It was Beechey's first of two Australian Touring Car Championship wins. Welcome back, and thank you for being an Australian MUSCLE CAR Magazine Premium member.Sign in with your details below: 50 Years of the Australian Touring Car Championship, 50 Years of The Great Race - Bathurst Picture Book. Shannons estimates this rare, celebrity-owned classic should fetch a price between $90,000 to $110,000. ", Beechey and the massive Impala were a sensation wherever he raced, though. his net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. $6.60. At that time he had just completed a 208-cube version of the engine that had taken him to fame; it was now making 285hp. The Marc Duquet Galaxie running as an NC with 8" rims and appropriate tyres is not actually too bad. "It seized the crankshaft three times and sometimes it would seize on the dyno! Showmen. Once again Beechey would lead the Castrol Mustang and a much stronger field than was seen in 1966. On that occasion we discussed his time as a driver for HDT, his role as chief engineer at HRT in the early 90s, and his massively successful Harrop Engineering firm. Bringing the mighty Beechey Monaro to life at the Muscle on the Mountain car show in July 2015, a really great show! Beechey won seven of the 31 ATCC rounds that he competed in between 1963 and 1972 and has largely kept a low profile since his retirement. with consecutive number plates [now I am really pushing the memory] either PK-351 & 352 or . Norm Beechey, better known by her family name Norm Beechey, is a popular Australian Racecar driver. *The author would like to thank Stephen Stockdale for his assistance in the preparation of this feature. 0. Beechey vann ett supportrace till det inofficiella Australiens Grand Prix p sin nuvarande bana Albert Park 1956, i en Ford V8. Image: Supplied. The rivalry with Pete Geoghegan was one of the greatest in Touring Car History in Australia and Beechey still speaks fondly of it. Fresh of the success of the Series Production Bathurst win, General Motors Holden had given Beechey a brand-new HK to tackle the ATCC, which in 1969 was now to be contested as a series of events for the first time. Aussie Muscle Cars . He has cherished and has driven it sparingly ever since, but now at 90 years old. "And hopefully on the podium," Beechey said. I reckon we spent a week just getting him comfortable in the car. Must be 4 doors? Genealogy profile for Richard Beechey Richard Beechey (1828 - 1902) - Genealogy Genealogy for Richard Beechey (1828 - 1902) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. I ran it on 115 octane fuel. We didnt know those things in those days. Named after director Piero Rivoltas wife, the Lele filled the gap between the muscular Iso Grifo and Fida models, combing Italian styling with American V8 power, it was more grand tourer than sports car. After the Mustang won the 1965 ATCC by over a lap, it was the car of choice. He raced a new Ford Customline that won the main Touring Car Race, beating Len Lukey in the procerss. The greatest source of technical information for the Impala came, naturally, from the States but not from road racers. Warwick Farm. This car - officially the EH 225 M-S.4 - had a pushrod 179 cubic-inch (2.9-litre) straight-six churning out perhaps 120hp SAE (90kW), three-on-the-tree, drum brakes, and steel wheels spanning all of 4.5-inches. SIGNED NORM BEECHEY, ALLAN MOFFAT, BOB JANE. Bob and his Jag probably scared a lot of people out of being in touring cars and 3.4-litre Jags were just not competitive against Bob's 3.8-litre car. John, Lex should have learnt from his 1963 Sandown accident that fixing Galaxie's add somewhat to his racing expenses. Or perhaps the car belonged to Rootes Australia and they hired Beechey to drive it for them. Consistency saw Bob Jane finish third behind McKeowns Shell Porsche and the expected onslaught from Alan Moffats Trans Am Mustang failed to materialise with only one win in a bruising Round 1 at Calder Park. Quite the same Wikipedia. Han r mest knd fr framgngar i ATCC under 1960 och det tidiga 1970-talet. Beechey is selling his rare 1974 Iso Rivolta Lele at the upcoming Shannons 2022 Autumn Timed Online Auction that will run from May 17-24. We had a four-point harness that held us in place a bit, but I used to grab a cushion off the lounge at home and tuck myself into that. In Geoghegan's hands, the Castrol Mustang won the ATCC crown in. I believe the Galaxie is in the Bowden collection, and painted Red. View PDS. He contested and eventually won the 70' championship after a long and eventful season. A hundred miles per hour in a forklift can be a bit dangerous.. All three of the BJR Commodore's [] It was just what looked right to me, Harrop says now. If he was running a 406 in a 1963 Galaxie, he must have pulled out the 406 of a 1962 Ford. Vinnie Bentley. Somebody claimed in print it cost us a six-figure sum to develop the car. Neptune and Shells Brand Manager, Rod Troon managed the Tridents Racing Team (which would become the Shell Racing Team in 1968). Languages. pick up Auto Action 1799 online or at your local newsagent. Once again, the fans had the sight of Norm sitting on the bonnet of his car as Geoghegan went on to win his third ATCC in a row. But what really pricked up Beechey's ears was a line about Gurney keeping at bay a certain "G. Hill in a 3.8-litre disc-braked Jaguar". He had commenced with Beecheys Truck Dealership in the Chevy Nova era and progressed to race team duties after Graham Moore stepped down and John Sheppard left after a short stint. That helped to launch the car because it had fairly large Goodyear slicks in the end without a lot of power. GREAT DAYS is a line Norm Beechey often adds to his signature when asked to sign various pictures and books from his racing career. Motorcycle Insurance, and Stormin Norm on his way to the 1970 Australian Touring Car Championship at Lakeside. View or bid on all 2022 Shannons Autumn Timed Online Auction lots The lifters were solid, with Harland Sharp roller rockers that were intended for a Chev, but in hindsight they probably had the pushrod seat in the wrong place. His adoring fans were lined up in their thousands to watch not only the resumption of the Beechey / Geoghegan battle but a host of serious contenders now entering the Championship: Allan Moffat in the full spec 1969 Trans Am Mustang, Bob Jane in a matching car to Geogehgans 68 Mustang GTA and serious Porsche additions. I don't understand how it came to have that bonnet bulge in Appendix J. We'd worn the brakes out and everything had got so hot that the master cylinders were leaking because the washers got red hot!". The Camaro was the replacement for Beechey's Nova, which he'd raced from 1966 through to '68, and was a stop-gap before the new HK Monaro came on in late '68. "We used to run the engine to 7000rpm. Norm Beechey is a retired Australian race car driver, who was given the nickname Stormin Norman by his fans. In 1968, Beechey was again in the USA to find a replacement for the Nova. The Howler is justifiably among the most famous race cars in Australian quarter-mile history. The brakes weren't too bad but they used to give up. Norm was really 99% of that motor car. A Customline being worked for all it's worth at Catalina Park, Katoomba, New South Wales http://motoring.com.au/reviews/2005/classic-and-rare/ford-customline-3292 He must have curbed his enthusiasm after the spin, I don't think Norm would have. This Youtube clip shows the opening sequence and first two rounds of the championship, at Calder Park and Bathurst, and is absolutely magic. Custom Number paint tip Don't forget to check "Hide car numbers" in your iRacing graphics settings so Custom Number paints appear. From the October 1966 edition of Modern Motor. Foster. Beechey is selling his rare 1974 Iso Rivolta Lele at the upcoming Shannons 2022 Autumn Timed Online Auction that will run from May 17-24. I was launching it at around 7000rpm and revving it to about 8400rpm at the finish when it was running the 11.8s. We bolted them on and they pushed the valves open so that was fine. I watched Norm race from his six cylinder Holden days through the Mustang and then the Nova. Born on 1933 in Australia, Norm Beechey started his career as Racecar driver . I believe all motorsport fans have a fond memory like that, and thats certainly one of mine. Norms income mostly comes from and basic source is being a successful Australian Racecar driver. Years later, at work, a guy named Bruce ?? The next HT Monaro, had real success in comparison,. "There was a genuine technique to driving this car fast and I think my style suited this car because I grew up driving big fast American cars," he says. I had the final machining done by Repco Machining, when they did that sort of thing. Wilson Security Sandown 500 | Tickets | EventInfo. Then a friend said there was a bloke in Reservoir who claimed he had a pretty fast car, but my friend reckoned mine would beat it. he has decided to rationalise his car collection. Gurney's car though, is not Beechey's. Live Statistics. It also left its mark on Beechey's psyche too. So the evolution of the Howler began. It would get to maximum revs about 100-200ft before the finish.. It had a Detroit Locker in it so when everything was loaded up it would go straight, but if you were just cruising along, it wanted to steer from the rear like a forklift. Another I know [its co owner worked for me] is a factory 66 7 litre manual car. Who owned 2 old Holdens {FX models I think], both same colour [light blue?] The rear end was a 10-bolt Chev, like the old 55-64 diff, with a 6.17 ratio. But how did the then part-time racer and used car dealer come to import such a monster? He returned in early 1966 with a two door, 5.3 litre Chevrolet Nova 11. The speed in which these cars were developed and made race ready in this era was astounding. Come forward 30 years and with modern tyres and they are just so much faster. There is no mention of the Chev's kerb weight in Beechey's catalogue and why should there be? Unfortunately once again a little gentle pressure was applied and Max sold the car to track competitor Barry. $6.60. "But if you rushed up and braked at 200 yards every time, you'd only get about two stops out of the sintered metallic linings before the brakes would be on fire and you'd fall off. The LHD Chev arrived by ship in Brisbane and Beechey, Coad and GM motorsport man, Peter Lewis-Williams (he formed the Holden Dealer Team with Harry Firth) drove the car back to Melbourne to run it in. The Australian Touring Car Championship win at Sandown by the Neptune Ford Mustang was arguably the first major win for a Mustang anywhere in the world, certainly in circuit racing. Inicio; Servicios. Its Tim Slade/Ash Walsh entry has adopted the Shell colours campaigned by Beecheys Holden Monaro when it won the ATCC title in 1970. The Victorian driver broke a few records with his Imp. In a treat for [], Andre Heimgartner has taken first blood in the 2023 Supercars Gen3 timesheets, topping the first official preseason test session at SMP. While both marxist method and feminist analysis are necessary to an . Big lazy grunter with bull nose Top Loader and Kelsey Hayes 4 spot brakes. The Nova had raced extensively during 1966 and 67 and was becoming a well sorted race car, but Big Pete always seemed to have something in his repertoire to take it up to Beechey. "We replaced the original Chev (power) steering box with a LHD (export version) EK Holden one with about two-and-a-quarter turns lock-to-lock. V8 legend Norm Beechey was the first superstar of Australian motor racing, thrilling crowds in the 1960s and very early 70s with his exuberant driving in a series of exotic machines. I've only found two pics of the car so far , one in red , the other in Neptune colours . Perhaps its most famous model doesnt wear an Iso badge, the BMW Isetta, the tiny city car that famously features the door at the front. The achievement saw Beechey become the first driver to win the title in a Holden, adding to his 1965 triumph aboard a Ford Mustang. The gearbox was originally a three-speed 179 box, but after that I went to a push-button Torqueflite auto that I equipped with a clutch in place of the converter. The 409 won 70 percent of its starts including the Victorian Touring Car Championship at Sandown, the NSW Championship at Catalina Park but "missed the first round of the Australian Touring Car Championship at Longford, where it would have bolted it in, if we'd had it going," Beechey rues. Recent. The fuel delivery was a pair of Stewart Warner electric pumps. Norm Beechey nationality Australian age 90 years old born July 9, 1932 hometown Melbourne Racing highlights Racing career summary Disclaimer: the data and summaries are all taken from the data available in the career details section further below on this page. Terms of Service. Why go through the pain and heartache of restoring a classic car when you can buy one as good as Had it not been for the Volkswagen Beetle's popularity, General Motors would never have built the Get your monthly fix of news, reviews and stories on the greatest cars and minds in the automotive world. But, win or lose, he was adored by his legions of fans. .2.the cambridge history of the native peoples of the americas volume 1 part 2 north ameri The Commodores have been dressed to mark three significant periodsin the Supercars Hall of Famers driving career. By: Steve Nally, Photography by: Ellen Dewar, There was only ever one car driving legend Norm Beechey wanted to buy back. Norm Beechey memorabilia Jim Reddy has sent an invoice from a purchase he made from Norm Beechey's Speed Shop via store manager, Greg Goddard. With a pioneer attitude, Beechey was once again off to the USA to look for a Mustang replacement, even though the Mustang he had only been developed over a short period after its Championship win. Wikipedia Citation. I saw Lex in Sir Gawaine's 2 door at WF , quite memorable , sounded fantastic . They duelled in bellowing beasts V8 Mustangs, Camaros and Monaros. Olga Alexandrova Wiki, Biography, Age, Family, NetWorth & Know More. The cars were hard to get during their launch year on the USA market but, in inimitable Beechey style, he was soon in the USA jumping the queue thanks to a chance restaurant meeting in Melbourne with Bill Bourke, head of Ford Australia, who wrote Norm a letter of introduction to Ford USA. Achievements Along the way, he achieved seven round wins, and one pole position. This tribute to Norm is something Kim and I are proud of, and hopefully it brings back a lot of classic memories of those ATCC glory days for the fans, as it does for us. In the end it had a Toploader close-ratio box. I note that pretty well everyone does that today. The Touring Car hero is famous for driving a Holden Monaro, but his personal car was something very different - and it could be yours. But at Lakeside we both won a lot of races, Norm recalled. TerryS has sent me a couple to post. This paper argues that the relation between marxism and feminism has, in all the forms it has so far taken, been an unequal one. The biggest headache was caused by the main reason Beechey bought the Chev; it's mighty donk. "Nothing had beaten a Jaguar (for years)," Beechey recalls. It raced here in early '63, that would usually mean it was a '62 model. Car Insurance, Norm led at the end of lap one, and by lap eight of the twenty lap event was nearly ten seconds ahead. To some, he was the closest thing Holden had to a star racing driver, before Peter Brock. My new for 71 Galaxie LTD in the US had 2 and 4bbl versions of that engine along with numerous others from 240 6 through to 429 Cobrajet. The 1933-born Racecar driver expert is arguably the worlds most influential Norm Beechey is expert, with a wide-ranging social media outreach. he is one of famous Racecar driver with the age 88 years old group. Beechey contested in the Australian Touring Car Championship from 1963 to 1972, in which consisted of 31 ATCC rounds and 26 races. I was going to post something about the new rules (Improved Touring Cars) being the reason we only had the joy of the S4s for one year. The Galaxie paddock bashing at the 1963 Longford. One tip involved the suspension. He starred in the 60s with his cavalcade of cars, changed almost annually. BJR has also renumbered its #21 Tim Blanchard/Todd Hazelwood entry to Beecheys #4, with the car carrying the blue Neptune livery from Beecheys Mustang. The place: the old Castlereagh drag strip in Sydney. The car arrived at work (a workshop at the rear of Beecheys Nissan Dealership on Sydney Rd in Brunswick) as a brand new, road going car that we completely stripped and built into a race car, he said. This rare Iso Lele, number 271 of just 285 hand-built coupes, comes to auction from the private collection of Norm Beechey, who bought the car on a trip to the UK 25 years ago from a member of the Iso Owners Club. Racing Geoghegan was always tough but very fair. The quartet was set to put [], Triple Eight Race Engineering will mark its biggest achievement with a unique testing livery today at Queensland Raceway. (Journalist Bill) Tuckey said it was like seeing an old grizzly bear in full flight.". Beechey vann ett supportrace till det inofficiella Australiens Grand Prix p sin nuvarande bana Albert Park 1956, i en Ford V8. 1969 Australian magazine ad for Norm Beechey Speed Shop. All Rights Reserved. Beecheys imposing 5.7-litre Chev-powered Monaro remains one of the most significant and popular cars in Australian racing history. Hear, hear Norm. But it was 1965 that arguably changed the landscape of Touring Car Racing and almost certainly began the love affair with V8s as the staple diet of racing in Australia. Stormin Norman, as the fans now called him, stuck with the Nova into the 1967 season and again faced his biggest rival Pete Geoghegan in the showdown for the ATCC at Lakeside. Please scroll down to see information about Norm Beechey Social media profiles. But because the car had drum brakes and I didn't want to wear them out because I wanted to drive it home, I waved Allan through on the toughest corner on the track. "You've got to remember that buying this car was a very entrepreneurial decision in 1962. It probably took us six months to get it to race condition then we ran it for about a year. The importance of the HT Monaro GTS 350 and its success were also not lost on Norm. with lot of social media fan he often posts many personal photos and videos to interact with her huge fan base social media plateform. Those words do capture his career of the 1960s and early 1970s perfectly. here's a link to the current owners of the car. It had an extremely heavy flywheel, about 1in thick and weighing about 30lb. But what about the car that kicked off his career: Harrops Howler? 'Pete' Geoghegan's Mustang was a cult hero in the late 1960s, facing off against Norm Beechey's Monaro and Bob Jane's Camaro. We only ever raced it with Chev conrods - it's got Carillos in it now - but we never had conrod problems, only bearing trouble." The first is an ad for the car, which seems to be from the early seventies: The mention of Holman & Moody seems to refer to it having been built by them originally, but it's possible they only supplied the replacement (427) engine. Also make sure you follow us on social mediaFacebook,Twitter,Instagramor ourweekly email newsletterfor all the latest updates between issues. Shot of Lex at Longford in 1963. "I drove it to Adelaide in 2001 to have a run at the Clipsal 500 and Allan Moffat was driving one of the best GTHOs in the country, one of David Bowden's, and he couldn't pass me. We just welded them on and cut them off until we were happy. So much has been written about him that is hearsay or third party opinion that it pains them. Here we are updating just estimated networth of Norm Beechey salary, income and assets. Bob Jane continued with his hastily arrived Mustang in 1966 and was joined by Pete Geoghegan in the Touring Car ranks. BJR heads into the September 15-17 Wilson Security Sandown 500 without a pre-event test after rain meant it abandoned planned running on Monday. Which means it would have been one of the first cars off the line of that model year, usually the release is towards the end of August. But not too many want to ring up and find out the facts. The rules changed at the start of 1965. Theres also a spare set of brake pads and brake hoses, both still in boxes. Frankly, it was a humble beginning. IMAGES: As credited. "It had the first Borg-Warner four-speed, aluminium-cased gearbox with very thin gears and it wasn't strong enough. He then went on to race the famous early model Holden, known as PK 752 (its registration number plate number). Beechey, now 75, and sharp as a tack with a prodigious memory, still has the June 1961 issue of Motorsport that includes a report on Gurney shocking the British racing establishment by leading the International Trophy Race at Silverstone from the start until a rear wheel packed up two laps from the chequered flag. Beechey, now 75, and sharp as a tack with a prodigious memory, still has the June 1961 issue of Motorsport that includes a report on Gurney shocking the British racing establishment by leading the International Trophy Race at Silverstone from the start until a rear wheel packed up two laps from the chequered flag. Cracking shot from Longford , really shows how big those cars are . RON HARROP has appeared in the Legends section of the mag before (SM, Mar 00). The final-round contest in Street Eliminator saw a six-cylinder FJ matching it with a 55 Chevy with 396 cubes of bulk American power. It was 1970 that saw Beechey launch the car that would be defining not only in his own career but lives in the annals of one of the greatest Touring Cars the country has ever seen. The second is the race Beechey had with Max Volkers in a Cortina at Lowood. We had a workshop in Brunswick across the road from Norm Beecheys Speed Shop, and so I found myself down there a bit. Just looking again at a You Tube clip of Dennis Obrien driving the 427 coupe at Sandown. Norm Beechey Ford Galaxie - posted in The Nostalgia Forum: Im after info any images and history of the Galaxie from 1964 , Im building a slot car model of the car . Please see Wikipedia's template documentation for further citation fields that may be required. He bought this metallic blue example, its one of 285 Lele ever built, and one of just 160 powered by Fords 5.7-litre Cleveland V8. And those cars are light at around 1700 kilos,, my 71 400 C6 a/c car is 1.990 tonnes. Norm Beechey, better known by her family name Norm Beechey, is a popular Australian Racecar driver. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. For any diehard touring car fan, when you hear the name Stormin Norm Beechey your mind instantly pictures a yellow Holden HT Monaro GTS. More Ivor Davies 64 followers More information norm beechy Holden Hsv Holden Monaro Australian Muscle Cars Aussie Muscle Cars Vintage Muscle Cars Vintage Racing Norm only seems to have raced it a couple of times , was it a success ? A detailed review of Beecheys title winning season and his profound impact in the sport, pick up Auto Action 1799 online or at your local newsagent. A win in the penultimate round at Lakeside sealed the Championship for Beechey, his second in six years. The mourning at the funeral is very elaborate and the tomb of the Gadana's wife is fenced in with bamboo, both indicators of her cherished status among the Sidama. https://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/294397/tp/2/, https://www.tradeuniquecars.com.au/feature-cars/1302/chevrolet-impala-409-norm-beechey, https://autopics.com.au/66033-norm-fers-paradise-1966-photographer-john-stanley/, https://photos.app.goo.gl/LAjx9nV3CPonoUBi6, (You must log in or sign up to reply here. he has decided to rationalise his car collection.. Amy, the wife of a country vicar, had eight sons and six daughters. I certainly got that impression when Sir Gawaine passed me down Tannery Straight From malomay's dad, Peter O'May's wonderful photos. Brad Jones Racing will honour Australian Touring Car great Norm Beechey with retro liveries across its three cars for the Sandown 500. It was a huge luxury car but in that era if you were a bookie, wealthy businessman, or a farmer you had a Pontiac Parisienne, a Buick or a Chev and the Impala wasn't considered big in those days. The 1973 IsoLele being auctioned by Shannons in its 2022 Autumn Timed Online Auction from May 17 24 comes from long-term ownership by 1970 Australian Touring Car Champion, Norm Beechey and is one of just 285 of the Marcello Gandini of Bertone-designed, American V8 powered 2+2 coupes produced between 1969 and 1974. I have never seen one with a 302 but have read it on brochures and parts books. "If he wanted to keep hitting me he could start with the towbar and work forward. ). At the age of 88 years, Norm Beechey weight not available right now. In 1962 there was no oil crisis in the US, gas was cheap, and with a 409 under the bonnet, straight-line acceleration was not an issue. Tell us your email address and we'll email you a new password. sku: 62002-1. Because the R5 racing Dunlops of the day were only narrow, you couldn't turn the steering wheel when the car was stationary but once you got it rolling it was okay. The HK Monaro arrived at Norms Brunswick workshops late in 1968 and while still campaigning the Camaro, his small crew led by Graham Moore had the car race ready for the 69 Championship. Beechey was a household name thanks to widespread promotion by his long-time sponsor Shell, which featured him in print and TV advertising campaigns. I used to tow it with another Impala, a 'four-door '61. "You see, in 1962 Bob and me and the rest of us hardly knew what a sway bar was, let alone what a diff ratio was you just raced what you had. Just better. He was brilliant there. The 179 crank had the big ends welded up and the counterweights carved off, replaced by Harrops own. Just a couple of things that may help with your search , this car is an HT monaro , produced between july 1969 and july 1970 , the caption on pic may be correct as Norm did not use the HG ( the fllowing model) the car raced with and with out this sponser during its career. Initially I started with SUs but I finished with Webers. "American stock cars used two shockers per wheel. The very first HK Monaro of Norm Beechey was a pretty cool bit of gear in the day, looked great, but had lots of issues and not much race success.
Eva Mae Fisher Cleveland, Ohio,
Harbor Freight 29 Gallon Air Compressor Oil Capacity,
Seals Funeral Home Chicago Obituaries,
Articles N