Transmission: Manual 5 Speed
Engine Type: Izuzu in line 4
VIN/Chassis: 08901
Engine Number: 104827
Build Date: 1980
Odometer Reading: 115419 Kms Showing
HOLDEN DEALER TEAM ZZ GEMINI
The lineage of this Holden Dealer Team ZZ Gemini/ John White Heinemann Circuit Breakers car is as follows.
On the 29th of September 1980 Gary Leggatt made an application to C.A.M.S. to logbook an ISUZU PF60 ZZ (Twin Cam) 1.8 litre Gemini Chassis/Body Number 08901.
In practice prior to Bathurst the Gemini dropped the flywheel and damaged the floor/tunnel area. The car was repaired for Bathurst, 1980.
Garry Leggatt and David Seldon raced the ZZ Gemini at Bathurst 1980 as the Cinzano Team car. The car completed 18 laps and DNF when the gear on the fuel injection pump failed.
In 1981, HDT purchased the Gemini for Phil Brock to race. Due to the damage to the body from the flywheel, another body was purchased and the running gear and the radiator support panel with the body/chassis number was transferred to the new body. This information has been provided by Bob Williamson, the former Team Owner/Manager of the ex-Cinzano Team car and an email outlining this information is provided. At this point the Cinzano Team car ceased to exist. It is the rebodied Gemini that commenced life as a race car and competed at Bathurst 1981 and Bathurst 1983 as well as numerous other races.
The Gemini was first campaigned by HDT with Phil Brock and Gary Scott at the Hang Ten 400 at on the 13th of September 1981 at Sandown. The Gemini finished 22nd completing 97 laps. There is significant footage available of this race that the current owner has that can be copied and provided to the purchaser as well as footage of Bathurst and many other races. Following the Hang Ten 400 the Gemini was next campaigned at Bathurst in 1981 on the 4th of October where the car completed 36 laps then DNF.
The Gemini sat in the corner at HDT for several months of 1982 before being sold to John White, a privateer. John White campaigned the car as the Heinemann Circuit Breaker car, in the 1982 Australian Endurance Championship where he finished equal 7th with Peter Brock in the Championship. At the Gold Coast 300 at the Surfers Paradise International Raceway on 7th November 1982 John attained second place in class B and at the Nissan Datsun 300 at the Adelaide International Raceway on the 5th of December 1982 John attained first place in class B.
John White was quite active in 1983 completing 4 of the 8 races in the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC). John competed at Calder on the 6th of February 1983 finishing 12th, Sandown on the 20th of February 1983 finishing 15th, Adelaide International Raceway on the 1st May where he DNF and Surfers Paradise on the 15th of May 1983 where John finished 11th. John’s results enabled him to finish 14th in the ATCC on 28 points. In 1983 John also competed in the Australian Endurance Championship where he entered the Castrol 400 at Sandown on the 11th of September 1983 where he completed 108 laps and finished 14th outright. On the 2nd of October 1983 John entered Bathurst where he completed 125 laps and finished 25th outright. The Gemini was clocked down Conrod straight at 201 kmh. For the results of these two races John attained 8 points and finished 55th in the Endurance Championship. While John campaigned the car the car was maintained by Jeff Conway and Paul Sabin.
John only campaigned the Gemini once in 1984, entering Sandown on the 18th of February 1984 where John finished 17th. With Group A commencing in mid to late 1984, no flares or body modifications were allowed. John considered what to do with the Group C Gemini. It was easier to build a new car than repair the front and rear wheel arch cutouts and the rear door cutouts. John purchased a new TG Gemini and both cars were placed side by side and the mechanicals from the older Group C car were swapped with the mechanicals from the TG Gemini. From this point onwards the Group A Gemini was a separate entity to the older Group C Gemini. The Group A Gemini is currently owned by Dave Cox in Queensland.
John sold the Group C Gemini to one of his apprentices and the Group C race car commenced suburban life for the next couple of decades. The Gemini has two body/chassis numbers, the original body number on the radiator support panel and a Vic Police body number on the chassis rail on the passenger side. It is suspected when the car was taken to Vic Roads for registration it was not possible to identify the chassis number ATE 08901B on the radiator support panel due to the layers of paint the panel had received during its racing life. A Vic Police number V851947P was therefore issued and stamped on the chassis rail. It was only when the car was bead blasted and restored that the original body number was located and is now readable.
Fast Forward to 2006 and the Gemini sits at the Kilsyth Auto Wreckers in Canterbury Road Bayswater having served its purpose as a road car. The Gemini is spotted by an Isuzu Car Club enthusiast Ric Ludgate. Ric was curious about the Gemini and knew due to the unusual body work and flare kit, it was no ordinary Gemini. Ric enlisted the help of his associate Paul Sabin the ex-John White assistant. Paul Sabin immediately identified the car as the ex-John White/ ex-HDT PF60E Twin Cam Group C Gemini. Paul Sabin has provided an original letter to this effect to the owner at the time and this is provided. Paul Sabin’s contact particulars can also be provided for verification purposes.
Ric Ludgate purchased the car for sale purposes only. Paul Sabin contacted Barry Thew who at the time was the Secretary of the Group C Touring Car Association and the owner of the only other Isuzu ZZ Twin Cam Gemini in Australia. Barry Thew was aware that Rob Hands had been searching for the Group C Gemini for many years, so contacted Rob Hands. Rob negotiated a purchase with Ric Ludsgate and restored the Group C car to its current condition. An email confirming the above contact is provided for reference purposes.
When Rob commenced restoration work on the Gemini, he discovered all the original paint for the HDT Livery underneath the white paint of the Heinemann Circuit Breaker Car. Photos are provided showing several examples including the antenna for the roof radio aerial.
Several photos are provided of the car in action on the track as well as a Bathurst program from 1981 and 1983.
The current owner purchased the Gemini in 2013 and has been pleased to be its custodian for several years. It is now time for someone new to enjoy this car and hopefully the car can take to the track again or perhaps enter the Bathurst Museum for the public of Australia to enjoy.
To protect your investment vehicle bidders should consider at a minimum replacement of fuel, oil, fluids, filters and thorough brake inspection as vehicles may have been stationary for some time. Vehicles are sold as is off the floor – unregistered. No warranty expressed or implied, sold with all or any faults, and where applicable sold with Australian Government Import Approval.
