79 repco round Aust Rally VB 1 2 3 what model and colours

[PJ4650]

Does anyone have any pics or info on the exact model vb Brocky drove in this round australia rally in 1979 car colours etc ive seen a couple pics on the net was it a 78 vb or an early 79 commodore or sl/e ,

I was ten years old and Brocky drove past me on his way to the Royal melbourne showgrounds finish line hence the reason i like VB commodores

I lived next to showgrounds at that age
and that race was the focal point of 1979 in a lot of kids lives at that stage .

. anyone else of similiar vintage remember this great race with nightly news updates and where they were on channel 7 and break downs it was great cheers PJ

[Snoz]

Hi
I know a bit about the cars you speak of.
The car that Brock drove is in a museum in Adelaide I think. The second car Driven by Wayne Bell and Barry Ferguson was rallied for many years after the event and had a V8 in it for a while. It then sat around for over 10 years in a backyard in Sydney untill found by Barry and his son about 2 years ago and has been completely rebuilt to original specs.
The 3rd car driven by Altonen and Shekha Mehta was detroyed many years ago in a big accident.

Barry is currently competing in his car somewhere in Vic or SA at the moment as it is 30 years since the event and the Historic rally association are having a rerun of the event. It is not a serious competiitve event this time though and only runs for a few days.
Check it out on Historic Rally Association (I think)

[Snoz]

Oh by the way the car the Brock drove featured in Austalian muscle car magazine a while ago.
It is still exactly as it finished the event. It hasn't even been cleaned! It is dirty, dented, scratched and generally bashed around.

[PJ4650]

Thanks snoz I must look for that edition thanks keep on rallying man have a mate rallies a 4 door gem he loves it cheers

[PJ4650]

Anyone know where I can get a hold of some gaurd rollers / flarer

[Snoz]

I made another post but it seems to have been lost somewhere?

I know Barry Ferguson who was one of the drivers of the car that finished 2nd in that event. He found his car in a backyard in Sydney about 2 years ago and has completely rebuilt it.
He ran it in a rally that went from Alice springs to the Gold caost last year and is at the moment driving it around Vic or SA somewhere in a 30th aniversary rerun of the 79 event.
This is not a competitve event his time though.
The cars were put together using the best bits available at the time. All production stuff, so they wern't an SLE or whatever. They ran an engine that was basically an XU1 spec engine M21 gearbox and V8 diff with a detroit locker.

[PJ4650]

yes I read about that alice springs to gold coast last year online and Barry was mentioned

[PJ4650]

so they were a factory six with XU1 spec (god Bless Harry Firth)

[PJ4650]

Oh i have half a XU1 motor hahahaha 202 stroked minus cams and strommys but i do have a lumpy cam in shed from a torana somewhere

[Reaper]

The car was a bitsa Started out as a base model Commodore but had many little upgrades and changes - particularly mechanically. The motor was a XU-1 spec 6 banger. The thought was less weight over the front end would save the chassis. There were a ton of interior mods and long range fuel tanks etc fitted. Chevron have a DVD on the rally.

Reaper

[Reaper]

so they were a factory six with XU1 spec (god Bless Harry Firth)

Harry Firth had nothing to do with the 79 rally although he did develop the XU-1. He retired from HDT at the end of 77 in frustration and disgust. George Sheppard ran the rally team. PB drove against the wishes of John Sheppard (no relation to George) who was the HDT boss at the time.

[PJ4650]

the Harry Firth Refference was to the XU1 spec motor I must see if i can find a copy of the dvd thanks Reaper he who Knows all