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GEORGE OLD CAR SHOW PW BOTHA COLLEGE, YORK STREET | DATE: 8 - 9 FEBRUARY 2014
George lies in the heart of the Garden Route at the foot of the Outeniqua Mountains. This sleepy town comes to life with the beautiful noise of purring engines once a year at one of the biggest Classic Car events in South Africa, the George Old Car Show. We invite you to be our GUEST with these all inclusive action packed packages.
PROTEA HOTEL KING GEORGE PROTEA HOTEL OUTENIQUA Protea Hotel King George is an upmarket, centrally located hotel Protea Hotel Outeniqua is a cozy hotel located just up the road from nestled between two of the country’s top golf courses. With the the car show in York Street. Situated in the urban hub of George within Outeniqua Mountains as its backdrop this hotel offers you luxury walking distance to restaurants and pubs, you can enjoy their hospitality 4-star accommodation with a fantastic package deal including dinner with this package deal for the George old car show. for Friday & Saturday nights.
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ABOVE PACKAGES INCLUDE: Welcome drink & free car wash on arrival, breakfast, free weekend pass to the show with shuttle, the welcome braai at the Protea Hotel King George on Friday night and the all-important VIP Pass to the Protea Hotels VIP hospitality marquee overlooking the show.
PROTEA HOTELS ARE PLANNING A NEW CHARITY PROJECT THIS YEAR, WATCH THIS SPACE FOR DETAILS.
*Terms and conditions apply. PHDS 28037/13 CONTENTS October/November 2013
HIGH OCTANE DEFYING LOGIC 04 Robert Coucher drives a Delage at 62 Lambretta setting the landspeed Goodwood records alight
INVESTMENT INSIGHT RUBBER STAMPED 08 Talking classic car values with 66 The forgotten Bridgestone Chris Routledge motorcycle foray
NEWS & EVENTS FEATHERWEIGHT CONTENDER 12 Latest from the South African 70 Peugeot’s pocket rocket 205GTi classic scene THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE SOMETHIN’ SPECIAL 76 Willie Grobler, SA’s oldest 20 Buick Special competing racer
THE LONGEST GESTATION SOAPY SUD 24 1967 Mallock U2 fi nally 78 A young fan builds and races an reaches completion Alfa Sud
PACKARDS IN PARADISE CLASSIC MOTORSPORT 28 Sep Serfontein and his 80 Round 4 and 5 of the Midas Packard collection Historic Tour
THE FRENCH CONNECTION LETTERS 30 Part 1 of the Scamp Porter tale 90 Have your say
LA DOLCE VITA GEARBOX 34 Alfa Spider Series 1 through 4 94 Classifi ed adverts
SCOUTING MISSION BOOK REVIEWS 40 A very rare BSA Scout in Cape Town 96 Motor books
WALKING ON BROKEN GLAS 44 BMW’s fi rst foray into South African production 40 BRITISH INVASION 48 The unlikely development of Volkswagen’s Beetle
FINDING A BALANCE 54 The basics behind crankshaft design
MORE STRIP & POLISH 56 Part two of our BMW fi rst car project
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 1 Jaguar. Not manufactured, but created. Powerful, agile and instinctive in everything it does. Eight-speed electronic automatic transmission with Jaguar Sequential Shift provides velvet- smooth control: gear changes completed in just 200 milliseconds. Beautiful bi-function HID Xenon headlamps illuminate the road with power and intelligence. And every day the leather interior continues to surprise and delight. Feel it. Be moved. And ask yourself: “How alive are you?”
JAGUAR CENTURION 400 West Street, Centurion Tel. Tel: 012 678 0022 www.jaguarcenturion.co.za
Untitled - Page: 1 2013-02-15 09:11:42 +0000 EDITOR’S POINT OF VIEW
Publisher Zig Zag Publishing GONE FISHIN’ Editor Stuart Grant [email protected] t is now exactly 5 years since I acquired It remains only to thank all of the folk this magazine and that seems to have who have supported the mag through your Sub-Editor been a surprisingly long time. To end all-important acts of purchasing copies and Thora Paver this mini-marathon, it is with great volunteering motoring yarns and relevant Art Director pleasure that I can tell you that I have photographs. Stuart Grant, Derek Hulse Ronel van Heerden now transferred ownership of CLASSIC & and Dave Hastie have all been fantastic in www.nineninetynine.co.za I PERFORMANCE CAR AFRICA to Editor championing our product, while behind Contributors Stuart Grant and in future he will be both the scenes, Thora Paver has done wonders Greg Mills, Robert Coucher, Mike Publisher and Editor, roles I feel confident in the sub-editing process and designer Monk, Dave Hastie, Gavin Foster, Oliver Hirtenfelder, Jake Venter, he will carry out in excellent fashion. Ronel van Heerden has ensured a quality Bob Hopkin, Roger McCleery. The past five years have certainly been look and feel to the product. This same
Advertising Sales both an adventure and a master class in team will continue to support Stuart and I Derek Hulse discovering a lot about enthusiasts and their am confident that the process will continue [email protected] cars in South Africa. Being only human and to improve. Compared to me, the new 082 451 3899 having really worked pretty damn hard at Publisher is a young man indeed and I think Marketing/Subscriptions & this, I do like to believe that I am leaving the this is a great thing. Petrol has run strongly Accounts magazine in somewhat better shape than I in the Grant family veins for generations Allison Phillips [email protected] found it. Some have flattered us by saying and our movement can only benefit from we South Africans now have a world-class a pure petrol-head with young ideas and Northern Regions Sales old car magazine of our own, but readers energy to grow the magazine. So, as I drift Dave Hastie [email protected] will be the best judges of that. off to spend more time playing with cars, 083 418 0372 I will of course, continue to write the ‘odd’ hopefully racing fast, living slow and motoring piece, but as Stuart now owns the playing golf badly, I say cheers and see you Subscriptions, Advertising & Editorial company outright, he may elect not to print anywhere there are Classics to be found. [email protected] any of those, but here’s hoping. Fred Stuart: 082 921 4583 Fax: 021 790 5183
P.O. Box 987 opefully you’ve read the news 50s Buick while I take a 1984 Peugeot 205GTi Jukskeipark 2153 from Fred above. If not go for a spin. Gavin Foster recalls the Bridgestone and read it now. All I can say motorcycle tale, Bob Hopkin follows the long is that Fred has given both build of a U2 Mallock, Jake Venter sums up me and the magazine an the VW Beetle story and we celebrate the Hunbelievable opportunity over the last five arrival of summer with a quartet of Alfa years and an even bigger one moving forward. Spider drop tops. So thank you Fred. On the personality front Greg Mills delves Don’t worry though, despite my relative into the not often told story of Scamp Porter youthfulness we are not going to suddenly with input from legends like Jody Scheckter The publishers makes every effort to ensure this magazine’s contents are move the date period for classic content to last while Roger McCleery catches up with correct. All material published in Classic and Performance Car Africa is copyright week’s models and will still strive to cover all arguably one of the oldest competing racers and unauthorised reproduction is forbidden. The opinion of contributors, as published, aspects of historic motoring in South Africa. So in the world, Willie Grobler. are not necessarily the opinions held by expect everything from pre-war vintage items Of course the regulars like news, classifieds, the publishers or editors of Classic and Performance Car Africa. The publishers to the likes of 80s hot hatches – these and the motorsport and book reviews find place too. and editors make no representations, nor do they give any warranties, guarantees genres in between have a spot in our hearts. Please enjoy and feel free to make contact or assurances, for any goods or services advertised herein. Paging through this issue you’ll see Mike with me at [email protected]. Monk looking at a 1936 BSA Scout and a late Stuart
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 3 High octane
ngland. July. High summer. House. Not to be left out, McLaren is Legends class, driving the unique 1923 Naturally, the only place for also celebrating its 50th year so Jensen Delage Type DH, 10.6-litre V12. This old a classic car enthusiast to Button, driving a 1970 7.6-litre Mclaren motor car is special. It was, for about a be is at glorious Goodwood M8D Can-Am car, and Sergio Perez in a week, The Fastest Car in the World. On in West Sussex for the 20th ’74 M23F1 enjoyed the 1.16 mile blast up 6 July 1924 fighter pilot Rene Thomas Eanniversary running of the Goodwood the hillclimb. set the Land Speed record on a French Festival of Speed. A highlight of the weekend was rural road at 143.31mph in the Delage. The Festival has grown into a fulsome the Top 20 Shootout on the Sunday A shredding rear tyre along the way did four-day event and with some 100 000 afternoon where the really fast boys not diminish his effort one jot. people attending each day, it is one of went for FTD. Justin Law in the Silk Cut Unfortunately for the Frenchman, the biggest motoring extravaganzas Jaguar XJR8/9 V12 took the honours an Englishman named Sir Ernest in the world. Spectacular but rather with a time of 45.95 seconds. Amazing, Eldridge had also pitched up to the crowded, even if it is the right crowd. since the Jaguar is 27 years old and meeting in his gargantuan 21.7-litre Let me take you though it in real time… he beat the new, Sebastian Loeb Pikes FIAT Mephistopheles. Sir Ernest gave it This year the main celebration is the Peak-winning Peugeot 208 T16 driven some welly and the giant aero-engined Porsche 911’s 50th Anniversary with by Gregory Gilvert. monster set a time of 146mph. Merde!. three 911s mounted on a dramatic At the other end of the field I am The Frogs then hatched a cunning plan: 35 meter high sculpture outside the entered in the Pre-War Land Speed it appeared Mephistopheles was running
4 | October/November 2013 | 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
Robert Coucher has the chance to drive this unique 1923 Delage V12 up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. He rather enjoys the experience.
without a reverse gear, which was a The Delage was sold on to speed requirement, so they protested and merchant John Parry-Thomas and the FIAT was disqualified, handing then to John Cobb who enjoyed the record to the Delage. thundering around the high-speed Louis Delage had achieved his Brooklands Circuit. In 1935 the petite World Speed Record and the Delage Kay Petre made news when she was taken back to the Parisian raced the Delage at Brooklands and showroom and displayed as ‘The achieved a best time of 134.75mph Fastest Car in the World’. But around the rough and bumpy The Delage is sitting in Sir Ernest was a dogged type and circuit, an incredible achievement the Cathedral Paddock was not to be outdone by some for someone without the muscles of rulebook jiggery-pokery. He had a Springbok front row forward. pits and I am about to his mechanics fit a reverse gear to The Delage was then used Mephistopheles and one week later sportingly by a couple of Vintage drive it up the tricky hill went back to Route Nationale near Sports-Car Club types and, with in front of about 100 000 Arpajon and set a time of 145.89mph a few crashes and fires along the and took the record back from the way, it retains an uninterrupted spectators. French team. racing history.
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 5 High octane
So, here we are at the 2013 Goodwood arms and to add a good squirt of Easy On the start line the red light switches Festival of Speed hillclimb. The Delage Start into the Zenith carburettors. to green and you gun the V12. Not too is sitting in the Cathedral Paddock pits You then flick on the twin magneto much, as those spindly wire wheels and I am about to drive it up the tricky switches and thump the starter button. need to last all weekend. But the hill in front of about 100 000 spectators. Now I was expecting the huge massive torque spins the tyres anyway. The pressure is surprisingly intense. 10.6-litre to behave like the usual low- The car streaks up the first straight and You really don’t want to make a total revving aero-engine. You know, lots you just have time to grab second gear doos of yourself in such a public way. of lazy torque at no revs. But when before the first right hand corner. The As in the good old bad days of the the Delage’s V12 fires – it erupts in a centrally mounted gearshift lever is SADF, there is a lot of ‘hurry up and din of mechanical fury. It is busy and stout and whilst it requires a double- wait’ at Goodwood. Not so much revvy. It responds to the light throttle de-clutch, it is a lot more co-operative rondf*k and opf*k, just a whole load pedal with immediacy. This is a racing than a vintage Bentley’s. You lean out of of hanging around whilst different engine. Sure it’s big, but it’s also full of the cockpit and aim the exposed front groups of cars do right-hand wheel their runs. A minute On the start line the red light switches at the apex of the or so’s run takes corner then feather about 2 hours in to green and you gun the V12. Not in the power on the total time but, hey, too much, as those spindly wire wheels way out. The rear that’s motorsport. end does a massive The Delage, need to last all weekend. twitch and sends the now back in its correct livery looks energy and power. It feels like it wants rear wheels sliding sideways behind functional if not beautiful. It’s to rev in anger. And the noise – utterly you, but it’s all perfectly communicated purposeful on its black painted wire fantastic. The V12 whoops and snarls and a little opposite lock gets the wheels but the twin fishtail exhaust like a pre-war GP car and immediately Delage straightened up and thundering pipes running down each flank spell you know it just wants to go. Fast! past Goodwood House, then into the power. Ja, lots. The 10.6-litre V12 Driving down to the start line of the unsighted and tricky Molecomb Corner, produces 300bhp at 3200rpm with Goodwood climb the Delage’s gearing which needs respect. a slug of 500lb ft of torque at just is incredibly high. Even so, on cold Then bury the throttle for the fully 2000rpm, fed to the tarmac via those tyres, just leaning on the sensitive whipped charge up the hill and past the skinny old tyres. And it only weights throttle induces easy wheelspin. Oh unforgiving Flint Wall on the left. The 1 500kgs. yes, must remember the accelerator run is over in a minute or so. But the The cockpit is tight and the big rope- pedal is in the middle of the clutch and memory? It will last a lifetime thanks bound steering wheel is set close to brake, so, if you have a sudden afkak to this fabulous old record-breaking your chest. To fire up you need your moment and hit the anchors, it will be Delage DH: once The Fastest Car in the mechanic to oil the exposed rocker the very responsive throttle pedal! World.
6 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za Classic and Performance Car Africa is the only bring back the memories of motoring times gone by. dedicated historic motoring magazine in the Whether your heart fl utters for pre-war engineering, country. From racing, to personalities, to some of or brute-force muscle, gentle drives in scenic places the most special vehicles ever produced, we are or screaming tyres and a whiff of Castrol R, we have continually unearthing great stories, illustrating them something in every issue that will appeal. Subscribe, with a mixture of old photos and new, and helping and never miss another issue.
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Exclusivity and documented history is the key to this Aston Martin DB3S being a real investment.
The classic car market has he first time that old nowadays there are thriving markets evolved in numerous ways car prices at auctions in India, Russia, South America and “Tcomfortably exceeded mainland China as well. over the last 50 years expectations was in September 1962 at “What has brought this money and is currently moving the Sword sale in East Balgay, Scotland, to the market is the lifestyle, the in a new direction. Coys after which classics steadily went up in concours d’elegance events, the likes of value. But global hyper-inflation in the the Goodwood revivals and festivals of London director Chris late ’80s/early ’90s caused the bubble and gatherings such as the Top Gear Routledge explains the to burst as all manner of investments Festival. Old cars have reached a new events to Mike Monk. fell. As the world’s economy improved level: they are no longer just in the so the classic car market gradually playground of enthusiasts; they are progressed but principally amongst also in the playgrounds of the rich enthusiasts, as generally, old cars and famous to the extent that the were not perceived as being good movement has been described as investments. But then the lifestyle ‘the new polo’. But whereas you can element came into play and all of a breed polo ponies any time across sudden old motor cars became a means the world forever, when it comes to to an end to wealthy individuals internationally important historical around the world. Where before, cars, you can’t. So that has put an the movement centred mainly in upward pressure on prices due to a Britain, northern Europe and America simple demand and supply situation. plus interest in Australia and Japan, “This upsurge in activity has brought
8 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za Jaguar XJ220, a flop when new but now highly sought after.
new money into the marketplace with a Internet, and didn’t have a Coys, entirely out of context to what the corresponding effect on values. Fifteen a Bonhams, an RM or a Gooding individual is, but he’s read about them years ago, a Ferrari worth £200 000 is handling auctions around the world in books and wants one. On the other now worth £2 million but to wealthy almost every week, with instant hand, nostalgia can be a driving force, people living in the world of super reporting on the sale prices. These something that lurks in your psyche. yachts, £2 million is not substantial days, prices are available online Take the Jaguar XJ220 for instance. – it’s not even a down payment on a almost immediately after a sale, so When it was launched there was new jet. But it can buy a significantly people who want to get involved now outrage because instead of the V12 important Ferrari with investment have a valuation mechanism they engine in the prototype, customers got value so appears a relative bargain. It’s never had before. Information is king. a V6 turbo and sales were lost. That a ticket to a lifestyle that people aspire The network means that more people scandal is why people now want one to. A person living in a three-bed semi- are confident in investing and prices and that adds growth to the movement. detached in London with an old ERA are as transparent as a share price or “But while some more modern in the garage that he’s owned since the the value of a piece of fine art. cars become collectible, few, if any, 50s now has a car worth more than his “Then, of course, one thing leads to will ever reach classic greatness. house. The influx of new buyers has another where buyers start off wanting Mass production and quality control put a massive amount of pressure on a car to be able to enter a Pebble Beach advances have meant some notable prices because compared with 20 years concours or a Nürburgring historic race cars are available to a wide audience ago, there are now probably four times but end up being collectors. Why do but they will never be classics in the as many around who want to invest. 45-year-olds buy mediaeval suits of true sense of the word. Is a Ferrari 458 “Another factor is that 20 years ago armour? They are collectors. There’s Italia ever going to be considered in we were an analogue world without no nostalgia involved and it can be the same breath as an F40? Exclusivity
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 9 Forgotten race cars like the Ferrrari 250GTO have rocketed in value thanks to rareness, completeness and providence. Chris Routledge.
Lifestyle events like Pebble Beach Concours has brought money to the market. A genuine ERA racer is now worth more than most houses.
underpins the values of old masters like strong and proud automotive heritage. restore. There are still some amazing an Alfa Romeo Monza, Aston Martin Think of the famous Bentley Boys barn finds but they are few and far DB3S, three-litre Bentley, Bugatti T35, who were funded with SA money and between. What the smart restoration Ferrari 250GTO, Jaguar D-Type. Pre- the wonderfully vibrant and well- companies are doing these days is or early post-war cars with hand-built engineered machinery produced when preparation, maintenance and event bespoke coachwork designed by eye the country was isolated. Cars such as management. Once they’ve restored not a computer, have a tangible organic the unique Ford Peranas and XR8, the a car they handle all the show/event element that no modern car can match. BMW 333i, the 3.0-litre Alfetta GTV logistics leaving the wealthy owner to It’s like a Picasso – he painted many – weird, fantastic and typical of the simply arrive and drive. The classic car pictures but each one was individual. strong passion locals have for cars. market has moved into a new era.” And that is why values of true classics “The restoration business is not will always continue to rise. really growing anymore because Amongst other duties, Chris is a “There are a number of South the need is finite – once the engine, consultant and advisor to the Franschhoek African clients in the market (the chrome work, upholstery and so Motor Museum and was part of FMM’s Franschhoek Motor Museum is on have been done to original spec, driving team in the Museum’s Le Mans a major player) and it has to be they’ve been done. There’s perhaps 90 years tribute at Durban’s Top Gear remembered that the country has a a 20-year cycle but there’s less to Festival in July.
10 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za 082 921 4156 / 082 566 7897 081 325 1507 email [email protected] www.hocasc.co.za
Our Showroom/Workshop is at 70, Main Road, Knysna We buy and sell all classic, sports and vintage cars. Consignment sales welcome.
1983 Porsche 944 1948 Nash Ambassador 1955 Triumph TR2
1948 Plymouth 1930 Plymouth 1918 Ford Model T Runabout
1948 Dodge 1964 VW Beetle 1300 1948 Ford Pick-Up
1934 Plymouth 4 Door 1968 Jaguar 3.8S 1948 Studebaker
1967 MGB Roadster 1953 Mercedes 300 1986 Porsche 924 ______ALSO AVAILABLE: 1928 Ford Model A Phaeton… 1974 Volvo 164… 1938 Buick Special… 1957 Rover 90… 1989 Bentley Turbo R-1… 1929 Chev Phaeton… 1940 Packard 110 Touring Sedan… 1932 Plymouth 4 door… 1973 Triumph GT6… 1980 Triumph TR7 Spider… 1930 Chevrolet Sedan… 2002 BMW 330CI… 1948 Chevrolet Fleetline… 1978 Mercedes 450Sl… 1972 Peugeot 504 Cabriolet… 1929 Chevrolet Phaeton… 1978 Mercedes 450SLC… 1936 Ford Roadster… 1934 Chevrolet Master Sedan… 1971 MGB Roadster…1983 Mercedes 500SL Cabriolet… Plus.. Plus.. Plus. News & Events
MAGICAL MORGAN TOUR
The highlight of the Morgan year in South Africa is CapeMog’s annual five-day tour, which provides an opportunity for Morgan owners countrywide to meet, network and interact in an informal, relaxed atmosphere. Most of all, it allows them to drive their cars along beautiful routes in the company of friends. This year the route comprises drives along the Garden Route and takes place from 10 to 15 November. The event is planned to include interesting drives and activities, while evenings are set aside for relaxed entertainment and gastronomical delights. It kicks off on Sunday evening with sundowners and sunset in the Robberg Nature Reserve before taking in the likes of an amazing 3D maze, Birds of Eden or Monkeyland sanctuaries and zipping above the canopy of the Tsitsikamma Forest. Awesome passes like Groot River and Bloukrans are also on the cards. For more information contact Ronnie Herzfeld on 082 458 6506 or [email protected].
CHARITABLE AUCTIONS House of Classic & Sports Cars, in association with various motor clubs, has hosted a number of auctions dedicated purely to the sale of Classic, Vintage and Sports cars. Two more auctions are being held in the next few months – one in Cape Town on 3 November in conjunction with the THUNDER Cape Multi-Motor Club, and the other in Port Elizabeth on 7 December in conjunction with the AT THE Eastern Province Veteran & Vintage Car Club. ±25 vehicles will be offered for sale at each auction. A provisional list of vehicles already submitted for auction includes a 1918 and 1924 Ford Model T, a rare and sought-after 1936 Ford Roadster, 1930 Chevrolet Phaeton, 1948 Studebaker, STABLES 1931 Plymouth, 1929 Chevrolet Phaeton, 1938 Buick Special, 1955 Triumph TR2, 1967 MGB The Shongweni Expo will host Roadster, 1963 Porsche 356 and a 1971 MGB Roadster. a Cars in the Park entitled House of Classic & Sports Cars is proud to be able to assist charities through their auctions as ‘Thunder at the Stables’ on the entire Bidder’s Premium (Auctioneer’s Commission) is given to the relevant clubs which, in 05/06 October. Venue for the turn, donate the majority portion to charities of their choice. event is the Shongweni Polo Limited entries are available for submission of vehicles, so don’t lose out on this high-energy Club. For more information visit auction action. Anyone who would like to sell a vehicle, should contact House of Classic & Sports www.shongweniexpo.co.za. Cars on 044-382 1000 or 082 566 7897 or 082 921 4156 or email [email protected].
12 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za CROSSLEY & WEBB AUTOMOTIVE INVESTMENT SHOWROOM Cape Town’s Crossley & Webb is set to become a premier automotive investment destination with the upcoming launch of their 1 400 square metre showroom in the Wembley Square precinct. An historic red-brick building is being transformed into a world class investment grade auto-trading and lifestyle centre. The masterminds behind this unique venture are experienced motoring enthusiasts and entrepreneurs, Gareth Crossley and Bryan Webb, both of whom bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the field of supercar and classic car investments.The venue will house Crossley & Webb’s four aligned business units to provide a unique turn-key solution for motoring enthusiasts including procurement, sales, valuation, restoration and advice on fleet management from daily drivers to investment classics. Also on offer will be modern upgrades and restorations for sought-after classics as well as routine servicing for sports cars and supercars. Boardrooms and a Truth coffee bar will up the game even more, as will the inclusion of international supercar timeshare franchise Écurie 25, whose cars range from Lamborghini Aventador to Rolls Royce and E-Type Jags. With Cape Town set to celebrate its recognition as The Design Capital of the World in 2014, the Crossley & Webb showroom is on track to become a visual and acoustic highlight.
Race Retro MUSINGS at Dezzi Raceway We review a great many motoring books, but Dezzi Raceway, in conjunction with Go Events, will host very few of these are a new Historic motorsport event on 19/20 October in written by South Africans Port Shepstone on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast. and so, MUSINGS OF The event, to be known as Race Retro, will follow a A MILLION MILER is a speed-trial format rather than a normal race format with welcome addition to the multiple cars on circuit at one time. Dezzi Raceway, built list of local copy. by motorsport personality Des Gutzeit, is a private facility Dave Lyons is well known for his unique motoring ‘stable’ offering a variety of track layouts and spectacular views in Hout Bay where hundreds if not thousands of local and over the Indian Ocean. Public access is allowed to the international old car enthusiasts have been made welcome pits and start line ‘funnel’ allowing visitors to get much as they visit his quite magnificent collection of cars. Dave has closer to the classic, historic and vintage cars from pre- now produced a most attractive coffee-table book, featuring war to 1975. Entries will be limited to 30 cars. For more the pick of his collection. The photography, which borders on info please contact Ian Shrosbree at [email protected] or the spectacular, is the key to this tome, and people who enjoy 083 992 1417. looking at images of great cars will not be disappointed by the full views and detailed shots. The book is certainly not cheap at R375, but as the proceeds are going to charity, it is easily justifiable for what is a quality publication. Previous South African motoring books follow the tried and tested formula of lauding well-known motorsport personalities, but here Dave focuses on the cars for a welcome change. The book was launched in Cape Town in August and early sales have been brisk to say the least. To get your hands on one contact Elmer van Zyl (Distributor) 082 885 5125 or [email protected]
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 13 News & Events
KNIGHT OF THE STARS The annual Midas Tour Knight of the Stars was held at the historic Wanderers Club in September and went down as a resounding success. Guest speaker Andrew Thompson entertained with tales about racing, broadcasting motorsport through the SABC and splashing soup (by means of flying bread roll) on Kallie Knoetze. Racing royalty present included the likes of Ian Schecker, Tony Martin, Paddy Driver, Jan Hettema and the Domingo family. Franco Scribante (Ford Mustang) scooped the Best CHEETAH 2 HOUR The 7th Annual Cheetah 2 Hour Kart Challenge took place Presented Car of the Year award, Paul Manegold took home at the Zwartkops Kart Centre on Sunday 25 August. The the Norman Poulter Sportsman of the Year trophy and the event is held in aid of the world-renowned Ann van Dyk MG Youth Team the Hole in One for the biggest booboo of Cheetah Centre at De Wildt where successful breeding of the season. Carel van Biljon was named Administrator of rare and endangered species of Cheetah and African wild the Year, Carcol Executive Auto as Team of the Year and dog takes place. Phakis garnered the Event of the Year. Lotus ace Jeff Gable Twelve 4-person relay teams took part this year and was crowned Driver of the Year, Nick Sheward went home Byron the Cheetah was on hand at the prizegiving to with his Ford Sierra XR8 meet the entrants and guests over lunch. Total donations judged Most Significant exceeded R30K for the event. Car of the Year and Colin The results seem irrelevant judging by the amount of Lazarus took the Knight fun had by all but for the sake of the hard chargers the of the Stars award for his top three read Honda (113 laps), TATA (113 laps + 43 commitment to the Midas seconds) and Locost (113 laps + 61 seconds). Historic Tour.
SCOTTBURGH CLASSIC CAR SHOW Brilliant sunshine welcomed classic car enthusiasts from all over South owner about his pride and joy. This was followed by the new Concours Africa to the fourth Scottburgh Classic Car Show held on 21 July 2013 d’Elegance event in which participants dressed up in period costume at the Scottburgh Country Club. Jaguar was the featured marque this and paraded in front of the assembled crowds in spectacular classic year and a large display of these great sporting cars clearly captured vehicles. A large variety of food stalls, a beer tent and a tea garden with the imagination of the spectators. The moving parade included SS100, cakes and sandwiches coupled with the clubhouse bar and restaurant C and D-type replicas, XKs, E-types and a comprehensive range of kept folks happy. saloons, ending with two 2013 newly released F-type sports cars. It is also a charity show and local beneficiaries will share the The Scottburgh Classic Car Show is a moving event and every car proceeds of R60 000. They are the Khumbula Ikhaya House of Safety for and motorcycle club was invited to drive their cars around the huge abandoned children and child victims of crime, the Umsizi Umkomaas playing field for all to admire. The ‘History of My Car’ parade was both Vervet Monkey Rescue Centre and 4 Paws & a Tail Rescue Centre. interesting and humorous as the MC, Pat McKrill, interviewed each Next year’s show will be held on Sunday 20 July 2014.
14 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za The Ultimate Destination for the Ferris Enthusiast We have a full workshop including ECU diagnostic equipment where Roberto, a legend amongst Ferrari Technicians, will pamper your baby while you enjoy and espresso on our lakeside deck.
1982 FERRARI MONDIAL 8 2000 FERRARI 360 MODENA F1 COUPE 1974 FERRARI 365 GT/4 2+2 (M) 2001 FERRARI 360 MODENA COUPE (M) 65 000km, red with cream interior, 36 000km, red with black, optional 102 000km, maroon with black, totally 42 000km, red with black, red carpets, service history, excellent condition Ferrari split rims, fender badges, original, a rare collector’s item. FSH, very rare manual car. R274 990 Challenge grill, FSH R549 990 R1 299 990 R1 349 990
2001 FERRARI 360 F1 SPIDER 2013 FERRARI 458 ITALIA SPIDER 2011 FERRARI 458 2002 FERRARI 360 SPIDER (M) 19 000km, red with black, red 1 300km, red with black, red stitching, 8 000km, red with black, red 38 000km, red with black, fender stitching, fender badges, Challenge red embroidered headrest emblem, stitching, fender badges, yellow badges, Tubi exhaust, FSH. grill, Tubi exhaust, FSH fender badges, lifting kit, 7 year clock, red callipers, lifting kit, 7 year R1 399 990 R1 499 990 service plan. maintenance plan. R4 249 990 R3 339 990
We are looking for good quality Ferrari and Maserati stock, to purchase or consign.
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1995 FERRARI 456 (M) 2008 FERRARI 430 F1 1999 FERRARI 355 GTB F1 1996 FERRARI 355 SPIDER (M) 43 000km, sliver blue with grey 13 000km, red with black, Daytona 22 000km, red with black interior, Tubi 20 000km, red with black, FSH, this leather, FSH. seats, red stitching, fender badges, like exhaust, FSH. must be the lowest 355 Spider in SA. R699 990 brand new. R1 299 990 R1 349 990 R1 999 990 Due to great sales in february we are desperately looking for Ferrari & Maserati stock, to buy or to consign. Call Keith on 083 251 4637 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 News & Events
BMW CLUB CONCOURS Lunchgoers at Monte Casino Square were treated to some of the best Bavarian models as the BMW Car Club held its annual concours in August. Packed to capacity with cars, the highlights for the more classic-orientated included a 2002 Turbo, E30 M3 and a pair of 3.0CSLs in both non-winged and batmobile format. With such a wide spread of ages judging is a tricky affair and numerous trophies were handed out. Mike Frunell (E60 M5) took Show and Shine honours, Nunben Dixon (E30 325i) D’Elegance, Chris Theron (E34 M5) D’Etat while Paul Casson took the best Classic with his E9 3.0 CSL and Jack Kaplan scored the Best 2002 trophy with his Turbo. SEFAC Ferrari Track Day The Tifosi arrived in their hundreds at Kyalami on a chilly morning in July. Variety was there with Ferrari models ranging from the iconic 250LM, Dino, 308 and 512 Testarossa to the 458 and F40, while the car park and surrounds were overflowing with admirers of the red cars. Cars were separated into 4 groups based on performance levels, and having tyre-supplier Pirelli available to assist with balancing and other problems, illustrated the attention to detail which made this a super successful and enjoyable automotive event. It was a liberating experience to run the high performance road cars at full chat, even in a subdued fashion with family as well as guests on board. Before the lunch break a demo race was held. This is a contradiction in terms to say the least. It was run on a handicap basis with the Cavalieri 250LM given an 80 second start on the other half dozen cars, such as 430 and 460 models driven by Jaki Scheckter, Franco Scribante, Mark du Toit, Nicky Dicks and Willem van der Westhuizen. Scheckter just caught the Cavalieri on the last lap to the joy and shouts of encouragement of the enthusiastic supporters around the circuit.
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Franschhoek Motor Museum News HILLCLIMBERS, ENDURANCE RACERS... & SIMPLY RED Variety is the spice of museum life.
Uncorked on & show In mid-August FMM hosted a Winter Wines Festival at which drivers. The car raced at Le Mans in 1992 (finishing 5th overall more than 600 guests visited the Museum. Cape Town’s Citroën and 1st Category turbo car), 1993 (6th overall and 2nd Category club took advantage of the Gallic nature of L’Ormarins to put on 2) and 1994 (4th overall and 2nd LMP1 car). The Toyota also a display of its members’ cars around the inner circuit. Estate participated in Class C1 of the 1992 All-Japan Sports Prototype wines complemented some great food on offer as rides in some Championship (the 10th and final year of the series) in which of the classics took place to the background of live music. Fouche took part in five of the six-round series partnering Swede On display right now helping to celebrate 90 years of Le Steven Andskar.) Alan’s two cars are on view alongside FMM’s Mans, two very special LMP1 sports racing cars have been Porsche 956, Ford GT40 and McLaren M6B GTR. loaned to the Museum by Capetonian Alan Dike – his Mazda Also new on view is Simply Red – not a pop group revival but 767B that competed at the Circuit de la Sarthe in 1989 (finished a display of red convertibles dating from 1909 to 1961. The cars 7th overall and 1st in the GTP class) and 1990 (20th overall on view are a 1909 Le Zebre, 1930 Marquette, 1936 Cord, 1950 and again 1st GTP). A similar car won Le Mans in 1991 – the Jaguar XK120, 1953 MG TD, 1956 Austin Healey 100/4, 1958 only rotary-engined and only Japanese car to have ever won DKW 3=6 Sonderklasse, 1959 Cadillac Series 62, 1960 Nembo the classic race. Alan’s other car is a Toyota 94LM prepared Ferrari and a 1961 Alfa Giulietta Spider. This kind of themed by Tom’s Toyota and originally run by the Trust Racing Team display is a new concept for the Museum and something not with South African George Fouche as one of the team’s regular to be missed.
18 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za A Peugeot – reborn – A couple of years ago following a demo appearance at a Knysna Hillclimb, FMM’s 1939 Peugeot Hillclimb Special was sent away for a ground-up refurbishment. Well, time has really moved quickly and the good news is that the restored car was revealed to the public during the Museum’s Heritage Day celebrations on 24 September. The rebuild has been an interesting and educating project – not only have Steven and Graham Mesecke surpassed all expectations with their astounding restoration but they were also instrumental in uncovering some hidden secrets of this wonderful piece of Africana. Some of the interesting facts discovered along the way were that 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. At first, the rear fenders were part of the main bodywork and the cycle-type mudguards that are now on the car were fitted much later. But what we found most interesting was that once we had the engine open, there was very little Peugeot remaining! Don Tout, the brain who built the car, had obviously used a lot of what he had at his disposal or what gave him the most bang for his buck. The pistons were of British make, possibly from a Triumph, and Ronnie from Bastics (our engine rebuilders) had a tough time matching them. Then the cam had been modified to drive a Lucas distributor and the oil pump, that we never quite determined the true heritage of, bore 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, Riley steering, Austin 7 seats, Dodge brakes, Jaguar radiator – but best of all is the supercharger that came from a Mosquito WWII aircraft and equipped with two 1½-inch SU carburettors! When you look at the neat engine-turned dashboard with all its gauges – oil pressure, boost pressure, oil temp and water temp – you realise this is no backyard racing car. The all-aluminum hand-made body with its long, louvered bonnet and twin aero screens all helped define the car’s single purpose – to climb hills very quickly.
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 | October/November 2013 | 19 BUICK SPECIAL
SOMETHIN’ SPECIAL Big, bold – but hardly basic Words & pictures: Mike Monk
ost people are probably not aware that Buick is the oldest still-active American make of Mcar and among the oldest automobile brands in the world. Founded in 1899 as the Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company – an independent internal combustion engine and motor-car manufacturer – it was incorporated as the Buick Motor Company on 19 May 1903 by Scottish-born David Dunbar Buick in Detroit, Michigan. Later that year, the company was taken over by James H Whiting who moved the company across-state to Flint and later brought in WC ‘Billy’ Durant as manager, Buick selling his stock for a modest sum in the process. Four years later, in 1908, Durant established General Motors with Buick as the principal brand while David Dunbar simply drifted from the scene. The rest, as they say, is history... But what about Buick? Well, it was never a global brand in the way that GM stable-mate Chevrolet, for instance, has been, but in the early years of motoring the cars were
20 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za sold far and wide, including South individual chromed squares topped, Customs import tariff advantages with Africa. Models first appeared here for the first time, with quad headlamps. further foreign exchange savings in in 1905 when George North and It was no less dramatic at the rear, the the form of local procurement of items Sons of Durban became the agents, bumper said to be the biggest in the such as glass, batteries, tyres and trim. announcing that the ‘horizontally- industry at the time and new rear side In place of a US Fisher Body tag, opposed twin-cylinder cars’ were being trim that represented ‘a flying wing’. locally assembled cars carried a ‘Built brought in. Buicks quickly became Buick’s trademark VentiPorts on the in the Union of South Africa’ plate popular and amongst the distinguished sides of the front fenders gave way to on the driver’s door pillar (cars were owners were Generals Smuts and Louis bombsights mounted atop. Bigger and numbered according to the engine Botha and Jock of the Bushveld author heavier than its predecessor, the ’58 number) and they differed from source- Sir Percy Fitzpatrick. In 1914, out of Buick’s proportions are massive – 5.38 built equivalents by having a different 1 400 registered cars in Johannesburg, metres long, 1.98 wide and 1.5 high, choice of body colours, a black facia 120 were Buicks, and they were the riding on a 3.1-metre wheelbase and devoid of any chrome or padding and favoured make when vehicles were tipping the scales at 1 842 kilograms. a unique leather upholstery pattern. commandeered into service by the SA The Buick line-up consisted of five Amazingly though, given its then price Defence Force in view of the impending models, with Special being the entry of SA £1 790 – there was no heater, yet German South West African campaign level followed by Century, Super, power steering and vacuum-assisted during World War One. So the make Roadmaster and Limited. The Special’s brakes were available as options. Air- has a long-standing association with generic coding is Model 40 with seven Poise air suspension was also an option this country. As an aside, it is believed six-seater derivatives – two- and four- – but literally flopped. that Buicks were the first cars in SA door pillared sedans, two- and four- The engine was a 6.0-litre V8 featuring front-wheel brakes. door pillarless sedans (called Riviera), with a two-barrel Stromberg WGD Fast-forward to the early post-war four-door pillared and pillarless carburettor tuned to develop a modest years and the big and brash American (Riviera) station wagons and a two-door 210hp (156kW) by dint of low- auto design time of the times. By 1958 convertible. The four-door pillared compression pistons to compensate for Buick had fallen to fifth place in the sedan, designated Model 41, proved to the regular-only grade fuel. (Premium US market and introduced a dazzling be the best seller. Cars being sold in grade only became available in the new look for its products, starting SA were built from CKD (Completely late-’60s.) The engine is known as a with a Fashion-aire Dynastar grille Knocked Down) kits supplied from Nailhead due to the small-diameter, design made up of no less than 160 Canada, an arrangement that had nail-like overhead valves that were
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 21 mounted vertically in the Vee’s heads 1959, so Hout Bay’s ‘Million Miler’ car the big V8 stirs into life in a lazy, ‘OK, – a peculiarly Buick design. Nailheads enthusiast Dave Lyons’ Model 41 is one let’s get rollin’ bud but take it easy and were all about torque and the 364ci of the last of the line. While Special enjoy the ride’ kind of manner. Move short-stroke (bore/stroke 4.125x3.39 may stand for basic, the term is relative the Variable Pitch Dynaflow’s column inches, 104.8x86.1mm) is no exception, as Dave’s example clearly illustrates. shifter into D and carefully manoeuvre the camshafts featuring extended lift Perhaps the most striking aspect of this out of Dave’s manor house courtyard and duration to compensate for the car is its originality – it has had only with a flurry of arm twirling of the restrictive breathing – an odd twist to three owners, originally belonging to a steering’s ‘I’ve lost count’ number the old American philosophy of ‘there dominee in Bloemfontein before being of turns from lock to lock. But, once ain’t no substitute for cubic inches’. sold to Johannesburg classic car collector on the open road, the big Buick Three transmissions were offered Peter Manellis, from whom Dave bought effortlessly motors along, sparkling – a three-speed manual was the the car. Only the upholstery and rear in the sunlight, attracting thumbs- case option but rarely ordered in bumper have been replaced, patches up and cellphone cameras along the deference to a Variable Pitch Dynaflow of the paintwork have been polished way. The transmission is a kind of automatic (a twin turbine design with down to the primer, there are a couple of ’50s equivalent to a latter-day CVT as variable pitch stator blades) with small dings in the body, some exposed progress is seamless, although the V8’s a more grandiosely-named, triple edges of metal showing faint signs of considerable torque output should not rotor Flight-Pitch Dynaflow an on- superficial rust and the windscreen has be overlooked. cost option. Dynaflows effectively a small crack. Not surprisingly, there are It’s extremely light and airy inside have only one ‘gear’ when Drive is a couple of minor bangs and rattles from the spacious cabin and makes me think selected, with torque multiplication the suspension over rough roads but who needs a stretch limo when a half- done hydraulically in accordance with generally speaking, the condition of this dozen of you can arrive in such glitz accelerator input. There is a planetary well-used 55-year-old car is remarkable. and glamour as this – a Riviera even gear system to provide a low ‘gear’ and Sliding onto the bench front seat two appeared in the American TV show, The reverse. Drive is via torque tube to a things stand out – the triangular end of Playboy Club. However, the ’58 Buicks coil sprung live rear axle, located by the curved windscreen protruding into were not a success and failed to halt the a Panhard rod. Drum brakes are fitted the door aperture, and the starkness company’s declining US sales record. all round and need a hard shove on the of the black facia in an otherwise There were bound to be winners and pedal to be effective. multi-hued colour-keyed interior. But losers in a time of post-war affluence in It is not known how many Specials the view over the playing field-sized America, and sadly the Buick Special were produced here in SA due to the bonnet is impressive, the thin-rimmed was one of the latter. records having been destroyed in the steering wheel feeling almost delicate Acknowledgement: My thanks to John Port Elizabeth floods in the 1960s, and in such an environment. Switch on, Smith and the Buick Club of South Africa Buicks ceased production locally in gently depress the accelerator and for help in researching this article.
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MALLOCK U2 Mk6
The Longest
Bob Hopkin traces he current world add lightness’, Mallock’s addition to possibly the longest build domination by British those laudable aims was ‘and make it motorsport began in the affordable to build and race’. of any racing car - from 1960s and was largely due In 1967 a youthful South African car Lew Baker’s purchase of to three visionary men: enthusiast, Lewis Baker, decided to visit plans for a U2 Mk6 Mallock TColin Chapman, Arthur Mallock and Europe to soak up the atmosphere of Eric Broadley. Much has been written the bourgeoning motor racing industry in 1967, to its competition about the first-mentioned: his Lotus and opportunities, with the hope of debut in 2012. company, legendary drivers, Team somehow acquiring the means to build Lotus, involvement in the DeLorean his own racing car. After coincidentally debacle and tragic death. Broadley was meeting up in London with two other the first to mass produce racing cars for South African enthusiasts, Denzil export worldwide and Arthur Mallock Schultz and motorcycle racer Errol led a far less visible career but, in its Cowan, the three of them decided to own way, just as influential. Whilst visit an open track day at the nearby Chapman’s mantra was ‘simplify and Brands Hatch circuit. As he recalls:
24 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za Gestation
“It was there at Brands that I first he had become involved in the motor during the boredom of the voyage and saw a Mallock and the lust to have one accessory business. The build did not his pranks and disruption on board consumed me. Later that year having progress beyond part of the chassis and prompted the captain to threaten absolutely no money, I could not afford a few suspension parts. Eventually the disembarkation at some West African to buy a kit of parts from Arthur, but I time came to return to South Africa, port if he didn’t start to behave himself. caught a train to his home at Roade in with his Mallock still unfinished. His Calmed by the thought of possible Northamptonshire and walked to his visit to England was before the days of separation from his precious partly- house. With the cheek and brashness affordable and commonplace air travel built Mallock and the prospect of of youth I convinced him I could make and still when passenger ships, not finding his way home through ‘darkest one if he sold me the plans. He agreed cruise liners, were in use for travellers Africa’, Lew managed to complete the to for the sum of 15 pounds and that with time to spare. Part of Baker’s voyage without further incident. gave me the right to build 2 cars. He plan was to return to Cape Town on a Once back in South Africa the even gave me a lift back to the station!” Union Castle Line ship with his racing intended completion of his Mallock Lew started to build his racer in a car pieces tucked safely in the hold. racer had to go onto the back burner shed at the back of his workplace in All went according to plan until his while he built a business career Turnpike Lane in north London where youthful ebullience came to the fore and sources of income to feed his
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 25 Lew Baker and his Mallock. Eventually!
passion for cars. Over the years Lew racer without having turned a wheel! Week Hillclimb. Whilst its early gradually built his prosperity through Finally, with other projects performances were disappointing and involvement in corrugated iron roof completed or on hold, assembly, or mechanical problems meant trailering manufacture, ‘Bakers Bullets’ (during more appropriately, manufacture, home early from some race meets, the the insecure period in our history of the Mallock started in earnest car is now fully operational and often when combat pistol shooting was in in 2011, some 44 years after the seen at Port Elizabeth track days. The vogue and many shooters reloaded original purchase of the plans. Keen Kent pushrod motor has now been their own cartridges), and, more to stick to the original concept of replaced with a Lotus twin cam as on recently, investment in fuel retailing. the car, Lew first fitted a Ford 1600 some of the original cars, and the first During all this time the unfinished Kent motor, gearbox and modified outing in this form was at the Aldo Mallock gathered dust in Lew’s various Morris Minor back axle to the car, Scribante track day in mid-August. homes in Durban, Johannesburg and added the necessary equipment to Fast approaching the fabled ‘three most recently George. As he remarked pass modern scrutineering, painted score years and ten’, Lew now has the ruefully, the Mallock went from state it a fetching shade of racing red and satisfaction of owning and racing a car of the art racing technology to veteran entered it in the 2012 Knysna Speed more than half his age.
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PACKARDS IN SOUTH AFRICA Packards in Paradise To many, the image of the large American sedans of the early twentieth century is epitomised in the gangster movies. James Cagney in the role of Al Capone shouting “You dirty rat” from a black limousine while emptying a Tommy gun’s magazine into his rival’s coffee shop seemed to typify the era. But as Bob Hopkins tells, before the American motor industry lapsed into the excesses of the befinned and chromed monsters of the fifties and sixties, those times saw some serious automotive innovation in top-of-the-range cars. The pre-depression prosperity of the United States encouraged car manufacturers to push the boundaries of contemporary automotive design to introduce revolutionary features and styling themes.
n the 1920s three companies, When Packard relocated to Detroit in his career progressed in the military Pierce-Arrow, Peerless and 1903 they employed renowned architect and as a civilian industrial psychologist, Packard, became known as the Albert Kahn to design their 330 000 the subconscious attachment to the ‘motoring royalty’ of the time and square metre factory which itself was Packard brand never faded. Forty years the latter was considered the most innovative, employing reinforced later the opportunity arose in 1982 Iinnovative, outsold the others and also concrete construction for the first time when a white 1941 Packard One Twenty became the longest to survive. Packard in an industrial application. This plant, sedan came up for sale in Mafeking. Sep was born as a marque at the turn of the now of course derelict, on East Grand paid R4 500 for this car – a fortune at nineteenth century after Karl Benz had Boulevard, endures to this day nearly the time - and thus began his obsession proved the automobile could be viable 100 years on. with the marque. This car remains in as a concept and Henry Ford proved they During the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s a his collection to this day and has been could be mass produced. Founded by the number of Packards were exported joined by 7 other pre- and post- war Packard brothers in September 1899 as to South Africa, mainly for the use of models as well as a storeroom full of a reaction to unhappiness in another Government ministers and wealthy spare parts stripped from non-restorable product, the Winton car (in which they industrialists. One of these was in donor cars. had an interest), they started small scale regular use in Pietersburg (now Sep said that the original restoration production at the Ohio Automobile Polokwane) by the owner of a trading work that he undertook while still in Company in Warren, Ohio. From the store close to the Serfontein family full employment provided more than beginning the brothers targeted the whose young son, Septimus, became just satisfaction in bringing a classic car premium end of the market and, in order fascinated by the imposing presence back to life. “My work was quite stressful to attract wealthy buyers, began their and luxury of the car next door. During at times and often I became quite sick policy of including innovative features. his high school years in Pietersburg he and tired with the demands of the job. Packard was the inventor of the steering spent many a Saturday in the showroom I allocated Saturday of every week to wheel, replacing the boat-like tiller on of Leon Motors, the local Packard agent, my restoration work and found it to other products, and later introduced admiring the finesse and styling of be very therapeutic as well as allowing the first 12-cylinder motor and air the cars. As ‘Sep’ grew up those first an escape from the taxing efforts of conditioning to be fitted in motor cars. impressions never disappeared and, as the working week. Later I reworked
28 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za Sep Serfontein and his Packards. some of the cars to make them as close just in time to appeal to buyers with Packard lacked. Some ill-advised and to the original as possible, including less money to spend but, ironically, under-developed innovations, such as importing some parts from the USA. this ‘dilution’ of the exclusivity of the a push button automatic transmission Now, in what I call the third stage, I am brand came back to haunt them in the and four-wheel electric adjust torsion refining the cars with, for instance, top post-war years with irreparable damage bar suspension, eroded their reputation class repainting to standards better than to the brand image. The Second World for reliability and a ‘shotgun marriage’ new. All in all it is a most satisfying and War meant that, along with other car with Studebaker did little to enhance gratifying exercise,” he said. manufacturers, civilian production either marque’s reputation or model Sep retired to Wilderness in the was halted in favour of military range. By 1958 Packard had all but southern Cape in 2007 and has created hardware and, to their delight, Packard vanished with the suffix ‘Packard’ an immaculate purpose-built Packard were approached to produce the disappearing from the Studebaker- working museum where his collection Rolls Royce Merlin aero engine under Packard brand in 1962. is on display alongside walls covered licence thanks to their experience in Fortunately, thanks to a large with Packard memorabilia and signage manufacturing similar V12 automotive extent to people like Sep Serfontein’s of the period. Helped by local friend motors. Producing up to 1500hp, the efforts, many of the most prestigious, and restorer Fanie van Wyngaard, Packard Merlin was used in the Spitfire, innovative and iconic models from there are two more vehicles, a 1941 One Hurricane and P51 fighter as well as Packard are being preserved for future Twenty convertible and a 1940 One three of these iconic engines in each PT generations in South Africa. As Sep said: Ten convertible currently in paint and torpedo boat made. “It was the imposing shape of the car awaiting reassembly. Sadly, post-war, Packard began its that attracted me to Packard as a child, The Packard brand continued to inevitable and terminal decline due to a the challenge of the restoration gave capitalise on its upmarket image until toxic combination of factors. The move me consolation during my working life the storm clouds of the coming 1938 downmarket alienated the buyers of the and now, in my later years, the pleasure Great Depression appeared. Even then more exclusive and profitable models is in knowing I have some of the finest the company was well prepared for the and the grouping of many brands into cars America has ever produced.” As downturn with the more affordable the Big Three of GM, Ford and Chrysler the Packard slogan reads: ‘ Ask the Man One Twenty and ‘Six’ models appearing gave them economies of scale that Who Owns One.’
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 29 SCAMP PORTER – PART 1 The FRENCH CONNECTION Greg Mills tells the tale of South Africa’s legendary South African Renault man Scamp Porter. Of course no Renault tale is complete without input from Puddles Adler, Geoff Mortimer and Jody Scheckter. Images: www.motoprint.co.za
Scamp at the wheel of the Lawson’s Renault Dauphine Gordini, on the way to seventh overall.
earching for Sugarman’ dominance with the R8 Gordini in SA documents the hunt saloon car racing during the 1960s, for the ‘60s musical he retired from driving after being icon Sixto Rodriguez involved in the practice accident for by journalist Craig the 1972 9 Hour which claimed the ‘SStrydom and a Cape Town record life of Brian Ferreira. Although Scamp bar owner, Stephen Segerman. The stayed in motorsport until the early folksinger had disappeared into the 1980s, he went from household name obscurity of Detroit’s construction to background man. Yet just as Sixto, business and was, according to urban Scamp deserves recognition for his legend, said to have talents and achievements. For this is the man, who in the committed suicide For this is the man, who in the on stage. All along opinion of many, ‘made’ Jody Scheckter opinion of many, ‘made’ Jody Rodriguez was by allowing the East Londoner access Scheckter by allowing the East unaware of his to Renault’s tuning ideas and parts. fame in South The 1979 World Champion recounts: Londoner access to Renault’s Africa, where every “I first remember Scamp when I was at self-respecting school. My friends and I would fight tuning ideas and parts. student had a as I wanted Renault to win and others bootlegged version of his albums. The wanted other cars to win. It was very rest is history – an Oscar, a daughter serious loyalty! When I left school I married to a South African, sell-out started to work in my father’s garage. concerts, celebrity status, even an He gave me a second-hand Renault honorary doctorate. R8 to go to work and back. That only If there ever was a name for a ‘Boy’s happened once. The next time the car Own’ hero, then ‘Scamp’ Porter has it. came down off the jacks it went to the Known also as ‘Mr Renault’ from his first race.”
30 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za Jody Scheckter (Renault R8) leads Scamp’s similar Scheckter’s 1300cc R8 at Hesketh in 1969. Racing machine at Kyalami, 1970. was tough, note the rubber marks on the door.
“Scamp,” says Jody, “was my hero. I’d world in Benoni in 1936, two years after two seconds behind Basil van Rooyen’s get the spares manager to talk to him his brother Phil. He quickly acquired lightweight Anglia.” as I was scared to phone him, to find the moniker Scamp, “and I have never Thereafter he moved to a Fiat 1100, out what I could do to make my R8 go been known as anyone else since,” he shared with John Conchie, the other faster. We phoned twice or three times smiles. His father, a carpenter, wanted ‘half’ of Alconi, using Adler’s twin a day sometimes and he was always very him to follow his trade, but Scamp Weber 38 DCOEs and 180o manifolds helpful. I got to know Scamp better as I had other ideas. ”I failed Standard above the valve cover, by which started going to the national races, and I Nine, so left school early to do an time the focus of the Jo’burg racing continued to learn more from him.” apprenticeship at Williams Hunt.” had shifted to Kyalami. At that stage Respect for his engineering prowess Jumping in at the deep end, he started Scamp was better known for his rally was widespread among his peers. Eric his competitive career in 1958 by exploits as a co-driver to Phil, the pair ‘Puddles’ Adler, half of the Alconi driving a Renault 750 with Phil in the winning the Total LM Rally in 1962 tuning firm, ranks Scamp among Rory 9 Hour race at Grand Central. “Currie in a Renault Dauphine and 1964 in an Byrne and Gordon Murray in terms of Motors had entered three cars, and the R8, finishing second in the intervening engineering brilliance. “He possessed 750 had been rolled in practice. We year. “We got an entry into the Monte an uncanny knack for appreciating and asked Bob May, who was running the Carlo Rally as a prize for the victories,” applying any necessary engineering cars, whether we could get the drive. the only opportunity Scamp had for principle, and ability in successfully I went out first having neither driven international competition outside SA. adapting, altering, re-inventing or the car nor at Grand Central and went In 1963 the brothers were lying 41st on experimenting with any idea that quicker than the original drivers. the Monte when they were disqualified looked promising. His lightning- Then Phil went three seconds quicker for not having had their car’s carnet quick and agile mind was legendary, than me!” Thereafter Scamp regularly in the parcferme. Second time round and somehow he did it on a carefully raced a Fiat 500 at the Midrand track, they crashed. “These were the days, of controlled budget. This propelled the in which he enjoyed many a dice with course,” laughs Scamp, “before the Halda otherwise rather flimsy Renaults to the Phil’s Fiat Cub, before progressing Speed Pilot, when we had made up our forefront of modified saloon car racing.” to a Fiat 1100, “which we got to go own homemade odos, and when we had Anthony Walter Porter entered the quicker than Streepie, but was still to use a Facit mechanical calculator for
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 31 The Scamp Porter/Geoff Mortimer R8 on the way to fourth East London 1969, McGillewie and Scamp Porter. overall in the 1969 Kyalami 9 Hour.
these regularity-based runs.” McGillewie in particular.” In an era when the Meissner car Scamp joined Renault South Africa The Gordini had the distinctive alloy had a bespoke Cosworth FVC racing from Green’s Garage in 1962 initially crossflow head, coming standard on engine, the Alfa GTAm was a pukka as a technical instructor and sales rep. twin 40 sidedrafts (Solexes on the 1108, works car, and McGillewie had He quickly moved up to take charge Webers on 1255cc). “The combustion imported a trick Arden unit for his of the motorsport division, which chamber was essentially the two valves, Mini, Scamp’s R8 used standard rods, involved preparing rally cars for his and the spark reached in there via a crank and, albeit oversize, pistons. brother and Chris Swanepoel. It was pre-combustion tunnel. We tried all Despite this, the R8 regularly revved not without adventure. “On one Total manner of tricks, from exhausts to to 9000rpm. Rally Chris crashed into the back of fuel injection, Tecamalit Jackson and There were other changes under the a Volvo. The Volvo retired, but Chris Lucas, to get the car quicker, although skin. “The R8 would, with the engine straightened out the R8 with a tow- carbs were always more reliable as the in the back, get slower and slower rope so that the wheels each lap as it got hotter could turn, and we patched In an era when the Meissner car and hotter. We cut ducts it up some more in the into the wheel-arches and service halt. He went on to had a bespoke Cosworth FVC ultimately moved the win it despite me thinking, racing engine, the Alfa GTAm radiator to the front of and telling his wife, that the car.” The Renault also there was nil chance of was a pukka works car, and raced with a locked diff him ever doing so!” and an outrageous five Scamp bought a McGillewie had imported a trick degrees of negative camber ‘smashed’ R8 for his own Arden unit for his Mini, Scamp’s on the rear wheels. “The track use, but got a works locked diff,” recalls Scamp, R8 Gordini for 1965. “We R8 used standard rods, crank and, “meant that we had to experimented all the time albeit oversize, pistons. provoke the car, especially to make the car faster. My into slow corners. We motto became: ‘If I can’t do it, it can’t injector units and pumps would wear needed the camber on the rear wheels, be done.’ On the rally car we bored out. Although we spent some time on as the car would jack itself up when and stroked the 1255cc engine to 1500, the dyno at Lawson Motors, our biggest cornering hard, effectively reducing giving it more torque and drivability. breakthrough came from Percy Trehair the negative camber to nil due to the With the racing car we started with [the legendary Champion sparkplug rear swing-arm suspension. Without the 1108cc, but increased it to 1296, guru] who, on examining our plugs, said the camber it would have toppled moving up classes to race with the that the cam timing was too retarded. over, as it did with me coming out Minis. Regie, Renault’s Competition We had copied an Iskenderian profile, of Malmesbury sweep at Killarney, Manager, said that we would never but I asked Ritchie Jute to reprofile the rolling me and the car down the track.” be able to beat the Minis, but we did, cam, advancing it three degrees. It was a These changes were made much more despite a lot of competition from Garth different car after that.” effective when Renault homologated
32 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za For the 1968 9 Hour Porter teamed up with Chris Swanepoel in an R8. With many of Scamp’s ideas Scheckter was crowned Image: Malcolm Sampson. Motorsport Photography via www.motorprint.co.za. 1970 Class Y champ in his R8 turbo. the use of wide-wheel spats on the R8. things like fuel consumption, tyre not to mention his gentle personality Scamp says he probably learnt the wear and brakes, while still having which I enjoyed so much.” most on the suspension and handling performance capabilities ahead of In the national championship, side. “One of the biggest differences most of the other saloon cars and Mortimer’s privately-run but works- was when we changed from 15 to 13 some of the sports cars, and with supported de-stroked R8 ran in the inch wheels and widened the track fewer pit stops.” 1000cc saloon car class, where it in the process. This transformed the The 1969 9 Hour repeated his 1964 enjoyed titanic tussles with Gordon handling. Puddles also gave me a result of fourth overall in a Lawson’s Briggs’ screaming Broadspeed Anglia. stiffer 25mm – up from 17mm – front Motors-entered and Vic Mobey- “Geoff had a chance of winning the anti-rollbar. This made the Gordini so prepared R8 shared with Arnold championship in 1969, so we swapped nice especially in the Esses. I would Chatz, with only David Piper/Tony cars. But he blew up on the finish line put the left front wheel over the kerb Maggs (Ferrari 275LM), John Love/ and was passed by Jody, handing the but never touched it, as the wheel was Peter de Klerk (Ferrari GTO) and Peter championship to Peter Gough and the 4 inches off the ground!” Sutcliffe/Dickie Stoop’s Jaguar E-Type Meissner Escort.” While tricky to drive on the ahead of them. In 1966, his fifth-place “Scamp’s engineering skills were limit, the car was very fast. “We R8 Gordini shared with Puddles Adler both innovative (as one had to be in were the quickest car on the track finished behind Piper/Attwood’s those times considering the lack of when it rained during the 9 Hour, Ferrari P2/3, Clarke/Fielding’s Ferrari support from the parent company) which it usually did for two hours 275LM, van Buuren/Mellet’s Porsche and clever. He was one of the toughest or so,” chuckles Scamp. With Geoff R8, and Holme/Wheble’s Lotus Elan, drivers to race against,” remembers Mortimer he finished a remarkable with Phil Porter and Colin Burford’s Geoff. “In the seven years that I raced fourth overall in 1969 behind the Gordini one place behind in sixth. Renaults he was always supportive in winning Porsche 917 of David Piper/ Chatz, himself an SA saloon legend, the technical department if not on the Richard Attwood, Mike d’Udy and rated Scamp as one of the quickest financial side, though certainly that Frank Gardner in their Lola T70, and saloon car drivers of his era. “One was not his doing.” Mortimer says that Gerhard Koch/Hans-Dieter Dechent in must also consider,” says Arnold, while the Renaults sometimes had a the Porsche 908/02. It was auspicious “how consistent a driver is and from reputation as being fragile, this did company for a humble saloon built my experience of sharing endurance “not do justice to a car that raced and on the Reef. The pair also scooped the race drives with Scamp, I found rallied with great success mostly on Index of Performance, one better than that he was able to extract the best standard suspension and brakes, and Scamp’s second-place (behind the performance from a car consistently survived some big crashes without Arnold Chatz/Spencer Schultze Volvo during his spell at the wheel without roll-bars and other modern safety 122S) in ’68; the same year Scamp won a single incident that would have been devices without ever any serious the SA Saloon Car Championship. detrimental to a good end result. I injury to drivers and or co-drivers.” believe that Scamp’s strength was that As co-driver Mortimer reflects, “The For more on Scamp Porter and his ability to get the fact that the cars were light weight his technical knowledge was an added best out of humble packages read Part 2 in the next (+/-750kgs) made them very good on bonus to his excellent driving ability, issue of Classic & Performance Car Africa.
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 33 ALFA ROMEO SPIDER
The Spider evolution from left to right: Series 1, Series 2, Series 3 and Series 4.
34 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za Summer has arrived and there is no better time to cruise the streets in a classic drop top. While the options are many, Stuart Grant reckons an Alfa Spider should be high on the list thanks to versatility, ease of maintenance, extensive spares supply, charming looks and best of all, Alfa’s legendary twin-cam 4-cylinder at the core. So whip out the Jackie O shades, drop the top, head for some gelato and live the good life. Photography by Oliver Hirtenfelder
ike fellow icons the Morgan, MGB and Porsche 911 the Alfa Spider 105/115 series was around in essentially the same Lformat for decades, launching in 1966 and wrapping up production in 1994. Sure it went through aesthetic and mechanical upgrades to keep with the times but to the tame eye a Spider, is a Spider, is a Spider. This longevity was only really made possible because of the two-seater’s relative sophistication and specification from the outset. The name Spider was rehashed, paying homage to a version of the 1930s Alfa 8C sportscar.
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 35 While Alfa differentiated between and ‘Duetto’ took the title, but holding Italian nickname of ‘osso di sepia’ various models with series numbers rights for that lay with another car which in English is a cuttlefish – ask like 750, 101, 105 and 115, for simplicity manufacturer (or some say bakery) and your parakeet. most Alfisti simply break down the Alfa was forced to never officially name In late 1976 a slight revision was major changes into Series 1, 2, 3 and it as such. Power came from a 1570cc made to the ‘Duetto’ and the car was 4. Series 1 refers to the ‘Duettos’ and all-aluminium 4-cylinder twin cam, a officially titled 1750 Spider Veloce. ‘Roundtails’, Series 2 the ‘Kamm tails’ pair of Weber two-barrel side-draught Changes included the fitment of a or ‘Coda Tronca’, Series 3 the rubber- carbs fed the mix and power claimed 1779cc twin-cam, revisions to the backed ‘Aero’ or ‘Duck tails’ and Series at 109 horses. Independent suspension electrics, brakes, suspension and 4 the ‘Smooth’ plastic bodies. kept the rubber on the road and discs wheels. Europe kept the twin Weber handled the stopping department. setup but the Americans got SPICA SERIES 1 (1966-1969) In true Alfa tradition the rear wheels mechanical fuel injection from ’69. Although a prototype Spider was were driven via a 5-speed gearbox. In Visually the new car was very similar shown at the 1961 Turin Motor Show, comparison to most soft-tops of the with only the repositioning of the rear- economic hardships in Italy meant that era the Alfa featured wind up glass view mirror to the door and different it took five years until the production windows, an easy-to-use 2-clip fabric rear badges giving the game away. A unit was launched at the 1966 Geneva roof fastening system and a heater that budget version 1300 Junior, which show. Based on the 105 Giulia saloon actually worked. Boot space was more took advantage of taxation laws in platform, the new sporting model than adequate for a weekend away or Europe by using a 1290cc 89hp engine, was clothed by a Pininfarina-designed even daily commute, and the interior made an appearance in 1968 and saved 2-seater body. Pininfarina was also not cramped at all. cost by not sporting headlamp covers, responsible for manufacture of the car’s With the rear edges gently sloping brake booster, hubcaps and an opening monocoque construction, which was downward while at the same time quarterlight window. ahead of its time with both front and tapering inward on the sides, it is not rear crumple zones added for safety. difficult to understand the nickname SERIES 2 (1970-1983) Initially the naming of the vehicle ‘boat tail’. This design attribute For 1970 the 1750 Veloce underwent was done via a write-in competition was echoed at the front, hence the quite a dramatic change, getting rid
36 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za of its ‘boat tail’ and replacing it with famed understeer from the earlier cars, injection, that, while old school Spider a more contemporary ‘Kamm tail’. was fitted. fans might moan, was the easiest Featured on cars like the Alfa Giulia, Within a year the 1750 engine way to smooth out performance and Triumph TR6 and Ferrari 250GTO, was swapped out for a 132hp 1962cc make for reliable driveability. Further a Kamm tail refers to a contoured engine, that when rounded up gave adding to the ‘environment friendly’ body that continues into a tail before the name 2000 Veloce to the Spider. A aspect was the changing of diff ratio being abruptly cut off in an almost 1600 Junior, which had the same basic from 4.5 to 4.1, which dropped the vertical manner. Such items follow spec as the 1300, made an appearance cruising revs by 400rpm and improved the design thought and testing of in 1972. Small back seats were added to fuel consumption. German aerodynamicist Wunibald the 1300 and 2000 Spiders in 1974, and In the ever increasing world of Kamm in the 1930s. He established at a similar stage the delicate chrome- ‘green’ cars and political correctness, that by flattening the streamlined end only bumpers were replaced by more Alfa dropped the ‘Junior’ tag and just and bringing that edge down towards substantial rubber clad items to meet referred to the smaller-engined Spider the ground, he achieved the benefit of the ever-demanding American crash as the 1600. Across the board the Series little turbulence similar to a traditional test needs. 3 retained the dual dash pod design teardrop shape without sacrificing size but upped the ante with a plusher and wasting material. As a result of the SERIES 3 (1983-1990) redesigned centre consol and options Kamm effect the Series 2 Spider got Whether or not it was stricter like aircon and electric windows. more boot space than its predecessor. regulations or just a marketing need Ordering a Spider 2000 would see you Other changes included improved for a refresh, the Series 3 Spider was getting steel wheels, vinyl seats and interior trim with the dual-pod gauge previewed in 1982 and launched in ’83. a vinyl top, while ticking the Veloce cluster, top-mounted pedals, different Rubber bumpers, with an incorporated option meant alloy wheels, leather semi-recessed door handles, a steeper grille, made their appearance and seats and a cloth top. By 1985 specs to raked windscreen and the grille was so too did a rubber bootlid spoiler. choose from read Graduate, Veloce, made smaller with the number of Under the hood the Weber carbs were and Quadrifoglio. horizontal bars dropping from 8 to 5. tossed off the 2000 in favour of the US As the introductory model, the A rear anti-roll bar, that reduced the emission rule meeting Bosch L-Jet fuel Graduate (named as a tribute to the
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 37 movie with the same title where Dustin front and rear spoilers, replaced with wheel and in some cases even airbags. Hoffman drives a Series 1 Spider) plastic colour-coded bumpers. Rear tail- Sadly sales weren’t that rapid though came with vinyl seats, vinyl top, and lights were also changed and resembled and in mid-1993 production stopped. steel wheels. The Veloce saw leather the Alfa 164 saloon of the time. The So slow were the sales figures that Alfa seats, a cloth top, electric windows tacked-on side skirts became part of still had ’93 manufactured cars for sale and mirrors and alloy wheels, while the bodywork and the rubber ‘duck as 1994 models. Some attribute the lack the top dog Quadrifoglio had bells tail’ was taken out of the equation by of sales to the impressive new Mazda and whistles like specially designed re-curving of the entire rear body shell MX5, but for whatever reason the leather seats, canvas top, ‘phone dial’ to form an integrated rear spoiler. numbers don’t lie and Alfa were forced alloy wheels, aircon, special carpeting, The bodywork did, however, to ditch the long-running 105/115 Alfa redesigned front spoiler, side skirts and increase the weight and although Spider and launch the all-new front a removable hard top. the addition of Bosch Mototronic wheel drive 916 Series Alfa Romeo Minor updates such as new paint Injection saw more power from the Spider in 1995. colours, high-mounted brake light, 1600 and 2000 engines, performance Like any true sports car enthusiast modern indicator stalks and, in some was not as perky as its predecessors. the Alfisti seem to believe that ‘real’ top-of-the-line versions, automatic seat Some European 1600 models did keep Spiders are rear wheel drive, so cap belts took place, until the Series 3 was Weber carbs and therefore that aural the legend’s life at 1994. Each has his put out to the pasture in 1990. please only they create. In 1992 the opinion on which of these cars is the addition of an automatic gearbox best, but in reality it comes down to the SERIES 4 (1991-1994) option to the range combined with owner’s usage needs and aesthetic bent. Following the turmoil which resulted the weight problem perhaps indicates All are brilliant soft top alternatives to in Fiat taking ownership of Alfa, the the fact that the Spider had evolved soak up the ideal South African climate 105/115 Spider underwent its final from a sporting car into a comfortable and varying landscapes. Live the sweet incarnation. And it was a major, and and practical cruiser. A point further life with a Spider. expensive, update with Pininfarina enhanced was the most sumptuous Thanks to AK Classics for the loan of all four cars, again coming on board and going at Spider interior ever, and featured which are for sale and can be viewed at their it hammer and tongs. Gone were the plush redesigned seats, dash, steering Randburg showroom.
38 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za
BSA SCOUT SCOUTING MISSION
n seeking out, researching other things, military and sporting Mike Monk takes a look at and writing about veteran, firearms, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, vintage and classic cars for this buses and bodies. In its heyday, BSA a British front-wheel drive magazine, what never ceases was the largest motorcycle producer car that pre-dated the Mini to amaze me is the number in the world, ‘Beezers’ proving to by almost 25 years. Iof motoring gems that exist in this be extremely popular and today country, a number of which are a much sought after by vintage ‘bike complete surprise because of some enthusiasts. But it is the lesser-known aspect of its provenance. Take Neville car side of the company that is the Aubrey’s 1936 Series 3 BSA Scout focus of attention for this article. Cars Coupé for example… were manufactured between 1907 and Being born and raised in Coventry 1912 in Birmingham, then until 1939 – Britain’s post-war equivalent of were made in Coventry as well, with Detroit – as a child I simply dreamed production ceasing the following year of one day being ‘involved’ with cars after the outbreak of WWII. and would never have thought that Following an amalgamation with more than 50 years later I would be Daimler in 1910, BSA produced living in a far-off country sitting in a cars that were effectively ‘entry car built just up the road from where level’ Daimlers powered by sleeve- I lived – and likely one of only three valve engines. An air-cooled V-twin known to exist in the world! So while appeared after WWI and this was looking out over the slim bonnet of soon followed by cars with four- and Neville’s rare and characterful BSA, I six-cylinder sleeve-valve motors. After felt a need to pinch myself. a two year production hiatus, in 1929 BSA was a multi-faceted organisation. a BSA three-wheeler appeared with The letters stand for the Birmingham a V-twin and front-wheel drive – a Small Arms Co Ltd, a group of more sophisticated drivetrain than businesses manufacturing amongst rival Morgan’s three-wheeler’s chain-
40 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za driven single rear. Then in April 1935 Three body styles were offered: the four-wheeled Scout appeared two- and four-seater open sports and with a 1 075cm3 four-cylinder side- a coupé. Of the latter, no more than valve engine mated with a three- 150 are thought to have been built speed non-synchro gearbox fitted out of a total of around 3 000 units in with a cork-faced wet clutch with two the Scout’s five-year lifespan, which spring-loaded driving plates providing makes Neville’s example rather rare. progressive engagement. Kind of! Found in 1964 at a Cape Town The whole drivetrain is mounted scrap yard, the Scout was virtually back-to-front with complete but needing much work universal-jointed to restore to health and was about Three body styles were driveshafts connecting to be melted down in a previously offered: two- and four-seater the front wheels to the concluded deal, a situation Neville worm-drive differential. was fortunately able to circumvent open sports and a coupé. Of A year later, the in order to buy the wreck for R70 but motor was increased in not the spare engine and gearbox lying the latter, no more than 150 capacity to 1 203cm3 fed alongside. A ground-up restoration are thought to have been by a Solex carburettor began in 1984 that took a spasmodic and having a power 27 years to complete, more by dint built out of a total of around rating given as 9.8hp. of being a back-burner job than any 3 000 units. The gear shift was laziness – amongst other things, moved from the floor – Neville has personally completed four between the clutch and brake pedals! other bare-chassis restorations during – to a Gallic-style under-dashboard that time. arrangement. The H-pattern shift gate While mechanically the car was is unusual too: first gear is top left fairly sound, the wooden body above reverse; second gear is bottom- structure was rotten, requiring right below third (top). an extensive recreation around a
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 41 The wooden body structure was rotten, requiring an The Scout, as found in a scrapyard in 1964. extensive recreation.
completely new frame. Fortunately, (8.1-7.1 l/100 km). Being front-wheel An aspect noted by Autocar was a very active BSA FWD club exists in drive – a radical arrangement for the engine’s easy starting ability, an the UK that was able to supply Neville the time, especially for a British attribute found with Neville’s car. with factory data and drawings and manufacturer as only Alvis had Once on the move – the gear lever some parts to help rebuild the Scout. (unsuccessfully) tried out the concept position does take getting used to – the It was when the car was stripped that previously – the magazine was quick long-stroke (bore/stroke 63.5x95mm), Neville realised that it was not a true to point out that the Scout’s low body relatively torquey motor pulls willingly, coupé. For starters, the engine and height and consequent stability gives does not object to being revved and chassis numbers do not match with “an immediate impression of being very emits a saucy crackle from the exhaust. the chassis having a different front end, safe and easy to handle round curves There is a good view over the long, probably as a result of the car having and corners”. With quarter-elliptic leaf sleek bonnet, the body is secure on been involved in an accident, which springs at the front and semi-elliptics the chassis and the ride is a little stiff if probably led to some mix ’n matching at the back, the car’s handling was compliant. The four-wheel drum brakes taking place. Was the non-purchasable certainly sporty even if the engine’s are another clue to the car’s chequered spare powertrain in the scrapyard the performance characteristics were history: this was a feature only fitted original unit? to post-October 1936 Series 4 Not only that, evidence models. With cable operation suggests that the car was …relatively torquey motor to the fronts and rods to the rear, originally an open four-seater pulls willingly, does not the set-up is difficult to adjust so was possibly rebuilt with the and needs due consideration in stubby but attractive Airline- object to being revved and bringing the Scout to a halt, but style coupé body – the side glass with a firm push on the pedal, of which is dated 1936 – at the emits a saucy crackle from pull up is true – 10.7 metres same time. All told an intriguing the exhaust. to come to a halt from 30mph story but the anomalies in no (48km/h). The steering has 3 way detract from the car’s credentials slightly more pedestrian. 1 /4 turns lock-to-lock for a 12.2-metre – it has been painstakingly rebuilt to But dependability was never in turning circle. Neville’s inherent exacting standards, question: just after its launch, a coupé Advertised as ‘The car for sporting and is finished in a subtle two-tone took part in the 1 600km 1936 RAC people’, the concluding paragraph of green (plates on the body confirm this Rally starting from Bristol and passing the Autocar test perhaps sums up best as the original colour) with a black through Blackpool, Glasgow, Harrogate the BSA Scout: “It gives the impression fabric roof. and London to the finish in Torquay. of being well made – as should be A period Autocar road test (carried The three-day event was undertaken the case in view of the reputation out at Brooklands, no less...) produced with all target times easily beaten and possessed by its makers – and is performance figures of 29.6 seconds all tests completed without mishap. certainly very interesting to handle. for 0-50mph (80km/h), a best timed The only maintenance en route was to Also, it shows that there is undoubtedly top speed of 61.22mph (98.5km/h) replace a tail-light bulb and adding a a great deal in the unusual features of and a fuel consumption of 35-40mpg drop of oil to the distributor spindle. its construction.”
42 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za R759 000 R219 000 R359 000 R359 000 2011 BMW 6 SERIES 640 F12 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 2010 JAGUAR XF 3.0 LUXURY 2007 BMW 3 SERIES 335i Cabriolet 40 000km, twin turbo, heads up display, 114 000km, quality craftsmanship, black leather, 46 000km, automatic, silver, stylish mid-sized 51 000km, 2 drs, Tiptronic, blue, petrol, twin reversing camera, balance of motorsplan at last navigation, full service history with agents and Jaguar with the very sporty yet efficient 3-litre turbo award winning engine with ideal power for a good looking 4-seater convertible. condition that belies its age. V6. the Highveld.
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WALKING ON BROKEN GLAS
A Southern African set: Rhodesian BMW Cheetah (left) with South African 2000SA (middle) and 2004 (right).
Blik Met Wiele. A joke that is mmediately some of you might age of twenty, returned that bit wiser assume I’m talking about 333i, and in 1920 took over management of told more often than not when 745i or 325is but I’m looking his father’s company. talking BMW. But looking at the even further back than that. With profits dented by the number of high-end cars from Back to the late 1960s and the worldwide economic depression, Glas Ifirst locally built BMWs, the 1800SA, & Lohr was forced to close in 1931. the fi rm on South African roads 2000SA, 1804 and 2004. Hans had however managed to secure and the exceptional quality, it is The BMW South Africa tale starts the Glas name and stumbled along easy to pass it off as words from in earnest with Glas. Glas goes back becoming an arms supplier. Hans’ son, an ignorant or jealous motorist. to a Maurus Glas founding a steam- named after his grandfather Andreas, powered agricultural machinery joined the family business and a Or is it? Stuart Grant learns of factory in Freising, Germany around boom in agricultural activity post-war the gag’s origin and discovers 1860. His son Andreas then set up a saw the business flourish again. In a set of uniquely Southern similar operation in Pilsting and later October 1949 the firm was renamed Dingolfing. By 1906 Andreas had again, this time as Hans Glas GmbH. African models. pulled in a partner, renamed the firm Seeing a drop in agricultural sales Images: Oliver Hirtenfelder Glas & Lohr and the profits soared, the family looked for other business which helped Andreas support his 18 opportunities and went the way of a children comfortably. One of these scooter. The scooter, named Goggo, kids, Hans, travelled to America at the a term of endearment for a newborn
44 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za 2000SA interior with ‘mordern’ BMW round dials.
Cheetah in the foreground with 2004 behind. SA models sported some unique badging. Note the upside down 5-Series tail lights.
baby boy, was launched in 1951. coachwork, initially a 4-door then a Three years later 47 000 Goggo units very attractive GT. An in-house V8 was had left the factory and the business next off the line but sadly the family- had swung away from agriculture. run concern was not able to tie up the As people recovered from the funds needed for mass production. hardships of the war, In a state of panic Glas was sold to so the desire for more BMW in 1966, and the Bavarian giant The tooling for the Glas saloons than a scooter increased kept the plant open making Glas cars was shipped off to South Africa, and Glas responded that featured BMW badges, grilles and with a small car in 1955. the latest 1 800 power units from the so if BMWs quality opinions The world received the Bavarian giant. By 1968 BMW canned are to go by we inherited our legendary micro-car, the all ‘Glas’ production and converted the Goggomobil, and 48 000 plant into a BMW component factory. Blik Met Wiele. units were sold the world This kept the Glas staff employed but over. Next on the cards were full-sized poor quality control methods did see to cars in 1962 and Glas led the way in BMW sending in some of its own staff. engine development by fitting a belt The tooling for the Glas saloons was drive camshaft system to the 4-cylinder. shipped off to South Africa, so if BMW’s The Pietro Frua design company in quality opinions are to go by, we Turin came on board and styled the inherited our Blik Met Wiele. Up until
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 45 SA came in manual and automatic versions.
1804 and 2004 sported Glas nose but rebadged as BMW Cheetah featured its own steering wheel badge and strip gauges. traditional BMW kidney grille. for SA and Cheetah models.
then all BMWs in South Africa were opposed a strip arrangement. Between model’s future. As a last hurrah the being imported and distributed by Euro 1968 and 1969 2 374 1800SA units and 1804 and 2004 were released in 1973 Republic Automobile Distributors 4 342 2000SAs were sold. Price for a and continued production until 1975. (ERAD), who had indecently already 1969 1800 was R2 785 and the 2000 sold Again these were facelifted versions had a discussion with Germany about at R3 150. of the original Frua-designed Glas the possibility of South Africa building BMW South Africa didn’t offer but kept the BMW 1800 and 2-litre its own cars. So the timing was perfect. anything in the way of press cars for mechanicals. Up front the 04 models On the surface the relative simplicity testing but Club Motors brokered a few received a grille similar to that of the of the Glas made perfect sense for the to the likes of Car, who claimed the larger 2500 and 2800 models while harsh African conditions and, in the 1800SA to be solidly built with firm the rear got the latest lights from the mind of BMW Germany, the lack of handling and, with a commanding upcoming E12, albeit mounted upside skilled workforce. BMW reports show a driving position, a driving pleasure. down. The result was a more modern, belief that 90% of the potential factory Luxury items included reclining seats good looking saloon. 570 1804s sold staff would be illiterate. In May 1968 of a high specification level. As ERAD between ’73 and 1975 while 1 288 2004s the first car bodies, with a few minor were the importers for Yokohama left the showrooms. styling changes carried out by Frua, tyres a large number of SA cars By 1975 the E12 had landed, initially were welded in Durban under the left the line with the new-to-South in 520 6-cylinder format and then 518 watchful eye of some German experts. Africa Japanese rubber. In summary 4-cylinder, forcing the 1804 and 2004 to To suit local conditions modifications the tests concluded that although cease production. The new 5-Series cars were made to the brakes, steering and ventilation was not adequate for were a dramatic step up in quality and suspension rates. the hot climate both models offered performance and set BMW on the road By October the first car met the high quality finish and engineering, to being one of the country’s leading stringent local content requirement, robust performance and an impressive car brands. I would go as far as to say was ready for sale and badged as the comfort level. The automatic versions that the Frua-bodied cars were not 1800SA instead of the German 1800GL. were especially praised. bad, just that the level of the E12 was Production moved up to Pretoria, under Further north in Rhodesia another so much higher that the locals started ERAD’s control as a company called manufacturing plant was set up. down-talking the SA specials and the Praetor Assemblers. Production facilities Virtually identical to the South African Blik Met Wiele term raised its head. were initially rented from Datsun and BMWs but with no official tie-up they And the rest, they say, is history then later, when BMW Germany bought were named Cheetah and dropped as BMW’s Rosslyn plant soared into Praetor to form BMW SA, the old the SA badging. So popular was the higher and higher. Today the facility Jeep plant in Rosslyn became the firm’s Cheetah that it sold more than the manufacturers the 3-Series range in dedicated BMW factory. equivalent BMW models in Germany. both right- and left-hand drive and SA For 1968 BMW SA churned out 127 Observers claimed that on any given Trim manufactures leather upholstery 1800SA using mechanicals from the corner in a major town one would see covers for local BMW use and export. BMW 1800 but added a 2-litre, as found a Cheetah, much like the Beetle in Say what you say but there is no in the iconic BMW 2002, in the form Germany during the 1950s. denying that the SA models went a of the 2000SA late in 1969. Other than With BMW fully in charge by 1973 long way to making BMW a big player the engine the only major difference plans were afoot to bring production in the local car market. Lift your Glas between the pair was a set of round of the new E12 5-Series to BMW South to the BMW 1800SA, 2000SA, 1804 dials that filled the 2000SA dash as Africa, casting a shadow over the SA and 2004.
46 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za 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 [email protected]. For a selection of more cars for sale, please visit www.motostars.com Unique cars for the individual
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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 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE
The German Army tested it but the British Army got production going. Jake Venter tells the unlikely tale of the people’s car.
f you go to Wolfsburg in Germany, where the main VW plant is located, you may find yourself driving down Major-Hirst-Strasse, and enquiries will reveal that Major Hirst was an English army officer. He is revered in IWolfsburg because he played a major role in getting the Beetle back into production at the end of World War II. How this came about will be revealed later but let’s first look at how the idea for a car like the Beetle arose in the mind of Dr Porsche. Ferdinand Porsche was born in Maffersdorf, Bohemia, which is now a part of the Czech Republic. He attended classes at the Vienna technical college, and achieved early fame by developing a successful petrol/electric car.
48 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za In 1906 he was appointed director Benz engineers led to an unhappy of engineering at Austro-Daimler atmosphere. Porsche wanted to build in Austria where he designed some a small car but the Mercedes-Benz successful aero engines, with the management wasn’t interested, so result that in 1917 he was awarded he left and went to the Steyr Motor an honorary doctorate by the Vienna Company in Austria for a while. Technical University. Steyr collapsed due to the world- In 1923 he joined Mercedes as the wide economic depression, so in Director of Engineering 1931 Porsche started an automotive In January 1933 Hitler and before long designed engineering consulting company. the spectacular SS range He was now free to design a small came to power and soon of supercharged cars that car, and both the Zündapp and the made Rudolf Caracciola NSU motorcycle companies asked him afterwards he asked the famous, and gave the to do so. Both projects folded after three German motor industry to Bentleys such a hard time prototypes were built. on the racing circuits In January 1933 Hitler came to build a small car that would of Europe. power and soon afterwards he asked cost only 1 000 Reichsmarks. He did not rule the the German motor industry to build roost for long because in a small car that would cost only 1 000 1926 Mercedes merged with Benz & Reichsmarks. (About £86. At the time, Cie, and the influx of conservative the cheapest small Ford cost about
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 49 The ingenious pan that formed the basis of the Beetle and a host of other Volkswagen products.
Kübelwagen, built with the military in mind – it translates as a bucket-car. 1938 Cabriolet.
£125.) All the major players said it book and when your book was full you changed all the gear ratios to a more was impossible, so in May 1934 Hitler were supposed to get your car. Very few, suitable level for heavy going. Most summoned Dr Porsche to Berlin and if any, Germans got their cars, because of of them were fitted with limited explained that he wanted an air-cooled the gathering war clouds. slip differentials. The Kübelwagen car that could accommodate two adults The Porsche team came close to may well have been the first vehicle and three children, cruise at 100km/h, achieving the qualities they wanted. to be fitted with a tower drive, also use fuel at a rate of 6 litres/100km but The initial price was higher, and the known as a portal axle. In such a cost only 1 000 Reichsmarks. average fuel consumption was more design, the drive from the differential The Beetle was designed with the like 7 litres/100km, but the rest of the unit enters the wheel hub not in layout as we know it; the first prototypes brief was fulfilled. the centre, but somewhere higher were built by Porsche’s consulting In 1939 Porsche was asked to design up. The drive is then transmitted company and Mercedes-Benz was told a military version of the VW, with the to the wheel centres by means of a by Hitler to build the next 30. These result that the Kübelwagen was born. gear train, housed in a casing that is were extensively tested on freeways The word means bucket-car (“bakkie” bolted to the wheel hub. This raises using German Wehrmacht drivers, in Afrikaans) and was produced in the diff housing, lowers the gear ratio and the car was launched in 1938 at a four forms: (higher numerically), and reduces glamorous ceremony with all the top • A 2WD Kübelwagen. This employed transmission line stress. Unimogs Nazi brass in attendance. The German a tower drive at the rear to solve and other serious off-road vehicles public could buy this car by purchasing complaints raised by the Wehrmacht. employ portal axles. stamps that were pasted into a little It increased the ground clearance and • A Schwimmwagen. This essentially
50 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za Early cabriolet, as requested by British offi cers. Major Hirst, on the right.
Wolfsburg plant body shop. Wolfsburg body press facility.
was a Kübelwagen that could Kübelwagen for the German armed float on water. It was fitted with a forces. It was called the Type 181, propeller on a shaft that was angled and was later produced for the upwards when not in use, but civilian market. when needed the After the war most of the factory was propeller could be in ruins with the result that no vehicles The British offi cers had so much lowered, and the were being produced. Wolfsburg was in fun driving the latter in and out of engine would drive the zone occupied by British troops and it via a coupling. Colonel Charles Radclyffe, who was the canals surrounding the plant 4WD was available in charge of the area, sent Major Ivan that they soon realised the Beetle in first gear, and Hirst of the REME (Royal Mechanical there were limited- and Electrical Engineers) to look for a concept had a lot of merit. slip differentials workshop that could carry out much front and rear. needed repairs to their vehicles. • About 500 Kommandeurwagens were When he came to the VW plant built. These consisted of Beetle bodies he realised that it had potential and fitted onto Kübelwagen floorpans. persuaded the workers to start removing Most of them employed 4WD. the rubble. Underneath he found • In 1969 Volkswagen produced most of the machine tools and also a a modernized version of the completed Beetle car. This convinced
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 51 Restored following an accident, the last SA Beetle as it stands today The very last Beetle off the South African line, January 1979. in the VW Auto Pavilion.
him that the factory could be used to the design and they all turned it down. This meant the Beetle was the first small repair vehicles. He was put in charge In October 1949 the factory was car designed for freeway cruising. and they assembled some Kübelwagens officially handed back to the Germans, I well remember driving some of and Schwimmwagens from parts lying but not before Major Hirst made sure the small buzz-boxes that were on the around. The British officers had so that it would be in good hands. He found market in the early 50s. On the small much fun driving the latter in and out an ex-Opel engineer who had been Ford Popular 100km/h was equivalent of the canals surrounding the plant trained in the USA to take command to 4400rpm; on the Austin A30 it was that they soon realised the Beetle of the factory and this turned out to 4900rpm. The Beetle could cruise all day concept had a lot of merit. be an inspired choice. His name was at this speed while the revs stayed in the Another REME officer, Colonel Heinz Nordhoff, and a great deal of the vicinity of 3300. McEvoy, who drove a Beetle at the 1939 Volkswagen success story is due to his Even more telling was the fact that Berlin Motor Show, and liked the car, got inspired leadership. the average piston speed at 100km/h to hear that Major Ivan Hirst was trying He completely reorganised not was 814m/s for the Ford, 744.8m/s to get the Volkswagen plant going only the production process but also for the Austin and 422.4m/s for the again, so he went to Wolfsburg, took a the servicing and sales departments. Beetle. (The average piston speed is Beetle and drove it to the headquarters He introduced quality control of all an indication of inertial stress levels. of the British occupying forces, and components on a level that had never Its calculation depends on the stroke secured an order from them for 20 000 before been applied to a mass-produced length as well as the revs.) Beetles to be used as transport for their vehicle, and introduced price control of Of course the Beetle made it to South personnel. This set the factory on the parts and services to customers in order Africa. Baron Claus-Detlof von Oertzen, road to success. to keep these as low as possible. This the chairman of the board at Auto This is in sharp contrast to the would at present be illegal in SA. Union when the group was formed attitude of engineers from the USA, The Beetle was more than just an in 1932, relocated to SA in 1935. After Britain and France. Each of these unbelievable sales success. It heralded WW2 he was asked to represent VW in countries was offered the design as a return to the over-square engine this country, and he was instrumental in well as the machine tools as part layout (bore larger than stroke) that was arranging to have the Beetle assembled payment for war reparation. Each popular before WW1, and in this sense here. The first local Beetle was produced country sent some engineers to look at it has influenced most modern designs. on 31 August 1951.
52 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za motorbooksAdvertCPCA_A4_20130704.ai 1 2013-07-04 10:07:28 AM
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1/18th Scale 1983 Volkswagen 1200 by Minichamps CRANKSHAFT BALANCING ACT
FINDING A BALANCE
Jake Venter talks crankshaft f you look inside a piston engine have improved. We’ll take a look at and see the weird shape of some theory and then concentrate on history and the art of balancing the crankshaft and follow the four-cylinder crankshafts. this integral moving part. movement of the pistons it’s quite a surprise to realise that FORCE BALANCE Imost engine layouts can be balanced to Any rotating part is balanced when the extent that they feel very smooth to every particle in it has a twin that is the driver and other occupants of the directly opposite so that it can generate car. This wasn’t always the case; before the same force but in the opposite World War II many engines were rough, direction. Most rotating engine parts because there was no need to design the are symmetrical around the axis of crankshaft for smooth running. People rotation so that they’re theoretically weren’t as concerned about vibration in balance but need a final spin on levels as they are today. a balancing machine as mentioned The phrase engine balance has two above. However, in a crankshaft the different meanings. In this article big-end journals jut out from the rest it refers to the theoretical approach of the crank and these create a number that ensures the component will not of problems. As the crankshaft rotates, cause a vibration, or at least reduce it each journal causes a rotating force to a minimum. It can also refer to the pointing outwards along the journal practice of using a special machine centre-line. On a four-cylinder engine to ensure the manufactured parts are we therefore have four rotating forces. physically in balance the way that it has The forces due to cylinder numbers to be done with a wheel and tyre. one and four rotate in unison and Most engine layouts have become the forces due to cylinder numbers smoother over the years partly because two and three also rotate together, crankshaft design has improved and but their lines of action are 180° partly because engine mounting designs apart due to the way the crankshaft is
54 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za An early four-cylinder crankshaft, note that it has no balance masses.
constructed. This means that the four theory this crank would be in balance with such a crankshaft because the forces are in balance. but in practice the large internal couples couples are the smallest possible. will cause the crankshaft to vibrate COUPLE BALANCE so violently that the whole car will SECONDARY BALANCE Unfortunately, this is not the end of the shake. However as the pistons move That is still not the end of the story. story - it’s only the beginning. These upwards on the compression stroke the On a four-cylinder engine the pistons forces cause moments, also known compressed gas acts as a damper with are supposed to balance each other, as couples. These try to bend the the result that this vibration dies down but they don’t. One would think that crankshaft around a vertical centre-line to a large extent when the throttle is pistons accelerate from zero speed through the middle main bearing. (A opened wide. at top dead centre (TDC) and bottom torque that doesn’t cause movement is By the middle-20s some crankshafts dead centre (BDC) where they change usually called a moment or a couple.) To were equipped with a balance mass next direction, to a maximum speed when calculate the couples one would have to to each big-end journal. This mass was the crankshaft is at 90 degrees to the multiply the four forces by the distances designed to supply an opposed force vertical cylinder centre-line, i.e. when of their lines of action from the vertical just big enough to balance the force due the pistons are halfway down the bore. centre-line mentioned above. If you did to the journal. This reduced the size of This is not the case, because the this you would find that the couples the internal couples with the result that sideways movement of the big-end are also in balance, i.e. two of them an engine fitted with such a crankshaft part of the conrod complicates the will try to cause clockwise rotation and would be a lot smoother than those in the movement, so that maximum piston the other two will cause anticlockwise early engines. At present the crankshafts speed does not occur halfway down rotation, but their magnitudes will on the engines of some inexpensive cars the bore. This means that an upwards- balance out. are still designed this way. moving piston cannot balance a After World War II engine designers downwards-moving piston. This gives CRANKSHAFT DESIGN started to employ eight balance masses rise to so-called secondary forces and Most four-cylinder engines designed on a four-cylinder crank, i.e. they fitted couples that can only be balanced by before World War I were equipped a small balance mass on each side of balance shafts rotating at twice engine with simple crankshafts like the one the big-end journal. At present most speed, but that is a story for another described in the previous paragraph. In modern four-cylinder engines are fitted day.
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 55 YOUTH PROJECT
MORE STRIP POLISH& We’re getting down to brass tacks with Project 2002. There’s BUYING A ‘REFURBISHED’ lots of work to be done before we even think about putting a coat CLASSIC? of paint on it, but in the meantime we’ve signed up a number of Caveat Emptor! Here are some hints to new partners. By Adrian Burford spotting a less-than-perfect body: t’s really cool when a network rusted shell donated by motorsport • Bubbling paint in rocker panels, sills starts to swing into action. The doyen Peter Kaye-Eddie, which at first and lower doors suggest rust working news on Project 2002 has spread glance seemed to be more rust than shell. its way through from the inside. • Look for blocked/non-existent drainage pretty quickly, and BMW fans But once unloaded from the trailer, holes in the bottom of doors and sills – a from far and wide have been closer inspection revealed some gems, sure sign of rust waiting to happen! Ikeen to help. These include 2002 (and like a pair of headlight units lying on the • Find an expert on the particular marque general BMW) fanatic Luis Malhou, fried remains of the back seat, complete to go with you, or consult the relevant who has been keen to both swop and with unbroken lenses. Their retail price car club. They know where to look donate stuff. So we’ve got a better from UK-based classic BMW specialist, (bootlids on old Alfas, wings on MG Midgets, for example) and they know heater/ventilation unit (swopped for a Jaymic? About 250 Pounds each. what replacement parts cost – and the Solex carb coated with a decade’s worth Then there were window winders, labour involved. of dust), a speedometer, plus some other steering column switchgear, a decent • Peel back the edges of rubbers and bits and bobs. front windscreen, and a bonnet and check for moisture and/or hidden rust. Former racer Dick Sorensen donated bootlid better than those on the donor. • Take a magnet along – that can tell you a fuel tank and a brake fluid reservoir It’ll all boil down to slightly less work how much bodyfiller has been used. Filler has its place, but its purpose is to (he owns a 2002 Tii), while Bogdan for the team at Cornright Motors. smooth surfaces and should be applied Letowt parted with a left-front fender Cornrights undoubtedly has the in layers a fraction of a millimetre thick from his stock of 2002 bits. Bridgestone biggest burden when it comes to labour – not put on with a trowel to fi ll huge Production Car champion, Michael input on this project and Peter Corna – dents. Stephen, gifted the project a BMW anti- ever willing to help – admits that the • Depending on model type, originality lock braking pump and wiring. He races car deserves only two out of 10, but and rarity, a car’s viability for restoration goes up and down. Spending 25 to 50K an Audi S4, but like many teams, ran the may have moved up a notch with our on the body of a 1974 Beetle makes less ABS system from a BMW E46 3-series ‘new’ bonnet, bootlid and fender taken sense than spending double that on a until recently. into account. Porsche 356. Probably the biggest ‘find’ was the “This car is pretty rotten – almost
56 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za Chemicals and elbow grease, The 2002 is going back to bare metal. the only way to strip a car.
Three generations of Corna Gavin Ross of Norbrake inspecting Consumables and tool stock growing daily. at Cornright Motors. the old brake boosters.
NEW PROJECT PARTNERS INCLUDE:
RGM: while our car is over 40 years old, it has a modern heart thanks to the later- generation powertrain, so dyno-tuning experts RGMotorsport will handle set-up and fi ne-tuning of the engine electronics. Pro Auto Rubber: replacing rubber components on an oldie can be a deal- Tail lights as good as new after some serious cleaning. Tools of the panel beating trade. breaker. Pro Auto Rubber don’t just do grommets…in fact, they have some 900 extruded rubber profi les, from which they borderline as to whether it is worth nature of modern cars. Says Peter, can make virtually any door, boot, bonnet, repairing - and as is often the case, the “Nowadays a lot of stuff is thrown or window seal. You name it and they have closer we’ve looked the more we’ve away, and in a frontal smash about it, as long as it is made of rubber. found,” says Corna. “There’s quite a lot 80 percent of the bill comes from the ATS: Automotive Technology Specialists of rust, though from a structural point replacement parts. are big in the motorsport industry, and will of view it isn’t bad so it’s not like we “With full restorations, the reality supply Aerocatch lockable bonnet pins, have to straighten anything or weld in is that you often can’t charge enough K&N air fi lter, electric fuel pump and form- a new chassis member. for the time you spend on labour. hugging OMP bucket seats. “Being fastidious with the body Customers opt for a simple mask and Gondolier: Gondolier has supplied a preparation before painting is critical spray but often, you’re just wasting good set of Jonnesway tools, and also the consumables used in the bodyshop. They if you want a proper restoration – you paint. Restorations aren’t like insurance will provide Cornrights with Sunmight can’t work over s**t. Preparation is half claims when someone else foots the abrasives, Soudal filler, and Finixa of it, and trying to take short cuts will bill, and the individual enthusiast must cleaning products. decide how far he wants to go.” result in a sub-standard job. Norbrake: Our 02 will sport ABS brakes, “There’s no substitute for proper Matters are often complicated by the and Norbrake will refurbish the existing panelbeating,” he reckons, “of the cut, stripping of an old car, when brittle hydraulics (and the 2002’s notoriously weld, grind, fill, and finish variety – parts invariably break. At the end of tricky twin boosters) and make up the good, old-fashioned techniques.” It is the day, it is pretty easy to spend R50 necessary piping and hoses to get it all labour-intensive (made slightly easier 000 on a fairly ‘ordinary’ car which may working in sync. by modern equipment) but a dying craft not represent a great investment. So it is Indyoil: South Africa’s homegrown nonetheless because artisans just aren’t better to take great care when buying, lubricant expert has supplied a range of cleaning chemicals and, when the time getting opportunities to learn these lest you end up with a project which comes, will provide premium-level fl uids skills and not enough youngsters are you can’t afford to complete, or end up to fi ll sump, gearbox, diff and the brake coming into the trade. forced to drive a car which becomes system. One of the reasons is the disposable tattier by the year.
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 57
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ITEM Part Number PUSH STA RT BUTTON SHIFT KNOB (MT) SHIFT KNOB (AT) Front Spoiler MS3411800200 Side Skirts MS34418002 Rear Boot Spoiler MS34218002 Rear Under/Bumper Spoiler MS34318002 High Response Muffler MS15318001 Muffler Garnish MS34318003 Rear Diffuser (to be ordered in conjunction with High Response Muffler) MS34218003 TRD Push Start Button* MS42200003 Shift Knob (MT) MS20418001 Shift Knob (AT)* MS20418002 Security Film PZN55X3036 Model shown is an accessorised Toyota 86 High 2.0 MT. A full range of Toyota * Only applicable on 86 High Grade Accessories are available from your Toyota dealer or visit www.toyota.co.za for more information. Toyota Zone 86 Advert 2_Layout 1 2012/08/24 7:42 AM Page 1
THINK OF THE 86 AS A PLAYGROUND FOR YOUR PERSONALITY. TAKE YOUR GO PLAY LOOK TO THE LIMIT WITH THESE EXCLUSIVE TOYOTA 86 ACCESSORIES.
THE INTERIOR AND THE COCKPIT OF THE 86 RECEIVED WHAT CAN BE DESCRIBED AS FULL-THROTTLE ATTENTION. EVERY DETAIL HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY CRAFTED TO REMAIN TRUE TO THE PURITY OF THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE. TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH THE ADDITION OF THESE INTERIOR ACCESSORIES.
ITEM Part Number PUSH START BUTTON SHIFT KNOB (MT) SHIFT KNOB (AT) Front Spoiler MS3411800200 Side Skirts MS34418002 Rear Boot Spoiler MS34218002 Rear Under/Bumper Spoiler MS34318002 High Response Muffler MS15318001 Muffler Garnish MS34318003 Rear Diffuser (to be ordered in conjunction with High Response Muffler) MS34218003 TRD Push Start Button* MS42200003 Shift Knob (MT) MS20418001 Shift Knob (AT)* MS20418002 Security Film PZN55X3036 Model shown is an accessorised Toyota 86 High 2.0 MT. A full range of Toyota * Only applicable on 86 High Grade Accessories are available from your Toyota dealer or visit www.toyota.co.za for more information. LAMBRETTA SPEED RECORDS DEFYING
Give the Eyeties their due – when they decide to do something, they do it with their hearts and souls rather than becoming trapped in a mire of logic. Gavin Foster asks who else, after inventing a funny little motorcycle called a ‘scooter’, with tiny wheels and an engine perched above the back wheel, would decide to set speed records to prove that the sceptics were wrong?
hen motorcycle I suppose we could attribute the racer, engineer development of the scooter directly to and later very Benito Mussolini. If he hadn’t ganged successful up with Hitler in 1939, the Second Formula One World War would have ended much Wdriver Piero Taruffi told Ferdinando earlier, and Italy would have come out Innocenti that his Lambretta scooters of it relatively unscathed. Innocenti’s weren’t going to cut it around a biggest scooter rival, Piaggio, had spent race track, the Italian half a century before the war building I suppose we could attribute businessman and trucks, trains, ships and aircraft, engineer came up with while Innocenti made a fortune the development of the scooter ‘Plan B’ to push rival manufacturing steel tubing. After directly to Benito Mussolini. scooter manufacturer, Benito staked his country’s future on Piaggio Vespa, down the the wrong horse, the Americans and If he hadn’t ganged up with sales charts. He decided British bombed Italy’s factories out to take on the existing of existence, and Innocenti, who had Hitler in 1939, the Second world land-speed records shifted to manufacturing munitions World War would have for 125cc motorcycles. for the war effort, suffered the same fate The astonishing project, as Piaggio. Unable to take up business ended much earlier… which kicked off with as usual after the war, both companies a cut-down Series A Lambretta, set out to build a cheap, reliable means culminated with the Italian company of transport that would get Italians clinching 56 different world land speed mobile again. Vespa and Lambretta records, between 11 February 1949 and were born. 8 August 1950. Mussolini had in the meantime been
62 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za disposed of in typically flamboyant work on his Lambretta scooter; some if inefficient Italian fashion. His reports claim that he got the idea from countrymen attempted to shoot him the miniature motorcycles that British and his mistress, Claretta Petacci, with paratroopers brought with them when two Italian-made pistols that, each in they dropped into Rome, so Italy did turn, failed to fire, before they vented perhaps gain something from the war. their spleens via a 1938 French 765mm By 1949 the competition between the sub-machine gun. They then strung the two companies was fierce, which was corpses up by the heels outside a petrol what prompted Innocenti to tackle station in central Milan land speed records. Lambretta’s first recordand went off to look for Lambretta’s first record attempt was attempt was successful, jobs, possibly building successful, despite the fact that it was funny little motorcycles. hampered through being run on a despite the fact that it was In 1946 Piaggio called public highway. The engine and three- hampered through being run in a newly unemployed speed gearbox were basically stock, but air-force marshal and Lambretta managed to break all the on a public highway. helicopter designer, category records between three and Corradino D’Ascanio, to create some nine hours, as well as the 500km and sort of affordable motorcycle for the 500 mile records, at average speeds of masses. D’Ascanio loathed motorcycles, between 95 and 99.556km/h. When so he used his aviation expertise to you consider that the little 125cc develop a monocoque chassis with scooter was buzzing backwards and aircraft-style suspension and an engine forwards along a straight section of bolted alongside the rear wheel. At freeway, and had to slow down and about the same time Innocenti started turn at each end, as well as stop for fuel
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 63 occasionally, the setting of 13 world jellybean with a helmet protruding for every cubic centimetre of engine records was remarkable. from the top. After setting new records capacity – 125.442mph, or 201.88km/h, For the next record attempts, at a shade under 190km/h, the factory from just 125cc. Innocenti decided to use the Montlhery decided to go for broke. For their To really appreciate the enormity of track, which meant the runs could be final attempt three months later, the Lambretta’s achievement, it’s worth continuous. This time the 8 horsepower Lambretta crew bolted a compressor looking at the American motorcycle (6kW) scooter was fitted with an pinched from an aircraft onto the tiny land speed records of the time. For 500, aerodynamic front fairing and a larger engine, thus creating the world’s first 750, 1000 and 1200cc machines, the fuel tank. Another 33 new world records and only supercharged 125cc scooter. Yanks’ records stood at 123.69, 123.52, were set, including the 48 hour distance A special fuel was concocted, consisting 131.95 and 120.74mph respectively. record (4 687km at 97.639 km/h) and of 106-octane aviation gas, blended In a way it’s a pity for motorcycling the 5 000 km record, at that Lambretta’s 97.781km/h. There the Lambretta became the first speed record attempts Having convincingly were so successful. grabbed all the medium ever machine to achieve 1 mile per The little scooters’ and long-distance records, hour for every cubic centimetre of achievements earned Innocenti went after a couple the marque so much of titles over shorter distances. engine capacity – 125.442mph, or fame that sales In February 1950 the 50km, rocketed, so Innocenti 50 miles, 100km, 100 miles 201.88km/h, from just 125cc. scrapped his plans to and one hour records all tumbled, at with alcohol and ether, with a dash of go Grand Prix racing with the beautiful average speeds of between 121 and medical castor oil for good measure. A shaft-driven 250cc V-twin motorcycle 126km/h. Somebody had clearly got to 26mm Dell’Orto carburettor was bolted they’d already developed for the track. work on the cylinder ports with a file. on for attempts on the world flying- As cars became cheaper, scooter sales Rumours abounded that Vespa was kilometre record, and a single additional plummeted, and Lambretta stopped preparing a streamlined scooter to plate was fitted to the clutch pack. building the machines in 1972. steal Lambretta’s thunder, so Innocenti With the boost turned up to 1.5 bars, If those record breakers hadn’t gone pulled few punches in going for the real elevating power to a heady 21bhp, so bloody well, Lambretta could have prize – top speed runs over the flying the team set off to try its luck again, evolved into a proper motorcycle kilometre and mile. The stock engine this time on the German autobahn manufacturer, and we’d possibly be was tuned to produce 18.5bhp, and between Munich and Ingolstadt. There watching Valentino Rossi chasing the the little scooter’s aerodynamics were the Lambretta became the first ever title on a better Italian machine after fettled so much that it resembled a giant machine to achieve 1 mile per hour the Ducati fiasco.
64 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za THE NEW STYLISH
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RUBBER STAMPED If the ball had bounced a little differently, the news that Rossi had signed for Bridgestone for 2014 would have told us something very different to the message it conveys today. Gavin Foster looks at Bridgestone in the ‘60s. Bridgestone – the same company that produces all those tyres – sold some of the most advanced motorcycles money could buy.
66 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za Should any Japanese manufacturer have been destined to survive, Bridgestone was the one, for the simple reason that their name sounded so, well, English.
hould any Japanese motorising a two-wheeler involved demanded that the tyre manufacturer manufacturer have been contracting the Prince Car and Truck focus its motorcycle sales on overseas destined to survive, Company (later absorbed by Nissan) markets, so, for the next few years, most Bridgestone was the one, for to produce a dinky little air-cooled Bridgestone motorcycles built found the simple reason that their engine that was slung, upside down, their way to the USA, where there was Sname sounded so, well, English. Face it, on the rear axle of a bicycle. That was an established dealer network. if you’d never heard the names Honda, in 1949, and by April 1960 the factory In 1964 Bridgestone also went racing, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki before, was ready to offer a complete 50cc two- hiring many of the key staff from the you wouldn’t rush out to buy one stroke motorcycle designed and built defunct Tohatsu factory, and using tomorrow. Bridgestone – derived from a in-house. that manufacturer’s 50cc twin as the direct translation of the name of the tyre By 1964 Bridgestone was doing basis for their race programme. After company’s founder, Shojiro Ishibashi – very well indeed with tyres, and not achieving a fair degree of success in was established in 1931, and, apart from too badly at all with motorcycles – it local races, the race department packed being the country’s biggest and oldest produced 20 000 per month, alongside up three works 50s (twin cylinder, tyre manufacturer, it also produced 50 000 bicycles. The Big Four – Honda, rotary valve water-cooled 18000rpm bicycles by the truckload. Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki – twins with ten speed transmissions) Bridgestone’s first effort at became rather antsy about this, and and set off for the Isle of Man to contest
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 67 the TT. Mick Walker, in Classic Japanese tyres, and their marvellous motorcycles at the top, and again at the bottom after Racing Motorcycles, tells that the race went out of production. fourth. Many a dozy rider, while in bikes were shod with Dunlop rubber Bridgestone’s bikes, ranging from 50cc fourth, pushed down for a non-existent because the Bridgestones supplied by to 350cc, typically used rotary, or disc top gear and found neutral instead. the factory weren’t up to scratch! valve induction. The carburettors were Thinking he’d hit a false neutral, he’d Neither, apparently, were the bikes, mounted on the sides of the crankcases, prod the lever one more time, forcing and after a disappointing season and cutaway discs controlled the flow the gearbox to try to engage first once Bridgestone withdrew its factory team of inlet gases. The advantage was that again. Very nasty, that. On the plus from racing. But the game wasn’t porting could be cheaply altered by side, the bikes had a primary kick-start quite up. A pair of Hollanders, Henk changing the discs; the downside was system – pull the clutch in, in any gear, van Kessel and Jos Schurgers, sleeved that the engines were wider than usual. and you could kick-start the beast. 175cc Bridgestones down to 125cc Also, carburettors were more vulnerable The brochure also claims that every and campaigned GPs on them well in a spill. Bridgestone was covered with three into the ‘70s. In ’73 Schurgers scored A brochure dating back to 1969 lists coats of paint, and every part that the marque’s only GP win in Belgium, the Bridgestone’s key selling points. wasn’t painted was triple-chromed. and ended up third in the World The latest models had aluminium That sounds very impressive, especially Championship. In total, he brought the cylinders with hard-chromed bores, if you, like me, don’t have the faintest Japanese factory five podiums that year and the engines were claimed to idea how much paint and chrome the on a very dated motorcycle. be extremely clean, with enclosed other manufacturers used. Sadly, the Bridgestone factory didn’t carburettors. The company claimed Bridgestones sold in reasonable benefit at all from this unexpected to have introduced the world’s first numbers during the few short years success. The big four had seen what was selective four/five speed transmission they were available in South Africa, happening in America and apparently ‘for economical overdrive’, whatever and they earned a reputation for being put the squeeze on – if Bridgestone didn’t that means. I do remember that some well built and very quick. There are stop producing motorcycles, they would of the smaller bikes had a confusing still a few of them left out there. If you source the tyres for their millions of new gearbox, with all four gears being find one going cheaply don’t turn up motorcycles elsewhere. Bridgestone selected by pushing down on the toe your nose – that’s a significant piece of went back to its core business of making piece of the change lever. Neutral was motorcycle history.
68 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za KINGJAMES 24116
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24116_Don't Drip oil 275x210.indd 1 2013/07/11 12:36 PM PEUGEOT 205GTI
70 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za FEATHERWEIGHT CONTENDER The 1980s and early ‘90s was the era of the front-wheel drive hot hatch. Small cars that delivered some performance punch, entertaining driving characteristics and family car practicality. Think Ford Escort XR3, Volkswagen Golf GTi, Renault 5 Turbo, Fiat Uno Turbo and Opel Kadett Superboss. To many, the VW ranks at the top of the title fi ght but as Stuart Grant discovers, Europe got another GTi from the French fi rm Peugeot that takes the battle to the twelfth round. Images by Oliver Hirtenfelder
e are talking the Peugeot 205GTi, the hot version of Peugeot’s 205 runabout. Let’s start with the numbers. Launched during 1984 in 1.6-litre SOHC 8-valve Bosch fuel-injected format, the diminutive Peugeot weighs in at just under 900 kilograms, punches with 104 horsepower and 134Nm of Wtorque to complete the zero to 100km/h sprint in 8.6 seconds. VW’s 1.6-litre GTi mustered 109bhp and 140Nm but the extra 40kg it had under the belt resulted in a 9 second sprint. South African Golf GTi came out in a 1.8-litre capacity and made 110bhp and 153Nm guise, putting it closer to the Peugeot performance numbers. Not content, Peugeot increased the capacity to 1.9-litres, which saw the power increase by 25 horses and torque by 21Nm with the result being the 100km/h mark coming in at just 7.8 seconds. Engine and exhaust notes are awesome with a quick sporty rev-up (particularly in the 1.6) and a slight crackle escapes on the overrun. Impressive, but the real excitement comes from the way the 205GTi handles the twisty bits and communicates with the person behind the wheel. For those that complain about front-wheel drive cars understeering, one lap around a traffic circle will dispel that belief as it demonstrates better than any car the clichéd term ‘lift-off- oversteer’. So much so that it earned the reputation as the easiest car (with only the BMW 2002 Turbo giving it a run for its money) to reverse into a pole mid-traffic
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 71 Interior is all 1980s with red and grey combining well. Plastic, although not cracked is hard and cheap looking.
circle. But in reality and thanks perhaps to the way it feels, it is that in the 1.6 you ignore the position of the knee- to modern tyre technology it isn’t all format the ride is very hard and the high clock, with a comfortable seating that bad if you pedal it in accordance slightest irregularity in road surface and steering position, visible dials, with good driving technique. Go does get the fillings rattling. The 1.9 and the gearlever is one of the most into a corner and accelerate and it was softened a bit in the suspension conveniently placed of all the cars I’ve displays FWD understeer; ease off the department and the 14-inch alloy driven. Visibility is good thanks to a throttle and the front end tightens up wheels were replaced by 15-inch items. large window-to-body proportion. predictably. Go into a corner a bit hot Sportiness is carried to the cabin While talking body, isn’t it a fine bit and jump off the loud pedal like a cat with some small side-hugging bucket of kit to look at? Pininfarina is often on a hot tin roof and it will oversteer seats, flashes of ‘must-have’ GTi credited with penning the design but and swap ends into said pole. red detailing and a sporty steering it was in fact an in-house effort with Suspension comes in the form of wheel. Pedals fall neatly for the odd Pininfarina only doing the cabriolet MacPherson Struts up front and like heel-and-toe and the obligatory version. Always thought of as the most most of the hatches of the period, orange gauge needles keep you in conservative of the big three French torsion bar/trailing arm rear end. the loop. It was built in the ‘80s so manufacturers , Peugeot turned the Stopping power is provided by discs we’ll excuse the lunchbox-style tables with the 205. When compared at the front and while the 1.6 Pug got plastics, which although harder with the runabout 205 the GTi gets a drums at the rear, the 1.9 featured than my old Spacecase pencil box, more aggressive deeper front bumper discs – another tool for provoking the seem to have aged brilliantly under with fog lights, plastic wheel arches, backend step out. All said and done it the harsh African sun and show no side and rear trim decked out with the makes for an extremely entertaining cracks. Rattles and squeaks are a given again ‘must-have’ red stripe and the package. If there is a bit of a downside though. Ergonomically it is good, if tailgate features a top-mounted rear
72 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za Factory 14-inch alloy wheels with the obligatory touch of GTi red.
The badge that gives the game away and most likely all the other road users ever see. Performance is aided by the diminutive stature and sub 1 tonne mass.
spoiler. It was so appealing that the titles with Timo Salonen and Juha they’d be an easier sell now. design remained the same over its 15- Kankkunen respectively. Pound for pound the little 205GTi year lifespan without any major change Only a handful of 205GTi appear is one of the heaviest punches to have or facelift. to have made it into South Africa ever graced the motoring world. Is it In keeping with the theme of but between 1983 and 1996 Peugeot better than the Golf? In my opinion transforming the brand from staid to manufactured 61 653 units worldwide. the Pug feels a little bit more lively, the sporting, Peugeot went Group B rallying All good things come to an end though. twitchy handling produces a bigger with a 205 silhouetted monster known For the Pug this happened when smile and local rarity means it’s a head- as the 205 Turbo 16. Requirements emission and safety requirements turner, but in the practicality, comfort meant building 200 road-going cars became stricter. Peugeot unveiled its and spares availability department the for homologation. They might have 206GTi, which although an impressive Golf trumps. So the verdict is, I’ll take appeared to have the same body as the road and rally car, just felt that little bit one of each. 205, albeit it seriously beefed up, but in more bloated, and the addition of driver With performance and driving reality were vastly different, featuring aids removed the seat-of-your-pants entertainment though comes abuse and a mid-mounted turbo engine and four- driving experience. South Africa got the the sight of a decent original example wheel drive set up. On the rally stages 206GTi, the follow up 207GTi and just a is becoming scarce the world over with they excelled and under Jean Todt (of month or two back the new 208GTi. Like the result that top examples are starting more recent Ferrari fame) were the most the 205 these more modern Peugeots to fetch top dollar. Same goes for Golf successful cars to compete in the final face stiff opposition from Volkswagen GTi and Ford XR3 (especially in Perana two years of the Group B era, winning (Polo GTi), Ford (Fiesta ST)and Renault format) locally. So if you have any one the 1985 and 1986 Constructors’ (Clio RS). One wonders if the brand had of the above, use it, look after it and and Drivers’ World Championship had a stronger presence in the 1980s, cherish it.
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 73 A SIXLEGGED APPROACH An iconic logo entrenched in an equally passionate team of six historic cars refl ects Centlube Racing’s approach to motorsport in SA.
he six-legged dog is through, Hinckley’s Cobra is his Tsynonymous with motorsport other passion – obviously (and the world over. With a rich history correctly) Ford powered. spanning 60 years, Eni’s iconic and striking logo has graced An Italian brand has a fond and forecourts, racing cars, been natural affi liation to Italian emblazoned alongside racing marques, and none more so tracks, and locally is driven by than four of the fastest Alfas a passionate team of historic currently racing in this country. Centlube is the manufacturer and distributor Eni: 90 countries, 78 000 employees. racers competing under the There’s no denying some internal of a diverse range of oil and lubricating wares of Eni South African distributor. team rivalry between the Giulia products in South Africa. Duly authorised by Eni S.p.A As one of the largest energy companies in the world, pairing of Trevor Tuck and Patrick Refi ning & Marketing Division in Italy, Centlube has Eni is a global force to be reckoned with when it Centlube Racing is spearheaded Gearing against the Sprints of grown to service the needs of multiple industries, comes to specialised lubricants. With the iconic Agip by its former-Centlube CEO and Clive Densham and Colin Ellison. including construction, industrial, agricultural and legacy and emotive six-legged dog logo, the Italian long-time motorsport sponsor, automotive amongst others. Able to off er unique oil company has evolved with its technology to instil Keith Hinckley and is helping to The so-called “Nip-and-Tuck” turnkey solutions to meet specifi c client needs to the a passion for challenges, continuous improvement, drive the transition from Agip Giulias have been independently highest international standards, the South African excellence and particularly the environment. to Eni. “Historic motorsport described as amongst the fastest agent has renewed vigour under the Eni brand and is an ideal platform to link Giulias in the world. Fastidiously commi ed backing from Eni in Italy. the illustrious history of the prepared, they regularly keep the Italian oil giant with state-of- American V8s honest in some the-art technology as required crowd-pleasing close racing. by the demands of any high- performance environment,” says More nimble and equally quick, Hinckley. “So we created a team Densham’s long-time class- of six cars, one for each leg of leading Sprint remains a regular Eni’s iconic dog logo, to compete sight on the historic circus, as in Pre-66 Production Cars.” does seasoned campaigner, Ellison’s. And what a sight they Hinckley’s front-running Ford are with their Eni-covered roofs. Thunderbolt is an incredibly rare and quick beast. Fi ing of its Ellison adds in various other cars name, it has thundered around from his collection from time to the prestigious historic circus time, but the core team of six either under his own control, cars fl y the Centlube fl ag high, or that of professional Leeroy and the Eni brand higher. Poulter. A Ford fan through-and-
13-09014_CENTLUBE CPCA ADVERT_V3.indd 1 2013/09/13 05:54:57 PM A SIXLEGGED APPROACH An iconic logo entrenched in an equally passionate team of six historic cars refl ects Centlube Racing’s approach to motorsport in SA. he six-legged dog is through, Hinckley’s Cobra is his Tsynonymous with motorsport other passion – obviously (and the world over. With a rich history correctly) Ford powered. spanning 60 years, Eni’s iconic and striking logo has graced An Italian brand has a fond and forecourts, racing cars, been natural affi liation to Italian emblazoned alongside racing marques, and none more so tracks, and locally is driven by than four of the fastest Alfas a passionate team of historic currently racing in this country. Centlube is the manufacturer and distributor Eni: 90 countries, 78 000 employees. racers competing under the There’s no denying some internal of a diverse range of oil and lubricating wares of Eni South African distributor. team rivalry between the Giulia products in South Africa. Duly authorised by Eni S.p.A As one of the largest energy companies in the world, pairing of Trevor Tuck and Patrick Refi ning & Marketing Division in Italy, Centlube has Eni is a global force to be reckoned with when it Centlube Racing is spearheaded Gearing against the Sprints of grown to service the needs of multiple industries, comes to specialised lubricants. With the iconic Agip by its former-Centlube CEO and Clive Densham and Colin Ellison. including construction, industrial, agricultural and legacy and emotive six-legged dog logo, the Italian long-time motorsport sponsor, automotive amongst others. Able to off er unique oil company has evolved with its technology to instil Keith Hinckley and is helping to The so-called “Nip-and-Tuck” turnkey solutions to meet specifi c client needs to the a passion for challenges, continuous improvement, drive the transition from Agip Giulias have been independently highest international standards, the South African excellence and particularly the environment. to Eni. “Historic motorsport described as amongst the fastest agent has renewed vigour under the Eni brand and is an ideal platform to link Giulias in the world. Fastidiously commi ed backing from Eni in Italy. the illustrious history of the prepared, they regularly keep the Italian oil giant with state-of- American V8s honest in some the-art technology as required crowd-pleasing close racing. by the demands of any high- performance environment,” says More nimble and equally quick, Hinckley. “So we created a team Densham’s long-time class- of six cars, one for each leg of leading Sprint remains a regular Eni’s iconic dog logo, to compete sight on the historic circus, as in Pre-66 Production Cars.” does seasoned campaigner, Ellison’s. And what a sight they Hinckley’s front-running Ford are with their Eni-covered roofs. Thunderbolt is an incredibly rare and quick beast. Fi ing of its Ellison adds in various other cars name, it has thundered around from his collection from time to the prestigious historic circus time, but the core team of six either under his own control, cars fl y the Centlube fl ag high, or that of professional Leeroy and the Eni brand higher. Poulter. A Ford fan through-and-
13-09014_CENTLUBE CPCA ADVERT_V3.indd 1 2013/09/13 05:54:57 PM WILLIE GROBLER THEEXCEPTION TO THE
illie is 85RULE and February 1947. In those days there were At 85, Willie Grobler of Pretoria must be one of the oldest still competes no new motorcycles coming into the today in his country and you had to race on anything motorsport competitors in Lotus 23 at you could get your hands on .Willie got the world. Roger McCleery circuits like a 1924 2-stroke, 220cc Velocette with catches up with him. WZwartkops, where he has lapped at an two gears, which was followed over the amazing 1 minute 16 seconds. Brilliant! years by a 38/39 AJS 250, a 1936 250cc He has competed in motorcycling and Rudge with special parts from Roland car racing for the last 66 years. Pike who specialised in these bikes and It has often been said that you get could make them really go – and then racing motorcyclists or you get road- a 1939 250cc MOV Velocette which was going motorcyclists. Rarely do you get all the rage in the 250 class at that time. a combination of both. Willie Grobler Then he got hold of the best one is one of the exceptions. He has raced of all – a 1957 Italian ex-works FB or ridden anything to do with bikes on Mondial Single which was a machine road and track since the late 1940s. Ever raced by Cecil Sandford and then our Westmead 1960: J.G. William MV Augusta (38), Willie Grobler Mondial since childhood he just wanted to race own B.P. (Beppe) Castelani. It used to (36) and J. Stander Velocette (35). bikes and ride them on the road, and rev to 11000rpm and had a top speed enjoy what motorcycling had of 215km/h. Super fast for a 250 in It used to rev to 11000rpm to offer. And he has a record those days. Castelani from Nigel, a to prove this. South African 500 Champion, found and had a top speed of Born in Durban in the Mondial too small for his liking as 215km/h. Super fast for a 1927, the son of a steam he muscled big 500 Nortons around engine train driver, Willie circuits to good effect. Eventually Willie 250 in those days. developed a love of all things sold it to George ‘The Greek’ Georgiades, mechanical. Steam trains were the pride who promptly took it off to Canada. It is of the SAR&H, which in those days said it is one of the few works Mondials transported people and goods all over in the world, and it is probably worth the country, cheaply and with pride. The more than $1million today. family moved to Pretoria in 1940 where Racing in the Golden Era of Motor Willie went to school at the Capital Sport in this country from 1947 to Park Primary and then the Pretoria 1962, Willie raced against the likes of Tech. He was interested in only one Mike Hailwood, Jim Redman, Castelani, thing at school – racing motorcycles. Dave Chadwick (Hailwood’s tutor who As a youngster in Natal he had hurtled was killed at Mettet in Belgium), Boet up and down the South Coast road on Ferreira, Paddy Driver, Jannie Stander, bikes with Owen Brown, who went on Derek Clark, Denis Guscott, Fred to become a main organiser at the Roy Willmot, Rob Sillis and hosts of others. Hesketh and Westmead Circuits with As we did in those days, he raced at Charlie Young and Des North (Alan’s circuits all over the Reef, Roy Hesketh, father). This decided Willie’s future. Killarney, East London and a PE 200 His racing career started on 23 where he retired on the last lap while
76 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za Willie in his Lotus 23, Zwartkops 2013. 1959 Isle of Man TT, Willie aboard number 22. leading and heading for the £200 first 1960 saw him marry Sonja. They have Amongst the 25 bikes he owned were a prize. In Bulawayo he won £50 for first two children – a son Sym (now 52) and 350cc KTT Velocette, 500 short-stroke spot which was considered big prize a daughter, Leslie, who both still work Norton, 500 BSA Gold Star, 7R AJS, 500 money. His first sponsorship, which with him at Motorcycle Mecca in their Thruxton Velocette and a 50cc 7-speed I organised, was with Caltex (one of new premises in Paul Kruger Street in racing Honda that now is on display at Caltex’s first sponsorships in fact) on a Pretoria North. the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum bonus system of £25 for a win, £15 for With his love for motorcycles and in Hampshire in the UK. second and £10 for third. his racing career running out, Willie Eventually an Italian motorcycle In 1959 it was off to Europe to join opened Motorcycle Mecca in downtown magazine owner, Giovanni Paroli, the Continental Circuits and ride the Pretoria in 1962. This was before the who owned a Geoff Duke 500 Gilera Isle of Man TT. The AA sponsored him Japanese motorcycles really got going. 4 factory racer, heard about Willie’s with the equivalent of a return boat trip Motorcycle Mecca with Willie Grobler, collection and came over to South to the UK. In the lightweight TT race Suzuki and Pretoria were synonymous. Africa and bought the lot. Paroli formed (250cc) he was lying fourth on the last Once established in business, Willie a great friendship with the Grobler lap when he retired with carb trouble had to compete on some two-wheeler family and actually built a circuit on and stopped at the side of the road. He or other. Pretoria in 1979 specialised in his farm in Italy for Sym to practise on regrets to this day that he didn’t carry on competition rallies for motorcycles. He for three weeks before competing in an as he could have finished high up in the got going in these where he dominated International Moto-X meeting in Italy. results. Who knows? Today Willie’s only Maybe it was a good In 1959 it was off to Europe to join the bike is a 39 Excelsior sign. For his successes Manxman. This is the in international Continental Circuits and ride the Isle of make of motorcycle motorcycle racing Man TT. The AA sponsored him with on which Roy Hesketh he was awarded his set up the record for Springbok colours. the equivalent of a return boat trip to the Durban to Jo’burg He reckons the race. Willie bought mountain circuit in the the UK. this Manxman off Isle of Man was awesome and scary. He with his natural talent. In fact he was Owen Brown. didn’t know where they did 100mph, unbeatable. For a change and to start another never mind average that speed for a lap. Encouraged by his dad, but not by challenge, he bought a Lotus 7 followed His mechanic in the Island was Richard his mother, son Sym starred in Moto-X by a Ford BDA-engined replica Lotus 23 Maizey, who went on to head up Maizey on a Suzuki from ’76 to 1999 (in the acquired from an owner in Cape Town. Plastics. After the TT he hurried to the Vet’s Class). He switched to Formula He just loves racing this car and being post-TT races at Mallory Park and got Vee Single Seater cars in 1998 and won part of the Historic scene, particularly a seventh place amongst hundreds of the South African Championship in the friendship he has with Klippies English short-circuit specialists. 2004. Sym still loves to participate in Krige, the Lotus king. He first met him In 1990 Willie returned to the Island Formula Vee racing today. It has to be after literally bumping into him in one and rode a 500 Manx Norton in a Classic in the genes. of his first races at Midvaal. Motorcycle event. In the meantime Willie started Retire? He has never given it a thought. His best circuits? East London and to build up a collection of racing Mechanical things, motorcycles and Zwartkops. His greatest riders? Mike motorcycles from the ’50s, ‘60s and ‘70s cars, have been his life and are going to Hailwood and Jannie Stander. which he bought all over the world. continue to be so.
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 77 ALFA YOUTH RACER
aul Griffin openly admits ‘78 Sud and his pride and joy, a very his initial strong dislike special high performance 1984 GTA. for Alfa Romeo’s Alfasud When Nick Parrott had to make model. space in his crowded garage he decided SOAPY “I hated the things until that his 1982 Sud should be the first to Pone day I assisted a friend repair his go to better pastures. Parrott had been Sud and I slowly started to change involved with various Youth Projects my views.” One could argue that the under the MG Car Club banner and Sud is not a proper Alfa in the true thought this Sud would be well used sense of Alfa tradition of sporting in another project to get youngsters twin overhead camshafts, twin side into classic cars. On 4 June 2013 Griffin draught Weber carburettors and a collected a body and a box of engine five-speed gearbox driving the rear pieces from Nick Parrot and delivered wheels, all wrapped up in a sporty them to his wife Mandy’s workshop at Italian-designed Bertone body. The SA Mechanical Seals in Germiston. Sud originated as a boxy horizontally One of their technicians by name opposed flat-4 1200cc front wheel of Jason Rodrigues had shown a keen drive that breathed through a single interest in racing and it was an obvious down draught Delortto carburettor. choice to approach him to get involved Today Griffin has three racing in the project. SUD Suds that he and his family use in the Jason and co-worker Dante grabbed By Dave Hastie Alfa Trofeo racing series. His stable the opportunity with open arms and includes a pair of 1974 models, a a goal of 9 weeks was set, D-Day being
78 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za Jason Rodrigues, Mandy and Paul Griffi n alongside the 9 week build Alfa Sud.
the Extreme Festival weekend at parallel to that. Driver instruction took Not the best sounds you want to hear Zwartkops Raceway on 9 August 2013. place on the Skidpan at Zwartkops on race day.” Dante started out with the Raceway. Driver Training days were Qualifying took place under black programme, and saw it through for attended and just before the first race clouds and again it started to rain. a good couple of weeks, putting in a the team attended the Alfa Romeo Club Thankfully the skidpan training had marvellous effort. Unfortunately, due Track Day at Zwartkops. Jason drove helped and Jason got to grips with to personal reasons, he then had to Mandy’s Alfa 145 (also a flat-4 Boxer soapy conditions and posted some withdraw. Jason worked tirelessly day motor) and got the feeling of other cars impressive times. Trofeo is run on a and night under instruction handicap system but the of Paul, Mandy, chief “We woke up at around 4a.m. to wet saw the decision to technician Warren and the sound of heavy rain, thunder run this event on index of daughter Angelique. performance. Spares and sundry parts and lightning. Not the best sounds The results achieved were were donated by a host of beyond all expectations friends who became close you want to hear on race day.” of the whole team. Jason to the project and always brought being a nuisance front, rear and on the celebrated his first race day with the necessary encouragement that side of the correct racing line where he his family around him and smiles is required for such an ambitious needed to be. were aplenty. The cherry on the top task. The body was stripped bare and Race day finally arrived and the was a special award to Jason for his painted a beautiful blue, motor was absolute worst possible scenario achievements in his first race. rejuvenated and race prepped, roll cage awaited them. Mandy recalls, “We The Youth Project has produced a welded in and brakes given attention. woke up at around 4a.m. to the sound competent race car builder, mechanic An Induction course was run of heavy rain, thunder and lightning. and driver.
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 79 MIDAS HISTORIC TOUR - ROUND 4 BIG Z, BIG ACTION
Denzil Bhana in a real giant-killer Mini Cooper S.
op billing belonged to the MJ Maerien (Ford Fairlane), Mark du TAR Pre-66 Legend of the Toit and Poulter rounding out the top Nine Hour Production Car six places. contingent, with eleven Matching the big saloon cars for V8-engined vehicles spectacle were the Dotsure.co.za Theading up a 21-car entry. Rally ace Pre-66 Le Mans Sports and GT Cars. Leeroy Poulter (Ford Thunderbolt) took Race 1 saw Mark du Toit (Lola T70 Craig Pieterse (Lola T70). control of the opening race, leading Spider) leading from flag to flag, closely Franco Scribante (Ford Mustang), Jaki shadowed by Franco Scribante (Ford South African historic car racing Scheckter (Ford Galaxie), Jonathan du GT40), Ross Lazarus (Ford GT40) and Toit (Chev Nova) and Mark du Toit Peter Lindenberg (Ford Daytona). Race returned to its traditional home (Chev Biscayne) to the finish. 2 saw a brilliant dice between Mark in style on 27 July, with some There was drama on the first lap du Toit and Franco Scribante, with du 240 competitors entertaining a of Race 2, when Charl Arrangies Toit eventually beating his adversary (Chevelle) spun on the Table Top, by four hundredths of a second. Dino large crowd at the Zwartkops causing Jonathan du Toit and Scribante (Ford GT40), Lazarus, Oliver Raceway. Round Four of this Poulter to take evasive action. Franco Dalais (Ford GT40) and Warren year’s Midas Historic Tour Scribante’s Mustang emerged in the Lombard (Cobra) filled the rest of the produced large and varied lead, and he beat off various efforts top six places. from Jaki Scheckter’s Galaxie to Carel Pienaar (Chev Camaro) won fi elds, brilliant competition and unseat him. Scribante crossed the both the Pre-74 International Sports ultra-close racing. finish line half a second ahead of Prototype races, with Jonathan Images by Dave Hastie Scheckter, with Jonathan du Toit, du Toit (Ecosse) and Peter Jenkins
80 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za Mark du Toit (Lola T70 Spider) chase by Franco and Dino Scribante in a pair of GT40s.
(Porsche 911 RSR) swapping the Diemen), Keegan Ward (Swift), Ben second and third places, respectively. van der Westhuizen ( Royale) and Colin Ellison (Alfa Giulietta), Keith Mathew Nash (Van Diemen) following. van Heerden (Jaguar D-Type), Action was nail-biting in the Cameron MacLeod (MGA), Steven Marlboro Crane Hire Pre-77 Saloon Kernick (MGB), Dugald MacLeod Car category but when the dust settled (Cortina GT), Peter Colllings (Mini final class wins went the way of Jonathan du Toit (Chev Nova). Cooper S) and Marc Miller (Alfa Willie Hepburn (Opel Rekord), Andre Romeo) took the respective overall Diederichs (Chev Camaro), Seef Fourie class placings in the Pre-66 Little (Datsun 140Z), Theo van Vuuren Giants category. (BMW 2002), Don Bruins (Mazda 323), Consolidated Auctions Marque Cars Mossie Mostert (Datsun GX Coupe) category was won overall by Stuart and Wayne Lotter (Ford Escort). Grant (Mercedes-Benz 280), pipping The full day of racing was rounded Dugald MacLeod (Ford Cortina GT), off with a 60-minute Springbok Paul Manegold (Alfa Giulia Sprint), Series Endurance race. After an hour Kola de Klerk (Nissan 300ZX), Peter of racing the first two cars were Maclldowie (MGB GT) and Thomas separated by less than two seconds. Falkiner (Mercedes-Benz) to the flag. It was a Scribante family battle with Overall Investchem Formula Franco (Porsche RSR) taking the Ford Kent honours went the way of narrow victory ahead of Dino in the Andrew Horn (Royale), with Graham Ford GT40. Peter Jenkins (Porsche 911 Vos (Reynard), Dalan Holton ( Van RSR) finished in third place.
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 81 MIDAS HISTORIC TOUR – ROUND 5
Images by Dave Hastie
Dugald McLeod’s awesome Meissner Cortina clone.
ntries for Round 5 of the secured Class B laurels, Peter Ivanov Midas Historic Tour, Class C, Andre du Plessis Class L and which blasted Kyalami in Chris Woolley Class X. August, were once again Willie Hepburn (Opel) comfortably impressively high. And led the way in the Pre77 saloons but a Ethe action around the 4.26 kilometre fierce battle between Andre Diederechs circuit was straight out of the top (Class C Chevrolet Camaro), Phillip Gavin Spiller’s road legal Rover V8 Marque Car. drawer. As is now the norm, categories Pantazis (Class B Datsun 240Z), Anton competing on the day were Sabat Lotus Raaths (Class C Mazda R100), Jaques Challenge, Consolidated Marque Cars, Cilliers (Class C Ford Escort) and TransAfrica Pre66 Legend Production Seef Fourie (Class C Datsun 140Z) Cars and Little Giants, Pre66/77 Sports followed in both heats. Willie scooped & GT, Marlboro Crane Hire Pre77 Thoroughbred Saloons class, Pantazis Saloons, Investchem Formula Ford and Class B and with total race times the Springbok Series endurance. combined, Diederechs was crowned first Close on forty cars headed to the start in Class C ahead of Raaths and Cilliers. line for the Lotus affair with Klippies Class D went the way of Djurk Venter Krige setting a blistering 1 minute (Capri Perana) with Dawie Olivier 50.5 second pole time. Andrew Bekker racking up the honours in Class E. however upset his applecart by beating Former national VW Polo racer Graham Krige to the finish line in both races, Donker (Mini 1275) wrapped up Class F, scooping the day’s overall honours and Brian Hastie returned from a length lay- Class A victory. Derek van der Merwe off to take Class G and Class H went to
82 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za Jaki Scheckter (Ford Galaxie) was quick but failed to fi nish.
Riaan de Ru (Ford Prefect). and saw twenty cars on the entry With nine disqualifications for list with Werner Scholtz putting his breaking handicap lap times the Reynard on pole. Scholtz and other door was left open for Stuart Grant front runners, Graham Vos and Ben (Mercedes-Benz 280) to take the overall van der Westhuizen, failed to finish Marque Cars result, just beating Gavin Race 1, allowing Ian Schofield to take Spiller (Rover SD1 V8) to the post. the win ahead of Andrew Horne and A three-wheeling Jackie Morrison Ford Escort. Thomas Falkiner (Ford Mustang) put Graham Hepburn. Scholtz came good his machine on pole for the Pre66 Legend in the second heat beating Horne and Production Car race but fellow Mustang Hepburn to the flag. pilot Franco Scribante was having none Capping the day was the hour-long of it, coming through to take the race Springbok Series event. The grid saw a honours ahead of Jaki Scheckter (Ford Scribante lock-out with Dino (Porsche Galaxie) in Race 1. Race 2 saw Scheckter 911) taking pole alongside Franco sidelined with an issue, leaving the day’s (Porsche 911). Despite the length of Class ZA glory to Scribante with Falkiner the race and compulsory pit stop, that in second. Trevor Tuck (Alfa Giulia) order remained at the chequered flag. sealed the deal in Class ZB, Colin Ritchie Stuart Grant/Jesse Adams (Mercedes- (Mini Cooper S) Class Y, Laurence Davies Benz 280E) were the first saloon home (Alfa Giulia) Class X, Marc Miller (Alfa behind the top four Porsches while Giulia) Class W and Chris Visagie (Ford Jeff Gable took the Lotus class. Grant/ Anglia) Class U. Adams scooped the coveted Index of Formula Ford continued its growth Performance first position.
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88 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 89 Letters
has not been forgotten! in 1974, so there were no racing activities I have attached photos of the ERA at all during that year. being worked on at Belvedere and I was then posted to Bloemfontein also a D Type which may be the one towards the end of 1974 and this that belonged to Jimmy. At the time an enabled James and me to run the car acquaintance of mine, Bruce Huntley, in Class C for the 1975 Championship. may have owned it. I would be interested As chronicled by Dave Hastie, that year’s to know if he acquired it from Jimmy and championship was a nail biting affair, at where the vehicle is now. Did it find its least for Arnold Chatz, Barry Flowers and way overseas when the balloon went up myself. During the second last race, as I in Rhodesia and most classics were sold changed into top gear going down the out of the country? main straight, the crankshaft broke and I have also attached an autographed ruined the engine. The only spare engine photo of Jimmy Shield which some we had was the 1071cc motor from the readers may find of interest. ‘73 season so we were forced to drop Thanks for a great article and mag! down a class for the last race, which Paul Harrington probably set in motion the resulting musical chairs. Hi Paul However, my Dad and Andy had a Having only ever heard an ERA swapping quiet chat and we then built up a 1098cc cogs via its pre-select gearbox on Nick engine for him to compete (in his car, I Mason’s Into the Red CD, I am jealous recall) against Barry. Some of the great of you. Let’s see if any of our readers ideas that James had incorporated on can shed light on the whereabouts of the our car, such as sawn-off Weber carb, D-Type. Thanks for the descriptive letter were used on this engine. And the rest, – I can picture the shirt flapping. as they say, is history. Stuart I (and not my Dad) did buy a Cooper S from Andy, but it was a road-going car TERLOUW TRUTH fitted with an extremely quick 1340cc I read Dave Hastie’s article on Andy engine, and was never raced. Terlouw in your last issue with interest James and I parted ways after the ‘75 and was especially intrigued by the season as I was still based in Bloemfontein paragraphs referring to the 1975 Star and my operational obligations to the Air Modified Production Car Championship. Force made it very difficult to commit to If I may, I would like to add my a full season of racing, but that’s all water observations to the article. long disappeared under the bridge. I’m I first hooked up with James Burt retired and still compete in motorsport, in 1972 when he prepared a 1071cc but now it’s on vintage motorbikes - I Cooper S for Louis Naude and myself rode my 1936 Triumph Tiger in this year’s to drive in the 3 Hour at Zwartkops. centenary Johannesburg to Durban Rally. DE VILLIERS NOT The car ran beautifully and we won the I do enjoy reading your magazine and FORGOTTEN race overall. James and I continued wish you and your team every success. Mannie de Villiers’ article in your latest the partnership in ‘73 where we ran the Keep up the great work! issue took me back to the days of a same car in Class E in the Star Modified Kind regards, howling supercharged ERA thundering Production Car Championship with Adrian Woodley around the Belvedere race track on mixed results. We prepared a 1275cc S the outskirts of Salisbury, Rhodesia in engine for that year’s Zwartkops 3 Hour Hi Adrian, the mid-fifties. The image of a larger- race but I buried the car into an armco Great to hear from the ‘horse’s mouth’ than-life Jimmy de Villiers working up barrier while leading the race when a tie- and to set the fading memories straight. to maximum revs on this short circuit, rod snapped. From the looks of things the mid-1970s using his gear pre-selector and with his At that time I was a serving pilot in the was a highlight in South African saloon white shirt and tie flapping in the breeze, SAAF and was posted to Langebaanweg car racing and an era when guys with
90 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za regular jobs could compete at a top level. The truck is complete apart from the Hello Andreas, Thanks for your support and kind words. radiator-grille. The bodywork is in good You are right about Doug’s Lola … I was Stuart condition with only a few cracks here particularly close to Doug…Uncle Duck, and there and very little rust. Technically my sister used to call him. He served his LOLA & FEDERAL LOVING the truck is in running order, although apprenticeship at Stanley Motors with it has not been driven for the past fifty my Dad who was foreman at the time, years and has been garaged for that hence his support for the Hudson brand. time. I knew about every car he built and Mechanical issues are the following: more. As he got older he did become The clutch has been worn out about impatient and grumpy. Doug always 90%. The engine (a six cylinder) has recycled everything; nothing went to a slight big end bearing knock. In the waste. I think some of the LDS single war years the bearing shell ran out and seaters he built could have done even due to lack of spares was replaced by a better than they did had he used new shell from a Ford engine that was more parts. Nevertheless, what he achieved or less the correct size! Strangely this was incredible and if it wasn’t for him I knock did not seem to get worse when doubt we would have had a national the truck was still in use. The main blade F1/F5000 single seater formula of of the right front leaf spring is broken. international significance. All these problems should be fairly The story of the T70 Spyder is that easy to solve with the help of an it was the David Good car that came I’ve been reading Classic and engineering firm. to the 9 Hour in 1966 and 1967. Then Performance Car Africa for many years It would be interesting to know if there Doug bought it. In 1968 it acquired the now and I have been watching Classic are any more of these trucks left in RSA Wall’s ice cream livery “Catch me and Car racing on TV since many moons as I have been told that only 7 (or 9) of buy one”. The car and combination of ago. I’ve even bought an Escort 1600 them had been imported from the USA colour was a big hit in the Springbok Sport and have had it prepared by back in 1936. Would it be worthwhile to Series. It won a couple of three hour Arnold Lambert for marque car racing, have the truck fully restored and what races. It was not that successful in the but then my health gave in, so I never would the cost of such an operation be, 9 Hour. In 1969 South Africa introduced came to racing it. But through all this more or less? What would the value the F5000 formula. Doug imported a I could never find out what engine was of this truck be in unrestored and in Lola T140 chassis and transferred all the in the Lola T70 Spyder driven by Mark restored condition respectively? mechanical parts from the T70. Jackie du Toit. (The one with the Wall’s colour I am a subscriber to your very Pretorius was very successful with the scheme.) If you can please help me out enjoyable magazine and cannot wait for Lola Ford (five litre) in 1969. At the end of on this one: the brand of engine, the every issue to reach my post box. Keep the season all parts were put back into displacement and the power output. up the good work. the Lola T70 for the Springbok Series. In I am enclosing an action photo of Regards 1970 the Lola was raced for the last time. the ‘original’ Wall’s Lola T70, before it Andreas Müller Doug retired from active racing at the end was painted in Wall’s colours, just for of the season but still prepared F5000s old times’ sake. (Photo taken from a Hi Andreas, and Formula Fords for Jackie Pretorius 1977 CAR magazine.) Sadly that Lola is Awesome looking Federal truck but I and Jody Scheckter plus a few others no more. According to various motor have no idea as to how many arrived in including F5000 Surtees. magazines it was later changed into SA or how many SA Rand it would be It was whilst Doug was building up a formula 5000 car and then it was worth. I’m sure some of our readers will a F5000 for Jackie that grumpy Doug scrapped and is now buried under a be able to point you in the right direction tripped over the T70 chassis. It bruised soccer field in Alberton. It is quite a pity, so keep your eyes on the letters section his ankle rather badly and in anger I would say. Imagine that car on the over the next few issues. With regards Doug took out the welding torch and historic racing track today! But all is not to the Lola, I forwarded your mail on simply cut up the T70 chassis/body lost; the replica also looks very good to the man who owns the T70 Spyder, et al and then dumped it in a rubbish and goes like the clappers. Zwartkops’ Peter du Toit. See his reply dump between Alberton and Springs. On another note I am in possession alongside. The mechanicals were all by this time of a 1936 model FEDERAL 3-ton truck. Stuart in a F5000 Lola 142. I found this car in
www.cpca.co.za | October/November 2013 | 91 Letters
the UK about four years ago still intact • Lamco Development - Andre that stock these parts? but badly rusted and the owner wanted LAMPBRECHT Regards. something like STG25 000 - far too • Johan TEBURG- JT Conversions/ Pierre Jansen van Rensburg much for mechanicals which we could JT Racing (Won the 9 Hour (Index not ever use again. In the meantime Ivan of Performance) in 1972 with a BDA Hi Pierre, Glasby (ex-Zimbawean) had emigrated Escort with one carburettor. V6 Ford My first move would be to join the BMW to Australia and set about acquiring Conversions on Combis and a host of club and get in touch with fellow 2002 old racing cars in Southern Africa and other vehicles. Started and built 3.4L owners. A number of them have decent rebuilding them. He claims that he found V6 engines for Ford South Africa. second hand spares that will need just a the original steering rack of Doug’s T70, • Ritchie JUTE-Cams. bit of ‘spit and polish’ to do a decent job. which I doubt, and Lola gave him the On the Lotus marques a person like Joe In the past I have used Jaymic in the UK chassis number and sold a reproduction Do Santos. I think he has the biggest for parts and have also heard that Sytner chassis and body to Australia. This car collection of Lotus Esprits in South BMW, also in England, are very useful. is now registered as an authentic FIA car Africa. Thank you again for a excellent The 2002 was a hit in America so spares with a continuous history! Be that as it magazine. can be found on the likes of eBay – just may, there are now two Lola Wall’s Ice Regards remember to check if left or right hand Cream T70s in the world. Rudi Botha drive specific. Our local car is a complete recreation Stuart of what we had in the sixties. It has the Thanks Rudi. correct dimensions, looks right and has I have slotted in the above names of PLYMOUTH QUESTIONED the original ZF box. It does however have people to chase down for articles. We Thank you for putting my letter in CPCA a bigger engine at 5.7 litres producing are always open to suggestions so keep requesting help to find SA history now about 480 horsepower. It cost about them coming. that the car has come to the UK. The R1.2 million to build. However, it is raced Stuart response has been really quite surprising and looks the part of a car that raced with one definite owner sending photo with us in period. The real originals go 2002 QUESTIONS images of when he collected it in 1970 for about R8/R10 million today and if we I am also busy rebuilding a 1971 2002 and towed it home on the back of his ‘48 had the original we would not race it - ti which could have ended up on the Pontiac. There have also been a couple too valuable, but instead order a replica scrap heap as well although it is not in a of blind alleys but at least your readers continuation as they now call them and seriously bad condition. It is currently at are interested in the story. I am wondering race that. So that is the story of the T70. the panel beaters to take out the rust and if it is possible for you to send me a copy Ivan has also ‘restored’ Bobby Olthoff’s to re-spray it for me in ‘Valencia Orange’, of the mag or at least the letter as it was McLaren Mk 1a which raced here in the the same colour as the BMW 1M Coupè. published which I can add to the history. sixties from some uprights. It just shows I have already had the dashboard redone Best regards you what you can do if you have these professionally. The steering wheel and Tom Poulter skills. seats will be covered in black leather with Regards orange stitching to match the colour of Hi Tom Peter du Toit the car. Glad to hear the letter panned out as The plan is to fit 15” Superlites. My desired and that responses have been FUTURE, PAST problem is that I really struggle to find forthcoming. I will pop a magazine in the PERSONALITIES original spare parts for it, e.g. tail light post so you can keep the history going. Dave, thank you so much for the very lenses, door rubbers, complete front Stuart interesting article on Andy Terlouw. indicators, etcetera. I have contacted Very informative and well written. In the a few places on the web via e-mail PLYMOUTH ANSWERED past I dealt with Andy a lot but I never but no response at all. Our local BMW knew of all his endeavours. The quality Dealer helped me get the front and rear of the CPCA magazine articles make the windscreen rubbers which cost me magazine one of the best in the business about R2 400. I believe that I can get all (not only in South Africa). What is the the spares needed elsewhere perhaps possibility of seeing more articles on at much lower prices. Is there anyone engine builders and companies? A few who can help me with the contact come to mind: details/e-mail addresses of any places
92 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za More than twenty years went by. I had joined the Veteran Car Club and become friendly with a chap in the neighbourhood who owned a 1928 Dodge DA roadster. We came to hear of a 1929 Dodge owned by someone in Westville, so In the August/September issue of CPCA arranged to go and see it, and there, you had a letter from Tom Poulter in sitting alongside it in the garage, was a the UK asking for information on a ’33 Plymouth Coupe that looked rather 1933 Plymouth Coupe (originally from familiar … the rest of the story you know. S. Africa). The car looked familiar so I The guy in Bloemfontein that I bought corresponded directly with Tom who the Plymouth from said that the car has now asked me to relate my story to had belonged to his grandparents. It’s you. In May 1970 I went to visit friends very nice to know that the car is still who lived on a small farm just outside of around and being cared for by a fellow Bloemfontein. enthusiast. On the road out to their farm I noticed Regards the Plymouth standing in the yard of a Ralph Barnes smallholding. I enquired if it was for sale, concluded a deal and said I would be LOST PROPERTY back to fetch it. Then I worried if it would I’ve sat on these photographs since still be there when we went back for it November 1959. It shows the starting so asked our friends if I could bring it to ground of a diabolical motorcycle- their farm until I could organise a trailer powered special, known as the BSA to get it back to Durban. Our resourceful Road Rocket Special. Pity there were no pages of memory outstanding – always: farmer friend suggested towing it with an electric starters in that era. A towed start let’s do it tomorrow or later – I wonder old tyre because it had no brakes and with ballast on the back wheels to prevent how many stories have died with the the gearbox and propshaft were missing, tyres from slipping due to criminally high story teller signing out, no date is ever hence no handbrake. I inflated the tyres compression, was the order of the day. given or asked for. Be ever watchful – with a handpump and, miraculously they As I’m short on cost data and original write it down when you hear the news held air, and proceeded to tow it very constructor info, I’ll have to contact Flip or story. slowly the couple of miles to our friend’s Viljoen for more detailed info. I am sure Regards farm with the old tyre tied between our I had three photographs showing more Tony King rear bumper and the front bumper of the detail of the left hand side – I mailed them Plymouth. to a ‘forgotten’ person who was ‘busy’ Good to hear from you Tony, A week or two later, after borrowing drafting a book about SA specials, based I recommend a ‘Borrow Board’ where a trailer, we went back with my 1948 in Durban (not JHB cars). I am hoping he anything lent out is written down with Pontiac and collected it. Once home I still has them and prepared to pass them the borrower’s contact details. If you are stored it in a garage near where we lived. back to me. using a whiteboard then use a permanent Time went by, other projects took priority The main call to action is made more marker. The number of specials that were and after storing it for about 8 years I sold urgent as the years were high in number, built continues to amaze me. And the it to a chap in Pinetown who did start a to be exact 79. I will be grateful if he sees engineering and design skills impressive. restoration. I met him in a motor spares the photos I made last week. If he cashes I will keep you in the loop as to whether shop a year or two later and he was in on his chips, I’ll be stretching the truth. or not we are able to locate your images. working on the braking system. There are still more than a thousand Stuart
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1956 Morgan +4. Recent chassis-up rebuild after having been dismantled 1952 Cooper Bristol. Still too many 1957 MGA. Recent paint, new imported in 1969. A photographic record has racing cars... anyone interested in wire wheels and tyres. Drives very well. been kept. Matching numbers: Chassis hounding the more modern single seaters Interior needs upholstery. R190 000. 3478, Engine no. TS10100ME. Finished please contact Rodney on 082 801 3659 Phone 082 451 3899 in Connaught green with black leather upholstery. Full weather equipment comprising full and short tonneaux, hood and sidescreens in heavy duty black vinyl. Will consider project veteran, vintage or classic car in part exchange. Asking price R225 000. Chris: 076 177 2795
MG publications. 1 x Instruction Manual for the M G Midget (Series ``T C``) R150. 2 x 1980 Jaguar XJ6 Executive. Colour The Classic M G by Richard Aspden R250 1990 Daimler. 4-litre 6 cylinder four door. Burgundy with Black Upholstery. Second each. 1 x Great Marques ``M G `` – Chris 139 000 kilometers. Exterior Burgundy owner. Only 38 000 kilometers. Concours Harvey general editor John Blunsden Price with Cream Upholstery. Very well looked winner in its class 2013. Price:R65 000 R250. Contact Shirley Jacobsen Tel 031 - after and very smooth on the road. Price Contact:Roger 083 400 2171 466 4609, Mobile 083 729 0953 R60 000. Contact:Roger 083 400 2171
SpecialiStS in high-end rare, exotic cuStom hot rod and muScle-car wheelS Ford Capri Perana Race car. Perana 1981 Alfa Romeo Spider 2lt. LHD. Datsun race car for sale. Ex Colin Clay. Number 68. Built to group 2 specifications, Mileage reflects 100322 kms. Farina R175 000. Phone Shawn on 011 845- by Lindenberg Racing, well sorted, in its Red with black hood and upholstery. 2147/3324. last race did a 1min 23 at Killarney, two Momo Vega wheels and new tires. Rust set of rims and tyres included. Asking free car that has no accident damage. R600 000 neg. Mechanically superb. Restoration currently Contact Ferdi 083 675 0935 being completed, original paint maintained New hood (imported), upholstery, Double Axle Car trailer, registered with carpets, rubbers and sun visors etc. New papers. R25 000. suspension, Koni shocks, exhaust system, Contact Mike on 082 895 0474. etc. Electrics sorted and new lights, side Porsche spares for sale. Pistons and markers, tail lights. Vehicle features in Alfa Cylinders for 3.8, 3.6, 3.5 RSR, 3.4, 3.2, Spider article in this edition. R135 000.00 3.0SC. Cam sets. Valves A whole bunch onco. Contact Jeff on 082 894 5062. 1971 Datsun 1500 bakkie. Een eienaar. of Gears, Synchro rings, hubs and stubs. onder 100000km voertuig is in Vryburg. Suspension Parts, brakes, Air Mass Porsche 15’ Magnesium Alloy Rims. Skakel Willem op 073 192 8942 meters Body Panels and Rear Wings Sizes Front 7J (205 tyre width) and Rear for various models. Also have glass and 8J (225 tyre width). Still perfectly straight. 1973 Mercedes-Benz 280. Twin cam lenses for numerous models. Any specific R9 250 for the set. They are available for built for racing in historic series with spares enquiries, please email me: info@universal- viewing at Zwartkops at R&D Motorsport. R35 000 Contact Mike Leonhardt on 082 metal.com or 072 747 6685. Call Evert on 082 782 4251. 895 0474. 5 PaarlshooP road langlaagte • tel 011 830 0359
94 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za email: [email protected] • www.wheelnutz.com 1972 MGb roadster. Red with black interior, overdrive, full and half tonneau 1996 Ferrari F355 Challenge. covers. First registered in the Free State in Nardini SP104 race Car. 2-litre fuel 31 000km. Manual with black leather 1972 and in Gauteng ever since. injected VW (dry sumped) with Mp9 mated interior. Competition steering wheel. R85 000 or swop for MX5 or Z3. Car in to 4-speed Hewland gearbox. Engine Lightweight sports exhaust. Solid JHB. Contact John Dobbins 082 508 0910 is new and ready to race. Gotek system suspension bushings. Competition springs with a DL1 data logger and a Dash 2 Race and Challenge rear grille. Just had major Technology transponder. Spares include: service including cambelts. Extensive 3 sets of rims, new wet weather tyres, service history. One of only 17 RHD ever many slicks, new spare bodywork, spare produced in the world. R1.55 Million. oil pumps, uprights, gear ratios, new front Tel: (021) 979 1391 or 083 603 0416 discs etc. R195 000. Contact John Cuyler WaNTeD on 082 651 7161
MGb roadster for restoration, Ferrari books. 1 x Ferrari 308 2000 SS Trike. One of a kind hand-built any condition considered, could Quattrovalvole user manual R400. 1 x all aluminium three-wheel front wheel drive exclude engine & gearbox. Ferrari 308 Quattrovalvole Spare parts sports car. 850cc Motoguzzi engine. VW Wanted for Fine Car/ Marque Car Catalogue R400. 1 x Ferrari Mondial 8 4-speed gearbox. Disc brakes front and race series. 082 4513899 Spare parts Catalogue R400. drums rear. Car located in Robertson. Contact Bruce on 043 743 7612 R150 000. Contact Vince on 083 413 0144
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5 PaarlshooP road langlaagte • tel 011 830 0359 email: [email protected] • www.wheelnutz.com Book reviews
PORSCHE 911 STORY: THE ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT HISTORY Author: Paul Frere and Tony Dron Publisher: Haynes Publishing ISBN: 978 1 84425 990 8 Price: R1 160 Available: www.motorbooks.co.za ike the story it tells, this book Lis a long-running production having first been released in 1976 and now updated into its ninth edition. And it is composed by two of the best drivers-cum-journalists on the planet. Frere penned the first eight editions and following his death in 2008, Dron stepped up to the plate and took over the task. Covering the legend from 1963 until 2013, this is truly the bible of Porsche’s 911. At around 600 pages the hard cover is jammed with technical and historical analyses that track the evolution from the humble air-cooled 2-litre to the latest water-cooled 3.8-litre model. Every aspect you care to think of is mentioned in the clearly laid out text and the host of diagrams, graphs and photographs is mind blowing. In summary, this is probably the most significant book ever put together about the 911 MASERATI: ITALIAN LUXURY AND FLAIR and a must have for any Porsche aficionado. Author: Martin Buckley Publisher: Haynes Publishing LE MANS THE OFFICIAL HISTORY ISBN: 978 1 84425 504 7 OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST Price: R530 MOTOR RACE 1949-59 Available: www.motorbooks.co.za Author: Quentin Spurring n true Italian car manufacturer style, Publisher: Haynes Publishing IMaserati has had its fair share of ups ISBN: 978 1 84425 537 5 and downs but through it all the brand has Price: R1 155 managed to maintain a sense of restrained Available: www.motorbooks.co.za GT style and superlative performance. One f you visit Motorbooks and pick up only has to look at the firm’s latest offerings Ithis book to page through you will to realise that its cars are quality bits of kit and leave R1 155 poorer. The not-seen-before the thinking person’s alternative to a Ferrari colour images will sell it to you before you have even read a single line or Lambo. of text. Once back at home be prepared to fill your head with post- As part of Haynes’ Classic Makes series this war Le Mans in detail. Spurring looks at each race between ’49 and ’59, hardcover is filled with facts, figures and gives account of what happened throughout each 24 Hour, tells about imagery while still remaining readable to the the technical advances, safety concerns, accidents, crews and physical non-Maser anorak. Buckley tells it all from the demands. He also goes into how the circuit was used by both British early days of Maserati’s racing fixation through and Nazi air forces as a base, how it was often bombed and then became the morphing into a Gran Turismo road car a prison camp. king, to near financial ruin and back again. By 1949 the pit area and grandstand were completely rebuilt for the Added to the mix of historical facts, driving race and then again only six years later following what many regard impressions and technical data he includes as the worst accident ever in motor racing. He doesn’t avoid this crash interviews with key personalities involved though, and even displays some photography of the crash unfolding. over time and even slots in a useful buyer’s With 80 people perishing in the accident the legendary race came guide to a number of vehicles. under pressure to be shut down for good, but as we know, showed real 10 points to you if you can name the endurance and survives to this day. Maserati model that was named after one of For those with a penchant for stats, all the race results, class winners our local race tracks. and index of performance winners are conveniently listed in tables at the end of each chapter.
96 | October/November 2013 | www.cpca.co.za