Tag Archives: Henderson

Almost Superflous – Lola Chevrolet T332/T330 #HU23

Towards the end of 1973 although the Lola T330 had not won any Formula 5000 (F5000) championships outright, though one had been used to assist Jody Scheckter win his US F5000 title alongside his Trojan, the Lola T330 was rapidly becoming the fastest car on the US and British circuits when the company sold it first improved T332 models with fashionable tall airbox and a rudimentary body extension over the motor to the rear axle.

Lola T332, Gold Cup, Oulton Park

Today’s featured car has a history complicated by the fact that the T330 #HU23 chassis plate was actually fitted to a T330 bought in July 1973 by Australian Johnnie Walker and fitted with a Repco Holden V8.

Lola T332, Neil Glover, Gold Cup, Oulton Park

After Johnnie severely damaged his T330 at Surfers Paradise in September 1974 he replaced the chassis with a new T332 type, but stuck the T330 HU23 chassis plate on it. Possibly to save himself some import taxes. The de-plated T330 chassis was subsequently repaired and is now referred to by experts as T330 HU23(A) while today’s feature chassis is referred to by experts as T330 HU23(B), for the purpose of this blog I shall continue to refer to today’s featured chassis as T330 HU23 as there will be no further reference to the de-plated chassis crashed at Surfers Paradise.

Lola T332, Gold Cup, Oulton Park

Still using the salvaged Repco Holden V8, Johnnie was a regular top four finisher in the 1975 Tasman series winning at Surfers Paradise which made him a title contender, in today’s featured car, two races before the series finale at Sandown Park.

Lola T332, Neil Glover, Gold Cup, Oulton Park

At the finale, with the title all but wrapped up, Johnnie started from pole before crashing when his car inexplicably turned left on the back straight on the opening lap. Johnnie rebuilt the HU23 and continued to race the car until February 1976.

Lola T332, Gold Cup, Oulton Park

Peter Edwards bought HU23 in 1977 and continued to race it with a Chevrolet motor, similar to the Small Block Chevrolet seen above, until 1982. Peter sold HU23 on to Bernie Van Elsen who had HU23 stripped and the parts, including the motor but excluding the chassis, fitted to the Veskanda Group C sports car being built in Adelaide by Dale Koennecke and Harry Aust of K&A Engineering with help from former ex VDS Can Am engineers John and Bob Murphy.

Lola T332, Neil Glover, Gold Cup, Oulton Park

After selling his car Jonnie drove a Lola T330 belonging to fellow competitor Max Stewart in 1977 but that only lasted until Max was killed driving his Lola T400 during a practice session at Calder Park in October 1977.

In the aftermath of the tragedy Johnnie entered into an agreement to race the Lola T332, actually plated T330 22 by former owner Kevin Bartlett, in the Magnum Wheels livery of owner Martin Sampson until they won the Australian Gold Star series, after which both agreed they would retire from the sport.

Jonnie won the Australian Grand Prix at Waneroo and the Gold Star series in 1979. At the end of the final race of the series at Sandown Park Jonnie pulled into his pit to pick up Martin so that they could both complete a lap of honour in a final farewell to the sport an event which can be seen in the second photo of this Nostalgia Forum post by Ray Bell

Note the 1979 Sandown Park race was also the same one in which Kevin ‘KB’ Bartlet crashed the Brabham BT43 I featured last week and that Jonnie Walker is seen driving Martin Sampson’s Magnum Wheels Lola T332, T330 HU22, in the background of the photo of Kevin before his crash. That Lola T332, T330 HU22, is obviously not the same one as T330 HU23 featured in today’s post, as I incorrectly believed it to be last week.

Chassis T330 #HU23 appears to have been restored by Hall & Hall in 2001 and has been raced in the white and orange Magnum Wheels livery of Martin Sampson by Neil Glover who is seen at the wheel in these photographs, all taken at Oulton Park, since 2007. Last year, 2013, Neil won the Derek Bell Trophy with the car.

My thanks to Ray Bell, author with Tony Loxley of F5000 Thunder, for his infinite patience with my infinite dumb questions, to both Ray and Lee Nicole at the Nostalgia Forum for giving me a run down of some of the differences between a Repco Holden and Small Block V8 and to facebook acquaintances,Tom Rosenthal, Peter Brennan, Phil Straver, Stephen Morici, Dave Hudson, Sam Henderson, Dave Wolin, John S Buckley, Peter Phillips, Rob McDonald, Graham Wadsworth, Tim Meehan, Derek Kneller, Steve Price, Cliff Bennett, Darren Ciantar, Rory McDonald, Danny Fondren and Bill Sherwood.

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Floating Power – Plymouth PA Rumble Seat Sport Roadster

In July 1931 Chrysler announced a new Plymouth model for 1932 the PA which apart from dimensions like the 109″ wheel base and 196 cui 4 cylinder motor size shared little with the Model U which it replaced.

Plymouth PA, California,

Despite being Chryslers budget brand the PA model featured a flying lady sculpture adorning the radiator, the item was designed by Herbert V. Henderson and manufactured exclusively for Plymouth by the Jarvis Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Plymouth PA, California,

One significant difference between the Model U and PA was the “Floating Power” mountings for the latter which were developed by Owen Skelton to minimise the inherent vibrations caused by a 4 cylinder motor. Owen found that by using rubber and affixing the mountings along the motors center of gravity axis which slopes from front to rear he could significantly improve the comfort for occupants of a vehicle.

Plymouth PA, California,

Within months of being patented Floating Power was adopted by all Plymouth and Chrysler models and would remain a feature of MOPAR vehicles over the next 28 years.

Plymouth PA, California,

Production of the PA came to an end in July 1932 with 106,896 examples including a variety of 2 and 4 seat body styles.

Plymouth PA, California,

Floating Power and a commitment by former Ford employee, now head of the Plymouth brand Fred L. Rockelman to give his customers more car for their money helped Plymouth reach No:3 in the sales charts replacing Buick in 1931, a position it would only relinquish in 1954 when Buick recaptured 3rd spot.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing these photographs, of a 1931 rumble seat “sport” roadster,which he took in a California car park in 2012.

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

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Hotel California – VW California

Continuing the California theme started yesterday today we are looking at a VW California.

Production of the Volkswagen T5 Transporter began in 2003, this one is fitted with a 170 hp turbo diesel engine.

In 2001 Mercedes Benz bought out VW’s preferred camper van outfitter Westfalia leading VW to decide to design it’s own camper around the popular Transporter platform. VW call their camper the ‘California’ a name that was first used by Westfalia in connection with a VW camper in 1988.

launched in 2005 the California comes with an electro-hydraulic operated elevating roof, space for two beds, kitchen sink two burner gas hob, fridge and two kitchen cupboards with integrated drawers. Among a long list of options is the VW 4 motion all wheel drive system.

With Ford knocking on Ferrari’s lawyers doors with respect to the use of the F 150 name I wonder if Ferrari will ever be knocking on the VW’s lawyers doors with respect to the California name ?

Unfortunately thanks to a US ‘chicken tax’ on imported light trucks, which the already expensive T5 is classed as, you are not ever likely to see a VW California in the State from which it takes it’s name, the California is so expensive, £40,000 / $64,000 that only around 300 a year are thought to be imported into the UK.

Fancy seeing why the VW T5 is so highly rated in the UK ? Check out these two advert free clips of the T5 going head to head with the A Team van and over a timed run against the a much more powerful 204 hp Brabus (!) Mercedes Vito Sport X.

Hope you have enjoyed a couple of days in the California Sunshine wishing all readers of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’ a relaxing weekend, don’t forget to come back now !

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