I have been blown away by the fact that dad’s car is finished! Over 40 years since it won the Australian title and it is back looking better than ever! This would not have been possible without Pete Styles and Allan Birkett. These guys are legends! Make certain you check out the video of the unveiling of the car here.
Here is a pic of Jimmy giving it the thumbs up!
I thought now would be a good time for those of you who are interested in an update on the work on restoring ‘THE CAR’.
Things have moved along at a good speed… well a good speed for me anyway. The steering box has been fixed. The problem was a broken spline where the steering arm is attached.
As you can see from this pic the motor is out to be checked over by firthracing and eventually pained and made pretty!
Seriously who would have thought that it would have been so hard to remove that motor from the frame! It was a right royal paint in the behind. As long as it doesn’t scratch the pain going back in!
The side panels are of getting some flutes put into them just like it originally had. The rest of the body work needs a bit of work, so if anyone is good in fiberglass repair and wants to lead a hand please let me know. The budget is not big but there is a budget!
The tail shaft protective housing is done which means that chassis paint can now go ahead. The only problem with painting is that the storage shed in which it is located does not allow painting to take place on the premise. So I have to load the car onto a trailer and take it elsewhere. Not having a ute or a trailer or even a car with a towbar is really getting up my nose! I seriously think I am going to have to bite the bullet and save for a ute again.
So that is the car progress. Now let me tell you about the another part of the process that the car has helped in. Those of you who know me well may have figured out that I have have not really been the best person to be around lately. Perhaps it is yet another mid life crisis. Perhaps it is just the fact that I am a little bored with life at the moment. I guess you could say I am a bit annoyed with doing the same thing over and over again. Fixing computers for a living doesn’t make you feel like you are changing the world! But! And it is a HUGE BUT! Having my son and a couple of friends over to help remove the motor was awesome! It once again reminded me of how lucky I am. I have a great family and awesome friends! I know I don’t say it enough to those people in my life, “you people are awesome’, and in the words of a famous aussie boxer ‘and amm arr I luv yous all’.
So until next time!
Who would have thought that finding a car and bringing it home would make a grown man cry? That is exactly what happened to me… and no I didn’t run myself over or anything as stupid as that!
When I was young. Wow I sound like an old man! When I was young I lived and breathed motorcycles and anything speedway related. To be honest not much has changed in regards to motorcycles and speedway. My fuel filled personality has curtailed by the cost of said interest and with the natural demands that comes with becoming a family man. That is not to say I am not happy with my lot! Who wouldn’t be! I love my family! However, this past week an offer to good to be true came my way which would ignite my fuel filled passion in a way that it hasn’t been in a long time!
One of my dad’s old race cars became available. This is not just any race car. This was a race car built by a late great family friend ‘George Winder’ and was raced by my dad to win an Australian title in 1982/83. I will never forget that night all those years ago. Standing on the inn field watching dad win. It makes me cry just typing about it. What a baby I am! I vividly recall the sight, the sound and even the smell!
The article on the left was written shortly after the race. I believe for the photo for the article was taken at the first event after the title. It is kind of weird seeing how much my son looks like my dad in the photo! Both have the same side burns… well until last week when I made my son shave them off… the long haired hippie!
So when I got the call saying where ‘that’ car was and how it was available for me to pick up. I was of mixed feelings. Firstly, I was saddened because it dawned on me how long ago it was. It hurt to know that those days can never be experienced again. But boy was I excited to know that I finally could have something physical to hang onto that reminded me of those days! A thanks to Jimmy Pyne for making the car available!
Here it is being loaded on the trailer and finding a new home.
The motor is just about now and will be set to Firth Racing to get it up and running again.
So this morning I was ‘checkin out the ol’ interwebs’ and came across the following photos:
top left is my dad ‘Terry Thomas’ in that car – top right is ‘George Winder’ in the car before my Dad got it – bottom left is George again (check out the pit crew names) – bottom right is George again at I think ‘Kembla Grange Speedway’.
So why am I writing about this?
I want to keep a report of the car’s journey and also to write about my experience. Not because I think someone might find it interesting, but simply because I don’t want to ever forget the experiences the car represents for me. You see although the car has reminded me of just how much has changed over the years. I’m not talking about the car itself here, but me personally and even how much our culture has changed. Speedway is not the same for me, it feels as though it has loss part of it’s soul. However, the cool thing is despite all the change somethings can still remain. It is exciting to hold something to touch something from the past which brings magic memories! I look forward to the day when it is completed and I can see the look on my mum and dad’s face when they see it again just how it was!
