Classic Cars in Rhodesia

Modified for racing by Fred Punter (BSAP). uprated front suspension with antiroll bars, uprated front brakes by substituting Austin A40 drums and progressive linings. Skimmed head to raise compression ratio, competition valves with double springs, competition cam shaft, polished ports, polished head chambers, banana bunch exhaust, retained 1.125inch twin SUs but removed pancake air filters, fitted custom made stainless steel plenum chamber with forced air feed, modified silencer and tuned on dynamometer (rolling road) at Eric Glasby's garage, competition 9 spring clutch, quite a bit of body lightening, removing windscreen and susbstituting small aero screen. Ate up half shafts, with the increased power, competition clutch and gearbox, the back axle could not take the strain and the outer ends of the half shafts twisted off, leaving Fred standing at thestarting line, engine revving (rather embarassing). With codriver Peter Huson (BSAP),they won the Sports Car Class in the Rhodesian 6 hour race at Marlborough. Also raced in the 1963 Rhodesian GP at Kumalo, Bulawayo. Sold in 1965 to a dealer in Bulawayo, to help finance the purchase of a new Fiat 1500 which Fred took deliveryof in Rome and did 15,000 miles in it before crossing into Rhodesia at Biet Bridge,having brought it out on a Union Castle boat to Cape Town. Acquired by Peter Huson who resprayed it light blue. Sold on and believed purchased by a schoolteacher who took it to Australia. The standard car's manufacturers top speed was 82.5mph, Fred managed to get over 105mph with the same engine but racing camshaft. racing

gearbox, oil cooler. Fred worked and polished the combustion chambers and the inlet and exhaust ports, fitted a three branch exhaust manifold, had the head skimmed to raise the compression ratio to 10 to 1. Once broke the main leaf in one of the rear quarter eliptical springs due to axle tramp. At the Marlborough track he was faster than MGA's with 1600cc engines and a twin cam Triumph Spitfire plus several specials. Back on the road on an pleasant afternoon drive out to Matopos or Essexvale it would do well over 45 miles per gallon. It never needed the fan blades, which were taken off to save horse power at speed but the fan belt was still needed because this drove the water pump and the generator (no alternators in those days). [BSAP = British South Africa Police the Rhodesia Police Force]