jon
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Post by jon on Aug 11, 2015 21:25:58 GMT 1
Hi, New to this site and at this stage finding it a bit hard to work out how to get the most from it  I came across this site when I did a Google search on Fireball Midget cars. Anyway a few things. When the first Fireball car was conceved it was not just Frank Boyles. It was also a friend of his called Ron who had the idea. They built the first car, Ron who was a F1 mechanic at the time but working on this project out of the F1 season was the first to drive it. It was sugested to Frank that they take it in turns but Frank who had not raced before was not really interested in driving. When Ron went back to F1 Frank who was then the main driver won the champianship. There Fireball car was aparantly seen as one of the best looking cars as some were only wood frame with oil skin covering and looked quite a mess. The brocher of the early Fireball car shown on this site is the series 1 though they did add some extra protection rails. Aparantly the wheels on the car on the brocher are reversed and the rear ones were banded to make them wider. The front radiator used the main chassis to take water to the engine with a T welded in and then out at the back to keep it neat. Seems a good idea Ron had the original moulds made for the first Fireball car but is not sure how many fibreglass car sections were made to make cars up. He has now passed these original molds to me. I have the compleat back section and the front section. The cockpit sides were just alloy. Ron is still a petrol head even though now well into his 80's. He still would like to build a special hill climb car that will utilize a back body section that I am intending to have moulded for him from the moulds. He wants though to use a modern 750cc air cooled engine from a motorbike not a Mini engine like in the original. Hopefully he gets it done. My other friend makes Porsche speedster replicas and does fibreglass bodys. If anyone is interested in having early Fireball midget panels made please let me know. The back is a great shape and can take a Mini size engine and there was also some indents in the original that could be opened for air cooling. If anyone knows Frank, say hello to him from his old mate Ron. Regards, Jon. |
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jon
New Member
Posts: 7
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Post by jon on Sept 26, 2015 15:20:16 GMT 1
This is a bit of a update should anyone read this or be interested. I have had two sets of body shells made from the original Fireball MK 1 moulds. One set (back section and front section) I will be passing on to someone who is making a hill climb car the other set I will be listing on Ebay in the next month unless anyone on this forum is interested. I will also pass on a copy of the early Fireball brocher with them. You should be able to knock a car up in a week or so and be ready for action. I can have more body parts moulded should you want to go into production of this 1968 car |
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Post by ovaltrack on Apr 29, 2016 9:27:13 GMT 1
I am in touch with Frank. I think your post might go some way to explaining a question we had about the first points chart / meeting of 1969!
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Post by ezwalk43 on May 4, 2016 18:07:54 GMT 1
Great to see that these molds have survived - don't ever loose them. Tell me are these the ones that have been advertised a couple of times in one of the weekly classic car newspapers or does someone else out there have a set - seem to remember that they were in Somerset
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Post by ovaltrack on May 5, 2016 9:30:14 GMT 1
Somerset sounds right Ez
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jon
New Member
Posts: 7
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Post by jon on Jun 1, 2016 21:59:02 GMT 1
Hi, Yes they may well be the ones I have. The person who I got them off lives close to me in Frome Somerset. He was also a close friend of Franks as he and Frank designed and made the first Fireball together. Ron, who I got them off was the original driver but had to return half way through the season to his main job, that of a F1 mechanic. As I understand it Frank had no experience of racing and really did not want to take it on. Only to give it a go and find out he was good at it . If you get to see Frank remember Ron White to him. I do not know if they are still in contact but if not then really at there age and the fact they were friends once then maybe they should be. I now also have the original red seat coverings. Regards, jon |
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Post by gpmidget03 on Jun 2, 2016 12:31:33 GMT 1
Hi Jon, do you still have the panels and moulds? be interested in the if there available regards ben
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jon
New Member
Posts: 7
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Post by jon on Jun 2, 2016 22:30:52 GMT 1
Hi, I have the rear body mould, its a two part mould that comes apart to get the large section out. And I have the front body mould. The section that joins the two by the seating area was flat and made up of what ever was to hand.Ron said wood or metal sheet. I have the original stitched and shaped seat coverings. I also have one front section and one rear section I had made up. I had two rears made but a friend has had one as intends to make some sort of special hill climb car out of it. I did think about reproducing body sections for resale but should you be interested in what I have let me know. I do not have the time really. I also have a few of the original brochures for the Fireball showing there original part made or fully made price.
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Post by ovaltrack on Jun 9, 2016 17:29:07 GMT 1
Jon please could you send me a message me. Thank you.
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Post by ovaltrack on Jul 1, 2016 15:00:33 GMT 1
Quick update on this thread about the Fireball in 1968.
The chapter on Midgets in the Spedeworth Book, Living with Spede, tells us that Frank Boyles started at Ipswich in 1968 although I don't have any programmes that reference him (I don't actually have many from that season at all or indeed an end of season points chart for the Midgets). I do however have a copy of Hot Car from late 1968 which shows a Fireball (number 15) with the words "Fireball 3" on the side. The programmes I do have show 15 as John Shepherd from Woodbridge.
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I came across this site when I did a Google search on Fireball Midget cars. Anyway a few things. When the first Fireball car was conceved it was not just Frank Boyles. It was also a friend of his called Ron who had the idea. They built the first car, Ron who was a F1 mechanic at the time but working on this project out of the F1 season was the first to drive it. It was sugested to Frank that they take it in turns but Frank who had not raced before was not really interested in driving. When Ron went back to F1 Frank who was then the main driver won the champianship. There Fireball car was aparantly seen as one of the best looking cars as some were only wood frame with oil skin covering and looked quite a mess. The brocher of the early Fireball car shown on this site is the series 1 though they did add some extra protection rails. Aparantly the wheels on the car on the brocher are reversed and the rear ones were banded to make them wider. The front radiator used the main chassis to take water to the engine with a T welded in and then out at the back to keep it neat. Seems a good idea 