Old pics of Works Cars CRX89B / CRX90B

[Pete]

This is a new photo to me....not sure which cars they are or the event...any ideas ? Perhaps someone has access to a better quality image ?

Dave

That's another Mike Wood slide, we'll be able to see all of these in a large scale at Blyton and get the full story. The smashed car is LRX 828E on the '67 Acropolis, Rauno hit an oncoming car with it (in the middle of a stage) and ended up in hospital.

[1972OBL45F]

Just shows how many works rally cars were wiped out, not just by the works but in private ownership (no offence Ronnie! ).

I would like to know who took this photo because I would like to see them,this photo is 43 years old,1973 Welsh and the stage we rolled on was Hafren I think. When preparing the car we were in Group 5 class and this meant we had to have dual line master cylinder which split the braking front and rear, so having bought a brand new one from AP Racing, who were in Leamington Spa in those days, off we went to the Welsh. About 6 miles into the stage, Roger said the front brakes were pumping up we kept going until we were doing a 3 times over barrel roll, we got out of the stage and this when the photo was taken, to find one front brake disc was missing 1/4 of its face, the pads had filled the gap and over we went. When I returned the master cylinder to AP they stripped it and told me a cirlip had broken and this was what caused it to pump up, hands in the air, bad luck no offer of compensation. I then had the shell repaired and did the Scottish that same year, broke 3 hydrolastic units, and finally the RAC with Roger. Sold the car in '74 marriage and children took the money instead. The body shell did have a hard life. Tom Seal.

[LMM76C]

I serviced a Gp 2 998 Cooper on the 70 RAC. When I heard the owner was intending to fit a (then newly introduced) AP dual circuit master cylinder I strongly cautioned against it. It wasn't mandated in Gp 2. Those I was aware of having had problems with it (brakes jamming on) included Will Sparrow's then new car earlier that year. Who listens to the junior teenage member of the service crew?

Fast forward to the service area at that God-forsaken place high on the edge of the N.Yorks Moors near the coast (Flask Inn?). Car late in after front brakes had jammed on. Driver had eventually freed the discs from the pads by undoing a bleed nipple but pads had been virtually welded to discs and were a mess. Taking one side each, my service colleague and I lay in puddles of freezing water as the sleet hammered down and chiselled the bits of welded pad off the discs by torch light before being able to fit new pads. AP service were there and changed their blasted master cylinder.
Oh how I loved AP after that.....

Appalled that they were still selling it to you as late as you indicate without having fixed the problem.

[spoon.450]

What do you make of this. I'd like to think that the current registered CRX 89B has some Works credibility, but when you come across pics like this how can they be explained...??..

[Ronnie]

It looks like it hit the same tree as mine ^:!:


Some good footage of it in 1965 running with 11AC? & the lightweight grill Sorry about the Fords, but some good footage >>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LIXnk80qvQ

[Pete]

What do you make of this. I'd like to think that the current registered CRX 89B has some Works credibility, but when you come across pics like this how can they be explained...??..

I had heard the plate was on a later Mini in the 70s but never seen that photo before from the 1976 Arkell Rally! The car currently wearing the plate was registered in 1988.

[surfblue63]

Here's some more Works number plate swoppery from 1969.

The two BLMC works car that were entered for John Rhodes (LBL ***D) and John Handley (LRX 827E) at Crystal Palace are clearly Mk2 Group 5 Spec S's running the new 12" wheels.

LBL

LBL ---D..JPG

LRX

LRX 827E.JPG

This is the race that is on the DVD A Dice With Spice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYNRJ9z2bso

[spoon.450]

Great pics Stuart. When the number plates were swapped from car to car by ' the works ', they were still all works cars. Post works swoppery....or more to the point, dishonest re-creation is harder to accept for me I don't have a problem with a honest re-creation though, whatever registration it is wearing

Dave

[rich@minispares.com]

What do you make of this. I'd like to think that the current registered CRX 89B has some Works credibility, but when you come across pics like this how can they be explained...??..

if I was an ex works car and someone stuck a clubman front on me, I would be tempted to commit suicide as well............

[mk1coopers]

Looks like a MK3 shell as well , but as we have all said before it's happened before with many cars, not just Mini's, and it will keep happening, my late 80's hot hatch is still in its original shell, but I see an awful lot of people getting standard cars and bolting all their cars parts to them as the don't want to repair the rusty body shell, that must be harder to do than it is on a mini as you would have to cut the VIN out and weld it into the 'new' car

[spoon.450]

Yes, there's been plenty of re-shells of ( not just ) works cars. It isn't a problem.....the shell is just a ( major ) panel, and a genuine car can be considered more than just the shell ( in my opinion ). When it comes to high profile cars, such as ex works cars, I, for one would like to know the true history, and know that what I am looking at is the real thing, not just any old mini dressed up as something famous. There's some fantastic recreations out there, presented better than the genuine articles, but we would like to be made aware of which are genuine and recreation. Is that too much to ask ?

Sorry Mark.....is this getting too controversial ?

[VKA305H]

It is up to this generation to get the facts right, assuming that we care. A generation or two down the line and there won't be anyone who knows the truth. I am not sure what effect that will have on values. Just my twopenneth! Brian

[hanlminiman]

B M C = Bend it - Mend it - Compete again.

[Pete]

or .. B M C B S R = Bend it - Mend it - Compete again - Bend it again - Scrap it - Re-invent it forty years later when DVLA have very conveniently torched the records, tell everyone it's real, flog it for £100K further down the line and hope nobody notices.

[hanlminiman]

Just shows how many works rally cars were wiped out, not just by the works but in private ownership (no offence Ronnie! ).

Hi Pete
Roger Platt, in the helmet at front of car is a member of my local car club and recalls the incident very clearly "trying fix Tom Seals Mini on the Welsh International after the brakes failed on down hill section into a 45 left – you can see the result!" Roger will using his Lotus Cortina on the Group B stage at Race Retro next week.
May I put photo on our website and also Facebook page please?
Cliff

[Pete]

Fine by me Cliff, it's on Google anyway so feel free.