RUMCars Forum

General Category => Microcar Events => Topic started by: john Meadows on August 07, 2010, 05:13:29 pm

Title: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: john Meadows on August 07, 2010, 05:13:29 pm: Hi Folks, Just a gentle reminder of the event of the year………..(stop giggling!)

Grand Frisky Line up -- National Microcar Rally 2nd-5th September - Malvern

This year we are hoping to achieve, the unbelievable , a row of Friskys! The largest ever number I can remember is four, and that was way back at Burford in the late 1970’s. If we all were able to turn up I recon we could achieve 15 plus, now wouldn’t that be a sight for sore eyes and what a grand photo opportunity probably never to be achieved again. I don’t think they ever had 15 in a row at the factory!

So PLEASE bring your Friskys to Malvern if you can only make one day then lets aim for Sunday 5th September, let me know if you can be there.

Stop Press
So far we have had eight Friskys promised, now that’s more than 10% of the world population and it is also that the original Gull Wing shell , last exhibited at Burford in 1980 will be there.

I also know that Keith Peckmore, Gordon Bedson’s right hand man and builder of all the prototypes is intending to come

Its not going to happen again, so pull out your Frisky (sorry madam) give it a wash, as found will do just great and bring it along same for project cars and bodies.

If we don’t achieve this now, at the current rate of export there won’t be enough Friskys left in the UK to do it in the future!

Regards to you all
John
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: marcus on August 07, 2010, 07:26:37 pm: Not yet sure if I will be able to make it, but all the best with it and I look forward to either seeing it or seeing the photos here!
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: Big Al on August 08, 2010, 08:53:40 am: Enough Friskys to fill Three Counties! Sadly do not own one but I think these 'year of the ....' at Nationals is a good idea. Creates a lot of interest. Will any of the Frisky be the same? Has anyone got hold of the North Birmingham lot as they had a few cars, Gordon Higlett and co.
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: blob on August 08, 2010, 09:14:39 am: Wasn't planning on going, though will have to now as I'd love to see the Michelotti shell.
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: john Meadows on August 08, 2010, 10:11:45 am: Hi Mike please come and bring one of your cars as "As Found waiting restoration" The coupe would be great as it very rare and shows how cars can end up and how lucky we are to have people like you willing to take then on to the benefit of all micro enthusiasts

Hi Big Al I have contacted (or tried my very best to) every owner on The Frisky Register, Gordon no longer has a Frisky he is in to narrow boats, and rang me recently about the line up from his "boat" (i am sure I am supposed to call it that!)

To those of you undecided, please come and bring any "Frisky Stuff" with you It will be the first time ever that Frisky owners will be able to get together and compare notes.

see you there

John
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: g-o-g-g-o on August 08, 2010, 12:47:55 pm: Hi John
do you want me to bring my Frisky engine - it is a late one from Sandwich - Excelsior 328 complete with the cowlings?
Mike
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: blob on August 08, 2010, 04:31:07 pm: Sorry John, as much as I'd love to bring the Coupe there's no way of getting it there, I don't own or have ever driven with a trailer and the brakes have seized on to. :-[
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: john Meadows on August 08, 2010, 05:33:47 pm: Hello Goggo, thats a good idea Mike the Excelsior engine is not common in Friskys, many people have never seen one

by the way do you still have the indicator switch we talked about at the NEC.
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: Big Al on August 09, 2010, 09:30:59 am: Quote from: john Meadows on August 08, 2010, 10:11:45 am
Gordon no longer has a Frisky he is in to narrow boats, and rang me recently about the line up from his "boat" (i am sure I am supposed to call it that!)

Crumbago, that has become a very expensive activity if your not careful. I looked at it some years back. On my way to the Huntingdon Rally I was nigh on hand in pocket for a really nice 57ft traditional job I could get a 'Schmitt in with Newbury engine. The purchase was OK but the costs were high when you worked it out and have doubled since! Only the Fens remain cheap. Friskys are cheaper and while you cannot live in one they can live with you as they are small enough to get in the French Doors!
North Brum was a hotspot for Friskys back in the day, not least being near where they were made. My old F3 is probobly still with the museum in Wolverhampton. Another is with a guy I sold my DKR Manx too in expensive Wolverhamptonland, cannot recall his name. He was doing a private collection. No idea what happened to the Groomfondle Frisky shell which went to Tri Tech.
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: marcus on August 09, 2010, 09:40:50 am: When I was filming at the Black Country Open Museum at Dudley a few years ago I saw a Frisky (Family/Coupe?) in their collection.
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: john Meadows on August 09, 2010, 11:34:38 am: Hi Marcus
The Yellow Frisky at the BCLM is unfortunately a "bitsa" most of the bits being wrong!

Its not a good example , particularly to have in a museum,

they have known this for years but despite my best endeavors and offer to help them get it right choose to ignore the fact

Oh well you can't win em all!!!

John
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: marcus on August 09, 2010, 12:56:55 pm: I noticed it looked a little sad! I have photos of it somewhere. They also have a Kieft mini racing car. Their collection is of locally manufactured items, with place being more important than quality, but even still it is a shame they are not interested in displaying it at its best. It will change if Friskys ever become valuable like Peels or 'schmitts
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: Jim Janecek on August 09, 2010, 03:29:46 pm: Most "Museums" are primarily set up as Tourist Attractions and have very little incentive to present things "at their best" especially if it means spending money.
Even if the value of Friskys skyrocketed, it would not be an incentive for the Museum to restore their car.
Restoring the car would not mean more people would come to see it and pay £12 when they might otherwise have stayed away.
Well, perhaps a few people, but not enough to offset the cost of restoration.
If anything they would be more inclined to sell the vehicle to contribute to ongoing operating expenses.
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: john Meadows on August 09, 2010, 05:58:07 pm: Big Al

I forgot to tell you the "Groomfondle" Frisky shell which went to Tri-Tech then went to a guy who wanted it for a shop window display, it then came to me and it is at the moment residing in Brian Shaws collection of useful Frisky stuff.

John

PS sorry that was a little off topic, for those of you still undecided, its now legal to get your Frisky out in public between consenting enthusiasts!
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: Big Al on August 10, 2010, 08:17:16 am: It wants someone to make some chassis up so as to put these shells 'live'. I know they will be slightly fake but there must be some 20 shells looking for chassis after the back of the Kent 'factory' was cleared of shells. Since there is an effective Register for Friskys I cannot see this as a problem. Glad to know the 'Groomfondle' shell remains in circulation.
I fear the yellow museum car might be my old car which I know went to a collection. It used to belong to Martin Keene (spelling) who used to be a stalwart Micronaut. He turned it over and broke his shoulder in the process. I had it in that condition. It passed to Martin MacKeever before coming back to me. It was a Villiers F3 as far as I know.
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: john Meadows on August 11, 2010, 07:05:09 am: Big Al
Frisky Family Three Chassis No 20147 (FR No 3017) was a 1959 Model first registered 1704 PX in March 1960 having a Villiers 9E . Colour light Blue. This was the car Gordon Higlett and Martin Keene owned. Martin replaced its then Villiers 11E with a correct 9E and hand built a new petrol tank for it..

The car in the museum still has chassis number 20147 but that’s about all, it has been retrofitted with a yellow body that had at some time been on a four wheel car (the glassed over cut outs are evident) indeed it may have been an early Coupe body as the roof is bolted on and the front window mounted in a steel frame and then the whole lot glassed over as the first few Coupe’s.

It now supports the registration SFO 217.

The front suspension is wrong, it has no interior fittings or electrics and the last time I saw it, it had a “foreign” bench seat, no dash and was fitted with the front bumper off a mark 2 Frisky..

It would seem that this little car, which I understand was given to the BCLM as part of “The Marsden Trust collection” has had a bit of a rough time and I agree with Jim Janecek they are unlikely to ever restore it.
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: Big Al on August 11, 2010, 07:29:36 am: What on earth did they do to it? It was a very good car when I sold it to the collection for £3,000 which was a very good price for a Frisky then, though it was a strange yellow colour by then. It appeared in several photoshoots and I have a framed pic of the car with my Dalmatian, Morse, sat in it. Sounds like it has been used to sell off reg numbers and broken up to hide the activity with the other parts split between the cars so as to obscure what was done.
It is very depressing when you find a good car sold has been butchered by someone later. I still cannot get over the really nice ink blue Bamby I had which I sold to Hook, Hants only to find that someone later rescued it from a scrap yard in a very poor state. But when the botchers are folk claiming to be a collection or museum you have to question quite what is going on. Will not be the first or last 'collection/museum' being used to front trade. Seller beware!
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: barchetta on August 11, 2010, 10:13:51 am: Ah, the Museum question,
my pal had a very nice frisky that just needed finishing off , chassis brakes ,engine ,bodywork all good ,needed a topcoat or paint ,was approached saying they had been looking for a frisky for a long while and were desperate to add it to their collection ,their budget was limited but they would get it restored and have it on display, he sold it to them under this understanding at a very reasonable price, 6 months later it was sold on ebay for three times the price paid.....
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: john Meadows on August 11, 2010, 10:29:46 am: Hi Barchetta, Dave could you let me have a bit more info on your friends Frisky I would like to look it up in the Register.
my email is John.meadows1898@btinternet .com

many thanks

John
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: Jim Janecek on August 11, 2010, 03:36:53 pm: Quote from: barchetta on August 11, 2010, 10:13:51 am
Ah, the Museum question,
my pal had a very nice frisky that just needed finishing off , chassis brakes ,engine ,bodywork all good ,needed a topcoat or paint ,was approached saying they had been looking for a frisky for a long while and were desperate to add it to their collection ,their budget was limited but they would get it restored and have it on display, he sold it to them under this understanding at a very reasonable price, 6 months later it was sold on ebay for three times the price paid.....

If this ever comes up again (and it will, it always does), get the Buyer for "the collection" to put IN WRITING that you are selling them the vehicle under these conditions and make sure you put penalties if they breach the contract. (ie: they resell the vehicle).
If they cannot do that, they are simply lying.
I only know of one person that has ever done this. He had some Ford that everyone wanted to buy and he would not sell it. It was the old "He wanted it to go to a good home".
The Henry Ford Museum had been trying to get it as well and he did not trust them either as he knew what went on behind the scenes of various collections and museums.
Eventually he drew up a sales contract that stipulated that the car could be purchased but it must remain in the Henry Ford Museum collection for "X" number of years and on display for "X" percent of that time.
They agreed and he was quite happy.

I guess the moral of the story is that once you sell something, it is no longer yours and the new owner can do what they want with it unless you have a contract with them that says otherwise.
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: Big Al on August 12, 2010, 10:04:42 am: I guess Jim's plan might work for a Museum which had an entity but otherwise it is a pretty hopeless situation in Britain. The Frisky scam sound reasonably modern. EBay was still being born when I sold my F3 to the collection. However there has been several serial 'buying for museum' types in the market recently. Another nail in the coffin. As I was saying to Grant it is getting so taking an interesting car to an event risks getting pestered by traders of all different sorts from straight out to deeply devious. It removes something of the abience and enjoyment of being there.
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: john Meadows on August 26, 2010, 09:47:33 pm: Come gather round Friskys where ever you roam
And admit that around you your value has grown
and accept that you’ll probably get drenched to the bone
but your time at Malvern’s worth givin
Then you better join up or be all on your own
For the line it is a growin

Apologies to Bob Dylan

Please bring your Frisky to Malvern and be in

The Grand Frisky Line Up

Sunday 5th September

John (Fingers crossed) Meadows
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: Big Al on August 27, 2010, 08:13:48 am: 'Don't give your Friskys (Friskies) to bad cats, take them to the Grand Frisky line up at the Malvern National'.

Like apologies to Bob Dylan fan, yeah.

So is that going to be a frazzle of Friskys?
A skip of Friskys?
A wriggle of Friskys?
A Meadows full of Friskys?
An excitment of Friskys?
I expect there are more.
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: Bob Purton on August 27, 2010, 08:32:01 am: The weather here has been as bad as it can be
Although it doesn't really matter much to me
For all the fun we'll have at Malvern far away
It might as well rain until September

Don't need a Frisky Sport for thing I have to do
but love to see them so its really down to you
As far as I'm concerned its Isettas all the way
So It might as well rain until September.

Sorry Carol King!

Whos next with alternative micro lyrics?
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: Jim Janecek on August 27, 2010, 02:55:11 pm: Sly Stone was hip to this in 1973, actual lyrics:

I gets all the way down
If I don't keep smilin' witchall
You gonna see me frown
That's why I keep music
All around the bed
So I can call Frisky
Very hard to be led
In the wrong direction
Frisky, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh Frisky, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh Frisky, yeah, yeah
Oh Frisky, yeah, yeah

etc etc etc...
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: Big Al on August 28, 2010, 09:59:51 am: I am looking forward to this one off gig of the Frisky Prince of Bil-ston and the Zetas in front of a line up of flashy Friskys doing these numbers.
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: zetasports on August 31, 2010, 01:02:32 am: Has anyone seen Fred Diwell's frisky?

He was telling me about his Frisky the other day

But I would love to see a photo of his car one day, as I am confused where 1001 has exactly come from?

was it the first Australian chassis and if so was the body mould taken from the Frisky? or did Gordon bring the Body Moulds and Chassis Jigs from England

How different is the Zeta from the Frisky in the engine and drive system?

Looking at a Frisky on the Frisky web site I wonder if Gordon Brought a Frisky to Australia?

We will be in Adelaide from 23 Sept till 28 Sept to remove the Sports and take some photos for you to see what has survived all these years.

Shane Buchanan from Cairns has offered to complete my Triumph car in exchange for the Zeta car which is the best offer at this stage considering the short notice and cost involved to collect and transport the car in pieces.

I would love to hear your thoughts have a nice day Robin
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: john Meadows on August 31, 2010, 10:14:27 pm: Sorry if this is a bit off topic but

a)   I am sure Fred would be only to happy to send you a picture of his car if you ask him

b)   Yes Gordon Bedson did import a small number of FriskySports (not the Sprint) to Australia, Fred has one

c)   No he did not bring the Frisky mould , chassis etc with him (Sport or Sprint) there was only one Sprint built plus a prototype wider sprint chassis that was to hold a larger engine this was never completed.

d)   All four wheel Frisky’s are chain drive to a solid rear axle

e)   The Frisky & Zeta engines are obviously very different

f)   I can not help you with the origin of 1001, however there were probably several prototypes before production as with the Meadows Frisky, it does not follow that 1001 was the very first. (The First FriskySport was 00056)

g)   The Chassis was Gordon’s own design as with the Sprint but as you know he fell out with Lightburn over build quality issues that he felt compromised the car.

I hope this helps sort out your confusion, please feel free to email me direct if I can help further

John Meadows
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: blob on September 06, 2010, 01:19:55 pm: How many men does it take to fix a frisky?
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: Grant Kearney on September 06, 2010, 01:31:26 pm: Clearly too many ;D but we did fix it.
2010, the 35th anniversary Rally will always be remembered (by those who did attend) for the Grand Frisky Line up. The 'Frisky man' said there would be 12 and we did not believe him. He was wrong though :D, 13 turned up. Legendary.
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: P50 on September 06, 2010, 01:38:07 pm: Quote from: blob on September 06, 2010, 01:19:55 pm
How many men does it take to fix a frisky?

Stirling effort. Can I take it that this machine was MOT's this morning and is now gracing the queens highway?
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: Jean on September 06, 2010, 06:04:02 pm: Congratulations John, I wish I could have made it 14. Jean
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: john Meadows on September 10, 2010, 06:47:16 pm: Thank you for all your kind comments and the Cup presented to me at the National on Sunday.
It took me completely by surprise, I was lost for words (very unusual for me!)

The people who really deserved the award were the Frisky owners who promised to bring their cars. Every single one turned up, nobody let me down most travelled great distances just to be there for the day and be part of the Grand Frisky Line Up.

It was they who made it the success it was and I can only say “THANK YOU” I hope you all had as much fun as Jan and I did. It was a great Frisky day and coinciding as it did with my 70th Birthday a super birthday present for me.

Keith Peckmore and Mark Stone said they both had an amazing day which they would not have missed for the world. I hope you all enjoyed talking Frisky with them.

At the moment my broadband is down yet again and likely to be for another week. I am typing this in my car about 500yds up the lane from my cottage were for some reason the adjoining fields have an available broadband connection!!. I’ll never understand this technology!! But my apologies to those of you wondering why I don’t answer your emails

Once again thank you all for making it the success it was

John Meadows
The Frisky man (well perhaps not that Frisky at 70!)
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: Big Al on December 03, 2010, 09:22:51 am: I have gained a Frisky hard top Trike, John. Might sound vague but the car is living with some rather grumpy pigs (no not Reliants, down, down) at the moment! I will be in touch when I have it with a hope it can be identified. I suspect it will be known but you never know. At the moment I do not even know which engine it has, I am hoping Villiers as I am no fan of the Excelsior I seem to recall went in some versions. The plan is to restore this car into part of my collection. Pity it did not come 6 months sooner but there we are.
Title: Re: Grand Frisky Line Up Malvern
Post by: john Meadows on December 22, 2010, 09:34:39 pm: Hi Big Al
Just spotted your post
When you are ready just give me a bell and I'll try my best for you to identfy it
regards John