A 'period' classics pictures thread (Mk III)
Discussion
P5BNij said:
Turbobanana said:
JeremyH5 said:
No, a really wide, perfectly square vehicle stopped suddenly in front of them on the newly-opened M1.
Mr Tidy said:
P5BNij said:
Slightly scary photo - I guess he's just lucky it isn't a Plymouth Fury called Christine!Johnspex said:
Turbobanana said:
At the back, by the battery, next to Shergar.LanceRS said:
Johnspex said:
And Elvis.Tyre Smoke said:
Great story! Those were the days.
What happened to the Ginetta?
Ah, forgot to answer this.What happened to the Ginetta?
Sold in 1987 after owning it for 10 yrs to a nice Norwegian lady. She called and picked it up and drove it to Manchester if I recall, where it was flown out to Norway.
The only change she made, as it was a tad colder there, was some new tyres fitted to cope with the conditions. I got this snap from her soon after.
It still resides in Norway to this day.
aeropilot said:
One of the two original cars built by Dean Jefferies for the TV show outside his old workshop in North Hollywood back in the 60's.
That's the old Monkeemobile he 'designed' 
which was used in the Monkees TV prog in 66. I'd post a pic up in its television mode with them in it, but much of that stuff is so severely copyrighted it's not worth the risk. Asides.
A year earlier (1965) in the USA and more interesting imo from a classic car point of view is this little tale, and even though I posted quite a lot about it over 10 yrs ago here on PHs, it appears many still don't know the 'Jim Clark Lotus/Ginetta tale'. A tale about the man genuinely doing his bit for another marque (in this case and at that point in time, a sworn enemy, Ginetta). This gives me an excuse to relate the story again.
It all started here in the pic above, outside CC Engineering in Haverhill Mass., the cars loaded and ready for the long journey.
The 1965 Sebring Race Florida Weekend.
Jack Walsh was boss of CCE (Competition Car Engineering - formerly known as Walsh's Foreign Cars) and was the US importer of Ginettas, based in Haverhill, Mass., but that's another story.
For Sebring a brand new Ginetta G4R had been shipped out from England (fitted with a Loti twin-cam) and all was prepared for the Sebring weekend.
The entry was to be two cars: a Mini Cooper for the 3 Hour race and the Ginetta for the main 12 Hour Grand Prix of Endurance event.
One problem reared its head for CCE when entering the Ginetta - there were objections. However, these were quickly resolved when Bob Walklett was contacted back in England about the entry problem: Walklett simply made the car an official Ginetta Cars factory entry. No flies on the then Ginetta boss!
Drivers were Jack Walsh himself, Gordon Brown (no, not that one!) and Peter Keith.
All three put in some credible laps during practice on the 5.2 mile circuit - that was until disaster hit: the G4's Lotus twin-cam let go.
This is the point where legend Jim Clark intervened.
Earlier in the 3 Hour Race Jack Walsh had raced the Mini Cooper. Clark was of course in his Lotus Cortina, and as everyone knows was the eventual winner of the race. Clark had been about to lap Walsh as the pair diced in a corner both flat out and locked together. After the race Clark went to the Ginetta pit and personally thanked Walsh for not lifting off - because by Clark's own reckoning, if Walsh had, then both would have been off the track.
At this point the pit crew were busy trying to remove the G4 twin-cam and Clark enquired: 'How is it going?' to which Walsh replied: 'Badly!'
Walsh explained it looked like the G4 (car 52) would now be a non-starter for the 12 Hour race.
Clark was totally genuine in wanting to help them. He said he would see if he could arrange for the Ginetta team to borrow the practice engine from his Lotus Cortina. Of course, this engine had been built for the 3 Hour, not the 12 Hour, but at least it would ensure that the G4 would be back in the race.
Significantly, permission was granted to Clark (but by Ford, not Lotus - one could not imagine Chapman giving permission!).
The engine was fitted, fired up and in time ready to race.
Walsh was absolutely delighted. So much so, he went to find Clark, thanked him, and then suggested he (Clark) should now have a stint in the G4 at some point. Clark replied: 'Let's wait and see how the car goes.'
It went well. Despite an engine not prepared for this long event, after the first hour it was in 34th - roughly halfway down the field. Let's not forget, there was some powerful machinery in this race: the Chapparal of Hall and Sharp (eventual winners), the Ferrari 275P (although reports say it was a 330P - what do I know?) of Graham Hill and Pedro Rodriguez - loads of famous drivers and cars: Richie Ginther, Phil Hill, Bruce McLaren et al, GT40s, Lola T70 debut... yes, the tiny Ginetta G4 was not competing in some unknown sports car race!
Back to the race.
The heavens opened... 5 or more inches of rain (imagine the diminutive G4 in that!). It was so bad the Hill/Rodriguez Ferrari took 11 minutes to do a lap (Rodriguez at the wheel) and their engine flooded. By contrast the little G4 was still there. The rain eased and it was now in 30th position, doing well still and 3 hours now passed.
The car consistently held this position over the following 3 hours and it was at this point, halfway point in the race, that a con-rod let go. Officially given at 4.03pm, running second in class to the Timo Makinen/Hopkirk Sebring Sprite.
Sadly we never got to know if legend Jim Clark would have taken Walsh's offer of a stint at driving the Ginetta G4.
It could be that Clark said what he said as a 'get out', but if that is the case surely he simply would have said 'thank's, but no.'
Another story has it that said Clark not only asked, but received permission from his bosses to drive the Ginetta.
Was that Ford or Lotus?
We don't know. But we can guess which. Rather easily I think!
Some great pictures from the 65 Sebring event...
http://www.sportscardigest.com/1965-sebring-12-hou...
http://www.sportscardigest.com/1965-sebring-12-hou...
http://www.barcboys.com/1965Sebring.htm
(5 pages of pics, click on the Pg. links)
Great yarn. Love stories like this. Reminds me of when TVR raced at LM (Peninsula entry?) and a wheel nut cross threaded and the next door garage (Audi?) sent in mechanics and equipment to get them back into the race.
Obviously not on the scale of Clark and his Cortina, but still, I love pitlane camaraderie.
Obviously not on the scale of Clark and his Cortina, but still, I love pitlane camaraderie.
Tyre Smoke said:
Great yarn. Love stories like this. Reminds me of when TVR raced at LM (Peninsula entry?) and a wheel nut cross threaded and the next door garage (Audi?) sent in mechanics and equipment to get them back into the race.
Obviously not on the scale of Clark and his Cortina, but still, I love pitlane camaraderie.
Sometimes at Le Mans the generosity of other teams was extreme.Obviously not on the scale of Clark and his Cortina, but still, I love pitlane camaraderie.
Le Mans 1980 and the green/green EMKA 512BB as it finished the race in a new green/red livery. I was on the old pit balcony and watched it being “designed” with tens of metres of duct tape and some well-aimed hammer blows..
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