Topic: Solved NIC#646 - Erskine Staride streamliner of Bruce Wood (NZ)

[nicanary]

What is this car?  I'm sorry about the editing - I have a new laptop and the "paint" facility refuses to let me pick the colour I want, and the brush is VERY temperamental. Windows!!!!

[nicanary]

Experts?

[tobytwirl]

Is it antipodean?

[nicanary]

Is it antipodean?

There is a connection. It wasn't built there,but it ended up there, if you see what I mean.

[D-type]

A Cooper-Porsche variant?

[nicanary]

A Cooper-Porsche variant?

No connection to either marque.

[tobytwirl]

It looks vaguely familiar to me. Has it gone UK to Australia and does it have an aero engine?

[nicanary]

It looks vaguely familiar to me. Has it gone UK to Australia and does it have an aero engine?

It has gone from the UK to another part of the Antipodes (Not difficult to work out) but it has never had an aero engine to my knowledge.

[Willie McCrum]

Based on a 500cc F3 - Like a JP for instance...?

[nicanary]

Based on a 500cc F3 - Like a JP for instance...?

Yes, it is based on a well-known F3 marque, but not a JP.

[Willie McCrum]

The very forward seating position suggests Kieft....Or Staride maybe ?No other ideas yet....

[nicanary]

The very forward seating position suggests Kieft....Or Staride maybe ?No other ideas yet....

You are working towards the answer. It is a Staride (or started out as one, that is).

LOCKED for you to find the solution. Who did this conversion?

[Willie McCrum]

Front bodywork looks a bit like one of the Stanton creations, but I know no more I fear. I think you may as well unlock it and I'll watch with interest......

[nicanary]

Front bodywork looks a bit like one of the Stanton creations, but I know no more I fear. I think you may as well unlock it and I'll watch with interest......

Willie - my puzzle smply asked "what is this?". I feel that you have answered my question, so I'm going to give you the point.

The puzzle is now UNLOCKED for any other AP member to tell me who built this car from the original F3 racer.

[Willie McCrum]

Thank you kind Sir !!

[tobytwirl]

Bill Wood used to race the only Staride I know in NZ. It was a Staride 52-JAP ad had those unusual alloy wheels. He sold it to Sid Jensen, a well known kiwi racer, around 1957. Is that where it was converted?

[nicanary]

Bill Wood used to race the only Staride I know in NZ. It was a Staride 52-JAP ad had those unusual alloy wheels. He sold it to Sid Jensen, a well known kiwi racer, around 1957. Is that where it was converted?

This is interesting. This car was not JAP powered, but the name Wood comes into it. The owner was someone with that surname, but a different first name. There is possibly a family connection I suppose.

[tobytwirl]

 It gets worse, my Bill Wood is actually Bruce Wood (my mistake) I suspect Bruce Wood and Brian Wood are one and the same. Either way apparently B. Wood is said to have had the JAP car converted to take a Norton engine, and had a replica glassfibre streamlined body made (the car had allegedly been run at Montlhery in this form by Staride's Mike Erskine and John Hegbourne for record attempts.)
The car was clearly raced often by Mr Wood and apparently sometimes used this alternative bodywork. It was then part exchanged to Sid Jensen who sold it on to someone who fitted it with twin Matchless engines .......the car did not survive the experience.
I have seen records of Bruce Wood racing it between '55 and '58, but only with the JAP engine. From '59 he races the Cooper he bought from Sid Jensen.

[nicanary]

It gets worse, my Bill Wood is actually Bruce Wood (my mistake) I suspect Bruce Wood and Brian Wood are one and the same. Either way apparently B. Wood is said to have had the JAP car converted to take a Norton engine, and had a replica glassfibre streamlined body made (the car had allegedly been run at Montlhery in this form by Staride's Mike Erskine and John Hegbourne for record attempts.)
The car was clearly raced often by Mr Wood and apparently sometimes used this alternative bodywork. It was then part exchanged to Sid Jensen who sold it on to someone who fitted it with twin Matchless engines .......the car did not survive the experience.
I have seen records of Bruce Wood racing it between '55 and '58, but only with the JAP engine. From '59 he races the Cooper he bought from Sid Jensen.

That's more information than I had! You've found the correct car and driver - I had it that the car was purchased from the UK without an engine, and Bruce Wood fitted the Norton and the GRP replica of the record-car bodywork.

Well solved.

[dzima1985]

Unmodified photo, please!

I tried to comply with your request, and found the original source, but the format was "jpe" which cannot be transferred to AP. I cannot understand why I managed to post the image when I found it!

The "coloured" sections of the bodywork have "Staride" written in large letters, which is why I covered them. If I can find another photo I will of course post it.

[tobytwirl]

this should be the image of the Bruce Wood Staride with both sets of bodywork

[dzima1985]

 

[nicanary]

Thanks tobytwirl. The other editors are fully aware that I am IT-illiterate.......

Like most websites we don't normally reveal the identity of our members, but I thought they might like to see what you look like.

[tobytwirl]

you are giving your age away..........I collect the books!