James Garner Race Manx

CairoManx · Post by **CairoManx** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:40 pm

This was a Porsche powered racing Manx that Garner drove in one of the early Las Vegas races.

mel hubbard · Post by **mel hubbard** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:26 pm

Known to us Limies as Jim Rockford

Some real cool stuff went on back in 60s USA,,, wish I had been there :driving:

ex FV · Post by **ex FV** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 3:23 am

Thanks for posting these Garner photos, CairoManx! I'd love to have a way-back machine to be there too. Boy, is it me or does Garner's race Manx look like an early version of Bruce's Baja Manxter, especially with the curved (single) center bar running front to rear and the side panels at the roll bar? Was the fiberglass yellow too??! Great fun. John

CairoManx · Post by **CairoManx** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 5:17 am

[QUOTE="ex FV"]Boy, is it me or does Garner's race Manx look like an early version of Bruce's Baja Manxter, especially with the curved (single) center bar running front to rear and the side panels at the roll bar? Was the fiberglass yellow too??! Great fun. John[/QUOTE] I hadn't noticed the resemblance but now that you mention it, I see what you mean. The curved hood may be a totally custom piece but it looks like they may have borrowed it off a 356 Porsche. The raised back seat tonneau cover is definitely custom. The trimmed front end make the fender arches look higher. I think the windshield is flat, but it has lower corner clear vision widows below the frame. The owner/sponsor of the car was Donna Crean. She and her husband John were the founder/owners of Fleetwood RV. They set an early 4-wheeler record , driving the length of Baja in a Meyers Manx. Their run gave Bruce the idea to to go for the absolute record. Southern California is still like no other place, but in the 60s it was pretty much motorhead heaven.

fubar · Post by **fubar** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 3:37 pm

Whenever I end up in a rental car I try to practice doing "Rockfords". That is where you go full speed in reverse, crank the wheels, lock up the brakes, do a 180 skid turn, slam the transmission back into forward gear, and end up going the opposite direction with the tires spinning. A mustang lx had the best results on dry pavement. Another good reason never to buy a rental car turn in.

ManxRob · Post by **ManxRob** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:50 pm

I have an old Manx body with some heavy nose damage, but great uncut back for anybody wanting to do a reproduction racer.

Here is thesamba add: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=354124 I love the look of those sidepod gastanks! I doubt they are fuel cell safety tanks.

mel hubbard · Post by **mel hubbard** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:15 pm

[QUOTE="fubar"]Whenever I end up in a rental car I try to practice doing "Rockfords". That is where you go full speed in reverse, crank the wheels, lock up the brakes, do a 180 skid turn, slam the transmission back into forward gear, and end up going the opposite direction with the tires spinning..[/QUOTE] Is this why Hertz stopped the rent a racer Mustangs??

Its funny how we all seem to suffer from '' anvil foot '' in rental cars,,, I must try the ''Rockfords'' next time I rent one,,, sounds like fun :driving:

mel hubbard · Post by **mel hubbard** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:49 pm

[QUOTE="manxrob"]I have an old Manx body with some heavy nose damage, but great uncut back for anybody wanting to do a reproduction racer. [/QUOTE] Sounds like a bargain ,,, wish I could beam it across the pond,, Im OK getting shipping from Stanton CA,,, but WA

maybe all the shipping & delivery cost would kill it

Funny thing,,, back in 97 on my first USA Manx club Baja trip,,, I wanted to own a Meyers Manx so much that I concidered cutting one up (the body & hood) in bits (that was for sale near Petes Camp) and bringing it back to UK as hand luggage,,, I worked it out that my nephew & myself could have got it back to UK if we both ditched all our other stuff like clothes etc,,,, My nephew Brett thought I had gone nuts,,, but you know how it gets,, when you want something real bad

What a great jig-saw puzzle that would have made, bonding it all back together,,, makes your one sound a breeze Rob :rock:

buggypete · Post by **buggypete** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:14 pm

i once did a spectacular reverse spin turn,in a mini.didnt quite go correctly as i had a bigger tyre on one side.as the car spun round the big tyre gripped and flipped the mini a full 360 landing on the passenger side.i casually climbed out the window.flipped the car back on its wheels,checked that the battery was ok and drove off.my mate was whatching was in histerics.and the mini drove perfect for a further year.

fubar · Post by **fubar** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 3:07 am

Wow, if your friend only had a video camera with him.. Somone was telling me that the rental companies are starting to download the info from the "flight recorders" most modern vehicles have built into them now. That would be funny......"Why were you going 45 mph in reverse for a half an hour sir?"

mel hubbard · Post by **mel hubbard** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 6:46 pm

[QUOTE="fubar"]"Why were you going 45 mph in reverse for a half an hour sir?"[/QUOTE] Im very sorry bout that,,, I thought the R on the shifter stood for ''Rockfords''

Hey Pete,, you cant mix 145/R/10s with 31/10X15s

I never knew they made those old Minis in diesels anyway