31 replies to this topic

[HandyNZL]

Well, we had the car out on track for the first meeting since we shipped her in from USA.  Had some issues getting the engine going, but these were resolved a few weeks prior to the first race meeting.  She sounds real nice, and has got some squirt, UNFORTUNATELY, Pop's missed a gear going into a righthander, clipped the curb and spun her 540-deg and double shunted into the armco on the outside of the corner damaging the suspension uprights on both righthand corners (tie rod bolt sheared on front right, wishbone buckled on front right, radiator and oil tank somewhat compressed, right rear suspension upright bottom wishbone stay broken off, and both wheels damaged).

So looks like we're in for a few repairs before we get back out on track.  But here's some before and after shots.  Historic lovers may want to look away

[attachment=1832:iba.JPG]

[attachment=1833:ibb.JPG]

[attachment=1827:ib1.JPG]

[attachment=1828:ib2.JPG]

(the little cutie doing the modelling is my girl )

[attachment=1829:ib3.JPG]

[attachment=1830:ib4.JPG]

[attachment=1831:ib5.JPG]

Edited by HandyNZL, 14 September 2008 - 07:12 AM.

[tifosi too!]

Never owned one or anything like it, but I sure feel your loss my friend...
I hope you 'll be able to restore it fully!

[Jean Todt]

whoops!

Sorry for you mate, hope you fix it!

[mikathegreat2]

What car is it?? Looks like a Lotus 25 except in brighter green!

[HandyNZL]

it is a 1965 Cooper T76 Formula 3, 1094cc, 125 BHp, Ford Cosworth MAE engine.  Was 20th and last T76 built, delivered in Sept 65.  Original owner crashed it Dec 24, 1965 at Brands Hatch (i think, though Donnington also springs to mind from the depths of my memory - someone from UK will know the corner - Paddock Bend), and died from his injuries on Jan 4, '66.

[Argento Reloaded]

What a s###t! Hard work -lots of it- and it will be soon on track. Better lack the next. Lovely car

[DOF_power]

I'm sorry about the car, but happy your Pop's alive.

[HandyNZL]

Well, he's had bowel cancer, two heart attacks, a quadruple bypass, multiple maeloma (bone marrow cancer), radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and he's still ticking.  I think it will take more than a 540-spin and nurf to knock him off (but hope he doesn't try again in a hurry!)  He's just upset he shunted, as anyone would be that has to pay to fix the car!  Just harder to fix old cars than new, as it's not like you can pop down to the local dealership and get a spare panel or suspension upright.

[mikathegreat2]

1 last question! What racing championship are you racing in or is it just for Goodwood?

[HandyNZL]

We're in New Zealand, mika.  So most certainly not at Goodwood...lol.  There is a local series, but it is just for fun where the points don't matter - kinda like "Whose line is it anyway?".  The car is one of three T76 Coopers in NZ, out of only 20 ever built, so for a lil old colonial backwater, we might just have the highest concentration of T76's per capita...unless of course Ireland has 4....

[monza gorilla]

Are you sure it wasn't your daughter driving?

[mikathegreat2]

HandyNZL, on Sep 16 2008, 09:05 AM, said:

We're in New Zealand, mika.  So most certainly not at Goodwood...lol.  There is a local series, but it is just for fun where the points don't matter - kinda like "Whose line is it anyway?".  The car is one of three T76 Coopers in NZ, out of only 20 ever built, so for a lil old colonial backwater, we might just have the highest concentration of T76's per capita...unless of course Ireland has 4....

I doubt we have any historical motorsport cars! Maybe try Britain where the ol' Coopers were built!

[HandyNZL]

Well some are in USA, there is one I know of in the Netherlands, 3 in NZ, and I think 1 in Aussie, so thats 5, maybe 6 outside of Britain , so 14 of 20 might be left there with a populace of 60mil to 14 cars = 4.285mil per car, vs NZ at 4mil to 3 cars = 1.34mil per car.  So you could say we (NZ) are the capital of Cooper T76's, best rugby players in the world, and little cousin to the best sheep shaggers in the world....that would be the Aussies...

[aussief1]

Sorry to hear about about the crash Craig, but atleast your father is okay. The car, well it's a pity but it can be fixed. What track where you at?

[HandyNZL]

Pukekohe, nathan.  next planned meeting was to be at the new track at hampton downs in january, so time to fix her.  hardest things to fix are the suspension uprights - magnesium alloy castings are not known for their weldability!

[medilloni]

HandyNZL, on Sep 17 2008, 11:05 AM, said:

Pukekohe, nathan.  next planned meeting was to be at the new track at hampton downs in january, so time to fix her.  hardest things to fix are the suspension uprights - magnesium alloy castings are not known for their weldability!

Good luck with it Handy, you might find this site useful if you need parts: http://www.race-cars.com/ and as it says here, http://www.race-cars...204677641ss.htm you can still get the original parts (or at worst, drawings) from Serck for the radiators - if you can contact the guy in the article it sounds like he's got a few drawings that might help with the rebuild.

[aussief1]

HandyNZL, on Sep 17 2008, 08:05 PM, said:

Pukekohe, nathan.  next planned meeting was to be at the new track at hampton downs in january, so time to fix her.  hardest things to fix are the suspension uprights - magnesium alloy castings are not known for their weldability!

Pukekohe, is a nice little track.

All the best with the repairs, keep us updated with the progress.

[HandyNZL]

That one is in a much worse state than is implied in the advert.  Dad actually looked into getting that one, but the guy that runs the Cooper Club in UK steered him away from it, but would be interesting to know who bought it, and what drawings they actually do have.

The car that was selling it bought it as a wreck, rebuilt it, then wrecked worse again himself, then began rebuilding it, but apparantly the front end is a real mess and needs to go back on the jigs to make it right - but there is only one jig left in existence.  And its in the UK.

I said to Dad once it arrived here that I should measure it up, and make a set of jigs at my work for him, but he said it wouldn't be getting crashed....lol

[aussief1]

HandyNZL, on Sep 18 2008, 10:40 AM, said:

That one is in a much worse state than is implied in the advert.  Dad actually looked into getting that one, but the guy that runs the Cooper Club in UK steered him away from it, but would be interesting to know who bought it, and what drawings they actually do have.

The car that was selling it bought it as a wreck, rebuilt it, then wrecked worse again himself, then began rebuilding it, but apparantly the front end is a real mess and needs to go back on the jigs to make it right - but there is only one jig left in existence.  And its in the UK.

I said to Dad once it arrived here that I should measure it up, and make a set of jigs at my work for him, but he said it wouldn't be getting crashed.... lol

[Argento Reloaded]

HandyNZL, on Sep 16 2008, 10:04 PM, said:

Well some are in USA, there is one I know of in the Netherlands, 3 in NZ, and I think 1 in Aussie, so thats 5, maybe 6 outside of Britain , so 14 of 20 might be left there with a populace of 60mil to 14 cars = 4.285mil per car, vs NZ at 4mil to 3 cars = 1.34mil per car.  So you could say we (NZ) are the capital of Cooper T76's, best rugby players in the world, and little cousin to the best sheep shaggers in the world....that would be the Aussies...

Hey you at NZ, you must confirm your statement with titles! Perhaps a Rugby World Cup title won outside your backyard...

Buy the way, Los Pumas 3rd...

[HandyNZL]

@ Argento thems fighting words me thinks (and one day Argentina might beat NZ...maybe.....not)

@ Nathan - duh! indeed!!

[jemstride]

HandyNZL, on Sep 17 2008, 01:04 AM, said:

Well some are in USA, there is one I know of in the Netherlands, 3 in NZ, and I think 1 in Aussie, so thats 5, maybe 6 outside of Britain , so 14 of 20 might be left there with a populace of 60mil to 14 cars = 4.285mil per car, vs NZ at 4mil to 3 cars = 1.34mil per car.  So you could say we (NZ) are the capital of Cooper T76's, best rugby players in the world, and little cousin to the best sheep shaggers in the world....that would be the Aussies...

Also home to the most ridiculous accent in the world!

[Grabthaw the Hammerslayer]

jemstride, on Feb 19 2009, 04:59 PM, said:

Also home to the most ridiculous accent in the world!

My home town (Bristol) takes some beating on that one....

[freaky2]

Hahaha, I'm lucky that I'm very bad at distinguishing accents then

[jemstride]

Meanioni, on Feb 19 2009, 05:45 PM, said:

My home town (Bristol) takes some beating on that one....

freaky2, on Feb 19 2009, 10:30 PM, said:

Hahaha, I'm lucky that I'm very bad at distinguishing accents then

Wow 3 of us from Bristol here? Where abouts in Briz are you guys from?

[maure]

I lived in Bristol and Oxford some 25 years ago. Good times.

Darn, time goes by!

[jemstride]

I'm glad I live in Bristol, its great. Especially with the harbour/docks, the scenery around the suspension bridge, the downs (a large green space bigger than central park), the new gigantic shopping centre, its got everything.

We've even nearly got a decent football club, Bristol City came so close to getting into the premiership last year!

[freaky2]

Hahaha! Didn't know about the football team. What is nice is that a lot of people support Liverpool here ^^
I'm here to study now Jem, so I'll be staying for a couple of years more at least, and I love it so far^^ I live in the city centre, so I go walking everywhere, which is nice!

[elgo]

freaky2, on Feb 21 2009, 03:23 AM, said:

Hahaha! Didn't know about the football team. What is nice is that a lot of people support Liverpool here ^^
I'm here to study now Jem, so I'll be staying for a couple of years more at least, and I love it so far^^ I live in the city centre, so I go walking everywhere, which is nice!

  



Ehhh sorry. What were we talking about?

[mikathegreat2]

freaky2, on Feb 21 2009, 02:23 AM, said:

Hahaha! Didn't know about the football team. What is nice is that a lot of people support Liverpool here ^^
I'm here to study now Jem, so I'll be staying for a couple of years more at least, and I love it so far^^ I live in the city centre, so I go walking everywhere, which is nice!