UKDRN

Do you own or know the whereabouts of a piece of UK Drag Racing History or just want info on a particular machine.

Moderators: timetravel, ukdrn

 #2586  by ukdrn
 
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Images:Paul Garland

 #2588  by ukdrn
 
Some pictures of the Wheel Thing from the excellent Acceleration Archive website.
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 #2920  by herb andrews
 
Chunky, Norm says Appolo went out of the country. Know anyone in Germany that may have it?
Herb

 #2921  by timetravel
 
herb andrews wrote:Chunky, Norm says Appolo went out of the country. Know anyone in Germany that may have it?
Herb
At the 1984 Santa Pod World Finals it came back over here to race by Guenter Kolb from Germany if that helps

 #2924  by tony morris
 
Here is Gunter Kolb at Santa Pod most likely in 1984.

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Gunter removed the Jaguar motor somewhere between 87-89, having purchased a motor from Rico.


This is the only Picture I have of Gunter's Model T with the V8 in it, taken at Giebelstadt in 1989.

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Then in 1990 he put a Trabbi body on the chassis, here it is in Austria.
http://www.dragracinghistory.de
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In 1991 Gunter flew over to the States and had a brand new chassis build, which he then also put a newer lighter Trabbi body on. He used the first body as the plug, so it was thrown away after the job was finshed.

This is the last picture I have seen of the car taken in the last few years with a different owner.

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So the car is still around in Germany as far as I know.

Chunky Morris

 #2925  by tony morris
 
Altered with T body which became Dave Gibbons rough diamond- sold abroad??

Here is the answer to this one Norm.

As I said on the Fiat thread Dave traded his Fiat for the T body chassis you had built for John Everitt.

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He raced the car from 1982 to his last race in the car Easter 1984. He's best time with the Altered was 8.89 @151mph.


This was taken by me at that event and this was when Dave first offered the Model T to me.
http://www.roughdiamondracing.com/
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I purchased the car from Dave in August 1984, Dave had made some upgrades to the nitruos system before selling the car to me, and was good enought to weld a new cage on the car before we went to Santa Pod at the Fireworks meet in November.

Here i am waiting to make my first run in the car at that event and was freezing while waiting in the car.
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After the event the car went with me back Germany where we painted it white with a purple stripe.

Here is Dave and good friend Dick (Mr Wonderful) who help me many times on my trips to Santa Pod between 84-90. This was taken at the 1985 World Finals where we ran a 8.67 the fastest run ever with this combo.
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Then in 1986 the car was sponsored by Metalflake Germany and was repainted. This was taken at the 86 Connonball.
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Then in 1987 i asked Dave to build a whole new combo, with Alky and injection. Seen here at the 1987 Hockenheim Event it's first event with the new combo
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After i melted three pistons in Zandvoort the week after Hockenheim, i put the old motor back in and finshed the season out.

Then for 1988 we raced without the N2O to get a handle on the injection.

1989 and Metalflake germany had the body back in for a repaint.
Seen here at Giebelstadt and also back on the nitrous.
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The car went back to Dave Gibbons in early 1990 for some upgrades, which included tripod front end and 31 spine axles etc. This was taken at Hockenheim at the August event, in May i ran the best time there a 8.16 @160
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This was the last time i ran the car in England at the 1990 World Finals, where i ended up racing Ian Lloyd in Gonzo the Great in the final.
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I sold the car to a Peter Hug in May 1991 seen here at Giebelstadt that year.
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He raced the car for a few years, then sold it to a German called Werner Lang. This is how it looked when he owned it, he never raced the car.
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Werner sold the car to a Disco that hung the car from the celling in the Disco.
They put the car on Ebay and sold it to a US beer importer in Germany, this is where we have lost the car.

My sister and i have been looking for the car for the last two years, i won seven German championship with this car and much more. So i'm keen to find it. I may even buy it back if it make sense.

Norm i hope you enjoyed this Chunky

 #2935  by Stormin Norm
 
Thanks Chunky for all the info.
From a one man workshop in a cotswold village to hanging from the
ceiling in a German disco -Amazing!!! you just could not make that up!!
I still have the original T body mould and a new car is well under way
here in mid-Wales. it will not look much different to your car -the
main difference will be one of those big shiny things on top of the
engine!
Regards
Norm.
 #3311  by Millevanille
 
Norm just been sent these two photos.
The 81 altered you built, here with Martin Rowatt, and me.
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Second pic, spot the interested party, Bootsie checking out your handy work!
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 #3322  by flying toilet
 
Martin Rowatt used to live down our old road in Woolstone, Milton Keynes. Am i right to say he had a dragster at some point was a gearbox builder?
 #3325  by Millevanille
 
Indeed, Martin and his brother ran a rear engined digger, with this very engine. The Rowatt, Emerson, Smith car.
Martin did also make a two speed transmission, one of which took the Wheeldon, Claxton dragster to the Pro Comp World Finals title in 1979.
I believe Sue and Dave Coles used one in their altered.
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