166.66km/h (103.56mph) over a kilometre. The company produced opposed-pistonengined vehicles from 1900 until 1922 in two-stroke petrol-engined form but the idea was only really exploited in the 30s by German engineers.
OPERATION
IMPLEMENTATION Many companies have toyed with such engines, and we’ll take a look at some of the more successful designs.
Gobron-Brillié engine.
Opposed-piston engines are constructed in such a way that each cylinder is able to accommodate two pistons that create a combustion space between them. They work on the twostroke principle and on the first stroke they move away from each other and on the second stroke they move towards each other. There’s no space for valves with the result that they have to breathe via ports opened and closed by the pistons. In some engines each piston is attached to a crankshaft via a normal connecting rod. The two crankshafts are then geared together. Other designs couple one set of pistons to a conrod and crankshaft in the normal manner and the other set to a transverse beam coupled to the single crankshaft at the other end by means of two long side rods. (See a drawing of Gobron-Brillié engine.)
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Engines employing geared crankshafts: 1. During the 30s the German Junkers Company produced more than 900 such engines for use in aircraft under the name Jumo in various
Internal operation of Junkers Jumo engine.
Doxford Marine diesel built in sizes up to 22 500bhp.
sizes utilising a twin-crankshaft layout. They all had 12 pistons sharing six cylinders and utilised the two-stroke diesel cycle. The engines were narrow and tall and were mounted vertically. The intake port was located under the lower piston while the exhaust port was under the upper piston. Breathing was made more efficient by timing the lower crankshaft to run 11 degrees behind the upper crank so that the exhaust ports could open first. The intake air was compressed by a supercharger. 2. The British company Napier & Son produced a few such aero engines under licence just before WW2 as the Napier Culverin. After the war they cobbled three Culverins together in such a way that each crankshaft formed the apex of a triangle, and called it a Deltic. This meant that each leg of the triangle consisted
of a cylinder carrying two pistons. (The engine can also be described as three V-engines joined at the pistontops.) These engines were produced in 9-cylinder and 18-cylinder form and were used to power ships (especially minesweepers) as well as diesel-electric locomotives. The largest engine produced 1650bhp but occupied far less space than any other engine giving a similar output.
Napier Deltic layout.
There’s no space for valves with the result that they have to breathe via ports opened and closed by the pistons
Junkers Jumo diesel. www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 71
Fairbanks-Morse powered locomotive. The firm started manufacturing opposed-piston diesels in 1938 and continue today.
3. The American company FairbanksMorse has been producing gearedcrank opposed-piston diesels from 1938 until the present time, making it by far the most successful engine of this kind. These engines can be found in submarines, locomotives and surface craft as well as in stationary applications.
Fitting two pistons into one bore results in a very compact engine
Engines employing a transverse beam and side rods: 1. A cross-section of the Gobron-BrilliĂŠ engine is shown on the previous pages. A is the port openings, B is the transverse beam, C the side rods, D and E are pistons and G the conrods. 2. The British Doxford marine diesel, built in sizes up to 22 500bhp, was built along similar lines as the Gobron.
Other arrangements:
Rootes TS3 engine fitted to Commer trucks. 72 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
The Rootes Group produced a Commer truck in the 50s and 60s that was fitted with their TS3 engine. It was a three-cylinder (six piston) opposedpiston unit employing what’s known as a rocker drive. The drawing shows that this meant the pistons were connected to the single crank via giant rockers.
This design was noisier than conventional diesels and eventually fell out of favour. Production was stopped when Chrysler took over the Rootes Group.
ADVANTAGES The biggest mechanical advantage is the fact that there is no cylinder head, nor valves. This eliminates a great deal of mechanical problems. Fitting two pistons into one bore results in a very compact engine. This is especially true in the case of the Napier Deltic. The near-symmetric opposing piston movement also results in a very smooth engine. A few months ago Fairbanks-Morse teamed up with a new company, Achates Power Inc, to develop a modern range of opposedpiston engines so as to further exploit these advantages.
ANDRE ‘LAMMIES’ LAMBRECHTS
LIKEABLE
LAMMIES
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Mention the name ‘Andre Lambrechts’ in any motoring company and the most likely response will be something like “Who?”. But as Dave Hastie finds out, mention the name ‘Lammies’ and the immediate response is a smile, glitter in the eyes that precede a bakkie load of memories and happy horsepower stories. Simply put, Lammies is one of the most respected go-faster motoring engineers of the fit a Weber, Ducktail and Elvis era. His passion is motorsport and making classic cars go faster.
B
Stoner Fairmont GT with highly modded Ford V8.
orn in Botswana of Belgian parents in 1946, Andre claims to be from the ‘Hardest Working Generation’ and left home on a farm in 1963 and hitchhiked from Warmbaths to Pretoria to look for work. His father had desires of him becoming an academic but ended up calling him an ‘Oil Burner’ instead. Lammies smiles and says, “I can fit a spanner to a nut, but not a pen to paper.” His first port of call was Capital Motors where he became the first Formula Vee mechanic on the Capital Vee project. His day job involved servicing Porsche and VW products but he recalls spending long hours with Fanie Viljoen developing the Capital Vee. The Army interrupted his fun and on his Uitklaar he joined Chris van den Heever at TP Performance. Lammies breathed on the Alfa Giulia that saw
Chris break the 2-minute barrier at the original Kyalami. That car won the Index of Performance in the 1967 Rand Daily Mail 9 Hour. “When you are a youngster you are like a sponge for information. You absorb everything,” recalls Lammies. TP Performance became the local agents for Basil van Rooyen’s Superformance tuning shop. His BMC ventures included building ‘the fastest Mini for three years in Pretoria’. It was a challenge to the A&G (Armstrong and Gunning) Mini at Tarlton. He later transferred the running gear into a Marcos but found it too light to handle all the power going through the LSD, so that kit was sold to John Cooper for his famous racing Mini. Lammies joined Steyns Ford in Brooklyn, Pretoria in 1969 but became bored with servicing and changing brake pads and wanted
Escort full of Ford Performance bits.
Fastest Mini in Pretoria.
Neville Scott Escort Panel Van with BDG power.
to move into engineering. Lessan Engineering in Pretoria was his next stop and this opened new doors in the performance car tuning business. He did considerable work with Jan Hettema’s rally Toyota. Jan worked in the drawing office at the SA Railways and his privateer Toyota, assisted by Lammies, ensured a jump into the limelight as a top flight rally star. In 1970 JT Developments headhunted Lammies and he started a tenyear stint with them. He built race engines for numerous race and rally cars. He assisted with development work for Willie Meissner as well as Ewold van Bergen’s Nissan Z race and rally cars. “Nissan refused to have any outsider do work for them so Ewold used me on the quiet,” recalls Lammies. More development work was done with Geoff Mortimer on the Chevair rally cars.
Twin engine Ford V8 motor.
Lammies describes himself as an exwannabe motorsport competitor. “Ï tried to be a driver but after several crashes and blowups I dropped that thought.” Lammies has fond memories of Willie Meissner although their initial meeting was short and sharp. Lammies was the proud owner of a new Twin Cam Escort when he met Willie in the pits at Kyalami. Willie was looking after the Peter Gough Escort during a race there. He introduced himself and asked advice about valve timing on the twin motor. “Willie checked me skeef and probably wondered who this snotkop was, turned around and walked away.” That was when Lammies decided to lift himself and made up his mind to become a selftaught engineer of note. Willie later came to respect Lammies and today the original Meissner Dyno that was built by Willie and Stellenbosch students
100mph Club front runner.
It stripped the rear axle first time out.
stands proudly in Lammies’ workshop. Standing alongside the Meissner Dyno is the Superformance Cam Grinder that he inherited from Basil van Rooyen. During the 1970s Lammies became more and more involved in Cosworth. One of his motors was a BDA stretched from 1700cc to 1800cc, fitted a single side draught Weber and plonked into the Hettema/Vlok Escort that won Index of Performance in the 9 Hour. “I am a Ford man,” says Lammies. “The worst engines to work on are those Italian motors. The tolerances, their design and build are not good and they hide behind their expensive badges. They can’t see 100 000km because they simply break.” Jan Hettema remembers Lammies being an absolute perfectionist. “If I asked him to do any modifications that he didn’t like he simple refused to do the job. He turned a Ford Pinto www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 75
Marcos just kept wheel spinning.
Merc motor with Lammies magic.
engine from a hunk of steel into a high performance screamer that we fitted into my Escort that won me the Banco Nationale Rallye. The inlet ports on that Pinto engine were so big you could fit your fist into them.” He also built a 3-litre Capri engine fitted with Cosworth conrods, crankparts and pistons. Jan built the car in a corner of John Cooper’s garage in Church Street and the car went on to win Second in Class to a mighty Mustang. Gordon Briggs was his co-driver and Lammies did the engineering in the pits. When Ford imported the Hannu Mikola Escort for the Total Rally in the 1970s Lammies got stuck in and made a winning rally car out of it. As a Ford Man Lammies prides himself in owning a Lotus Escort and a Lotus Cortina, while his current daily transport is an Escort RS that is kitted with genuine Ford Performance gofaster parts to the motor, drivetrain, suspension and brakes. A real wolf in sheep’s clothing. Life at JT came to an end when JT refocused their business from performance car engines to building 76 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
r blew up.
V8 drag bike cut in half when one moto
the V6 Combi conversion. “I freaked, told them I only wanted to build and engineer racing engines, so in 1981 I bought all the machining equipment and left. I hired the building next door and opened my own business called Lamco Developments.” This firm employed 15 workers and eight years ago they moved from town to his house in Brooklyn where they continue to operate with reduced staff under the name Lamco. One of his memorable Ford moments was building a twin engine Ford V8 motor cycle from a 351 Mustang Boss for drags at Tarlton. “The bike first broke the rear axle and then blew one of the motors. It was difficult to synchronise the motors and the owner removed one of the motors and cut the frame into pieces. The remaining V8 was fitted to a Fairmont GT and exported to Australia.” Lammies smiles as he recalls his younger days living in Waterkloof. He was a neighbour of Sarel van der Merwe and recalls how he and daardie stoutgatmannetjie borrowed Sarel’s parents’ Studebaker Lark and
terrorised the streets of Pretoria. “I don’t have to read his book, because I could have written it myself and there are stories that nobody needs to know about,” he smiles. He has fond memories of building the BIC pen-sponsored BMW of Alain Lavoipierre that won Index at the 9 Hour. During the event the gearbox seized and had to be replaced. “We removed it by hand and it was so hot that it melted the tar in the pits.” Another of his memorable cars was the Escort panel van fitted with a Cosworth BDG that Neville Scott raced with much success at Zwartkops. “That car brought a lot of pleasure to the Zwartkops spectators as it punched way above its weight in beating far more fancied opponents.” He has numerous photos of wild parties with Bobby and Neville Scott that are best not published in this magazine. Lammies thinks long and hard about a question of how he would like to be remembered, before saying a calculated ‘Dedicated Engine Builder’. ‘Build it right the first time, boet’, is Lammies’ motto.
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MINIS CIRCLE SA
ONE LAP
WONDER Minis are renowned for quick lap times around South African race tracks so a lap of 4 weeks sounds a bit ludicrous…unless the track is the borders of South Africa. Ryno Verster tells the tale from the driver’s seat.
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S
ince their South African launch in December 1959 Minis have been associated with travelling adventures. South African racing driver Harry Peirce, who took a Morris MiniMinor [850cc] out of the Johannesburg Connock dealership’s showroom in 1960, left at 02h00 and arrived in Durban at 09h02 for breakfast with Sir Stirling Moss. That was 409 minutes to cover 410 miles [660 kilometres] averaging 60mph [96.5km/h]. Quite an achievement considering that there were no freeways and the condition of the narrow road must have presented challenges at night. Shortly afterwards pioneer Paddy O’Keeffe of Durban successfully completed a 3 160 mile [5 085 kilometre] trip with his wife and 5-month-old daughter Patricia in another Morris Mini-Minor [850cc]. What made this 3-week adventure noteworthy was that the Mini towed a Sprite 400 caravan [first one built at their factory in Pinetown]. They started on 12 October 1960, followed the route from Durban
via Umtata and the Garden Route down to Cape Town. The trip north was through the Karoo via Kimberley and Bloemfontein, to Johannesburg and then back to Durban. The report on this epic adventure ‘around the Union of South Africa’ concluded: ‘No mechanical trouble of any description was encountered during the trip either to the car or van.’ Fifty-three years later, in 2013, two classic Minis were sent off at the Mini Owners Club of Southern Africa stand at the Cars-in-the-Park event at the Zwartkops raceway. It was described on the website as ‘two couples from Pretoria with a more-than-what-isgood-for-you affinity for classic Minis’ and as ‘three pensioners and an adult with difficulty acting their ages’. The cars were two [and later three] classic Minis: the one a 45-years-old Mini Wolseley and the other a Mini station wagon that was built as the ideal touring Mini. A third 1982 Mini had to be called to duty later. The station wagon featured some body and mechanical ingenuity and
had only just been completed for the tour commencement. One trick included a local fuel injection system, but while the mechanical side of this went smoothly, the time available for mapping the system turned out to be problematic. Body mods included matching the nose cone of a round-nose Mini with internal door hinges to the station wagon body and a self-designed and fabricated fibreglass rear door opening upwards for optimal access to loading space and unobstructed rear view. Unfortunately, the Mini station wagon retired from the adventure in a cloud of smoke with cylinder head gasket blown, the smoke being created by the anti-freeze. This happened on Day 6 after 2 136 kilometres. The Wolseley had cut its teeth over many years of long-distance outings and only minor changes were deemed necessary for this trip. During the initial rebuild the engine was replaced by a fully overhauled 1275cc unit, front disc brakes and booster were fitted, as was adjustable front suspension and electronic ignition. In preparation the
head was changed to use unleaded fuel, with a sump guard and new shock absorbers fitted. The replacement 1982 Clubman 1275E convertible, known as a Princess Di Mini, covered the remaining 6 000 kilometres with distinction. The company Carvallette started building these convertible Minis in mid-1982 in South Africa using new 1275E Clubmans. With Mini SA production stopping in October 1983, not many of these Clubman convertibles were built. But, back to the epic trip around South Africa. The route around the country was done in a clockwise direction, staying where practical and as close as tarred roads would take us along the borders with neighbouring states Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, Namibia and the entire South African coastline. After leaving Zwartkops the road followed was north towards Botswana through towns like Brits, Thabazimbi, Lephalale, Alldays to Mussina. Along the way we were shocked by www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 79
the condition of the road between Grobler’s Bridge and Alldays. The only solution was to use the shoulder of the road to get around the potholes. This carried on for 120 kilometres. From Mussina we travelled the 18 kilometres to Beit Bridge border post with Zimbabwe. From there it was east along the Zimbabwean border, entering the Kruger National Park’s most northern point at the Pafuri Gate then south along the Mozambique border through the Park crossing the Tropic of Capricorn near the Mopani camp in the process. Leaving the Park at the Crocodile Bridge Gate and a visit to Komatipoort, the journey shifted away from the Mozambique border to get around Swaziland. And then came the dreaded Day 6 when it was time to say good-bye to the Mini station wagon. A long day saw crews heading from Barberton around Swaziland to Pongola and ending the day in Kosi Bay. Traffic was heavy but progress good until Jozini Dam when the station wagon’s misfortunes hit us. The replacement Mini arrived by trailer from Pretoria shortly after 20h00. Road conditions in the dark were not good and a very long, disappointment-filled day ended after 16 hours in the saddle in the small town of Kwa-Ngwanase near 80 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
the Kosi Bay Nature Reserve having done 542 kilometres for the day. This brought us to the most northern point of the South African east coast. In the first week the travellers had covered 2 526 kilometres. The leg along the KwaZulu-Natal’s north and south coasts was done in one day before swinging inland to Kokstad on the national road. Wheel balancing on the convertible was done there and since we had access to a hoist, the noisy left front wheel bearing was also replaced. Mini friends in East London had advised us to avoid travelling through the Transkei so we went around it from Kokstad to Cedarville, Matatiele, Mount Fletcher ending the day at Maclear. Skirting the Transkei meant passing through the small towns in the Eastern Cape like Ugie, Elliot, Dordrect to the much larger Queenstown and then swinging back to pick up the coastline again at East London where Vince and Gloria Cook escorted us in their 1071 Cooper ‘S’ for the last 60 kilometres. From East London we took the picturesque R72 following the coastline to Port Alfred, joining up again with the N2 national road to overnight in Jeffreys Bay and then continued over the next few days working our way down south on the Garden Route. At
the historic town of Swellendam we left the N2 heading for Bredasdorp. We took a quick detour to the seaside village of Arniston [Waenhuiskrans] renowned for its distinctive quaint white houses. The weather finally changed for the better and we ended an almost perfect cloudless day in the ‘Southernmost town in Africa’ Cape Agulhas, so far covering 4 902km in 16 days. Leaving Cape Agulhas the next stop was Bredasdorp and then the town of Napier. Along the way the endless yellow canola fields were pure eyecandy and the acrobatic activities of a crop-spraying airplane spraying pesticide made it hard to keep an eye on the road. The scenic coastal town of Hermanus came next. The day ended in Noordhoek near Hout Bay. The weather turned ugly and a visit to Cape Point, the southernmost point of the Cape Peninsula was done in very cold, windy, unpleasant conditions. Chapman’s Peak and an enjoyable morning in the Hout Bay harbour were highlights of the day. We met with the Cape Town Mini fraternity at the Starlight Diner [very American and sixties] in Bellville where about 12 Minis turned up. This was before we tackled the West Coast in earnest. Our sights were set on reaching Paternoster on the first day of our
trek north along the South African west coast. A visit to the small town of Wolseley was imperative to capitalise on photo opportunities. This took us over the historic and very narrow Bainskloof Pass. In Riebeeck West we also stumbled upon a Mini collector [Ed Ketel] owner of the Grumpy Grouse Ale House. Apart from the Mini [and a Moke that he recently sold], Ed has a collection of restored Jaguars. Next destination was Lamberts Bay. Detours took us to lesser explored destinations like St Helena Bay, Brittania Bay, Stompneus Bay, Velddrif along the coastline and through Elands Bay. From Lamberts Bay there are not many opportunities to stay/come close to the coastline as most of the roads are gravel. So we hit the road very early to Clanwilliam and worked our way up north on the N7 national road as far as Springbok and Steinkloof, and then swung back to the coastline at Port Nolloth. This was long stint of 554 kilometres, and we only arrived at our destination by late afternoon. We took a day-trip in heavy rain to Alexander Bay and the border post on the banks of the mighty Orange River forming the border with Namibia. The following day the journey home started, along the Namibian and Botswana borders. We’d often
experienced cold weather but this day claimed the title of the coldest hands down. We pulled over to cover the grilles with duct tape and soon found ourselves in drizzle and snowflakes. The petrol attendant told us that the last time that there had been snow in Springbok was 13 years ago. The distances between towns on the N14 national road are long in this arid landscape. The first day on the long inland trek ended at the ‘Place of Great Noise’ or Augrabies Falls. Then it was another long stint in the saddle [522 kilometres] ending in Vryburg. The last section saw the mighty Minis, on a beautiful, cloudless, almost windless Sunday, completing the last 393 kilometres in leisurely fashion through small towns like Delareyville, Sannieshof, Biesiesvlei, Coligny, Ventersdorp, and trying to stretch this last day out as much as possible. We stopped at the last Petroport near our respective homes to celebrate the successful completion of this wonderful Mini adventure. We did it in true sixties-style with a doublethick milk shake. 4 weeks and 8 164 kilometres done and dusted. Fuel consumption averaged 13.9km/litre or 7.2 litre/100 km drinking 588 litres per car at a cost of R7 936. www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 81
BRIAN COOK
One of the best all-rounders in the history of South African motorsport is Brian Cook (62). Wearing the title of ‘Mr V8’ in South Africa sits well on his shoulders. Roger McCleery manages to get him to slow down enough for a quick chat.
B
rian started his racing career in 1971 in the Modified Saloon Car category. During 20 years of racing in various cars and classes of this formula he achieved many successes. In 1978 he won the Wynn’s 1000 International Endurance Race (1st Overall) driving a Datsun 140Z, which gave Nissan their first major success in South African circuit racing. A natural organiser, he was elected the Chairman of the South African Modified Saloon Car Association in 1978, which led to the introduction of WesBank into Modified Saloon Car races. He has been the Chairman of the highly successful WesBank V8 Series since 1996, which remain the fastest saloon cars ever raced in this country. The deal with WesBank, which lasted 27 years, was signed by top WesBankers Jock Scott, Denis O’Brien and Colin
In 1978 he won the Wynn’s 1000 International Endurance Race (1st Overall) driving a Datsun 140Z, which gave Nissan their first major success in South African circuit racing
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Gregor. Things started to fly when WesBank PR man, Peter Moloney, came aboard and showed how to make motorsport sponsorship work for all concerned. Selwyn Nathan and Dave McGregor made it all come alive at Kyalami as well. Brian was MD of Pro-Racing, a company formed to represent the interests of the national categories involved in the Vodacom Power Tour. He has been involved in the preparation and administration of technical regulations and the writer of readable and easily understood rules for many classes of racing cars including Modified Saloon cars, WesBank V8 Supercars and Historic Saloons and Sports cars. Nowadays he operates as MD of Raceparts Distribution cc, importing and distributing racing parts for the South African motorsport industry. He and Peter Frost are partners in preparing racing Chev and Ford V8 engines under the Racing High-Tech Services label. For his contribution to motorsport he was recognised with
Understanding how to look after sponsorship with the Rudicks backed Modified Escort.
two awards: The 1997 Goodyear Top Performer and then the Motorsport South Africa Outstanding Contributor to Motorsport in 2001. A product of Rosebank Primary and Hyde Park High Schools in Johannesburg, Brian was heavily into junior cricket, (as was his younger brother, Jimmy, who played cricket for the Springboks for many years), soccer and tennis. Brian’s best subject at school was Industrial Art, so he was destined to be part of some kind of engineering in the future. Then he became interested in motorcycles. He raced a 50cc Italian Garelli and owned a Honda C110 before he invested in a brilliant 100cc Yamaha Twin. His first car was a Hillman Minx 1500 which of course he modified with a Sunbeam Alpine 1.7 motor. Now hooked good and proper, a Ford Cortina MK 1 GT was next, which he raced in the Modified Saloon car category at Kyalami for the first time when he was 20. Brian and Andrew Thompson obtained sponsorship from Grosvenor Motors for Brian’s Cortina
and Andrew’s Formula Ford. They were known as Big G Racing Team. What followed were MK1 Ford Escorts, the Datsun 140Z, a Mazda Capella Rotary and the ex-Judy Charlton Datsun Laurel which used to fly, a Ford RS2000 and a Golf GTi, which he kept for a long time. In 1996 Brian drove a Morgenrood Mazda Rotary which was fitted with a V8 for Class B WesBank V8 Racing. His partners in many successful long distance races were like a Who’s Who: Andrew Thompson, Basil van Rooyen, Phil Adams, cowinner of the Wynn’s, Hennie van der Linde and Robby Smith. Dave Trevett, the Datsun team manager, provided a Works Datsun 140Z to be shared with Basil van Rooyen (now retired in Australia) to race in the Wynn’s 1000 in 1977. This was the car that won the 1978 Wynn’s 1000 overall, driven by
He raced a 50cc Italian Garelli and owned a Honda C110 before he invested in a brilliant 100cc Yamaha Twin. His first car was a Hillman Minx 1500 which of course he modified with a Sunbeam Alpine 1.7 motor
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Star Modified Cortina GT.
WesBank Modified Golf.
Overall Wynn’s 1000 winning Datsun 140Z.
Brian and Phil Adams. The most recent car he built and raced in the current Historic Legends of the 9 Hour category was a 1965 Mustang. In the ‘80s and early ‘90s there were up to five classes of modified racing cars, topped by a world class field of Audi Turbos, BMW Straight Sixes, Ford V8 (remember the ‘Animal’?), Chev V8s and a 4-Rotor Mazda. Sounds alone of these engines and exhaust notes were something else and exciting. This was the leading form of racing, bar none, in the country. Later came the touring cars in the mid’90s and the change of thinking for Brian Cook and his team; it was decided to go the V8 route. He and Peter Moloney of WesBank stuck their necks out one Christmas holiday and helped the Association with the purchase of ten V8 engines – 5 Ford and 5 Chevs for a cool R350 000. This decision almost ruined Moloney’s Christmas. The Class A cars were tube-framed, designed by
He has been involved in the preparation and administration of technical regulations and the writer of readable and easily understood rules for many classes of racing cars including Modified Saloon cars, WesBank V8 Supercars and Historic Saloons and Sports cars
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Pre66 Legends Mustang.
Owen Ashley, with Class B’s using a standard Unibody. Later these 700HP V8 hand grenades were downgraded to 600HP six-litre motors with built-in reliability. At just about that time Brian, on a trip to his own ‘Mecca’, Charlotte Motor Speedway (the home of NASCAR in North Carolina in the States), discovered 27 Shelby Can-Am cars (75 had been made) with Dodge 3.0-litre V6 engines that were available. Brian initiated the deal, as Vodacom and their legal man, Neville Jordan, needed the Sports 2000 cars for the Isondo Development Program. The Shelby Can-Am cars were made available to the owners of the Sports 2000 cars which initiated the VSP category of sportscar racing in 1998. It has been going since then and has gone full circle as these cars now race in the SA Sports and V8GT Championship with the former WesBank V8 Supercars. Married to Judy, his real strength, with a daughter, Emma, on her way to University, Brian has given his life to South African motorsport. He is not finished yet! As a hands-on man, many say he could do himself, MSA and us a big favour by getting involved in the day-to-day activities of the motorsport controlling body.
Premium Pre-owned 501 Lower main road, observatory teL: 021 448 7877
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1997 Lamborghini diadlo sv one of only 3 in sa. new tyres, major service done, in excellent Condition with only 16500km.
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5 PaarlshooP road langlaagte • tel 011 830 0359 email: info@wheelnutz.com • www.wheelnutz.com www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 87
historic motor racing photos www.motoprint.co.za your unique source of original digital images and prints of motor racing in South Africa from 1960s to 1990s images from professional photographers’ collections added weekly davidp@wol.co.za
076 780 6425
SA MECHANICAL SEAL IMPORTERS cc importerers and distributors of mechanical seals, packing and related products. The company supplies a wide range of equivalent and replacement seals for all major seal manufacturers. CONTACT DETAILS Phone: 087 3514882 Mobile: 082 5627974 Fax: 0866 342631 Email: sales@mechanical-seal-sa.com Website: www.mechanical-seal-sa.com
Tel: 011 440 7082 Cell: 082 416 9584 E-mail: brian@noik.co.za Website: www.oldcars.co.za – Independent broker of Vintage,Veteran & Classic cars –
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Letters FMM THINK BIKE Hi Stuart I would like to respond to Henry Kinnear’s letter in last month’s C&PCA regarding the L’Ormarins Estate’s ‘no motorcycles’ rule, which affects entry to the Franschhoek Motor Museum. First, a few facts about the closing of the old Heidelberg Museum and the relocation of the vehicle collection to L’Ormarins Estate. When it was made known that Heidelberg was to close and that a new patron was needed, supporters of the facility were very vocal but no one came up with any sustainable solution. At that time – 2003 – the Rupert family name was no longer connected with Heidelberg because British American Tobacco had bought the collection in 1999. However, when Johann Rupert heard about the dilemma, he did not hesitate to step in and save the situation by buying back the entire collection from BAT –cars, motorcycles, bicycles and other memorabilia. Everything was saved and relocated to his private wine estate, L’Ormarins. In the collection there were a number of fine motorcycles and, in fact, more machines have been added. And it should not be forgotten that for many years Johann Rupert headed up a company that gave its support to Rothmans Honda, so yes, FMM is very aware of the number of vintage and classic motorcycle enthusiast owners out there – and, in fact, I am one of them. FMM has many friends who are classic bikers, and those who have chosen to visit L’Ormarins and left their machines at the gate – under the everwatchful care of the Estate’s security personnel – have always been shuttled to and from the Museum. We have even shuttled bikers from Franschhoek on special request. However, given the nature of the Estate and its contents, it is company policy that motorcycles are not allowed onto L’Ormarins where the motor museum is situated, the rationale being that the Drakenstein Stud is also 90 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
situated on the premises and that the horses are extremely sensitive to noise. FMM is obliged to respect this ruling. We are always interested in everyone’s view and appreciate feedback be it good or bad, and we thank Henry Kinnear for his letter. Wayne Harley Curator FMM
REN-OH ANSWERS Dear Stuart, Further to the letter titled WHO’S THIS REN-OH in a past issue of Classic & Performance Car Africa I have the programme of the 1968 Rand Autumn motor races and I think the cars in the front row in the saloon car race are: No 151 P e t e r G o u g h M e i s s n e r – Cortina No 176 Fred Cowell – Mustang No 152 Basil van Rooyen – Alfa GTA In the Onyx Race I would say the cars are: No 210 Dirk Marais – Sunbeam Alpine No 201 Spencer Schultz – Renault Gordini No 202 Peter Markham – Alfa Sprint GT Congrats on the best issue yet. Regards Ken Stewart
BITTER MEMORIES Hi Stuart Interesting article on the Opel Bitter a few
months ago which someone forwarded to me. A friend of mine, Dave Johnston, used to own this car in the 1990s and we used it for a stunt for a video we made about the effect of emotions on driving ability. See http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=Atrt3jdk3pA. You can see that the car was originally light metallic blue. We went out to Hartebeespoort Dam in it one day and simultaneously had carb and distributor problems...fortunately both of us know our way round an engine and Dave fixed the carb while I sorted out the distributor! In another bit of trivia, the aircon compressor was apparently the same unit as fitted to the Gulfstream aircraft! Obviously what was good for a midsize passenger aircraft was fine for a 4-seater sedan in the 1970s. Cheers Rob Handfield-Jones Hi Rob The Bitter is definitely an interesting bit of kit. The first time I saw this car was in Johannesburg, sporting a light metallic blue paint job. It could well have been on the way to your video shoot as it was heading north out of town. Interesting fact on the aircon compressor, perhaps worth looking into odd industrial/aero parts finding their way into vehicles – I know my Sinclair C5 electric motor comes from Hoover and steered torpedoes and not vacuum cleaners. All the best Stuart
ON SAFARI Hi Stuart I was very interested to read in the latest edition of your excellent and
very readable magazine that you are going to do a series on the East African Safari. An excellent local starting point will be photographer Roger Swan. He is a mine of information on this event – and a great source of photos – having attended it 14 times, sometimes involving clandestine routings to get to Kenya in the days of sanctions. You could then follow up with an interview with Richard Leeke, who was Clerk of Course of the recent 2013 classic Safari Rally, which attracts many of the former big names and cars. Best regards Roger Houghton
As you will know all the abovementioned cars are unique to South Africa. I’ve also got articles on the Cortina Mk III and Basil Green’s Fords. I trust some of the contents of this letter can be of interest to you. Regards Andreas Müller
GP DATES Hi Stuart I assume the caption on the top right of page 79 of the December/January 2013/14 issue that says ‘1967 SA Grand Prix’ is a typo? Regards Andre Herbst
Thanks for the direction Roger. I am working on getting Safari info stockpiled, so will contact Roger for some details. Regards Stuart
Hi Andre Looks like a slip of the finger on keyboard. It is definitely not 1967. Well spotted. Actually should read 1976 and a keen eye will spot Louis Luyt on the stage. Regards Stuart
SA SPECIALS Sir In the Dec/Jan 2013/14 issue of C&PCA I noticed that you intend to run a series of articles on cars unique to South Africa. Although a very serious Ford fan, an article on a Chev Firenza V8 rally car driven by Jan Hettema immediately sprang to mind. After some searching through my archives I found the article in an Auto newspaper of 12 October 1973. Unfortunately the photos are in black and white but the article gives a fairly comprehensive description of the car. If you are interested, please drop me a line (e-mail) and I will forward the article to you. In the meantime I am enclosing a photo of a part of the article, as well as some other photos of a Cortina V6 Mk III, Cortina V6 Mk II Perana, Escort RST Rally car and Basil Green’s Fords.
Serge at the time blamed Nico Bianco for the accident, in my opinion the Sierra left front suspension collapsed. I have another photo where the suspension can be seen flying off, but unfortunately I can’t find it. Best regards and a prosperous New Year Toy de Carvalho
LOVELY IN DRAG
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER Hi The piece referring to the accident where Serge destroyed one of ‘The Animals’, (January 2014) at Kyalami, reminded me that I had been at the right place, at the right time, with the right camera and had some photos of it. I spent some time this morning looking for them and here are some, of what had been to that moment an epic dice. Although
Hi Stuart With reference to Robert Coucher’s article commencing on page 4 of the Dec/Jan magazine, I agree that it is one of the most beautiful shapes ever designed, as both Etore Bugatti and Enzo Ferrari concur, and Malcolm Sayer’s version is a further improvement to the original William Lyons work of art. I would like to confirm that my Jaguar friends and I would very much like to see a road test on the ‘Low Drag’ (Eagle) E-Type, hopefully with a large pull-out centrefold? Kind regards Tony Kings
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www.cpca.co.za | February/March 2014 | 91
Letters CHEV V8 ALTERNATIVE Dear Editor Having read of the ‘LITTLE BIG CHEV’ story of Mike Grant in the October 2012 issue, the scarcity of the famous TRANS AM Z28 302cubic inches capacity engine with 4 bolt mains raises its head. To overcome this problem one can adapt a good 327c.i. block with a forged steel crank of matching big end bearing size from a latest possible 283c.i. Chev V8. This gives you a capacity of just under 302 cubic inches. Although not a match of numbers for originality, this helps with the close-to-correct authenticity for racing instead of using the popular 350c.i. V8 which is not a ‘revver’ like the Z28 originally fitted to this SA great Chev, the Can Am. Regards Mike O’Brien
a rear-wheel-drive Alfasud. You can see from the photograph that we were drifting through a ‘road to left, turn left’ corner. The gearbox was fitted with a limited slip differential, and to start with, was very heavy on the constant velocity (C V) joints. They would snap off at ‘pull off’ if Carlo was too heavy with the right foot, until modified to accept Volkswagen C V joints. No more problems. The photograph was taken during the 1983 Castrol Rally. The Castrol Rally of those days started in Pretoria on a Friday and ended in Swaziland on Sunday after some 30-odd special stages, totalling close to 800kms and with the total distance of the event being very close to 1 500kms . Bit different from today’s events. Regards Ivor Wiid
BURNING ISSUES
SUPER SUD Dear Stuart It is with interest that I have read all the articles about Alfasuds in your more than excellent magazine lately. I attach a photograph of an Alfasud that was entered in the National Rally Championships over the period, roughly speaking 1982 to 1985. The owner builder was Carlo Andreatta of Pretoria. He manufactured the chassis to suit the Alfasud body which was made of fibreglass. The engine, an Alfa Romeo 2-litre unit, was highly tuned for rally purposes. The petrol tank and spare wheel were in the front and the engine at the rear, just behind the seats of the driver and navigator, therefore we had 92 | February/March 2014 | www.cpca.co.za
Hi Stuart. So glad to see the transition in ownership has gone off like a greased eel in a barrel of snot; would have been very tragic for us fossilised petrol heads if it had bombed. I have one very serious complaint against your magazine; it’s at least 200 pages short of reading stuff, so the sooner you pull finger and let the thing swell to readable proportions, the better. I’m a 70 year old, bedridden ex mechanic/petrol head waiting for a hip replacement op. My nephew brought me the Dec/Jan copy yesterday and I’ve read the damn thing from cover to cover; including the ads, by 09-00hrs the following day. See what I mean? I seriously regret not having “discovered” the mag much sooner than I actually did; I know I’ve missed out on some glorious reading stuff. I cannot for the life of me – what’s left of it – see what people see in modern “cars”. They simply have no character; having collectively morphed into nearidentical shapes and sizes. They even
sound the same; as if everything was designed by a committee. I understand and accept the need for progress to make the cars more efficient and reliable; but understanding a concept does not mean you have to like it. Who in his right mind cannot fall head-over-heels in love with a ‘57 Chevvy or a Fairlane 500? These are but two of the masterpieces, from Alfas to Volvos, that graced our roads when I was in my teens. My step-dad had a ‘56 Chevvy with a boot big enough to sleep in and an engine bay you could have a braai in while someone changed the plugs and fitted new points, etc. Prior to this, he had a ‘48 Plymouth that I ended up hating with a passion; I had to polish the damn thing every fortnight with “Simonize” a car polish that was more like treacle on a winter morning, once applied. All the work had to be done in the shade, ‘else you ended up with streaks that looked as if the paint was peeling off. Never mind the “fact” that they may not have been as “reliable.” At least, you needn’t be a rocket scientist to fix your car. So, considering all of the above, where/how do I get hold of back copies; starting from, say 4/5 years back. Equally important, I guess; how much, acquiring these,will it cost me? Being on a govt pension tends to limit my financial clout. Looking forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully. Leon du Toit Hi Leon Thank you for the compliment and the support. 200 pages? How hard do you want me to work? We would love to increase the size and frequency of the magazine but for now working on getting quality and not quantity. For back issues I am the person to speak to. I will pull out a set of what I have (unfortunately some issues are totally sold out) and come back to you as soon as possible. Stuart
1979 Mercedes-Benz W107 450SL Automatic. 112 000km. Beautiful convertible ready for summer. Bullet-proof V8, aircon, electric windows. A few to choose from. R139 900
1992 Mercedes-Benz W124 300TE Automatic. 167 000km. Very well looked after car with relatively low mileage. Ideal tow car. R79 500
1970 Mercedes-Benz W108 280SE Manual. makes an occasion out of every journey. Solidly built. Three to choose from. R69 900
1990 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC Automatic. 224 000km. Immaculate condition. 5.6-litre V8 with all the bells and whistles. Two to choose from. R69 900
CARCOL EXECUTIVE AUTO
Mercedes-Benz Sales & Service Specialists We also stock used spares for classic Mercedes-Benz Contact Colin on 082 895 6186 011 646 0177/8152 - 011 646 0177/8152 Info@carcol.co.za, www.carcol.co.za 120 Green Way Greenside, Johannesburg
AllAn Y Brink Automotive Engineering
695 Seccull Avenue Mayville, PreToria 0084 Contact Kevin or Greg 012 335 0886 • greg@allanybrink.co.za
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Gearbox
2 x Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphires. One with an automatic gearbox, the other with the famous pre-selector. Another chassis plus a reconditioned, ready-to-run engine and gearbox on a brake along with many other spares. Like to sell the cars as a unit or set to an enthusiast for about R150 000. Phone 011 818 3150.
1957 MGA 1500. Recent paint, new imported 60-spoke wheels, Motolita steering wheel. Drives very well, interior needs tidying. R190 000. Call 082 451 3899.
1958 Austin A 105 Westminster. Very original and reliable. R 55 000. Contact: Eric 083 700171 or Alan on 083 3252938. MG spares for classic TC,TD and TF models. Mostly second hand parts but there are a few new items. Body and engine parts as well as cosmetic bits. Almost fills a double garage. Trevor 011 743 1984 or 083 466 9875
1957 Land Rover Series 2. Short wheel base. V6 Ford engine with auto box. 4x4 and low range still work with separate levers from the transfer box. R75 000 call Hennie at 082 745 5375.
Ferrari F355 Challenge. Competition steering wheel, Challenge rear grille, solid suspension bushings and competition springs. Extensive service history, just had major service including cambelts. Sony CD player and Alpine Amplifier. Full Ferrari tool kit, both keys, black leather interior, manual gearbox. Very Collectable, Only 17 right-hand drive versions ever produced worldwide : R1.45 million. Tel (021) 9791391 or 0836030415.
1977 Mercedes Benz 280E. Race car. Resprayed recently and in very good/ strong running condition. Currently a class ‘G’ car. Reasonable offers considered. Contact Louis on 079 492 5389 1998 Jaguar XK8 Coupe. Dark blue with cream interior. Immaculate condition with low mileage 67 000 miles. R225 000. Contact Bill 082 576 9023.
1983 MGB GT. Totally original, including period cloth upholstery & carpets, one owner from new with purchase inv, all records etc. R69 900. Phone 082 451 3899. 1933 Chev Roadster. L i k e n e w. Restoration completed December 2013. Requires Soft top and side screens to be covered. Contact: Eric 083 700171 or Alan on 083 3252938
3 sets of alloy rims. All used on our Datsun 240s. Please contact Phillip on 082 683 2028 or Sophos 082 606 0396.
BOOKS FOR SALE
Model Car Collection. 2000+ High quality 1/43rd scale diecasts incl. handbuilts (500+). Over 150 makes like Jaguar (200+), Aston Martin (100+), Porsche (100+), Alfa Romeo, Rolls Royce, Bentley, British, Italian, German, American, Japanese, Dinky, Corgi etc. Many concept cars, prototypes and obsolete models. Set of Le Mans winners etc. 35-year collection. Will appeal to any car enthusiast/collector. Contact John on (011) 485 5766 or john.rabe@vodamail.co.za.
Railton Light Sports Tourer. 1938. One of three of the series built, 4.2lt straight eight as smooth as silk weight 1400kg claimed 128bhp 0-60mph 9 sec top speed 112mph SCC 102mph badge Ex Harry Shutler. For more info contact Derek 082 451 3899 or derek@cpca.co.za.
Workshop Manuals. MG Midget TD, TF + MG Cars Practical guide from 1946. Holden HQ_HJ 6 cyl. Volvo 440, 460, 480. VW Golf, Jetta, Scirocco – 1457, 1471, 1588, 1781. Citroen ID 19. BMC 1800. Rover 3500. Austin A90 Six Westminster. Austin A55 & A60. Renault R8 & R10. Ford Sierra 1983 - 1989. Ford Mustang & Mercury ‘79 - ‘93. Jaguar Cars – Maintenance & repair series 1946 - 1960. ADE 616 & 617 Diesels. Merc.B 123 series 200D-300D. How to rebuild your small block FORD by Tom Monroe. Maintenance inst. for Lucas Electrical Equip. Rover 2000 ‘63 - 72. Jag/Daimler XJ6, XJ ‘68 - 84. Renault 8, 10, 1100, 62 - 72. Mazda GLC 77 - 80. Austin 1800, Morris etc 64 - 74. FIAT 124 66 - 74. Tuning & Main. of MG’s 1929 - 1954. Chiltons Repair & Tuneup Guide – Ford Fairlane/ Torina 62-75. Classic Cars – Guide to Engine Restoration. Classic Cars – Guide to body restoration. Handbooks. Jag. XJ6 Series 11 BMC 1800 Mk 11 Ford Laser. Rover 3500. Volvo 440. Jag.3.4l. General: British Sports Cars since the War. Martyn Watkins. Aston Martin. Dudley Coram.
A Miracle on 4 Wheels. Reinhart Sieffert. British Sports Cars. Gregor Grant. Morris, Austin 1800, Wolseley 18/85. Cars of the Thirties & Forties. Michael Sedgewick. Track Tests – Sports Cars Michael Bowler. Post War Sports Cars. Eric Dymock. The Great Cars. Ralph Stein. Great Classic Cars. Alan Austin/ Chris Harvey. The Century of the Car. 1885-1985.Andrew Whyte. Great Marques of Germany. Jonathan Wood. Veteran & Vintage Cars. David Burgess Wise. Racing & Sports Cars. GN Georgana. Cars of the World [ x4 ] JD Scheel. The Car. How it works How its made. The Age of the Automobile. George Bishop. Racing Cars. Brad King. The Classic Mercedes Benz. Phil Dracket. Ginetta – Super Profile, John Rose. Sports Cars in Profile. High Performance Driving. Tom Wisdom. Car & Driver – Road Tests 1968 - 1975. Collectors Cars. Juliean McNamara. Maserati Sports, Racing & GT Cars from 1926. Second Edition. Richard Crump/Rob de la Rue Box. Car Facts & Feats – A record of Everyday Motoring. British Post War Thoroughbreds. Bruce Hudson. Le Mans. Andre Datlev Clausager. Motor Cars – A Picture Survey. IC Munro. MG Cars – 1940 - 1947. The Complete Car Modeller. [ Books x 2 ] Gerald A. Wingrove. The Racing Sports Car. - Anthony Pritchard. Rally Manual - Peter Browning. The Ford Book of Competition Motoring. Alan Brinton. Sports Cars – 1928 - 1939 TR Nicholson. Champion Year – Mike Hawthorne. Ken Purdey’s Book of Automobiles. Workshop Manuals R50 each or R750 for the lot. Others. R30 each or R800 for the lot. OR R1 200 for the whole works. Contact Ivan at ivantrishh@gmail.com.
WANTED
1951 Riley (RMA) 1.5L. Very good all round condition . Current owner of 17yrs regrettably needs to downsize. Ideal car for Riley Rendezvous October 2014. R75,000 Phone 083 3070373
Genuine Lotus Seven or early Caterham Seven and Lotus Elan. All models and any condition considered. Definitely not for export. Contact Gerry Kramer on kramer.gerry@gmail.com or 083 234 9128
BMW M10 engine block. Wanted to form basis of M12 engine to fit into Maurer Formula racing car. Email Peter on peterk@fastdeck.co.bw.
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MOTOR BOOKS & MODELS
TIPO 156/65° F1 ‘SHARKNOSE’ Manufacturer: Exoto Price: R4900 Available: www.motorbooks.co.za
W
hen Phil Hill became the first American F1 World Champion in 1961 he elevated the Ferrari ‘Sharknose’ to god like status amongst the masses. To Ferrari though it was just another old racing car and therefore destroyed when no longer competitive. With this in mind Exoto had to pull heavily in the research department to complete this inspiring model. It breaks the part-count barrier and smashes the definition of furious detail in 1:18 scale. If you are wondering why it costs a small fortune consider this… • Over 1 400 photo-etch and machined parts • Integrated formed and deep drawn sheet metal
GRAND PRIX BATTLE GROUNDS Author: Christopher Hilton Publisher: Haynes Publishing ISBN: 978-1-84425-694-5 Price: R915 Available: www.motorbooks.co.za
S
ince kicking off in 1950 the Formula 1 World Championship had visited sixty-six circuits by 2010. This number is growing gradually as markets for the sport continue to raise their heads and the money-chasing circus obliges with an event. So this book has now been blown wide open for future editions. It is a marvellous work though so far, chronicling each of the sixty-six tracks, describing them in detail, giving a view from the cockpit and grandstand as well as the odd stories or incidents that took place at the
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• Spring-loaded accelerator, clutch, and brake pedals • Functional carburettor butterfly-valves connected to the accelerator • Geared transmission on ball bearings, distributing torque to rotating half shafts and rotating machined rear clutch assembly • Fully wired and plumbed motor • Fully functional ball-joint front suspension and rack and pinion steering • Machined all-metal ventilated disc brakes all around • Total elimination of simulated bolt heads; replaced by machined hexagon bolt heads
various grounds. Each track is accompanied by a sketch of the layout and bolstered by some excellent, emotive imagery. South Africa gets a look in with East London Grand Prix Circuit where John Surtees gives his ‘cockpit view’ and Roger McCleery offers an eyewitness account. Kyalami is covered in both old and new formats with John Watson providing the drivers view. A must have book for Grand Prix fans of any generation.