Thread: Leyland P38 - Half the car they should have been

I remember the London to Sydney Marathon:

http://marathon68.homestead.com/Page5.html

But more for the fact that the Citroen in the lead hit a car head on near Nowra all that way from London and so close to Sydney.

Land Crabs:

Remember the Austin Kimberly... a mighty 6 cylinder.

CJ has a good story about a flabbergasted road patrol copper in pursuit of Chris and CJ in Chris's Kimberly. 8O

Both of them now have Countys :roll:...Its a British Disease

I met Gelignite Jack whilst working at a plant nursery on my University weekends...he called in with his good lady to buy some roses or other shubbery...a gentleman.

That was the first London to Sydney Marathon. Actually Evan Green and John Bryson were leading this event into South Australia in an Austin 1800, but during a service I think it was the wheel bearings were over tightened and one subsequently siezed putting them out of the rally.
Evan and John entered the 1970 World Cup Rally in a P76 and set the fastest time on the Mille Miglia Stage, which is how the Targa Florio model came into existence. They also led this rally until becoming misplaced during one of the desert stages. This story is recounted in Evans book "A Boot Full of Right Arms".
A former boss of my father's had one of the not publicly released Force 7 model of the P76 which was destined to compete at Bathurst etc until the demise of Leyland.
Perry

Originally posted by numpty
There is an old book written by the late Evan Green, about the trip he did, I think with Jack Murray (Gelignite Jack), and some others. They took an 1800 and a Mini across the Gunbarrel Highway and around the top at the beginning of the wet in the 60's.
Great story and should be available at a library somewhere. Sorry the name escapes me, but an entertaining red.
Perry

I have that book... 2 copies accually.

its a great Read full of Filth from Jacks Potty mouth......

Journeys with Gelignite Jack



Steve

Originally posted by sclarke+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sclarke)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-numpty
There is an old book written by the late Evan Green, about the trip he did, I think with Jack Murray (Gelignite Jack), and some others. They took an 1800 and a Mini across the Gunbarrel Highway and around the top at the beginning of the wet in the 60's.
Great story and should be available at a library somewhere. Sorry the name escapes me, but an entertaining red.
Perry

I have that book... 2 copies accually.

its a great Read full of Filth from Jacks Potty mouth......

Journeys with Gelignite Jack



Steve[/b][/quote]



THere was an extremely funny passage in that............if I remember it was when they were doing there first night of a figure eight crossing of Australia doing a PR for Castrol Oil, They were to take 2 hour shifts during the night and GJ said he would take the first shift.......................it wasn't until Evan Green realised he had done around 4 shifts and there was no daylight that he realised that GJ would wake him as soon as he went to sleep and tell Evan that it was his turn.
GJ was a very colourful character, and is well remembered for his exploits in the famous Redex trials of the fifties.

And Jacks Quote.

"Go out and move that log in the river"

Evan
"Jack, Its a Croc"

Here's a couple of shots from the P76 National Gathering at Cootumundra at Easter.

A couple of Force 7's (drooooool)



Most of the attendees

FenianEel,
That is a very good lookin 76.
Its been 13yrs since I have owned one, I still get very strong pangs to buy another. Maybe when I post back to the city I will buy a project. :roll:

I still rate them as one of the nicest production cars I've driven. the ride quality (over all conditions) of the girls when in good nick is still hard to match, capable long distance cruiser and still nimble enough to punch thru the twisty stuff, and just gobbles up the rough dirt stretch's. I have driven cars that might be slightly nicer over one type of ground or another, but not the whole package. 8)

My father was fanatical about them, I caught the disease from him 8O

Still cant find many of the negative myths that plagued the beast. And I think the shape has stood the test of time.. park them next to the other cars of the day and have todays general public critique the bunch, I dare say the 76 will come up trumps.

Anyway, enough said, but photo's of that red thing just tease me into buying another ops:

this was my 2nd P76

first 1 i bought,was a peel me a grape (purple) 8O 8O in color

bargain at $500