The Tru-Blu XD

[Henry]

Doug's excellent feature sparked a few little tidbits that I thought might make for a decent trivia question, since nobody's been to play for a while!

The 1981-2 ATCC winner had several connections with its predecessor, aside from minor ( ) things like mechanicals; in it's 1983 Bathurst appearance, Roy McDonald oversaw Alf Grant's campaign, rather than looking after the green XE (there were quite enough people there that year on it I think). In 1984, it's last Bathurst, it shared a couple of other significant links to DJR's past. While it might seem like a very obscure connection, if you can see the connection I'm hinting at, POST AWAY! I can see Rob18 and bigcol hitting the jackpot in the next five minutes!

 

[Rob 18]

Henry, tricky one. I've thought about this 4 a couple of days & you've stated the obvious connections with Roy moving over in 83 & #27 being the same chassis as #17, so the only other connection I can see is the signage on the cars being TRU-BLU & Bryan Byrt Ford.
Also, to show what a good race car this was, #27 was the first Falcon home 7th in the 83 James Hardie 1000 & finished 10th & 2nd Falcon home in 84, with Alf sharing driving duties with a young Craig Harris who was later to buy the "Blue roof AU" from DJR at the end of the 2000 Qld 500.

 

[Henry]

Not only was the car sponsored by Bryan Byrt Ford in 1984, the team was managed by one John Harris, dealer principal, who had arranged for one Dick Johnson to take delivery of an ex-Maryborough police XD in 1980, and started the whole fairytale. His son Craig co-drove in the car's last Bathurst appearance. The "Tru-Blu" signage on the car in Alf's hands was (IIRC) the name of the real estate venture in which he was a partner with a little-known racing identity called Dick Johnson. Do I recall that Dick drove the XD in the last enduro in 1983? or was I dreamin'?

 

[Rob 18]

No, you were'nt dreamin Henry, thats one I remember 4 sure. Teamed with Alf Grant DJ qualified 4th in the ol girl & even led the race briefly after the retirement of Peter Brock berore eventually retireing with gearbox problems on lap 55 with Alf at the wheel.

 

[Henry]

That's right! When you mentioned the gearbox failure it reinforced it in my mind. Good race car that one

 

[TRU BLU]

I think it was towards the end of the 1980 season there was a round of the endurance championship at Surfers Paradise. Dick had no car as the Tru Blu xd had been destroyed when it hit the rock at Bathurst. Dick raced a green xd. Who owned it?

 

[Rob 18]

Graham Moore. King George Tavern XD.

 

[Henry]

JOE Moore, King George Tavern XD, it lead the Surfer enduro, courtesy of its transplanted DJR donk, but retired due to what?

Interesting footnote, BTW, that Dick drove one of the cars that shortened the JH1000 the following year, whicxh ulitmately, given hindsight, robbed DJ of what would've been his only final stint in the winning car.

 

[TRU BLU]

Was it over heating

 

[Doug]

Overheating was the prob I think, but I was almost certain (is that like being a lil bit pregnant?) that the car Chris Gibson was in was built new, as was Bobby Morris's.

 

[Rob 18]

quote:Originally posted by Rob 18

Graham Moore. King George Tavern XD.

Sorry people, Right XD, Wrong Moore.

 

[Henry]

OK, I wasn't sure if the KGT car for 81 was a new one. Bob Morris' 81 was certainly was... and it was engineered by a guy who has engineered a wide and varied array of competiton cars... including a DJR one - who was this man?

 

[TRU BLU]

Was it George Sheppard

 

[Doug]

What was this much fancied engineer's nickname, and why?

 

[Henry]

It was certainly him... as to his nickname, haven't a clue!

 

[Doug]

If you watch the TruBlu video or look at a pic of George, the nickname of "tangletooth" becomes quite obvious[]

 

[Henry]

This is true. As Romsey Quints once said of the late Paul Higgins: " he could eat an apple though a picket fence". Sorry George!