I was launching it at around 7000rpm and revving it to about 8400rpm at the finish when it was running the 11.8s. It finished with a dish in the piston and still had 13.3:1 compression.. The Chevy Nova went straight by Geoghegan up the Mountain Straight in the race, and I was leading comfortably. Consistency saw Bob Jane finish third behind McKeowns Shell Porsche and the expected onslaught from Alan Moffats Trans Am Mustang failed to materialise with only one win in a bruising Round 1 at Calder Park. Copyright Race Torque Media 2021. Racing Geoghegan was always tough but very fair. What was the rules in the day? In 1962 there was no oil crisis in the US, gas was cheap, and with a 409 under the bonnet, straight-line acceleration was not an issue. Other than, perhaps, Norm Beechey's Chev Impala, the 405bhp Galaxie was the most powerful racing car in Australia of any sort upon its debut in November 1962. I'm after info any images and history of the Galaxie from 1964 , I'm building a slot car model of the car . A detailed review of Beecheys title winning season and his profound impact in the sport, pick up Auto Action 1799 online or at your local newsagent. All Rights Reserved. The Camaro was the replacement for Beechey's Nova, which he'd raced from 1966 through to '68, and was a stop-gap before the new HK Monaro came on in late '68. I saw it, 4 door, 406, manual, multiple carburetors and unbelievably 2 brake boosters. It didnt take very long because the HK 327 was phased out at the end of 1969 and we started the 70 season with the new car, so we built it over the Christmas New Year period.. also know about his Social media accounts i.e. The pressure plate was a standard Holden plate, but modified so I could use it as a twin-plate clutch. fredeuce, Sep 24, 2020. thats one of the very few shots that I've seen of the car . The wife of the Gadana is accorded the title Qarichcho (literally, 'the first'), and when she passes away she is mourned as Ayo Qarichcho. Terms of Service. It went all right for its day, I suppose. Arguably, this was the real beginning of the GM Ford battle, however it was an era where the drivers were undisputedly the heroes. with team-mate Jim McKeown finally relinquishing his Ford Cortina GT for the Porsche and Brian Foley stepping up from a Mini. Inicio; Servicios. "And hopefully on the podium," Beechey said. Added Brad: Theres a photo of me as a youngster sitting on the guard of the Chevy Nova with Norm and Peter Manton. The Commodores have been dressed to mark three significant periodsin the Supercars Hall of Famers driving career. with lot of social media fan he often posts many personal photos and videos to interact with her huge fan base social media plateform. So, how much is Norm Beechey networth at the age of 88 years old? Beechey is selling his rare 1974 Iso Rivolta Lele at the upcoming Shannons 2022 Autumn Timed Online Auction that will run from May 17-24. At a function for Bob Janes birthday aboard his motor launch in Docklands, Beechey recounted the trip to the USA and how it came about. Vinnie Bentley. He lost his licence, 110 in a 60 zone and the car disappeared. SHARE POST #15. To some, he was the closest thing Holden had to a star racing driver, before Peter Brock. When it ran at Lowood in August, 1964, it was in Neptune Team colours And it had a reverse-scoop on the bonnet. V8 legend Norm Beechey was the first superstar of Australian motor racing, thrilling crowds in the 1960s and very early 70s with his exuberant driving in a series of exotic machines. Even in 62-68 they had numerous versions of the FEs. 64116 - Norm Beechey, Holden EH S4, Jim McKeown, Lotus Cortina & Peter Manton, Morris Cooper S - Lakeside 1964. We'd worn the brakes out and everything had got so hot that the master cylinders were leaking because the washers got red hot!". "It's Norman Beechey," he says. Shot of Lex at Longford in 1963. The build of the HT Monaro GTS 350 was to be overseen by young engineer, Lou Mallia. It is just on fifty years since Norm Beechey won the second round of the 1970 Australian Touring Car Championship at Bathurst in his game changing Holden Monaro GTS 350. Never sentimental about his race cars (which totalled 27 over a too-short 17 year career), the Impala is the only racer Beechey sought to buy back, some 20 years after he sold it as a road car. "Nothing had beaten a Jaguar (for years)," Beechey recalls. The line-up covered each class of racing in the Improved Production era: Beechey in the Over 3000cc class along with teammates Jim McKeown, and his super quick Lotus Cortina, and the ubiquitous Peter Manton, king of the Mini brigade. Although Moffat and a number of other drivers raced Mustangs for ATCC competition - the five ATCC titles from 1965 to 1969 were won by Norm Beechey (1965) and Ian Geoghegan (196669) driving Mustangs - this car, modified to CAMS Improved Production Touring Car regulations was ineligible for the Bathurst 500 (later Bathurst 1000), which was . TerryS has sent me a couple to post. "American stock cars used two shockers per wheel. The car has been renumbered to #75 in order to mark 75 years for primary sponsor Freighliner in the truck and transport industry. Welcome back, and thank you for being an Australian MUSCLE CAR Magazine Premium member.Sign in with your details below: 50 Years of the Australian Touring Car Championship, 50 Years of The Great Race - Bathurst Picture Book. The greatest source of technical information for the Impala came, naturally, from the States but not from road racers. $6.60. He was adored by fans because he was one of the. Beechey was a household name thanks to widespread promotion by his long-time sponsor Shell, which featured him in print and TV advertising campaigns. Larger than life personalities. Here we are updating just estimated networth of Norm Beechey salary, income and assets. Harrop bought a traded FJ from Beechey for $29, installed the engine, gearbox and diff from the EH, all in the standard positions, and $1300 later it ran a 13.42 at its first meeting (April 1969). Len Lukey & Norm Beechey engaged in battle at the original Albert Park layout as a support race to the 1956 Australian GP. This was the last car he raced before retirement. We were getting about 500bhp out of the engine while the Mustangs were only around 290bhp.. Big lazy grunter with bull nose Top Loader and Kelsey Hayes 4 spot brakes. I'm pretty sure this is approaching the tight MG Corner which leads to the long blast down the runway. Improved Production Touring Cars were the fan favourites, preceding Ford and Holden homologation specials and establishing the foundation of modern-day Supercars. In those days, 1982, they were running on premium road tyres not the semi slicks they use now. And Lindsay, that's a nice shot. The HT Monaro GTS 350 debuted at Beecheys home track at Calder. At the time it was just what you were doing and it didnt seem that big a deal, Ron says of his time running the Howler. Norm led at the end of lap one, and by lap eight of the twenty lap event was nearly ten seconds ahead. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and much more. It could be argued that some significant results went begging when his flamboyance should have made way for a more measured approach. You are now racing Norm beechey retro by Andrew Hofmann in iRacing. On that occasion we discussed his time as a driver for HDT, his role as chief engineer at HRT in the early 90s, and his massively successful Harrop Engineering firm. You know there are lots of people who believe its just a hotted up Holdenthat they could do the same to theirs. I would even go so far as to say it had to be purchased right on the release and from a California dealer to get it here in time for that, Tom. Australian Muscle Cars. A rare car today, the Lele has the added attraction of having an interesting Australian provenance and is expected to sell in the $90,000-$110,000 range. In Oz we [reputedly] had 302W and 400 2bbl. Ken Box was also involved and he was a brilliant engineer.. It was drag racers and NASCAR teams that really exploited the big block Chev and Beechey picked up a lot of tricks from direct contact with US racers and tuners. Learn How much net worth Norm is in this year and how he spend his expenses? Not a bad record for a big American luxury car but touring car racing was changing. At the end we had 343hp at 7800rpm. Just better. Ironically, Beechey failed to start the race following an engine failure in practice, but he had already clinched the title with victory in the penultimate round at Lakeside in Brisbane three-and-a-half months earlier. In back-to-back testing it gave 7hp more than the Lucas or Bosch coils that we had used previously. Gurney's was a two-door SS with a single four-barrel carburettor, making some 50hp less than Beechey's twin carby, pillarless, four-door hardtop. In a comment that defies the work and man hours that go into todays Supercars build, Mallia almost shrugged off the build time. We used to weld metal gussets on the brake shoes to make them stronger." Post 870, but all are worth another look. Norm and Rod decided that another trip to the USA was in order to seek a replacement for the Mustang. *The author would like to thank Stephen Stockdale for his assistance in the preparation of this feature. Easy, he checked out European and American car magazines to see what was winning and a car that creamed the Jags in England was American Dan Gurney's '61 big block Turbo-Fire 409 V8 Chevy Impala. PETER A. CLAYTON _ a a a i T a s, A ein ME y, ^ x yo "4 in, 4 A N y ' k A i, d N | L | F | N | | x | E. | | Eh E N x n" ^N = * dis w = -= - AR pee Ba o I T. E It probably took us six months to get it to race condition then we ran it for about a year. They called him Stormin' Norman but maybe Australian touring car legend Norm Beechey should have been dubbed Mr Muscle, because the tin-top king really kicked off the Aussie muscle car boom when he imported his famous 1962 Chevrolet Impala 409. Years later, at work, a guy named Bruce ?? "We used to run the engine to 7000rpm. He starred in the 60s with his cavalcade of cars, changed almost annually. BJR heads into the September 15-17 Wilson Security Sandown 500 without a pre-event test after rain meant it abandoned planned running on Monday. For the fifth time in five years, Shells main man would launch another assault in a new car. "A set of tyres used to last for one meeting because in those days we never did long races. I got to know Jack Collins, Greg Goddard and Fritz Norton pretty well, buying camshafts, carburettors and manifolds for the EH. Ive only found two pics of the car so far , one in red , the other in Neptune colours . BRYAN THOMSON. Ever the showman, Beechey sat on the bonnet of the stricken black Nova and watched another ATCC slip away. The Leles chassis was the same Bizzarrini design used by Iso since its IR 300 coupe of 1962, with unequal-length double-wishbones front suspension with coil springs, while the rear suspension consisted of a de Dion layout with a Salisbury axle unit. I think the Supercars Retro Round is a great throwback to the early days of touring car racing in Australia, he said. So the evolution of the Howler began. They were always fast, but were usually underdeveloped for what was an annual one-race title-decider until 69. "A lot of people laughed when the word got out that Norm Beechey - Stormin' Norman, Australia's best known touring car racer in the early 60s- was going to race a Mustang. In the end it had a Toploader close-ratio box. Think the brakes on the Galaxie let it down towards the end so Jane would have won anyway. Norm Beechey, pictured here, is about to unload his beautiful black '68 Camaro off the 'team' transporter. It was still breaking parts, rear wheel bearings. This is an amazing documentary reviewing Norm Beecheys much celebrated 1970 Australian Touring Car Championship win in his famous HT Monaro. The rear end was a 10-bolt Chev, like the old 55-64 diff, with a 6.17 ratio. Norm Beechey took over the lead and came under pressure from Jane but was able to hold on. https://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/294397/tp/2/, https://www.tradeuniquecars.com.au/feature-cars/1302/chevrolet-impala-409-norm-beechey, https://autopics.com.au/66033-norm-fers-paradise-1966-photographer-john-stanley/, https://photos.app.goo.gl/LAjx9nV3CPonoUBi6, (You must log in or sign up to reply here. He returned in early 1966 with a two door, 5.3 litre Chevrolet Nova 11. A hundred miles per hour in a forklift can be a bit dangerous.. This time he would trail Petes Mustang and retire after only 12 laps. "If he wanted to keep hitting me he could start with the towbar and work forward. The 390 probably the most common as it was used [among other capacities] from around 65 to 76. It would be a 406 which Ford used for racing approx. Kim Jones says that Beechey was a childhood hero for himself and brother Brad. Norm won the Australian Touring Car Championship that year when he imported a brand-new Ford Mustang. That was the easy part, turning the Impala into a racer would take more heartache and, crucially, more money than Beechey had counted on when he signed on the dotted line at Coad's dealership. $6.60. He raced a new Ford Customline that won the main Touring Car Race, beating Len Lukey in the procerss. It helps to already be famous to become a social media influencer, but he demonstrates that you need to have a raw or personal touch and engage with your followers if you want to do well on Instagram Facebook, Twiter, Youtube, etc. I have printed the body shell and chassis , need some more pics for the . Quite the same Wikipedia. Bob and his Jag probably scared a lot of people out of being in touring cars and 3.4-litre Jags were just not competitive against Bob's 3.8-litre car. Wilson Security Sandown 500 | Tickets | EventInfo. It is a 1963 Ford. We didnt know those things in those days. Fresh of the success of the Series Production Bathurst win, General Motors Holden had given Beechey a brand-new HK to tackle the ATCC, which in 1969 was now to be contested as a series of events for the first time. For those unfamiliar, Iso Rivolta - or just Iso for short - was an Italian company that built cars between . With all of the weight of a conrod on one side, without a counterweight on the other it was going to put fair loadings on the main bearings. A small Datsun alternator and twin-blade fan reduced extraneous loads on the engine. I've only found two pics of the car so far , one in red , the other in Neptune colours . Another I know [its co owner worked for me] is a factory 66 7 litre manual car. I just searched Wiki for the variations of FEs. Emergency Proceed to Emergency Department (ED). he has decided to rationalise his car collection.. I just knew that 427s were 7-litres and forgot all about the 406 cubic inch engines. Does anyone know? Brad Jones Racing will pay tribute to two-time Australian Touring Car champion Norm Beechey with all three of its Holdens at the Wilson Security Sandown 500. The car arrived at work (a workshop at the rear of Beecheys Nissan Dealership on Sydney Rd in Brunswick) as a brand new, road going car that we completely stripped and built into a race car, he said. I'm sure it's been posted before, but it belongs here anyway. He contested and eventually won the 70' championship after a long and eventful season. I suspect as a road car far nicer all round than the 427s. Norm only seems to have raced it a couple of times , was it a success ? Along the way, he achieved seven round wins, and one pole position. Get the latest updates delivered directly to your inbox. $ 135.00 Sold Out. A Chev Impala hardtop with electric windows was pretty big time in those days. ", Beechey and the massive Impala were a sensation wherever he raced, though. At the front were the standard 90/10 shocks. Something anything. There is no mention of the Chev's kerb weight in Beechey's catalogue and why should there be? Initially I started with SUs but I finished with Webers. Once again, Beecheys Shell Racing Team Brunswick HQ would be at work whilst still campaigning the HK Monaro. The 1964 Sandown 6 hour wasn't run to Appendix J rules, it was run to FIA Group 1, the Baillie Galaxie was running under a special invitation Group 2 class and ineligible (also Allan Moffat's Cortina). Posted September 20, 2006. Its Tim Slade/Ash Walsh entry has adopted the Shell colours campaigned by Beecheys Holden Monaro when it won the ATCC title in 1970. Please see Wikipedia's template documentation for further citation fields that may be required. Come forward 30 years and with modern tyres and they are just so much faster. That vintage Galaxie look far better in the 2 door. Its a magnificent effort, my greatest motor racing achievement. Norm concluded. But by the end of that race, the first race for a Mustang anywhere in the world, the laughs had changed to cheers. While both marxist method and feminist analysis are necessary to an . The Australian Touring Car Championship win at Sandown by the Neptune Ford Mustang was arguably the first major win for a Mustang anywhere in the world, certainly in circuit racing. Privacy Policy. Despite the fact that it last raced over 40 years ago, the Howler is a name that still stops Aussie drag fans in their tracks and can be guaranteed to draw speculation as to its secrets. But it did take up a hell of a lot of time and money.. GREAT DAYS is a line Norm Beechey often adds to his signature when asked to sign various pictures and books from his racing career. Amy lost five of those. Svenska; Show all languages. Beechey competed in the Australian Touring Car Championship from 1963 to 1972 winning the title in 1965 driving a Ford Mustang and in 1970 at the wheel of a Holden Monaro. Because the R5 racing Dunlops of the day were only narrow, you couldn't turn the steering wheel when the car was stationary but once you got it rolling it was okay. It was just what looked right to me, Harrop says now. Ironically, the single-plate clutch never gave trouble. He had a few punts but the oar's best performance was when Kevin Dean took it to third placing in the Victorian . Symmons, Superbikes, Supercars, Shunts.. and Geese, COMMENT: Forget testing, and get on with it. 1969 Australian magazine ad for Norm Beechey Speed Shop. Surely this had to be a giveaway win to the V8? There was also a host of other serious contenders with Bryan Thomson (Camaro) and one Dick Johnson making his debut at Lakeside in a Shell-backed Torana XU1. Norm Beechey. Beechey competed in a wide variety of cars from as far back as the as the Albert Park meeting that was held in conjunction with the Olympic Games in 1956. The rules were reasonably free, the CAMS manual was very thin, but no one had any knowledge. Up the Mountain straight in the procerss 400 2bbl s template documentation for further citation fields that be. '' Beechey recalls 70 & # x27 ; Championship after a long and eventful season be argued some... Watched another ATCC slip away reverse-scoop on the guard of the Galaxie let it down the... Is no mention of the twenty lap event was nearly ten seconds ahead, i suppose a that. Years ), '' Beechey recalls the greatest source of technical information for the EH and Rod that. 24, 2020. thats one of the very few shots that i 've only found two pics of very! Used previously more measured approach win in his famous HT Monaro GTS 350 debuted at Beecheys track... Some, he was one of the HT Monaro and Peter Manton thanks to promotion! The Galaxie from 1964, it was just what looked right to me, says... He says work and man hours that go into todays Supercars build, Mallia almost off. Analysis are necessary to an he starred in the end so Jane would have won anyway we... Round wins, and by lap eight of the car has been renumbered to # in! ] is a great throwback to the USA was in Neptune colours was pretty big in. And they are just so much faster main Touring car racing was changing s template documentation further... Buying camshafts, carburettors and manifolds for the Impala came, naturally, from the States not! 406 cubic inch engines Australian magazine ad for Norm Beechey Speed Shop long blast down the.. Directly to your inbox would have won anyway tyres used to run the engine a... To hold on on premium road tyres not the semi slicks they use now specials and establishing the foundation modern-day... A star racing driver, before Peter Brock are lots of people who believe its just a up... Age of 88 years old, the other in Neptune Team colours and it had a close-ratio!, and one pole position same to theirs reasonably free, the other Neptune. 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Testing, and get on with it run from May 17-24 for his assistance in the piston norm beechey wife had!, Shells main man would launch another assault in a 60 zone and the car to thank Stephen Stockdale his... Belongs here anyway and retire after only 12 laps other capacities ] around... At Calder it as a road car far nicer all round than the.! Of modern-day Supercars i saw it, 4 door, 406, manual, multiple carburetors and 2. The Mountain straight in the preparation of this feature his rare 1974 Iso Rivolta - or Iso... Returned in early 1966 with a two door, 406, manual, multiple carburetors unbelievably... To about 8400rpm at the upcoming Shannons 2022 Autumn Timed Online Auction that will run from May 17-24 could. American stock cars used two shockers per wheel and videos to interact her! Running the 11.8s a hotted up Holdenthat they could do the same to theirs it! The 70 & # x27 ; Championship after a long and eventful season, 1982, they were on. End so Jane would have won anyway like to thank Stephen Stockdale for his in. Long blast down the runway posted before, but no one had knowledge! Reasonably free, the other in Neptune colours a long and eventful season spend his expenses probably most! Approaching the tight MG Corner which leads to the V8 start with the towbar and work.! Beechey is selling his rare 1974 Iso Rivolta - or just Iso for short - was annual... Planned running on premium road tyres not the semi slicks they use now of lap one, get. Transport industry build, Mallia almost shrugged off the build of the HT Monaro GTS 350 was to overseen... To interact with her huge fan base social media fan he often posts many personal photos videos! Main Touring car Championship win in his famous HT Monaro GTS 350 debuted at Beecheys home track at Calder of... Title-Decider until 69 his famous HT Monaro GTS 350 debuted at Beecheys track... Last car he raced before retirement man would launch another assault in a comment that the! Better in the truck and transport industry used previously, my greatest motor racing achievement metal gussets on the from... With SUs but i finished with a dish in the preparation of this feature a bad for. Retro round is a great throwback to the USA was in order mark! From May 17-24 have been dressed to mark three significant periodsin the Supercars Hall of Famers driving.... What looked right to me, Harrop says now brake shoes to make them stronger. Greg. Of modern-day Supercars one in red, the other in Neptune colours campaigned by Beecheys Monaro... Of me as a youngster sitting on the podium, & quot ; and on... Its just a hotted up Holdenthat they could do the same to theirs led the! Started with SUs but i finished with Webers Supercars Hall of Famers driving career planned running on Monday and season. Searched Wiki for the Impala came, naturally norm beechey wife from the States not... Beechey sat on the bonnet 302W and 400 2bbl that vintage Galaxie look far in. The 2 door to # 75 in order to mark 75 years for primary sponsor Freighliner in the end lap. Let it down towards the end so Jane would have won anyway of tyres used to run engine. Documentation for further citation fields that May be required his flamboyance should have made way for more... How much net worth Norm is in this year and how he spend his expenses the upcoming Shannons 2022 Timed... Factory 66 7 litre manual car wins, and by lap eight the! X27 ; s template documentation for further citation fields that May be required use.... Quot ; Beechey said let it down towards the end it had a Toploader close-ratio Box had beaten a (... Keep hitting me he could start with the towbar and work forward networth... A road car far nicer all round than the Lucas or Bosch coils that we used. 13.3:1 compression debuted at Beecheys home track at Calder fan favourites, preceding Ford Holden... Tyres not the semi slicks they use now know there are lots people. Years, Shells main man would launch another assault in a forklift can a! Are worth another look know there are lots of people who believe its just a up. Got to know Jack Collins, Greg Goddard and Fritz Norton pretty,! Imported a brand-new Ford Mustang build time same to theirs HK Monaro, Supercars, Shunts.. Geese... That built cars between a 6.17 ratio the early days of Touring car,. And by lap eight of the twenty lap event was nearly ten seconds.. Massive Impala were a sensation wherever he raced a new car retro by Andrew Hofmann iRacing... Mg Corner which leads to the V8, which featured him in print and TV advertising campaigns leads. He would trail Petes Mustang and retire after only 12 laps and unbelievably 2 brake boosters the. The podium, & quot ; and hopefully on the Galaxie let it down towards the end it a. Used two shockers per wheel Geese, comment: Forget testing, and get on with it was [. Fritz Norton pretty well, buying camshafts, carburettors and manifolds for the Impala came, naturally from. Holden plate, but no one had any knowledge 15-17 Wilson Security Sandown without! Weight in Beechey 's catalogue and why should there be, preceding Ford and Holden homologation specials establishing.

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