Northland 5 window plymouth coupe stockcar (Read 4,561 times)

[texan]

Does anyone know the whereabouts of my Dad (Monty Ramanui's - 88R and then 88M) 5-window plymouth coupe stockcar from the 1970 - 80's.

It was sold to driver from Northland and i heard it was still sitting in a yard up there. We would love to find out what has happened to the ol girl.

Because it was an over-weight wrecking machine... even in those days, (appropriately nicknamed - The Brute), I am certain that the new owner must have trimmed some of the fat off its original hefty chassis in order to meet racing regulations.

If you have any info or dare I say it, "pictures" I would really appreciate some assistance. If I hear from anyone I would really be surprised and especially my spritely old man. Contact details: Mack (me) and Monty (Dad) on [phone] - Cheers

[YankeeClipper10H]

As far as I am aware the car still exists. The last time I saw it 'ol 88 was sitting in a shed out of the weather. Prior to this it sat for many years alongside a riverbank, partially covered with a tarp. The present owner is the same person that bought the car from Monty back in the 80s I think it was. If you supply me with an email address I can send you some photos. I have the warrior shaped fin or roof number that was on the top of the car which Monty gave me back in 1993 - this was during the time that I picked up the number 15R stock car that Bruce Young raced during the 70s from Monty's yard.

[brendonw]

It must be the car that was raced by an old maori boy from Dargaville. His name was Cocky Issac and was number 88 when I last saw it about 20 years ago now. The car like most up there hadn't really been touched and it was faded black chassis and body, still used to go alright though.

[texan]

WOW this internet thing really does work!

I never thought Id be so lucky to recieve news this soon. This car has precious memories for my whole family and on behalf of us all i really appreciate the quick response.

FYI - My email address is [e-mail]

Cheers for all the info and pics guys.

I remember when you picked up 15R. The Trustee old war horse
needed some TLC and glad it went to someone who had the time to dedicate to it. I remember they used it in teams races... is it still in the land of the living?

I will try and google the current owners name in a hope to find a phone number today and have a chat.

Cheers guys.

[rsb344]

Both the Ramanui Cars ended up in the north. Athol still has the 88 car and when we were last talking to him he was saying about getting it going again. The other car ended up in my fathers hands in about 85 86 season. Dad repowered it with a 221 ford six. Unfortunately he had a huge roll in it and ended up with a pretty severe back injury. Last we new it headed south.



This is Athol getting a dont argue in about 1980 from my father.

[texan]

Cool

What is Athol's last name. If you remember id love to track him down and give'm a call to confirm his plans for the car. Maybe a homecoming surprise for my Dad this Xmas could be in the plans. Who knows?

Dad is 78 years now and he tells me that he still has plans to do this and do that... nothing ever changes with the old fella lol.

He often remineses about the cars he has built and raced. The:
- ??R got destroyed on the wall by Lillie the Pink... but 88R evened the score hehehe;
- 55R raced by his buddy Jonny Butler (Jonny Butts) was built in 2 weekends;
- 5?R was called "The Fuzz" painted black and white;
- 88R and then 88M was sold to Dargaville driver;
- 33R was driven by my Uncle Doug who lived in Whakatane. Unknown whereabouts.

I was just a kid and only saw a few of the toys he tinked with in the shed... Great memories but

[pallmall]

Not the car in question, but here is the 33R of Doug to keep the family thread going. Maybe YankeeClipper10H can come up with some 88R photos?




YankeeClipper 10H photo below?

[pallmall]

A scan of a photocopy of a YankeeClipper photo from 2002 when the 88 car was dragged from its hiding place and put on display at the Hisconz Trophy Day at Dargaville.

[YankeeClipper10H]

Yep, photo of 33R in the wire ropes is one of mine. Taken during one of the daytime meetings 1971/72. Sadly I have no photos of 88R from the 70s. Only some of it in Dargaville take a "couple" of years ago. 5

55R I recall was raced by a John Butler - not Tony Butler??. The car was green and black. Monty told me one day that the car ended up at his place and was buried/tipped down the bank years ago.

Not sure who the "Fuzz" car was. Only one that comes to mind would be 57R Phil Hunter whio raced a black VW bodied stock car. Had a white chassis.

Great 70s days those at Paradise Valley Raceway.............. you could walk around the track any time of the day and we always went up on a Sunday to look at the cars left in the pits from the Saturday nights racing. Cool.

One time early one mid week evening, my Dad even took the family car onto the track and drove us around for a few laps.
We thought that was real neat!! ;D

[pallmall]

Posting 4 photos for YankeeClipper10H of the 88 car on display at Dargaville in 2002.

[texan]

TO: Pallmall, Yankee, RSB and Brendon,

I remember as a kid playing in these cars and it freaks me out to see them again after so so long. Cheers.

Thank you very much for the update. Yes you are correct Jonny Butts was the driver of the 55R. My mistake! I bumped into him when i was in Levin and he recalled those good ol days very vividly. Him and Dad built the 55R chassis and body in just two weekends... oh how simple things must have been back then. The car won a lot of races when it had the lil Dodge long stroked V8 in it but unfortunately it was parked under the hedge for too long and the elements got the better of it.

I remember Uncle Dougs 33R was pretty reliable and quick too, especially when the new Vauxhall 3.3 cresta motor was first put into it.

Our collection of photos were loaned out some time ago and never returned... so we appreciate the ones you guys are kind enough to share with us.

Dad will be visiting me this weekend and i will show him all the photos and info you have provided. Cheers guys and by the way I would love to meet you in the pits when I finally get the old Neville Stanaway 88R car racing again. Of course, their will have to be a debut at Paradise Valley to rekindle the old relationship our family has had there and keep the stockcar legacy going.

I have tracked Athol Isaacs (the 88's current owner) down and will be phoning him tonight. Im quiet looking forward to it too.


Kind regards,
Mack Ramanui

[rsb344]

This is the other coupe that came up in the same era. 1st photo is of the back of it when we started stripping the paint off. The chassis had a cut and tuck as it had the front section bent badly. Was originally Cresta powered when it came to the North.

[texan]

RSB344

If my understanding is correct the 55R above was my Uncle Dougs thoroughbred. I recall that it won a ton of races and was a top racer at Paradise Valley back in the day.

One night Uncle Doug once thrilled the feverish Paradise Valley crowd by doing a dare devil maneuvour that Evil Kinevil would be pround of... he got caught in a battle with a not-so friendly counterpart and ended upside down (roof on roof) on the top of his opponents car. Of course Uncle Doug, being a very photogenic fellow, clammered out and sat on top of the two bent wrecks ready for the cameraman to capture this memorable moment. Critics may say that he was a ruddy poser, but I think he was just a marketing mystro lol.

Good to see the car again... but wondering if it too is still alive out there??? Can you stockcar enthusiasts fill in the blanks?

This site is really freaking me out coz I think all my stockcar Xmas's are coming at once. Cheers again RSB - your the man!

[texan]

Hi all,

Jus t thought id give you a update.

I spoke to Athol Isaacs last night on the phone and YES he confirmed that he has got "The Brute #88" safely tucked away. He renamed it "The Confedarate" when it migrated up North in the early 1980's and he had loads of fun with her.

Dad and I are planning to go up during the summer and have a looksie at the ol dear. We are bound to be a little emotional under our normally tuff exterior when we look at her again.

RSB is correct, Athol is still talking about stretching her legs again. By the way RSB, where abouts down south did your Dad's car go. We would love to track that down too.

RSB the fuzz was built for speed and debuted at Paradise Valley around 1978ish. The test pilot was a guy who renamed her Tweety Bird... Just ask Graeme (Snoopy) Smith, it was fashionable in those days to call stockcars after cartoon characters. Im glad your Dad repowered it coz the original motor did not perform for us as we expected.

Look forward to hearing any more news or seeing more pics of your Dads adventures.

Mack
(a.k.a Texan)

[rsb344]

Dad had a huge roll in that car and crushed 2 vertebrae in is back ending his stockcar racing for around ten years. He repaired it after its fall over and the car was sold on to a local driver last name was Sefton they took the coupe off and replaced it with a mini. He was also tipped up and gave up. The car was next seen in the hands of a chap Caves, with the worst seat dad said hed ever seen in a stockcar he was also hurt and the car dissapear south the wearabouts is unknown unfortunately. Dad took up racing stocks again in 96 and is at the present moment building a selfbuilt I beam tank. I to will be out in my self designed and built car. Bring back the biff "I CANT WAIT" ;D Good luck with your newly purchased car I hope stockcar racing is as much fun for you as it has been for me over the last 12 years.

[texan]

Cheers RSB

That car was built as a runner and the 88 as its blocker. They would have made a menacing team too, but unfortunately as they saying goes... too many toys and you know the rest.

I decided to follow in the bros and older generations footsteps because im trying to give up rugby after 35 years of thrashing my body. I dont know if this type of sport is any easier but I never was known for having much common-sense anyways.

Yes Im looking forward to it and I hope that you wont give me a biff if and when we meet on the track. Then again I also never been known to walk away from a good scrap either lol.

Go the tight 5

[pallmall]

Some more pics from YankeeClipper10H:

[YankeeClipper10H]

Thanks for posting the photos pallmall.

Maori warrior is off the 88 car as earlier mentioned in the thread.

Other pics show Monty ramanui's big altercation with Tokoroa's Roy McDonald.

Roy was a real crowd pleaser and stirred it up on the track all the time. He always arrived late to the meetings and I can recall sitting on the banks at Paradise Valley Raceway watching the first race and there was 50T on the back of the truck coming down the road.

There was frequent after race "muckraking" going on with 50T hitting a "selected" car head on in and around the infield. They then would push each other back and forth till the track marshalls intervened. Not sure if it was staged or not but the crowd loved it.

Pity the sport today lacks the entertainment factor that it once had.

Roy's car was blue at one stage and then appeared later in red.
Quick and easy paint job......... tin of red paint, poor it on the roof and spread the paint all over with a rag.

The incident in the photos happened along the main straight just beyond where the stock cars exited the pits onto the track.

Good times.

[texan]

Yea i was gutted when the old fella told me he donated the Maori Warrior to you. He said u were putting together a car museum and that softened the pain coz he wouldnt let us - his own flesh and blood have it. Bloody typical lol.

The altercation above was my uncle Doug Ramanui. He was paid to entertain the audience but on that night i remember he bit off more than he could chew. It wasn't staged but critics could say it was more encouraged back then.

I remember the drivers used to go a little bit over the top and get out of their cars to panelbeat their opponents bonnets... a bit of argie - bargie and course but not explicit language too.

Nowadays, we have Hellen Clark and co to thank for the Health & Safety regualtions. But a bit of muck rucking never hurt anyone... that is unless the one u are rucking happens to own a $250K stockcar and doesn't want the 2pac paint and clears scratched. Just line em up guys and im happy to give em a wee bump to entertain the crowd again.

[YankeeClipper10H]

To be honest I was quite humbled in receiving the Maori warrior that day from Monty but accepted it with much respect.

On one of the several attempts I've had of trying to buy the 88 car from Athol I mentioned to him that I had the warrior and stated that it would be great to put the two "parts" back together (at my place)............ the car is still in Dargaville as we know. I think wiining lotto would be an easier option vs Athol ever selling the car???.

If you want to see some photos of early 70s Paradise Valley Raceway (including some with 33R) pm me and I will give you the details.