New documentary on the lost Bathurst supercars of the 70s - need your help

[Jon Brooks]

G'day there.


Just wanted introduce myself. My name is Jon Brooks. Sadly I don't own a Ford right now, although I've had plenty over the years, along with some other Aussie classics, none of which I'll mention here out of respect.


The reason I'm here is that I'm a documentary film maker, I'm working on a new film, and I need your help.


The film is called Last of the Furious.


It's the story of Australia's motoring soul; what makes us and our car culture so unique and what will happen after local manufacturing ceases, but most importantly it covers one really important time from our history; the Super Car Scare of 1972 (aka the death of the V8 XU2, Phase 4 GTHO Falcon and RT Charger).


As a huge history buff, I think the Super Car Scare is a story that is begging to be told on film. Already, I've lined up some really important players in the story, but there's still a long way to go.


And here's where I need your help. I'm chasing anything relevant to the Super Car Scare story - and I do mean anything. Given this forum is such a wealth of knowledge, I thought it would be the best place to start.


Of course I'd love for someone to be sitting on a file full of letters from Al Turner, or for one of Ford Motor Sport's mechanics from the 70s to step forward, but at this stage I'm casting a wide net.


Nothing from that era is too small, be it photos, old Super 8 footage, newspaper clippings, magazine articles – you name it. Hell, even if it's just gossip, I'm keen to hear more. Even if you used to go to the races as a kid and have a memory you just want to share, I'm keen to hear.


This goes for anyone over in New Zealand, too, as we'll be filming in NZ next year given our Kiwi cousins embraced Ford, Holden, Chrysler rivalry as much as we did.


If anyone would like to contact me directly you can via jonbrooksmedia@gmail.com, although keeping it here on the forum will probably lead to greater discussion that everyone can benefit from, and I'm all for that.


If you want to stay up to date with the film more generally, we're on facebook (not much to show off yet, as we've just launched, but it'll grow). You can find us there on www.facebook.com/lastofthefurious


Cheers in advance, and I look forward to getting to know you all over the next twelve or so months.


JB.

[devilcv8]

Good luck with it. sounds like an interesting project.


first correction: it would have been the V8 XU1, not XU2

[Blue Roo]

If you get a chance. Have a talk with the Bowden Family. As they are highly knowable and own a lot of the 70's Australian Race Cars, including the GTHO Phase 4.

Mmm. Phase 4.

[HI PSI]

Peter Champion would be another person of interest. He was mates with Peter Brock and has a collection of his cars.

[Jon Brooks]

Originally Posted by devilcv8

Good luck with it. sounds like an interesting project.


first correction: it would have been the V8 XU1, not XU2

Yes good point. The indignity of being corrected on Holden history on a Ford forum! :-)

Worth noting in the interviews I've read with Harry Firth he referred to it as the XU2 but I presume that was just his preferred name for the project.

Either way, I'm not an expert, just a journalist, so that's where people on this forum come in - hopefully some handy fact checking can take place as the film evolves.

[blackf6]

Get in contact with Dan Bowden through Facebook.

[vbvbvb088]

GMH-torana.com.au tententhsmotorsport.com oldholden.com fastlane.com.au

member here Dr Terry knows a lot.....

Cantebury Rd Melb (Surrey Hills) is an excellent motoring bookshop. Has everything old and new...I just bought a late 70s HUGE Allan Moffat Ford Racing (XC Cobra) for a mate. Some will remember its prior location in Burke St Camberwell (Melb) and the owner Trevor (who always reminded me looking like Colin Bond) and his wife. had everything and he was a human google as to where things located in store. Even smelt like the 70's...

Just like the upcoming Brock doco...this will be a must see.

Matt

[Jon Brooks]

Originally Posted by vbvbvb088

GMH-torana.com.au tententhsmotorsport.com oldholden.com fastlane.com.au

member here Dr Terry knows a lot.....

Cantebury Rd Melb (Surrey Hills) is an excellent motoring bookshop. Has everything old and new...I just bought a late 70s HUGE Allan Moffat Ford Racing (XC Cobra) for a mate. Some will remember its prior location in Burke St Camberwell (Melb) and the owner Trevor (who always reminded me looking like Colin Bond) and his wife. had everything and he was a human google as to where things located in store. Even smelt like the 70's...

Just like the upcoming Brock doco...this will be a must see.

Matt

I'd be very interested in that, thanks for the tip!

[Highway star]

Clinton Walker wrote some good books on the Aussie cars and covers the death of the supercars. In all there were 4 phase 4 XA sedans 3 Red ,1 Green and 1 XA Hardtop . Imagine how much that Hardtop is worth?


http://www.clintonwalker.com.au/golden-miles.html

[poppa smurf]

Fantastic stuff.......well done.....I grew up in and around these muscle cars......put me down for a copy as soon as it's done.

[Jon Brooks]

Originally Posted by Highway star

Clinton Walker wrote some good books on the Aussie cars and covers the death of the supercars. In all there were 4 phase 4 XA sedans 3 Red ,1 Green and 1 XA Hardtop . Imagine how much that Hardtop is worth?


http://www.clintonwalker.com.au/golden-miles.html

Thanks for the tip. Good old Wakefield Press, they printed some ripper books. I'll order a copy now!

And poppa smurf, thanks for saying Hi. Look forward to chatting on the forums.

JB

[poppa smurf]

more than welcome, you've stumbled in to a fantastic, highly knowledgable, friendly bunch of folks here......be sure and ask DIRECT questions, you are sure to get the answers you seek.

most of us are simply fans of the motor vehicle as a whole, not necessarily brand specific.....a muscle car is a muscle car and a fantastic piece of kit, honoured and revered by all.

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by Highway star

In all there were 4 phase 4 XA sedans 3 Red ,1 Green and 1 XA Hardtop . Imagine how much that Hardtop is worth?

Surely by definition there is only one 'real' GT-HO Phase IV, the green one.

The others are really 'normal' XA GTs built up to Phase IV race spec at Mahoneys Rd, by the race team. They didn't leave the factory gate as GT-HOs.

Also the mention of the XU2 in an earlier post is incorrect. Many people, including Harry Firth, who I admired greatly, have a distorted view of history. At the time (1972) as the XU-1 V8s were nearing production, there was much conjecture regarding the badge. The two names tossed around at the time were GTR XU1 Series II & GTR XU1 V8. The XU2 was to be the name for the car which became the SL/R 5000.

Dr Terry

[Blue Shadow]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

Surely by definition there is only one 'real' GT-HO Phase IV, the green one.

The others are really 'normal' XA GTs built up to Phase IV race spec at Mahoneys Rd, by the race team. They didn't leave the factory gate as GT-HOs.

Also the mention of the XU2 in an earlier post is incorrect. Many people, including Harry Firth, who I admired greatly, have a distorted view of history. At the time (1972) as the XU-1 V8s were nearing production, there was much conjecture regarding the badge. The two names tossed around at the time were GTR XU1 Series II & GTR XU1 V8. The XU2 was to be the name for the car which became the SL/R 5000.

Dr Terry

Thats 100% right, would love to get my hands on one.

[Jon Brooks]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

Surely by definition there is only one 'real' GT-HO Phase IV, the green one.

The others are really 'normal' XA GTs built up to Phase IV race spec at Mahoneys Rd, by the race team. They didn't leave the factory gate as GT-HOs.

Also the mention of the XU2 in an earlier post is incorrect. Many people, including Harry Firth, who I admired greatly, have a distorted view of history. At the time (1972) as the XU-1 V8s were nearing production, there was much conjecture regarding the badge. The two names tossed around at the time were GTR XU1 Series II & GTR XU1 V8. The XU2 was to be the name for the car which became the SL/R 5000.

Dr Terry

See this here is why I've come to the right place. I'm starting to think I'll be recruiting a few of you as fact checkers to watch the film before its release to make sure it's the best it can be.

One thing I'm really interested in is speaking to the people who were around at the time, working on the project.

Anyone know if Al Turner and others are still kicking around? I know Al was in Australia a while back for a club event, and there's some great footage of him speaking about Bathurst back in the day, but I'd really love to chat to him today, free of the politics of the era.

Also, being from Adelaide I'm a little cut off from Ford's operations in Vic, and I'd like to get to know some of the boys and girls working on the line before the doors close in October. Anyone know of someone who might make a good addition to the story? Not necessarily from a muscle car perspective, just someone working for Ford who might be prepared to open up on what it's like to be there at the end of local production.

Last thing I want to do is turn up on the final day, and treat it like any other news crew; filming the sadness and not showing the resilience of the local community. I want to show the community banding together and forging ahead. Can anyone help me there?

[Kingsley]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

Surely by definition there is only one 'real' GT-HO Phase IV, the green one.

The others are really 'normal' XA GTs built up to Phase IV race spec at Mahoneys Rd, by the race team. They didn't leave the factory gate as GT-HOs.

Also the mention of the XU2 in an earlier post is incorrect. Many people, including Harry Firth, who I admired greatly, have a distorted view of history. At the time (1972) as the XU-1 V8s were nearing production, there was much conjecture regarding the badge. The two names tossed around at the time were GTR XU1 Series II & GTR XU1 V8. The XU2 was to be the name for the car which became the SL/R 5000.

Dr Terry

The LH XU-2. Post 13.

http://www.gmh-torana.com.au/forums/...hind-the-xu-2/

[FairmontGS]

Originally Posted by Highway star

In all there were 4 phase 4 XA sedans 3 Red ,1 Green and 1 XA Hardtop . Imagine how much that Hardtop is worth? [/URL]

??

1 XA P4, 3 mocked-up to P4 spec GT sedan race cars, no hardtops (unless I've missed something over the past 40 years).

[Jon Brooks]

https://www.flickr.com/gp/101190422@N08/HA3562. Can't embed the image on here, sadly.

Here's another mag article on the LH XU2. I've got sitting in my research.

[Blue Shadow]

Originally Posted by FairmontGS

??

1 XA P4, 3 mocked-up to P4 spec GT sedan race cars, no hardtops (unless I've missed something over the past 40 years).

??? Me too

[smciner1]

Sounds good, and Facebook page liked.

[csv8]

Originally Posted by HI PSI

Peter Champion would be another person of interest. He was mates with Peter Brock and has a collection of his cars.

The cars are now at Dreamworld and he has Brocks Falcon .....https://www.dreamworld.com.au/things-to-do/motorsport

[Blue Shadow]

Have a squiz at this


http://www.brockfords.com.au/peter-brock-fords-history

[Jon Brooks]

Originally Posted by Blue Shadow

Have a squiz at this


http://www.brockfords.com.au/peter-brock-fords-history

Oh wow, I didn't realise Brocky worked on Falcons too. That's great!

[Rockape]

He did a few 4x4 Lada's as well i think.

[commodorenutt]

When times got real tough, Brock looked for any work he could find to keep the doors open.

As he had secondary manufacturer status, it meant he could compliance cars.

Like many other low-medium volume imports not supported by a local arm of the manufacturer (think of Scuderia Veloce in the 80s with various euro brands) Lada needed a local outfit to compliance & distribute their vehicles to dealers. Brock stepped in to do that. Today's equivalent, on a larger scale, is Ateco.
When volumes justify it, manufacturers will often build Aussie spec cars in O/S factories, or do the compliancing in-house, but this is not economic for lower volumes.

So the standard Ladas did all pass through his workshop at the time - albeit most never had anything to do with him except paying the bills.

However, he did do a sports version of the Lada Samara hatchback.

[Blue Shadow]

Originally Posted by Jon Brooks

Oh wow, I didn't realise Brocky worked on Falcons too. That's great!

I think you will find PB raced a cortina before he was in A frade.

[Dr Terry]

Jon.

Further to my comments re: the XU2 & Phase IVs, what do you mean by the "death of the RT Charger" ?

The R/T 6 pack Charger WAS produced in several versions, with the E38 & E49 being the ones raced in '71 & '72 Bathurst in Series Production form & the E49 again in 1973 in Group C . There have been many rumours over the years regarding a 340 V8 Charger but several publications in recent years have poured cold water on that. For many reasons, mainly local content % of build & the actual cost of the imported V8 & associated components it was never seriously considered. Remember Chrysler Aust. weren't as well resourced as Ford & GM-H.

Dr Terry

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by Blue Shadow

I think you will find PB raced a cortina before he was in A frade.

I don't remember PB ever racing a Cortina, but my memory isn't what it once was.

Also I don't quite understand what is meant by "before he was in A trade"

Dr Terry

[Blue Shadow]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

I don't remember PB ever racing a Cortina, but my memory isn't what it once was.

Also I don't quite understand what is meant by "before he was in A trade"

Dr Terry

Yeah I can' be sure either, I think I read it somewhere years ago.
I was hoping you could confirm it. Ill ring my dad tonight he will know.

[Blue Shadow]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

I don't remember PB ever racing a Cortina, but my memory isn't what it once was.

Also I don't quite understand what is meant by "before he was in A trade"

Dr Terry

Dr Terry, I was wrong

I called my dad he cant remember a Cortina but said he thinks he raced a Sierra in the mid 80's. Can you confirm?