FAIRTHORPES FOR SALE

Like the proverbial bus, there is nothing then all of a sudden several turn up at once!

There are currently several Fairthorpes up for sale in various places so i have listed them all here for your perusal, a couple of nice projects and two racers ready to go. Listed in order of price for ease.
Please mention the Fairthorpe Blog if contacting the sellers.

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1960 Electron Minor Mk2, 1500cc Triumph engine. £3500

Fairthorpe Electron Minor Mk2, same owner since the 1970`s but spent a large amount of that time unused.

Rebuilt and put back on the road in 2016, fitted with a 1500 Triumph engine and an interesting set of period alloy wheels. Body work could probably do with a respray. For more information call Clive Weelen on:-
07903 365774




SOLD 1959 Electron Minor Mk1 on Ebay asking price £1995 or offer SOLD

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1959-FAIRTHORPE-ELECTRON-MINOR-EM1-MKI-HISTORIC-RALLY-RACING-CAR-PROJECT-RARE/113021024917?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

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1958 Electron Minor Mk1 47 SMD (sale does not include the registration number) This car has undergone a lot of work and is now a fully rebuilt chassis with new brakes, correct early type, new backplates, rebushed. dunlop d1’s, new tyres. Body is complete and painted but not on at moment. New instruments, seats, period steering wheel. Basically just needs body putting back on. I have all the other difficult bits to complete, badges, hinges, screen, side screens etc. Engines options, 1300 spit ready to drop in, 1147 good but head off, 948 in bits but machining done. Rack and pinion steering. Have all lights. Twin h1’s and correct manifold available for the 948. Gearbox is correct Standard 10 hanging type with correct mounting bracket. Also has new fibreglass floorpans, both lowered type under the seats.
Since these pictures were taken all the above work has been completed, current pictures are available by request from Graham.
Price negotiable depending on spec, may finish the car off if required.
Contact Graham Mitchell on 07902 415158


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                                                                CAR NOW SOLD

Race prepped road going Electron Minor Mk2 on Ebay, well known car within the Fairthorpe Sports Car Club with more or less continuous competition history since new, plenty of information on the Ebay ad.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fairthorpe-Electron-Minor-with-Competition-History/113010646719?hash=item1a4ff59ebf:g:a3cAAOSwpoJbBW2Y

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1961 Electron Minor Mk2 Race car, much money spent and a good spec on Racecars Direct :

https://racecarsdirect.com/Advert/Details/87695/fairthorpe-electron-minor

Fairthorpes competition results from the late 1950`s

 Okanagon Hill Climb 1958, A Pilkey`s Pilkey Special was a modified Electron, see the pictures in the previous post for the car in it`s original form in 1957, then with modified bodywork in 1958.

Canadian Fairthorpe race history comes to light.

It is amazing what still turns up, i am grateful to Canadian racing historian Vince Howlett who has sent the following pictures taken in the late 50`s. More period images to follow in the next few days so please check back soon.

Sept 1st 1957, Okanagan Hillclimb, Arleigh Pilkey Fairthorpe Electron.

July 5th 1958, Okanagan Hillclimb, Arleigh Pilkey, Fairthorpe Electron Special. Bodywork now very modified from the previous years picture from 1957.

Another shot of Arleigh`s Electron Special can be found at:-
 http://www.gvmps.org/inductee/arleigh-pilkey/

 Sept 1st 1957, Okanagan Hillclimb,  Class F winner Harry Moore, Fairthorpe Electron

 Sept 1st 1957, Okanagan Hillclimb, Balfe, Fairthorpe Electron

1958 Pilkey Electron, Moscop Elva and Brown Fairthorpe Electron.

July 5th 1958, Okanagan Hillclimb, Brown Fairthorpe Electron.

2018 FAIRTHORPE GATHERING, August 5th, North Weald Aerodrome, Essex.

                                             
                                                 

This years Fairthorpe Gathering will be on Sunday 5th August at North Weald aerodrome in Essex, in the morning we will be on the airfield at the `Squadron` NAAFI` cafe, they are open from 8am, i gather they do a good English breakfast..........

To get to the NAAFI you enter by the main gate of the former Battle of Britain airfield and drive round about 50% of the airfield perimeter track, this is all still in excellent condition with no pot holes. They have kindly offered us the use of one of the wartime aircraft blast pens to park the Fairthorpes in so we should get some good pictures of the cars. Here is an aerial view of the airfield, the NAFFI is in front of the line of aircraft:-

http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/north-weald-north-weald-bassett/

Here is a link to the Squadren NAAFI:-

http://www.thesquadronbar.co.uk/

At 1pm we will convoy the Fairthorpes round the perimeter track to the original airfield entrance where the former Station gate house has been turned into a museum which covers the airfields history. People will have a chance to wander round the museum before we present the usual awards. I intend getting some video footage of the cars driving round the airfield, there are a number of Historic flyable aircraft based at North Weald, hopefully some may be active on the day we are there.

Link to the museum:-

http://www.nwamuseum.co.uk/index.htm

Electron Minor rebuilt engine, the running in continues.

Went out today in my Fairthorpe Electron Minor 789 ERO for the first time in 2018, the roads were finally dry so less road salt being thrown around under the car. I wore one of my Christmas presents, a nice warm beanie hat with the Fairthorpe Sports Car Club logo on it but i left my finger less gloves in the workshop, my fingers had nearly dropped off after the 40 mile run!
 We have finally bitten the bullet after many years of excuses not to get one and bought a Sat Nav, i am taking the Fairthorpe down to Le Mans again this year and trying to find your way round France in the dark whilst reading a map and driving is no longer part of the `adventure`!
So i drilled a hole inside the glovebox and mounted the cigarette lighter, just got to wire it in now.
For anyone interested in the Beanie hats they are available through the Fairthorpe Sports Car Club
www.fairthorpescc.com

Modified Fairthorpe Atom in print 1960

Here is an interesting picture of a modified Fairthorpe Atom, this looks like one of the original Mk1 cars with the `interesting` body styling..................
The car has had a set of cycle type mudguards fitted and the headlamps have been recessed into the bonnet area instead of being bolted on top of it. The car was presumably already off the road at this point as it appears to have no windscreen fitted to it. The picture was superimposed onto the beach scene for the article on beach combing written by Squadren leader A.T Ryland and published in the Summer 1960 edition of the RAF St Athan magazine. The scans were kindly sent to me by John Jarrett, at present none of the original Atom`s are known to exist, is there still one out there tucked away somewhere?

Fairthorpe Atom Major.................Now we`re cooking!

I am sure you cannot fail to be impressed by this natty period modification found on the Major, courtesy of one Mr Sainsbury.

The mechanical fuel pump on the engine had been disconnected and this electric pump installed by cutting a hole in the floor behind the passenger seat and covering it with an old Sainsbury cooking oil can with one side cut out of it. This has allegedly been approved by the FIA despite protests from Tescos.................. 

The large battery behind the drivers seat is also non standard, there is a recessed battery box on the upper level behind where the battery is seen here.

Major work over the Christmas break............

Two weeks annual leave over the festive period has seen a start made on my Atom Major, the rear brakes have come off and the drums cleaned up with some wet and dry. They appear quite good with no scoring and have come up nicely, luckily Santa had put a new set of rear brake shoes and a master cylinder under the Christmas tree! I have now ordered a pair of new rear wheel cylinders and flexi pipes and will be replacing all the old steel brake pipes with copper kunifer tubing over the next few days. Up at the front end i have taken the twin SU carbs off ............ fun and games with a 7/16 spanner working blind in a tight space to remove the bottom nuts! The gearbox tunnel cover will be coming off tomorrow so i can get to the rear exhaust manifold nut, once that is off i can put a load of WD40 and oil into the cylinders to help free the engine which is currently seized. The engine is a 948cc Standard 10 unit and scrapping the grime off the engine number revealed that it is the original motor that came with the kit so i will be doing what is necessary to re use it. Hopefully before i go back to work i can get the engine and gearbox out and will be fairly close to having the brake system working. This will be an `oily rag restoration` the mechanics will all be replaced where necessary to make the car safe and usable, but the exterior will be washed but left as found at the moment.

Peter Butt, Fairthorpe Race Team driver & enthusiast has passed away.

Fairthorpe `Works` Race Team Silverstone 6 Hour relay race 1959, Peter`s car was 100 UMY

Another of the men whose lives were heavily intertwined with those of Fairthorpe Sports Cars has passed away, Peter Butt was not only one of the original Fairthorpe race team drivers but also one of the Fairthorpe dealers back in the early days. Peter along with my father Frank Collins, Fairthorpe works manager John Green and Gerald Golding were the original `Works` Race Team for Fairthorpe. All were driving their own cars but given cut price tuning parts, Twin SU carbs, Hot camshaft and tubular exhaust manifolds and during the late 50`s and early 60`s won a lot of club races helping to promote the Fairthorpe name. Peter was also a Fairthorpe dealer, starting Butts Motors at 9 Pindock Mews in London where he sold and assembled kits and repaired those that had been damaged, many Fairthorpes passed through Peter`s hands over the years. Peter retained his original Fairthorpe which he built in 1958 100 UMY in which he gained many wins and top 3 finishes, it was actually the first Fairthorpe i drove. Peter offered me a drive in it at the Fairthorpe Sports Car Club annual Grass Autotest at Denham, i soon realised how well these cars went when i picked up the trophy for BTD for a Fairthorpe. Peter always retained his love of our cars and would always be more than pleased to talk about them.

Fairthorpe Gathering 2017 Event report.

This years Fairthorpe Gathering took place on the 6th August at the Bubblecar Museum in Langrick, Lincolnshire, what a lovely venue it was too, with the museum being well worth a visit by itself.
12 FSCC members enjoyed a very sociable Saturday evening meal at a local pub the night before the Gathering, we may look at incorporating that in future years as it seemed to go down well.
Eight Fairthorpes made it along on the Sunday with seven Electron Minors, comprising of five Mk1`s, one Mk2 and a rare Mk5 plus my Atom Major. We were joined by a number of other FSCC members old and new and it was particularly pleasing to meet up with our club President Barry Gibbs and his wife Honor once more. Also special mention must be made to Wolfgang Puritz and his wife who made it along to the Gathering having driven over from their home in Germany, sadly their two Fairthorpes were left in the garage at home, maybe next year Wolfgang? ☺

As usual there were Trophies to be presented and Barry Stock with his Mk5 EM was the clear winner for the furthest traveled Fairthorpe to the event having driven 276 miles to get to get there, a sterling effort through wind and rain at the Welsh end of the journey from Ammanford.

The Best Fairthorpe trophy as voted by those attending the event went to Dave Bumsted for his immaculate Metallic Blue Mk1 EM, Dave had only got the car MOT`d that week following two years of effort to turn it from a basket case into a show winner.

There was a tie for second place between Richard Holden and Brian Townsend`s Mk1 EM`s with two other cars only one vote back, close indeed.
That is enough wittering on from me, i am sure you all just want to look at the pictures!.............

                                                         Brian Townsend`s Mk1 EM

                                                           Richard Holden`s Mk1 EM

                                                           Ray Starkey`s red Mk1 EM

                                                           Michael Rolfe`s Mk1 EM

                                                                Rob James`s Mk2 EM

                                                                    My Atom Major

                                                                   

      Dave Bumstead`s Mk1 EM, winner of the Frank Collins memorial Trophy for best Fairthorpe.

Last picture is of the complete lineup with Roger and Gill Cooke`s very nice Reliant Scimitar.

Many thanks to all those that made it along to this years Fairthorpe Gathering, details of next years event will be posted on this blog site once the venue is in place.
Here is a link to the excellent Bubblecar Museum web site:-  www.bubblecarmuseum.co.uk/