BUCKLE COUPE

NOTA POLARIS STORY

The Polaris was a sleak open sports car, the body was built in 1963 in the Nota factoy in Parramatta Sydney

for Dick Newell to race in a different class of sports cars. Only raced once at Oran Park.

Alluminium body on the Buckle chassis #582517 and Zephyr running gear with a Raymond Mays

12 port alloy head..

As this race car was build mainly from a Buckle,we have adopted it to our family..

Below is Goss Cory's own story of his car

Goss Cory's Polaris Story

I purchased the Polaris in 1982. I had been competing in the Formula Ford championship for a few years, had a big accident and wanted to step back a bit but still have an interest. I was looking for a particular car, an Italia which led me to David Holyoake who advised this car was for sale and we came to an arrangement. It is basically a Buckle with an open aluminium body replacing the closed fibreglass one.

I was told the aluminum body was made in 1963 to allow Dick Newell to compete in the South Pacific Sports Championship by converting his coupe into a sports racing car. This seems doubtful as that event, at Gnoo Blas, ceased some years earlier. Dick had 2 Buckles plus a spare chassis,the Clive Kane race car #93-885 and Peter Williamson Buckle 93-897 and the Bev Brown chassis (#58253) which had been damaged. That explained the need for the new body which was fitted to the Kane car making it into an open sports racing car. Names associated with its creation are Wal Hadley, Jack Allen, and John Dunning. Wal did the body whilst working for Guy Buckingham on weekends. Consequently it is also referred to as a Nota, however Bill Buckle has confirmed its underpinnings are definitely all Buckle. In 1963 Hadleys commenced their own body building business which still exists as does Nota Sportscars both operated by the respective sons. The fibreglass body was fitted to the #58253 chassis which is now owned by John Tight.

In competition, as a coupe, it was a particularly successful production sports car, reportedly beating an Aston Martin driven by Ian Geoghegan on one occasion and the Bob Jane E Type on another. The high specification set up (triple Webers, Mays head, overdrive gearbox) carried over to the open car which seems to have only been raced once by Dick Newell. Its record in the hands of subsequent owners (including Brian Lawler [1965?] and Ron Dickson) appears to be equally sparse, any information on this period would be welcome. The fibreglass bodied cars last race was March 1963 and the open cars first was September 1963 indicating the period in which the conversion was undertaken.

When I acquired the car restoration had commenced but there was some minor panel damage, when it was at Warwick Holyoakes property a ram saw its reflection in the freshly stripped aluminium and commenced attacking it. The front cross member had been replaced and I was given the one which was cut out. This had nothing to do with the ram, apparently wheel alignments were done by applying jacks and it was badly mangled. Unfortunately this relic has gone missing over the years along with the Weber manifolds which David was unable to locate. I acquired the complete body, rolling chassis, a disassembled engine, the Mays head (but no Webers) and the gearbox. A number of other parts were missing such as some steering gear, master cylinders, instruments and lights. Amazingly the original Perspex windscreens are intact and it still sits on the original Dunlop Green Spot racing rubber.

I cannot be accused of rushing its rebuild and while there is usually some part of it in progress much work remains. I could tender a list of excuses but you have heard them all. Geoff Wheeler has painted the chassis, fitted a removable roll bar and prepared the body. In the interests of safety I have rebuilt the steering fitting a discreet collapsible column and fitted a dual master cylinder set up (which is allowable under historic racing rules). I have a complete running engine with triple SUs as well as the parts for at least one complete unit. I have had gaskets and manifolds made for the Mays head and acquired the Webers. The engine building wont commence until the rest is further advanced.

Immediate challenges include the gearshift (I am not sure if it was fitted with the Buckle system), the handbrake and a baffled sump. The brakes need to be reassembled with new linings and cylinders and I suspect the fronts may be Customline units. The gearbox, overdrive unit is also scheduled for a rebuild as soon I can get to remove it.

There is a small plate on the dash board stating "Body by Hadley, 40 Smith St Parramatta" plus there are indications it carried a badge on the front.- Does anyone know what that would have been?