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

 #2012  by VTR
 
Hello folks

I've had a look for an 'intro' forum but can't seem to find one, so I guess this is a kind of hello post!!!

Anyway, Does anyone know what happened to the car in the attached pics? It was owned by Roy & Mary Farmer (& previously by the Clifton Brothers) & ran mainly at Long Marston. It was sold in the mid to late 90's to a lady, I think but not sure. I'm just wondering what happened to it?

Cheers

VTR.
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 #2016  by timetravel
 
I'm pretty sure this is the same car running at Avon Park in 1997 by Wendy Talbot with a T bucket body replacing the C Cab. She raced with the wild bunch and is here coming out against some Welsh geezer! Image

 #2021  by VTR
 
Yes that looks like the car, is it still running? Now that you've mentioned the lady's name it rings a bell as I recall Roy saying that he'd sold it to lady.
I did a fair amount of work on that car & help crew between about 82 - 88 ish, as I went to school with Roy's lad Paul.
I prefer the 'C' cab body, but that's probably down to nostalgia. Roy did actually try that 'T' body on it once, but for some reason it didn't work out & he went back to 'C' cab.
Sadly Roy & Mary both passed away about 3 or 4 yrs ago of natural causes. They were both genuine, nice people.

It's been quite interesting looking through this site, brings back a lot of memories.

 #2032  by muddytalker
 
You're right TimeTravel. It was the same car and Wendy and Dick Talbot did run it in Wild Bunch for a season or two. I believe that the Talbot's sold the car to a very keen hot rodder who put it back on the road in the mid nineties. Where it is now I'm not sure, but its good to have you onboard VTR. I'm sure that you'll remember my father's 'Super Joker' MG Midget and keep the old photos coming!

 #2036  by sjb
 
There was two pics of the C-Cab in the Quarter Mile Book from 1982 when Steve Clifton had it.Had differant headers then.

 #2038  by Les-the-Pres
 
A year or so back it was in Berkeley near Bristol and belonged to a chap called Phil Stubbs who has a large collection of cars including many race cars such as the Turner brother s Top Methanol rail, I seem to remember being told he had bought it off Wendy. Les S.

 #2050  by timetravel
 
Here's a pic I took of it at Blackbushe 1979 when the Clifton Bros ran it as "Hot Tomato" Image

 #2056  by VTR
 
muddytalker wrote:You're right TimeTravel. It was the same car and Wendy and Dick Talbot did run it in Wild Bunch for a season or two. I believe that the Talbot's sold the car to a very keen hot rodder who put it back on the road in the mid nineties. Where it is now I'm not sure, but its good to have you onboard VTR. I'm sure that you'll remember my father's 'Super Joker' MG Midget and keep the old photos coming!
Thanks for the welcome, & yes I do remember Super Joker, althought I remember it being a red Berkerley, or was that the car after the MG? Or am I getting 2 different peoples cars mixed up? :? :oops:
Unfortunately with my job it's virtually imposible for me to get to see any racing these days, & down here in Devon there aren't any race tracks close, plenty of dissused airfeilds though, just a pity they're surrounded by nimby's. The nearest I got was a few yrs back at the Custom show at Westpoint, Exeter when there was a few people doing demo burnouts.
I've got a fair few pic's, but the scanner's playing up at the moment, I'll post them up as soon as I get it sorted. should bring back a few memories.
Les-the-Pres wrote:A year or so back it was in Berkeley near Bristol and belonged to a chap called Phil Stubbs who has a large collection of cars including many race cars such as the Turner brother s Top Methanol rail, I seem to remember being told he had bought it off Wendy.
With such a large collection of cars, has this guy got a museum, or just a large garage? It would be interesting to have a look around if it is a museum.
timetravel wrote:Here's a pic I took of it at Blackbushe 1979 when the Clifton Bros ran it as "Hot Tomato"
In that pic they're running with the Holley setup, as I recall from what Roy told me, it was after they seized the blower that Roy & Mary bought it minus the engine. Roy's initial plans were to put it on the road, which I think he did for a while, but a friend, Brian Howells who was running a bike at the time, invited him to a race meeting at Long Marston & it wasn't long after that he was bitten by the racing bug, so to speak, & started racing it.
I think (I could be wrong here) that when the blower seized the Cliftons were going to retire, but later changed their minds & built the Opel GT, Hot Tomato 2.

Cheers

VTR.

 #2058  by Les-the-Pres
 
With regard to a museum, It's a couple of barns and some garages/ workshops, He had a lot of stuff and was talking about moving abroad.
Off the top of my head I'd say there were 30 or 40 vehicles including things like TWO Cobra Jet Mustangs, a number of GTO's a Jag XJ220 the wifes Convertible Bentley Continental, I recognised a few racecars but my memory has gone to pot as regards remembering names.
I will try and get hold of him and pop down with a camera if he's still there.
He does not like visitors, Nor do the dogs, I know him from doing a rebuild on the 428 in one of the Mustangs, He let me use it to go on holiday for a week to run it in. Isn't English eccentricity great!!

 #2060  by Les-the-Pres
 
You also mention Hot Tomato II, Just to let you know that's in Cheltenham being readied for this season, it was at the Pod a week or so back, It's in yellow now.