hi all,

some help needed.

i have bought a 10 stud blown ulster, REG JJ5855.

it is on the old list of known sports cars. as owned by tom bowhill.

but not on the gaydon lists.

it has spent around the last 30 years in germany.

what i am looking for is any of its known past history.

there should be some pics to follow wich show it current state.

thanks tony

Can't help with the history Tony but would love to some photos!

I've not seen this car since the 70's.

It's was one of the last handful made, 1931 and not registered 'til Feb 1933, B4 series with all the best bits.

The B4 ledger is unfortunately no longer in existence.



JJ at a 750mc South London Centre event at Frylands Wood. (Scan from a 40 year old slide)

Tom Bowhill in dark blue shirt, Ron Garside in the background in white shirt.

thanks damian,

and thank you for the picture henry, if you have any more. or any other info on the car, would love to put some history to it.

the car looks nothing like this at the momment, but all the nice bits are still there.

thanks tony

If I recall right Tom Bowhill went into limited production of Ulster bodies and his Ulster was fitted with one of them. He had several Delages after he sold the Ulster.

Lucky chap Tony. 10 stud blown. Hmm

Interested about the body comment because my new blown car originated from the Bristol area (Dave Woods started it) and since Tom Bowhill was near Cheltenham I wnder if it has one of his bodies. Any identifying characteristics on these bodies?

Charles

My cars body was repaired/reskinned by him,early 90's.
I would identify a good accurate body by,
The sill area,where the running boards would attach being parallel to the floor and radiusing up at the front,about the last 6".
The correct gauge of aluminium.
The correct radius of the rolled edge around the cockpit.
The tail,I believe could have differed originally (5 different versions?)

Two of the leading body manufacturers don't.

Tom Bowhill. I believe ,did all 3 of the important points I've noted above but my car,already done, came with a rather bulbus tail (Not helped by 3" positive camber on the rear springs and 1-2" negative in the front one,giving a down in the weeds look)Hot rodding term.

Couldn't understand why he filled in the "Tee" in the floor,where the bell housing protrudes,and left 3 layers of metal where the floor had been repaired in rear cross member mount area.
He had a genuine car himself,didn't he?
I'd say you are a lucky man too Tony!

Tony's pictures...

hi R,

many thanks for putting the pictures on for me.

these pictures show the car hopefully in the worst condition it will ever be in. stacked into the back of a vivaro.

as shown the car comes with a spare original unblown engine. there is also a non original blown engine built i understand by stuart rolt.

when i get the ulster out of the van, i`ll get some more pictures of it in one piece.

as for the body, i understand it may have had doors fitted at one stage. the body was then put back to standard. at first glance it looks like the floor and bulkhead are original. the rest of the aluminium has good age, but i dont know how old until its out of the van for closer inspection.

thanks tony

Hi Tony,

If you need the space I'll give you a tenner for it.

Very nice.

Location: Soggy Hereford

hi mike,

thanks for the generous offer.

i could do with the space, i have at least 5 other cars coming in over the next few weeks.

seems like there is a lot coming up for sale at the momment.

sadly people want more than a tenner though when selling.

i can put you onto an RK saloon for sale in your area. in bits, parts missing, price wanted by owner £11,000.

thanks tony

It looks great Tony - well done on a great discovery..

Just reward for someone who does so much for the Austin Seven Movement (as long as you keep prices low !)

Well done Tony, you've truly found the 'Holy Grail' of A7s ! If you need any photos of another original one, you know where to come. Regards James

Location: Ferring West Sussex

thanks damian,

and thanks james.

and yes i`m keeping the prices as low as i can.

i know many companies used to want 100% profit, most of my items are currently half this or less. especially the items i have to finish off by hand. the castings are the same.

the only casting that has gone up in price this year, is the oil filter. but this is because the buy in price has jumped up.

brake drums may have to go up a little this year, (first time in 4-5 years) i received a letter from the casting company in December explaining they are putting prices up by 4%. this is on top of regular emissions price risses.

sorry to bore everyone with the details.

and yes i could do with dropping in sometime for some photos, to see how to put this jigsaw back together properly.

thanks tony

Tom Bowhill gave me a ride in an Ulster, at Stanford Hall some time in the '70s. Said it was blown originally. It was painted red at that time. Is this the same one?

hi robin, good to here from you.

it could well be the same car.

this is why i`m trying to fill in some history info.

the picture of the list above shows the car as the blown engine is in BITS. i understand this list to be from the 1980s.

it seems strange that from the 1970s to the 1980s the car has had so many changes and ended up in this condition when sold to germany in the 1980s.

so any help at all on the cars history will help.

i dont have all of the car and other parts back yet, as the car is part of a 6 car purchase. and the V5 and buff log book is with the next load. it may supply a few answers.

also if anyone wants details on the other 5 cars, (1929 chummy,mk2 pearl,ulster rep,ashley special.c cab van body wings chassis) please email me.

thanks tony

The Ulster Register list was prepared in the early 1970's.

Nice to see Bill Barbet's car getting a mention!

This particular car though heavily modified over the years he raced it, is now back on the road after a recent rebuild.

Oh and by the way congratulations Tony, what a great find!

Location: Near Bicester.

thank you ivor,

finally got the car of the back of the van today, just got to find somewere to put it know

the floor on the body is all original, the tunnel is marked 166.

the aluminium, is original on the bulkhead and the tail. and repaired in between.

there is also the cars last tax disc on the windscreen, for 1978.

thanks tony

Hi all,

Collected the last to cars from Germany today.

And with them came the documents for the blown Ulster.

If anyone can help, I'm still trying to find more of its history, it may already be lost. But if I don't chass after the cars history now it will be lost for future owners.

The paperwork came with an old buff log book going back to 1953.

If anyone knows any of the previous owner. Or if they are still with us.

Or Evan family members who may have old pics of the car.

Augusta ricciardi owner 8/9/53
Stuart Robert James owner 3/3/55
Bryan Walter cook owner 29/9/56
Michael Douglas sitee owner 7/11/??
John perry an owner 8/4/58
Dale Martin blockley owner 14/1/1963 is this person anything to do wth blocley tyres?
Thomas rather bow hill owner 27/6/1969

Would appreciate if anyone can help with this. Tony

Location: Leics

Julian Majzub set up Blockley Tyres in a place called Blockley in Gloucestershire

Re Augusta Ricciardi.

Interestingly Tony, it would appear that the christian name Augusta is usually given to females, being the feminine form of Augustus. There's a young lady on Facebook from Southern Italy with the same name, though she looks to be in her early twenties, so definitely not her !!

Jeff.

Location: Almost but not quite, the far North East of England

A few more surname stats:

The surname RICCIARDI doesn't appear on the database of UK Surnames as there would need to have been at least 100 people with that name on the 1998 Electoral Register for it to appear - so a very rare UK surname.

The surname SITEE doesn't appear on the database of UK Surnames as there would need to have been at least 100 people with that name on the 1998 Electoral Register for it to appear - so a very rare UK surname.

The surname BLOCKLEY only 744 on the 1998 Electoral Register.

The surname BOWHILL only 138 on the 1998 Electoral Register.

The other surnames are fairly common, with millions sharing the same name. Obviously the less common the name, the greater chance you have of finding descendants of those particular owners.

Best of luck,

Jeff.

Location: Almost but not quite, the far North East of England

Thank you for the further help.

I hadn't thought about the reality of surnames.

And Charles if you have an address, it's always worth me sending a letter out.

Thanks tony

Location: Leics

Tony,
Tom Bowhill had (has) a business Tom Bowhill Restorations in Cheltenham. He built the body of one of my Ulster Reps in 1992, which is still going strong and racing regularly.
If you Google him, it appears that he is still around.
David.

Location: Oxfordshire

This appears to be him

Tom Bowhill

Charles

I was given an old buff log book for my ulster,(After nearly 20 years of ownership) and via google got in touch with a owner from 1958 to 1987.
So it is possible to find previous owners.
I thought Tom Bowhill had retired.