G'day guys, I'm new here,
I stumbled onto this Forum a couple of years back, thought I'd joined or posted etc, but can't see anything in the pages.
I have lived on the Flurieu penninsular (where Mc Laren vale is situated) pretty well all my life, (I'm a 55 model).
As a poor but happy 16 year old, Reeves Garage, (owned by the Bosworth family) was my local Holden dealer and I
bought 4 cars from them.
As one of the local petrol heads / enthusiasts, I spent lots of time hanging around there, it was the place to go to
meet up with your mates. I knew the owners, the salemen, the secretary, the machanics, and the apprentices.
One of those apprentices was my best man when I got married and I was his.
He, and another mate literally biult the 2 LJ V8s that came out of that dealership, and my best man, had actually picked up the third car from City State Holden and it was sitting on the workshop floor ready for dismantle when the 'news' came from the owner (John Bosworth) that they had been told by GMH not to biuld any more or risk loosing their Dealership.
Now, just to clear a few things up....................
The first car from Reeves was an Orange 2 door 'S'.
It was a demo that all and sundry drove, for a short time. (tyres didn't last long)
Kingsley Mills, a local biulder and staunch Ford man. A G.T. owner, who bought his petrol from the Reeves bowsers, had been persuaded to take the car for a drive. It never came back. He apparently said "it will make a nice runna bout for the missus" or words to that effect. He still lives locally. Word is that it was crashed quite severely after they sold it.
The second car was biult on order for another of my mates, it was Red, had the 3.36 diff, had the guards ever so slightly flared (at Scottys' Crash Repairs, Willunga), to accomodate 7" Magnum mags, and was fitted with the big GTR steering wheel. It's only tell tail sign that it was a V8 was three little V8 signs under the word TORANA. One on each front guard and one on the rear spoiler that had been fitted.
I travelled many many miles in that car, drove it only onced, (he was very protective lol). It spent a lot of time on dirt roads too and from work. When he finally sold it, it went to another friend, one of the gang, who at one stage had restored it, run it in Street Drags, showed it in Show an Shine etc. Pretty sure it had a 350 chev and auto fitted too. When he eventually sold it, vowed to get it back and did, after it too had been crashed and was sitting in a shed rusting away (according to Bob Scott owner of Scottys'). Not sure of it's condition at this stage. Am trying to contact that owner. (If you're here 'Happy" please contact me).
The third car, well............ Someone bought a new purple 2 door 's' from Reeves Garage that had been, shall we say, 'well test driven' from Adelaide to Mc Laren Vale, that nearly became an Icon and very collectable car.
Now you may say who is this new bloke with all this info, well, Kingsley Mills still lives locally, although I have only seen him once in the last 10 years. (that was 6 months ago). My best man / apprentice at Reeves' is still my best mate, and the other apprentice at the time who worked on the cars is still local.
Cheers Ian.