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underkut wrote: I am very interested in any deseamed roofchops that were racing in the 60s so if there is any more pics or indeed details on what and why they tried such things it's a great thread to hear about them.

There's some info on the various saloon championships here

www.modbase.info/home/

underkut wrote:Fantastic pics, can someone tell me what allowed them to deseam and indeed it looks like some roof chops(unless it is depth perception) ?
I assume it was a complete free for all.
I am very interested in any deseamed roofchops that were racing in the 60s so if there is any more pics or indeed details on what and why they tried such things it's a great thread to hear about them.
Cheers

Special saloon racing in the 1960/70's allowed deseaming, engine swaps, lowering of the body onto a spaceframe, etc as long as the basic silhouette of the car remained the same....deseaming, removing bumpers, rear undertrays, etc improved aerodynamics over the body on a Mini racer.

Deseamed Mini racers :









Lydden 1973. Ken Welch, Robin Brooks (Longman), (Pete sombody) Keith Padmore, Dave Foster. Lydden regulars in 850 Special Saloons.

Robin Brookes dark metallic green, de-seamed ultra lightweight Longman short-stroke 850 Mini, a frequent front runner in the 850 special saloon class in the 1970's.

Robin Brookes Mini in the Paddock at Brands Hatch 17-9-1972
"Robin Brookes and his dad (pictured here) were both butchers and raced in the 850cc free formula special saloons in the early 1970s, their dark green Mini had an ultralight weight de-seamed shell and a special engine built by Richard Longman which was the first short stroke 850 with an 850 block and 970 Cooper S crank thus giving a 846 cc ultra short stroke having the block shaved to the maximum."
Video Here:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDbwdKTAozc


Monty Guildford's Mini racer fitted with an Imp engine, he finished it in 1973 after an 18 month build.
The engine was built and tuned by George Bevan but the gear box was designed by my Monty and built by Peter Wise of Goodland engineering of Tonbridge Kent. The crank was a one off. The exhaust exited out of the nearside A panel!

Monty Guildford 850cc Mini-Imp 1973:-
viewtopic.php?f=4&p=96287

You might also like this thread below:-
What happened to all the de seamed minis
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8506

Not forgetting one of the quickest...

[quote="mab01ukYou might also like this thread below:-
What happened to all the de seamed minis
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8506[/quote]
Thanks Mab
I do remember that thread and did infact add a couple of pics of my car as it was back then, it has come on a bit and below is a pict from oct 18. Please ignore the badges as these are for my own preference. It never had that front on it when it was racing and have no idea what reg number (if it required one) that it raced under, so I think that has been lost in the history of minis.

Part 2 of the Simon Ridge article on 1960/70's Mini racing is now out in the May issue of MiniWorld magazine. Another 8-pages of great stories, memories and period photos from Simon's Mini racing archive!
(See May 2019 MiniWorld pages 90-97).

mab01uk wrote:Last year I suggested to MiniWorld editor Karen Drury that she should interview 1960/70's Mini racer Simon Ridge and publish some of his great stories and photos from that era including how he introduced local boy James Hunt to the world of motor racing via Minis. A few weeks later a meeting was arranged and we spent most of a day at my brothers house listening to Simon's stories and asking him questions. Karen has put together an article from the recordings and Part 1 has 8 pages featured in the latest April 2019 MiniWorld magazine with lots of not seen before great period photos from Simon's Mini racing archive. Part 2 will follow in the May 2019 issue of MiniWorld magazine.

Simon Ridge - Automex Mini - Lydden Hill paddock 24th August 1969


(Photo: John Phillips)

(Photo: John Phillips)

More details below on the Lydden race, as remembered by Simon Ridge after seeing these old photos taken by John Phillips back in 1969:-

"The race in the photos at Lydden was on 24th August 1969. I was on Pole, and alongside was Mike Chittenden in his Morris Minor with a full race Ford 1650 under the Bonnet. I knew I had to get off the grid fast and keep him behind.
If he had got ahead, I would only have been able to get past on the corners, and with that size engine he was fast down the straights. I got a great start, and after a few laps at 10tenths, pulled out a good lead, so I eased off a bit, but in the last few laps, found I had eased off too much as he had now caught me, and looming in the mirror, I had to drive on the limit to keep ahead.
At the Flag there was just one second in it. Too close for comfort. I won the Jack Playford Trophy, and got fastest lap. The other Minis were some way back.
Strange thing, the time was 50.8, and I had broken the Lap Record the previous year on 20th July at 50.6, which I held for two and a half years. Obviously not 10tenths enough !!
The car had a new engine fitted, and Automex had put a “Running In “ sign in the back window. Talk about Red rag to a Bull !!! Think you can just see it in the photo."
Simon Ridge

Some more great photos MAB!

Thanks for sharing.

I thought I recognized that calm , collected look....

Before by tim.harber, on Flickr

After by tim.harber, on Flickr

That picture of Andy Barton brought back memories. When he was putting the 1000cc SCA into the Mini I spent quite a lot of time at Newburn as I was rebuilding my S (Andy was really helpful). The SCA was mounted on an extended Mini box, as Andy found one of the first companies in Newcastle with a mig welder, so it was quite revolutionary. It were very quick and it was a ferocious battle between him Cedric Bell MAE mini and Alec Clacher imp at Croft. Inevitably AB went quick so quick as next visit found him limping and next door a very flat mini...
The 8 port head was sold to a grass tracker!!

Some more nice shots taken in 1969 at the Brands Hatch Guards 200 by my friend John Phillips who recently re-discovered and scanned them from his motorsport photo archive, after I asked if he had any old Mini racing/rally pics from the 1960/70's.....more to follow soon!













(All Photos: John Phillips)

Excellent stuff

I chucked hundreds of pics I took in the 60's and early 70's but found a contact sheet from 1968 from a non-championship meeting at Brands that never went ahead because of the fog and mist.

Quality is rubbish as its from a 10x8 sheet in the first place but you can see how close you could get to the action then without any special pass.

They never unloaded the Britax car off the transporter.

At the bottom is when I went to the Aston Martin factory at Newport Pagnell. No security on gate to speak of - just wander around car park to see half finished cars and the James Bond car still out in the open . Happy days

Contact sheet by tim.harber, on Flickr

Works Cooper by tim.harber, on Flickr

G Hill . by tim.harber, on Flickr

G Hill Lotus 49 by tim.harber, on Flickr

Aston Factory by tim.harber, on Flickr

Wet Brands Hatch - January 1970

(All Photos - John Phillips)

Wet Brands Hatch - January 1970 (Continued)

(All Photos - John Phillips)











More to follow soon.....

mab01uk wrote:Some more nice shots taken in 1969 at the Brands Hatch Guards 200 by my friend John Phillips who recently re-discovered and scanned them from his motorsport photo archive, after I asked if he had any old Mini racing/rally pics from the 1960/70's.....more to follow soon!

Love these Martin, just shows you what turns up all these years later!

Tim Harber wrote:

I chucked hundreds of pics I took in my 40s in the 60's and early 70's

Edited for acuracy.

Raybestos!! I bet there insurers still paying out

great photos!

More nice period shots from Brands Hatch back in May 1969......















(All Photos: John Phillips)

Brands Hatch 1969 - Druids Bend
(All Photos: John Phillips)

More colour photos from Brands Hatch 1969
(All Photos: John Phillips)