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Author Topic: Baggy Joe? ... was that you, Andy?  (Read 6928 times)
Fred
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Posts: 81


Location: Northern Ireland


« on: August 01, 2010, 11:07:30 pm »

Spotted a yellow Bagheera in the background of this shot from the 2009 Retro Rides Gathering at the Haynes Motor Museum ...



Thread:
http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=rrg09&action=display&thread=67114
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1978 Matra Simca Bagheera S  |  1979 Matra Simca Bagheera S  |  1994 Saab 9000 Aero
andyowl
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Posts: 456


New exhaust "straight through" - good sound!


« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2010, 09:07:29 am »

It certainly is Baggy Joe! Well spotted!

Mick Ward of the Simca Club organised the "stand" and I was one of several members who attended although the only Matra-Simca present.

The magazine "Practical Performance Car" was the sponsor of the event and before that I had not seen the magazine. Its aim is  "Performance Tuning for Grown-Ups". There was an amazing array of cars most of which had been modified in some way e.g. performance, cosmetic or just plain restored. The Ford Consul Capri in the foreground is a good example with its strange tail lights-exhaust outlets. But what a great finish? My favourite was a Vauxhall Cavalier which had "Nitrous Oxide" boost equipment added to the non-original Turbo-Charger. The exterior was standard and there was no obvious clue as to what was under the bonnet". A true "Wolf in sheep's clothing". A bit like the 3.5Litre Rover V8 I always planned for my Morris Minor in the 1960's and never built!

The Haynes Test Track was open if you wanted to see what your car would really do - rather than just boast about it. I settled for a run on the mobile Rolling Road to see what power the Simca engine in Baggy Joe was producing. I used the same machine at its normal base near Stanstead Airport to check again after we had fitted the supercharger.

Experts and enthusiasts in car "Originality" would not have enjoyed themselves. Most cars were driven there although some, including Baggy Joe, arrived by trailer.

Would I go again? Probably yes! It is quite a long trip from SW London but driving in the early morning on a summer Sunday is never a chore. Getting home was another story with heavy traffic on the A303. I diverted onto the old A30 and had a much nicer trip (although I ignored the directions from the SatNav and finished up close to Southampton!)

I can also recommend the magazine and I purchsed a subscription at the NEC Classic Car show last year. Seeing how other people's ideas are put into action is very interesting and the workmanship has to be seen to be believed. Gives me something to aim at! Ship's engineers like me are happy if something works OK and are not too fussy as to how it looks. When your "working" car goes on show you realise how scruffy it is. Motivation is handy sometimes!

The magazine also organises track days for very modest money. I went to Mallory Park on one of their events but missed their later Cadwell Park  trip.

Try it if you see the mag on a bookshelf. Check if you are still young enough (or confident enough) to enjoy being different! Keeps you young!

Andy
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Fred
Full Member
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Posts: 81


Location: Northern Ireland


« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2010, 11:25:26 pm »

Mick Ward of the Simca Club organised the "stand" and I was one of several members who attended although the only Matra-Simca present.
The chap I bought my Bagheera from mentioned Mick Ward.  I think he said that Mick had a non-standard Bagheera which he restored and may have and engine conversion (?), perhaps I'm wrong. 

The magazine "Practical Performance Car" was the sponsor of the event and before that I had not seen the magazine. Its aim is  "Performance Tuning for Grown-Ups". There was an amazing array of cars most of which had been modified in some way e.g. performance, cosmetic or just plain restored. The Ford Consul Capri in the foreground is a good example with its strange tail lights-exhaust outlets. But what a great finish? My favourite was a Vauxhall Cavalier which had "Nitrous Oxide" boost equipment added to the non-original Turbo-Charger. The exterior was standard and there was no obvious clue as to what was under the bonnet". A true "Wolf in sheep's clothing". A bit like the 3.5Litre Rover V8 I always planned for my Morris Minor in the 1960's and never built!
I remember when I was a lad I used to drool over a V8 Rover powered Minor - a hillclimb car which was featured in the likes of Car & Car Conversions and was owned by a chap called Nick Mann:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUu5eJPEigw

Experts and enthusiasts in car "Originality" would not have enjoyed themselves. Most cars were driven there although some, including Baggy Joe, arrived by trailer.
I'm broadminded enough to tolerate a little 'sympathetic' modifying of rarer cars and a more 'anything goes' attitude to the common stuff.  Wink  It's amazing to think of how many Escorts and Beetles were chopped up in the 70's and 80's to build kit cars.  Certainly wouldn't happen now!

I can also recommend the magazine and I purchsed a subscription at the NEC Classic Car show last year. Seeing how other people's ideas are put into action is very interesting and the workmanship has to be seen to be believed. Gives me something to aim at! Ship's engineers like me are happy if something works OK and are not too fussy as to how it looks. When your "working" car goes on show you realise how scruffy it is. Motivation is handy sometimes!

The magazine also organises track days for very modest money. I went to Mallory Park on one of their events but missed their later Cadwell Park  trip.

Try it if you see the mag on a bookshelf. Check if you are still young enough (or confident enough) to enjoy being different! Keeps you young!
I will look out for the magazine.  I've more or less stopped buying magazines now because I've always been a bit of a hoarder and have a large aount of older stuff.  If I want to check something now, I try to save money and space by finding it online. 

I would say that am fussy about how things look but lack the mechanical know-how, equipment and space to carry out most of what I'd like to achieve.  I've just started getting hands-on with cars quite recently and wish I'd begun twenty-five years ago!  It gets frustrating (and expensive) paying other people to do things I'd like to be able to do myself and, with the sort of cars that interest me, I really could do with the practical skills.  I certainly do enjoy being different, or at least, have a taste for the non-mainstream or obscure when it comes to many things. 

Thanks for the reply Andy, a good read as always.  Cool
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1978 Matra Simca Bagheera S  |  1979 Matra Simca Bagheera S  |  1994 Saab 9000 Aero
andyowl
Sr. Member
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Posts: 456


New exhaust "straight through" - good sound!


« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2010, 08:51:40 am »

Fred wrote... The chap I bought my Bagheera from mentioned Mick Ward.  I think he said that Mick had a non-standard Bagheera which he restored and may have and engine conversion (?), perhaps I'm wrong. 

Mick Ward does indeed restore and modify Simca and Matra cars. "Prolific" would be the word! His present project is his FIMCA. A Fiat 133 with a tuned Simca 1294 engine in the back. He is preparing it for a £999 competition organised by PPC. To quote from a recent email he sent to me... 
From Mick Ward..  I've just fitted new bearings and a better crank to the 1294 engine that expired at Mallory Park in late 2009.  I have fitted it into my little FIAT 133 that I am entering for next month's PPC £999 Challenge on 17th September at Santa Pod. ....   My 'FIMCA' project is nearly there but has thrown up a lot of access problems.  The 1294 SIMCA 1000 engine fits in the rear end with all the original outer panels in place..(although it will be tempting to run it with the lid propped open 'Abarth style'..)....... but things are tight in the engine bay and I've had to cut access hatches everywhere.  Still, as an ex Bagheera owner, engine access problems should be second nature.  It should be worth it though.  100ish bhp from the 1294 in place of the 33 from the original 850 should liven things up a bit.... and, yes I have uprated the brakes and suspension to cope.....

See what I mean??

Andy
 
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