FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Some thirty years ago I was chasing some parts to build an open wheeler racing car. I was directed to a guy named Geof Harris,(who lived at Fairy meadow, just near woolongong) who had obtained the total Lynx Engineering stock of Ralt parts.
   The big surprise was that Geoff was also a collector of Holden Grey special motors. I saw a Waggot (that had a porous head casting),a three piece speedway sandwich twin cam, a Dunstan rotary valve complete engine, which Geof fired up for me,the sound of this engine was unlike any I had heard in the past, it also had a unique fuel injection system, also designed by David Dunstan, I believe. He also had what he told me was the only unit made of the Tontala sports car headed twin cam engine.He also had more than one Repco head & one complete Repco in running order, complete with the twin downdraught weber compound carbs.
     Geof Harris was a Truckie, who hauled coal on the South coast, he lived on the East side of the then new freeway, his exact address I no longer have.
    It may also be of interest to the people interested in high powered Grey Holdens  to get in touch with Kingsley Hibbard, who used to race an FJ back in the early 1960,s, King's FJ had a unique engine that had Five GP or RN Amal Motor Cycle carbs, Yes I know that the three ports don't exactly allow for five cabs, It was said by one of his then crew that the engine also had a roller bearing C, shaft made as a foreign order at the Garden Island dockyard? Kingsley would never confirm this, even when he had had a little to much of the liquid joy.
    I do know that this engine made prodigious power (from the 3.250"bore) especially at the top end & Kingsly did rev the daylights out of that engine, I do believe that 8,000 was the red line??? He once said that 6300 was the period one just had to get over very quickly, apparently this was the revs that the Holden crank found to be critical??The Kingsly Holden did often beat the Repco headed version & I once saw this car beat the Twin Cam Waggot version of the Tasmanian? Ray Long.If my memory still serves me well a figure of 265 Hp was once quoted from this near 3litre engine, however I am sure that Kingsly would provide accurate figures today.Makes one wonder how those main bearing caps/webs stayed in place?
               This is all memory of a retired Engineer, who these days enjoys designing unusual engines, like 4 oh rotary valved,( running at half engine speed,) 2 stroke Skotch yoke, flat 6 cylinder, that runs very cold & uses very little fuel .That keeps the juices running & any one who thinks that through, will understand the fun one gets from doing something that others thought could not work.
Regards Jabenti.

Thanks for posting your memories here, Jabenti.  You were probably very lucky even back then to see so much exotic Grey motor gear in one place.  What would be the chances now??  Zilch I'd imagine.  You would be lucky to  see all that gear in 10 years of looking now.  
Good to hear that you still enjoy playing around with engines.  Perhaps one day, we might be lucky enough to see a few old photos if you had some?
If you have a look around on this forum you will see some of us enjoy the old grey go fast gear.  Normd on this forum has an old speedway car.  There are a few pictures floating around in here.  Probably under 'Real Cars'.
Kind regards, Shayne.

Hi Ya Shayne   (yep, still around   ;) )

JABENTI , Welcome to the Forum , Wow , it's great to have those memories , I remember the name "Kingsley Hibbard"  in the early 70's around Oran Park & Amaroo . I think he had some pretty radical cars at the time .You may know the guy who originally built my car in 1970, Keith  Croft of Pendle Hill ,(made steel wheels for Sports Sedans) then he sold it to Geoff Darmody from Clyde (panel beater) & I bought it off Geoff in 1974.
   It's really great to have someone on the forum with  "First Hand Knowledge" of the original Grey gear.

Warning , watch out for Robj "4 Hammers" he'll have a list of questions a yard long ...   ;D

This is Keith's old car , Used to be ? ? Olive green with Orange wheels
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/normd/carfc5b.jpg)

Also if you click on "Homepage" on the Left, there's a couple of more photo's there.

  Norm  :)

Hi Guys.
Welcome to the forum, Jabenti.
Right...those questions Norm mentioned ;D. I am compiling a list as we speak. Will get back soon.

Shayne, there is a fella in SA who has a similar collection. He drives an EJ Premier with a type 60 Norman Supercharger, has a Repco Crossflow, owned the Waggot Twin cam head that is now back on the Waggot car & has 4, yes, 4 Dunstan Rotary Valve heads. One of them NOS in the box. Very, VERY private person though.
He is currently building a replica of a famous "Hydraplane" racing boat, the name escapes me right now.

Regards,
Rob J

Hi all

While we are on the subject of old go-fast bits for Grey's a bloke by the name of H.D Laphen (He must be 70 odd years old)came into an engine shop in Orange where I use to work with a Sainty built Billet crankshaft.

It was a fully counter weighted crank, looked something like a Blue/Black 3.3 counter weighted crank but with narrower counter weights it was a piece of art (I must contact him I'd like to see the engine, must be built by now)

There is also a bloke here who has a Repco headed complete Grey sitting in his fathers shed that has been there for at least 15 odd years, I know the bloke pretty well so I might try and get a couple of photos and get them posted here.

gee, all this stuff makes me regret putting a red in my car.
but then again I still have one grey powered FC in the shed.
I'll be watching the parts for sale section for one of those rotary valve heads, I was always under the impression that there were only a couple made.

There weren't many rotary valve heads made, Leon. Rare as all hell. This guy is just a collector freak & had the cash & the contacts at the right time. He has also had them for a few years now, so got them a ot cheaper than you would now. I offered him quite a bit for one (WAY too much for any sort of budget I could afford) & he knocked it back. The last complete working Dunstan I know of being sold went for $15,000 (No, that is NOT a typo). :o :o

Rob J

There is a grey motor fitted with a twin cam Waggot head with 6(six) SUs in an historic orange open wheeler at the National motor museum at Birdwood S.A. It is in immaculate condition.email me if you require a photo.  waynest@value.com.au