1966 Janspeed Unipower GT

[rich@minispares.com]

Looks great, can't wait to see back of it getting smaller in my windscreen at Blyton

I wouldn't hold your breath on that!

if pete hasn't sorted the handling out, we might all be able to enjoy each side of it as it tank slaps its way around the track..............

[surfblue63]

A few shots of Petes Unipower at Blyton. It was the first time I had seen the car in the flesh and I have to say it lives up to expectation.

Cracking job Pete.

[billycooper]

Awesome, and fab pics, you look like your clinging on for your life on that 2nd track pic Pete

[Pete]

Thanks for those Stu, I've lots to do on it though. Didn't have oil pressure nor temp gauges working at Blyton , rear clam to get to fit properly, JAPs to sort, some actual rubber tyres to sort and mainly get the leaky header to seal. I suspect the tank was originally (well when Janspeed had it) secured to the rear frame with a metal bracket (evidence on the frame) but is now bouncing around just on the hoses.

I'd never driven it before Blyton and boy did it show , as Mark may have noticed as we went pirouetting at the chicane.

Once I've remortgaged the house and bought some new rubber I need to get some track miles on it to see what happens.

Smoking front tyres,looks like I've converted it to front wheel drive in that shot!

[rich@minispares.com]

bought some new rubber

those bladders you had on the back looked as if they where made from Whitby jet they where that old!

[Pandora]

Pete,
Kevin (Kev1071) mentioned that the car was in Dunfermline when it was in Scotland. Is that right?
If you need any help tracing anything from that time, I live in Dunfermline, so if there is anything I can do to help fill in any gaps, just let me know

Oh, and cheers again for the demo run, it really is like a wee Europa - great car!

Al

[mk1coopers]

This was my car of the show, fantastic job Pete

[Pete]

Pete,
Kevin (Kev1071) mentioned that the car was in Dunfermline when it was in Scotland. Is that right?

It was stashed in the garden of the old railway station in Beauly in the 80's (the top pics on this page were as it was looking once recovered), I've been in touch with the guy that owned it (Alan) back then who told me some interesting stories of how many people tried to buy it off him, including author/journo and all round derivative lover Peter Filby amongst others. He eventually sold to racer/dealer Chris Alford. I'm sure he said be bought it from Paul Weldon (Church Green etc) who's an absolute gent but when I checked with him he didn't remember it. He did remember buying a different Unipower GT though oddly.

Thanks for the comments, really appreciated. Some of the things I've done and had done may not look that 100% by modern standards, like the way the front air dam is fitted but I've copied the original one and method of attachment as closely as I could. Going to make the ali air intakes for the rear brakes next , actually sort all the brakes aswell (there's a lot of 'em!) plus get PAD to finish me the hoods for the rear screen (current pop out ones are just temporary) which I'm planning to replace itself at some point (thanks Paul!).

Back to the research (not done much recently) but found a couple more race progs with the car in, tried to get some colour shots of it that Jan Odor gave to a member of staff when he retired but no success yet, and I've got to find out what the hell happened to it in the 70's.

[Pete]

bought some new rubber

those bladders you had on the back looked as if they where made from Whitby jet they where that old!

Jim said they'd not warm up with a blowtorch, and someone else said they didn't know Dunlop ever made tyres out of Bakelite!

Those tyres were on the car when it last did the Spa 6 Hrs in 1991!

[1071kev]

Pete,
Kevin (Kev1071) mentioned that the car was in Dunfermline when it was in Scotland. Is that right?
If you need any help tracing anything from that time, I live in Dunfermline, so if there is anything I can do to help fill in any gaps, just let me know
70
Oh, and cheers again for the demo run, it really is like a wee Europa - great car!

Al

Al,
Found out a little more - as Pete said the car was in Beauly when Alan owned it. I was also told that yesterday by a friend. Alan had moved to the Dunfermline area when I met him in the 90's but didn't know he had lived in Beauly. Sorry for the confusion.

Heard about another old race car fitted with a 999S screamer about to come out of the shed it's been in since the early 70's. Hope to be present when it does.

Kev

[Pandora]

oh, that sounds interesting. Take your wallet!

Al

[1071kev]

Al. I'm some way down the queue to purchase this one.

[Austin Costin]

That is the dogs bollocks

[Pete]

Another little piece of the history jigsaw fell into place today as I found a programme for the car's first race at Combe on June 24th 1967.





Race report published in Motoring News:



This wasn't the car's first visit to the circuit though as it was pictured in colour with Jan and Geoff during a test (pictured earlier in the thread) with no comp numbers. I don't yet have a photo from this race. It's listed as a Uni-Power in red and funnily enough the next programme I have is for the next weekend on July 2nd at Brands where it's also listed as red despite still being white. I suspect Jan intended to repaint it red from the get-go but the ongoing body modification (the arches were already cut by Brands) stopped this happening until well after it'd come back from the Spanish GP (July 9th) where it was still white but now with body extensions.

That Brands photo (2nd race)



How that 1967 BRSCC Combe colour footage (on Youtube) fits in with these races I still haven't fathomed, it's quite fuzzy and evidently the car was out racing most weekends so it's likely I've missed one somewhere.

Talking of race programmes, I'm now looking for Spa 6Hr progs from '88 to the mid 90's if anyone knows of any.

[Pete]

Whilst I was at PAD's gaff just before Blyton I trial fitted the 7" JAPs for the rear..





I've got some 6" for the front but they're 4 1/2" PCD and will need modding to suit in order to fit (not impossible to do), rather find the right ones though!

[Miniholic]

Nice bit of period bling there Pete.

What's the offset like?

[mk1]

You really are piecing the whole story together Pete.

A brilliant jigsaw indeed!

M

[66Traveller]

Those wheels will look fantastic!

[Pete]

I've collected a few James, got six spares for sale if anyone wants some !

Ian the offset's perfecto ( 3 3/4")!


Nearly bought another Unipower project the other day...



Forgot to bid...again!!

[rpb203]

Pete,
That model looks interesting, where does that come from?
Pearce wheels look pretty good on the car.