RIP Ron Harris

[v8ian]

Sad to announce that Engine builder and racer Ron Harris died early this morning, He had been suffering from cancer for a while.

He has been a formative part many of us and our hobby and certainly got me into drag racing, RIP RON, your legend will live for a long time

[keithyboy]

I saw that on facebook earlier. Harris is still a stand-out name from my days reading Street Machine way before I even left school.

[Rob M]

Mar 19, 2016 15:29:37 GMT keithyboy said:

I saw that on facebook earlier. Harris is still a stand-out name from my days reading Street Machine way before I even left school.

That's where I remember his MK2 Zodiacs.
Stylish, stateside V8 power, and even to this day,they became the ultimate in the kind of modified car I dreamed of owning.

[fordperv]

What a legend, what more can I say

RIP Ron

[shampooefficient]

Legend is the only word. Hope his slice of the next world has a workshop!

[accord83]

He will build one if it doesn't, reading about his Mk1 Zephyr was part of my youth.

[v8ian]

I have known Ron and all the family since I was about 19/20, so that makes it nearly 40 years now, a big influence on my automotive life, I even bought my first Mk1 from Andy as a Stocker, He is going to be missed by me, RIP old mate.

[moggyman]

RIP to a petrolhead legend.

Wasn't he related to British Rock'n'Roll singer Wee Willie Harris ( of 'Rockin' at the 2Is' fame}?

[hamps]

Absolute legend :"( RIP

[lincolndanny]

RIP to the Con Rod Father. Gutting to hear.

[escortmad79]

Was gutted to see that this morning. The old Ford scene has lost a major contributor. Ron (& now Jeff & James) could get mental power from a Pinto that other engine builders could only dream of!

Ron was a much respected man & seeing the amount of tributes on Facebook from folk all around the world just shows how highly regarded & respected he was. The word legend is often overused but for Ron it is fitting & well deserved.

R.I.P to the man, the legend, Ron Harris aka the Conrod Father

[v8ian]

Just found this pic of RAC130, Rons old Mk1, andys car next to it, and in the background is Ron and Andy

[NinjaScout]

R.I.P

[roymck]

Ron I'm going to miss you mate . Remember when we first met when you went past my place of work in your Rover powered Mk2 Zodiac taking your kids to school so must be 43 years ago.

Moggyman , the Wee Willie Harris connection is that he is my father .

Roy

[moggyman]

Mar 30, 2016 8:03:24 GMT roymck said:

Ron I'm going to miss you mate . Remember when we first met when you went past my place of work in your Rover powered Mk2 Zodiac taking your kids to school so must be 43 years ago.

Moggyman , the Wee Willie Harris connection is that he is my father .

Roy

You must the only one on here who has a relative mentioned in an Ian Dury song!

[av8enger]

i am very sad to hear this.

i once owned rons personal anglia rmx 92f it was a one owner car with 33k miles on it it was mint it had a 1650 pre crossflow 711m engine in it the previous owner to me put 2000 miles on it in ten years as soon as we got it i drove it and hard,it went really well but the inevitable happened and it started burning oil so i rang ron and he said na I'm retired not interested so i told him the reg and he instantly said yep send the engine over i will rebuild it,i lived in ireland then,so had it trucked to him and true to his word he rebuilt it to better than he originally did on one proviso that i collect it in person and bring photos of the car.

we got the ferry at 10pm friday night in rosslare a 2 hour drive from home,drove direct to london from pembrooke and found rons house,it was to early something like 5am so found kind of industrial estate not far from him got two sausage sandwiches and tea and slept for couple of hours in the van,knocked on rons door not hard to find it had a fordson truck outside in the garden,he brought us in more tea demanded to see the photos and then proceeded to show us photos of all his cars,really lovely man we loaded up the engine and had laugh and more tea and then turned around and drove straight back to boat and home,shattered.but with a lovely little engine in the back.

[little feat]

S'funny , I'm 60 and since I was a teenager I've had an undying affection for the Harris Bros green and beige Mk1 Zodiac since It was featured in my monthly fix of Hot Car or Custom Car magazine. I've regularly thought of that car .
To me ,it was a perfect combination of understated beauty and disguised power , the perfect street sleeper.
I never met the man but admired his work from afar...
Sad to hear of his passing , RIP.
i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg233/Boyzee_photo/img124.jpg

[mk2polobloke]

The man was a absolute legend.
RIP big Ron.
Does any one know where and when the funeral is?

[SmokeEm]

Apr 1, 2016 19:16:52 GMT mk2polobloke said:

The man was a absolute legend.
RIP big Ron.
Does any one know where and when the funeral is?

Final dates not yet confirmed but will be mid-late April.

I am sure you can imagine, this will take some planning as I would think there will be 100's of petrolheads in their old fords to accomodate.

RIP Ron. Nuff said.  

[fordperv]

The sound of crossflows and pintos will no doubt be heard for miles around