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Australian motorsport AMC's

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WesternRed View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WesternRed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/26/2013 at 12:38am
Obviouslty too much spare time on my hands today, some footage fo the 1981 Aussie Speedway Championships with the Gremlin in action:
 
 
 
 
 
Did someone mention a speedway Pantera? I think that can be seen running around early in the race.
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 70Hornet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/28/2013 at 2:35am
Originally posted by WesternRed WesternRed wrote:

Just fixed up the photos of Ben's Hornet on the first page as I found a better copy of one and realised I had double posted the same photo rather than 2 different ones. Looks like the Gremlin raced in the late 70's.
 
Here is what looks like an earlier incarnation of the Javelin from 1980, back half looks a bit un-javelin but seems to have the humps of the front fenders:
 
Keep em coming WesternRed Smile. Although something looks a bit funny on this Javelin I actually reckon it could be a steel one. Possibly 68/9/70 shell with later guards maybe? The footage of the little speedway Gremlin on youtube you linked to on forum was amazing to see. The Gremlin was at the pointy end but someone made a comment that he chose the wrong tyres that night and they were down to the canvas by end of the race. Speedway really meant something years ago and tracks like the Sydney Showground etc regularly made city newspapers front page etc so having the AMC's participating back then would have been really something Smile 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote huddy1955 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/28/2013 at 3:31am
Nice pictures guys and great aussie AMC history.  
1955 Hudson Hornet Custom
1963 Rambler Classic 660 wagon
1969 AMX 343 auto NO# 09 of 24
1973 Rambler Matador Wagon 360
1985 Jeep J20 pick up 360
2000 Jeep Cherokee Classic
plenty of parts cars
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ozziamc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/31/2013 at 12:23pm
the last pic looks like an early Jav with later gaurds on it.

74 hornet hatch

69 AMX 3 of 24 AMI build


75 sportabout



81 Concord

all Right Hand Drive
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 70Hornet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/01/2013 at 7:42pm
Originally posted by ozziamc ozziamc wrote:

the last pic looks like an early Jav with later gaurds on it.

Yeah I agree I reckon that's a steel car alright. Would have been awesome to see and hear this car roaring around the dirt speedway
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 70Hornet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/04/2013 at 11:27pm
Talking about racing Ramblers did any Ramblers race at Phillip Island or Bathurst at all. There was Toyota Corona's, Corolla's and Triumphs etc in the late 60's which were AMI products and certainly in the case of the Corona's factory backed so I am wondering did any Ramblers have a crack at it? Although not AMC related Studebakers got pole position a couple of years in a row so i reckon somewhere up the back of the grid a Rambler must have had a go? 1 of the 24 AMX's was showcased at the 69 Bathurst on the sunday apparently. Did it do any demo laps? Anyone got pics or info? Any other speedway or road racing Ramblers (sports sedans, drag racing etc etc) Tongue
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote huddy1955 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/05/2013 at 3:42am
A Kaplan prepared 69 Trans-am Javelin did make it's way over to Australia for the touring car championships if I'm correct but never made it to any tracks (the car still survives and has been raced in recent times). I myself have visited the Bathurst Race car Museum a few times and read a few books on the History of Mount Panorama but never have found recorded information on any AMC been raced there.

Hudson on the other hand have a fabulous history at Mount Panorama dating back from the 30's to the 50's whilst competing in the Australian Grand Prix with mixed results. Conrod Straight was named after a 1935 Hudson 8 driven by Frank Kleinig who broke a con rod whilst in the lead. Murrays Corner was named after Jack Murray smashed his Hudson into a fence heading into pit straight.  There are many more stories like this that are related to the Hudson Motor car. The good old days. 

It is so unfortunate that most Australians think motor racing at Bathurst started in the 60's. 
1955 Hudson Hornet Custom
1963 Rambler Classic 660 wagon
1969 AMX 343 auto NO# 09 of 24
1973 Rambler Matador Wagon 360
1985 Jeep J20 pick up 360
2000 Jeep Cherokee Classic
plenty of parts cars
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WesternRed View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WesternRed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/05/2013 at 5:10am
The T/A car has been discussed before on the other forum:
 
 
Based on the quote from Ronnie Kaplan and the fact that according to others the car received here apparently didn't have the necessary chasis and suspension mods for racing, it seems that it might have just been a regular CKD car rather than a true Transam car. All just speculation from my end though, would be nice to know the real story from someone who was there.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 70Hornet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/05/2013 at 6:06am
Originally posted by huddy1955 huddy1955 wrote:

A Kaplan prepared 69 Trans-am Javelin did make it's way over to Australia for the touring car championships if I'm correct but never made it to any tracks (the car still survives and has been raced in recent times). I myself have visited the Bathurst Race car Museum a few times and read a few books on the History of Mount Panorama but never have found recorded information on any AMC been raced there.

Hudson on the other hand have a fabulous history at Mount Panorama dating back from the 30's to the 50's whilst competing in the Australian Grand Prix with mixed results. Conrod Straight was named after a 1935 Hudson 8 driven by Frank Kleinig who broke a con rod whilst in the lead. Murrays Corner was named after Jack Murray smashed his Hudson into a fence heading into pit straight.  There are many more stories like this that are related to the Hudson Motor car. The good old days. 

It is so unfortunate that most Australians think motor racing at Bathurst started in the 60's. 
Yeah I just googled makes of cars that have run at Bathurst and no mention of any Ramblers. It's a shame coz I reckon some of the early V8 Classics etc would have given the Studebakers (who got pole position! Twice!!) etc a run for their money. And I think most people are aware there was racing at Bathurst way back to at least the 30's, on dirt I think very early on, it's just that it's value for production car racing gave it a boost in early 60's and became the main race on the Australian calender that most of us grew up with. There is some amazing Aussie racing history slowly being lost and forgotten. Just a look a speedway people don't realise how big it really was (especially compared to now) and some of  it's OZ history gives you goosebumps with the racing staged at many old agricultural showgrounds throughout OZ such as Sydney Showground, Sydney Cricket ground right next door, Cumberland Oval held speedway, a track made by and behind Windsor RSL, a big Concrete mile speedway bowl at Maroubra (which they dug a part of it up a few years back when they went to build some units) etc but most people think only sprintcars and Parramatta and Fords/Holdens and Bathurst. Although there are books out there (and now stuff finding it's way onto the net) that will help preserve it. Talking of preserving some racing history I am still trying to get hold of Scott Dillon and some more pics and history of his Grenville Motors speedway Rambler Classic which would have run at the Sydney Showgrounds and Liverpool etc Smile   
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WesternRed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/18/2013 at 7:25am
Just found this in the ongoing quest for knowledge:

From the Javelin Register of Australia

1969 Javelin Race Car - (pictures not available) as told by John Caddy's son Andrew.

In 1968 John Caddy of VIS Con Transport in Darwin talked to Harry Tedstone, the American Motors representative at AMI in Port Melbourne.

Harry Tedstone's long time friend Carl Chuckmakian had been involved with the introduction of Trans-Am racing to AMC. John Caddy's idea was to campaign a Javelin in the Australian Touring car championship as two-door cars were allowed to be used and the engine size limit allowed the 390 cu.in. to be used. A car duly arrived, supposedly it was prepared by Ronnie Kaplan. Two 20' containers arrived in Perth and were transported by Vis Con's own trailer by road. When the containers were opened container one had a base line Javelin with optional suspension, 390 engine and T-10, traction bars by factory and heavy duty front sway bar but it was not race prepared in any way.

The second container had a Kaplan prepared 390 engine with headers, cross ram etc., flared front fenders, hood to clear the engine, racing brakes for front and rear, Panhard bar, beefed up suspension arms, quick ratio PS, 15" wheels without tyres.

It was all there but not assembled. This was not what John Caddy had expected to arrive. He had expected a turn key car with spare engine ready to race. After many phone calls to Chuckmakian he agreed to have Kaplan help in any way he could across the pacific. John Caddy had his mechanics assemble the car and near the end of 1969 the Javelin was beginning to look like a race car. Then Ronnie Kaplan quit, Roger Penske took over the team to prepare the cars for 1970. John Caddy did not have an agreement with Penske. His agreement for help was from Kaplan, with Kaplan gone, so was the help.

As the 1970 season began in Australia the car that could have beaten the Jags and maybe the Mustangs sat dejected in a corner of the Vis Con workshop in Darwin. Eventually Caddy had the car de-tuned and painted gold for the street and drove it for 10 years around Darwin still LHD, the hot 390 was raced in a boat in NT and Queensland.

FOOTNOTE: This Javelin is now painted Red, White & Blue and being race prepared by its current owner, Ray Sprague, of Melbourne. Actually Ray has been testing her out around the banked track at Calder Park and isn't giving away any secrets

 
 
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