â What if ? â - Austin Healey Owners Club

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On the line at the Weapons Research Institute Sprint Meeting. Murray only used the car for hillclimbs, but on one occasion at Port Wakefield in 1954 Murray lead the field for the Gold Star race with a cameraman in the passenger seat filming the racing cars on the parade lap. As an 8 year old, Mal has memories of being taken to Rowley Park Speedway with his older brother, three up in the Austin-Healey. The trip home was always faster as there was often a lad in a hot Holden wanting to take them on at the traffic lights. Murray was always happy to oblige. In about 1958 the Austin-Healey was stolen from the garage at the rear of the house and used by the crooks to remove the safe from the local Tennis Club. Murray was the prime suspect when the police came knocking at the front door at 5am. The car was recovered undamaged from the sand hills at Grange. Murray kept the car until about 1961/1962. He progressed with Jaguars, at first a Mk1, then a 3.8 Mk2 which he used in Closed Meetings at Mallala, but then his interests changed and he bought a shack on the Murray River and a ski boat. A later owner of the car was Keith Ashby who had owned another 100, and a couple of 100/6’s. Generally his cars were highly modified but only used as road cars. In November 1964 the car was bought by Vaughan Cottle who became an early Member of the South Australian Club. By the time he bought the car it was fitted with an A90 engine and the 4 stud rear end had been replaced with a 5 stud. He used the car as his daily driver, and over time its condition slowly deteriorated. He sold the car in about 2000 and its current whereabouts is unknown. RACING RECORD Collingrove Hillclimb 12 September 1954 46.4 Collingrove Hillclimb 9 October 1954 46.15 Collingrove Hillclimb 11 April 1955 46.27 Fastest prod sports Collingrove Hillclimb 25 April 1956 46.24 and 46.25 Fastest prod sports Collingrove Hillclimb 6 October 1956 47.2 2 nd fastest prod sports Redwood Park Hillclimb April 1957 36.8 2 nd fastest time of day Collingrove Hillclimb 20 April 1957 46.20 Collingrove Hillclimb 7 December 1957 45.54 Collingrove Hillclimb 7 April 1958 44.94 Peak Hill Hillclimb 24 May 1958 48.85 Weapons Research Institute ¼ Mile Sprint 21 September 1958 17.561 sec ¼ mile 108.9 mph Flying 1/10 mile I must thank Mal Jonas, his brother and his mother for the background information, and of course John Read who is the Guru on all Austin-Healey history in South Australia. Iain McPherson I blame Peter Watt (Pete, Watty) for what has been a wonderful 13 years ownership of my Black Beauty and membership of a great club. I had hoped to detail some of my race experiences with Watty chief spanner man and pit manager but space and embarrassment prevents. I hope these few anecdotes are of interest. Filled with envy over Peter Watt’s Austin Healey, I purchase my first Healey (only about 34 years late) but after having the car painted I realise restoration is not for me and sell the car to Rob Congdon. It is 1998 and Watty’s car becomes increasingly desirable and we start talking about my buying a Big Healey 100/ 6 for racing. For those of you who are maybe new to Healey ownership and membership of the club, Peter and Pat were club stalwarts and total enthusiasts. We head off one fateful day to locate the car of my dreams (finally). First to The Healey Factory, Rob (Rowlands) I BLAME PETER WATT by John Mooney terrific; helpful, informative, and great to deal with but can’t show me the “right” car. Next to a Healey restorer in Harkaway (sorry, memory gone can’t remember name or location) where I find the perfect car; restoration complete but turquoise and I wanted black,so on to Steve Pike’s Marsh Restorations at Bacchus Marsh where Steve has the right shell and the right price to take on the project which included converting a Californian car, gusseting the chassis, fitting disc brakes and Konis all round flaring/widening the guards, race venting the seats and trimming the car which was to be painted by a friend of mine. I recall only too well the phone call I received from my painter: “You have to inspect the car now”; a quick trip to his workshop thinking all the time that something is wrong only to find the most perfect paint job I have seen and him pleading with me not to race the car so that it doesn’t get stone chipped! 16 Hundreds & Thousands July 2012
One should never look back or have regrets but I wasted 20 odd years by not being involved in motor racing or taking racing opportunities and to make my Healey more competitive should have fitted a steel crank, close ratio straight cut gearbox, Quaiffe diff and alloy wheels. The moral of the story, do it right, do it now, tomorrow could be too late. My car is finally complete and Anne and I follow Peter and Pat (Watt) to the 1999 Concours at Como Park. On arrival Peter and Pat head off to say hello to everyone leaving Anne and I alone and a little uncomfortable. Next thing from immediately behind me I hear a booming voice “Moooneeee, Moooneeee” and turn to see a happy, beaming, huge personality Mike Forrester who introduced himself and immediately made me feel that it was a club that I wanted to be a part of. Mike loved my car, christening it “Black Beauty” (the original) and was constantly enthusiastic. I miss him. We all miss him. Not much to tell about the car or it’s racing history. Lapped Sandown in 1.36 dead and Phillip Island in 1.59.7 in 2000 after surviving a near catastrophe in it’s first race at Calder. Pouring rain, wind, freezing cold; first lap no problems, second lap into right hander (continuing) at bottom of main Practice times: Rob Rowland 2.05.7919 Mike Broso 2.08.5834 John Mooney 2.08.7945 Neil Dunn 2.08.8304 Peter Jackson 2.08.8333 Tom Smith 2.09.3813 Tim Pyne 2.11.9390 Geoff Leake 2.11.5065 John Moore 2.13.4103 Brian Dermott 2.13.1872 Rob Foster 2.15.9851 Hardie Kuhn 2.16.1455 Keith Brodie 2.17.8057 Bill Ingham 2.18.2382 Peter Williams 2.18.5333 Frank Karl 2.22.5065 Peter Ford 2.23.0699 straight and a white Datsun 240Z spins onto grass on outside of track. Safe to continue when suddenly it becomes clear that he has kept the boot in it and rejoins the track; I pull hard right and we miss by no more than one inch (sounds less than 25mm) I heave a huge sigh of relief, I still have my beautiful car. One highlight of the car’s racing history should have been our invitation along with another 16 Healeys to compete in a Le Mans car support race held on the fabulous but scary walled circuit through the Adelaide parkland. We deposit our wives at our motel and deliver the car to the special Austin Healey marquee – very impressive indeed before allowed to do a sighter lap in the Landrover. I declare to my mechanic that I have real fear, the concrete walls are daunting to say the least. Next day dawns and all too soon it’s that time. Practice commences and second lap Neal Dunn who had potentially the quickest car crashes out – claimed by one of those dreaded concrete walls putting an end to his weekend. My second lap commenced okay but gear knob snaps off and lose overdrive but finish 3rd quickest so quite chuffed considering problems. John Mooney heading into the countryside Hundreds & Thousands July 2012 17
Page 1: “Isotta Fraschini” “ What if
Page 4 and 5: CONTENTS Coming events Page 2 Penin
Page 6 and 7: NEW MEMBERS Please welcome the foll
Page 8 and 9: NEXT WEEK, also on Thursday, the No
Page 10 and 11: COMPETITION REPORTS 1 ARDC Sports C
Page 12 and 13: OLD MATES 50 years ago, from the ma
Page 14 and 15: irth of our second son David, the H
Page 16 and 17: At one of our recent Club meetings
Page 20 and 21: Fabulous times by all the drivers,
Page 22 and 23: BARBER SHOP A guy sticks his head i
Page 24 and 25: 1960 3000 Mk1 (Engine upgraded to B
Page 26: 24 Hundreds & Thousands July 2012

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â What if ? â - Austin Healey Owners Club