73 RAC Rally - 240Zs

[Legendary5]

Thanks Pete, for the explanation.. So this the standard (privat) version....the RHD.

and here the 'new' "KEU" LHD...

 

[Cooperman]

Where did you get that photo of the start of the '73 Vales with Kevin in the car with one of the Old Woking mechanics, the other mechanic by the door and the optional 'Welsh groupies' and me on the left.
Those were the days.

 

[Legendary5]

Can’t remember… having gathered so many photo’s. Another piece of the puzzle, this is ‘the Vales car’ with #11.

 

[Cooperman]

In 1988 I was asked to take LPE66P to a charity event in London Docklands. I went to Woking by train with my then 14-year old son Mick. Had a cup of tea and Ron Hicks who said that the car was all ready and to just help myself with some petrol and they'll collect the car on Sunday when they came to the event. So I opened the big alloy quick-filler cap on the tailgate and pumped about 8 gallons - er, straight into the boot as the filler had been modified. Even with the windows wide open and the petrol drained out, it was an 'eye-watering' journey up to town.
Everything to do with the Big Z's always had an element of drame to it.
Even when Kevin got the first one and we entered a Welsh Championship rally in it which we won, it got dramatic. On the way home down the M6 I was driving and Kevin was asleep and our support car was right behind at about 75 mph when the crank snapped, the rods went through the side of the block and the support car was covered in oil. That woke Kevin up. He said "What's happened". I gave him the standard reply "It seems to be broken!".

 

[Cooperman]

Here is another shot of Kevin and me with the Big-Z at the start of, I think, the Jim Clark Rally in 1974.
We look so young there!

 

[MikeB]

Peter

Really enjoying your posts, as this is the stuff I bought Memory Lanes to read about, but unfortunately the book fails to deliver on - i.e. the REAL story behind the events

I did some Northern Ireland Championship navigating in the late 70s early 80s, just before the plug was pulled on the full bore road rally events over here and we went to the average speed stuff. Would love to hear of more of the antics you guys got up to on the MN events


Cheers

Michael

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Memories!

Me on left (with hair) on Jim Clark but not sure which year - about the same as your pic Peter.

 

[Cooperman]

All I can say it "It was a lot of fun1".
The Big-Z was unique on MN events and for years everyone had said that despite winning really rough events like Safari, it could never be competitive on twisty tarmac. Kevin proved them all wrong and I have to say that the way he handled that unweildy car was awesome. It suited his personality, and mine as well maybe.
I always knew, and I think Kevin did as well, that if he had changed to an RS1600 he would have had many wins. In fact, before we got the 'Z' Kevin built a LHD RS1600 with a really good engine. We took it out on the Shenstone Rally, an MN Event, the day it first turned a wheel and at first petrol we were winning by a couple of minutes. However, it was really really rough in the second half and Kev had to preserve the car for the RAC International 2 weeks later, so we settled for 4th. That was in 1972.
Kevin always said he would rather finish right near the top in the 'Z' than win in an Escort. To me it was a great experience at the right time in my life. By 'the right time' I mean that I was running my own business and could take time off for testing and for events.
I still speak to Kevin and we have laughter about those days. Very few people ealise what MN events were like, how competitive it all was and how in order to win you simply had to make no driving or navigating errors all night.
Great times!

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Shenstone 72, yes I remember that very rough 'white' down into Buxton. We finished 39th in my mates 1071cc Mini, a very basic standard car. 39th sounds poor but there were 160 starters and we were only 20 yrs old. He was always amazed how I could drink a 'pint' at 6am - no problem after shouting all night!

My mate had a 60th party recently and 4 of us spent quite a while talking about those events. When you think it was 40 years ago it shows how much regard we had for those events.

 

[Cooperman]

Kevin was very worried about doing serious damage to the brand new shell right before the RAC, especially at it was the car's very first event. We both agreed that taking it easy was the only real option and that dropped us from 1st to 4th. He really was blisteringly quick in any car.
Just to finish that Shenstone was a result and I reckon that drivers who only did local club rallies must have been shocked at the required pace just to finish within the maximum permitted lateness.
Kev sold that Escort right after the RAC and then he got the first Big-Z. I was sceptical, but after we won the first rally we did in it, a Welsh Championship round, my opinion changed completely. Here was a car in which we could do well and bust some myths about Datsuns in the lanes.
It was at that time that my very good friend David Palmby had his huge accident in his Z on the 1972 RAC. He was lucky to walk away from that crash, but Datsun gave him a new car for free for getting the picture in the paper which showed just how strong the Z was. I had rallied with David in his escort on several events and he was a very quick driver but, in a Z nowhere near as quick as Kevin.
I also remember the beer at the end of the Shenstone and the length of time to publish the results.

 

[rallymanDP]

Interesting contrast between the attitude of Nissan UK ( privately owned in those days, remember ), in giving Dave Palmby a new car to replace his wrecked one, and at about the same period in time, when Tony Fall - a Factory Works Driver with a big reputation - went to see Octav Botnar ( the Company Owner ) for some financial assistance for his UK programme - he was quite literally - shown the Door !

 

[Cooperman]

Yes, that was strange. Tony nwas also a good friend of mine and we lived quite close to each other and used to go to the boozer regularly. It was vrey sad when I learned that he was gone and, in fact, led to me deciding to retire from my business just 2 weeks later. Couldn't see the point in continuing to work, as Tony had done, then risk having no retirement at all.
Kevin has unearthed some more photos and when I have them I'll post a few on here.

 

[Nigel Brook]

Previous posts have referred to the suitability of 240's on tarmac. If you compare the wheelbases of the Mk1 escort and the 240 you will see they are very similar and we all know how competitive the escort was. It's just that the 240 looks bigger.

 

[STEVE BURNS]

Slightly of topic but came across these in my drawers the other day can't remember for the life of me where I took them
Showing the car as LPE 66P

 

[rallymanDP]

Good piece of timing to see the pics of the Gary Hicks ex-Works 240Z, Steve, as it is competing this coming weekend in the Carfax Stages Rally, somewhere near Oxford.
The Website will give more details and location, etc.

Also out this Sunday are Nick Jarvis in the Metallic Blue ex-John Spiers 240Z built by us some 15 years ago now, and our new Works Replica - at the Premier Stages Rally in Clipstone Forest, near
Mansfield.
Rob G and Son will be coming along for support and no doubt a bit of a heckle...

It's a good event to watch as Spectators will be able to see every Stage & the venue is fairly Family -friendly - the website is 'Premier Stages Rally'.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Rob G and Son will be coming along for support and no doubt a bit of a heckle...

It's a good event to watch as Spectators will be able to see every Stage & the venue is fairly Family -friendly - the website is 'Premier Stages Rally'.

Both sons (and both experienced 240Z drivers) will be there so lots of heckling Actually none of us have driven a 240Z on gravel so you should be safe.

However last time we spectated in there a 240Z won outright, Dominic Frattaroli on the Robin Hood Stages.

 

[SeanDezart]

Good piece of timing to see the pics of the Gary Hicks ex-Works 240Z, Steve, as it is competing this coming weekend in the Carfax Stages Rally, somewhere near Oxford.
The Website will give more details and location, etc.

Also out this Sunday are Nick Jarvis in the Metallic Blue ex-John Spiers 240Z built by us some 15 years ago now, and our new Works Replica - at the Premier Stages Rally in Clipstone Forest, near
Mansfield.
Rob G and Son will be coming along for support and no doubt a bit of a heckle...

It's a good event to watch as Spectators will be able to see every Stage & the venue is fairly Family -friendly - the website is 'Premier Stages Rally'.

Showing the car as LPE 66P

Duncan - does the car still have the original LY head ? I wasn't aware that it was a works part and not in rallies in any case.....?

 

[rallymanDP]

Haven't ever actually seen the car in the flesh, Sean, but I would hope that some other Member might have a look at the event to report back to us on that point.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Guys, Hugh covered this a while back:

http://zclub.net/forum/rally-race/19341-ex-kallstrom-car-back-action.html

 

[STEVE BURNS]

Haven't ever actually seen the car in the flesh, Sean, but I would hope that some other Member might have a look at the event to report back to us on that point.

This years Carfax Stage Rally venue is at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire.
No spectators are allowed onto RAF Benson.