Ray Jackson's classic cars and airplanes
Early interest in cars
I grew up in Asburton, in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne. I had a technical school education at Jordanville Tech in Ashwood, and developed a very early interest in mechanics, working on motor bikes and classic cars. At the age of sixteen I began an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic with Austin Distributors in South Melbourne, where the Crown Casino is now. As I was very fond of Minis and MGs, this suited me down to the ground. I worked at South Melbourne for two years, and then transferred in 1966 to Lanes Motors in Riversdale Road, Camberwell.
During the next three years I started a back yard business at home, again with mainly MGs and Minis. Through my brother's interest in MGs, and belonging to the MG Club, I did a lot of work for friends in the club. This includes modifying cylinder heads and cam shafts. At this stage, I met George Wade of Wade Camshaft Grinding. He lived in the local area and we became friends over the next few years, so much so that I modified his daughter's Minis to achieve better performance.
George Wade and Repco
George Wade was a very interesting person. During the second world war, he worked in Tasmania and Victoria, responsible for workshops being converted to the war effort - munitions and aircraft engine parts. After the war, he set up with Repco in Launceston in Tasmania an engine reconditioning and exchange engine plant. Then they moved to Elizabeth Street in Melbourne in the 1950's. The business successfully expanded with branches nationwide. In 1962, he parted from Repco and started his own camshaft and grinding business.
During the Repco years, George built a beautiful racing car called the Maybach which is still around today. When Jack Brabham came to Repco, it was with the view to build Formula One racing engines. Repco agreed to do so and eventually constructed a purpose built factory at Maidstone, north west of Melbourne. Both Charlie Dean and George Wade were both on the board of Repco, and were involved with setting up Repco Brabham Engines (RBE).
Bob Jane, Jack Brabham and Phil Irving
A number of staff were employed from Repco and outside of Repco, including Frank Hallam, Phil Irving, and Michael Gasking, plus machinists and engineers. Jack Brabham won three world championships in 1960, 1961, and 1966. The last two with Repco engines. Jack Brabham was a quiet, genuine and polite person towards me when I worked with him at Repco Brabham Engines (RBE).
Other RBE customers were Frank Matich, Alex Mildrew, Leo Georgegham, and Bob Jane. One day in 1968, I was speaking to George Wade and mentioned I would like to work in motor racing. He said leave it with him and he would see what he could do. A while later, George got back to me and said that Repco was closing down its RBE plant in Maidstone, but there was a little project where I could be employed.
This job would be assisting in building fuel injected, tunnel port racing engines for Bob Jane's car craft Mustang. My boss was Michael Gasking, and we assembled the engine with special crank rods, pistons, and cylinder heads. We used a specially designed Lucas injection system, similar to our Repco racing engines. We dyno tested the motor and it proved to be highly successful.
At that point, Repco was closing down the plant and I was invited to join the Bob Jane Racing team. The race drivers at Bob Jane were Bob Jane, John Harvey, and Bevan Gibson. The mechanics were John Sawyer, Bevan Gibson, Bob Kitchen, and myself. The cars were two Mustangs, Repco Brabham Elfin 400, and McLaren M-4A sports cars. At Bob Jane's workshop, we fitted the tunnel port motor to the Mustang and the car went really well. In fact, Bob reckoned it was easily the fastest he had ever driven. We shared the driving of the transporter to all the meetings, including south eastern Australia and Tasmania.
In 1968-1969, we won the Australian Touring Car championship and also the Goldstar Formula One title with John Harvey driving the Brabham. In 1969, I travelled up to Bathurst with Bevan Gibson in the transporter with the Mustang, Brabham, and Elfin sports cars which Bevan use to drive. In the first sports car race, Bevan was having trouble keeping the front of the car down until eventually it flipped up and over, landing upside down, and Bevan was killed.
Opening a new workshop in West Heidelberg then moving to Ashburton
This took a lot of time to get over, and a few months later I left the Bob Jane racing team and opened my first automotive business in West Heidelberg in late 1969, servicing Minis and MGs. I built up a good little business over the years, both buying and selling MG's as well as the repairing of them. In March 1973, at the age of 26, I purchased a freehold service station and repair workshop in Taylor Street, Ashburton. It was a very successful business, and enabled us to buy a home down the road in Ashburton. We employed mechanics, driveway attendant, and apprentices, and did repairs on all makes of cars and had three hoists on site. At one stage we had up to five staff including myself working at the garage full time.
Pilots licence
During this time, I took an interest in flying and achieved my private pilots licence at flying schools in Moorabbin and Berwick at 30 years of age. It took about two years to complete the course and it cost me up to $20,000. I purchased my first plane in 1980, a Piper Cherokee 180. Other planes include a Piper Tri Pacer PA 22, and two Cessnas, 150 and 152 models. Weekends were spent flying all over south eastern Australia. We also enjoyed water skiing at Eildon and had a holiday place in this region. In these years, we had two sons, Cam and Wes.
Buying the Ultra Tune Franchise in Shepparton
In 1986, we sold the auto business and freehold in Ashburton and our Melbourne home to open the first country Victorian Ultra Tune Franchise in Shepparton. We also bought a house on the fringe of Shepparton near the Shepparton Airport, which was convenient to hangar the Piper Cherokee. We sold the Ultra Tune Franchise three years later and purchased our own workshop in Mitchell Street, Shepparton. We stayed in this business until I retired in 2007-2008. It was bought by a former apprentice. In the forty years of being in business, we employed and trained thirteen apprentices, eight in Melbourne and five in Shepparton at the Ultra Tune Franchise. Two of the apprentices were outstanding, one of them won the best apprentice award in Melbourne.
Radio controlled aircraft and retirement
I also had my pilot's licence for nearly forty years, and in that time owned four aircraft. Together with the GV Aero Club, we flew on fly aways all over and around Australia on many occasions. Another hobby was building and flying radio controlled (RC) aircraft which I still enjoy in retirement. Since I retired, I have restored three classic cars to concourse condition - a 1967 MGB 2 door, a 1974 Triumph TR6, and a 1978 Mini S. As I served my apprenticeship working on these cars, it has been very rewarding restoring these cars at home in my sheds. My wife Sue and I enjoy participating in our two car clubs, the Benalla Auto Club and Sun Country historic Club. See links below.
Driving cars and planes - Tips from Ray
Anyone who can drive a car can also fly a small plane, such as a Cessna. However, it is crucial that when you are flying, you understand and judge the weather conditions at all times.
It is important when you fly that you have a back up plan when monitoring weather conditions, as they can change in a short period of time. If the first option fails, under conditions such as poor visibility when you cannot see where you are going, you must at all times (in the back of your mind) have another option to follow.
Accidents are caused by not judging or reading the weather conditions at all times when in flight, and this has caused many mishaps over the years.
Restoring classic and vintage cars
When buying an original classic car, it is important to get it checked by a professional person or a specialist mechanic. You also need to cost the repairs and restoration of the car (and timeline for the restoration), and make sure that the particular classic or vintage car will hold or increase in value once the project is completed.
Check recent sales and current market values at Shannons Auctions and Red Book.
Websites and links
Wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Jane
Wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Brabham
www.tac.vic.gov.au/road-safety/statistics/lives-lost-in-2019
www.holtsauto.com/simoniz/news/classic-car-restoration-tips-and-advice
www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-09/pilots-had-no-experience-wet-season-weather
www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2019/04/lack-of-wet-season-experience-killed-pilots
Owned a Piper Cherokee 180 (1970) and a Piper Tri Pacer PA 22 (1958) and the PA 22 was restored by Ray.
Owned 2 Cessnas 150 and Cessna 152 (1974 & 1978) and is a two-seat tricycle gear general aviation airplane that was designed for flight training, touring and personal use.
Sun Country Historic Vehicle & Machinery Club Inc. The Benalla Auto Club Inc.
1967 MGB 2 door sports car - Indigo Blue, 1974 Triumph TR6 - Racing Green, 1978 Mini S 1225 - Alpha Red.
Note: Met Ray & Sue and completed the article in December 2019. They reside in the Shepparton region, Victoria.
I grew up in Asburton, in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne. I had a technical school education at Jordanville Tech in Ashwood, and developed a very early interest in mechanics, working on motor bikes and classic cars. At the age of sixteen I began an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic with Austin Distributors in South Melbourne, where the Crown Casino is now. As I was very fond of Minis and MGs, this suited me down to the ground. I worked at South Melbourne for two years, and then transferred in 1966 to Lanes Motors in Riversdale Road, Camberwell.
During the next three years I started a back yard business at home, again with mainly MGs and Minis. Through my brother's interest in MGs, and belonging to the MG Club, I did a lot of work for friends in the club. This includes modifying cylinder heads and cam shafts. At this stage, I met George Wade of Wade Camshaft Grinding. He lived in the local area and we became friends over the next few years, so much so that I modified his daughter's Minis to achieve better performance.
George Wade and Repco
George Wade was a very interesting person. During the second world war, he worked in Tasmania and Victoria, responsible for workshops being converted to the war effort - munitions and aircraft engine parts. After the war, he set up with Repco in Launceston in Tasmania an engine reconditioning and exchange engine plant. Then they moved to Elizabeth Street in Melbourne in the 1950's. The business successfully expanded with branches nationwide. In 1962, he parted from Repco and started his own camshaft and grinding business.
During the Repco years, George built a beautiful racing car called the Maybach which is still around today. When Jack Brabham came to Repco, it was with the view to build Formula One racing engines. Repco agreed to do so and eventually constructed a purpose built factory at Maidstone, north west of Melbourne. Both Charlie Dean and George Wade were both on the board of Repco, and were involved with setting up Repco Brabham Engines (RBE).
Bob Jane, Jack Brabham and Phil Irving
A number of staff were employed from Repco and outside of Repco, including Frank Hallam, Phil Irving, and Michael Gasking, plus machinists and engineers. Jack Brabham won three world championships in 1960, 1961, and 1966. The last two with Repco engines. Jack Brabham was a quiet, genuine and polite person towards me when I worked with him at Repco Brabham Engines (RBE).
Other RBE customers were Frank Matich, Alex Mildrew, Leo Georgegham, and Bob Jane. One day in 1968, I was speaking to George Wade and mentioned I would like to work in motor racing. He said leave it with him and he would see what he could do. A while later, George got back to me and said that Repco was closing down its RBE plant in Maidstone, but there was a little project where I could be employed.
This job would be assisting in building fuel injected, tunnel port racing engines for Bob Jane's car craft Mustang. My boss was Michael Gasking, and we assembled the engine with special crank rods, pistons, and cylinder heads. We used a specially designed Lucas injection system, similar to our Repco racing engines. We dyno tested the motor and it proved to be highly successful.
At that point, Repco was closing down the plant and I was invited to join the Bob Jane Racing team. The race drivers at Bob Jane were Bob Jane, John Harvey, and Bevan Gibson. The mechanics were John Sawyer, Bevan Gibson, Bob Kitchen, and myself. The cars were two Mustangs, Repco Brabham Elfin 400, and McLaren M-4A sports cars. At Bob Jane's workshop, we fitted the tunnel port motor to the Mustang and the car went really well. In fact, Bob reckoned it was easily the fastest he had ever driven. We shared the driving of the transporter to all the meetings, including south eastern Australia and Tasmania.
In 1968-1969, we won the Australian Touring Car championship and also the Goldstar Formula One title with John Harvey driving the Brabham. In 1969, I travelled up to Bathurst with Bevan Gibson in the transporter with the Mustang, Brabham, and Elfin sports cars which Bevan use to drive. In the first sports car race, Bevan was having trouble keeping the front of the car down until eventually it flipped up and over, landing upside down, and Bevan was killed.
Opening a new workshop in West Heidelberg then moving to Ashburton
This took a lot of time to get over, and a few months later I left the Bob Jane racing team and opened my first automotive business in West Heidelberg in late 1969, servicing Minis and MGs. I built up a good little business over the years, both buying and selling MG's as well as the repairing of them. In March 1973, at the age of 26, I purchased a freehold service station and repair workshop in Taylor Street, Ashburton. It was a very successful business, and enabled us to buy a home down the road in Ashburton. We employed mechanics, driveway attendant, and apprentices, and did repairs on all makes of cars and had three hoists on site. At one stage we had up to five staff including myself working at the garage full time.
Pilots licence
During this time, I took an interest in flying and achieved my private pilots licence at flying schools in Moorabbin and Berwick at 30 years of age. It took about two years to complete the course and it cost me up to $20,000. I purchased my first plane in 1980, a Piper Cherokee 180. Other planes include a Piper Tri Pacer PA 22, and two Cessnas, 150 and 152 models. Weekends were spent flying all over south eastern Australia. We also enjoyed water skiing at Eildon and had a holiday place in this region. In these years, we had two sons, Cam and Wes.
Buying the Ultra Tune Franchise in Shepparton
In 1986, we sold the auto business and freehold in Ashburton and our Melbourne home to open the first country Victorian Ultra Tune Franchise in Shepparton. We also bought a house on the fringe of Shepparton near the Shepparton Airport, which was convenient to hangar the Piper Cherokee. We sold the Ultra Tune Franchise three years later and purchased our own workshop in Mitchell Street, Shepparton. We stayed in this business until I retired in 2007-2008. It was bought by a former apprentice. In the forty years of being in business, we employed and trained thirteen apprentices, eight in Melbourne and five in Shepparton at the Ultra Tune Franchise. Two of the apprentices were outstanding, one of them won the best apprentice award in Melbourne.
Radio controlled aircraft and retirement
I also had my pilot's licence for nearly forty years, and in that time owned four aircraft. Together with the GV Aero Club, we flew on fly aways all over and around Australia on many occasions. Another hobby was building and flying radio controlled (RC) aircraft which I still enjoy in retirement. Since I retired, I have restored three classic cars to concourse condition - a 1967 MGB 2 door, a 1974 Triumph TR6, and a 1978 Mini S. As I served my apprenticeship working on these cars, it has been very rewarding restoring these cars at home in my sheds. My wife Sue and I enjoy participating in our two car clubs, the Benalla Auto Club and Sun Country historic Club. See links below.
Driving cars and planes - Tips from Ray
Anyone who can drive a car can also fly a small plane, such as a Cessna. However, it is crucial that when you are flying, you understand and judge the weather conditions at all times.
It is important when you fly that you have a back up plan when monitoring weather conditions, as they can change in a short period of time. If the first option fails, under conditions such as poor visibility when you cannot see where you are going, you must at all times (in the back of your mind) have another option to follow.
Accidents are caused by not judging or reading the weather conditions at all times when in flight, and this has caused many mishaps over the years.
Restoring classic and vintage cars
When buying an original classic car, it is important to get it checked by a professional person or a specialist mechanic. You also need to cost the repairs and restoration of the car (and timeline for the restoration), and make sure that the particular classic or vintage car will hold or increase in value once the project is completed.
Check recent sales and current market values at Shannons Auctions and Red Book.
Websites and links
Wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Jane
Wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Brabham
www.tac.vic.gov.au/road-safety/statistics/lives-lost-in-2019
www.holtsauto.com/simoniz/news/classic-car-restoration-tips-and-advice
www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-09/pilots-had-no-experience-wet-season-weather
www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2019/04/lack-of-wet-season-experience-killed-pilots
Owned a Piper Cherokee 180 (1970) and a Piper Tri Pacer PA 22 (1958) and the PA 22 was restored by Ray.
Owned 2 Cessnas 150 and Cessna 152 (1974 & 1978) and is a two-seat tricycle gear general aviation airplane that was designed for flight training, touring and personal use.
Sun Country Historic Vehicle & Machinery Club Inc. The Benalla Auto Club Inc.
1967 MGB 2 door sports car - Indigo Blue, 1974 Triumph TR6 - Racing Green, 1978 Mini S 1225 - Alpha Red.
Note: Met Ray & Sue and completed the article in December 2019. They reside in the Shepparton region, Victoria.