Graham Withers Ampol AA/FD

[Retro Boy]

Howdy
Has anyone got some colour photos of Graham Withers Ampol GT AA/FD. It was on the cover of The Australian Hot Rodding Review in December 1969 I think. In fact any photos of it when it was White with Red & Blue stripes?
Cheers
Tony

[THOMMO]

Gday Retro

These old Ampol ads show a painting from that era, I hope it helps.





Cheers
Jeff

[THOMMO]

Another version

[THOMMO]

Early one from Brooksfield

[smee]

Off subject a little, but does anyone know who originally built the Ampol GT dragster. I think it was locally built. C'mon Bob you should know!!!

[Andyd]

That last pic is a nice clear shot showing the Scott crank driven fuel pump.........I was looking for a decent pic to help with the 1/25th scale model I was building..........have all the decals and various other bits.......might get back into it now....thanks........andyd

[Retro Boy]

Off subject a little, but does anyone know who originally built the Ampol GT dragster. I think it was locally built. C'mon Bob you should know!!!

I was just a kid then but I remember reading later on that Withers was still welding bits onto that VE Valiant Funny Car just as they were going to make its first passes, so is it too much of a stretch to think that GW did it himself?
Cheers

[slightlydangerous]

Dont know who originally built it , but Pete Allan crashed it and a few mths latter Graham Withers wrote it off and a new chassis was built by Withers .

Hussey pranged it as well .... was crashed 4 times . i was reading a write up about it a while back i'll try and find it and post

[smee]

SD, Would love to see that article if you could find it. That car and the Trojan Horse were the biggest influence on me. "Just hooked on Nitro from that moment on."

[Nailhead Bucket]

SD, Would love to see that article if you could find it. That car and the Trojan Horse were the biggest influence on me. "Just hooked on Nitro from that moment on."

I remember the Trojan Horse. What a time that was.
We were so hooked on funny cars after it appeared at CID. My mate and I hung around and helped the two yanks load it onto an open trailer. They were asking about which direction to go to Surfers.
These two blokes sat in the pits and regailed us with tails of US Funny Car racing in the US. We were spellbound. I noticed the plexi windshield was crazed and asked how he sees to drive. The response was "I just look up and follow the track lights".
I got home at sunrise. Great times.

[slightlydangerous]

[Mr Model A]

interesting to read that account of the accidents, I was there for both and there certainly was a nervous tension in the crowd
when the rail crashed at the end we all went quiet, and thought shit, that didn't look good

[Bob Honeybrook]

I think the first chassis was a Kellison from the USA, it was rebuilt many times over the ensuing years.

[smee]

It certainly was a nice looking rail. Wither's must have been a pretty good fabricator. I wonder if it was the same chassis that the Hussey's ran. Do you know, Bob?

[Bob Honeybrook]

Only Graham Withers would know the answer to that Smee, it was crashed that many times I doubt any of the original rail was left. The frame as last run by the Hussey Bros is in northern NSW.