Toyota's at Muscle Car Masters

[Squalled]

Hey All,

Going through some old photo's on my hard drive and found quite a few of the old Group C and Group A Toyota's I've seen over the years at Muscle Car Masters. My Dad and I have attended most years since 2008 and a much younger me took some half decent photo's of Toyota's.

From 2013 to start off.

The Chickadee Toyota Celica of Graeme Bailey and Steve Land, 1982. It was the former Peter Williamson Celica that held the first Racecam.

The Corolla Sprinters of Ray Cutchie and John Faulkner and Drew Price and John Faulkner

And only managed to get one from 2016, the Peter Williamson Celica. I re-call this year was quite scarce of cars overall with very small fields.

Hope this is a nice throwback for you all to see of better times going to events. Feel free to add any Toyota's at Muscle Car Masters.

Cheers!

Edited October 21, 2020 by Squalled

[Squalled]

Seems the new Forum update isn't allowing the photo's to be embeded in the post. Hang tight!

[KAA]

Thanks for the effort Squalled, would be awesome to have the memories back again..Hope the new set up is sorted to allow the pic's

KAA

[Squalled]

Success! Should've tried this yesterday (using direct links).

 

[KAA]

Thanks for the efforts to get these awesome memories showing mate..Brought back so many memories watching tose beasts running around and giving us so much entertainment

Keep Safe

KAA

[Tony Prodigy]

Nice pics. Brings back memories of that era. I recall the Alan Grice Commodore from the same period with that chickadee livery on it.

Remember when Bathurst was called the Tooheys 1000 ? Supercheap have ended their partnership after this year and wondering who gets it after them I wonder..

[campbeam]

2 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Supercheap have ended their partnership after this year and wondering who gets it after them I wonder..

Appreciate the pics. A bygone era with all that working space in the engine bays.

Repco have got the naming rights back for 2021. Always will be the Bathurst 1000 whoever the main sponsor is.

Maybe SuperCheap can put that saved sponsorship money back into some great deals to help pry open my wallet in 2021.

[Tony Prodigy]

6 hours ago, campbeam said:

Maybe SuperCheap can put that saved sponsorship money back into some great deals to help pry open my wallet in 2021.

Haha. Nice one Ash 😜 I'd love to see a 50% off sale on everything !!

[Squalled]

14 hours ago, KAA said:

Thanks for the efforts to get these awesome memories showing mate..Brought back so many memories watching tose beasts running around and giving us so much entertainment

Keep Safe

KAA

No worries KAA. Sadly it's an era I completely missed and only ever get to see re-runs and historic racing events these days.

12 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Nice pics. Brings back memories of that era. I recall the Alan Grice Commodore from the same period with that chickadee livery on it.

Remember when Bathurst was called the Tooheys 1000 ? Supercheap have ended their partnership after this year and wondering who gets it after them I wonder..

Yeap, Graeme Bailey ran it with Allan Grice as his co-driver in 1986. Ironically, that's when the minimum co-driver lap rule came in as Graeme only complete roughly 20 laps or so. It's a great looking car that Commodore, recently got one in 1:43 scale for my collection. Yeap, was after the James Hardie era and I have say those Toohey's trophies were pretty nice.

9 hours ago, campbeam said:

Appreciate the pics. A bygone era with all that working space in the engine bays.

Repco have got the naming rights back for 2021. Always will be the Bathurst 1000 whoever the main sponsor is.

Maybe SuperCheap can put that saved sponsorship money back into some great deals to help pry open my wallet in 2021.

I'll say, now it's all carbon fiber airboxes covering everything. Really missed out on how pure Group C and Group A were in their day. The cars are honestly show pieces to me these days.

I do love the Supercheap promotions during the 1000 with their fake press conference. Absolute gold!

[campbeam]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPa3UhulSBQ

9 minutes ago, Squalled said:

Really missed out on how pure Group C and Group A were in their day. The cars are honestly show pieces to me these days.

Your comment reminded me of the adage : Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday

Gone are the days when manufacturers had to make 500 vehicles with homologated engines available to the public to qualify for use in Bathurst. 

Peter Williamson certainly waved the flag for Toyota. Still remember how competitive his celica was across skyline only being overpowered in conrod straight by the big V8s. 

Taking the axe to the boot so they could refuel is a classic memory plus dash cam and his commentary while driving during the race.

 

 

[Squalled]

15 minutes ago, campbeam said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPa3UhulSBQ

Your comment reminded me of the adage : Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday

Gone are the days when manufacturers had to make 500 vehicles with homologated engines available to the public to qualify for use in Bathurst. 

Peter Williamson certainly waved the flag for Toyota. Still remember how competitive his celica was across skyline only being overpowered in conrod straight by the big V8s. 

Taking the axe to the boot so they could refuel is a classic memory plus dash cam and his commentary while driving during the race.

 

 

A comment that sadly hasn't applied since Ford and Holden closed the locally made car chapter a few years ago. And I believe it, especially during the 60s, 70s and 80s. It's a different ball game now, I feel aero has ruined the sport and the new Gen 3 "Supercars" may potentially be great, with less aero and hopefully more manufacturers joining to make it a lot more interesting than it is now.

Peter could certainly steer his Celica's around Bathurst that's for sure. The ground he made on the V8s along the top was something else, something that the E30 M3s did in the Group A years to the turbo's and V8's across the top.

And the ever so famous axe incident. Just everything about that video makes me wish I could live in those moments. Production car, lack of safety equipment in the pit, pit crew in casual clothes etc. It was an awesome period in Australia.

Annnnd just found another Toyota I missed, Des Wall's Supra (I believe it's a Sports Sedan)

13 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Nice pics. Brings back memories of that era. I recall the Alan Grice Commodore from the same period with that chickadee livery on it.

Remember when Bathurst was called the Tooheys 1000 ? Supercheap have ended their partnership after this year and wondering who gets it after them I wonder..

Speaking of the Chickadee Commodore, here it is in 2013 the same year as I took the Celica.

I believe Graeme Bailey still owns this car today from 1986!

[Tony Prodigy]

55 minutes ago, Squalled said:

Your comment reminded me of the adage : Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday

 

55 minutes ago, Squalled said:

A comment that sadly hasn't applied since Ford and Holden closed the locally made car chapter a few years ago. And I believe it, especially during the 60s, 70s and 80s. It's a different ball game now, I feel aero has ruined the sport and the new Gen 3 "Supercars" may potentially be great, with less aero and hopefully more manufacturers joining to make it a lot more interesting than it is now.

100% true. The cars that raced around were practically road going cars with some modifications to enable them to go the distance of a brutal 1000 kay race. The 60's and 70's cars were practically stock to some degree but as the 80's rolled on the mods that were allowed made the sport very interesting. Then when Supercars began and touring cars ended, we saw a very different kind of racing again. Track cars had little in common with the road going variants except body panels and the skeletal remains of a dash board. Jump to the modern era and it's completely chalk and cheese. The win on Sunday, buy on Monday has well and truly gone out the window.

1 hour ago, Squalled said:

I believe Graeme Bailey still owns this car today from 1986!

Wow ! Good forethought to hang onto it. It would be worth a fortune today !!

It would be great to see it again. Gricey was a great driver.

[campbeam]

4 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

The cars that raced around were practically road going cars with some modifications to enable them to go the distance of a brutal 1000 kay race. The 60's and 70's cars were practically stock to some degree but as the 80's rolled on the mods that were allowed made the sport very interesting.

Those were the days with the rise of the touring car on the track and muscle cars on the public roads. Potentially anyone could take a stock car and with enough money for modifications turn it into a race ready car. Remember that garage mechanic named ***** Johnson leading the Big Race, the rock, the public support then back next year to win. 

If you want to take a trip down memory lane and see how much things have changed have a look at this video. Certainly a bygone era. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOQd1vT794s 

 

  

[Tony Prodigy]

45 minutes ago, campbeam said:

Those were the days with the rise of the touring car on the track and muscle cars on the public roads. Potentially anyone could take a stock car and with enough money for modifications turn it into a race ready car.

So true. The Analogue days. When you can fix a car with a spanner and screwdriver 😄

45 minutes ago, campbeam said:

Remember that garage mechanic named ***** Johnson leading the Big Race, the rock, the public support then back next year to win. 

I was 10 years old and still remember that day when my brother and I watched Tricky Dicky go around in that beast XD Falcon. We were devastated when he crashed as we were both ***** Johnson Fans being Ford guys. It was revealed that a fan threw the rock. What an A**hole.

Haha, The logarithm has censored Dicky's name 😂

Edited October 23, 2020 by Tony Prodigy

[KAA]

I meet a man about 12 years ago now, (as i did free shows for aged care homes singing with Karaoke on the TV screen for the residents to sing along or follow) he drove alongside a young Brock and all the big names of that era..he recalled to me running his cortina across the mountain when they had few walls on the left..now that was the seat of the pants brave days of the mountain..I can't recall his name now have tried but I loved sitting hearing his stories, it has been and always will be the greatest test of drivers and machines..I loved getting up early with my dad to watch the build up and race, he loved fast cars..and drove a early bugatti around silverstone raceway in his youth..I sure miss those days..no matter what name they give it for a sponsor..it will always be the Bathurst 1000..where the mountain does not forgive and always tests 

KAA

[Tony Prodigy]

1 hour ago, KAA said:

I meet a man about 12 years ago now, (as i did free shows for aged care homes singing with Karaoke on the TV screen for the residents to sing along or follow) he drove alongside a young Brock and all the big names of that era..he recalled to me running his cortina across the mountain when they had few walls on the left..now that was the seat of the pants brave days of the mountain..I can't recall his name now have tried but I loved sitting hearing his stories, it has been and always will be the greatest test of drivers and machines..I loved getting up early with my dad to watch the build up and race, he loved fast cars..and drove a early bugatti around silverstone raceway in his youth..I sure miss those days..no matter what name they give it for a sponsor..it will always be the Bathurst 1000..where the mountain does not forgive and always tests 

KAA

Wow Robert. Cool story mate. What an honour it would have been to have sat with this Gentleman and hear all the stories of the day. What a thrill it would've been to have raced in the Glory days of motor racing. Safety was all but a word and there was hardly any safety barriers around the track. Those men were brave, much braver than today's Nanny State crop. There was always a real chance that you could be killed on race day and the law of averages was accepted. It is, of course, unacceptable today because we have learned the lessons from the past and the modern racers are very well protected.

I would also wake up early with my brother and tune into Channel 7 and listen to the iconic voice of Mike Raymond. I remember then the race used to start really early, I think it was around 7am because the cars were slower then and pit stops were painfully slow too. This meant that it took a lot longer to do 1000 kays  

 

[KAA]

Yes Tony that magic voice of Mike raymond..wow memories are flooding back just writing this..the misty Mountain top as that race started some years just added to the magic..yes slower cars, slow 5 nuts per wheel pit stops..watching cars running on fumes down conrod ..then running out as they entered pit lane..crews rushing to the point they could assist the poor damn driver who was pushing with all his might to get the car over the line so the crew could take over..wonderful memories..enjoyed this years race ..as you never know what is coming up..but to sit after a show one year and just hear from the man himself how they prepared, how slow the pit stops felt, what he did to focus each lap after lap, was some special moments for me and a total privilege

Keep safe

KAA