[slotbaker]

Hi all, I'm interested in building 2 cars that Dan the man raced in the 60's and I'm trying to find info on body colours, and livery.

The Impala entered in 2 events in 1961 @ Sivlerstone in May, DNF (broken wheel) in car #37, and July, DNS (due to protest by Jaguar) in car #48.

The Galaxie was only entered in 1 event in 1963 @ Oulton Park, where car #84 took Pole, Fastest Lap, and won the race.

I've done a bit of searching and only found 1 small b&w photo of each.

I'd appreciate any info, and/or photo's that anyone would like to share.

TIA.

 

[Dick Smith]

Hi, I have got the same photos as you of these two cars. The colour of the Impala could be almost any darkish colour with a white/chrome flash down the side

I have also found a picture of the Willment Galaxie at the Oulton Park meeting taken at the same corner as a shot of Dan Gurney in the Alan Brown entered Galaxie. LinkThe Willment Galaxie was famously white with red stripes so I would guess that makes the Gurney Galaxie white.

Hope this helps.

 

[superhornets]

ho guys
if the gurney galaxie was the alan brown one as dick says then it was definately white ,just white, as i remember jim clark driving it at an august bank holiday meet at brands hatch in 1963 and winning the saloon race

cheers tony

 

[slotbaker]

Thanks chaps.

The Impala is my biggest mystery as far as body colour goes, and I'd like to find out.

For the Galaxie, I've pretty much accepted that it is Corinthian White, which was the white for that year on the Galaxie, but I wasn't sure if there were some other livery markings on it as well as the racing numbers. Looks like there wasn't, so I'll go with the white, and just the racing numbers.

Geez, I'd like to see Jim Clark sliding the Galaxie around the track.. The other cars wouldn't stand a chance.

 

[flitbomb]

Saw Dan Gurney driving a maroon Galaxie...towing a white racing Galaxie, from the Brands Hatch paddock. Wasn't room for said Galaxies and my pushbike in Scratchers Lane so I had to dive into the hedge. All the Galaxies, including the Willment car, were off-white, light ivory in colour. I often wonder as to the colour of that Impala!

 

[lowrider]

Dan's still around, Steve.
You could try asking him (or 'his people') directly. I'm sure it wouldn't be the strangest question he's ever fielded.

L.

 

[GT40MKII]

Its a shame your are in Australia. Because they are celebrating his career at the Goodwood Revival in September. this year and he will be there in person as well as a parade of 'his' cars each day. If you still have not any luck by September forward me your questions and contact details and I will try and talk to him.
regards Allan

 

[slotbaker]

Hi Flit.. I've read, that seeing as the BSCC cars (at the time) had to run full interior, Dan wanted to be able to drive the Chev to and from the track, so a few compromises had to be made. I guess he changed his approach with the Galaxie and just towed it to the track. It would have been a big rig travelling down some of the narrow English roads.

G'day Low, I sent an email via the AAR website last December, but nothing came back.
I'll try again.

Thanks Allan, yeah Goodwood sounds like a great event.
There was a similar thing in 2010 at Laguna Seca so I expect many of the same cars will be on display. Maybe if the Chevs and Galaxies that ran in the BSCC are still in England, they might be there as well.

 

[flitbomb]

In the early 60s racing saloons looked pretty standard, inside and out, and certainly many of the privateers drove their cars to the circuit. Out on the track they rolled excessively with squealing tyres at every corner. The Galaxies were well sorted, taut, with little bodyroll so even at a tight track like Crystal Palace they could use their obvious power advantage and pull away from the 3.8 Jags. It was at that track, I believe, that the RAC scrutineers insisted that the Galaxies had their rollcages sawn through so as negate any advantage from stiffening the chassis! Health and Safety wasn't around then, Health and Efficiency was!

 

[Tom Gee]

I too am a Gurney fan and have collected/built over 100 models of his racing cars in all scales (1/43 primarily,some 1/18, 1/32 and 1/25).

I am working on a 1/25 model based on the Lindberg 1961 Impala kit and I can tell you that the correct color is Chevy Midnight Blue Metallic. I have seen footage in one of the Motorfilms Quarterly videos that has some footage from the Silverstone race.

The color is tricky...not deep dark blue but a medium metallic blue. Can order airbrush paint here:

http://www.mcwautomotivefinishes.com/paint/gm.html paint #6105

or rattle can color that is close:

http://www.mcwautomotivefinishes.com/paint/aeronumlist.html #2636 Bright Blue Metallic

interior is blue/light blue (can see examples on internet).

Hope this helps...

 

[slotbaker]

Tom, thanks for chipping in here.

Is the "footage in one of the Motorfilms Quarterly videos that has some footage from the Silverstone race" on-line anywhere or is it available on dvd?
I'd love to see it..

Thanks again.

 

[slotbaker]

I found the dvd on Motorfilm site, and a copy is on it's way to Australia.
Thanks for the lead.