Video - 1983 Best Group C year

[clubbie]

I have just enjoyed a weekend of motorsport overload. as well as enjoying the China V8 Supercar I also watched the entire 1983 Touring Car Championship and Oran Park and Sandown Endurance races in full (except round 1 which was not televised). It's been 22 years since I last watched it and I had almost forgotten how exciting that year was. The battles between the Light and nimble Moffat Mazda, The potent but fragile Nissan Bluebird Turbo, the Big Fat Heavy Falcon XE and the under performing but overdriven Holden Commodores gave us 8 sensational rounds of racing. The one thing V8 Supercars lack is the different types of cars with different strengths and weaknesses.

At the end of 1983 just before the Sandown 500 CAMS gave each manufacturer upgrades to even up the field. Of course everyone complained they did not get enough but what the fans got was the best looking, sounding and performing touring cars of the Group C era. With Just over 12 months to go before the Big Bangers were relegated to the history books the big thundering beasts made there final evolutionary step before hitting the circuits for the 1984 and final Group C season.

I have made up a very quick video (better one to follow) from practice day at the 1983 Sandown 400 that gives us a great look at each of the main cars.

The video is almost 7 minutes long and 10 meg.

I also threw in some shots of the Sandown track (you younger ones will be amazed) and a young Neil Crompton in a very strange looking pair of tight jeans.

Enjoy. I know I did.

http://www.shoalhaven.net.au/~motorsport/rof/page8/ video12wmv.wmv

[wayno]

Good stuff mate. Got a DVD recorder myself and have been starting to transfer some stuff myself. I don't know how you find the time to do it!
I've been taking a different angle to you and have been chasing older f1 stuff. Have managed to get bits and pieces back to 1984 so far. I'll send you a full list soon.
Might be a chance to do some trading in the next few months!

[bigdave]

thanks for the clip

i need to buy a dvd recorder, at the moment my tapes are being recoerded on my PC (Video Capture card) and then they need to be re-encoded(takes around 15-20hrs for a full dvd) and then burnt to dvd, the one step dvd recorder would be so much easyer.

[toad]

Crompton looks great in jodpurs and gumboots. Nice touch.

[clubbie]

Big Dave

That's the way I used to do it. You will fond taht when you get a DVD recorder the quality is sooo much better you will end up doing all your stuff again.

[TBVX05]

I wish it was the race instead of practice! Nevertheless, great to see and old videio again.

Look at the flooding and the condition of the pits etc! :cool:

[toad]

The pits were a mess. And the track is a different shape around the old pit exit and turn onto the back straight. There are an extra couple of corners in there now.

[REDVRSS]

Thanks for sharing the Video, Clubbie, they are gold.


There doesnt appear to be any run off at the end of the main straight either.

I heard that once, I think in the 70's , that a car went off up the back straight and into the creek? By the looks of the safety barriers (or lack of) where the bridge is it looks rather possible.


Cheers,

Paul.

[clubbie]

I'm working on a higlights clip at the moment of the racing from that year I just wanted to show you the older cars.

Righht at the begining of the video you see a couple of crashes on the old bridge that use to be ther. It was a fantastic part of the track but really dangerous.

Should have something better uploaded soon.

Can't wait to get my teeth into 1984. How good does DJ's car look with those 19" rear wheels.

[bigdave]

Originally posted by clubbie
I'm working on a higlights clip at the moment of the racing from that year I just wanted to show you the older cars.

Righht at the begining of the video you see a couple of crashes on the old bridge that use to be ther. It was a fantastic part of the track but really dangerous.

Should have something better uploaded soon.

Can't wait to get my teeth into 1984. How good does DJ's car look with those 19" rear wheels.

cant wait for the highlights clip. and yes DJ's car looks SMOKIN':D

[TBVX05]

Clubbie quote:

Can't wait to get my teeth into 1984....


Especially Bathurst, HDT 1-2! :cool:

[szwadiak100]

Great clip. The Brock VH was a sensational looking car, and in its '83 guise, as seen in the clip, I think it looked as good as the '84 VKs.

[Kiwiracing]

Great video, love seeing the "old" stuff:D

Was Fury really trying to warm his tires on the back straight, in the middle of practice??????????

Cheers
Kiwiracing

[singer]

Great work Clubbie. Thank you.

Seeing the Turbo Bluebirds reminds me of a time long ago when I drove one of them:D

[awawaw]

Originally posted by TBVX05
I wish it was the race instead of practice! Nevertheless, great to see and old videio again.

Look at the flooding and the condition of the pits etc! :cool:

not if your a dick johnson fan. that the only time you get to see the big green falcon as he only does one lap of the race. i too have this race in full and the 82 race. i have the full 84 season and 2 or 3 83 races. one of the best races is round 7 adelaide raceway 84. brock grice and johnson having a red hot go over the last 5-10 laps. great stuff.

[awawaw]

Originally posted by szwadiak100
Great clip. The Brock VH was a sensational looking car, and in its '83 guise, as seen in the clip, I think it looked as good as the '84 VKs.

didnt like it at the time, but now i think its ok. not great though. i still like the 77-82 look

[racer69]

Fantastic stuff. Was great that the ABC gave so much time and attention to practice.

Is it just me or does the ABC Sports intro still send shivers up the spine (like the early 80s Channel 7 Hardies Heroes theme) after all these years

[Martin Thomas]

Originally posted by racer69
Fantastic stuff. Was great that the ABC gave so much time and attention to practice.

Is it just me or does the ABC Sports intro still send shivers up the spine (like the early 80s Channel 7 Hardies Heroes theme) after all these years

No, it's not just you....:D

[wayno]

Originally posted by Martin Thomas
No, it's not just you....:D

Disagree. Might be the fact that I'm not a young man anymore! :p

[Goodwrench3]

I've got Lakeside '83 on VHS - sort of. About ten years ago I was rewinding it and when it got to the start of the tape it came off the spool! I've kept it in the hope of being able to repair it someday. I haven't tried for about 10 years mind you!
Before it broke I dubbed the highlights onto another tape. It was a sensational performance by Brock in the rain.
The '84 Adelaide Championship final round mentioned earlier was fantastic, a pity I no longer have a copy. As a young bloke the Grice-Brock-Dick battle really captured the imagination. I'd pay good money for a copy of it on DVD.