1966 Janspeed Unipower GT

[Pete]

Gary I think they were made in very limited quantities for the Japanese market and that one appeared on Ebay a month or two ago. First time I'd seen any model of a Unipower GT!

[surfblue63]

TW Collection kits were made by a chap called Trevor Wright in the 1980s. He produced many rarely modelled cars, trucks and motorcycles. The kits were made in limited numbers and occasionally turn up in auctions, either still as kits or built up. I have a TW Broadspeed GT in my collection somewhere. The Unipower is a new one on me, so if another one comes up Pete, expect some strong bidding!!

[Pete]

Bugger! It was probably a bargain at about £30 then !

[surfblue63]

I would have paid that for it if I had seen it.

[rpb203]

I think that I would have to agree, the quality doesn't look to be the greatest from the picture, but not aware of many, (any), Unipower models about, so probably worth a punt at £30 or a bit more.
I think I remember seeing there was a model maker who made a 'one off' in Japan in the late 80's other than that not aware of any others.

[Pete]

Just thought I'd do a little round up of the year, after the Autosport Show in January celebrating Cars and Car Conversions, then Blyton in May, I managed to get the car to Shelsley for their Classic Nostalgia meeting in July along with Paul's Ogle (now sadly destroyed ), and Goff's Jem...




Then took it to the Manchester Classic show which was OK for the short time I was there...




Finally me and Gary met up at Castle Combe in October at the superb Autumn Classic race meeting for a whizz around the track, first time it had been back on this particular bit of Wiltshire tarmac since 1967...





Finally I've reluctantly caved in to Facebook. As it's imminently 50 years of Unipower GT I've started a page dedicated to the cars (wish I'd started a group now, bit of a balls up but will try and change it...) which can be found here :

https://www.facebook.com/Unipower-GT-92 ... 7/?fref=ts

Have a great 2016 and see you at Blyton!

[rich@minispares.com]

found this on pistonheads - peter sellers taking a picture of a unipower

[Pete]

I think he bought that car Rich, he was writing a piece on it for The Telegraph I think? A lso think it's still around, it's a '66 model.

[minimans]

I tried looking at the Unipower but my eyes kept straying to the Continental in front...............I wonder if that was his?

[Pete]

Not done a catch up on here for ages so here's a quick recap on 2016 so far!

First event was Blyton back in April, here's Jeff Ruggles going for a spin, it was running like a bag of shit in this pic with old fuel in it. Went much better with a fresh top up albeit with those bloody ancient tyres still on it! .



Courtesy of snapper Tim Harber :



Next was an entry at Chumly in June, managed to get Revolution to make me a new set of wheels by this point, put some new CR65s on them, got all the rosejoints replaced and had the suspension set up properly and what a difference!









Car went great once me and Mark cleaned a tank full of a petrol/diesel mix out of it due to some silly c*nt topping it up with the wrong fuel, flatenning the battery to pump it out, not turning it off in the queue for the start line cos of the flat battery and then blowing most of the water out of it cos it got too hot in the fekin queue! . Great weekend otherwise!

[Pete]

Next event was Prescott for 'Cooper 70' where we were promised some demo runs but sadly too many offs on the hill forced them to cancel. Stonkin weekend again though, met up with Geoff Mabbs' son Glenn who remembered the car well and had some good chats with the lads with the Downton Minis parked alongside..a good craic all round with some great company.



Sadly I had to miss the Shelsley Walsh Nostalgia hillclimb event for the first time in years which sounds like it was ace! Also had to miss Gerry Hulford's Beaulieu gathering for the Unipower GTs 50th Anniversary. If only we could get to all the events we want to eh?

Most recent outing was the wonderful Castle Combe Autumn Classic historic race meeting which despite the fact it p*ssed down for most of afternoon was another good doo with Tim Carpenter, Gary Marlow and Glen Mabbs who hadn't been back to Combe since his dad passed away but was really happy to get reaquainted. Me and Tim got a couple of miserably slow laps behind a pace car around the circuit so never got a chance to give it the beans.





Glen Mabbs with his dad's old car..



We got to display the two cars that appeared at the 1967 Racing Car Show once again, first time they'e been together since then. The other car being Tim Carpenter's chassis number one. The cars got loads of attention and some chats were had with some very enthusiastic and knowledgable punters..

1967 : (mine's the white car, Tim's the red obvs!)



2016 :

[Pete]

And finally, I was over the moon and very grateful to get this old colour shot today of my car at Harewood in 1968 from 'Old Dad' off here! This was when Triple C's Brian Harvey (Tim Harvey's Uncle) hillcimbed it in early 1968 before Piers Weld Forester bought it. Just shows you what's out there! Thanks Mr Old Dad!

Next job's are to paint the bits of the body matt black that were originally, get some ali air scoops made for the back as Janspeed had on it originally, sort the dash out, fit my new Cibie lamps to it (so Gary can finally have his back!), get it rolling roaded and start to think about caging it. Also considering replacing all the perspex as it's pretty knackered as it's all original stuff from '67! Next outing is a weekend at the NEC for the Classic Motor Show in November, first time anyone's seen a Unipower GT there for quite a few years so look forward to some good chinwag!

Harewood 1968 :

[JC T ONE]

colour shot today of my car at Harewood in 1968

Awesome congratulations.




Jens Christian

[surfblue63]

I tried looking at the Unipower but my eyes kept straying to the Continental in front...............I wonder if that was his?

It is probably his first Mulliner-Park Ward Chinese Eye Rolls Royce.

It has the same plate that his 500 Superfast wore after he changed the Ferarri plate for a personalised one

[Pete]

colour shot today of my car at Harewood in 1968

Awesome congratulations.

Jens Christian

Thanks Jens, found the programme here, April 7th 1968. Harvey's entered in the Special GT class by Triple C against a couple of Cox GTMs, a Marcos and a Jem, like one of Jeroen's wet dreams!

Some great Mini peddlers on that entry list aswell, Nicky Porter (who I was talking to about the car at Prescott), Geoff Halliwell, Ken Lee, Peter Kaye, Jeff Goodliff, Pip Carotte, Barry Pearson and Allan Staniforth's on there.

http://harewoodhillhistory.co.uk/blog/i ... mmes-1968/

[mk1]

The Harewood site is one of the very best venue related sites out there. A brilliant source of info on 60's events.

M

[Ronnie]

Some great Mini peddlers on that entry list aswell, Nicky Porter (who I was talking to about the car at Prescott), Geoff Halliwell, Ken Lee, Peter Kaye, Jeff Goodliff, Pip Carotte, Barry Pearson and Allan Staniforth's on there.

http://harewoodhillhistory.co.uk/blog/i ... mmes-1968/

Check out No 30 Pete that's my car I think.

[Pete]

Check out No 30 Pete that's my car I think.

Wow, wonder how he did in it? Interesting to think that yours, mine, Nicky's and Goodliff's cars still survive from that meeting (though yes, yours has a couple of dents!) and probably a few more cars besides.


Here's what Brian Harvey remembers of it :

"That was a fascinating event – a long haul from St. Albans but what the hell!

The start was on a gradient so holding the car was a problem – also no chance to warm the brakes up and I seem to remember that from cold they were almost useless.

That meant that on the way to the first bend I was always trying to warm them up – things used to get a bit busy in that cockpit. Seem to remember we were using DS11 pads which were for full racing and that for hill climbs and sprints we didn’t really need them. Having that car and attempting to be competitive in it was a sharp learning curve – but very exciting. I hope the lump still makes a great noise.

I really had forgotten that event – there may be others that emerge from the fog of memory!"

[rich@minispares.com]

bit of an interesting thread on piston heads about some guy who nearly became a unipower works driver - his missus put a spanner in the works!


https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/top ... &t=1678124

[Pete]

Thanks for that Rich. There's another lengthy thread on there about the cars which is interesting!

Hadn't realised I hadn't updated this thread for a while. To be honest I've done f*ck all with the car in recent months but did spend a great weekend at the NEC last November at the classic show. Some great conversations with some interesting punters on the Friday. Saturday and Sunday not so much but was well worth doing. BIG thanks to Andy B for my roller banners, top work as usual!! Also sat down with Gary and Mark to put as many cars on a new chassis data base as we could think of, soon to be published on the Unipower GT website. Was great to catch up.





Paddy Hopkirk in this pic..



I also got offered the ex Peter Filby car LTM 80G earlier this year which I bought chiefly to try and keep it in the UK. That didn't work very well but the car has now gone to a very skillful and enthuiastic new owner in Guernsey.

Pictured here on a trip back to Arch Motors who made the original chassis for the cars and still going strong!