HS30-H Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 The outback Aust rumor might have started from Ross Dunkertons 1975 Aust rally championship winning car being a LHD ex works car, sa4080, (2nd in the Southern Cross with Aaltonen driving) I believe 'TKS 33 SA 4080' was the Fall / Halloran '73 Southern Cross car. The Aaltonen / Halloran car from the '72 Southern Cross was 'TKS 33 SA 8075', which stayed on in Australia after the Southern Cross for Herrmann / Bonhomme to use it in the Dulux International Rally. I also presumed the above car was used in the 73 RAC as I have a picture of sa 4079 competing in it, and every photo I've seen of that famous Morocco crash has the caption "Shekhar Mehta describes the 240Z as an accident waiting to happen"... 'TKS 33 SA 4080' wasn't used on the '73 RAC Rally, but it was part of the same batch of cars which included 'TKS 33 SA 4079' ( which incidentally still exists, and still lives here in England after a pretty prolific career ) and 'TKS SA 4081', which Watson / Beaumont used on the '73 Southern Cross ( and had also done the '73 Bandama Rally in Africa with Mehta / Billstam ). Shekhar Mehta's '73 Moroccan Rally car ( comprehensively crashed, with crew amazingly virtually unscathed ) was 'TKS 33 SA 7922', which Fall / Wood had previously used on the '72 RAC Rally. I honestly don't think it's there anymore, otherwise I would have been out there with my bucket and spade by now! Quote
ZED660 Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 Hey Alan, Maybe you should consult with Carl Beck to see if he might have any ideas on the missing car in Morocco??? Quote
S30Mike Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 So TKS 33 SA 7922 is missing in action.. where else could it be? Quote
HS30-H Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 So TKS 33 SA 7922 is missing in action.. where else could it be? To clarify, I honestly find it hard to believe that it was ever left where it crashed. OK, half the suspension had been ripped out of its mountings, so it wasn't going to roll on its own wheels anymore - but I feel sure they would have managed to get it back to base camp / service somehow after the rally had finished. Main reason being - as mentioned before - the paperwork nightmare and taxes / duties that awaited them should they not bring the car back out of Morocco, and the Japanese carnet needing to be tied up eventually. I just can't see them leaving it there somehow. The bodyshell was quite obviously ferked though. I must ask about it next time I talk to one of the people who was involved....... I'll only break out the bucket and spade ( and the metal detector ) if they reckon it might still be there. Both crew members Shekhar Mehta and Geraint Phillips of course are no longer with us, sadly. Quote
Moderators Zedman240® Posted July 11, 2009 Moderators Posted July 11, 2009 Alan, a quick question to ask about something that I've been thinking about ever since I've read a UK book called "Tuning Datsun's". Unless I have it wrong but written in the book about the "Janspeed" 240Z, the author thinks it once was one of the works rally cars modified to run on the circuit. There are a couple of videos of it on youtube. Do you know much about it's history? Quote
bluerat Posted July 11, 2009 Posted July 11, 2009 Drimitri, I also read that one of 'Big Sam's' reshells was an ex works rally shell..... Quote
bluerat Posted July 11, 2009 Posted July 11, 2009 I believe 'TKS 33 SA 4080' was the Fall / Halloran '73 Southern Cross car. The Aaltonen / Halloran car from the '72 Southern Cross was 'TKS 33 SA 8075', which stayed on in Australia after the Southern Cross for Herrmann / Bonhomme to use it in the Dulux International Rally Your spot on there, We've just got a new laptop and the bloody scanner wont work on it, I've got photo's of the above car in action on both the Southern Cross and the Dulux. Including a great photo of Herrmann chasing Brock in an XU-1 on an autocross track. XU-1's got 1st, 2nd and 3rd, Herrmann 4th.....hard to beat the old fox Harry firth!! Is the 4079 still owned by the Old Woking service station?? Quote
HS30-H Posted July 11, 2009 Posted July 11, 2009 Alan, a quick question to ask about something that I've been thinking about ever since I've read a UK book called "Tuning Datsun's". Unless I have it wrong but written in the book about the "Janspeed" 240Z, the author thinks it once was one of the works rally cars modified to run on the circuit. There are a couple of videos of it on youtube. Do you know much about it's history? Actually, a few questions about its history have been answered in just the last few months. Yes it was originally an ex-Works rally car ( one of the '71 Monte Carlo Rallye recce cars ) that was turned into a circuit racer by Rob Janssen in Holland. Datsun Netherlands and Jan Odor's 'Janspeed' operation came into the story, and the car ended up being comprehensively crashed by Han Tjan. They needed to re-shell the car, and a water-damaged ( in freight from Japan ) standard road 240Z was obtained to use as a base, so the 'life' of the car continued. It was subsequently changed to RHD configuration in Janspeed's hands, and had quite a long race history - which owner Ben Stapley is of course continuing to add to today. So, what we all call the 'Janspeed' car was originally based on an ex-Works 240Z rally car - but that 'shell was wrecked and it is now based on a standard road car 'shell. I also read that one of 'Big Sam's' reshells was an ex works rally shell..... Quite a similar situation to the Janspeed car in some aspects. The car that came to be known as 'Big Sam' has had two bodyshells too, but in this case both of them were ex-Works rally 'shells..... Originally one of the 1970 RAC Rally entries ( RHD remember ), the first bodyshell - still with all its Works rally parts attached actually - was obtained by Rob Grant and turned into a circuit racer. He took it all over Europe to race ( even attempting to qualify for Le Mans at one point ) and gradually modified it more and more into a circuit-suited spec. Fast forward a little and Mr Spike Anderson ( of 'Samuri Conversions' ) comes into the story. Anderson's 'Big Sam' racecar is essentially the ex-Rob Grant circuit racer with a new front spoiler and a new paint job. Driven in many races, the car ends up in a monumental crash that writes off the original body. A replacement bodyshell is obtained from Datsun UK, and this just happens to be a stripped and rather tired ex-Works rally body...... It's actually one of the recce cars from the '73 Monte Carlo Rallye that has been through a few hands, and of course it is LHD. This means that the 'shell needs to be converted from LHD to RHD so that all the parts from 'Big Sam' will fit. In very short order, 'Big Sam' is rebuilt into the 'new' bodyshell ( with different flared arches to the original Rob Grant versions of course ) and is out racing again. So the 'Big Sam' we see today has actually got what remains of an ex-Works rally bodyshell, but being later than the original it is quite different - having been built to suit the '72-on season rules. The original ( '70 RAC ) RHD 'shell was the very special lightweight 'PZR' type, and was hung with FRP panels and plexiglass windows. The '73 Monte 'shell would have been the full-weight steel bodyshell ( not really 'PZR' type ) and hung with steel panels and glass windows - so stronger than the '70 RAC type but a fair bit heavier. Legend always had it that 'Big Sam' was built from an ex-Shekhar Mehta 'Safari Rally' body - but both bodyshells went nowhere near Africa. It's just like 'all' Lotus Cortinas seem to be 'Jim Clark' connected. Unfortunately so many books and magazines have repeated the errors over the years that it seems to be set in stone now. There's a bit more to the story that I can't really go into here, but that's essentially it. Is the 4079 still owned by the Old Woking service station?? Yes, still owned by the Hicks family of Old Woking Service Station fame. Still on it's original bodyshell ( LHD, and full metal / glass of course because it was a '73 RAC car ), and still with its 'LY' crossflow engine. Great car, lovely people. Hope that's of interest...... Quote
Moderators Zedman240® Posted July 11, 2009 Moderators Posted July 11, 2009 Thanks and it always is! Another thing I've been thinking about is applying the same paint/decal scheme of those early EA rally zeds to mine. Not sure how many people have done it here in Aust but I would like to try it! Quote
Administrators gav240z Posted July 11, 2009 Administrators Posted July 11, 2009 Thanks and it always is! Another thing I've been thinking about is applying the same paint/decal scheme of those early EA rally zeds to mine. Not sure how many people have done it here in Aust but I would like to try it! I know of one guy, he was a member here. However is not on here very frequently. I think his username is Zedrally and his name is Mike. He painted a Z in that kind of scheme. I must say I've been somewhat tempted to give my own Z an old school race livery paint job. Quote
benny Posted July 12, 2009 Author Posted July 12, 2009 think we need a new thread... this is nothing like the original post!!! Ben Quote
Administrators gav240z Posted June 26, 2017 Administrators Posted June 26, 2017 Shekhar Mehta's '73 Moroccan Rally car ( comprehensively crashed, with crew amazingly virtually unscathed ) was 'TKS 33 SA 7922', which Fall / Wood had previously used on the '72 RAC Rally. I honestly don't think it's there anymore, otherwise I would have been out there with my bucket and spade by now! Photos of TKS 33 SA 7922. So they did at least flip it back over... Quote
HS30-H Posted June 26, 2017 Posted June 26, 2017 Photos of TKS 33 SA 7922. A510_Rally0020_Medium_.jpg A510_Rally0021_Medium_.jpg A510_Rally0029_Medium_.jpg So they did at least flip it back over... Gav, Note that the very bottom photo above is actually 'TKS 33 SU 4079', one of the works '73 RAC Rally cars, as mentioned in my previous post still extant and belonging to the Hicks family here in the UK. Not the same car as '7922', which Shekhar totalled on the '73 Moroccan Rally... Quote
Administrators gav240z Posted June 27, 2017 Administrators Posted June 27, 2017 Thanks Alan, I thought the last photo may have been a different car but it had the same number on the side and it was all 1 image (the third image).. I was looking for more information on this photo of the upside down S30Z when I found photos of 7922 and then searched for more information and found this thread. http://www.viczcar.com/forum/topic/16279-who-needs-a-rotisserie/?do=findComment&comment=193753 Quote
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