Fairthorpe Tripper..........it`s like Greased Lightning!

Some of you may remember the Tripper i had advertised on the blog last year, the car had been off the road for a number of years and needed a rebuild, unfortunately it didn`t find a buyer from the site or through the club web page or magazine. The result of this was that the car was put on ebay as the space/money was needed for the Electrina, the auction bought only the one bid at the price i had it listed at. And so the car was duly picked up and trailered away.

 Unknown to me was the fact that the new `owner` was actually a theatre props company, in fact probably the largest one in the country and the Tripper was going to be the `star of the show`!  The car has had a `pimp my ride` type makeover and will now be appearing at a theatre near you in the musical Grease.

The car has been fitted with a frame underneath it which enables it to be rotated on the stage quickly and one side is presented in primer as the old car which is the turned into the flashy car during the show. The frame then clips onto another frame which is used to rotate the car onto it`s side to wheel it into the props artic trailer which obviously saves a lot of space in the back of the lorry. Whilst i would have preferred to have seen the car put back on the road it is now being seen by a wider `audience` and hopefully may inspire a new generation of potential Tripper followers.................

Fairthorpe EM2 for sale on ebay

There is currently an Electron Minor on ebay,  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1963-FAIRTHORPE-ELECTRON-MINOR-WHITE-/230797548503?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item35bc9b1bd7   it has an unusual hardtop fitted but looks complete. The car obviously requires a strip and rebuild but would make a good project. If the car is bought by someone who reads this blog please get in touch as i may be able to help with advice etc.

Robs Rainy race.

Rob Cobden had a good day at Brands Hatch on the 6th May with his Fairthorpe Electron despite the weather doing it`s best to put a dampener on the proceedings. He was competing in the FISCAR  race and qualified 5th on the grid and was the fastest car in his class. Rob admits he made a slow start getting left a bit on the grid but he made up for it with a dive down the inside going into Paddock bend with several cars running wide in the slippery conditions. Following a race long dice with a Lotus Elite Rob was pipped on the line for the class win but gained a very creditable 5th place overall against much more powerful machinery, his best lap was the fastest in his class. The problems with overheating experienced at Donington several weeks earlier have been greatly improved by fitting a replacement radiator and he is looking at entering the car for the next round at Silverstone.
Many thanks to Steve Jones for the picture.

Atom Major restoration begins

A recent phone call from Brian Waters bought the good news that he has started work on the restoration of his Fairthorpe Atomota 782 ERR, though looking at chassis records and his chassis plate i think we are now agreed that it is actually a Fairthorpe Atom Major. The name Atomota i think applies to the identical looking cars which were fitted with BSA motorbike engines, hence Atomota (as in mota bike). Brian is currently removing the rusted screws which hold the bodyshell onto the corroded chassis so he can set about refurbing the chassis. He has sent me a few detail pictures of the car so i have added a couple here for you to look at. The car was last on the road in 1971 according to the remains of the last tax disc, the original owner was John George Eaves who was stationed at RAF Gaydon. His last known address was in  Lemington Spa, if anyone remembers John or the the car drop me a line and i will pass the information on to Brian.

More details on the car can be found in an earlier post on this blog. 

Danish online magazine article

Danish Fairthorpe owner and racer Niels Ablid has had his Electron Minor featured in an online magazine http://www.motorretro.com/2012/05/lob-og-kob-fairthorpe-electron.html
I unfortunately don`t speak the language but there are some very nice pictures of the car which is a credit to Niels. On the front page of the magazine there is also a piece about the TX Tripper that is on ebay.

Fairthorpe Electron racing again this Sunday.

Rob Cobden will be out again in his Fairthorpe Electron at Brands Hatch this Sunday in the FISCAR race. Rob has changed the radiator which will hopefully cure the problem that he had at the last event. If you are attending i`m sure he will be pleased to see you, i will let you know how he got on in an update next week.

Fairthorpe TX-S information sought.

Simon Hodges is looking for any information on the current whereabouts of the  Fairthorpe TX-S that his father and grandfather built, the reg number was LPP207H and it was painted in Pozitano yellow. Simon's father Nigel was living in Steeple Claydon at the time and the kit was ordered on 5.5 69, Chassis number was 14016, engine number was KC57051HE and it was collected on 17.7 69. My records show that the kit cost the princely sum of £1198. The car is still shown on the DVLA database so hopefully it has survived.......... have you seen it? I will pass on any information received.

TX Tripper for sale

There is currently a TX Tripper with a current MOT for sale on ebay, here is a link to the listing:-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FAIRTHORPE-TX-TRIPPER-1971-TRIUMPH-1-300cc-ENGINE-GT6-CHASSIS-AND-WHEELS-/220992280413?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item33742a975d

The Tripper was a product of Technical Exponents, a firm run by Torix Bennett the son of Air Vice Marshall Don Bennett who ran Fairthorpe Cars. The Tripper kits were produced in the same building as the Fairthorpe kits at Denham, Bucks.

Fairthorpe Electron race report.

I travelled to Donington on the Easter bank holiday weekend to watch Rob Cobden compete in the first round of the new FISCAR series in his Coventry Climax engined Fairthorpe Electron. As you can read in earlier posts Rob has transformed the car from a wreck that had a tree growing up through it to an immaculate race car. He has not had a chance to do much running on track in the car but it was tested for an article in Autosport Magazine and it was suggested that softer springs may improve the handling. The rear springs were changed and Rob was very pleased with the improvement in cornering following practice but had a couple of niggling problems, the car was blowing quite a bit of oil from the filler cap and was also pushing water out into the overflow tank after 5 laps. Despite the problems and completing only half of the practice session he had done enough to put the car in the middle of the grid and 3rd in class. The oil issue was given a cure after a chat with another driver who was competing in a Lotus Elite with a Climax engine, his engine had a screw on cap which did not provide breathing for the engine, the engines have a couple of breathers elsewhere that do the job sufficiently. So with that information a temperary cure was afforded by putting gaffer tape over the oil filler tube..........voila instant fix!

Rob has an idea that the water problem could be the water being pressurized by not flowing through the rad quick enough causing back pressure and he knew the problem would recur during the race but decided to use it as a test session until he had to retire.

At the start the car got passed by several others but by the end of the first lap Rob had moved up to a very creditable 8th place and second in class and was dicing with much larger engined cars, as predicted he had to pull into the pits at the end of lap 5 and was still holding down 8th when he came in. The car has shown a lot of potential despite so little running and Rob is convinced there is more to come once he has got used to the car which is a very different animal from the Pre war Riley he usually campaigns. The centre picture was taken by Jon Gross and the other two pictures were taken by John Turner, they have kindly allowed me to use them. John is the chairman of FISCAR and would be interested to hear from any other Fairthorpe owners who would like to take part in the series, their website can be found at http://www.fiscar.org/

Newly rebuilt racing Fairthorpe EM for sale

Chris Dady is reluctantly parting with his freshly rebuilt racing Electron Minor, this car has a lot of competition history having formerly been owned by Brian Weaver. Chris has spent vast amounts on the car so this is your chance to get out on the track at a great saving over what it would cost to have a car built to this spec.
This is Chris`s description of the car:-

133HX chassis no. 10413 was purchased as a component car in September 1959, and was built and registered for the road in March 1960.

Over the past four years the car has been undergoing a complete rebuild, and whilst not yet complete the final assembly stage has been reached with the engine and gearbox trial fitted. The car has a racing history.

Some £15000 has been expended in parts and labour, the car being built to a very high historic specification for racing, albeit it would also make a fast road car.

Race series are plentiful - Equipe GTS, Classic Sports Car Club, HSCC, even Goodwood? The car has the potential to be very class competitive.

The asking price for the car as is £6750, follow the link below to the see the pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76136222@N08/sets/72157629702505871/

What do you get for the money?

Large complete history file and period photographs of the car, and scrutineering tags and race programme from 1981, handbook and brochure with copy of build instructions
Fully rebuilt Jigsaw 1147cc engine, gearbox and limited slip rear axle
Six Spitfire LeMans alloy wheels, four with used Dunlop 4.50M13 historic race tyres
Four steel wheels with used Avon CR6ZZ tyres
Set of five new CR6ZZ tyres
Original seats plus a Kirkey race seat
New steering wheel, and many parts such as a hi-torq starter, alloy hubs, weber with manifold and linkage, exhaust system, instruments, battery that came with the car, alloy radiator with kenlow, facet fuel pump, fabricage FIA roll bar etc. etc.
With the car is also the original hood frame, side screens and original windscreen with frame.
Various copy bills, original 1960 log book, V5 (the car is on SORN), old MOT’s etc.
Spare engine and gearbox
New respray in Jaguar racing green with an old english white stripe

You can see the rebuild documented from 2007 - 2010 via this link

http://www.nearthecoast.com/plasticcars/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=304

What needs to be done?

The car is pretty much complete.
Doors, boot lid and bonnet to be finally fitted with catches as desired
Finishing strengthening fibreglass around the roll bar fitting
Parts required include hoses, nuts and bolts, and you will need to decide whether to run a dynamo, you will need a race seat belt (fittings are on the car), catch tank, fire extinguisher and cut off.
The wiring needs reattaching, and some new rear lights and rear fog light purchased and fitted (rear light lenses are with the car, the lights themselves are Morgan / Frogeye / etc. and readily available)
Brake pipes fitted, system refilled and bled
Fuel tank, pump fitted
Engine ancillaries to be fitted
The engine needs the engine mount from the spare engine to be fitted, filled with oil (as does the gearbox) and fired up (full instruction sheet with the car)
Complete check over and nut and bolt tightening
Seat fixing to owners position.
Final bodywork and polish
Run in, and set up.

*******

Chris has now sold the Fairthorpe so you have missed your chance!

If you re looking for a car or have a Fairthorpe you wish to sell drop me a line, i will list on here for free...............Martin

Rob racing at Donington

Rob Cobden will be out in his Fairthorpe Electron at Donington on Sunday April 8th in the FISCAR (Fifties Sportscar series) race. If you wish to come along and cheer him on i`m sure he will be glad of the support. I will be going so i will post a report here the week after the race so remember to check back.

Fairthorpe Electron in Autosport.

In this weeks issue (March 15th) there is a preview of the new Fifties Sports Racing Car Club series and six of the cars entered were tested and reviewed at Donington race track. One of the cars is Rob Cobden`s yellow Electron which is pictured above, there are a couple of nice pictures of the car on track and in the pits as well as the testers thoughts on the car. This weeks issue is due out tomorrow (Thursday) so you will have to be quick to get a copy, they are probably available on back issue. Sorry for the late heads up but i only spotted it whilst browsing the magazine during a shopping trip today.

VOU 7 do you know this Fairthorpe?

An email has been passed on to me from Terence Williams who built this Electron Minor over the winter of 1958. In 1959 he competed at several race meetings, the photos were taken at the Sept BARC Club meeting at Goodwood and the programme shows the Fairthorpe Electron Minor entry no. 66.

He says `I managed a third (my best result) at the Maidstone motor club sprint at Brands Hatch behind a Sprite and Reg Falconer's Turner - whom I knew from the 58 season when we both raced Standard Tens. The engine/gearbox I used in the Fairthorpe was from the Standard Ten, and I remember well, bartering with "Pathfinder" Bennett to have the Kit less engine and gearbox. I remember also buying on that day, a "works" 4 branch exhaust manifold as I had mentioned my intention to race the Faithorpe`.

The reg number is not on my records of surviving cars and the DVLA website holds no current records for that number. I have been through the chassis records and matched his name to chassis number 9933 which also shows as having been supplied minus engine and gearbox in red gel coat finish, the kit was supplied on 1/11/1958.

Does anyone have any further history to add to this Fairthorpe, i`m sure Terence would be very pleased to hear from anyone regarding his car.

2012 Fairthorpe Gathering August 5th.

I am now pleased to announce the venue for the 2012 Fairthorpe Gathering, we have had to have a rethink on the area of the country that it would be in due to the small matter of the Olympic games! It will be held on Sunday August the 5th at the Stondon Motor museum in Lower Stondon, Bedfordshire (post code SG16 6JN). This incredibly diverse collection of vehicles is housed across eight halls. The vehicles cover motor transport across the 20th Century (1900 to 1990's). Examples Include: Ford Pilots; police vehicles; AA and RAC Motorcycles; 6 Rolls Royces, including the owners favourite Cornishe; buses: fire engines; military vehicles and a huge collection of Motorbikes - Scott, Vincent, Greeves, ABC, Triumph's, BSA's etc plus a couple of small aircraft. Outside they have a full size replica of Captain Cook`s ship HMS Bark Endeavour which is open for the public to explore. Entry to the car park is free and they will be roping off an area for Fairthorpes, for those wishing to enter the museum we have been given a discounted price of £5 which includes a complimentary cup of tea or coffee in their large cafeteria. The museum opens at 10am and we will probably be meeting up a little earlier for a convoy into the museum for those that wish to do so. The museum website can be found at http://www.motor-museum.co.uk/index.php
I am hoping to get Fifteen Fairthorpes attending so if you have one and can make we would be very happy to see you. Keep checking back to the blog for updated information.

Ex owner looking for Missing Minor!

I have had an email in about a MK1 Electron Minor which was built in 1960 by a mr Paul Hewitt, the car was light blue and had the reg number 395 HBH, it was fitted with a pair of spotlights in the bonnet mouth. Mr Hewitt apparently competed in a lot of events with the car with a fair amount of success, gaining a number of trophies which he still has. His son sent me a couple of pictures taken of the car including the one above of it leaving the start line of a hillclimb. Mr Hewitt and his son now live in Australia, Paul is now elderly and living in a nursing home, both he and his son Lance would like to know if the car survives, unfortunately i have no current knowledge of the car and a check on the DVLA website brings no information on the number. Does anyone remember Paul Hewitt or know of his car either now or in the past? Any information will gladly be passed on.

Sadly since i published this post a couple of weeks ago i have heard from Lance to say his father Paul has passed away. Lance would still like to hear from anyone that has more news of the car or knew his father.

Picture of the week.

This picture was sent to me recently of a Fairthorpe Atom convertible, it was probably taken in the mid to late 50`s. In it`s day it must have been a rare beastie and sadly now is on the extinct list unless one turns up out of the blue. Atoms were fitted with motorcycle engines, mostly B.S.A and were chain driven, the chain failing at regular intervals when cornering hard i`m led to believe. This probably accounts for their disappearance, though being so small I'm hoping there might be one tucked away in the corner of some dark garage or barn somewhere.

Fairthorpes for sale

There are currently two Fairthorpes for sale on ebay, one being a `Bitza` Electron Minor and the other being a Technical Exponents Tripper needing a rebuild.

The EM has been offered by several owners over the last two years at an ever increasing price, at least the current seller has given a fair description of the car. It is a mk1 Electron Minor bodyshell fitted to a Triumph Herald chassis and running gear. The body is probably 1959/60 whilst the rest is 1970, according to the reg checker it is registered as a Herald 1200! The seller has a price of £1500 here is a link to the ebay listing:-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fairthorpe-Electron-Minor-/260938989745?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3cc12d00b1

The Tripper looks as though it would need a complete rebuild, though you would probably be hard pushed to find an easier car to rebuild, it has a one piece body (plus bonnet) that just bolts to the chassis. It will probably sell very cheaply though there is no log book, the car is listed as a Fairthorpe on the DVLA website and although it now has a 1300cc Triumph engine fitted it is registered as having a 2498cc straight 6 Triumph. Here is the link to the auction:-

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150752287824&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123

Grease your nipples!

Bob Balding has been in contact to inform me of a discovery he has made whilst working on his MK1 EM. Bob`s car (see the `Frank the Fairthorpe` post) has some damage to the lower wishbone and trunnion on one side, this seems to indicate a previous vertical link failure. The suspension on the front is modified Standard 10 and like the later Triumph Herald/Spitfire units they require periodical lubrication, either with grease or EP oil depending on who you speak to. If this is not carried out the vertical link could wear badly or seize causing it to fracture where it meets the top of the trunnion. The result is a suspension collapse, i have had this happen to me on my first car which was a Herald.

As you can see from Bob`s pictures the collapse has ground the lower wishbone and the bottom of the trunnion which is missing it`s base and grease nipple. What is surprising is that it passed an MOT with this damage late last year! Bob is fitting a new trunnion but is looking for a replacement lower wishbone, either from a MK1 Electron Minor or a Standard 10 which could then be modified to suit. If you can help please contact me and i will put you in touch with him.

American racer located..

Following on from my recent post regarding the yellow racer in America which was pictured with blood shot eyes and a tongue hanging out i had an email from Rich Campbell to tell me he had tracked the car down. He placed an ad with the pictures in Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car magazine and was contacted by Larry Newberry who is the current owner of the car along with two other Fairthorpes. Rich is hoping to visit Larry at some point in the future, hopefully i can post some more pictures and information if Larry is agreeable. A fair number of Fairthorpes were exported to America and several have followed in recent years, if you have any information/pictures past or present let me know and i will pass the information on to Rich who is researching the all things Fairthorpe in America.

Fairthorpes in print

In this months Classic & Sports car magazine Adrian Mancha`s Fairthorpe EM is featured in the `Lost & found` section on page 28. An email from Adrian this week has given an update on his progress since he bought the car to last years Fairthorpe Gathering. He says the radiator is built, mounted and piped as is oil cooler, all brake lines / master cylinders mounted, carbs rebuilt and fitted, exhaust flange cut out on water jet and he hopes to have the manifold built by the end of the week and the shocks are ordered. For more details on the car you can find a lot more information on previous pages of this blog.

4346MV more history but still in hiding!

Over the Christmas period i had an email from Glynn Hobbs regarding my plea for any information on the current whereabouts of 4346MV a mk2 Electron Minor which was fitted with a 1600 Fiat Twin cam engine and 5 speed box. Glynn says he owned the car many years ago having swapped a Land Rover series 1 with Chris Harré-Young to get the car and he used it in Hill climbs and sprints, obviously having a lot of fun with it. It is still on the DVLA website although not licenced since 1986 so the car remains on the missing list! More information and pictures of the car in it`s previous colour when owned by Chris can be found on the previous page (click `older posts` at the base of this page).

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

I`d like to wish all the Fairthorpe enthusiasts around the world a very Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year. If you have a car that needs restoring or just a bit of tinkering to get it back on the road 2012 is `the year` to make it happen. Fairthorpes are appearing at events in increasing numbers so why not come and join in, i will be adding a list here shortly of all the main events Fairthorpes will be taking part in during 2012.
If you would like any advice or encouragement drop me a line and i will be pleased to help. I hope you have enjoyed the blog over the last twelve months, there will be plenty more next year, if there is something you would like to see on here to do with Fairthorpes let me know.............Martin

Pictures of the week, MKV Electron Minor.

This weeks car is the MKV Fairthorpe Electron Minor of Barry Stock which is fitted with a 1300 Spitfire engine. Barry won the furthest Travelled Fairthorpe to this years Gathering at Donington having driven from his home in Ammanford in Wales. The car was registered in 1971 and was previously owned by another club member Alan Lowes, as can be seen from the pictures the car is in very nice condition and unusually for an Electron Minor the MKV`s were built as a 2+2`s. The MKV is a rare beast, i have only seen pictures of 3 cars and probably only a handful were made.

Picture of the week...... American racing Fairthorpe.

This weeks pictures are of a Fairthorpe EM race car in America, they were taken a number of years ago and obviously the owner has a good sense of humour! The car was owned by Bill Clark, then a member of the Fairthorpe Sports Car Club, does anyone know of Bills current whereabouts and whether he still owns the Fairthorpe, his last known address was in Nashville Tennessee.

Electron Minor lost in France!

A while back on the blog i was asking if anyone knew where the MK1 Electron Minor 6037EV was now, the car is seen above alongside my car 789ERO 20 years ago. Following a dig through the Fairthorpe club archives i found the car on a membership form which had a date 10 years after i last saw the car. The guy was only a member for one year so i called the telephone number to enquire if he still owed it. The car was long gone, he had bought it in a dilapidated state having been left open to the elements for a number of years. The hardtop and wire wheels which had been on the car when we sold it were gone and all the trim was soggy and rotten. He had given the Fairthorpe a make over, removing the racing roll bar, respraying it a light blue and having it all re trimmed. The car was then sold to a guy in France but he had no contact information, as he had just bought the car to do up and sell on. The trail looked like it had gone cold but i mentioned the facts to a couple of club members and hey presto the picture below turned up in my inbox.

This car was pictured at the Le Mans Classic in 2008 but unfortunately the owner was not found. I think you will agree if you look at the boot lid and the position of the indicator lamps and Fairthorpe script badge that this is indeed John Ward`s old racecar 6037EV. Another pointer for me is the use of Hillman Imp bonnet hinges on the boot lid and doors, i fitted these as the old original hinges were shot, most people replacing the originals use Herald boot hinges. I am sure the current owner is blissfully unaware of the cars previous competition history, another car with plenty of stories to tell!

HSCC RoadSports Championship Fairthorpe eligibility

Following a recent conversation with Dave Randall the Historic Sports Car Club Road Sports Championship registrar there is some good news for people considering racing their Fairthorpes in that championship. Electron Minors will be accepted with 1147 and 1300cc Triumph engines and now also with 1200cc Ford pre crossflow engines. I dropped Dave an email with a scan of an original Fairthorpe brochure which listed the Ford 1500 GT engine as an option. Dave`s reply was `I would also be prepared to consider a 1500 Ford pre x flow engined car to run in Class C. Our basic rules haven't changed, and this isn't written in the regs, it is at the discretion of the registrar and on a by application basis, but I can assure you that any reasonable application will positively encouraged.` Climax powered Electrons are also eligible so hopefully we may see a Fairthorpe or two competing at some point in the future, they have a very competitive history in the Roadsports championship having won it outright plus winning the class championship a couple of times. For anyone wanting more information about the championship you can contact Dave Randall at the HSCC or take a look on their website http://www.hscc.org.uk/championships.html

Fairthorpe pictures of the week.

Picture of the week this week is of Gethin Jones in his first Electron Minor taken in the early sixties. Shown at an autotest in the Steel Company of Wales car park.
The second picture shows PBW 889 The photo was taken at the start of a Spanish Rally in 2003, Gethin owned this car as well.

789 ERO `tested` in the 70`s!

Whilst on the Fairthorpe Sports Car Club stand at the Classic Car show held at the NEC recently i met with Rob Finegan who is an old friend of Mick Moore. Mick owned my Fairthorpe 789 ERO from the late 60`s through to about 1987, he then sold it to the guy i bought it from in 1989. I have spoken to Mick on several occasions and asked him about photos taken when he was competing in `Little Nero` unfortunately although he has some he is unsure where they are. Rob has come up trumps though and kindly sent me a picture of Mick in 789 at Moor Lane car park, Bolton, 1976, in the Warburton sponsored Autotest. Of his time with the car Rob said `Mickey was pretty quick in those days, there was nothing really to touch him!` The car is now 53 years old and it has been owned for all but five or six by just three people, my Father Frank, myself and Mick.

Fairthorpe `The good old days`

I have been in contact recently with a couple of past Fairthorpe owners who have kindly sent me some pictures taken when Fairthorpes were the competition car of choice. They have given me permission to post them on here for posterity and i`m sure you will get as much enjoyment as i have from looking at them. The picture above was taken at what looks like a grass Autocross and was probably taken in 1959 as the Fairthorpe on the right looks like it might be registered 100 UMY which is Peter Butt`s EM. This car was supplied in light blue gel coat but Was painted crimson red at a very early stage of it`s life, it is still in it`s gel colour here. I think the centre Fairthorpe might be John Green`s car SBL 88 as there is a red hardtop in front of it which John had, his bonnet was later changed to a one off Lenham style as you can see in another picture in this post. The Fairthorpe on the left is an Atomota which may have been driven by Don, Torix or Noreen Bennett. The picture below was taken at Snetterton race track and shows Peter`s Electron Minor 100 UMY ( now in red )on the start line waiting for the flag to be dropped. Both these pictures were taken by former Fairthorpe owner Graham Butcher.

Graham has also sent a picture of himself competing in an Autotest in the mid sixties, Graham`s car was registered 9 AXU and was painted Black. The car was a regular at Autotests and Autocross events for several years before being sold on.

The final picture for todays post was sent by another former owner Ken Coad, his car was registered 100 HX and was generally acknowledged to have been one of the better finished Fairthorpes at that time. Ken`s car was also light blue and is on the left of this picture taken on Ealing Common, probably in 1960.

In the picture from left to right are Ken Coad, John Green who was then also the Fairthorpe works manager, Peter Butt, Gerald Golding and Eric Coad. As mentioned earlier John`s car was now sporting an Ashley style bonnet and was powerd by a Ford Anglia engine as opposed to the original Standard 10 engines in the other cars. Peter Butt still owns his car to this day and for the first thirty years it was campaigned in races, sprints, hillclimbs, Autocrosses and Autotests, i was given my first drive of a Fairthorpe at a Denham grass Autotest in Peter`s car and promptly won the class! There is also an interesting story attached to Ken`s car which i will write about shortly so watch this space!

Fairthorpe windscreen and frame wanted urgently.

Neils Abild is currently looking for a Fairthorpe windscreen frame and pillers, with or with out the screen itself. Neils is racing his car which was featured in an earlier article on this blog, at the moment he is running with an aero screen but for some events he has to have an original type screen and frame on the car. If you have one which you no longer need and are willing to sell please contact me at kartman.nascar24@btinternet.com and i will put you in contact.

Electron Minor wiring loom colour chart.

I have been asked by several owners recently about wiring colours for Electron Minors.

I`m sure many Fairthorpe owners are confronted by the usual birds nest of different coloured wires behind the dash board and under the engine bay! Most classic cars of that age have had the wiring added to or modified over the years so to give you a helping hand here is the original sheet supplied to Fairthorpe builders when they received their kit. This as can be seen from it`s title relates to kits supplied in 1960 but it should be pretty similar for most years. Please bear in mind that your car may have had something different done to it since it was originally put together, this is what it should have had when new.

Another Fairthorpe returns to the roads of Europe.

Henry Brentjens from Holland has owned his Fairthorpe Electron Minor mk1 since 1978, he bought it from a chap in Berkshire and did a lot of work to it before getting a Dutch MOT and licence plate. Henry drove the car over to the UK several times in the early eighties, but like many classic cars lack of time and money meant that the car subsequently sat unused for 15 years. Encouraged by some of his old friends in the Fairthorpe Sports Car Club Henry once again embarked on a rebuild that took him over a year to complete, now that he has it on the road again he is looking forward to putting some more miles on the car. How about another trip to the UK next year Henry, we`d love to see you at a club event with the car.

Fairthorpe in print:- December issue of Classic & Sports Car magazine

In the latest issue of Classic & Sports Car magazine is a piece on the Fairthorpe Electrina 423 NDV which i bought from the original owner Frank Oak earlier this year. The item is in the `Lost & Found` section of the magazine. More details on the car plus pictures can be found in an earlier post on this blog.

The return of Frank the Fairthorpe!

I had a call recently from Bob Balding to say he was thinking of purchasing a mk1 EM and wanted to chat about Fairthorpes, i`m pleased to say a week later he called back to confirm he was the new owner of the car. It is a 1960 EM which has had an age related plate fitted, CSL 674 has a Dolomite 1300cc engine with a single S.U carb on it. It is British Racing Green and fitted with a nice hood and has a beige leather interior (yes i did say leather) so someone has spent some money on the car in the past. Having dug around in the depths of the F.S.C.C Fairthorpe records i managed to match the chassis number with the cars original registration number which was 349 PRA. This car and i have crossed paths in the past, my father Frank and i purchased the low mileage car from it`s original owner 20 odd years ago at which point it was sprayed an old English white with red trim and hood.

The car was bought from us by Denise Howe, she is pictured here having just bought the Fairthorpe and promptly named it Frank!

We lost track of the car after that but i have seen pictures of the car later painted in BRG still with it`s original number, this picture was taken at the Specials day at Burford Wildlife park, hmm ditch those wheel trims.......

The car is now fitted with wire wheels, Bob would have liked to reunite the car with it`s original number but an RAC data check reveals it is now on a BMW Z4 (sacrilege!) Once the spring arrives he hopes to be attending club events in the EM and is not that far from our Sunday meets at the Greyhound Pub in Northampton, making the sight of five or six Fairthorpes in the car park a distinct possibility.

Spirit of the 60`s Dyrham Park event.

On October 6th a Spirit of the 60`s event was organised at Dyrham Park, this was a venue for Hillclimb events during the 1960`s and various clubs catering for cars of the type that would have competed in period were invited to attend for a parade up the old hill circuit. Chris Gale took part in his Green Electron Minor and his car certainly looks every inch a racer with the screen off, Chris has done a bit of competing in the car in the past and it would be great to see it run in anger again, how about it Chris?

There is a chance for a bit of gentle competition for those of you wanting to see what your Fairthorpes are capable of, each May some of the Fairthorpe Sports Car Club members take their cars to the Prescott Hill climb. The event is open for those that just wish to take part in a parade up the hill or timed runs are available for those who want to throw their cars about a bit. I will post more details nearer to the event.

Fairthorpes in competition.

I have been loaned an MG Car Club race programme for the Brands Hatch Speed Trial which took place on 12th March 1961. Brian Gent kindly contacted me with details of it as in class F were a certain Miss N. Bennett and her brother T. Bennett in Fairthorpes running numbers 46 and 47. Having spoken to Noreen on the phone she had no recollection of their placings on the day but recalls those days racing the cars as great fun.

I have scanned the cover and entry listing for them, Brian has also turned up another Fairthorpe in competition, it was at the Valence Hill Climb, Valence School, Nr. Westerham, Kent on 13th July 1974. The event was held by The Sevenoaks & District Motor Club, the car ran in Class C - Modified Sports Cars up to 1300 c.c. it was driven by Martin Brazil and was car number 46, it was described as a Fairthorpe Electron Minor. The programme stated that he was a member of The Gilbern Owners Club. Does anyone know or know of Martin Brazil or have any further details of his EM?

TX Tripper for sale on ebay with Mot, ready to drive away.

There is a TX Tripper currently listed on ebay, the car looks quite nice and has a current MOT and is tax exempt. It is fitted with a twin carb Triumph 1300 engine and the starting price is very reasonable at £1000. Here is the link:- http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120792404388&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123

I would appreciate it if someone who is reading this buys the car could you let me know so i can add the ownership details to my Fairthorpe club records.

SOLD Fairthorpe EM1 for sale. SOLD

I have had a call from FSCC club member David Boucher who has decided to sell his MK1 Electron Minor which is Standard 10 based. The car has been restored to a rolling chassis stage with engine and gearbox done also. The bodyshell etc is all there but needs fitting and the restoration completing, this is comparatively a quick resto job as a lot of the graft and expense has been done. Much money has been spent on among other things a new set of Dampertech adjustable shock absorbers with springs ( cost £460 ), all new braking system and cylinders, ball joints, trunnions etc. The engine is a 948cc Standard 10/ Triumph with twin SU carbs and has had a new water pump and timing chain fitted. The car comes with a period Smiths heater, original Fairthorpe bonnet badge and a good hood. Dave tells me that the body work is not bad, the car has the electron style nose, the interior trim is all there but only good for patterns now and the original Fairthorpe `tin bucket seats` are there but rotten (i have a mold to make new fibreglass ones). There is no logbook with the car but he has the original chassis plate, number plates and an old tax disc. The car should be eligible for it`s original number and a log book from the DVLA by going through the Fairthorpe club once the car is nearing completion.
You can see pictures now on http://www.photobucket.com/

You can sign in using the word DGBOUCHER and use the word ELECTRON as the password (all upper case). The car is in Berkshire, Slough area and he is looking for £3000 which i think is not bad as a car needing full restoration sold at auction in the last couple of months for £2200 ( see an earlier post). He has asked for contact by email as he does shift work, he can be contacted on d.boucher789@btinternet.com

The car has now been sold to FSCC member David Martin, i will put a progress report on here as he gets near to getting the car back on the road.

Atomota survivor

I recently met with Brian Waters the owner of one of only two known complete Fairthorpe Atomotas, Brian has owned the car since the mid 80`s when he bought it from Fairthorpe. AVM Don Bennett had the car as a restoration project but realising he would not get round to the rebuild agreed to sell it to Brian, a princely sum of £100 was agreed and Brian still has the receipt. The Atomota came with it`s original log book which shows the original colour to be blue but this was later changed to Rolls Royce Sand, the colour it is in now.

The car needs a full restoration but is mostly complete and is fitted with a 948cc Standard 10 engine with twin Su carburetters, he also purchased a complete BSA engine as fitted to some Atomota`s from Fairthorpe at the same time. Brian intends to restore the car in due course, i`m sure many of you like me look forward to seeing the car on the road again. The other known complete car is in America but it has been fitted with a Subaru engine, i hope to post some information on that car at some point in the future. The remains of a third car are known but the bodyshell was sadly scrapped some years back and whilst the FSCC holds the molds to many of the Fairthorpe models the ones for the Atomota are sadly missing presumed disposed of in one of Fairthorpes factory moves.