Famous Touring Cars

[motorsportnerd]

Originally Posted by IBrake4Rainbows

From what I gather the only 2 door Volvo made of The 200 Series was the 262C luxury coupe. The Tourers must have just been one-offs?

I know Volvo in New Zealand imported a limited number of two door 242GT Volvos in the early 80s. The two door was certainly available in the 200 series. Volvo had to build 5000 two door 200 series cars fitted with the turbocharged 2.1 litre engine in order to comply with the Group A regulations. All cars were sold in the US. They then "built" 500 evolution specials with wings, bigger intercooler, etc, and its here that things get murky. Apparantly once the FIA had seen proof that 500 evolution 240Ts had been built, Volvo stripped the special equipment off all of them and sold them as standard 240Ts. No one really knows for sure. The links above explain it in detail.
From what I understand, all 5000 standard two door 240 Turbo Volvos were sold in the US market.
The Volvo 240T is one of two cars that raced in European Group A events in the 1980s that was sold only in the USA. The other was the Ford Sierra XR4Ti, as outlined earlier in the thread. Interestingly, it should have been raced as the Mercury Merkur XR4Ti, since that what it was known as in the US, but the FIA allowed a name change to Ford Sierra XR4Ti, since the Merkur was just a rebadged and reengined Sierra anyway. Just the no European market Sierra featured the bodywork of the Sierra XR4i matted with the US Mustang's 2.3 litre turbo engine.

[nota]

Volvo 242GTs were also sold downunder, all were silver IIRC

A virtually stock standard 242GT driven by David Mackay/Spencer Martin (of Scuderia Veloce fame) competed in the 1979 Bathurst 1000. It ran the entire race on one set of Uniroyal street-radial tyres (not slicks) and was fully street-registered - possibly the last car seen to wear numberplates at the Bathurst 1000? Apparently the 242GT recorded around 220kp/h down Conrod but as the only entrant running in series-production trim it was always going to be viewed as a veritable mobile-chicane amongst the other modified cars & V8s. So not the most popular vehicle that year (I was there) but imo interesting nevertheless and it did keep plugging away dependably a-la tortise & hare for a 20th place finish

http://www.nmrm.com.au/fact.cfm?ID_Race=20&

A bit off-topic but I wonder if Patrick/Tuff240 knows that Repco (of F1 fame) once produced a high-performance cylinder head for Volvos. The conversion was available in the later 1960s as a dealer-fitment on brand-new 140s, plus the aftermarket, and gave a dramatic lift to performance

[Peter PaP]

Theres some interesting stuff in this thread.

How could no one mention these i love these cars


Peter Brocks VK ------- Opel Astra Touring Car ------------ Opel Calibra Touring Car

But i dont know very little about them spec and history wise. Does anyone know where i could get information on these cars or pics. I wasnt around when these things were racing and they are my favourite Touring cars. This would be much appreciated.

[ace96]

there was a holden commodore in japans fuji 500 any one have pictures of that car

[blackhonda]

Some photos I took at the old Surfers Paradise Raceway. The date in my photo album shows Jun23 1986 which I hope is correct. I apologise for the poor quality of the photos...best I could do with the equipment I had at the time
#1. Jim Richards JPS BMW 635 CSi, surely the best looking touring car of the era.
#2. Dick Johnson Mustang. Dick is in the background being interviewed by Ch 7 Mike Rayment and possibly a very young Neil Crompton.
#3. Alan Jones Alfa Romeo GTV V6.
#4. Robbie Francevic Volvo 240T. The Mark Petch banner refers to the car owner and entrant.
#5. Peter Williamson Supra. This car was destroyed in a huge accident at Bathurst later in the year. Williamson was injured and never raced again to my knowledge.
#6. Peter Brock.
The last three pictures were taken on race day, just as the cars were entering the ultra-fast Dunlop Bridge corner at the end of the main straight.

[blackhonda]

A picture of the ex-DJR Sierra purchased by Rob Gravett immediately prior to it's departure for the UK on a British Airways flight in 1989. At this time, in the 80s, I was involved in the transport by air of DJRs Mustangs, Sierras and also the B&H Sierras on their trips across the Tasman.

[blackhonda]

Two pictures of Group A cars at Lakeside in either 85 or 86 (I am not sure which, my records are not clear), the first shows Jim Richards JPS BMW leading Dick Johnsons Mustang through the kink, followed by the two MHDT VK Commodores. In the very top of the picture is the Francevic Volvo.
The second picture shows Brock and Francevic.

[henk4]

Great pics, thanks for sharing and welcome to UCP.

[blackhonda]

Cheers, thanks mate. Got a heap more from 85 thru to the end of the Group A era in Oz in 92, including some from Bathurst 87 and of course both Lakeside and Surfers Paradise (the old one, not the current Indycar track). If anyone is chasing anything in particular feel free to ask and if I can help I will.

[henk4]

Originally Posted by blackhonda

Cheers, thanks mate. Got a heap more from 85 thru to the end of the Group A era in Oz in 92, including some from Bathurst 87 and of course both Lakeside and Surfers Paradise (the old one, not the current Indycar track). If anyone is chasing anything in particular feel free to ask and if I can help I will.

I am sure Motorsportnerd will take up that opportunity. Being on the other side of the world my personal interest in the Australian scene is not that well developed, but I am sure you are going to please some real enthusiasts from downunder...

[charged]

Blackhonda great pic, so nice to see more than 2 makes of cars fighting it out for the Touring Car Championship, Is that your car in your avatar, if so what class do you race in?

[blackhonda]

Originally Posted by charged

Blackhonda great pic, so nice to see more than 2 makes of cars fighting it out for the Touring Car Championship, Is that your car in your avatar, if so what class do you race in?

Yep that is mine (actually mine and my brothers). Its an u1600cc Improved Production car here in Qld. Not the fastest by a long shot but a lot of fun and a damn sight cheaper to run than our old Cosworth/Pinto MK2 Escort we used to run . I stepped out of the car at then end of last year due to work/family committments and my bro is steering it this year. It is basically a stock 1600cc block with an Integra Type R head and transaxle. A set of Toda 4-2-1 S/S headers and a Microtech EMS, Prelude front brakes, Integra rears on 15inch wheels. Run in late model regs....not a world beater but a lot of fun as I said.

[charged]

Excellent work mate, I crew for my nephews in IPRA in SA,we run 2 toyota corollas in the O2L class, it a great class.
Are you going to the Nationals at Baskerville this year, we booked our flights but arent running due to $.

Clints car- http://www.iprasa.mx.com.au/cars/c_sharp.htm


Robs car- http://www.iprasa.mx.com.au/cars/r_sharp.htm

[blackhonda]

Originally Posted by charged

Excellent work mate, I crew for my nephews in IPRA in SA,we run 2 toyota corollas in the O2L class, it a great class.
Are you going to the Nationals at Baskerville this year, we booked our flights but arent running due to $.

Clints car- http://www.iprasa.mx.com.au/cars/c_sharp.htm


Robs car- http://www.iprasa.mx.com.au/cars/r_sharp.htm

Mate impressive pieces of machinery...a fair bit quicker than we are...actually a lot!! The "screaming flea" puts out about 145hp at the front wheels at about 8200rpm but it's a bit of a porker at 940kg...it does ok at Morgan Park on the Darling Downs and on the short track at Queensland Raceway..but we cop an absolute flogging on the long track. We don't travel outside of Qld because of budget (and my sister-in-law won't let my bro out of her sight Dunno what she thinks we racing people get up to when we are out of town!!) so no won't be at Baskerville. Not sure who from here going, I think Justin Keys in his RX3 would be a definate starter, it's quick and well driven...but we are having a bit of a thin patch here in the sunshine state this year, grids are down and quite a few front-running cars are for sale and not sure why that is, could be the expense of running at the front.
Best of luck to your nephews anyway (well not too much!!) bring the cars home in one piece

[blackhonda]

The "screaming flea" exiting Turn 3 at Queensland Raceway circa 2004. And apologies for going off topic and being self-indulgent...