Ginettas Classic racing
Discussion
geeeman said:
so thats adrian Reynard before he founded Reynard motorsport?
I can only assume yes, because it has Reynard on the cockpit side. When I was at Oxford Polytechnic one of the engineering lecturers showed me photos of student Reynard apparently using the G18 (after he crashed it I was told) as part of his (day?) release course there while he worked at the British Leyland, Cowley Plant. I understood the aim was to build design his own Reynard car.
The lecturer had become pally with me because I turned up in my Ginetta G15 (this was after mid 70s), and said 'we used to have someone on a course here who had a Ginetta... and the rest went from there.
Reynard founded the Oxford Poly Automobile club around 1970, and that year and the next he broke several speed records at Elvington on a motorcycle type vehicle.
He graduated from the Poly with a HND MEng. And it was in 72 he 'designed' the first Reynard and built it as the student project.
So, 'if' Reynard used his crashed G18 to design build his first Reynard... I have somewhere some Poly literature that mentions this but again can't lay my hands on it. Perhaps it's all wrong but if it isn't then do you follow where I'm going... where does the blue/yellow G18 fit in to the picture?
I wanted some pics of Reynard in the G18 for the Ginetta books but could never find any (the ones at the Poly disappeared - they were on the wall in the eng. dept... if only I'd taken some photos of them but this was a good number of years prior to the first Ginetta book - if only we had had digi cameras and mobiles then!
In 1997 a book appeared on the Reynard Story by Mike Lawrence, but very little is in it about the G18... but there should be, that's it seems is how he started out on his amazing career! I was trying to have a dip in it now to see what it said, but can't find my copy. They fetch reasonable money now if you have a mint copy. Pretty sure, in fact I know I am, that little is in there on Ginetta - anyone got a copy? think there might be one pic.
Carnage: those old pics (I'm not good on circuits, but do you know which circuit that is in top pic?). Reynard would have used Silverstone to test it, being Oxford based.
Edited by dandarez on Sunday 25th March 12:32
Yep, that's Mr Reynard. I had no idea the car was his when I bought it - I managed to track down the first owner, who mentioned that he thought Reynard might have driven it. I dropped him an email and he very kindly sent me through a whole bunch of pics. A nice bit of heritage!
The pics are at Brands - the entry to Paddock - and at Aintree, both taken in 1972. I really like the colour scheme and am quite tempted to return it to that colour.
One more, showing the day he picked it up - I love this pic, very evocative and worryingly similar in budget to my own racing.
PS - thanks for the sprint pic - another one for the archive
The pics are at Brands - the entry to Paddock - and at Aintree, both taken in 1972. I really like the colour scheme and am quite tempted to return it to that colour.
One more, showing the day he picked it up - I love this pic, very evocative and worryingly similar in budget to my own racing.
PS - thanks for the sprint pic - another one for the archive
Further to Dandarez above, there is some mention of the G18B in his autobiography. Generally very complementary, apart from some "defelction steering" (bump steer?) caused by soft bushes. He does go on to mention bending the chassis in a crash at Clearways, repairing it using two bits of railway line!
My car was restored to a very high standard by Mark Smith, then competed for a year or so in 2002. I'm just finishing recomissioning it, which is amazingly easy compared to working on a G4 apart from access to some of the engine bits (its engine out to replace the water pump, for example). If all goes well this week, I will be out either 7/8 April at Snetterton with Classic Formula Ford or Cadwell 21/22 April with HSCC. Please do come say hi!
My car was restored to a very high standard by Mark Smith, then competed for a year or so in 2002. I'm just finishing recomissioning it, which is amazingly easy compared to working on a G4 apart from access to some of the engine bits (its engine out to replace the water pump, for example). If all goes well this week, I will be out either 7/8 April at Snetterton with Classic Formula Ford or Cadwell 21/22 April with HSCC. Please do come say hi!
Paul, what about my bit that he used his 'crashed' G18 to build? design? his first Reynard at the Poly? Perhaps he just used the G18 as a basis?
I seem to recall the lecturer said he used the crashed G18. Who knows now, if only I had taken photos of the pics on the wall.
I'd love to see the Reynard chassis pic that was on the Poly Engineering wall again, just to see how closely it resembled the G18 chassis.
God, that is a unique shot of it on the trailer. All those years I looked for pics for the books and nothing, now these appear all at once... sod's law!
Value now increased of your car how many fold
I seem to recall the lecturer said he used the crashed G18. Who knows now, if only I had taken photos of the pics on the wall.
I'd love to see the Reynard chassis pic that was on the Poly Engineering wall again, just to see how closely it resembled the G18 chassis.
God, that is a unique shot of it on the trailer. All those years I looked for pics for the books and nothing, now these appear all at once... sod's law!
Value now increased of your car how many fold
dandarez said:
Paul, what about my bit that he used his 'crashed' G18 to build? design? his first Reynard at the Poly? Perhaps he just used the G18 as a basis?
I seem to recall the lecturer said he used the crashed G18. Who knows now, if only I had taken photos of the pics on the wall.
I'd love to see the Reynard chassis pic that was on the Poly Engineering wall again, just to see how closely it resembled the G18 chassis.
God, that is a unique shot of it on the trailer. All those years I looked for pics for the books and nothing, now these appear all at once... sod's law!
Value now increased of your car how many fold
I'm not sure! If you read his autobiography, it does segue straight into how he built his own chassis next as an engineering project. There is a picture of the Reynard chassis underneath - if you PM me your email address, I will scan it and PDF you a copy later on this evening after work. From first view, it looks similar but not identical. The rear, particularly, is very close.I seem to recall the lecturer said he used the crashed G18. Who knows now, if only I had taken photos of the pics on the wall.
I'd love to see the Reynard chassis pic that was on the Poly Engineering wall again, just to see how closely it resembled the G18 chassis.
God, that is a unique shot of it on the trailer. All those years I looked for pics for the books and nothing, now these appear all at once... sod's law!
Value now increased of your car how many fold
Ha, the value is irrelevant - not for sale! Although might swap it for a G12...
Hello all
Bit delayed due to illness and work, but finally got the G18 out last week at Silverstone. Simply fantastic fun to drive. Attached is a little bit of footage of the first three laps - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0D2bInvNRE&lis...
Apologies for the quality of the first 30 seconds, bit of interference.
Bit delayed due to illness and work, but finally got the G18 out last week at Silverstone. Simply fantastic fun to drive. Attached is a little bit of footage of the first three laps - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0D2bInvNRE&lis...
Apologies for the quality of the first 30 seconds, bit of interference.
First race in the G18 was at Spa. Qualified appallingly badly, 47/49. Bit of a rampage during the race, made up fourteen places on the first lap and was running 22nd when the left rear wheel bearings melted. Some video footage is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ieR-pUG8yM&lis...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ieR-pUG8yM&lis...
Tested at Silverstone in the G18 last Friday, best time in the 1.07's which would have been good enough for top ten in last years HFF grid. Some problems with the rear wheels jacking into positive camber, which is going to take some solving, but shows that the Walklett's knew what they were doing!
There were a number of other Ginetta's there, old and new!
There were a number of other Ginetta's there, old and new!
Original Ginetta G10 raced in Goodwood revival Fordwater trophy, was leading the race, but failed to finish...
http://www.goodwood.co.uk/revival/news-and-coverag...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22310427@N08/79899281...
http://www.goodwood.co.uk/revival/news-and-coverag...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22310427@N08/79899281...
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