Ke20 And Ke25 Race Histories

[TE278U]

^^ got a link for the ad or any details?

[Tally]

not sure where I seen the add but think it was on an importers website, and it had Aus number plates so was landed

[Gavclassic]

I've seen pics of Mark Thatchers TE37 car - I was lead to believe that after Bathurst it suffered a roll-over (possibly at Sandown).

Regarding KE25's - it looks like Greville Arnel (yep same one who raced an XD Falcon) competed either a KE25 or possibly a TE27 in Victoria...I have asked him about this once, but am still awaiting the asnwer as to whether it was KE25 or TE27.

I'd be interested to get a photocopy of the story you have.

 

A few years back i sold Greville Arnel some new old stock KE25 door rubbers and dash top for his KE25 Bathurst car which he still has. He has raced a number of cars at bathurst during the 60's and 70's and i think he still has them all. I have expressed an interest in the KE25 if he was never going to get around to restoring it but to date he still owes it.

That reminds me, i must give him a call.

Also if you remember the replica KE10 race car that was at the Motoring Museum at Bathurst its currently under going a restoration. I had to supply Toyota with a bonnet because the old one was very rusty.

[silverra23]

Pic of the mark Thatcher TE37 here

 

http://www.autopics.com.au/item.mibiznez?id=7115

 

This might be the same one a few years later

 

http://www.autopics.com.au/item.mibiznez?id=8122

 

But only the one pic of a KE25 that has already been posted.

[parrot]

Disqualified for ?

 

 

 

So I have been hunting through my various period magazines for ages looking for the reason behind disqualification without success. Today I picked up a copy of Bill Tuckey's, "Australia's Greatest Motor Race - The Complete History", published 1982. It's a great read, when Bathurst was a real race with variety in entrants.

 

In the report on the 1967 race, it outlines how cheating had dramatically escalated with the influx of factory works & supported teams. In those days, cars were scrutineered before practice on day one. Then teams had all night to prepare cars for the race the next day.

 

The 3 factory Corolla's finished 1st, 3rd & 4th in class A and were all disqualified for non standard heads, manifolds and rear springs. Presumably they were using what would later become K-B components? Peter Williamson's Corona was disqualified also for having a non standard head, ports & manifold. The second placed Corolla was later reinstated on appeal.

 

On race day, the Corolla's and Datsun 1000's were 6 secs a lap quicker than they had been the day before in practice.

 

In 1968, the works Corolla's finished a lap ahead of the Datsun 1000's, which were subsequently disqualified for carburettor breaches.

[Project Sprinter]

Go the Rollas!

It would be really interesting to know exactly what they had done to the heads, manifolds and rear springs.

I also like your comment about when the race was a real race....

[Project Sprinter]

Somebody also mentioned about Greville. I had an email or two with him over a year ago. Not a lot of exchange took place, but I recall him saying he still had the KE25. I can;t fidn any referenec to it at Bathurst - believe it may have been run locally in Victoria only.

Would be great if anybody has contact with Greville and can shed some further light.

[parrot]

Picked up Nov 67 Sports Car World and Dec 67 Aust Motor Sports & Automobiles yesterday.

 

As above, SCW mentions the Corolla's were excluded as cylinder heads, manifolds and rear springs were not standard spec. AMS says it was the inlet manifold and rear springs that were not standard spec, and that on immediate appeal, the springs were allowed, whereas the manifold wasn't. There were then further protests lodged.

 

I wonder if ARDC archives are accessible, would be interesting to have a read of those.

 

Edit: I have emailed the ARDC asking the question.

Edited December 16, 2012 by parrot

[Morguemaus]

Pic of the mark Thatcher TE37 here

 

http://www.autopics....ibiznez?id=7115

 

This might be the same one a few years later

 

http://www.autopics....ibiznez?id=8122

 

But only the one pic of a KE25 that has already been posted.

 

That is the same Corolla TE37. Alexandra bought it and raced it, from speaking to her father many years ago. I had that shell for a while, till i sold it. I think it was in a roll over, because it had "Liverpool" written in chalk on the inside of the roof, as the shell had no rooflining when i got it. Alexandra's dad still had bit of a race prepped 2TG then, don't know if he still has it tho.

 

From what i gathered, the 37 was brought in by Ling Gowan Toyota, Tasmania, and was the 37 they did an article in Wheels or Modern Motor in 74/75?

I kick myself every now and then that i sold that shell, let alone smashed my 27. Ah, youth, wasted on the young.

[parrot]

Well it has taken a while, but have now heard back from the ARDC (we don't have that information) and also CAM's (CAMS does not have a archive of material of the age you require).

 

Essentially it seems to get down to whatever may be stored away in the memory of those involved at the time.

Edited May 29, 2013 by parrot

[madKE35coupe]

My mad mechanic mate is trying to convince me to buy my brothers ke20 to build up a group n racecar :) if i do i plan to have it registerable too.....would be cool to drive it to car meets and such ;)

[parrot]

This is an article from Racing Car News in 1969. Road test of the AMI KE10 Improved production car

 

 

AMI corolla test.pdf

 

 

I have put this in the KE10 Group Nc thread also, but there has been a bit of crossover in this thread, plus it is still pretty relevant.

 

 

Also found a report in another racing car news that notes that AMI lost their appeal to the Aust Motor Sport Appeals Court over the 67 Bathurst result on the grounds, "that work done on the inlet manifolding of these cars was not a normal production process". That is a direct quote from the Appeals Court.

 

The magazine goes on to say that it was a decision which met with widespread approval from enthusiasts who feared for the future of this great event......

 

Little did they know how things would evolve over time.

 

Additionally, one of the guys at CAMS sent my enquiry on to one of the AMI factory drivers of the time. He was overseas and missed the 67 Gallaher. He notes that, "I have no official documentation but can remember quite clearly the stories when I came back to Australia. The Corollas scored a resounding victory over the enemy (the Datsun Racing Team), only to be disqualified in post-race scrutineering. It seems the wrong jets were fitted to the carburettors and outside the legal tolerances, and the sizes were different on all team cars. I understand the scrutineers then measured the jets on a road car and found them to be also different. The conclusion drawn by the management of Australian Motor Industries was the Japanese used a piece of bamboo to measure the jets! During a social function at Port Melbourne in 1968 the Australians had laughed off the disappointment and were joking about what happened, whereas the little Japanese engineer who was responsible for the cars' preparation was still suffering serious guilt. The cultural difference was very noticable!

1968 was another year, and the AMI Racing Team Corollas made up for the errors of the previous year in fine style."