The Mongoose

[Slow M]

A while ago, this car came up, in one of the classic threads. I believe one of you identified it as The Mongoose. It's for sale.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/motorsport/...

Best,
B.

[prideaux]

Slow M said:

A while ago, this car came up, in one of the classic threads. I believe one of you identified it as The Mongoose. It's for sale.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/motorsport/...

Best,
B.

Well I guess being Slow M gives you a get out Bernard but that was yesterdays news

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
A

[Slow M]

John has a penchant for being first.

I really need to visit more often, but I'm actually triying to work, . . . at work.

Best,
B.

[GAjon]

Tommy Entwistles car is called the 'Gem' (the one for sale). I've only ever seen pencil sketches of the Vandervell Mongoose V8 on pages 110 & 111 of 'Success Against the Odds'.

Hows your car coming along Bernard?

Edited by GAjon on Saturday 1st August 07:43

[Dollyman1850]

http://www.nigelreubenracing.com/mongoose.php

Not sure what it looks like at the mo. But Mike Wroe pretty much returned the car to Griffith 400 (shape) spec, albeit with Granada hubs etc etc.
I have a few photos of it in this later spec.

The link above has a rare colour shot of it in period..

During its Vandervell era there is an interesting story about an air duct on the car which got the nickname vendervels orrifice…


Apparently Clive Vandervell asked Frank Costin what a certain duct did and frank answered it allows air flow. Clive then asked which way the air flowed to which Frank answered he wasn't sure and that for that particular area of the car he was only interested in air circulation and that it did circulate…One way or t'other… Clive Vandervel thought this funny and requested that the cooling duct was named Vandervells orrifice from then on in..

I have heard of this story being attributed to Tony Vandervell with a Vanwall but also Clive (Tony's son) with the Vandervell special aka the Mongoose

Pics of the car when owned by Mike Wroe.





I've a feeling that this car now runs with reg JNP 617C in an ice blue colour but could not say for certain.

N

Edited by Dollyman1850 on Saturday 1st August 07:57

Edited by Dollyman1850 on Saturday 1st August 08:06

Edited by Dollyman1850 on Saturday 1st August 08:21

[GAjon]

Can you offer a potted history of the Gem please Neil???

[Dollyman1850]

GAjon said:

Can you offer a potted history of the Gem please Neil???

I do know that it was clothed in an Aluminium body originally and the current body is fibreglass.. The aluminium body still exists somewhere.
The best person to speak to with that particular car would be Hivesy..He was Tommy's mechanic when they raced for many years..

I was on the phone with Credit card in hand…probably lucky for me someone else beat me to it..

It will be pig ugly to some but this car has a wealth of proper TVR history
I always loved seeing this car when it was out in the early 90's

Last time I saw it race was Anglesey I think in CSCC

N.

Edited by Dollyman1850 on Saturday 1st August 08:48

[Slow M]

GAjon said:

Hows your car coming along Bernard?

It's going well, John, now that David's been moving it forward.

It's off to the exhaust shop, in a week.

Might be operable before 2016.

Best regards,
Bernard

[GAjon]

Slow M said:

t's going well, John, now that David's been moving it forward.

It's off to the exhaust shop, in a week.

Might be operable before 2016.

Best regards,
Bernard

Have you sublet the work Bernard or let the car go?

[thicksliced]

Cholmondeley Pageant of Power 2008

[Everilda]

[quote=Dollyman1850]http://www.nigelreubenracing.com/mongoose.php

Not sure what it looks like at the mo. But Mike Wroe pretty much returned the car to Griffith 400 (shape) spec, albeit with Granada hubs etc etc.
I have a few photos of it in this later spec.

The link above has a rare colour shot of it in period..

During its Vandervell era there is an interesting story about an air duct on the car which got the nickname vendervels orrifice…


Apparently Clive Vandervell asked Frank Costin what a certain duct did and frank answered it allows air flow. Clive then asked which way the air flowed to which Frank answered he wasn't sure and that for that particular area of the car he was only interested in air circulation and that it did circulate…One way or t'other… Clive Vandervel thought this funny and requested that the cooling duct was named Vandervells orrifice from then on in..

I have heard of this story being attributed to Tony Vandervell with a Vanwall but also Clive (Tony's son) with the Vandervell special aka the Mongoose

Pics of the car when owned by Mike Wroe.





I've a feeling that this car now runs with reg JNP 617C in an ice blue colour but could not say for certain.

N


The Mongoose, as you can see if you read the writeup in the quoted link, is untouched since being bought from Mike Wroe, JNP 617C is totally different car.

[Dollyman1850]

Everilda said:

Dollyman1850 said:

http://www.nigelreubenracing.com/mongoose.php

Not sure what it looks like at the mo. But Mike Wroe pretty much returned the car to Griffith 400 (shape) spec, albeit with Granada hubs etc etc.
I have a few photos of it in this later spec.

The link above has a rare colour shot of it in period..

During its Vandervell era there is an interesting story about an air duct on the car which got the nickname vendervels orrifice…


Apparently Clive Vandervell asked Frank Costin what a certain duct did and frank answered it allows air flow. Clive then asked which way the air flowed to which Frank answered he wasn't sure and that for that particular area of the car he was only interested in air circulation and that it did circulate…One way or t'other… Clive Vandervel thought this funny and requested that the cooling duct was named Vandervells orrifice from then on in..

I have heard of this story being attributed to Tony Vandervell with a Vanwall but also Clive (Tony's son) with the Vandervell special aka the Mongoose

Pics of the car when owned by Mike Wroe.





I've a feeling that this car now runs with reg JNP 617C in an ice blue colour but could not say for certain.

N


The Mongoose, as you can see if you read the writeup in the quoted link, is untouched since being bought from Mike Wroe, JNP 617C is totally different car.

It was never totally untouched.. It has continuous history but has been rebuilt several times over the years..last time I saw the car in the flesh when Mike Rowe had it it had just been given standard -ish bodywork all be it with flared rear arches. It also had significantly non std brakes and suspension..All entirely appropriate for its history as a continuously developed racing car.. i have plenty of pics of the underside of this car with its Granada front end and Jag based rear.. I know Mike Whitaker now owns it so he must have a couple of Griffs these days..it would be good to see it put back into its 60's spec as it ran with David Plumstead and later on Clive Vandervell. If it is still running its original body it must be quite thick by now.

it would be a shame to see it made into another EHM paul Clone but regrettably this is a situation the Fia have caused with their insistence that that shape is the only body style with international period provenance.

Good to hear it is still largely untouched.

N.


N.

Edited by Dollyman1850 on Saturday 1st August 13:16

Edited by Dollyman1850 on Saturday 1st August 13:18