777 PPD, Bob builds a Zeta......

The story of 777 PPD starts in January 1960 when Bob Linwood took delivery of his Fairthorpe Zeta kit from the Fairthorpe works. The Zeta was the top of the range model and was supplied as standard with a 2553cc Ford Zephyr straight 6 engine although one Zeta was ordered with a TR3 engine for motoring journalist Tony Bostock. The Zephyr engine could be ordered either in standard spec or fitted with an Alexander head with twin or Triple SU carbs or the more powerful alloy Raymond Mays head with 6 Amal carbs, this is sometimes referred to as a BRM head. Bob was going racing with this Zeta so the Mays option was ordered with his kit, here are a couple of build up shots taken by Bob in early 1960 reproduced with his kind permission.

 

                                                  More to follow please check back...........

Bob `the builder` reunited with his racer.

                                        
                                                    Photo courtesy of Ann Linwood

In early January we had the pleasure of a visit From Bob and Ann Linwood, Bob built my Zeta over the winter of 59/60 and raced it at a number of events throughout that year picking up several trophies along the way. He was delighted to see the car back in one piece again and described it as an awful lot of fun to drive. Bob now lives in France but is looking forward to coming over again once the car is on the road and run in, hopefully i can get some video footage of him driving the Zeta which i will upload onto this site.

Fairthorpe Zeta 777 PPD then and now.

The main reason for starting this blog is to catalogue the rebuild of this fantastic car, here is a taster to kick the blog off, the picture below was taken at Silverstone in 1960 with the cars builder Bob Linwood at the wheel.

                                                                                                                                                              

And fifty two years later the car made a surprise reappearance  again at Silverstone following seven months of intensive labour behind closed doors with work going on deep into the night on many occasions. The Zeta has had a busy past with plenty of circuit action, a number of owners and two burn outs but you can`t hold a good car down.  This picture was taken at the 2012 Silverstone  Classic on the Fairthorpe Sports Car Club stand

Hopefully that has whetted your appetite, the next post will be a description of what automotive ingredients go in to making up a Zeta.