OzVMX Forum
Clubroom => Foto Forum => Topic started by: Hardex on April 06, 2008, 07:10:45 pm
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Hi Guys I have a couple of old photo's from around 1976 at the BP Desert Rally at Hattah that give you an idea as to how big an event it was back then.I remember one of the most challenging parts of that race believe it or not was getting to the start line in one piece.You see the scrutineering took place about 5 klm away from the start line and between the scrutineering and the start line was Hundreds of spectators and heaps of testosterone and with a bit of sand and mud thrown in and the end result was very predictable.The number of riders and drivers that didn't even make it to the start line was amazing.There were some spectacular crashes and blow ups in that section, that it became the number one spot for spectators to watch.
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Some blokes from our club did what i though they said was the hattah but i have no idea where they went, is it always in the same place or does it move ? or is it like the Finke ? where is it run ?
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Hi Freakshow The original event was run by the light car club of Victoria back in the early 70's and it ran till about 1980.There is a event run at the moment at Hattah once a year but it's not on the original property and i don't think it is as big as the old event but it sure was a great event to ride in.
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well the guys that do it also do the finke and reckon its a winner where ever it is. they mentioned from what i rmeber that it went for a set time like 4 hr in a 20 min circuits, or so many laps or until the first rifder comes in. from what i heard the lads spend more time in the dirt although one came 3rd and the other 8th not sure if thats overall or in the over 35, but they did have fun but said they got absolutly Kaned.
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It is a great event but I've only done it once in 2000 as preparation for the Safari. I did it on a fully loaded Husky. 26 litres of fuel and all! ;D So didn't really get to experience it from a competitive stand point.
It was still pretty big then but not like it was in the 70's it seems. Thanks for those photos, Hardex.
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another good one in that area was the Sea Lake desert race.
4 laps around a 95 km loop encircling Lake Tyrrell in north wester Victoria. very sandy in the first section and this caught a lot of blokes out with 2 strokes as they all seized in the first 10km. top speed was needed for the last 15-20 which was top gear stuff.
the go was to do jetting runs before the event with the gearing that needed to be run (tall for top end). on my CR250 i ran 14/43 (standard was 14/51) so it was quiet a jump. the big 500's run 1 up on the front and what ever the smallest size was that would fit without chewing out the hub (38-40T). i had a IMS 14.5 litre tank and had about 0.5 - 1 litre to spare after 95 km. it was a real adrenaline ride that one.
Sadly like most great unique events the green movement killed it off.
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My KX ran similar gearing. 17/39. You couldn't go much smaller on the back as the chain would hit the sprocket bolts. Good for 190kph on bitumen and 170 on dirt.
I only entered Sea Lake once on my KX250, so '89 I think it may have been. I had just walked inside after finishing the bike to a phone call from the organisers telling me to stay home as the whole place was underwater. The cancelled it and I never got to go back.
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yes i too Tony was entered that year and had talked a lot of MX mates into going and helped them set up bikes etc and told them it was a 95Km motocross. well i copped heaps of shit when it was cancelled due to water as the guys had bought sprockets they could never use again and 1 or 2 had long range tanks.
17/39 gearing huh was that on the KX500 "flying W" model ;D
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17/39 gearing huh was that on the KX500 "flying W" model ;D
:D Yeah, that's the one. Geoff Eldridge ran 17/37 on his '83 model for Finke but had to grind down the sprocket bolts to clear the chain. But the track was a fair bit different to now with far more road sections. Some of the fast guys even had fairings on the front.
For Sea Lake on my '88 KX250, I bought a big tank from the U.S too. Ended up selling without ever using it. ::)
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Good Times Boy,
I loved the BP Rally's ;D It was our annual "Big One" for the year
About 5 of us riding and a few fluffers would make the trip north
We used to stay at a little place near Lake Tyrrell. The camp site was around a small lake about
2-3km around and during the afternoon and into the night, we would do a few jetting runs on the bikes before the event. 3km flash past pretty quick when your doing 100mph plus. :o
around 100 or so competitors and friends stayed at this place, and it became the stuff of legends
Lots of blown engines, crashed bikes and bodies. lots of partying and many a sore head at scrutineering
the next day ::)
The race was always serious business though!! my results were mixed
1982 3rd Class 9 (MX Open) and 3rd Outright. CR480RC
1984 3rd MX 500 and 3rd Outright. CR500RE
1988 DNF was coming 2nd outright with only 15km to go when the big KATO let go (flywheel disintergrated) KTM 600 LC4 Sadly this was the last time they ran the event!!!!
Here's a couple of momento's
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The Bikes
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Going through magazines at a church fete a few years back I found "Off Road Australia"
When I flicked it open to check out a story on the 75 BP Hattah Rally lo & behold a picture of Ray Ryan racing. He wrote the article about Hattah & bagged it big time.
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/gmcloa/File0001.jpg)
That's Len Willaimson on 77, he rode into a fence & took the helicopter out.
The results are an intersting mix of familair names.
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/gmcloa/File0003.jpg)
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/gmcloa/File0004.jpg)
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Sea Lake Mallee Rally, i only rode there once in 1985 on my XR 250 RF which i over geared , the night before the race it rained, the first lap was ring that XR out in 5th gear and then only to see it slowly bog down in 6th through the sandy conditions, at that point i was wishing i had my IT 250 there, i had a ok first lap and was real keen to go faster on the second lap.
Going around this track there is a spot that went over a dirt road and when hitting this at around 100k's it was a buzz and the crowd would gather around here to watch and see who landed the longest or stacked, moving around to the back of the track i was in a bunch of 5 bikes and haveing fun getting ahead of them in spots and then them getting me back.
We were going around 100k's when this gate way came up, 5 bikes tried to get through and someone got the wrong line and 3 of us came down, i lost count of how many cart wheels i did, 10mins later when i finally got my breath back and checked to see if all my bones were ok , i looked over at my very bent frame, from seat it was bent to nearlly my rear tyre, but better off than one of the other blokes bikes that had forks and rear end bent, the third bloke was winded for a bit and then got up and rode off.
Some blokes near by came over and bent my frame up again as best as they could, i finished that second lap slow and that was it for the day, i wanted to go there again , it was not on for a couple of years after this one, but i never did get back there.
I have the video tape of this event, does anyone know how i can put this onto dvd ?? as i dont have a vcr anymore.
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I never got around to riding Hattah, it was on my must do list but they stopped running it before I got a chance.
I spectated at the 78 Mallee Rally whcih turned out to be a very wet one. Glad I didn't ride it as their were a lot of DNF's. I rode the 79 on a KX 250 A3 for a mediocre finish. The following year I rode a KX 250 A4. I remember fitting around a 17 tooth front & 42 tooth rear. I really had to slip the clutch to get her moving but then you only did this once per lap. Being the cautious type I took it easy the first lap. Their was only 2 laps in those days. Feeling comfortable with the track I opened it up for the 2nd lap & with the tall gearing I was passing guys like they were standing still.
and then
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/gmcloa/DNFtrophy.jpg)
Everyone was passing me when I was standing still. :'( :'(
I still keep this DNF trophy on the mantle piece.
I rode the Mallee Rally again in 88 on a TT350. What a dud of a bike that turned out to be. I took it out on a quiet road to see how fast it would go with stock gearing... 125 Kph. I then went one tooth up on the counter shaft sprocket & took it out on the same road.... 125 Kph
Bugger
I rode the event with the tall gearing anyway hoping for a tail wind, the first half or so was sandy & I was forever changing up & down from 5th to 6th. It seemed like I didn't back off the throttle at all for most of the event. I did get a bit of a tail wind on the hard pack coming into the finish that seemed to up the speed a bit & the last loop in it seemed to be running rough.
I changed the plug & cleaned the carby & thought I had fixed it on a short test run & then rode it in the Pyrenees Enduro. It ran like a dog from the start. It would start easy enough but had a big dead spot in the middle but would eventually start pulling when held flat. I nursed it through the event with no throttle control for a finish & a few days later spoke to my mate Sean who also rode his TT 350 in the Mallee Rally but had blown his up in the final stages but still managed to finish.
When he pulled his down he found that the cams had jumped 2 teeth on the cam sprockets letting the valves do a tap dance on the piston. When I checked mine I found the exhaust cam had jumped one tooth. Once reset it ran fine with no damage but I had lost faith in it & moved it on not long after.
And to reset that cam chain tensioner took a vice & 5 pairs of hands, buggered if I know how the chain got the slack to jump
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There are some great names in the results that GMC posted. I see vintage racers Brian Clarke John Boag and Jim Vandersluys, John Berhens(who will be in Kamp Kevlar at CD5) Garry Benn (owner of the trick HL VMX cover bike) and American/Swedish racer Gunnar Lindstrom.
My old mate Brian Clarkson won the first Hattah Rally in 1972 (I think) on a TM400 (I think). I was prepping my Maico for the event in 1973 or '74 but ripped my achilles tendon playing rugby and had to miss it. I never had another shot at it.
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Gary Pye is another vintage racer who should be at Tassie.
Chris Leighfield was an A grade Trials rider
& would that be Chris Cater do you think?
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Yep i reckon that would be cater Geoff.
Nice hole in that piston mate. how long did you have to wait before the recovery vehicle came along. i remember it took ages or at least seemed like it as had to watch countless bikes go past until the end of the event before i got picked up.
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I wonder too if the Bayliss is any relation to Troy?
I would have been around 10 - 20 K's in Hoony when it self destructed. I wasn't far from a vantage point that was near a road & there was a guy riding around on a pre prodution KLX 250, he towed me back to his car & trailered me back to the start. He was drooling over my A4 & I was drooling over his KLX. I bought one the following year when they were released.
What does Lozza say, run it lean to the point of detonation, it can be a bit like tighten it till it strips then back off a turn.
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great to remember those unique events hey Geoff.
in 84' i was XR250 mounted it dropped valves on the last lap probabley 5-10km in. like yourself on the TT350 had to keep changing gears 6th - 5th -6th. the deep sand sucked all the grunt out of the little XR. i was lucky as i got the repair $1200 all on warranty as i was only trail riding at the time it happened.
85' again on the next model XR250 and the following years (86,87,88) i rode my CR250 with the large tank, small rear sprockets and drilled out main jets. this event was like a poor mans Finke!
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Yeah Hoony it was good to be part of these events. The 79 Mallee Rally was my first open event I ever rode.
You must have stopped for lunch half way round in 88, I just looked up the results & see my stinkin TT beat you in by about 20 places ;D
I didn't realise I had cropped Len williamson & his KX 450 from my previous post, Len's No 77
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/gmcloa/BPWilliamson.jpg)
I wonder what ever happened to Chislet, he had such style, such grace.....
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/gmcloa/BPChislet.jpg)
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/gmcloa/BPCurranPollard.jpg)
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/gmcloa/BPstart-1.jpg)
The "above right" caption above refers to the photo below
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/gmcloa/BPstart-2.jpg)
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Hey Guys,
Anybody got an entry list or complete list of results for the 1979 Hattah?
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You must have stopped for lunch half way round in 88, I just looked up the results & see my stinkin TT beat you in by about 20 places ;D
Nah, you were on the pace and i was probably riding like a Lemon ! if you have the result list email me a scan when you can no rush. [email protected]
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cowboy don, i think i have what you want in a trail and track magazine. the thing is i know that is also one of the magazines ive loaned out.
actually im not sure now. it could be the 12 hour im thinking of. i know ive lent out every magazine ive got with anything on the hattah, 12 hour and finke
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I just had another look at the results Hoony & it seems you outrode me except for 1 lap. I can see now you must have stopped for lunch as lap 2 took you 30 odd minutes longer than your other laps. Lap 2 was early in the day so you must have stopped for "elevenses" ;D
Hey Cowboy, what part of the programme do you want as theirs quite a few pages?
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/gmcloa/BPprogrammes.jpg)
Can't find any results from the early ones, may have them stashed somewhere but can't think where to look.
My wife has some super 8 footage of these events, as well as Broadford "Channel 0" & other Vic MX meetings. Will get them onto DVD one day.
Scans on their way Hoony.
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My dad has the results and stories from all the early Hattah's and Sea Lake rally"s. hundreds of photo's as well.When he digs them out I will go through for the interesting ones. I have rebuilt his actual pursang that he finished 3rd on at Hattah 1975 and will be riding it at Tas.
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Hey GMC i was going though some old stuff the other day and found the results list for the 1990 Sea Lake Event, i too thought the 88' event was the last but i rode the 1990 event so that may have been it.
i have if you are interested the following
1984, 1985, 1988 programs and the 1990 results list (no GMC though)
in the 1988 program it lists past winners and that no event was run in 1983, 1986 & 1987
in 1990 the overall 3 place getters are (500cc MX class)
1. Cesare Del Farra 209:00 (209 minutes 0 seconds) fast for 4 laps of 95km each = 109 Kmh Average
2. Glen Bowles 209:45
3. Andy Haydon 211:52
How close were these 3 then!
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My dad has the results and stories from all the early Hattah's and Sea Lake rally"s. hundreds of photo's as well.When he digs them out I will go through for the interesting ones. I have rebuilt his actual pursang that he finished 3rd on at Hattah 1975 and will be riding it at Tas.
i would be interested in seeing some .
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I reckon you will be in some of them.
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Yeah Probably Tony !
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Yeh I'd be keen on seeing the results and times!!
especially the 88 Sea Lake event as I DNF'd on the last control section on the last lap whilst in second place. SPEWING ::) (shit box KTM 600LC4 >:()
I was on the official KTM Trade Team with Brucey Bolton KTM500MX (1st outright) Craig Harris KTM350GS( 2nd outright) I think the guy on and ATK might have limped home in there some where. I passed him just before Box Clump and was about 5min ahead, when my bike lunched itself and the ATK came by sounding like it was about to throw a leg out of bed.
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Squirtmoto, i have sent you an email with the 88' results that GMC sent me.
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Cheers Hoony ;D
They spelt my name wrong, B. Nolen ::) "Dickheads considering that I was in BMCC club >:( I was #32 on a KTM 600LC4
I remember that I did the fastest lap of the event on lap 3 and because I didn't refuel between lap 3 and 4 cause I had the "camel" tank 18lt I picked up at least 2-3 min on the field. Man I was spewing I reckon I had that one!!
never did get over that F@#*ing Bike!! >:(
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Echhhh! KTM600Lc4s are now ...Twenty + years old.......must be a joke ! or time is really passing by :o
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Hey GMC i was going though some old stuff the other day and found the results list for the 1990 Sea Lake Event, i too thought the 88' event was the last but i rode the 1990 event so that may have been it.
i have if you are interested the following
1984, 1985, 1988 programs and the 1990 results list (no GMC though)
in the 1988 program it lists past winners and that no event was run in 1983, 1986 & 1987
in 1990 the overall 3 place getters are (500cc MX class)
1. Cesare Del Farra 209:00 (209 minutes 0 seconds) fast for 4 laps of 95km each = 109 Kmh Average
2. Glen Bowles 209:45
3. Andy Haydon 211:52
How close were these 3 then!
I have a feeling the 89 Sea Lake was cancelled??
I only rode 79, 80 & 88. You must have liked it Hoony to have ridden so many. It was a bit of a social event & I was only interested if some mates were going, probably the thought of someone to drive me home if I cartwheeled :o
Funny how the times can be so close, Finke can be similar with close times after 4 hrs of flat out.
I pre rode Finke on a hired TT600 in 98 when I pit crewed for some mates, helluva ride to Finke & back in one day, bloody awesome race. It's on my must do list, one day maybe.
Tim, I try not to think about how long ago things were, otherwise I find myself counting decades instead of years.
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I have a feeling the 89 Sea Lake was cancelled??
I think that was mentioned somewhere earlier Geoff.
I had just come in from the shed feeling pleased with myself for having the bike ready early for once, when the phone rang. It was one of the organisers telling me the place was flooded and i could stay home this weekend. ::)
Here's a thought, seeing as it was cancelled at such late notice, I imagine the program would have been printed already?? Anyone know if that is the case and how I could get hold of one?
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best chance of getting a 1989 program would be off one of the Clarks if they exist at all. i too would be interested.
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Which Clarks are we talking Hoony?
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PM Sent
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If the "89 program was printed dad will have it. He is on the case now so will dig out all the Sea Lake stuff he can find. ( never threw anything away) I'll let you know. I rode the last full Sea Lake Mallee Rally in 1990 on a YZ250. Tha Swan Hill club ran club events (3 hours around a shortened track ) for a few years the last about 3 years ago.
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That's great, TC. Thank you! ;D
I was going to send a pm today but you beat me to it.
Happy to pay any cost for reproduction/postage etc.
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I think that was mentioned somewhere earlier Geoff.
Hmmmm, must be why I was thinking it.
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found this in the garage
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Since people are still contributing to this column, I have a priced possession (attached) from the BP desert rally in 76 that I rode in .Hope this doesn't appear to be gloating but I finished 6 in the 125 class on an elsinore 125 and just to finish for me was the best as it was one hard race especially on a 125. :P ( the 79 emblem was from helping run the event ) :P I know a lot of you guys out there are faster than me in the day but as a young 16 year old doing an event like this for the first time was a high i will never forget and thats why i posted this topic to see how much other people got out of the event and its obviously im not the only one that had good time. :D
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Since people are still contributing to this column, I have a priced possession (attached) from the BP desert rally in 76 that I rode in .Hope this doesn't appear to be gloating but I finished 6 in the 125 class on an elsinore 125 and just to finish for me was the best as it was one hard race especially on a 125. :P ...................... :D
i reckon that was an excellent ride to finish on a CR125M let alone place 6th, very deep sand and the power curve of a non reed 125 would make for a lot of gear changes and high revs on the 125. this site is not about gloating, its about sharing experiences and reliving the era. keep it coming, i love to read this sort of first hand experience stuff.
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congrats too hoony on making the cover of the program, you old media junky you. what bike were you on?
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yes Twisty i guess i am a media junky, love old photo's. in 1985 i was riding an XR250RF. great fun, the next year they ran it (1988) i stepped up to the CR250RG with the tall gearing and big tank etc.
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Been digging through dads shed, found programs from Sea Lake 1978,1982, 1984,1988,1990. The advertising flyer from 1989, lap by lap times from 1988 & 1990, entry list 1984 and the official map of the track ( km markers, control points ) Also found a huge list of names and addresses that we had to contact re the cancelled one. If anyone is interested also the programs from 1984 Victorian Track champs and 1985 Australian Dirt Track champs held at Bendigo Showgrounds.
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interested in all of the above when/if you have time TC.
the cancelled event program would be a good start.
Hows the old man getting on?
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the cancelled event program would be a good start.
I'd be keen to see that one too.
Seeing as it was the only Sea Lake event I ever entered................... ;D
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Just got hold of the BP Desert Rally Programmes from 1974 to 79 and here are a few pictures from inside the programme.Enjoy ;D
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/20fe9d38.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/d4c961b1.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/f434b3b3.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/e10216ff.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/80288ee0.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/2a4f47df.jpg)
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Here are the time sheets for the Scramble Bike 251 and over class .You can see Position in class and outright Place on the far right side.
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/f252fb7e.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/4facaee2.jpg)
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Some more shots from 1975
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/scan0030.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/scan0029.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/scan0013-2.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/scan0012-3.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/scan0018-1.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/scan0019-1.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/scan0020-1.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/scan0017-1.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/scan0006-2.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/scan0011-1.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/scan0008-2.jpg)
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/hardexgun/scan0009-2.jpg)