39 replies to this topic

[purrlx]

Just wondering if this car still exists and if the one car did 77,78 and 79 Bathurst and touring car seasons

[Torananut]

Warren Cullen had two A9X hatches and one sedan. The sedan was built for the '77 Sandown race out of a standard LX shell to A9X specs,but was not used much after that and was later sold to John Smith painted white. This car is being restored in Melbourne and retains most of its racing parts. The first hatchback was built for Bathurst '77 and in early 1980 the car was sold less motor and gearbox to a guy in Melbourne for about six grand. The car was painted Porsche guards red and had a 350 chev installed, but unfortunately the owner passed away and the family still have the car today in the same condition as the early 80's. The second hatchback was built in early '79 and I believe is in South Australia somewhere. In the mid 90's another hatch appeared in Melbourne before being sold up to Queensland and later in Western Australia. This car is a replica made from one of the left-over unused P&A shells and for some years was passed off as a real Cullen car (this came to light through a police investigation several years ago).

 

I will see if I can find the magazine article on the '77 car.

 

Cheers    Grant

[Torananut]

Hi Rod,

 

Talking to Brett Florence about the Cullen hatches several years ago he told me that he verified the '79 car and I thought he said it was in S.A. The main thing is that both Cullen hatches survive plus the sedan. Unfortunately I don't think any of the L34's are still around.

 

P.S.  Are just about to scan the magazine article on the '77 car in the next half hour.

 

 

Cheers,      Grant

[Torananut]

Here is an old magazine article from about 1988.

 

 Cullen A9X pic1.jpg   167.79K   15 downloads

 

 Cullen A9X pic2.jpg   170.84K   17 downloads

 

 Cullen A9X pic3.jpg   156.73K   12 downloads

 

 Cullen A9X pic4.jpg   152.96K   13 downloads

 

 Cullen A9X pic5.jpg   183K   16 downloads

 

Part two to follow.

Part two.

 

 Cullen A9X pic6.jpg   177.4K   14 downloads

 

 Cullen A9X pic7.jpg   183.32K   16 downloads

[Torananut]

I've just been corrected about the other Cullen hatch. It is in Victoria and does the occasional hillclimb. My bad!

 

Grant

[Torananut]

Not sure what year this was.

 

 Cullen A9X ad.PNG   84.61K   13 downloads

[purrlx]

Thanks for the info there Grant good to here that the cars are still around.

[grina05]

ye there still around and a few extras,mines the 78 bathurst car which was verified by brett when all that dodgy shit was goin on.as rod said i do the odd hillclimb,steve

Edited by grina05, 04 July 2013 - 09:03 PM.

[Torananut]

Hi Steve,

 

Good to see that another old racer has survived. Any thought of putting it back in the original colours now its history is confirmed?

 

Cheers,    Grant

[purrlx]

Thanks Steve for the pic of your car and good to see it still gets used and not just hidden away

[grina05]

its in need of a full resto,getting a bit sad in places.taking it back to origanal livery is the plan
will be hard to take the current paint job off it,steve

[REDA9X]

Steves car is a very special car. He sent me some pictures a few years ago and I knew straight away what it was. Good to see a real one floating around with all the fakes that are circulating. I wonder what happened to the "replica".

[Torananut]

This may have been the replica a few years ago on display.

 

 Warren Cullen's A9X.jpg   67.19K   14 downloads

[REDA9X]

Yes, thats it, I took that picture

[yel327]

That article should bring roars of displeasure out the originality crowd. How dare they put a 9", Chev and turbo 400 slushbox in an A9X (and trim the rails). If I remember Garry Della had some other mags do articles when he had a 6/71 blower out of the hood of that car. I will try to find one. You would get shot today for doing these sorts of mods to anything but an SL, Sunbudgie or UC. But modifying an A9X would get you stoned to death in 2013.

 

Na, once they are modified they are better left modified, or at least fixed the best you can! Cost too much to try to get them right again. Same deal as a HK GTS327, mine is getting a 427, Muncie and 12 bolt - far easier than trying to make it all original again when it has been a speedway car! 

[grina05]

last i herd the replica was in perth an being used as a club car,i remember looking at that car many years ago at bathurst

[WhiteA9XS]

although the replica car in perth does have a genuine gmp&a shell ....

[grina05]

do you know if it has any race history

[REDA9X]

My understanding is it's a genuine shell that was never raced.

[REDA9X]

Theres always at least one

Red is that Genuine or Original?