Racing early Holdens

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Dave Lakin (Davo Lako)
Peter Brock's FE

I'd like to know more about this... can you please quote me chapter and verse on it?

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Dave Lakin (Davo Lako)
In front of a Valiant ... naturally ...

Definitely not John Goss, nor anything to do with John Goss...

By the beginning of 1966 Goss was into a Customline, there was no car between the FJ and the Cusso to my knowledge and it certainly wouldn't have carried Queensland plates.

I really should know who this is but I don't remember. It will come up in time, however. The Valiant should be even more memorable.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by fe350chev
Does anyone know the most famous race wins for an FE and FC Holden, like at a major event of the time, like bathurst etc...or best result....or well known cars that raced for years?

There never was a 'memorable race win' of that kind of stature for an FE or FC...

Bruce McPhee had the most 'memorable' car in the field in the Appendix J days, Lou Kingsley in the pre-Appendix J days, while Bob Holden got the one that Repco built up and had been raced by Stan Jones.

Others who raced them included John Raeburn, Alan Dewhurst and Fred Rheinberger. Later in the Sports Sedan days there were many. Chris Strode had one, Barry Sharp has been mentioned, I think his went on to Bill Warner.

The problem is that the FE and FC were from a period when tintop racing wasn't big. The Armstrong 500 started in 1960 and the FB was already well and truly out then, so there was never a serious endurance race for production cars in their time. In other racing they were always considered to be too heavy alongside the early models, but blokes like McPhee were always willing to try to prove a point.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Dave Lakin (Davo Lako)
Thanks fellas ...glad You are enjoying ... sorry if there any any reposts already on this forum ... I'll just post all from my collection if that's ok ??

Originally posted by Dave Lakin (Davo Lako)
Effie 27 in the lead of a Humpy ...

Must be a quickie to be in front of Beechey at both ends of the Calder circuit...

Alan Dewhurst was his name. He's also there leading a lighter coloured early and a Valiant, I'd suggest that might be Bob Jane he's heading in that one.

[Rick 123]

There never was a 'memorable race win' of that kind of stature for an FE or FC...

Bruce McPhee had the most 'memorable' car in the field in the Appendix J days, Lou Kingsley in the pre-Appendix J days, while Bob Holden got the one that Repco built up and had been raced by Stan Jones.

Others who raced them included John Raeburn, Alan Dewhurst and Fred Rheinberger. Later in the Sports Sedan days there were many. Chris Strode had one, Barry Sharp has been mentioned, I think his went on to Bill Warner.

The problem is that the FE and FC were from a period when tintop racing wasn't big. The Armstrong 500 started in 1960 and the FB was already well and truly out then, so there was never a serious endurance race for production cars in their time. In other racing they were always considered to be too heavy alongside the early models, but blokes like McPhee were always willing to try to prove a point.

Bill Slattery also raced one with the chevy engine in it

[Ray Bell]

Probably the same one as either Sharp or Warner or both... I'd have to check up on that...

But I've found one!

An inveterate FE racer of the fifties, Lou Kingsley, ventured over to Perth in 1957 and won the West Australian Touring Car Championship at Caversham.

That's a state title to an FE.

[Gary C]

Ray, you dont happen to have any photos of  any WA fe touring cars from the era at all?

Iam building one at the moment and wanted to base it on a known or successful local car.

Thanks,Gary.

[Ray Bell]

Gary, I would seriously doubt that there were any 'successful local cars' in the FE or FC range...

Let's face it, you can count on the fingers of your hands all of the FE or FC cars that ever raced more than once or twice in all of Australia. Of those, the McPhee standard-model FE in lime green with two narrow stripes (an ex-MWS&DB - Sydney Water Board - car) would surely have been the best known. Before it there was Kingsley's, and it did travel around the country and made one trip to WA.

The Bob Holden car is another that got around, but I'd doubt it went further than Adelaide or Sydney from its Melbourne base. I have never seen a photo of this car, I don't think.

Remember, the pre-1960 cars were a bit 'open slather' when it came to modifications. I am sure that Kingsley's car, like Holden's, the Geoghegan, French etc early models, had Repco heads. Syd Anderson's early model was customised and had an FE grille... sort of... and wire wheels, probably a Repco head as well.

Having said that, and looked also at the placegetters in the WATCC events over the years, I'd say it is possible that someone might have had an FE or FC. Unlikely, but possible. Dave Sullivan didn't, nor did Terry LeMay, George Wakelin, Harley Pederick.

You need to go to the WASCC library and find information on this stuff. People who can help might be Ken Devine (he has photos, lots of photos), Terry Walker (check out 'terrywalkersplace' on the net) or Rod Waller.

Here's a pic of the Kingsley car at Caversham, complete with 'protection' from loose stones. This photos is from Terry Walker's book, Around the Houses:



Note that he's pulling to the side to allow that Peugeot to outbrake him...

[Gary C]

Thanks Ray, I will keep searching for info,although I do have a colour in mind anyway.

Making it go fast and stop is going to be the biggest problem.

Gary.

[Ray Bell]

They're always the big problems...

I'd suspect it's possible Kingsley's had something special in the brakes, something McPhee wouldn't have been allowed to do as he came along after Appendix J started.

Don Hall would be someone else you could ask.

[Ray Bell]

Having spoken to Bob Holden I can confirm that Kingsley's car did have a Repco head, a 4-speed brakes and most likely disc brakes...

Bob was also good enough to send me photos of his ex-Repco Research FE racing, I forgot to upload them before I left home but that shall soon be done and they'll be posted here.

[FCRB26]

My mate phil has a green fe with black stripes mocked up as a race car.
Well its been getting raced now got grooved slicks and a very hot triple su,d grey motor .
Cant find a decent pic tho.
Alex would have one.
Its to the right in this ovehead shot.
 http://fefcholden.org.au/nats13/content/view/107/49/

[customFC]

Here's a pic of Phil's FE mocked up as McPhee's racer. The car alongside it is reputably actually McPhee's FE.



Here is a link to an early magazine with an article on Bob Holden's FE.
Click on the image to download the article:



Here is a link to an early magazine with an article on Lou Kingsley.
Click on the image to download the article:


Lou also built a road going FC wagon for his wife that also had a Repco head.

Looking forward to seeing those pics Ray.

Regards
Alex

[zl296]

good red alex....

:)

[FE_UTE]

Hey Ray

Heres the full pic of the Brock FE

Although it looks like the 78 car is leading..........

It's Phil Brock in the FE about to be lapped by Peter in the A30 in the background. It was Phil Brocks first race at Sandown 1969



Pic from THE PETER BROCK STORY by David Hassall.....first published 1983

[Ole]

Does anyone have any pictures of an FC circuit raced by Tony Parkinson primarily in SA in the late 60's early 70's? It was black with a wide red stripe down the centre of the car. It ran a 192 with triple twin throat webers. It was pretty quick down the 1/4 mile in it's day too, running flat 14's at about 96mph. Any pictures or info would be appreciated.
Regards Ole.

[Ray Bell]

Here's Bob Holden taking off from the Phillip Island grid



The Porsche is probably Eddie Perkins, Larry's father. I don't know (or care?) who's in the Standard 10 at the back of the field!



Here's Bob going round The Copse, heading for the sweeper that leads onto the main straight.

[fe350chev]

I saw at Clipsal 500 a photo of Fred Gibson's old cars of the day, he had a humpy but I didn't see any fe-ek etc models. Does anyone know of any from his stable?

Cheers

Deano.

[Ray Bell]

I wasn't aware of Fred ever racing any Holden... perhaps he prepared it?

He raced, that I recall:

MG A Twin Cam
Morris 850
Lightweight Lotus Elan (x2)
Morris Cooper S
Falcon GTs and GT HOs
Brabham Climax 2.5
Elfin 400 Chev
McLaren M4a FVA
Alfa GTV2000
Nissan Bluebird

No... he did drive Joe Moore's A9X at Bathurst in '79.

[fe350chev]

perhaps the humpy was the first one he prepared or had some dealings with.