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Turner Sports Cars | Photos by Chassis Number |
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Turner Sports Cars | Photos by Chassis Number |
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| 61/478 was constructed as a Turner Mk II Climax FEW from a kit in 1961 by Gordon Braithwaite (my uncle). These 2 photographs were taken in October 1961 and show the car prior to completion and final paint job. The photographs were taken (presumably by Gordon) at his house in Guisely, West Yorkshire, England.
Correspondence shows that Gordon asked Coventry Climax for running engine water and oil temperatures. The response on 23rd February 1962 shows that engine number (FWE) 9842 was delivered to Turner Sports Cars on 24th August 1961, together with the advice that 750C and 75 to 800C respectively was recommended. |
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| These 2 photographs were taken ~1962 at 4 Kingsdale Grove, Bradford 9, West Yorkshire, England and show Gordon and his sister (Thelma Williamson, my mother) in the completed car. The color is British Racing Green.
The car was registered as 409 ANW in the UK, which remains today. It is also known that 61/478 has been to Spain (and possibly Portugal, on the same trip). On 29th January 1977, my aged grandfather (Gordon and Thelma's father) conspired to buy the car on my behalf, paying the princely sum of £250 (I still have the receipt) and handed the keys to me, then a mere 20 year old. My wife-to-be (we didn't know this at the time) and I arrived in Bradford by train to take possession with the intent of driving back to our home in Barrow-in-Furness, a mere 100 miles and 2.5 hours away. We "fired her up" excitedly, with difficulty, and away we went. Within 5 miles the exhaust fell off. An hour later, it started snowing and as we turned a gentle left-hander we ended up in a small ditch. As we encountered the ditch, a fence post attacked the nearside of the car and gave my girlfriend a fright. It took half and hour to get under the rear of the Turner and slowly hitch it back to level ground on my shoulders. We set off again and the windscreen wipers then failed. Still snowing, I threw the side window in the back and drove to a further hour to Milnthorpe, wiping the snow from the windscreen by hand. My frightened girlfriend and I eventually gave in and stopped overnight in a Bed and Breakfast. We learnt later that the road to Barrow had been blocked not far away from the friendly pub and, but less friendly, for single 20 year-olds, the B&B we had found. We made it to Barrow in due course the following morning. On inspection, I determined the extent of the damage: a dinted passenger door, slight rear-end bodywork damage, and no exhaust. Later I discovered, a twisted chassis and one bent valve (explaining the poor starting). |
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| Later in 1977, I decided to attempt a rebuild, removing the body as shown, but did not get much farther. I have a number of boxes of Turner bits, a chassis and a Climax FWE in the garage. |
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