Hi, now that I'm Secretary of the Historic Formula Vee Association of Australia, part of my breif is the hunt down Formula Vee frames lying around not doing anything or even complete Vees.
It's not that I want to personally go buy them, it's a matter of keeping tabs or a log on them. By rough calculations there should be about 600+ Formula Vee's out there which means that about 300 odd are MIA or no longer with us.
So if have an old Formula Vee or know someone who has one that has not beed used for a long time please PM me or email me at secretary@historicveeaustralia.com.
Regards,
Ian Lee
Secretary HFVAA
whatnow ·
mk 1 mako (i think), currently still sitting in the shed of the guy i bought it off. i was planning to fit a bigger motor and use it for motorkhana now i don't know.
i believe it was orig owned by a guy around the randwick area and was only raced at the warwick farm track. any further info would be much appreciated.
greedy53 ·
only driven on weekends now where have i heard that before
chequer57 ·
Hi it's definitely a Mako Chassis body (and I assume chassis).
We'd love to see it restored as a Historic Vee rather than a Motorkhana special.
I'll forward the pic our "panel of experts" (I'm a young'un at only 40) and see if they have any clues to it's previous owner. I may even get Frank Kleinig to have a look at the pic (as he built them).
There's a modern restore of Mako in the gallery section there to have a look at too.
Regards,
Ian Lee
pete wood ·
what now, that is very cool. you should restore it....and then race it in motorkhanas 👍
LIFE IN THE LOW LANE ·
Love that rollover protection. Roll bar is only a tiny bit higher than your helmet!! Ahh the Mako's... bath tub on wheels i've heard them called LOL
chequer57 ·
I assume you talking about the pics from Warwick Farm, look at F1 car's from the same period they have "shoulder bars" too.
Phil74Camper ·
As I understand it, Greg Cusack (former ACT VW distributor/dealer) brought the first Formula Vee to Australia in 1965, and demonstrated it at the Warwick Farm circuit in around June 1965. The car had a feature in a 1966 issue of 'New Horizons', the owner's magazine published by Volkswagen Australia. In the 1980s that first Vee finished up in the ownership of Bob Brewer, then a member of the Volkswagen Club of NSW. I believe he had intended to restore it, but I don't know what happened to it.
Today the NSW VW Club has been merged into Club Veedub Sydney; Bob and his wife Denise are members but I don't know if they still have the Vee; they are not active members any more.
Is it true that Frank Kleining won the very first Formula Vee race to be held in Australia, at Warwick Warm in November 1965? Is this the same Frank Kleinig who competed in the 1955 Redex Trial - and became famous for hitting a water buffalo at high speed in the Northern Territory? I assume there must be a 'senior' and 'junior' Frank Kleinig, as there was a Frank Kleinig racing open-wheelers in the 1930s. I remember reading about the famous 'Kleinig Hudson', an MG chassis with custom body (with some rear panels of cardboard!) and a Hudson 8-cylinder engine. I would love to know more of the Kleinig family history!
kombikim ·
yep there was Frank Senior & Frank Junior - Frank Senior, was famous driver & inventor/manufacture of much speed equipment& alchohol/water injection, inlet manifolds & exhausts, & made unusual sports mufflers, steel with cast alloy end peices, his business was located omn Parramatta Rd at the top of the hill at Burwood, I think he died at the end of the 70's I was lucky enough to meet him, went in there to buy something & he rattled off history for about 3 hours! his son Frank Junior took over the business & I think it is now at Girraween, Frank Junior started racing about 1960 I think, & I am pretty sure he won the 1st Australiian Formula Vee race
1303Steve ·
Hi
I work with Frank Kleinigs son Peter, he's into Minis.
Steve
Phil74Camper ·
Hi Steve,
Can you ask him if his family has any old VW archival stuff - old clippings, photos, stories etc - that we could scan and publish in the club mag? Some photos of Frank Kleinig Sr's 1955 Redex VW would be fantastic, or Frank Jr's later Vees.
There is an article on Frank Kleinig Sr in the very first issue of Wheels magazine, dated 1953, which I have. No VWs then, of course, only souped-up open-wheelers.
What a family history! It reminds me of the Perkins' story, just not as well known.
1303Steve ·
Hi
I had no idea who the son was, I only saw him at traning sessions and union meetings.
One trade night at work, we had the Mobil Synthetic trade show come along and we had to do hot laps around Hidden Valley in a simulator, unreal.
I started talking to Peter about how good his times were, we were actually two of the fasted out of the two nights of racing and he told me how he made sit in cockpits for game consoles and that's when the family history came up.
Steve
Volksaddict ·
...the one that was running around valla really looked the part...followed the v scene for years in the late 60s/early 70s with laurie Campfield .. he.owned a VW workshop at BP servo on pennant hills road ...gone now!!! remember the old track at hume weir
frank2112 ·
I'll have to talk to my parents and see if they still have the photo of me sitting in Greg Cusack's Formula Vee when I was little. Must have been at an open day at the dealership almost 40 years ago.
chequer57 ·
Volksaddict wrote:...the one that was running around valla really looked the part...
Hi Ray , excuse my ignorance but valla is ?
LIFE IN THE LOW LANE ·
Actually Raleigh raceway at the VW spectacular. 2 Vees were running around there over the weekend. One was an elfin crusader(black/gold) and the other was the Rapier built by Volks Engineering(yellow).
chequer57 ·
The black and gold Crusader would be Chirs Bolton's race car and the yellow Rapier belongs to Scott Andrew (more typically raced by Paul Mantiet.)
I suspect the dubbers who brought them there would be Wayne Penrose for the Crusader and John Alder for the Rapier (which he builds).
Still they're main game "I'm trying to find the older unloved stuff."
Regards,
Ian
1303Steve ·
Hi
I had an out of the blue email a few months ago from a guy named Peter Mills, he and I worked together many years ago. He used to race Vees and we used to swap cars on the weekends so that he could use my old yellow bug to tow his Vee and I would get his wifes 60s bug.
Peter Mill made a name for himself driving the Bug In rallycross VW.
Steve
chequer57 ·
Only very brave veedubbers take their pride and joy anywhere where there are Formula Vee's running. Can we borrow your fuel pump, points, rockers etc will inevitably be asked.
If you take you beetle near Vee races just lock you car and leave it for the day, then you won't get asked to parts.
Phil74Camper ·
Hi Steve,
I am going to try to contact motoring commentator Will Hagon. He has recently hosted DVDs of classic Australian Touring Car footage at Warwick Farm from the early '70s, taken from old black and white ABC TV footage.
I am wondering if he knows any way of getting old TV footage of the Catalina Rallycross? I remember it was very popular on TV. I am afraid through, that because it was on Channel 7, the tapes might have been used for landfill since.
But I will try to find out. Would love to see Chris Heyer, Peter Mill and Barry Ferguson beating the Minis and V8s again.
1303Steve ·
Hi Phil
Ive seen footage on TV called late night legends, I think Lex Marinos hosted it and it had lots of footage from Warwick Farm.
Steve
chequer57 ·
1303Steve wrote:Hi
I had no idea who the son was, I only saw him at traning sessions and union meetings.
One trade night at work, we had the Mobil Synthetic trade show come along and we had to do hot laps around Hidden Valley in a simulator, unreal.
I started talking to Peter about how good his times were, we were actually two of the fasted out of the two nights of racing and he told me how he made sit in cockpits for game consoles and that's when the family history came up.
Steve
Peter should know what to do with a racing car sim, he ran and won regularly in Vee's in the late 80's & early 90's in a Yellow Mako. Peter also came second in the Formula Vee state championship in 1994 to Scott Bargwanna (Jason's cousin). After that we never saw him in a Vee again.
Phil74Camper ·
Hi Ian,
Thanks for your continuing comments, nice to have you on the forum!
If you are free tomorrow (Thursday 21st) evening, it is our Club Veedub Sydney monthly meeting. Steve and I will both be there (not to mention lost of other VW enthusiasts), and we would love to talk more with you about historic Vees.
It's at the Greyhound Social Club, 140 Rookwood Rd Yagoona (next to Potts Park), from 8pm. Although we are all usually downstairs having a beer from 7:30.
Hope to see you there.
chequer57 ·
Hi Phil,
I'd love to come along and for chat but I don't think my wife would let me out at such short notice!!!
You can talk about us while we're not there.
Anyway us historic vee guys I imagine are pretty similar to most VW enthuiasts; we're into restoring old cars that use VW parts, it's just we're not so interested the VW coachwork.
Regards,
Ian
chequer57 ·
Hi, has anyone got a good contact for Henry (whatnow). I tried to PM and email him nothing seems to have got through.
If you have a mobile No. or email please PM me.
Regards,
Ian
whatnow ·
hi ian, sorry off in my owm little world... i pm'd you my number.
here is a pic of the frame if it helps you work out if it's a mako or not.
henry.
chequer57 ·
Bump
Hi, No other shed orniment seen in garages or at swap meets ?
eraser ·
Semi unrelated note, I went to this deceased estate garage sale for a Mr lightburn here in Adelaide and i saw what looked like a go-cart on its front leaning against the wall, called a friend down and we asked what he wanted for it, picked it up for $100 (let my friend keep it and hes doing it up).
We pushed it off the wall and carried it into the trailer, turns out this mr lightburn was the owner of some washing machine builder here in SA and they decided to start building cars. This thing we got for $100 was a lightburn zeta.
My friend is slowly restoring it, but isnt that a find and a half.
chequer57 ·
Just to bump the thread along we have found another Vee frame or two lurking in sheds waiting to be restored. One was a well known Ranger Vee the other we are unknown car that looks like a Nota Vee.
The Ranger looks like is headed to a good home, the Nota we are hard at work to see what history we can find.
Just a reminded any Vee chassis you know might be hiding somewhere, we'd love to know about them, just to know where they are.
Here are some pics of the Ranger Formula Vee when she was purchased. I'm sure the new owner will restore to former glory over the next year or so.
bajachris88 ·
hmm...
how do i go about getting of these old skool formula vees :P?
HappyDaze ·
Frank Kleinig Jr. drove a Mini in early '60s, and I enjoyed beating him at Catalina Park (1962). I was driving my daily drive 1961 Beetle at the time, and loved to beat Minis,and still do!!! Frank and I drove Vees in the late '60s - early '70s, and had some good dices. Cheers, Greg
chequer57 ·
Hi Greg,
You raced Vees in a red Elfin 500 Chassis No. 6821 in 1969 & 70 and sold the car to Laurie Campfield. Believe it not the car is still around!!
hi ian, did you turn anything up about the one i posted pics of above?
henry.
chequer57 ·
Hi Henry,
Mate if forwarded you all the emails I sent out about your car you'd still reading them tommorrow.
Basically I can't find a reference for to a Burgandy Mako anywhere.
Good news if you wanted to do Historic Race Car you can get a "Limited Certificate of Description", but the pressure is there to find the history of the car as that is not transferable.
If you want to chat PM me and I'll give you a call.
Regards,
Ian
TassieVee ·
Hi Ian,
I am in the process of negotiating the purchase of a 1974? formula vee down here in Hobart (subject to the logbook being produced). I have attached a couple of quick pics of the frame.
This will be a project for the next 18 months with the hopes of having it back on the rack in 2011.
I don't know any further information than it was raced in Tassie back in the 70's. If you are able to shed any light on what it may be from these very crude photos it would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
David
PHAT BUG ·
A good friend of mine owns quite a few historic VW race cars, here's a few..........
First Formula Vee is a Nimbus which was a first prize in a raffle back in the 60's this thing has awesome detail chromed front end, suspension, brakes etc, just plain wicked!
Second is the first Elfin F/Vee ever made, chassis No. 1!! Which is still raced and still holds records at various tracks.
Next we have a Cheetah which again chassis number one! This thing is sick, VW/Hollinger gear box and an upside down Mercury racing outboard V6!!! [img]https://www.postimage.org/aVSQqn0.jpg[/img]
chequer57 ·
Say Hi to Bill for me, I knew he had the first Elfin 500 & 600 but I didn't know he owned a Nimbus too, will have to get the log book number of that one to include in my register of over 580 Vees .... scary thing is that ain't all of them !!!!
PHAT BUG ·
Bills over in Canada at te moment, but I'll say hi once he gets back : )
I know of a few other Vee's around here, I'll try and track them down for you.
vwvic ·
hi guys
This is a little off topic.
I met a bloke called Tim Holt the other day at work.He saw my kombi parked out the front and we started to talk vw's..
He told me he used to be a formula vee racer in NZ when formula vee first started out.He came back a couple of days later with a couple of photo albums full of old racing photos.
If anyone is interested in this sort of stuff send me a P.M. I have his number so i can get hold of him for some copies if needed.
TassieVee ·
Just an update. I was given the log book for the vehicle yesterday. Below you can see (a crude) scan of the log book photos.
If anybody has any information on this vehicle it would be greatly appreciated.
Glenn Moulds ·
TassieVee wrote:Just an update. I was given the log book for the vehicle yesterday. Below you can see (a crude) scan of the log book photos.
If anybody has any information on this vehicle it would be greatly appreciated.
Hi David
I think the car you have is the GAD which was driven, and possibly built?, by Gary Dubois in Vic in the early 70's. I'll have a look through some old mags as I recall seeing an article about the car back then. I think this one was before Ian's time!
Cheers Glenn
TassieVee ·
Hi David
I think the car you have is the GAD which was driven, and possibly built?, by Gary Dubois in Vic in the early 70's. I'll have a look through some old mags as I recall seeing an article about the car back then. I think this one was before Ian's time!
Cheers Glenn
Hi there Glen,
That is the exact car. Any info you could dig up would be greatly appreciated. I would like to restore back to how it looks in the photos.
Regards
David
chequer57 ·
I was so convinced with Historic Formula Vee I bought one of my own to go with my non-historic one
TassieVee ·
Hi David
I think the car you have is the GAD which was driven, and possibly built?, by Gary Dubois in Vic in the early 70's. I'll have a look through some old mags as I recall seeing an article about the car back then. I think this one was before Ian's time!
Cheers Glenn
Hello Glenn,
Sorry it has been a while to get back to you, I was wondering if you managed to find that article on the GAD at all?
Regards
David
Glenn Moulds ·
Hi David
Sorry, I have been slack! I do have a short article about the GAD but I'm not sure how to post it here (and it's probably subject to copyright anyhow). If you can PM me with your email address, or contact Ian Lee for my email address, I can send it to you directly.
Cheers Glenn
t_tuffnut ·
Does anyone still make the Ranger formula vee bodies? I saw the picture and the first thought in my head was "I Want"
chequer57 ·
t_tuffnut wrote:Does anyone still make the Ranger formula vee bodies? I saw the picture and the first thought in my head was "I Want"
You can have ..... after paying appropriate sum of money 🙂
Ranger Bodies can be obtained from the Historic Formula Vee Association.