Heron Mk4

[Neil_t]

Hi Guys

Heron Cars

Just came across the above web page, a quite interesting MK4 rep. I did a search and could not find a mention of it anywhere on this forum, figured you chaps may find it interesting.

Cheers

Neil_t

 

[Jac Mac]

Thanks Neil, just mentioned that car to Fran recently, somewhere in the text it suggests that car is now in the USA I think.

Sooooo was a Kiwi actually the first to attempt a MKIV Replica then?? Maybe not , I seem to remember a white/blue MKIV Replica on a european website of cars for sale.

Jac Mac

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

With a Chevy....

There was a loose replica car for sale in France a couple of years ago with a Chevy engine...I wonder if it is the same one in a different colour...

http://www.mecanicimport.com/English/next.aspx?CarID=GT 40 MK 4&Naam=Replica&id=9

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

you spying on me Jac????
Comparing the pics and looking at the rear chassis crossmember and headers along with the ducting ...I would say that both cars are one and the same...?????

 

[Gregg]

I just looked at the pictures and to me, the entire body is incorrect. The nose is too flat, roof is too broad and flat, ducts in the doors - too flat and straight, the tail well, the side behind the air duct too flat/sharp and not proper dimension. Need I say more. Just my two cents.

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

Thats 02c well spent....boy you are good value for money...

 

[Gregg]

Especially to the Europeans. I'm like, what, half price! Since I have a soft spot in my heart for Jac, I won't even charge him for my observation. All others, please send your penny or two to Ron.

 

[Jac Mac]

you spying on me Jac????
Comparing the pics and looking at the rear chassis crossmember and headers along with the ducting ...I would say that both cars are one and the same...?????

Got a direct feed from the 'Google' camera Fran, betcha get annoyed with the trains goin past all the time!

Gregg, I believe car was built some time ago, bit like the Stanton Coupe which was modeled on the Daytona from magazine pics etc, the shape gets a bit lost in the translation so to speak- I Know!!---- Actually with your eye for MKIV details I see one in your future plans.

Jac Mac

 

[Gregg]

Got a direct feed from the 'Google' camera Fran, betcha get annoyed with the trains goin past all the time!

Jac Mac

I don't know Jac. The sound of the passing trains tends to drown out the screams coming from Fran's place. Any footage of the rear of the building? Particularly the room which has the "oversized" doggie door? Just checking up on a rumor.

 

[Jac Mac]

I don't know Jac. The sound of the passing trains tends to drown out the screams coming from Fran's place. Any footage of the rear of the building? Particularly the room which has the "oversized" doggie door? Just checking up on a rumor.

From the remuneration package he claims to have offered me recently I imagine the screams are the result of his 'cat o nine tails' incentive scheme. Dunno about the 'doggie door' but there is a growing mound of some white substance that had me puzzled, until I realised what it was!!!!

HA Haa HAAAAAA, I just clicked, you mean like the porthole in a 'shearing shed', Hee-Hee.

Jac Mac

 

[Keith]

I love they way they just sat down and "drew the plans for the monocoque and then made it" and "made our own gearbox".

They make it sound so easy and they did all this in only 1 year, so what's everybody going on about, eh?

 

[Russ Noble]

Well the article said built in 1967 and also said work on it was shelved when the class rules were changed to 2 litre max. But that didn't happen until 1973. So presumably the build was started in 1967 but had not been completed by 1973.

Starting from scratch and doing things like building your own transaxle always takes time. Probably not the way to go if you are trying to build something to compete in a current championship.

But that often enough was the Kiwi way, in the days when imports of cars and parts were restricted (and almost everything else). NZers had to make do with what they could build or fix for themselves. Pre internet, pre credit card. It's all relatively easy these days.

I remember in the early 1970's blowing up my Brabham Twin Cam motor and needing new pistons. Nothing available in NZ and not able to get an import licence for new ones. I had to get a mate in Aussie to buy a set of Repco pistons and post them into the country individually on different days as gifts to four of my other mates in four different cities around the country. Once received then they just posted them on to me. QED. The good thing with rules and systems is there's always a way round them!

Interestingly a Heron Twin Cam (Ford), scaled down spaceframe M8 sort of thing finished 5th in the SCANZ Sports Car Championship in that first 2 litre season 1973/4.

Cheers

 

[Jim Cowden]

I remember watching a TV peice on this car many years ago, about the time you think Russ mid 70s maybe.
I remember the gearbox story.

By the way Russ I am saving up more email material for you.

Jim

 

[Jac Mac]

By the way Russ I am saving up more email material for you.

Jim

Oh No, thanks for the advance warning. Time to censor!

Jac Mac

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

Russ,
The tax people monitor this site and are on the way to collect the duty, taxes AND penalties!

 

[Russ Noble]

Rick,

If all they can nail me on is the pistons then I'll be doing alright! Besides in those days circumventing the import licensing was almost a national sport. Everybody pitched in to help!

A lot of genuine factory racecars 'lost' their ID and became something else for the same reasons. Some guys would somehow get later model cars, often brought in as 'parts' by kiwi mechanics returning as part of teams for the Tasman Series. They would then use the papers, registration number etc of the old car to legitimise the new one. The old one would then continue to be raced by a new owner on the papers from a written off Cortina or similar. By then no govt body had an interest in the old car. And the promoting clubs were not concerned so long as there was a registration plate of some sort for each car. They never checked that the description matched the car. It wasn't their job to enforce govt regulations. Of course, that now makes proving some of these cars are genuine cars for historic racing purposes something of a mission.

Sorry for the thread drift.

 

[Bill Bayard]

To satisfy my own curiosity about the "provenance" of the Belgian MKIV replica, I sent the Mecanic Import link to the Heron e-mail address. Sure enough, the Belgian car IS the one and only Heron MKIV.

The builder has been trying to find the car since shortly after he sold it in the 90's, but had no clue as to it's location. Case solved!

I do love a mystery!

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

Mechanic has some cool cars on thier site,lots seem to be photographed in a very similar location...must be quite a showroom...

 

[Dave Wood]

The ad that Fran posted lists it having a Big Block Ford (although it is clearly a Chev), and it says it uses a CHRIS CRAFT tranaxle. Has anyone else thought of using a boat trans axle before,LOL. Whoever is/was selling the car was/is pretty ill-informed.