1966 Janspeed Unipower GT

[coopertim]

PM sent Pete

Tim

[AndyB72]

Looks fantastic in that photo!

[JC T ONE]

What an amazing find awesome photo.

[mk1]

That is a terrific picture.

I look forward to hearing from you Pete, I see a new Unipower section coming on. M

[AndyB72]

Spotted this in an old Italian car mag over the weekend...

[rich@minispares.com]

looks like its ready for a moon shot in that photo

[Pete]

That's from the '66 Racing Car Show stand with the 998 Cooper powered car and chassis on display. So that's three displays at those shows from '66 to '68, loads of publicity with a multitude of glowing write ups from the likes of John Bolster and owners like Peter Sellers and they still couldn't make a commercial success of it. Well you wouldn't making one a month.

Any Unipower owners out there know what the 'Unipower GT' script on the back consisted of ? I've got a front badge sorted now but the rear is a mystery to me...



In March '67 Andrew Hedges loaned a car to Autosport scribe and race commentator David Pritchard to take him to and from the circuits, I wonder if it was the one behind the Ginetta here..

http://racebears.photodeck.com/-/galler ... 3843477265

Check your inbox Mark.

[jay weinstein]

john bolster did a test on a 1275 unipower gt in the novenber 24,1967 issue of autosport and seemed very pleased with the car. jaspeed also has an ad for its sca powered mini near the back. on the cover is a red /blk mrk1 car lic#fku692d

[Pete]

Thanks Jay, I have that and will send it to Mark for the site as it's probably the most intelligent review of the car.

[mk1]

Cheers Pete,

M

[Pete]

Took a few photos yesterday, despite being painted quite a number of times in the past there are remains of the Janspeed red paint evident in various places. Chassis tube inside the door mounting panel :



On the door mech...



Behind the door lock...and beneath the red is the original white paint...



Quite a lot of the original white here...



More pics later when I get a minute.

[mk1]

I look forward to seeing more.

M

[Ghul]

Pete,
Regarding the logo on the rear of the car, you only need to ask by mail.

The rear logo was a sticker, no more no less. These were only applied to some of the early cars and never seem to have been replaced of course when cars were reprinted as they would have not been available from the factory.

The early cars had metal badges with just the 'wings & central U' secured by moulded in 'pegs' on the front nose and stickers to the rear of the rear window. The 1275cc cars rear sticker also included the addition of 1275 in the logo.

The later cars produced by U.W.F. Automotive Engineering had embossed aluminium and black painted 'Unipower' rectangular badges stuck to both the front nose and rear vertical, to one side of the rear number plate aperture.

Gerry

[Pete]

Thanks for that Gerry, my car carried the Unipower GT stickers on the back but what the lower one was I couldn't say. Jan must have sourced new stickers once it was repainted by Leo Motors as shown here on it's first appearance in red in August '67 :



The car was running a 1071 at this time after a couple of months as a 1293.

Here's the rear end again over a year later at Snetterton, stickers still in place..



All I need now is an original set of stickers , or a photo of some to copy !


Front badge (which I have ) in place...




More white paint under the lock plate and on top of it are traces of the copper brown colour as described to me by 5th owner Alan Nicholson..



You can see the original rear light apertures below and to the side of the current ones..



Original chassis plate still in situ..



I've delayed the repaint to make sure I get this right, I've decided those rear arches won't be built back up as they've been like that since 1968..



More soon.

[Pandora]

I have an un-used (and I think original) 200mm diameter 'Castrol' sticker I'm happy to donate to the restoration



Al

[rpb203]

I think that the bottom script reads Janspeed

Regards
Gary

[scholar96]

Pete,

If it helps I have a plotting cutter which we use to make stickers for our race car restorations, if you let me have details of the vinyl badge I should be able to reproduce some for you.

Keith...

[Pete]

Thanks Al I may well take you up on the Castrol decal.

Cheers Gary, I'll see if Brian Harvey can send me those photos of the rear of the car.

Sounds like a plan Keith, I'll try and get some images to you, many thanks.

The font of the script will be as in this ad..



No sript on the rear of Seller's car here in May '66 I noticed...

[Pete]

Bit of a mess in the back at the minute. The frame's in remarkably good condition though and will just need a rub down and some treatment in the sill sections. The hose connecting the front to rear water pipe looks to be original and a little cripsy ! The header tank has been replaced with a plastic one but I've got an original fabricated one to go back on...



The rear wheel arch mods visible from inside..

[JC T ONE]

I think that the bottom script reads Janspeed

Regards
Gary

Yeps, agree.


Jens Christian