scholar96
Part of things
old but enthusiastic
Posts: 17
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Jan 30, 2011 16:10:18 GMT
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Its been some 15 years that I have been trying to restore this very rare car, it was originally built in 1962 by John Anstice brown for racing, the picture below shows the car at (we think) Goodwood in 1963.  It was raced extensively in the early 1960's by John. After many years working on customer cars of all types I am working towards getting the car on 4 wheels, once complete we are aiming towards running the car in historic sports and GT races. We have an extensive history file for this car including the original factory order and all its race results for 1963, '64, and '65. What would really complete our race history would be proof that a Rochdale Olympic raced internationally in period. Its a bit of a vain hope but maybe someone out there can help. |
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1962 Rochdale Olympic lightweight
1961 Rochdale Olympic
1978 Rochdale Olympic
1967 Unipower GT
1934 Austin Seven special
1960 Triumph 500 engined formula 3 single seater
pre 1974 750 formula car
Scholar 983 750 formula car
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Jan 30, 2011 16:24:14 GMT
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You might try the Mini Marcos OC forum too - don't ask me why, but they historically have ties with the Rochdale owners.
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'83 GTM Coupe. 4A-GE Powered
'00 GTM Libra Auto. Ick.
'71 Detomaso Pantera. Current Resto
'89 GMC Safari Tow/Kip bus
'05 SAAB 9-3 Daily
'71 Siva Moonbug. Not even contemplating resto yet.
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Jan 30, 2011 17:52:20 GMT
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Now this is a great mission, lets see if we can get this information together. For those that want to see some lovely Rochdales and other restorations scholar96's website is here : scholar-racing96.com |
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Jan 30, 2011 17:59:11 GMT
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That's a very interesting restoration! Good luck with your quest for more information. Off to check out the restoration pics now.  *Edit* I notice you did the work on Alolympic's K-Series Olympic - fantastic work, it's one of my favourite cars on RR! |
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Last Edit: Jan 30, 2011 18:01:29 GMT by BenzBoy
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v8ian
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,768
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Jan 30, 2011 18:24:53 GMT
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Atmo V8 Power . No slicks , No gas + No bits missing . Doing it in style.
Austin A35van, very different------- but still doing it in style, going to be a funmoble
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scholar96
Part of things
old but enthusiastic
Posts: 17
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Jan 30, 2011 18:41:55 GMT
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Many thanks for the information guys. We have a thread going on ten tenths about international racing history of Olympics, and we have restored several Mini Marcos's in the past.
We have been lead to believe that an Olympic lightweight raced in Belgium for some time in the early 1960's, any reference to that car would be helpful as most racing in Belgium happened under international permits.
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1962 Rochdale Olympic lightweight
1961 Rochdale Olympic
1978 Rochdale Olympic
1967 Unipower GT
1934 Austin Seven special
1960 Triumph 500 engined formula 3 single seater
pre 1974 750 formula car
Scholar 983 750 formula car
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v8ian
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,768
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Jan 30, 2011 19:00:19 GMT
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I really wanted a twink powered Olympic, I found a restorable one at a show for sale about 25 years ago, I could not get my fat  in the thing and be able to sit in the car, I was Soooo disapointed |
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Atmo V8 Power . No slicks , No gas + No bits missing . Doing it in style.
Austin A35van, very different------- but still doing it in style, going to be a funmoble
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scholar96
Part of things
old but enthusiastic
Posts: 17
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I managed to get a little work done on the lightweigh this weekend. we are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel now. I guess this is a good point to show some pictures of the restoration, the pictures below are of the car shortly after I found it.   At this point I had removed all the suspension ready to restore it, the body is almost ready to strip all the old paint off so that we can see what sort of shape the shell is in. The colour of the car is the same as when we restored it for a customer in 1979. I finally acquired this car in 1996 having helped with its rebuild in the late 1970's, when the then owner sold the car I wasn't in a position to buy it and temporarily lost track of it. In 1996 a good friend of mine spotted and advert for a car with an interesting history, when I rang about it I was told it was in a horrible shade of yellow. At this point I was fairly sure that it was 'that car' so I arranged to go down to view it and subsequently returned with the car on a trailer. The interesting shade of yellow is the same colour as one of my other Olympics and is Ford Signal yellow.  After many years of trying to fit the restoration of my own car into the customer work schedule I have finally managed to repair and paint the shell. I wanted to be as sympathetic as possible with this restoration, and whilst striving to return the car to its original specification I didn't want to over restore it, to this end I have repaired the shell without loosing its history that is the patina which the car acquired during its (not very long) racing history is still evident. More pictures to follow, I just need to work out how to upload smaller images. |
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1962 Rochdale Olympic lightweight
1961 Rochdale Olympic
1978 Rochdale Olympic
1967 Unipower GT
1934 Austin Seven special
1960 Triumph 500 engined formula 3 single seater
pre 1974 750 formula car
Scholar 983 750 formula car
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scholar96
Part of things
old but enthusiastic
Posts: 17
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Perseverance pays off. Below is a picture of the lightweight in primer awaiting a space in the paint shop. You can see another 3 Olympics in the background.  More pictures to follow. |
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1962 Rochdale Olympic lightweight
1961 Rochdale Olympic
1978 Rochdale Olympic
1967 Unipower GT
1934 Austin Seven special
1960 Triumph 500 engined formula 3 single seater
pre 1974 750 formula car
Scholar 983 750 formula car
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I'm sure that rochdale was in a garden near my house for years price was £150 , did you find this in manchester ?
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scholar96
Part of things
old but enthusiastic
Posts: 17
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No, it went to wales, then on to Birmingham where I bought it from, and it was a lot more than £150.
I did deliver one to Manchester about 10 years ago for rebuild the reg was TCV 666 I think, that one was Yellow as well, but it was a phase 2.
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1962 Rochdale Olympic lightweight
1961 Rochdale Olympic
1978 Rochdale Olympic
1967 Unipower GT
1934 Austin Seven special
1960 Triumph 500 engined formula 3 single seater
pre 1974 750 formula car
Scholar 983 750 formula car
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I have a very good motorsport library at work and will take a look tomorrow lunchtime and see what I can find, providing I remember and don't have too much actual work get in the way!
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scholar96
Part of things
old but enthusiastic
Posts: 17
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Many thanks, any information on the international race history of Rochdale Olympics will help our cause no end. I have to admit I am getting a little exited (sad) about being able to see the finish line for this rebuild.   As they say a picture is worth a thousand words (and I don't read very well anyway) so the above photos show the lightweight finally in our paint shop newly painted. The ones below are the car now on wheels prior to final build up.    The original engine for the car has long since gone but was a 998cc Cosworth formula junior motor based on the Ford pre crossflow, and a Hewland 5 speed gearbox again based on the Ford 4 speed but with a Hewland gear set internals. We help run a Brabham BT28 formula 3 car which uses a 1000cc Ford screamer engine, so we have the contacts to have a new engine built 'at a cost' and I have located a Hewland in the USA. For now I have fitted a 105E 1500cc pre crossflow and 4 speed box as a cooking motor so that we can give the thing a shake down when finished, and swap engines once we are satisfied with the end result. |
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1962 Rochdale Olympic lightweight
1961 Rochdale Olympic
1978 Rochdale Olympic
1967 Unipower GT
1934 Austin Seven special
1960 Triumph 500 engined formula 3 single seater
pre 1974 750 formula car
Scholar 983 750 formula car
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Thats realy smart.. Good choice of colour too . Realy shows the curves of the body |
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I've just spent the last half hour or so having a dig. Plentgy of Fairthorpes, Divas, Marcos, unipowers etc, but no luck so far. For the Belgian stuff I have several very good books by the RACB but the only definitive lists I have are for the 24 Hours. there were certainly plenty of longer races for small sports cars. What i can be sure of is that one didn't take the start on the monte, Nuburgring 1000kms, Targa Florio or Mille Miglia. I was searching from 1953 - 1970 with the entry lists. If we can narrow the years down some more I have Motorsport, Automobile Year and Autocourse from 1950, so there may be something in one of the reporst therein.
I take it that you've spoken with Malcolm McKay? He prepped one for historic rallying a few years ago and presumable had to proved some form of provenance? If you need an email address for him, PM me.
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scholar96
Part of things
old but enthusiastic
Posts: 17
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Feb 13, 2011 14:08:00 GMT
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Bl***y doors, I have just spent no less that two days fitting the doors onto the lightweight. Olympic doors are renowned for being difficult to do but the drivers door on my one has just about drained my patience. I am dry fitting the doors onto the car before we remove them and finish paint, they can then be fitted permanently. Because they are being dry fitted I haven't done any work on them as such and during the fitting process the drivers door decided to fall off completely. This was as a result of a previous repair which just wasn't up to the job. The resultant damage has now been repaired 'properly' and finally I have two doors on my wagon.  The drivers door just pulled the bolts and washers trough the poor repair leaving me with this  No option but to do the repair properly  Yes I know this is the other side but at least it has a door. |
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1962 Rochdale Olympic lightweight
1961 Rochdale Olympic
1978 Rochdale Olympic
1967 Unipower GT
1934 Austin Seven special
1960 Triumph 500 engined formula 3 single seater
pre 1974 750 formula car
Scholar 983 750 formula car
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Feb 13, 2011 15:20:37 GMT
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Interesting thread... Mainly because I'm on the wirral myself and like the idea that all this is happening on this often dull peninsula:)
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Mar 25, 2011 15:07:24 GMT
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hi Scholar, nice to meet you, My Olympic last week-end on track :  |
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Calex from France
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,855
Club RR Member Number: 174
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Mar 25, 2011 16:05:07 GMT
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hi Scholar, nice to meet you, My Olympic last week-end on track : Are those wheels made by Speedline? They're exactly the same as the S1 Lotus Esprit wheels, but smaller. Matt |
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Mar 25, 2011 19:38:24 GMT
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There are Cosmic, you can find it on Ginetta G15.  |
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Last Edit: Mar 25, 2011 19:40:05 GMT by calexfr
Calex from France
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