I’ve bought dads old car

[Hamish]

You can be honest - just be gentle with me

I bought dads old car

its a car that i am sure was his favourite individual car, certainly was mine ( he loved the Daimler sp250 as a model as he had about 6 or 7 over the decades and one still resides in his garage but its not this car)

 

he owned this car from the mid 1970’s to about 1998/9 about 25 years of my formative years as it turned up when I was about 13.

it was already a famous car as it was a “special” from the 1960’s. A car originally associated with Rivers Fletcher in its previous guise of EGT511. But it became a sports race car with Ian Woolstenholmes, the founder of “Woolies” the trim specialist, putting a speed 25 chassis and a 4.3 engine together in a short chassis. In fact dad buying the car helped Ian get “Woolies” off the ground.

the car was a bit tired and a over the years dad developed it with the help of some Alvis specialist but eventually with the help of a brilliant engineer friend John Hadwick. Who was more used to working on Lola T70’s and the like.

smaller option wheels were used for sprints and hill climbs and larger wheels for fast tracks.

the power was upped and the gearbox gained straight cut gears and a 4.1 diff.

the car was raced successfully by dad at all the UK’s major venues inc the Isle of Man.

i was typically there or there abouts mixing with people whom I now know to be titans in the vintage and racing world. But at the time were just car enthusiast.

dad was no slouch either having a racing pedigree himself. He and the Alvis won many racing awards he was most proud of winning the PACE PETROLEUM cup on the Isle of Man as sponsored by his friend Victor Gauntlet who owned pace petroleum and went on to own Aston Martin.

and 2 driver of the day awards at 6 hour relay races for teams of all sorts of cars, one of these was for driving the most laps as due to Alvis team cars suffering mechanical failure, dad did at least half the time himself. And on other occasion he was clocked through Donnington’s redgate corner faster than the Porsche 911’s in the Porsche team.

as a youth I had attributes that were much needed, these were hands of a child that could change the rubber/fibre drive couplings from engine to gearbox without having to strip out all the interior etc. And holding the wooden blocks screwed to a stick over the carbs to act as a very manual choke!!

at race meetings it was my job to take off the windscreen, paint on the numbers/ cricket boot whitener, later posh sticky numbers, and tape up the lights sometimes turning them sideways to reduce wind resistance ha ha.

the car to me as a youngster was a big beast of a thing but as I grew up it was just part of the family and we gelled.

it wasn’t until 1992 that I was allowed to do a shared competition drive with my dad. It was my first ever class win. Beating my dad - shared drives dropped off after that I seem to remember.

Dad was generous with his cars and I remember him sharing it with his mate Jenks - (The Dennis Jenkinson- that was Stirling moss’s codriver in so many events like Mille Miglia), at a Brighton speed trial  sprint.

why dad sold the car before the millennium I didn’t know, may be he felt he wasn’t using it in anger as much as it deserved.? 

it moved on to Brian Maile a chairman of the Alvis owners club and racer. He used the car here and in Europe. Before he sold that car in the uk but to an Australian. 
under this Stewardship the car was professionally prepared for the 2016 peking to Paris rally but the owners plans changed and the car went to Oz instead.

i caught up with this owner couple years after dad died and shared with him the history and documents i had from dads effects.

a few months ago he contacted me to offer me first refusal.

after much soul searching, family discussions and searching down the back of the sofa for spare money it was a possibility.

 

the deal has very recently been done and it’s now down to the shippers.

whilst over the decades since dad had the car in its rawest form it has had some gentrification but the car is essentially the same. 

Hopefully there will be more on this as time moves on. But until it land here I won’t be sharing too many details - superstitious - yup just a little.

 

Edited April 22, 2025 by Hamish

[Bfg]

Excellent ! 

[TorontoTim]

Great story and great news for you, Hamish. I look forward to more photos...

[TR NIALL]

Christmas came early,Enjoy.

[John Morrison]

Pleased for you Hamish.

John.

[RogerH]

You must be so chuffed. Wonderful

 

Roger

[Rod1883]

What a great story and result. Looking forward to seeing more when the car has safely landed.

[BRENDA1]

That’s great news Hamish, looks like someone is going to have a bigger garage.

Mike Redrose Group 

[4Mal]

Wonderful news Hamish.

 

Mal

[Tony_C]

Very special!

[Misfit]

Pleased for you Hamish, to have that opportunity to purchase something from the past that had given you and your father much pleasure.  It’s clear from your post you had a close and meaningful relation ship with your father. That’s something to cherish and the car that’s just the cherry on the cake. Good for you Hamish. 
Best wishes to you and yours, have a merry  Christmas and happy New year where you will make new memories in your recent purchase 

Derek H

[stuart]

Looks like thats going to be fun then Hamish. what series would you run it in?

Stuart.

[brian -r]

Brilliant Hamish ,so good when a cherished car returns to its family. Hope all goes well with the shipping.

Who could have a better Christmas present . Have a long and enjoyable ownership.

Bri

[Hamish]

Thanks for all the kind words of support. 
it’s a big step for me.

And getting a car 20 odd years older than the tr is not a typical trajectory- I should be getting a mk2 escort or a cosworth sierra !!

1 hour ago, stuart said:

Looks like thats going to be fun then Hamish. what series would you run it in?

Stuart.

 

it wont be a campaign car as such. But hopefully VSCC will allow me to enter it at a few venues where dad had success and fun like Shelsley etc

The guy I’m getting it from had it de-tuned for trans continental rallying to cope with Mongolian fuel. 
I’ll see what it’s like  before deciding to revert to better state of tune and what’s involved ??!!

[stillp]

Well done Hamish!

Pete

[iain]

Congratulations Hamish, brilliant that you have managed to make this dream come true.

Iain

[cp25616]

The opportunity presented itself and you took it, well done Hamish. The memories will flood back even more now.

Alan G

[Dave McDonald]

Well done Hamish. The car looks wonderful. Enjoy it, whatever you do eventually, touring or competing. 
Dave McD

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

On 12/21/2024 at 1:34 PM, Hamish said:

Thanks for all the kind words of support. 
it’s a big step for me.

And getting a car 20 odd years older than the tr is not a typical trajectory- I should be getting a mk2 escort or a cosworth sierra !!

 

it wont be a campaign car as such. But hopefully VSCC will allow me to enter it at a few venues where dad had success and fun like Shelsley etc

The guy I’m getting it from had it de-tuned for trans continental rallying to cope with Mongolian fuel. 
I’ll see what it’s like  before deciding to revert to better state of tune and what’s involved ??!!

Remove the extra head gaskets?

[Hamish]

38 minutes ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said:

Remove the extra head gaskets?

That’s a strong possibility and a bit of timing and carb rejetting ?!

which could be an ok job ?!

[oxf2]

What a great story, getting it back in the family and all. Well done Hamish

[Hamish]

Thanks again guys. Your support helps me a lot - that it’s not a “complete” folly. 

on the high seas middle next month I think. 

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

Hamish and I have discussed this.

Edited December 23, 2024 by BlueTR3A-5EKT

[Hamish]

as discussed and agreed  

Edited December 23, 2024 by Hamish

[greasemonkey]

Quite an achievement Hamish, after all these years. Well done. Look forward to seeing you out in the car.

I saw your Dad in the car at the Itala Trophy meeting at Silverstone in April 1978. VSCC ran two Silverstone meetings in those days with a huge variety of cars compared to their meetings these days.

Unfortunately I'm not saying this from memory  - I just checked the programme!!

all the best

Phil.