Tag Archives: Ford

Coffee, Croissant & Cars #06/13 – Avenue Drivers Club

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As the height of summer approaches flooded in rays of real sunshine it was a pleasure to amble down to Queen Square on Sunday not dressed up like Scott of the Antarctic prepared for sub zero temperatures and floods.

Nash Ambassador, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Sunday’s Avenue Drivers Club meeting was easily the busiest I have ever seen with at least a couple of hundred cars passing through for at least a cruise or like me a piece of cake and cup of tea with fellow petrol heads. Above first time I ever recall seeing a 1947 Nash Ambassador in the flesh.

Opel Ascona DL, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

The late 1970’s early 1980’s Opel Ascona DL like the 1980 example seen above shared many parts with the Vauxhall Cavalier except the Vauxhall had a droop snoot nose. The ATS alloy wheels are correct for the period.

BSA Ten Peerless Coupé, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Sharing a common chassis with a Lanchester 10 is this 1933 BSA Ten Peerless Coupé, the fluid fly wheel combined with the 1175 cc / 71 cui 4 cylinder is not likely to set the world on fire in terms of performance. The owner has found that fitting a modern electric fan helps keep the water temperature at a reasonable level on the hills interestingly the motor has no water pump and is dependent on hot water rising in the radiator for water flow.

Ford, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Hot rods were present in large numbers, this one appears to have started life as a 1970 Ford, according to the official records, it now carries a 5.3 litre / 323 cui motor with six twin choke carburetors.

Excalibur, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

There were two Excaliburs present, built in Milwaukee I beleive they used to be powered by Chevlorlet Corvette motors but I am not sure if that is still the case. This is the first 2+2 Excalibur I have ever seen.

Triumph Spitfire Mk II, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Of the many Triumphs present this 1967 Spitfire Mk II caught my eye, perfect for a summers day.

Opel Manta 4.0, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

My friend Ted told me this Opel Manta is powered by a 4 litre / 244 cui V8, unfortunately he is not to sure of the origins of the motor but those air intakes which replace the inner front lights look like a hot item.

Daimler SP 250, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Another perfect summer car was this 1962 Daimler SP250, the owner certainly seems to be enjoying it.

Lambretta, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Just as I was leaving a load of Scooters from the Bristol Mods turned up, somewhere under all those lights I believe is a Lambretta judging by the logo on the helmet.

Looking forward to seeing who turns up at the next Avenue Drivers Club meeting on July 14th.

Thanks for joining me on this “Coffee, Croissant & Cars #06/13” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Hollywood Legends – 2013 Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance

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A couple of weeks ago Geoffrey Horton took his Jaguar XK140 to the 2013 Marin Sonoma Councours d’Elegance where his Jaguar came second in class. Here are some of the other cars that were on display.

Dusenberg J, Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

Two years after making her Hollywood film debut at, the age of 38, Mae West bought this 1934 Dusenberg J. The most expensive vehicle for ‘Goin’ to town’ would have been a mere trifle for the raunchy sex symbol as she became the second highest paid person in the USA the following year.

Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport, Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

Going up against Geoffrey’s Jaguar was this 1951 Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport. All T26 Grand Sports were sold as rolling chassis and this one chassis 110160 is unusual because it was sent to Italy, most stayed in France, for it’s bespoke bodywork which was designed by Pinin Farina.

Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II Convertible, Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

Another among the cars previously owned by Movie legends was this 1961 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II which belonged to Elizabeth Taylor shortly after she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in Butterfield 8.

Cooper T56 Mk2, Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

This 1961 Cooper T56 Mk 2 Formula Jr car chassis FJ-2-62 was originally run for the Cooper works team by Ken Tyrrell in Formula Junior with Tony Maggs at the wheel. In 1962 Steve McQueen was in the UK filming “The War Lover” when he tried the Cooper at Brands Hatch and ended up buying it and shipping it to California. He won races in this car at Del Mar and Santa Barbra after which Steve’s racing career which included successfully racing motor cycles was temporarily put on hold by the needs of the needs of the film studios for whom he was working.

Ford Torino GT Convertible, Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

Henry Fords last surviving grand son William Clay Ford, Sr driving Ford Torino GT convertible pace car like the one above led Joe Leonard driving the Pratt and Whitney turbine powered Lotus 56 and the other 32 starters on the warm lap of the 1968 Indy 500, which was won by Bobby Unser driving an All American Racers Eagle Offy.

Moal Aerosport, Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

Moal Coachbuilders specialise in building one off and low volume cars for their customers in Oakland California. The Aerosport appears to be loosely based on the one off 1938 Huispano Suiza H6C Xenia.

Moal Torpedo, Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

Mimicking an early fifties Alfa Romeo Grand Prix car, the Moal Torpedo above is Ferrari powered. Moal Coachworks is a fourth generation family run business which was set up at the turn of the 20th century by William Moal to build bodies and wheels for horse drawn vehicles.

Moal Gatto, Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance

Taking three years to build from the ground up the Moal Gatto, above, is powered by a 300hp Ferrari V12 of the type used to power the Ferrari GTO and Testa Rossa.

My thanks to and congratulations to Geoffrey for the photographs and to the contributors to the Steve McQueen Cooper thread at The Nostalgia Forum for the Cooper T56 Mk2 details.

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

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WMC Championship Hillclimb – Wiscombe Park

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Shortly after dawn on Saturday morning I found myself cruising across the Somerset levels headed for Wiscombe Park in deepest Devon where the Woolbridge Motor Club was running a fully subscribed hillclimb where I found myself being assigned to the Esses 2 marshals post with two seasoned marshals from Melksham.

Wiscombe Park

The 1000 yard course at Wiscombe Park was first used in 1958 and the course record is currently held by Aylesbury’s Trevor Willis who recorded a time of 33.92 seconds in his OMS 25 Powertech in July last year.

Howells, Hillman Super Imp, WMC. Wiscombe Park

The marshals post Esses 2 is situated on the outside of a sweeping corner and afforded a great view of the action as cars clipped a huge tree at the apex of the corner. All of today’s photo’s were taken as the vehicles returned from the top of the hill to the paddock. Jenny Howells shared this 1968 Hillman Super Imp with her husband Alex.

Hodson, Smart Roadster, WMC. Wiscombe Park

Running in the same Road going cars up to 1400 cc class and a little faster was Peter Hodson in his Smart Roadster Turbo.

Wright, Audi A3 1.8T quattro, WMC. Wiscombe Park

Fastest in the over 1800 cc Road going class was the Audi A3 Turbo quattro of Anthony Wright who made a fastest run of 45.15 seconds around half a second faster than his nearest challenger.

Coote, Ginetta G4, WMC. Wiscombe Park

Last time I saw Roger Coote’s Ginetta G4 in action was at the Great Western Sprint when it was freezing, what a difference a couple of weeks makes. On this occasion Roger finished third in the Specialist Production B2 class.

Conibear, Lotus 23B, WMC. Wiscombe Park

Cliff Conibear proved to be a model of consistency recording identical times of 45.96 seconds on both of his runs in his Lotus 23B, good enough for 5th in the Road going B3 class.

Hunt, BMW 2002 Touring, WMC. Wiscombe Park

James Hunt’s BMW 2002 Touring shows signs of savaging the tree on the entry to The Gate on his second practice run, he made amends by finishing both of his timed runs recording fourth fastest time in the modified production C3 class.

Biggs, Kayne Special III, WMC. Wiscombe Park

Another car that seems pop up frequently in my travels is John Biggs Kayne Special III which looked far happier at Wiscombe Park than it did at the Great Western Sprint when I saw it last. John who finished 3rd in the Sports Libre D2 class tells me he has tested the Rover V8 powered Kayne Special III at over 140 mph and looks forward to giving it a run in a race at Silverstone in the near future.

Fraser, Metro 6R4 DAM 4100, WMC. Wiscombe Park

Competing in the same class as the Kayne Special as the Kayne Special were Andy Fraser and Tim Painter who shared this MG Metro 6R4 DAM 4100 which features a space frame chassis built by Dave Appleby Motorsport, the running gear from the steel shelled MG Metro 6R4 and a post 1995 Rover Metro style body. Andy seen at the wheel here proved faster than Tim and won the D2 class.

Moore, Ford Cortina GT, WMC. Wiscombe Park

Craig Moore is on a mission to threepeat his Bridge Tyres & Wheels Wiscombe Park Hill Climb Championship wins in 2011 and 2012 with his 4 door Ford Cortina 1600 GT, being the first person to win back to back championships he is now looking to become the first man to win three championships in a row, he started his campaign with a second in the Rally Cars class D4 on Saturday.

Wadsworth, Lancia 037 Stradale, WMC. Wiscombe Park

Like the MG Metro 6R4 the Lancia 037 Stradale was built for Group B rallying it would appear the Robert Wadsworth example is one of the 200 037 road cars built to meet the mandatory homologation requirements. Robert finished third in the Rally Car D4 class.

Hick, SEAT Altera, Freetrack TDI 4WD, WMC, Wiscombe Park

Gordon Hicks #19 was listed as a Megapin HC3 open wheeler but a check of the licence plate reveals that he was actually driving a SEAT Altera Freetrack TDI 4WD in the Road Going A3 class in which he finished with the ninth fastest time.

Broome, Cooper T65, WMC. Wiscombe Park

The Cooper T65 was designed to compete in the 1963 Formula Junior series against the Lotus 27. Reg Broome drove his car running with a 1598 cc / 96.7 cui motor recorded 7th fastest time in the E2 Racing cars class.

Crosse, Ensign LNF3, WMC. Wiscombe Park

Running a similar motor to the Coopper T65 Bristol’s Fyrth Crosse drove his early 1970’s Ensign LNF3 Formula 3 car to a fifth fastest time in the E2 class.

Steele, Martlet AS1, WMC, Wiscombe Park

Maidenhead’s Adam Steele had a mishap at the entry to The Gate on his first timed run, despite spinning he avoided hitting anything and on his second timed run he recorded second fastest time of the day overall with his 1 litre / 61 cui Martlet AS1 running in the E1 racing car class.

Hollier, Pilbeam MP62, WMC, Wiscombe Park

Fastest time of the day was 36.57 seconds recorded by Ed Hollier driving his Pilbeam MP62 in the E2 class.

After a fantastic days action it was time to drive home and prepare for a spot of competition myself the following day, full report next Wednesday.

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

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One Tough Act To Follow – Lincoln Town Car

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The very first Lincoln Town Car was a one off custom 1922 limousine built for Henry Ford, the Town Car name next appeared, following the introduction of GM’s 1956 Cadillac Sedan de Ville (= French for Town Car), on the special 1959 Lincoln Continental (forgotten) Mark IV.

Lincoln Town Car, Classics at the Castle, Sherborne

Subsequently Town Car was used as the name for a variety of interior trim option packages between 1969 and 1980. In 1981 Town Car became a model name used in the first down sized Lincoln on a full size platform.

Lincoln Town Car, Classics at the Castle, Sherborne

Power for the Town Car comes from the ubiquitous 5 litre / 302 cui Ford Windsor V8 which drives the rear wheels with the aid of a 4 speed AOD automatic transmission.

Lincoln Town Car, Classics at the Castle, Sherborne

Tough guy actor Jack Palance was employed in for the 1984 Lincoln Town Car commercial which restated Lincolns commitment to quality and luxury and finished with the strap line “From where I sit that’s one tough act to follow.

Regular readers may remember I featured a Widebody Town Car a couple of years ago in a nice car for a wedding feature, turns out that car started out as a pre 1984 Town Car distinguished by the Town Car logo above the drivers side head lights.

The 1984 Town Car featured to day, sans drivers side head light logo, is seen at last years Classics at the Castle event at Sherborne Castle.

Thanks for joining me on this “One Tough Act To Follow” edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow don’t forget to come back now !

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Petrol In My Blood – Eric Jackson

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Petrol In My Blood, Eric Jackson

When I was a kid I was lucky to be taken by my parents on several epic road journeys including Athens to London in an Austin A40 Countryman and Durban to Mufulira, I’ll let you look it up, in a Ford Escort Estate.

These were sedate trips compared to those made by Eric Jackson and Ken Chambers who drove a Ford Cortina GT to set a new record for driving from London to Capetown in 13 days 8 hours and 48 mins, 14 mins faster than the previous record. Jackson and Chambers record stood for 47 years until the record was lowered to 11 days 14 hours and 11 mins in 2010 by Mac & Steve Mackenney with Chris Rawlings driving a Land Rover Discovery

“Petrol In My Blood” by Eric Jackson retells his life story from humble beginnings in Barnsley where he was the son of a traveler to becoming one of the country’s leading Ford dealers.

The gripping story covers many other tales including; racing the RMS Windsor Castle from Cape Town to Southamptonand driving a Ford Consul around the world in 43 days.

Erics adventures in a Ford Zodiac Mk 4 which included a Monte Carlo Rally and a 100 mph average speed record for seven days and nights set at Monza with Ken Chambers, John Beckhart, Michael Bowler and John Maclean all sharing the driving are also included.

In between the records Eric also won the RAC Rally Championship and narrowly missed out on becoming a shipping tycoon. Petrol In My Blood could hardly fail to be an interesting read and a further taster of the books contents can be found on the Damn Long Way website linked here.

The book is self published and available from lulu.com in hardback £27.07 or paper back £12.09 my soft back came through in a couple of days.

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

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Rolls Royce Grill On A Thunderbird – Lincoln Continental Mark III

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After coming a cropper and loosing US$1000 on each of the 3000 odd ultra luxurious ’56 and ’57 Continental Mark II’s the Continental name reverted to model name under the Lincoln brand and it was not until 1969 that the Lincoln Continental Mark III would see the light of day, although there had been a 1959 Continental III that retrospectively became known as the Lincoln Continental Mark III just to confuse the issue.

Lincoln Continental Mark III

When the 1967 fifth generation Ford Thunderbird started under performing in the market place Ford President Lee Iacocca decided the best way to recoup the companies investment was to use to use the 4 door Thunderbird’s floor plan for the new Lincoln Mark III. Allegedly Iacocca instructed Ford Design Vice President Gene Bordinat to ‘put a Rolls Royce grill on a Thunderbird’ in September 1965.

Lincoln Continental Mark III

The Continental Mark III’s 2 door body worked out 300 lbs / 140 kg heavier than the 4 door Thunderbird but it was powered by a larger more powerful 365 hp 7.5 litre / 460 cui V8 motor than the 345 hp available to Thunderbird owners.

Lincoln Continental Mark III

Interior trim included leather and real wood on the dash which kept the cars press rating above the nearest nylon cloth trimmed Cadillac Eldorado competitor as late as the Mark IIIs final year 1971, with a Cartier branded clock becoming standard soon after the cars launch in 1968.

Lincoln Continental Mark III

Sales of the Mark III never bettered the lesser trimmed Eldordo but were over 20,000 a year for 1969/70 they rose to a high of 27,091 in 1971 which coincidentally marked Lincoln’s Golden Jubilee Year.

Lincoln Continental Mark III

Today’s featured 1971 model belonged to my facebook acquaintance Lori Munro in the 1980’s when the photo’s were taken. Lori, who co founded Race Talk Radio, says that her Mark III “was great …. when fuel was just US$0.60 a gallon”, but decided to sell it after it had been in storage for a couple of years.

My thanks to Lori Munro for sharing her photographs and story, please drop by Race Talk Radio’s facebook page and “Like” to show your appreciation.

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

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Pete Aron’s Yamura – McLaren Ford M2B

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With the decline in fortunes of the Cooper Car Companies Grand Prix program, for which he had been driving since his arrival in Formula One in 1958, Bruce McLaren decided that with the success of his McLaren M1 sports cars he could follow his former mentor Jack Brabham, who left Cooper to build his own Formula One cars in 1962, and start his own Grand Prix team in time for the new 3 litre / 183 cui regulations which came into effect in 1966.

Through 1965 McLaren built and extensively tested the M2A which was designed by Robin Herd and fitted with a 4.5 litre / 274.5 Oldsmobile V8 from the McLaren M1 program.

McLaren Ford M2B, Donington Park Museum

The monococoque of the McLaren M2A made extensive use of compressed balsa wood sandwiched between thin sheets of aluminium called Malite which made the monocoque much stiffer than a conventional monocoque as had been successfully used in the Lotus 25 and it’s successor the Lotus 33.

However Malite proved to be difficult to work with and repair and so for the McLaren M2B the use of Malite was restricted to the inner skins and upper surfaces of the monocoque which still offered significant advantages to the stiffness of the structure.

McLaren Ford M2B, Donington Park Museum

Originally the M2B was powered by a V8 motor derived from Ford’s Indy programme, but this proved way to heavy allegedly when connected to the gearbox the whole power train weighed as much as some rivals entire cars, while later on a much lighter and less powerful Serenissima motor was also tried.

The two engines are easily distinguished the Indy derived Ford has exhausts between the Vee formed by the eight cylinders as seen here and the Serenissima had more conventional side exhausts.

McLaren Ford M2B, Donington Park Museum

Bruce McLaren made 4 starts in the M2B, after retiring at Monaco he realised the Ford based motor needed less weight and more power so he secured the use of the Serenissima’s as an interim measure. At the British Grand Prix Bruce scored his first World Championship point in a car bearing his own name. By the US Grand Prix improved Ford based motors were back from Traco and Bruce came in 5th, before retiring at the Mexican Grand Prix which closed the season.

Although the season was a failure the team learned from their mistakes and made do with BRM 2 litre / 122 cui V8 motors for 1967 before becoming one of the three teams using the Ford Cosworth DFV, alongside Lotus and Tyrrell in 1968.

The white and green colour scheme of the M2B is said to have been mandated by a deal between Bruce and the producers of the John Frankenheimer’s film “Grand Prix” which required the McLaren M2B to look like the fictional Japanese “Yamura” which James Garners character Pete Aron drove to a championship win in the film.

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

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